A stupid washing thing..

[KariannNor]

I have tried so many shampoo bars and have now given up - none of them work well on my hair. So I will be taking a travel size bottle of shampoo which I will replenish from abandoned shampoo bottles in the hostels! Then a good old bar of soap for all my other washing needs

Exactly like me, thats the reason for trying the leaves.. a drawer full, even the most expensive ones from hairdressers, nope - shampoo bottle for me too ;-)

 

[JillGat]

I have tried so many shampoo bars and have now given up - none of them work well on my hair. So I will be taking a travel size bottle of shampoo which I will replenish from abandoned shampoo bottles in the hostels! Then a good old bar of soap for all my other washing needs

If you are comparing a liquid shampoo to a shampoo bar, especially if you are used to a liquid shampoo that claims to be "moisturizing", shampoo bars will definitely feel different. Many liquid shampoos have added silicones and other ingredients to make your hair feel moisturized and soft and have nothing to do with cleansing. These ingredients can build up on your hair and even cause long term damage. Shampoo BARS almost never contain those ingredients, so as you rinse the suds off, you might find that your hair is squeaky or catchy (I don't know how else to describe it). Even so, shampoo bars usually contain very mild ingredients meant to gently cleanse your hair and are the correct pH for healthy hair. (Stay away from shampoo bars that are made with lye, like soap. Those have a pH that is far too high to be healthy for hair).

The moisturizing/softness elements should come from a good conditioner; NOT a shampoo. And good conditioner bars include ingredients like cocoa butter, jojoba oil, coconut oil, argan or Abyssinian oil, and hydrolyzed proteins. They outshine liquid conditioners by a long shot. No comparison.

 

[stevetay3815]

I have been using a shampoo bar the last 3 caminos and I also just ordered two more from @JillGat here on the forum who makes them. I don't like them as much as my liquid shampoo, but they are lighter and I can wash my whole person with it rather than carrying something separate. For clothes I have a piece of a laundry soap bar ( the same quarter of a bar has lasted me three caminos). I use it for socks and undies, but usually try to wash my clothes in a regular washing machine every few days.

I put the things I want to wash in the shower with me…soap them up then use my feet as I’m washing myself to “agitate” my clothes. Personally, I don’t think things get really DIRTY, more like sweaty…that can be rinsed out with a light soaping.

 

[scikowski]

I store mine in a tin purchased where I get my bars. After showering I take the bar and tin to my bunk, set the bar on its side inside the tin to air dry. When relaxing on my bed the smell from the bar lingers. It’s quite nice. Oh and before Camino I’ll cut a piece of parchment to place at the bottom inside the tin. Helps prevent the bar from sticking if still damp.
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I also use Lush bars but can't get the lid off the tin. I use one of Lush's pots with the screw on lid (after using all of the cream that came in it) but drill holes in the lid for ventilation. They are just the right size for the bar. The parchment idea is genius!

 

[JillGat]

I also use Lush bars but can't get the lid off the tin. I use one of Lush's pots with the screw on lid (after using all of the cream that came in it) but drill holes in the lid for ventilation. They are just the right size for the bar. The parchment idea is genius!

I cut those meshy soap pads to fit in the bottom of the tin. They drain and stay dry on those. https://mollyssuds.com/products/soap-saver

 

[JillGat]

That's what I use (the "honey" soap bar from Lush, which doesn't smell too strongly). I find the other solid universal soaps like castille to be harsh on the skin.

Real Castile soap, by definition, is made with just saponified olive oil, so it's a mild as can be. The problem is all the companies that misidentify their soaps as "castile" (Dr. Bronner, I'm lookin' at you), when actually they contain mostly different, harsher chemicals.