Ever since I was really young, I’ve had some serious hair envy. Whether it was catching a shampoo commercial on the television or longing for gorgeous curls like my sister’s, I’ve always expected too much from what my hair is willing to give me. It didn’t help that it was pretty long for a bit and I could never get it through to my brain that pulling harder on tangles doesn’t make them go away, but I’ve gotten better now that I’m older and understand that I have to work with it, not against it.
I’ve tried liquid shampoos and ones that come with a foaming pump, but my first encounter with J.R. Liggett’s Old-Fashioned Bar Shampoo was also my first experience with a solid shampoo at all. Though I was little unsure as I rubbed the 3.5 oz bar on top of my head, the pretty substantial amount of lather (especially compared to some other natural formulas) it produced for all of my hair put my fears to rest. According to the wrapper, the bar is good for as many washes as a 24 oz. bottle. After using it for a while (and I’m pretty sure my sister is too), I definitely believe in the punch that little bar packs. Plus, you really don’t have to worry about it spilling everywhere or trying to figure how much of your bottle to divide while along while traveling. My favorite thing, especially with the Ultra Balanced formula, is that I have found that I actually do have much more manageable and soft hair that requires minimal styling, but still has all of the shine that I love and even gets way less oily between washes. I never thought I would be able to forgo conditioner, as the package states is best for some hair types, but after trying it a few times, I was proved wrong.
The bar comes in a neat, white wrapper that is also biodegradable. According to their site, each bar is made from 100% natural oils, won’t strip hair of its own oils, and is especially good for hair that has been colored or permed. There are several different blends of oils that vary depending on the issue you want to target, though I tried the Ultra Balanced and Virgin Coconut and Argan Oil blends and loved them. Each of the bars is hand cut in New England and made from an old recipe.
Between the feel of the brand being my best kept secret and the minimal fuss with full-on shine I have right now, I’m pretty sure my younger self would be pretty jealous.
This post written by Bernadette Silva, intern for RenataHelfman.com.
Bernadette Silva is a student, animal lover, and intern for RenataHelfman.com.
I only use J.R. Liggett’s Shampoo Bar (my favorite is the Argan & Coconut Oil) It’s the best. I don’t need conditioner ever and my hair is always soft and shiny. I did a blog post mentioning it on my site: http://beautybybritanie.com
Great post. Shampoo bars are the best
I bought this 2.5 years ago for a trip. I was tired of packing small bottles of shampoo for me, my husband and the kids. I absolutely loved it and couldn’t believe the difference it made in my hair! I now use 3 times a week. It cleans my hair so well I don’t need to wash it any more than that! My hair is softer, shines like it did when I was pregnant, and I don’t have the fly-away hair that drove me crazy during the dry winter months. I use the Herbal (my favorite), and Ultra Balanced in the winter and on trips (works best for everyone). The bar doesn’t last quite as long as a 24 oz. bottle in my experience, but it’s close and you must allow the bar to dry in between showers/baths. If it sits in a puddle of water it will melt quickly. Fantastic for trips! Really reduced the number of bottles we needed to pack!