I bought a shampoo bar discussed in this thread;
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...oo-bars-almost-ready!-Who-wants-the-first-one
My shower stall has somehow grown to look like you are walking into a small Chemists Shop, with a sundry of bottles and bars of soap, shampoo, conditioner etc etc.
Frankly I wanted to simplify, and while a bar of soap worked just fine on my skin, it didn't do any favors for my hair. Using shampoo and a conditioner helped keep my hair in reasonable condition, but it absolutely is useless as a body cleanser.
Combine this with the fact that because of a recent heart attack and the nasty blood thinners I am on, I have put a hold on all bladed shaving and for the first time in my life I am sporting a full beard. I know that as we get older, hair turns gray and a full beard streaked with a significant amount of grey hair is pretty darned wiry.
When I read the thread mentioned above, I was optimistic, knowing the quality of the products that Wendy at Saint Charles Shave produces as did her mother before her. I purchased a shampoo bar in the Tea Tree Oil scent, with the caveat right out of the gate that I am not a huge fan of Tea Tree Oil. I have been using it exclusively for a week so as to give it a full test trial and not base my opinion good or bad on a single use.
The scent
As I mentioned, I'm not a fan of Tea Tree Oil. My belief that the common practice of mixing Peppermint with Tea Tree Oil is to offset the slightly "medicinal" smell of Tea Tree Oil. The scent of the bar is actually not bad, though it does have the distinct smell of T.T.O., it is not overpowering, and it completely rinses away when I am done with the shower. This is a plus for me.
The Lather
I have heard people speak about the "tingling" feeling from T.T.O. shampoos, and again I think this may be related to the peppermint addition. I didn't feel any tingling, and frankly - that's a good thing. I want a cleansing product to cleanse me while not turning my skin or hair into a bale of straw. If I want "tingly" I'll dunk my head in a bucket of fire ants.
The bar provided immediate and copious amounts of slick luxurious lather. It didn't dissipate and vanish as hand soap is wont to do after a short period of sitting. I typically lather up head and beard, let it "set" while I wash the rest of me, then rinse it all off at one time. It was quite easy to rinse out, and I felt no lingering oiliness or deposit after affects from the soap on my hair or on my skin as is the case with most other shampoos I've tried.
The Verdict
I had hoped this product would be an all in one soap I could use as a bath and shampoo bar and this Shampoo Bar absolutely fulfills that need. My wiry beard doesn't feel as "scritchy" (my wifes words), my hair is clean, unscented after the shower, and soft, not dry or rubbery. My skin loves the stuff, and I feel completely clean without any accompanying oily feeling that one gets from some of the multi-use soaps out there.
I think it stands up well against any shampoo I've used, and it beats using a bar soap hands down.
If you are looking to reduce the clutter in your shower, give this a try because it's great stuff. Even if you're one of those people who don't mind sorting through numerous products in the shower, this is still very much worth a try.
I'm looking forward to other scents from Saint Charles Shave, but even if Wendy didn't make any other scent, I think I'd keep buying this one anyway, even though Tea Tree Oil isn't my cup of "tea" - just because of how well it works.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...oo-bars-almost-ready!-Who-wants-the-first-one
My shower stall has somehow grown to look like you are walking into a small Chemists Shop, with a sundry of bottles and bars of soap, shampoo, conditioner etc etc.
Frankly I wanted to simplify, and while a bar of soap worked just fine on my skin, it didn't do any favors for my hair. Using shampoo and a conditioner helped keep my hair in reasonable condition, but it absolutely is useless as a body cleanser.
Combine this with the fact that because of a recent heart attack and the nasty blood thinners I am on, I have put a hold on all bladed shaving and for the first time in my life I am sporting a full beard. I know that as we get older, hair turns gray and a full beard streaked with a significant amount of grey hair is pretty darned wiry.
When I read the thread mentioned above, I was optimistic, knowing the quality of the products that Wendy at Saint Charles Shave produces as did her mother before her. I purchased a shampoo bar in the Tea Tree Oil scent, with the caveat right out of the gate that I am not a huge fan of Tea Tree Oil. I have been using it exclusively for a week so as to give it a full test trial and not base my opinion good or bad on a single use.
The scent
As I mentioned, I'm not a fan of Tea Tree Oil. My belief that the common practice of mixing Peppermint with Tea Tree Oil is to offset the slightly "medicinal" smell of Tea Tree Oil. The scent of the bar is actually not bad, though it does have the distinct smell of T.T.O., it is not overpowering, and it completely rinses away when I am done with the shower. This is a plus for me.
The Lather
I have heard people speak about the "tingling" feeling from T.T.O. shampoos, and again I think this may be related to the peppermint addition. I didn't feel any tingling, and frankly - that's a good thing. I want a cleansing product to cleanse me while not turning my skin or hair into a bale of straw. If I want "tingly" I'll dunk my head in a bucket of fire ants.
The bar provided immediate and copious amounts of slick luxurious lather. It didn't dissipate and vanish as hand soap is wont to do after a short period of sitting. I typically lather up head and beard, let it "set" while I wash the rest of me, then rinse it all off at one time. It was quite easy to rinse out, and I felt no lingering oiliness or deposit after affects from the soap on my hair or on my skin as is the case with most other shampoos I've tried.
The Verdict
I had hoped this product would be an all in one soap I could use as a bath and shampoo bar and this Shampoo Bar absolutely fulfills that need. My wiry beard doesn't feel as "scritchy" (my wifes words), my hair is clean, unscented after the shower, and soft, not dry or rubbery. My skin loves the stuff, and I feel completely clean without any accompanying oily feeling that one gets from some of the multi-use soaps out there.
I think it stands up well against any shampoo I've used, and it beats using a bar soap hands down.
If you are looking to reduce the clutter in your shower, give this a try because it's great stuff. Even if you're one of those people who don't mind sorting through numerous products in the shower, this is still very much worth a try.
I'm looking forward to other scents from Saint Charles Shave, but even if Wendy didn't make any other scent, I think I'd keep buying this one anyway, even though Tea Tree Oil isn't my cup of "tea" - just because of how well it works.
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