Shampoo Bar FAQ Transition

FAQS

Is there a transition period for switching to natural shampoo bars?

Unfortunately, it isn’t always as easy as just tossing out your old synthetic liquid shampoo and diving in to using a solid bar. Although for some people it is, for many there is a bit of a transition period. How long the transition takes can depend upon hair length, amount of damage, amount of residue and buildup left by chemical shampoos and products, and even your genetics. You may get awesome results after a few days, a couple of weeks, or even after a whole month. The trick is to be patient, use the bar properly, and maybe use the assistance of rinses to speed up the process.

What does this transition period look like? It can vary from person to person, but many will have extremely oily or waxy looking and feeling hair, or very dry and brittle hair. Some may find that their hair goes from one extreme to the next. Some may experience lots of frizz, and for longer hair in particular, may find their hair tangling or knotting up.

The excess oil can be caused by an imbalance of natural oils. Your scalp is used to having to overcompensate for synthetic shampoos that strip hair of natural oil, so it may take time for oil production to balance. Waxy feeling hair is often a result of the fatty oils used in natural soaps bonding to chemical residue left in hair, or from bonding to hard water. Baking soda, vinegar, herbal tea, or citrus rinses can help naturally remove chemical residues, while using rinses, soft water, distilled water, or a shower filter can help with hard water problems.

Note that some people may experience a transitioning period again after exposure to particularly hard water, visiting the salon, or other situations that expose their hair to chemical products.