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What Your Father Didn't Teach You About Shaving (And Grooming)

3 Shampoo Bars

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Shampoo

Several artisans who make shaving soaps have recently introduced shampoo bars to their inventory.  There are some benefits to using shampoo bars over the typical commercial creams and gels:

  • Shampoo bars are soaps specifically made for washing hair: there are more oils in the ingredient mix and are generally milder than a regular soap.
  • Shampoo bars are more environmentally friendly.  There is no large bottle or tube to throw away.
  • Shampoo bars are available in classic scents similar to shaving soaps.

Here are three artisinal shampoo bars:

Taconic

Taconic

Taconic, available from Super Safety Razors, is available in Bay Rum, Eucalyptus Mint, and Lime scents (the scents are quite mild to my nose).  The soap lathers quickly and luxuriously.  It does a good job of cleaning the hair.

Queen Charlotte Soaps

Queen Charlotte Soaps

Queen Charlotte Soaps has shampoo bars available in Cedarwood & Rosemary, Lemon & Bergamont, Orange Spice, Peppermint & Eucalyptus, and Tea Tree & Lavender scents.  Again, the scents are very mild to my nose, lather quickly and volumously, and clean hair well.

Mystic Water

Mystic Water

Mystic Water Soap has a shampoo bar available in a scent called “ylang ylang.”  The scent was described to me as a “floral sweetness,” and again is fairly mild.  Ylang ylang is a tropical flower common to Indonesia and the Phillipines and has properties that may regulate the sebum in hair, though there is some disagreement about it’s effectiveness in a shampoo.
I found this shampoo bar to lather a little less quickly and luxuriously than the others, though still more than adequate for the job.  On the other hand I think this one was the best of the three for quickly and thoroughly getting my hair to that “squeaky clean” level.

A Few Notes On Usage

Using a shampoo bar is simple: you wet your hair, wet the bar, and rub the bar on your hair for a few moments.  Then you set the bar aside and work up a lather with your hands, just like liquid shampoos.
One caution with using any shampoo bar: you want to keep them out of water when not actually using them.  Store them in a soap dish or some other kind of container to avoid prolonged contact with water.  Due to the softer, more oily nature of these bars they will “wash down” very quickly if they’re left in a stream of water.
Also, you might experience a “transition period” when using shampoo bars, as your hair gets used to a different ingredient mix.

Your Chance To Try!

Thanks to the generosity of the vendors mentioned in this article (Taconic by Super Safety Razors, Queen Charlotte Soaps, and Mystic Soap), here is your chance to try a shampoo bar for yourself!  Just leave a comment to below (note: you must be a registered Sharpologist user with a valid email address!) by 11:59pm Eastern Time (US) on October 13.  Nine commenters will be randomly selected to receive a shampoo bar from each of these artisans!

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Comments

  1. Hi, I would love to have the opportunity to try these bars. I am just starting to look into the idea of shampoo bars. Thank you.

  10. Very nice. Having short hair I dont need a lot of shampoo, these bars would be a welcome change; plus a different scent than every other bottle of shampoo will be great.

  11. I am interested in trying as well. Was going to try and pick one up soon. Saw this posted on TSD.

  13. You know, I suppose it would help if I logged in too. 🙂 Maybe I’ll stop washing from the neck up with regular soap and just go with MR GLO.

  14. Oh, I like normal bath soaps from Olivias Seifen, but there are no shampoo soaps. I’d like to try them very much!

  22. I have never heard of these before, being a winner would certainly give me the chance to not only try them but recommend them to others! Thanks for the contest!

  23. I have been wanting to try shampoo bars for a while now. I would love the opportunity to sample some of these bars. I would also write a blog about my experience with them. Thank you.

  26. One of the grocery stores in town used to carry the Burt’s Bee brand of shampoo bar. It was rosemary mint scented, and worked pretty well. I liked the feel of using it more than a liquid shampoo. Sadly, said grocery store no longer carries this shampoo bar, so I am grateful you brought up the subject. I will definitely have to check these soaps out.

  31. I think that any of these would be worth trying. They look like some excellent natural soaps at one of our local health food stores.

  34. Sharpologist has done it again! A totally new area that intrigues me. I’d love to win a sample and report on it. Thanks, Mark!

  37. Sign me up! I’ve tried a few bars from Chagrin Valley, but would love to sample some of these scents.

  40. Those look great! I had to register (long time lurker) to get a chance at these special gifts you have going on! 😀 Swweeet!

  44. Count me in please. I wouldn’t mind trying some shampoo bars, although I have a feeling that SWMBO may just roll her eyes as usual.

  46. I’ve been using a shampoo bar fro QEDUSA for a few weeks and love it. Count me in on this as my bar is slowly running down and I need to try more!

  48. I’ve seen some of these bars at the local health food store. Haven’t tried one yet, but have been considering it. Curious if there are blends/bars that work better for people with dry scalp?

  52. Do any of the makers say anything about the shampoo bars being good for those that have to fight dandruff? I am one of those that battle with dandruff and am curious if any of these bars help at all.

    • The makers cannot comment because they don’t test their products that way, but I can tell you that I had horrible dandruff problems all my life and they resolved within about a month of switching to Mystic Water shampoo bars.
      I have been using shampoo bars for about 4 years now. My teenage son uses them, too. I recently bought a bar from QCS, just to compare it to MW and to get a slightly different scent.
      So, bottom line is that shampoo bars really worked for my dandruff. I think my scalp is just very sensitive to sodium lauryl sulfate.

  53. I stopped using regular shampoo a few months ago and instead just rinse it after a rubbing of baking soda. I am curious if these soaps are gentle enough to replace that ritual.
    *sorry about the other post … forgot to register first*

  54. I stopped using regular shampoo a few months ago and instead just rinse it after a rubbing of baking soda. I am curious if these soaps are gentle enough to replace that ritual.

  58. After trying the QCS shaving soap sampler I have been wanting to try the shampoo bar. It would be a no brainer if it were available in their wonderful Vetiver scent.
    Sign me up!

  63. Mantic, love your posts. You clued me into shampoo bars and am looking to try something new. Here’s hoping I can give one of these a lathering!

  64. I used to wash my hair with bath soap, but heard this is actually damaging to hair. I assume shampoo bars are made specifically for this reason. I haven’t tried one yet, but the scents sound very appealing. Thanks for the opportunity.

    • The reason why normal ‘soap’ is not recommended for the hair (and in my opinion, for the face) is simply because it strips the natural oil from the hair as well as the grease and dirt. In other words, it is too harsh.
      Don’t forget that, as well as ‘washing’ the hair, you are ‘washing’ the scalp too. Therefore, the key to successful hair washing is to use a product which gently cleanses the hair and scalp without stripping the natural oils. In fact, if your hair is “squeaky clean” many professionals would argue that it has been ‘over-cleaned’!

  70. I have actually been thinking about ordering a shampoo bar for a while now. I’d love to try one for free, or you could call it a “randomly selected wedding gift”, haha.

  71. They all look great! I grow my hair for donation & would love to see how well these soaps do against the more common shampoos.

  73. The soaps look great… tried QCS shave soap before… among the top soaps that I have used… count me in on this 🙂

  74. Shampoo bars are something I would definitely like to try. I got into wet-shaving April 2012 and since then I’ve learned about all of the variety in artisan soaps and creams available for shaving. During this time I’ve also learned and used artisan bath soaps and really do enjoy them. A shampoo bar just seems to be the next logical step.

  75. Great article, as always! Please count me in. I’ve been meaning to try these artisan shampoo soaps too.

  76. They really look so awesome….. used QCS shave soap… thumbs up to the quality of the soap that they produce

  77. I have cropped short hair, and it seems silly to use bottles of shampoo, so a bar seems like a much better option!

  78. I would like to give one a try. I can add this to my arsenal. Switched to wet shaving with a DE razor about 6 months ago and wouldn’t go back!

  80. This sounds pretty interesting, never heard of using bar shampoo before. I just switched to shave soap and a brush at Christmas last year and am hoping to make the Saftey Razor switch this year, perhaps I can add this to the list now too.
    Also, with it not being a liquid, would it imply that the ingredients are more-so natural products, or in a less processed form?

  82. I’ve heard about shampoo bars before and have been meaning to try them out, but haven’t had the opportunity to do so. I hope I can win one of these.