Does anyone else use Soapwort?

[Neoma]

I tried using indian herbs (amla, shikakai) and they are darkening. If you have darker brown hair, that's not a problem. I have lighter brown hair with some blonde streaks that got temporarily dulled/darkened by the Indian herbs.

Soapwort has not shown to be darkening at all.

Thank you, Dianyla.

Do you find soapwort to be as cleansing as Indian herbs?

[Unnamed]

I suppose this is as good a place to ask as any (hope the OP doesn't mind!), but: Anyone been successful using soapwort with (really) hard water?

I've been wanting to try herbs for washing (for, literally, a couple of years!), but worry they won't cut through the hard water residue...particularly on top of a rather oily scalp.

[mellie]

I believe our water here is rather hard, and I have an oily scalp as well. The soapwort still works well, although every so often I do use a commercial shampoo too.

Sorry I have never tried Indian herb shampooing so I cannot compare...

[Dianyla]

Do you find soapwort to be as cleansing as Indian herbs?

Well, due to the darkening effect I only used the Indian herbs twice. So I never had a chance to fully compare the two.

However, I have used soapwort for long stretches of time and it is an effective mild cleanser. It won't get your scalp squeaky clean, but then again that's the whole idea.

[Neoma]

Well, due to the darkening effect I only used the Indian herbs twice. So I never had a chance to fully compare the two.

However, I have used soapwort for long stretches of time and it is an effective mild cleanser. It won't get your scalp squeaky clean, but then again that's the whole idea.

Thank you, Dianyla.

I made at least one batch of soapwort gravy, probably a couple of years ago. (It's so hard to remember things without my hair journal...) I believe that it worked beautifully the first time, but I wasn't happy with the results subsequent times. Of course, I find that even with my favorite shampoo method, shampoo bars, I sometimes feel the need to alternate with a mild health food brand shampoo.

Perhaps I'll give soapwort another try.

What I did like was that it was easy to rinse out, unlike Indian herbs, which can leave lots of debris.

Although it didn't suds much during the shampooing process, I do remember being amazed when I ran warm water into the pot in which I had brewed the soapwort. It was filled with tiny, suds!

[mira-chan]

I've made the gravy with Indian herbs (whole aritha, amla and hibiscus) and it worked just as well as the soapwart gravy.

Can't help with the water hardness but the herbs work fine in relatively soft but chlorinated to oblivion water.

[Um Enis]

i just found this.

i use soapwort as my shampoo. i started w/ wo and just felt dirty then i went to once a week soapwort washes... but i think i need to up it as im 3 months postpartum and i find once a week just isn't enough. my hair doesnt feel squeeky clean (as dianyla said) but it looks squeeky clean... which i found ideal. I just throw a spoonful of soapwaort in a big mug with a few hibiscus and rose petals.

but its a pain to do if i want to wash more often than once a week. im thinking to do a batch of "gravy" and just keep it in the fridge. im thinking of washing every other day... since back i the day i used to love that with shampoo and never had ruined hair.

oh and i have hard water. vinger rinse helps with that. i sometimes forget and see a difference when i do

[mellie]

Um Enis, hibiscus and rose petals sounds so nice! BTW, I make up a batch of soapwort cleanser and keep it in the fridge, it lasts about a week before going bad - but I put in herbs like parsley and rosemary, rather than the flowers, which may make a difference.

[Um Enis]

the rose makes it smell great, hibiscus makes in conditioning and colors the grout (temporarily)

i do mine the same as yours (seeping)

as far as plantingit, did you? i might ask on the herbalthread

[mellie]

"Colors the grout" - haha - yes, hibiscus is pretty good at staining bathrooms, fabrics, everything in sight! :-)

No, I haven't planted soapwort yet, I have heard that it grows very easily. I live in a rental house so I might wait until we buy a house (hopefully within a year or so!).