Yesterday I received my shipment of LNHC's Ayurvedic Shampoo Bar with Brahmi Bhringraj Hibiscus Shikakai Amla Reetha & Neem. Last night and this morning I had an opportunity to use it. While it is to early to provide feedback on its long term benefits (if any) I have a good idea of how things will go based on two uses.
Being a Shampoo bar, this is something of a niche product and one that many might overlook. I hope my intitial review help someone decide to buy (or not).
Appearance and scent: The bar is a dark brown with no design or frills, just a stamped logo on the surface (which is kinda of cool if you ask me). I am going to say that although this bar is unscented it still has a natural scent resulting from what it contains. The scent/smell is not exciting at all but it isn't horrible either...just a raw herbal scent.
Bubbles and suds: After wetting my head I grabbed the brand new bar and rubbed it on my hair. After two, maybe three back and forths I had plenty of soap on my hair to make a head full of suds. The bubbles were substantial but not dense like a shave soap. I dare say the bubble type and texture are perfect for shampooing but also exactly what I want for washing my entire body. After giving my head the old "scrubby hands" for 30 seconds I was able to use the lather to wash my face and upper body as well. When I used the bar again this morning I had the same experience, quick to "load" and lather, and wonderful for the face and body.
Post lather rinse: The soap washes away clean and easy leaving my hair and scalp feeling clean but not overly so. Not so clean as to feel stripped and not so slick as to feel overly conditioned...right in the middle. This stuff is definitely made for hair.
Post shower feel and hair manageability: This is where this shampoo bar shines (pun intended). My hair was visually shiny and felt soft to the touch. Both last night and this morning I styled my hair to confirm manageability but this morning I added Notalgic Pomade to hold it in place. On both occasions my heair felt more manageable. Since my head has been progressively turning grey I have struggled with the changes in hair texture that result in random cow-licks and "wings" that won't lay flat. ....not today.
Price and value: This bar will run you between $9 and $10 plus shipping. Assuming you only buy one bar I figure the shipping will be almost $4, making your total purchase price $13-$14. The 4.5 ounce bar is dense and seems as if it will last a very long time provided I keep it dry between uses (a typical recommendation with any artisanal soap). As thrifty as my wife is,she buys the best soap she can for her hair and it costs avery bit of $13-$14 if not more. Her bottles last quite a long time but I doubt they will last longer than my shampoo bar.
Overall thoughts: So far I am impressed and happy with this shampoo bar. The scent of the natural ingredients when sniffed from the bar is reminiscent of the time I made soap with olive oil (this soap has no olive oil), a little on the unappealing side. Once applied to the hair and lathered I detect no scent at all. The take away here is not to smell the soap when you get it and think OMG this stuff stinks, it won't when you use it. The post rinse and styling are noticeably better than what I have been using (random shave soap left overs and pucks of CBL "shampoo" bars). I can't say with confidence how or if all the good stuff in this shampoo will impact my semi-chronic dandruff but early indications are that it isn't hurting (By this time of day I will have an oily or flakey head if I use a poor quality soap). While spending $10 or more on a shampoo bar was hard for me to consider, I am now thinking I was unreasonably concerned about the price to value ratio. If this bar lasts 6-8 weeks and continues to perform as It seems to be, i will consider it a steal.
What next? I will continue to use this shampoo bar and report back if it is maintaining my current condition or improving it. I will also try to make note of the rate of consumption. ...and I will see if I can get my wife to try it more than once and get her thoughts.
Based on early testing this one looks like a "must have" for anyone who has been looking for something better for their hair and scalp.
Edit: I forgot to mention, I also received a sample of Lisa's body soap. The fragrance is "rainforest" and it is awesome smelling. I will give it a test and report back. The test will need to wait, for now I am just going to let the scent linger in my bathroom.
HERE is a link to what I just reviewed
Being a Shampoo bar, this is something of a niche product and one that many might overlook. I hope my intitial review help someone decide to buy (or not).
Appearance and scent: The bar is a dark brown with no design or frills, just a stamped logo on the surface (which is kinda of cool if you ask me). I am going to say that although this bar is unscented it still has a natural scent resulting from what it contains. The scent/smell is not exciting at all but it isn't horrible either...just a raw herbal scent.
Bubbles and suds: After wetting my head I grabbed the brand new bar and rubbed it on my hair. After two, maybe three back and forths I had plenty of soap on my hair to make a head full of suds. The bubbles were substantial but not dense like a shave soap. I dare say the bubble type and texture are perfect for shampooing but also exactly what I want for washing my entire body. After giving my head the old "scrubby hands" for 30 seconds I was able to use the lather to wash my face and upper body as well. When I used the bar again this morning I had the same experience, quick to "load" and lather, and wonderful for the face and body.
Post lather rinse: The soap washes away clean and easy leaving my hair and scalp feeling clean but not overly so. Not so clean as to feel stripped and not so slick as to feel overly conditioned...right in the middle. This stuff is definitely made for hair.
Post shower feel and hair manageability: This is where this shampoo bar shines (pun intended). My hair was visually shiny and felt soft to the touch. Both last night and this morning I styled my hair to confirm manageability but this morning I added Notalgic Pomade to hold it in place. On both occasions my heair felt more manageable. Since my head has been progressively turning grey I have struggled with the changes in hair texture that result in random cow-licks and "wings" that won't lay flat. ....not today.
Price and value: This bar will run you between $9 and $10 plus shipping. Assuming you only buy one bar I figure the shipping will be almost $4, making your total purchase price $13-$14. The 4.5 ounce bar is dense and seems as if it will last a very long time provided I keep it dry between uses (a typical recommendation with any artisanal soap). As thrifty as my wife is,she buys the best soap she can for her hair and it costs avery bit of $13-$14 if not more. Her bottles last quite a long time but I doubt they will last longer than my shampoo bar.
Overall thoughts: So far I am impressed and happy with this shampoo bar. The scent of the natural ingredients when sniffed from the bar is reminiscent of the time I made soap with olive oil (this soap has no olive oil), a little on the unappealing side. Once applied to the hair and lathered I detect no scent at all. The take away here is not to smell the soap when you get it and think OMG this stuff stinks, it won't when you use it. The post rinse and styling are noticeably better than what I have been using (random shave soap left overs and pucks of CBL "shampoo" bars). I can't say with confidence how or if all the good stuff in this shampoo will impact my semi-chronic dandruff but early indications are that it isn't hurting (By this time of day I will have an oily or flakey head if I use a poor quality soap). While spending $10 or more on a shampoo bar was hard for me to consider, I am now thinking I was unreasonably concerned about the price to value ratio. If this bar lasts 6-8 weeks and continues to perform as It seems to be, i will consider it a steal.
What next? I will continue to use this shampoo bar and report back if it is maintaining my current condition or improving it. I will also try to make note of the rate of consumption. ...and I will see if I can get my wife to try it more than once and get her thoughts.
Based on early testing this one looks like a "must have" for anyone who has been looking for something better for their hair and scalp.
Edit: I forgot to mention, I also received a sample of Lisa's body soap. The fragrance is "rainforest" and it is awesome smelling. I will give it a test and report back. The test will need to wait, for now I am just going to let the scent linger in my bathroom.
HERE is a link to what I just reviewed