You'll Be In Your Element With This! (Lush Hard Water Solid Shampoo Bar)

Member Name: Machair1

Product:	Lush Hard Water Solid Shampoo Bar
Date:	30/04/09 (173 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Smells beautiful and is moisturising and softening.

Disadvantages: None unless you use in in soft water.

If you live in a hard water area and your element in your kettle is always getting covered in scale then read on....

Recently I have been on a quest to try and reduce the number of items I buy in plastic bottles, and to try and be a bit more eco friendly. I'm not going as far as one of my daughters, who is not only doing a degree in sustainable development, but is absolutely passionate about saving the planet, and will even pick nettles before the sun goes down for her evening meal. Having said that each day that goes by I find myself looking at her lifestyle and trying to emulate parts of it, because I really feel she is heading on the right track.

So I have recently stopped buying shampoos from conventional stores and have started to buy the solid bars from Lush. Initially I was very sceptical indeed and was buying them as an experiment, but as time has gone on I really feel I have stumbled on some really amazing products, which have left my hair a million times better than any thing I have got in my cupboard to use up from the days gone by.

One of the first bars I bought is called "Hard". It's a strange name really, and it is designed for anyone who lives in a hard water area. This is me, as I live in the heart of Essex, and our water is literally lethal. The kettle firs up in a moment, and the lime scale which builds up around the taps is a major problem, and I get through so much lemon juice and vinegar treating these issues. However there is worse, I have succumbed on many occasions to the dreaded renal calculi, or kidney stones, which in my case were almost certainly triggered by the water composition, as well as a genetic tendency and a lack of fluid intake. I was put on a special diet a few years ago based on Glasgow tap water which is some of the safest in the country for this condition as it is soft water. My daughter went to buy some of the Soft shampoo in Glasgow (Lush also make one for these areas!) last week and it was all sold out, but they had plenty of "Hard", which of course is not suitable for their water.

So if like me you live in a hard water area try this shampoo bar as I think you will be delighted with the results. The bar is a lovely oval shaped compact little soap and it is a lovely pink colour. It will cost you £4.40 which is going to last you in the region of 80 shampoos which is quite a stunning fact. This is a two in one bar so you may not need to add conditioner depending on your hair type and general condition. Just a note the picture on this page Dooyoo have is now slightly out of date, and they have assured me they will soon replace it as it currently shows it as a slice which it used to be.

As this soap has no preservatives and no packaging it really is as eco friendly as you can get, and if you buy two of their shampoo bars you will receive a free tin in which to store this.

The bar is made with cocoa butter and nut oils, which really condition the hair, and the scent of this bar is really beautiful as it contains geranium oil, lavender oil, rose and cornflower petals, as well as lots of coconut oils. These coconut oils are obtained from remote islands in Indonesia where the purchase is helping isolated communities to make a decent living. It is a floral scent and I have to tell you that using it is a really lovely treat.

To use you simply lather in your hands and then apply to hair which is wet. Try to cultivate a little patience here as it lathers up quickly, but not in an instant like a dollop of shampoo would. You can also rub the bar on your head as well, so both methods work really well. Having done this I usually lie in the bath for a few minutes and enjoy the lovely fragrance, as I have discerned that doing this also allows the conditioning effect of this to have maximum time to smooth and tame any hair like mine which is prone to frizz.

Then I just rinse off. At this stage most times it does not need a separate conditioner, and I find my detangling comb glides through my hair easily. Occasionally if I use this in situations which are more of a challenge where, for example, I have been out in high winds, or sometimes on a bad hair day, I will just do a separate conditioner, but you only need a light one, if at all.

The brilliant thing is that this soap is so easily transportable to make holidays easy and carefree, and by using the tin you can keep it secure and dry in your luggage. Just one note, the tin is ever so slightly too small for the unused bar so I normally use it a couple of times before I set off. Of course it is useless for soft water areas as for example in The Outer Hebrides, where I spend a lot of time, this would be just too soapy, and you would be forever rinsing it out in that soft water.

After using this I have noticed that my hair is so much easier to style and to straighten and people have been commenting on the shine which is really noticeable. I am quite pleased about this as I have weaved highlights, and these are picking up the light more and showing through the dyed blonde hair underneath.

Lush have been making this for a long time. It used to be in a block where you had to ask for a slice, but now it is a dinky little bar which is so easy to pack and to store.

The smell of this lingers on your hair all day and you will find that it has never been in such good condition. It's a fantastic product and I wish I had overcome my scepticism a long time ago. You can even use it as a general soap for washing as well, so it is an all purpose treat which smells absolutely divine.

This is a great buy and one of several of their solid shampoos I have now sampled, and with the results so far I doubt very much that I will be bothering to buy many more conventional shampoos again.

Just a final note about this Hard shampoo, it is not suitable for vegans which is a shame as I know my vegan daughter would love it, but they have added free range egg . If you are vegan they have several you can pick from in the range which are perfect if you follow that way of life.

Summary: A brilliant product in every way!