While copious amounts of lather are not necessary for a shampoo to clean well, consumers often believe that without lots of lather, the product does not clean that well. That is why most commercial shampoos use harsh surfactants or foam boosters such as sodium laurel sulfate (SLS) or members of its family. These foam boosters are used in personal-care products because they are very cheap. A small amount generates a large amount of foam, and when salt is added it thickens to give the illusion of being thick, rich, and expensive. Sodium laurel sulfates were originally designed to clean floors and can be found in items like garage floor cleaners, engine degreasers, and car wash soaps. It was also used by the military as a defoliant agent during the Vietnam War.
The strong degreasers in Sodium laurel sulfate dry skin and hair, irritate the scalp, and may cause hair loss. It is used in many so-called "natural" cosmetics, but it is not natural. Our shampoo bars do not contain Sodium Laurel Sulfate, Benzoin, DEA (diethanolamide) or any other chemicals that are found in most commercial shampoos. Our bars contain only natural ingredients that clean and nourish the hair and scalp.
Commercial shampoos use synthetic fragrances or "nature identical" oils, preservatives, colorants and other additives that can irritate your scalp."Natural" shampoos often simply add herbal extracts to their synthetic shampoos. Commercial shampoos use fragrance oils that are often heavy and overpowering. Our scented shampoo bars are gently scented with pure botanical essential oils.
At the Chagrin Valley we use 100% pure natural plant oils which are easily absorbed and nourishing to your skin and scalp. Our shampoo bars contain no animal fats, no synthetic oils, no artificial fragrances, no detergents, and no chemical preservatives. Our solid shampoo will not strip the natural oils from your hair, so many people do not even need to use a conditioner.