Thanks to D.V. in Illinois for their fabulous question, which we’ve chosen for another installment of “Get the Dirt!”   D.V. also gets to choose a free bar of Sarva Soap!

The ingredients in your soaps seem to be great to use as a shampoo bar.   Are your soaps indeed hair friendly?

Many Sarva soaps are safe for use on the hair, though our soaps are not specifically formulated for this purpose.  Everyone’s hair is different, of course, and it’s best to know your hair type and how it responds to different cleansers.  We cannot promise any specific results, and, rather than making any cosmetic or functional claims on our soaps, our experience is that most people find a soap formulation that “fits” their skin, or, in this case, the hair.

Those who prefer to use bar soap to cleanse their hair do so for the same reasons they choose handcrafted soaps over commercial bars:  Handcrafted bar soaps are gentler and contain natural glycerin, a humectant that is often not present in commercial products.  Read more here. Shampoo bar aficionados also say that their hair has more bounce and feels healthier.

The hair and scalp will need an adjustment period if you’re switching to bar soap.  Some people notice a bit of a greasy or heavy feeling to the hair for a few days; this is something that usually abates.  Some like to rinse with a bit of vinegar (ideally a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water) after using a shampoo bar; this may help balance the scalp’s normal pH level.

From a personal standpoint, shampoo bars I’ve liked best, given my hair type, typically contain castor oil and/or shea butter.  All of our soaps contain castor oil, which gives a great lather, and both Miss Lily and Sweet Dreams (Spa series) contain a small amount of shea butter.  Shea butter contributes to a mild soap, though too much shea butter in a soap can actually be drying for some people!

A wonderful soap from Sarva’s collection to try for your hair would be Suds beer soap – it has abundant, fluffy lather, and beer is said to be great for the hair!

I would suggest not using Sarva’s Ocean Mist or Ritual (Spa series) as shampoo bars because they contain sea salt and might provide an unfavorable result.  These are great soaps for the skin, but our hair is simply made differently!  Also, some Gallery series soaps contain clay, which could cause buildup or dryness, or may transfer their color.  Clay-containing commercial shampoos are marketed to people with oily and fine hair with the claim of lending extra body and absorbing excess oil, and those with such needs might do well to choose one of these specially formulated commercial shampoos.

There are some new soaps in the works, some of which would also be good choices should you choose to use them for this purpose.  New soaps are always posted here on the blog first!

As always, your own experience is your best guide, and my product suggestions do not constitute professional advice; I invite you to consult your favorite hair care professionals for the best information.

Federal regulations and shampoo:

The FDA’s goal is to protect consumers and make sure that none of us falls victim to a false cosmetic or drug claim.   Under their jurisdiction, a soap can be  considered “true soap” (simply intended to cleanse), a cosmetic (example: intended to moisturize or exfoliate), or a drug (example: repels insects or is aromatherapeutic).   Each designation carries its own set of regulations.  Sarva makes “true soap”, which the FDA mandates should be free of any cosmetic or drug claims.   “Shampoo” is considered a cosmetic claim, because it’s a product that is designed for a particular purpose:  cleansing the hair.   Soap, on the other hand, could be used to clean anything:  your car, your dishes, your skin, your hair…

While we’re aware that many soap companies market specific soaps as shampoo bars, Sarva places a high priority on strict FDA compliance, so we refrain from making any cosmetic- or drug-type  claims on our products, and this includes explicitly designating any of our soaps as shampoo bars.   I’ll speak more about these regulations in another blog post.

Hopefully the above provides good information for those of you who wish to use Sarva soaps to wash your hair!

Do you have a soapy question of your own?  Submit it here and be entered in a monthly drawing to win a soap of your choice!

Shop online at Sarva Natural Artisan Soaps.

Note:  Information given on Soap Leaves is not intended as medical, diagnostic, or curative treatment, and your results may vary.   Know your own skin, and if you’re working with a medical professional, follow their advice first.