Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Serpentine Solid Shampoo


Sophisticated. Sexy. Simple.

Kim, owner and creator of Serpentine Hair sent me a shampoo bar a couple of months ago and it took me until now to get to trying it. What was I waiting for? What a cool concept, to use a solid shampoo! But, I had my doubts.
I kind of imagined a lame lather experience which would leave me with horribly dry and brittle hair, but this was not the case. I was mistaken thank goodness for my hair's sake. My hair felt soft and clean and not dry and crack-y. A very different experience, indeed.

It's good from the outside too. It eliminates waste (the bottle) and it just feels like I'm doing something healthier for myself.
It is sulfate-free and vegan, too! So there.

Serpentine says: Our products don't have some magical hair-repair ingredient; they merely clean your head while allowing your hair and scalp to heal themselves from the ill effects of cheap commercial chemicals.

Kahlua
Kahlua (the one I used)

Smelled soft and sweet, but not candy-sweet. I scrubbed the wet bar with a nylon pouf until it got super sudsy and started rubbing the lathery pouf into my hair, rubbing my scalp and continuing until my hair was "washed".

So, what makes these shampoo bars different from handmade soap? Serpentine says:
Regular handmade soaps tend to incorporate various plant butters into their formulas to nourish your skin. They don't rinse away as cleanly when they're used on hair. Our products are specifically formulated for haircare, so you can expect a gentle product that avoids the pitfall of excessive residue.

,Forbidden FruitOriginal Sin

These are a few of her other shampoo bars: Forbidden Fruit, Medusa and Original Sin. I think I will have to try the Original Sin next. It just looks too good and the description of the scent sounds enticing.


I think I need to continue trying the bar for an extended period of time to see if there is a big change with my hair or not. My hair is in a funny place with overly processed, colored hair (many times over, remember the fire engine red a few months ago?), and getting long and a tad unruly. This Kahlua shampoo bar will have to bear with me as I become a wiz at using it, but we've already made nice.

Don't you like the photo? I absolutely love it! Now, is that Kim behind the bar?


8 comments:

Michelle said...

I love the picture with Kim? Absolutely love it!

Kim said...

You know, I've been meaning to try these alternative shampoo products. You may have just convinced me! I love the titles of Kim's bars!

Carrie Garvin said...

Totally cool concept!

Anne-Marie said...

Keep us posted with your next couple of uses. I am definitely interested and love the concept. This would be so awesome for traveling and the gym!

Anonymous said...

Hi! It's Kim, owner of Serpentine Hair! Thanks so much for the review, Joanna! So glad you loved the bars! Also, I should note here that we've had a call for liquid sulfate-free shampoos, which we're perfecting right now. (For some people w/hair less frizzy than my own can be, it seems that the bars work better as a conditioner than as a primary hair cleanser. Guess we're all different, eh?) Hopefully, the liquids'll be done by fall and ready for sale; we'll be making them in all the same scents that we currently make the shampoo bars in.

Oh! And as a wee bit of an aside, the girl in the photo isn't me; she's a piece of clip art that my good friend and webmistress Terri Goff added to my site... because she seems to be my clip-art doppelganger!

Thanks again, Joanna! Love the blog!

Heidi said...

Hmmm, very interesting! I have incredibly unruly hair and can't use just anything or I end up with a major 'fro. I'll be interested to hear how it continues to work. And heck, for $4.50 a bar its worth a try myself!

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, My hair is shot to poop! I am wanting to give this a shot! I looks so creamy and yummy! ahhhhh! I hate liquid shampoo, this is fantastic! YUM! :)

Joanna Schmidt said...

I think it might work best with shorter hair. It is hard to get the whole scalp with the long hair (me). Just an observation...