Homemade laundry soap and a shampoo bar? The crew received a little bit of pampering in the midst of reviewing curricula. Virginia Soaps and Scents provided each of us with three sample sized soaps, a shampoo bar, and a homemade laundry soap mix.
I’ve tried all kinds of all-natural soaps, homemade soaps, and soaps scented with essential oils. We prefer the natural scents of lavender, rose, and sandlewood to many perfumes, so we enjoyed this review. The three soaps we received were : fresh orange, oatmeal milk and honey, and coconut lemongrass. We liked the scent of the soaps while washing and the lingering scent in the bathroom after they were used. Many of the “all-natural” soaps I’ve used have a glycerin base, which tends to have less lather than the bar soap you buy at the grocery store. These soaps have an olive oil base with coconut oil added, which provides a rich lather. At $4.50 per bar, these definitely fall under pampering in the budget, but they are worth it and also make wonderful gifts. Each one is hand cut and packaged, making each one unique. They offer gift baskets as well as homemade wooden soap dishes for holding their products. To see their full selection, including kids’ soaps, visit their website. They have some holiday soaps that look good enough to taste! While we enjoyed the soaps, the shampoo bar had me more intrigued…
Prior to receiving this product, I had never heard of shampoo bars. I’ll admit to being a little skeptical, but we gave it a try. My husband was the first to try it, and he liked it very much. We received the Ginger Lime, which had a fresh, clean scent that wasn’t overpowering. I used it several times, although I also still used my usual conditioner. With long, wavy hair that tends to become frizzled easily, I have yet to find a shampoo that leaves my hair manageable without using a conditioner as well. I decided to test it out on our two older children, both of whom have extremely thick hair that tends to hold onto the sweaty smell, even during the cooler months. We’ve tried many shampoos, but most tend to mask the smell, not really clean the hair and remove the smell. And their hair was usually sweaty smelling again by the next day. Not so with the shampoo bar. Each time they used it, their hair rinsed clean easily and remained smelling clean until their next shower, usually 2-3 days later. Each bar costs $5.50 or you can purchase 2 for $10.00. While the cost per shampoo is definitely more than the inexpensive shampoos I usually purchase, we’ve made room in the budget for this. Also, for those who travel, you can avoid the 3 oz liquid travel restrictions when you use a shampoo bar. It also doesn’t leak all over your luggage!
Finally, we tried the laundry soap kit. It contained a small baggie of soap shavings along with a washing soda/borax mixture. Following the included directions was quite easy, and within two hours, we had a gel-like laundry soap. We were actually involved in the process for two hours; it just takes two hours for the gel to fully set-up. Typically their kit makes 2 1/2 gallons. Our small sample made about a 1/2 gallon. I used it regularly for a week and noticed no difference in the appearance of our clothes from using a name-brand powdered laundry detergent. The cost per load appears to be the same or a little less than the normal brand I use. It is low-sudsing, so it is better for the septic system and our clothes. We miss that laundry detergent smell but may decide to give that up in favor of a more natural means of cleaning clothes. They also offer just the bar of laundry soap which you shave and then add your own borax and washing soda, available at most grocery stores.
Virginia Soaps and Scents is owned and operated, down to the smallest details, by a homeschool family. From the cutting and shaping of the soaps to the design and programming of their website, this is truly a family business that will be receiving more of our family’s business in the future.
Disclaimer: Virginia Soaps and Scents provided these products to us at no charge to use in order to write this review. I receive no other compensation, and my reviews are based on my opinion and the feedback I receive from my family.
