Nobody wants to try shampoo bars unless they're free...

[KiwiMoose]

@KiwiMoose your bars are oh sooooo smoooothhhh.

Shaken, not stirred. Oh, um, I mean, poured, not pressed

 

[cathy hayward]

I have put out an APB on my social media asking people why they don't seem to warm to shampoo bars. I have a bucket load of foaming apple here (all the way from the USA) that needs using up, but I don't want want to throw good money after bad making shampoo bars that are, quite frankly, very expensive to make. I have myself and my hubby and sister in law that use them regularly and that's it. And i only need to make circa 5-6 bars per year to service just us three.

Excuses people use not to try them are:
1) My hair is long and thick ( and I guess there's an implication that it won't do the job?)
2) They go gooey in the shower ( mine don't - but I remember the Lush ones used to when we bought those)
3) It will ruin my coloured hair
4) I have sensitivities
5) I have grey hair and need special shampoo ( is this a thing?)
6) I don't want to buy a (big) bar only to find out that I don't like it, so if I could get a little sample I might try it (my cost price is just over $3 for a 40g bar, so I don't fancy giving a truckload of those away!)
7) I'm fussy with shampoo and i like my salon-bought brand (even though it costs them nearly $40 per bottle)
8) I only spend $3 per bottle on shampoo so i don't want to spend $12 on a shampoo bar
9) How do you store the bar between washes? ( genuine question, but one wonders what they are imagining...taking it out of the shower each time and putting it back in again next time you need it? I mean - where do you usually store your shampoo?)

Can anyone help me out here with responses to some of these questions? Thoughts? Ideas? Anything?

i think people dont know to much about this as they would rather spend big money on crap shampoo and conditioner rather than using great organic products wish they would catch up to us all on this i havent made shampoo or condtioners bars yet as i dont know how but im would like to learn on this .I make organic soap bath salts bath bombs kids soap also

i think people dont know to much about this as they would rather spend big money on crap shampoo and conditioner rather than using great organic products wish they would catch up to us all on this i havent made shampoo or condtioners bars yet as i dont know how but im would like to learn on this .I make organic soap bath salts bath bombs kids soap also

i need to find a simple organic recipe for the shampoo and condtioning bars in a pinch i have even used my own soap bath bars on my hair and i dont even need condtioner as i have really good ingredients in my bars also my hair is half way down my backside

 

[Zany_in_CO]

i have even used my own soap bath bars on my hair and i dont even need condtioner as i have really good ingredients in my bars

Same here!

i need to find a simple organic recipe for the shampoo and condtioning bars in a pinch

What are you waiting fot? I think you have all the necessary tools and experience to formulate the perfect bar! As for a "conditioning bar", I would forgo that. I use a drop or two of argan oil between my palms and smooth it over my hair, paying special attention to the ends, for conditioning, shine and to control flyaways.

 

[scmorgans]

Same here!

What are you waiting fot? I think you have all the necessary tools and experience to formulate the perfect bar! As for a "conditioning bar", I would forgo that. I use a drop or two of argan oil between my palms and smooth it over my hair, paying special attention to the ends, for conditioning, shine and to control flyaways.

Question for Zany - you put Argan Oil on your hair while it's wet or dry?? I only ask as I made Shampoo & conditioner bars after following this thread. Been using them now for almost 3 wks. WHAT A DIFFERENCE in my hair!
So, Thank you to everyone for the wonderful thread!

Here's my bars after unmolding them. I made Poured Shampoo & Conditioner.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Question for Zany - you put Argan Oil on your hair while it's wet or dry??

@scmorgans FYI: I just happened to see this. It's best to put an @ in front of the name to be sure the member gets a notification.
Wet or dry, it doesn't matter. Usually I towel dry and put it on before styling but I also do it again the next day on dry hair if it needs it.

I should also mention, that castor oil is also good for hair (and scalp) and less expensive. I rub a bit of castor on my brush before brushing, wet or dry.

 

[Kiti Williams]

My hair is down to my butt and I use a shampoo bar and some conditioner bar on the ends (my own mix). I made a beard soap that had men buying me out in 1 week! I can't keep that in stock, it is so popular!

 

[Misschief]

My hair is down to my butt and I use a shampoo bar and some conditioner bar on the ends (my own mix). I made a beard soap that had men buying me out in 1 week! I can't keep that in stock, it is so popular!

Could I ask what you add to your shampoo bar to make it a beard soap? Is your shampoo bar a soap base or syndet base?

 

[scmorgans]

@scmorgans FYI: I just happened to see this. It's best to put an @ in front of the name to be sure the member gets a notification.
Wet or dry, it doesn't matter. Usually I towel dry and put it on before styling but I also do it again the next day on dry hair if it needs it.

I should also mention, that castor oil is also good for hair (and scalp) and less expensive. I rub a bit of castor on my brush before brushing, wet or dry.

@Zany_in_CO Thank you! I'm hoping I replied correctly. I did not know about the @.

 

[Kiti Williams]

Could I ask what you add to your shampoo bar to make it a beard soap? Is your shampoo bar a soap base or syndet base?

It is a soap based with 10 to 20% Argon oil and less coconut oil. I upped the "Hard oil", Avocado oil, to make a very hard bar.

Ron's beard is down to his belt, it was nasty and dried out. 1 use of the beard soap and it was in better condition than at the beginning of the season.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

Bluing or Purple coloring in shampoo whitens gray or white hair. It does Not work as a colorant it just whitens yellow cast the same as bluing in your wash water will do for whites. In fact, after WW11 when hair products were hard for salons to acquire they would use Mrs. Stewart's Bluing for hair rinses on their gray and white hair customers. I still buy and use it in my wash. This is why they make blue rinses but I always hated using leave on blue rinses such as White Minx because they would stain customers' hair if they had snow-white hair, so I preferred to dilute the rinse or use Mrs. Stewart's Bluing.

When I made shampoo bars I colored the ones for my use with purple colorant to help brighten and ward of yellow tinge in my white hair. I quit making them for sale because I simply could not sell them no matter how I tried to promote them. I had a few customers that loved them so I told them to just special order them from me when they need shampoo bars.

Interesting Mrs. Bluing for whiter white clothes’ makes perfect since. awesome tip .

 

[Carolyne Thrasher]

I know you posted awhile ago @KiwiMoose but I can’t keep up with the demand for my shampoo bars. I drag my feet on making them because soap is so much more fun.

But to your question-I would say all the people who buy my shampoo bars buy them to avoid plastic. I have a very loyal following who often buy extras for novelty gifts and then those people come to me as new customers. I have a sign on my table at market that says “Plastic is Out! Solid is In!” People who would otherwise skip another soap seller literally do a double take and come ask me if I’m selling Shampoo bars. I have tried Lush bars and I know that mine are superior. There’s really no comparison. I explain how mine are formulated and I have memorized all the extra goodies (like panthenol) and rattle those off.I also tell people who are on the fence if my bar doesn’t work out for shampoo it makes an amazing body wash sans the plastic bottle. I also tell people one bar is equal to 2 sixteen ounce bottles of shampoo because number of washes doesn’t work. Everyone needs to use a different amount of product. And lastly I make everyone aware that it’s unnecessary to ship any kind of cleanser in plastic bottles because you are just basically transporting water and the carbon cost between the bottle and shipping is immoral. We’ve all seen the plastic islands in the ocean.

 

[SoapSisters]

I use a drop or two of argan oil between my palms and smooth it over my hair, paying special attention to the ends, for conditioning, shine and to control flyaways.

Thanks for bringing up argan oil. I was thinking of ordering it for my hair as well. Do you use refined or unrefined?

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Do you use refined or unrefined?

I just happened to add this to my cart while shopping at The Emu Oil Shop. Not sure if it's refined or unrefined.

 

[Arimara]

... Yeah, I would need to know if anyone with any type of Afro hair has ever tried a shampoo bar.

 

[kittyclark53]

I have put out an APB on my social media asking people why they don't seem to warm to shampoo bars. I have a bucket load of foaming apple here (all the way from the USA) that needs using up, but I don't want want to throw good money after bad making shampoo bars that are, quite frankly, very expensive to make. I have myself and my hubby and sister in law that use them regularly and that's it. And i only need to make circa 5-6 bars per year to service just us three.

Excuses people use not to try them are:
1) My hair is long and thick ( and I guess there's an implication that it won't do the job?)
2) They go gooey in the shower ( mine don't - but I remember the Lush ones used to when we bought those)
3) It will ruin my coloured hair
4) I have sensitivities
5) I have grey hair and need special shampoo ( is this a thing?)
6) I don't want to buy a (big) bar only to find out that I don't like it, so if I could get a little sample I might try it (my cost price is just over $3 for a 40g bar, so I don't fancy giving a truckload of those away!)
7) I'm fussy with shampoo and i like my salon-bought brand (even though it costs them nearly $40 per bottle)
8) I only spend $3 per bottle on shampoo so i don't want to spend $12 on a shampoo bar
9) How do you store the bar between washes? ( genuine question, but one wonders what they are imagining...taking it out of the shower each time and putting it back in again next time you need it? I mean - where do you usually store your shampoo?)

Can anyone help me out here with responses to some of these questions? Thoughts? Ideas? Anything?

I have the same problem. I have testers that try my products before I put them up for sale. The people who test my products are reluctant on the shampoo bars. I myself use them. They are phenomenal. My hair is baby fine, it's colored and the grey is coarse and dry. Since using this shampoo bar, my hair has bounce and it is a little curly now. I also don't have to use conditioner where before I had to, especially after coloring my hair and we know what a nightmare that is to comb out freshly colored hair without really good conditioner. I dont need it with this shampoo bar. I am hooked. My friend who tried it said it was good but she still used conditioner because her hair is long and fine also. I asked her to please try it without conditioner because with all the oils and butters in this bar, I feel it wieghs the hair down when you add conditioner. So far the reluctance is there to try them. and use them the way they are supposed to be used. Without conditioner. I only made one batch and I have 20 bars so I will use these myself and continue to make them for myself from now on if I can't sell them, at least I found something that works on my dry baby fine hair.

 

[AliOop]

... Yeah, I would need to know if anyone with any type of Afro hair has ever tried a shampoo bar.

I don’t have super kinky Afro hair, but I have been told by more than one Black woman, “You have Black people hair!”

Needless to say, my hair is very dry, thick, curly, and frizzy. Having just spent the last ten days in a very humid area, it’s also HUGE.

Anyway, my handcrafted syndet shampoo bars and conditioner bars work great for my hair - it is noticeably softer and more manageable. I did specifically formulate for dry hair when I made them.

@kittyclark53 I have family members who love them, and they get my stuff for free or cost. But so far, I haven’t had any friends willing to try them, let alone pay the retail price for them. As others have noted, changing shampoos can be so scary for people. Hopefully when they see how good your hair looks, they will take a chance!

 

[Rsapienza]

I have put out an APB on my social media asking people why they don't seem to warm to shampoo bars. I have a bucket load of foaming apple here (all the way from the USA) that needs using up, but I don't want want to throw good money after bad making shampoo bars that are, quite frankly, very expensive to make. I have myself and my hubby and sister in law that use them regularly and that's it. And i only need to make circa 5-6 bars per year to service just us three.

Excuses people use not to try them are:
1) My hair is long and thick ( and I guess there's an implication that it won't do the job?)
2) They go gooey in the shower ( mine don't - but I remember the Lush ones used to when we bought those)
3) It will ruin my coloured hair
4) I have sensitivities
5) I have grey hair and need special shampoo ( is this a thing?)
6) I don't want to buy a (big) bar only to find out that I don't like it, so if I could get a little sample I might try it (my cost price is just over $3 for a 40g bar, so I don't fancy giving a truckload of those away!)
7) I'm fussy with shampoo and i like my salon-bought brand (even though it costs them nearly $40 per bottle)
8) I only spend $3 per bottle on shampoo so i don't want to spend $12 on a shampoo bar
9) How do you store the bar between washes? ( genuine question, but one wonders what they are imagining...taking it out of the shower each time and putting it back in again next time you need it? I mean - where do you usually store your shampoo?)

Can anyone help me out here with responses to some of these questions? Thoughts? Ideas? Anything?

Show them these pics….she pays $150 for a haircut!!! (She’s nuts) She uses them when she has color as well.

She uses my shampoo bars regularly!!! Those are all natural curls

 

[AliOop]

Her hair is gorgeous! Great advertisement for your bars, for sure!

Regarding the $150 haircut, believe me, we curly girls are willing to pay a premium for someone who can cut it right. Can’t tell you how many times my hair has been absolutely butchered by someone who assured me they knew how to cut curls. The true test is not how I look when I leave, but how my hair behaves after that first wash - and how it grows out.

I’ve only had two primary hairdressers over a span of 30 or so years. I still try to arrange my work trips to allow for a cut by one of them when I’m in her area. Because I rarely travel for work anymore, I’m actually looking for a hairdresser where we live now. It gives me a knot in my stomach just typing that. I even stop random curly girls in stores and ask them for a name. Most of them are very sympathetic, but so far, they’ve all had a friend or family member who does it on the side for them. I know she’s out there but I need to find her soon!

 

[cmzaha]

I have put out an APB on my social media asking people why they don't seem to warm to shampoo bars. I have a bucket load of foaming apple here (all the way from the USA) that needs using up, but I don't want want to throw good money after bad making shampoo bars that are, quite frankly, very expensive to make. I have myself and my hubby and sister in law that use them regularly and that's it. And i only need to make circa 5-6 bars per year to service just us three.

Excuses people use not to try them are:
1) My hair is long and thick ( and I guess there's an implication that it won't do the job?)
2) They go gooey in the shower ( mine don't - but I remember the Lush ones used to when we bought those)
3) It will ruin my coloured hair
4) I have sensitivities
5) I have grey hair and need special shampoo ( is this a thing?)
6) I don't want to buy a (big) bar only to find out that I don't like it, so if I could get a little sample I might try it (my cost price is just over $3 for a 40g bar, so I don't fancy giving a truckload of those away!)
7) I'm fussy with shampoo and i like my salon-bought brand (even though it costs them nearly $40 per bottle)
8) I only spend $3 per bottle on shampoo so i don't want to spend $12 on a shampoo bar
9) How do you store the bar between washes? ( genuine question, but one wonders what they are imagining...taking it out of the shower each time and putting it back in again next time you need it? I mean - where do you usually store your shampoo?)

Can anyone help me out here with responses to some of these questions? Thoughts? Ideas? Anything?

I was never really able to sell shampoo bars in any of my markets, no matter how I advertised them, so I would just make them for us.

 

[ArcticBanshee]

I have put out an APB on my social media asking people why they don't seem to warm to shampoo bars. I have a bucket load of foaming apple here (all the way from the USA) that needs using up, but I don't want want to throw good money after bad making shampoo bars that are, quite frankly, very expensive to make. I have myself and my hubby and sister in law that use them regularly and that's it. And i only need to make circa 5-6 bars per year to service just us three.

Excuses people use not to try them are:
1) My hair is long and thick ( and I guess there's an implication that it won't do the job?)
2) They go gooey in the shower ( mine don't - but I remember the Lush ones used to when we bought those)
3) It will ruin my coloured hair
4) I have sensitivities
5) I have grey hair and need special shampoo ( is this a thing?)
6) I don't want to buy a (big) bar only to find out that I don't like it, so if I could get a little sample I might try it (my cost price is just over $3 for a 40g bar, so I don't fancy giving a truckload of those away!)
7) I'm fussy with shampoo and i like my salon-bought brand (even though it costs them nearly $40 per bottle)
8) I only spend $3 per bottle on shampoo so i don't want to spend $12 on a shampoo bar
9) How do you store the bar between washes? ( genuine question, but one wonders what they are imagining...taking it out of the shower each time and putting it back in again next time you need it? I mean - where do you usually store your shampoo?)

Can anyone help me out here with responses to some of these questions? Thoughts? Ideas? Anything?

Interesting. I have hair that’s the length of my shoulder blades. It’s thick and wavy. I haven’t had issues with shampoo bars yet. What I was having issues with was a salon brand that went “mainstream”, and that now causes a reaction in my scalp. It also made a lot of my hair fall out. So I gave Royalty Soaps shampoo and conditioner bars a try.
I can report that it’s not that hard for me to use them. It’s a little strange, and the first shampoo soap-up doesn’t have much lather. The second soap-up though has tons!
At this point I’m more concerned with my scalp and hair loss than protecting my hair color.
With the silver hair question, some people like to use a special shampoo that deposits temporary purple color to counter out the yellow some silver/white hair has. So every time they shampoo they are laying kind of a purple gloss over the hair. It makes the silver brighter looking and “cleaner” looking, even if it’s temporary.