stop talking about soap!!

Sure, you've had enough about soap.  not so fast!!  here's more about my adventures:

i had/have been battling this awful, scaly, itchy scalp for years and years.  it was this awful scaly stuff that would make hair come out in clumps.  i'd seen a dermatologist before and was perscribed some steroid ointment for my scalp.  it worked like a charm to get rid of my issues, but it never lasted.  it ended up coming back and then worse than before.  at some point in the last few years, i mentioned it to my normal doctor and she suggested that maybe i had some sensitivity to hair products.  so, this began the grand experiment of determining some combination of shampoo, conditioner, frequency of hair washes, frequency of switching shampoos, etc to see if i could control it.  i never had success really controlling it completely, but it seemed to be better immediately after switching to a different shampoo.  i also noticed that it did seem to better when i was good about regularly washing.  also, how controlled my hypothyroidism is plays a role too.

It was such a huge relief to me that during my pregnancy with Carter, all of my hair and scalp issues completely went away.  but, then shortly postpartum, with such the crazy hormonal shifts, things quickly returned to being completely awful - probably the worst it has ever been.  i had had enough.  i ended up going back to the dermatologist, and just like before, was prescribed a steroid treatment.  i was a little disspointed by this, since it only seemed to address my symptoms and not the cause.  He told me that i had seborrheic dermatatis and that there wasn't really any known cause for it besides that it ran in families and that it related to cradle cap that kids have (like carter, fyi).  But I was happy to have a diagnosis so I could do some reading.  While doing research about this, I've found several articles supporting my anectodal conclusions about washing regularly and being triggered by the buildup of hair products.

all of this simultaneously happened when Carter was having skin issues himself, and so I had been on a journey to find him some relief as well, and I had stumbled upon using shampoo soap bars to wash hair. I had found several comments and reviews about using Chagrin Valley shampoo soap bars that really helped some people's seborrheic dermatitis, so I was excited to give it a try.  I also found that some people's scalp issues are triggered by products that contain sulfate - which is in a LOT of products.  all of this jived with my experiences.  Chagrin Valley's soap is made from all natural ingredients and oils - no chemicals or additives.  I ordered a lot of different samples at first, and there are some that they recommend for hair/scalp issues, so I started there. 

I must say, my first few days, i was dissapointed.  I would lather up the soap bar by rubbing it in my hair and hands, and then massaging it in.  Initially, it left my hair feeling rather awful - sticky, dull and stringy.  i had read that i needed to wait at least 2 weeks before forming an impression, and i'm glad i did.  turns out i was experiencing a common problem when switching to a natural shampoo soap called sticky hair syndrome which is really just a result of the process of stripping your hair from buildup.  it really was awful for a while, but then after about 10 days, my hair started to adjust and felt really nice! The best part was, I've been able to successfully get rid of my seborrheic dermatitis!! (although, i've noticed that if i don't wash my hair everyday, it comes back.)

Now, after using various formulations of shampoo bars, I have decided that this is the best way to washing my hair. I have found that every once in a while, my hair responds favorably to rinsing with a baking soda/water combination prior to using the soap.  i also think that doing an apple cider vinegar rinse afterwards is a really nice way of conditioning my hair and balancing the pH of my hair/scalp.  this makes my hair soft and easy to brush (especiall when wet.  i'm amazed at the difference this makes!!  no seriously!!).  i don't think a vinegar rinse is totally necessary (scott doesn't do it) but with my longish hair, i find it very helpful.  (and no, my hair doesn't smell like vinegar after it dries) and since we have hardish water, the vinegar rinse makes it easier for our water to effectively rinse out the soap. 

with my hair being so fine and thin, i've been pleasantly surprised at how much body my hair has - something i've never had before.  Its soft, but not overly shiny - not like panteen pro v commertial shiny.  but, that's ok, because previously when a condidtioner would make my hair that shiny, it would soon get too stringy to look nice.

Shampoo bars are different than soap bars.  But, i've found that i'm able to use shampoo bars as body bars just fine.  and i'm completely in love with how they make my skin feel.  granted, winter time would be a better test of this, but it feels so nice!  I've tried soap bars as shampoo, but i prefer the shampoo bars.  i find it nice to only use 2 products in the shower, a soap bar and vinegar. 

i know, i sound like a salesperson.  but, i feel like figuring this all out has been one of those AHA moments of my life.  i'm totally sold.