Shampoo Bars and Flax Seed Pouches

Jody, from over at Gumbo Lily, asked what I thought of my shampoo bars. She also mentioned microwavable pouches, like the flax seed filled ones I've made. So ... here's a critique, haha! 
I like the shampoo bars. I did a bit of reading about soap vs. shampoo before I started, and here's my personal take on soap vs. shampoo:

The shampoo we buy from the store is a detergent (not a soap) like Dawn dish detergent or laundry detergent. It has one big goal: to remove oils from your hair. It removes dirt too, but that's not nearly so hard as removing oils. Most people want the oil removed from their hair, of course, so detergents serve a good purpose.

But we continue using detergents on our hair, sometimes every day and unnecessarily, well past the point when we need oils stripped from our hair -- i.e., when we're in our 50s, menopausal, and aren't producing much oil anymore. Another consideration is that your body produces oil (and other substances) based on how much it thinks you need it. So if you strip all the oil off your hair every day, your body will replace it at that rate. 

We're used to how detergent leaves our hair so devoid of oils that it's dry like straw -- it's "fluffy." We like that texture. To combat the straw-like feel, we sometimes add chemical moisturizers too.

A shampoo bar is a soap, and not as strong as detergent, so if you want something more gentle on your hair, it's a better choice. Since it's a soap, it removes grime and dirt, and it removes oils too. Just think about washing your body with a bar of soap -- what does it do? Does it get you clean? Does it remove oils on your skin? Of course. Does it strip all the oils off and leave your skin straw-like? No. 

I like my shampoo soap bar. I've been using it for 2 weeks. But our water is not hard, and my hair doesn't have a lot of oil now. It takes time for your hair to get used to the change; my hair is obviously clean after using it, but the texture does feel different (no "straw"). My hair is definitely not oily after using it. It feels soft, "conditioned," and not straw-like. I think I need to rinse it more thoroughly. Shampoo detergents are designed to rinse quickly from the hair; soap is not. 

My hair first thing this morning, after washing it with a shampoo bar yesterday morning.
It's not oily, is rather wispy, but not desiccated.

In the end, I think I'll use my new shampoo bars most of the time; after 2 or 3 uses, I'll use a shampoo detergent once. For me, that's a good combo. I'd encourage you to try a shampoo bar. Stick with it for at least two weeks, giving your hair time to adjust to different requirements of oil production. I remind myself that I'm being kind to my hair by avoiding detergents, which are more harsh.

Jody mentioned that she's made microwavable pouches filled with rice. Why do I use flax seed? Flax seed has lots of oil in it, unlike rice, which loses its oil when its husk is removed. The oils in the flax seed heat up in the microwave and retain their heat longer than other fillers like rice or beans. Flax seeds are also small, and they make for a softer, more comfortable pouch than larger seeds or beans. But I think it's the oil that makes the flax seed superior :)

That's it, ladies! I hope that's helpful. Try a shampoo bar, but I do think each person's taste regarding hair is individual, and you'll have to evaluate for yourself if you like what it does to your hair.