Oh hi there blog, it's not like I forgot about you and haven't updated you in a while! Nope, that's definitely not what's happened at all!
But you'll forgive me if I make penance through a review of two amazing LUSH products, right? I had a fairly sizeable LUSH haul recently (I'll review more in later posts), but the products I've been using and enjoying the most are the solid shampoo and conditioner bars. I purchased them as a lark, (solid shampoo - hah!) but have now been converted. I'll go through each bar individually however, so in case you just want one or the other, you can skip through.
KARMA KOMBA SOLID SHAMPOO BAR
Firstly, we have the shampoo bar. As with most LUSH products it smells fan-freakin'-tastic. Orange oil, pine and patchouli give off a scent that is clean, zesty and citrus-y, without being overpowering or cloying. It does stick around however, so if you're sensitive to the scent or not a fan of any of the other Karma products at LUSH, you may not want this all up in your hair. Even a day later the smell will linger enough that every breeze (or gratuitous hair toss) will waft the scent back to you, or anyone else you happen to be with at the time.
'But how do you wash with this hockey-puck shaped monstrosity?' I hear you ask. Well, this rather dense little block of goodness is exceedingly easy to use. After dampening your hair, you just take the bar, rub it in the water with your hands, and when it's nice and wet, slide that bad boy over your hair. I like to do 3-4 passes, one on each side, and the back, from scalp to tip. Then, get your hands into your hair and lather. This bar lathers like crazy, due to the Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). This may be a no go for you, as some people aren't fans of it/it doesn't agree with them, but I've had no ill effects with it so it suits me. Think about what's right for you!
And the results? Super clean hair. It even has that 'squeaky clean' feeling which I'm a fan of, but for those who aren't into it, following up with a conditioner is a must. This thing is made to clean and smell amazing, which it does on both counts. But this is only part of a match made in heaven. We've reached the halfway point, but to get to the summit of happy hair mountain, we gotta go through the Jungle.
JUNGLE SOLID CONDITIONER
More malleable than the Karma Komba, this conditioner gives off the impression of softness right away. With cocoa butter as a primary ingredient, it melts into the hair. It's scent is not as sweet as the Karma Komba, but it's very complementary, and blends right into the fresh and zesty olfactory sensations from the shampoo bar.
In a very similar fashion to the shampoo, I give it a few swipes in the hair, but I let it rest for a bit before rinsing by going about the rest of my shower routine (body wash/soap - shaving - defeating the sea monsters that threaten to come up through the drain - etc.) and then rinsing it out. My hair is noticeably softer and less tangled after this, replacing the squeaky clean feeling of the shampoo with a wonderful softness. It probably wouldn't be enough for someone with super dry hair, but even though I consider my hair to be a bit dry and unruly, it still has worked really well for me. My hair has been altogether less frizzy and even lasts a bit longer without washing due to these two bars.
SUMMARY
These two bars are a great combination. They have an awesome scent, clean and condition well, and are free from silicones - something I noticed in the beginning of using these bars was that my hair (which was usually very frizzy and fluffy and out of control with regular liquid shampoo and conditioner) was that it seemed to get worse. It seemed even drier than normal, and I thought for a moment - 'What have I done!?'. But after a few more weeks, my hair responded really well, I'd wash my hair in the evening and the next morning it'd be perfectly soft and silky, and more controlled. Perhaps the silicone buildup in my hair had prevented me from seeing how bad my hair had become. I feel these two products have helped repair some of that damage.
So final thoughts - give them a go! They may surprise you!
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| They might look like they're tussling, but it's totally a bro-hug. |
