Shampoo: The ACV Bar

Although not tested as color-safe, being sulfate and paraben-free is known to be more suitable for colored hair.

Many of our customers color their hair and they love our shampoo, conditioner, and hair tea. Our products are formulated to be safe but will react differently with your unique hair.

• The conditioner bar will not strip your hair color.
• The hair tea may highlight or enhance your hair color.
• Some customers find that the shampoo bar brightens their natural hair color. Most customers who dye their hair report no change when using our natural products…except for the ones who report color lasting longer due to decreased washings!
• We suggest trying the product on the underside of your hair if color-treated, before using on your entire head.

Our Conditioner Bars do not “lather”, they are not soap. They activate with water, creating a silky feeling “cream” and that is what you massage into your hair. Remember… a little goes a long way!

Read more tips and info on our conditioner bars here.

Everyone’s hair type is unique, so you may not need to use an ACV rinse. Whether or not you need to use an apple cider vinegar (ACV) rinse depends on a few things as well:

• Your water: Hard water makes it more difficult to rinse natural shampoo from your hair. If you have hard water, an ACV rinse will help wash out the shampoo and dirt from your hair. Our family has homes with very hard water, and we opted to add a filter to our shower heads. Kandra, our founder, also uses an ACV rinse as she has very long hair.
• Hair length: Those with short hair will find that they do not need to rinse with vinegar. Their hair is short and much easier to rinse.
• If you’re prone to tangles: ACV rinses often help with tangles by helping the hair shaft to close back up after washing with shampoo bars.
• Build-up and Residue: Shampoo bars are mild and may not remove residue from your hair like detergent shampoos. If you use additional products (like commercial conditioners, gels, or other styling agents) and ACV rinse will help remove the build-up and residue they leave behind.

You can also boost the conditioning and nourishing power of and ACV rinse with our herbal hair & scalp tea.

Short Answer: It depends on how often it’s used, and if it’s kept dry between uses.

When used at the sink for handwashing, a bar of our handmade soap can last for around 6 weeks or more. This assumes that the bar will be placed on a soap dish that allows the water to drain away from the soap, giving the soap a chance to dry out between uses. You can read more on extending the life of your soap here.

When used in the shower, a bar of soap will typically last around 4 weeks. This assumes that the bar is exposed to water longer than at the sink, and then multiple people are using the same bar to wash head to toe.

• A bar of Tooth Suds typically lasts for 3 months!
• A Shampoo Bar typically lasts 2-6 months (depending on how many times you wash your hair, and how long your hair is).

Compared to commercial “soaps”, natural soaps are normally softer as they retain their natural glycerin (commercial soap production removes the glycerine to sell as a separate product). Our soaps are also free from artificial hardening chemicals, synthetic waxes, or free alkali.

While they are small, they are super concentrated. That means there is more there than it appears.

One Conditioner Bar will last 40-50 uses including all the ways to use it, which are explained below.  Yes, other Hair Conditioner Bars on the market are larger, but most of them contain more oil and do not last as long. Larger bars have more surface area, which means more of the bar is exposed to water and gets washed down the drain when used. 

One of the biggest tips we can give you to extend the life of your Conditioner Bar is to keep it dry between uses.

• They are mall on purpose (it helps it last longer)
• Each bar provides 40-50 uses…
• That’s about 4-8 weeks or more depending on how often you use it
• About the equivalent to 2-3 bottles of traditional conditioners

Read more tips and info on our conditioner bars here.

My recipe is 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar to 4 cups water. I mix up 4 cups of the rinse in a large bowl and take it into the shower with me. Then after the first rinse, I dip my hair into it, squish the mounds of hair around, pour the rest over my head. and rinse it all out.

If you have short hair, you can make a smaller mix and put it in a squeeze bottle for easier application.

You can also infuse herbs in the vinegar to make a custom rinse for your hair. Simply add dry herbs of your choice tot he vinegar, and then let them steep for 2-4 weeks. Our herbal hair and & scalp tea is a perfect compliment to ACV rinses.

Here are a few hebs to consider (not an exhaustive list by anymeans!)

• rosemary has long been used to condition and to deepen hair color
• chamomile can highlight blonde or light brown hair
• calendula conditions and nourishes the scalp
• lavender, thyme, witch hazel, and yarrow will help with oily hair
• nettles can help control dandruff and scalp issues
• horsetail helps with brittle hair and conditioning

Washing your hair with a natural shampoo bar is very similar to using commercial detergent shampoo bars. The basics are to lather up, massage through hair and scalp, then rinse. With a natural product, there are a few other tips though:

• Rinse well –  we recommend rinsing for at least a full minute to ensure that you rinse out all of the shampoos.
• Don’t promote tangles – There’s no need to pile your hair on your head and tangle it all up. Instead, massage through your hair starting at the scalp. Use your fingertips to cleanse your scalp, then work your way down to the tips.
• Don’t over wash – Hair doesn’t need to be washed every day (unless your daily activities get your hair dirty every day). Kandra, our owner and formulator, washes her hair two to three times a week.
• Follow with the complete Alo Hair Regimen to lushly soft and natural locks – Cleans with a natural shampoo bar, Clarify with an apple cider vinegar rinse, and Condition with a natural conditioner bar.

Products labeled with a temperature-sensitive notice are designed with ingredients that melt around body temperature. Especially in the summer months or in hot climates, these products can change in texture and consistency while in transit.

• To protect your natural products in the early spring, through summer and late fall, select “Temperature Sensitive Shipping” at checkout. Your order will ship in our 100% compostable padded shipping insert.
• If temperature-sensitive products arrive melted, we won’t be able to replace or refund them.
• Once temperature-sensitive products arrive, keep in a cool spot away from direct sunlight.

Our hair conditioner bars will be just fine 99.9% of the time as they need moisture to fully dissolve and be ready to apply to your hair. However, the heat of summer shipping can cause them to soften and “squish” a bit in transit. They will firm back up in about 30 minutes at room temperature.

Want to melt your conditioner bar on purpose? It makes an amazing hair mask!

Use as a Deep Conditioning Hair Mask: Melt a small portion of the Conditioner Bar over low heat. Once warmed and melted, whisk in 2-3 teaspoons of water to create a creamy hair mask. Apply to wet hair and wash out after 30 minutes. If you have extra dry hair, you can add a dab of our Whipped Body Butter into the recipe.

Handcrafted with a blend of natural oils and herbs, the Alō Natural Hair regimen is formulated to cleanse and nourish your hair for truly beautiful locks.

Cleanse

Alō Shampoo Bars are formulated to gently cleanse hair with all-natural oils and organic butters, with organic and wild-crafted botanicals. Simply lather up the bar, wash, and rinse. Allow bar to dry between uses to extend the life of the bar.

Clarify

After each wash, clarify your hair with an apple cider vinegar (ACV) rinse. Mix 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar with 2-3 cups of clean water. Pour over your hair to rinse away any remaining impurities and reduce frizz. For extra conditioning and scalp nourishment, infuse your ACV rinse our Herbal Hair & Sclp Tea.

Condition

Alō Conditioner Bars provide natural conditioning for silky tangle-free locks. Simply glide bar over wet hair and massage in. Leave on for 1-3 minutes, rinse well. Allow bar to dry between uses. Can also be used as a leave-in conditioner and a deep conditioning hair mask.

For some, going natural with hair care products may result in a “detox” or breaking-in period. As you start to use natural products, your hair chemistry will start to change and adapt to the new natural environment. Some individual will notice an increased production of sebum (the body’s natural waxy oil used to protect hair and skin) which can result in an oily scalp and hair. As you continue to use natural hair care products your body will begin to balance its sebum production. This can take around 2-4 weeks but will vary for each individual.

For hair with build-up from prior hair routines or excess sebum: Mix 1 tablespoon baking soda with ¼ to ½ cup water. Work the mixture into your scalp and hair. Rinse well and clarify with an apple cider vinegar rinse. Use this high-intensity cleansing option no more than once every 6 weeks to avoid stripping hair of its natural oils.

Here are more tips dealing with the transition period and adjusting to natural shampoo bars.

Shampoo bars are soap, specifically formulated for hair.

All additives are aimed at nourishing your hair and the bar is formulated for extra thick lather to help you wash out dirt and oils. And as an added bonus, a shampoo bar does not require plastic bottles that could end up in a landfill.

Here’s an article we wrote explaining the difference between shampoo bars and commercial shampoo detergents. You might be shocked to learn what’s really in commercial shampoo.

Choosing a shampoo bar that’s a good fit for your hair will vary based on your hair and body chemistry. We recommend trying each of our bars to find the best fit for you. Kandra (our founder) uses The ACV bar as her go-to bar and uses the Coconut Tea Bar 1-2 times a month to help deal with her hard water issues.

Our original shampoo, The ACV Bar, is a great place to start. It’s balanced for most hair types, is unscented, creates a wonderful lather, and is our “go-to” bar.

Our Coconut Tea Bar makes a great wash for those with hard water, oily hair/scalp, and dreadlocks. It has a light scent from Cedarwood, Lavender, and Lemongrass essential oils, and outperforms any bar in hard water conditions. Note: as with all of our scented products, the scent is light and not overwhelming.

Fun fact: our shampoo bars make great body bars too!

Want to try them all? Order our Build Your Own Sampler Set! You’ll receive a free soap dish and save 5%!