Rhassoul Clay --

RozettaStone · 06-14-2009, 02:22 AM

Do any of you use this clay for your skin and/or hair? It's supposed to be really fabulous stuff and I'm thinking of ordering some. I've been using bentonite clay for my face and I like it a lot. I haven't tried it yet on my hair. If you've used them both, do you think that they are very different, and in what way? In other words, I have a lot of bentonite clay left; do I NEED to buy this other clay? Will it really do something wonderful for my skin/hair beyond the bentonite? The PJ in me has been going nuts lately.

kathymack · 06-14-2009, 04:10 AM

Here's a thread I started when I used the clay mask. It's supposed to detoxify. It made my curls tighter, but it's drying. I can't use it on my face--have roseaca and skin allergies and find it too irritating.

Clay Mask

Since I switched over to the natural soap bars, I find they cleanse "just enough," tighten, curl and add volume. I do have a few that have clay in them and use those on occasion. Because of all the oils in the soap, they aren't at all drying.

RozettaStone · 06-14-2009, 11:51 AM

Thanks, KathyMack. I think I've read all the threads now. I haven't seen anyone compare rhassoul with bentonite as a face mask (I see Misspam likes the rhassoul for her face and hair); so in the interests of science, I've gone ahead and ordered the rhassoul clay.

I also just bought my first amla, shikaikai, and other ayurvedic powders. When I was at the grocery I saw the Swastik shikaikai shampoo bars that you've written about, so I picked one up. Can't decide what to try first! I see that you moved on to other bars you liked more pretty quickly, but I haven't used any shampoo bars yet, and this one was there, and cheap, so what the heck. I almost never low-poo, my hair & scalp seem to do fine with just co-washing & such, so I don't think shampoo bars are going to be a regular thing for me, but I figure I'll try the Swastik bar at least and see how it goes. But first, I think today I'll try the shikaikai powder. So many options, so little time!

Suburbanbushbabe · 06-14-2009, 12:30 PM

I have used it for my hair and much prefer it to bentonite as it doesn't get lumpy. I'm not fond of clay for my skin unless I'm lying on a treatment bed and an aesthetician is applying it. I mix the rhassoul with yogurt, oil, a bit of acv and herbal extracts of marshamallow and burdock.

kathymack · 06-14-2009, 02:17 PM

The Swastick Shakikai was the first shampoo bar I ever used. My hair responded really well. As the weather changed in the Fall, it made my hair dry. I found the natural soap bars I used--and the Swastick Shkikai was history.

pinkapalooza · 06-14-2009, 05:14 PM

Kathymack-- how often do you use shampoo bars?

kathymack · 06-14-2009, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinkapalooza

Kathymack-- how often do you use shampoo bars?

I do a natural soap bar every three days.

morrighu · 06-15-2009, 12:35 PM

I know that there are a lot of gals in the 4a and 4b forums that use the clay masks on their hair. I've not had the courage to try it since I'm afraid I'd have hard time washing it out.

RozettaStone · 06-15-2009, 07:52 PM

Thanks, all. I did order some of the rhassoul clay, so I'll play with it and see what I think. I do like doing the clay mask on my face -- SuburbanBushBabe, I'd love to be lying in a spa with someone tending to me, but I don't know when that's ever gonna happen, so I have to be my own spa attendant.

KathyMack -- question about the Shikakai shampoo bar: When I try it, should I pre-oil my hair? Do you do that with your CV bars? Also, should I plan to do an ACV rinse after the Shikakai bar? I just want to give it a try; I don't think I *need* to use shampoo bars, since I never feel the need to 'poo/lo-poo, but I'm curious to try it.

I did my first cleaning with the shikakai powder yesterday. I'm not sure if it was the powder or if I just did a really good job applying my latest batch of FSG, but boy, I had GREAT hair yesterday, and today, after refreshing with some diluted GVP balm and then a little JCN&S, I got curl that must be one level up from my usual. I'm going to do my first amla treatment this week, too!

I'm going to have way too much fun hair stuff to play with now; I can't decide what to try next, and I only wet my hair like twice a week!

kathymack · 06-15-2009, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RozettaStone

KathyMack -- question about the Shikakai shampoo bar: When I try it, should I pre-oil my hair? Do you do that with your CV bars? Also, should I plan to do an ACV rinse after the Shikakai bar? I just want to give it a try; I don't think I *need* to use shampoo bars, since I never feel the need to 'poo/lo-poo, but I'm curious to try it.

I did my first cleaning with the shikakai powder yesterday. I'm not sure if it was the powder or if I just did a really good job applying my latest batch of FSG, but boy, I had GREAT hair yesterday, and today, after refreshing with some diluted GVP balm and then a little JCN&S, I got curl that must be one level up from my usual. I'm going to do my first amla treatment this week, too!

I'm going to have way too much fun hair stuff to play with now; I can't decide what to try next, and I only wet my hair like twice a week!

I didn't feel the need to poo/lowpoo, either. The bars are so gentle, you won't feel like you cleaned. If you like what the shikakai powder did to your hair, you'll love what the bar will do. The bars make my curls tighter and give me more volume. Only issue was that the Shikakai Bar made my hair dry after a few uses.

I don't use the CV bars, they made my hair dry and tangled. If they were the first bar I used, I would have never used another. I gave them away after one use.

dailywavy · 06-16-2009, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kathymack

Quote:

Originally Posted by RozettaStone

KathyMack -- question about the Shikakai shampoo bar: When I try it, should I pre-oil my hair? Do you do that with your CV bars? Also, should I plan to do an ACV rinse after the Shikakai bar? I just want to give it a try; I don't think I *need* to use shampoo bars, since I never feel the need to 'poo/lo-poo, but I'm curious to try it.

I did my first cleaning with the shikakai powder yesterday. I'm not sure if it was the powder or if I just did a really good job applying my latest batch of FSG, but boy, I had GREAT hair yesterday, and today, after refreshing with some diluted GVP balm and then a little JCN&S, I got curl that must be one level up from my usual. I'm going to do my first amla treatment this week, too!

I'm going to have way too much fun hair stuff to play with now; I can't decide what to try next, and I only wet my hair like twice a week!

I didn't feel the need to poo/lowpoo, either. The bars are so gentle, you won't feel like you cleaned. If you like what the shikakai powder did to your hair, you'll love what the bar will do. The bars make my curls tighter and give me more volume. Only issue was that the Shikakai Bar made my hair dry after a few uses.

I don't use the CV bars, they made my hair dry and tangled. If they were the first bar I used, I would have never used another. I gave them away after one use.

which one from CV did you use? I ordered a sample of the clay and mud shampoo bar and the rosemary mint SB, was it one of those?

is a ACV rinse always needed after using a SB?

kathymack · 06-16-2009, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dailywavy

which one from CV did you use? I ordered a sample of the clay and mud shampoo bar and the rosemary mint SB, was it one of those?

is a ACV rinse always needed after using a SB?

The one I used had honey in the name, I think the other was the rosemary mint. It was such a horrible experience, I'd have to look at the website to see what it was (it was last Sept) because I've tried to block it! My hair was really terrible--took it a while to recover. Because they use similar ingredients in their soaps (castor oil in all of them which my hair hates)--I just gave them away instead of chancing another catastrophe with the rosemary mint.

The purpose of an acid rinse is to restore pH balance to hair--soap is alkaline, hair is acid. It also flattens the cuticle. The last few times, I add a little of the Dr. Bronner's Shikakai Rinse to my rinse out conditioner. When I tested the rinse, it was VERY STRONGLY ACIDIC according to my test strips. Thought that would be enough.

RozettaStone · 06-16-2009, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kathymack

I didn't feel the need to poo/lowpoo, either. The bars are so gentle, you won't feel like you cleaned. If you like what the shikakai powder did to your hair, you'll love what the bar will do. The bars make my curls tighter and give me more volume. Only issue was that the Shikakai Bar made my hair dry after a few uses.

I don't use the CV bars, they made my hair dry and tangled. If they were the first bar I used, I would have never used another. I gave them away after one use.

Ah, I was confused -- I thought you were using CV bars. Whose bars are you using that you like?

So I went ahead and washed today with the Swastik Shikakai bar (I oiled my hair last night with quite a bit of coconut oil). I liked using the bar & the smell doesn't bother me, and it removed the coconut oil easily. My scalp feels good. Then I did my first k-pak treatment, then used my GVP Co Balm and usual routine with FSG. Hair is still wet, but is looking and feeling good; however, I won't really know the effects of the bar vs. the K-pak. I did not do the ACV rinse -- do you think I should do that after the Swastik bar, as a general rule? I just felt like there was too much going on today with the protein pack & all!

Thanks for all your tips and advice.

RozettaStone · 06-16-2009, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suburbanbushbabe

I have used it for my hair and much prefer it to bentonite as it doesn't get lumpy. I'm not fond of clay for my skin unless I'm lying on a treatment bed and an aesthetician is applying it. I mix the rhassoul with yogurt, oil, a bit of acv and herbal extracts of marshamallow and burdock.

SBB, your mixture sounds good and (almost!) edible. I just bought some marshmallow root; do you make your own extracts? I haven't yet researched how to use it; I think the idea is to make a sort of tea from it. I'm thinking of adding it to my homemade FSG, which I love.

kathymack · 06-16-2009, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RozettaStone

Ah, I was confused -- I thought you were using CV bars. Whose bars are you using that you like?

So I went ahead and washed today with the Swastik Shikakai bar (I oiled my hair last night with quite a bit of coconut oil). I liked using the bar & the smell doesn't bother me, and it removed the coconut oil easily. My scalp feels good. Then I did my first k-pak treatment, then used my GVP Co Balm and usual routine with FSG. Hair is still wet, but is looking and feeling good; however, I won't really know the effects of the bar vs. the K-pak. I did not do the ACV rinse -- do you think I should do that after the Swastik bar, as a general rule? I just felt like there was too much going on today with the protein pack & all!

Thanks for all your tips and advice.

I'll pm you. I think the K-pak has mineral oil, so you may need to wash that out. Nexxus makes several protein treatments that are great and don't have mineral oil.

RozettaStone · 06-16-2009, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kathymack

I'll pm you. I think the K-pak has mineral oil, so you may need to wash that out. Nexxus makes several protein treatments that are great and don't have mineral oil.

Thanks, KathyM.
I know about the mineral oil, which I normally avoid. But I don't notice any feeling of buildup today. I don't expect to use it very frequently, but I have a feeling that the Shikakai will remove it, if it's a problem.
Turns out that I got great hair today! Don't know if it's from the Shikakai bar, or the protein treatment, but I'm so pleased.

dailywavy · 06-16-2009, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RozettaStone

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suburbanbushbabe

I have used it for my hair and much prefer it to bentonite as it doesn't get lumpy. I'm not fond of clay for my skin unless I'm lying on a treatment bed and an aesthetician is applying it. I mix the rhassoul with yogurt, oil, a bit of acv and herbal extracts of marshamallow and burdock.

SBB, your mixture sounds good and (almost!) edible. I just bought some marshmallow root; do you make your own extracts? I haven't yet researched how to use it; I think the idea is to make a sort of tea from it. I'm thinking of adding it to my homemade FSG, which I love.

Let us know how that goes! I can only buy marshmellow root in bulk out here and i don't want to waste 10$ on something i won't use again. but i am tempted to add it to my fsg, keep us posted!

and thanks kathymac for your insight!

kathymack · 06-17-2009, 12:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RozettaStone

SBB, your mixture sounds good and (almost!) edible. I just bought some marshmallow root; do you make your own extracts? I haven't yet researched how to use it; I think the idea is to make a sort of tea from it. I'm thinking of adding it to my homemade FSG, which I love.

There's a discussion about making your own extracts in this thread:

Making my own Aloe Gel for hair

Mine have been sitting for two weeks. I should probably check them. The ones that exude the mucilage may not work (ie, marshmallow.) The herbs are expanding and filling the bottle by soaking up the alcohol--may not yield any liquid. The others seem fine.

Jess the Mess · 06-17-2009, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kathymack

The purpose of an acid rinse is to restore pH balance to hair--soap is alkaline, hair is acid. It also flattens the cuticle. The last few times, I add a little of the Dr. Bronner's Shikakai Rinse to my rinse out conditioner. When I tested the rinse, it was VERY STRONGLY ACIDIC according to my test strips. Thought that would be enough.

Sorry to guano but maybe this would work for me. I keep trying to find a way to get the Dr. Bronner's rinse to work for my hair.

naturalily · 07-02-2012, 04:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kathymack

Quote:

Originally Posted by dailywavy

which one from CV did you use? I ordered a sample of the clay and mud shampoo bar and the rosemary mint SB, was it one of those?

is a ACV rinse always needed after using a SB?

" When I tested the rinse, it was VERY STRONGLY ACIDIC according to my test strips. Thought that would be enough. "

WOW! You even have test strips to check product? You ARE serious!!!!! LOL!