Simply JenW.

I am sorry it has take so long to review for Chagrin Valley Soaps. It really takes quite a bit of time to test them to get a valid opinion. I have too many samples and still feel I am still in testing mode! Why the switch to natural soaps? It is better for the environment, and my sensitive skin just cannot tolerate the synthetic detergents. I did start my real soap usage with the now discontinued African Soap from Everyday Minerals back in February. My skin has been so much better. I usually have bouts with eczema and constant keratosis pilaris. I spent a great deal of time reading about the Shampoo Bars/Soaps over at the Long Hair Community boards to get an idea of what the whole process entailed from the "hair experts".  I have been using Shampoo Bars sometimes with a rinse and sometimes a bit of conditioner for over a month.  I have been using Chagrin Vally Soaps for the same length of time.

First, I have a few suggestions on usage. I recommend storing the bars outside your shower when not in use, as humidity can cause them to dissolve faster. The soap deck they sell is great, but lately I have had several going at once so I have been using a small wire rack. I tend to rotate them. For bars not in use, I store in my closet in the paper bags they came in. The shampoo bars will get used up the fastest with body bars second and facial bars last the longest. This is all more a product of how you use the bars, not really anything to do with the bar types.

Another thing, if your water has any amount of hardness, you will have to battle soap scum in your shower or bath. One of the perks of commercial liquid soaps and synthetic detergent based soaps is that they don’t leave any residue on your fixtures compared to a natural bar soap. However, if the current commercial soaps have a negative effect on your skin, why use them? Just clean the shower more often! I am looking into a shower filter to help with this as I have pretty hard water. As far as build up on my hair, it has not yet happened, but I imagine a few washes with my regular shampoo will get me back to where I need to be for another long round of bar washes. I have never noticed a build up on my skin- in fact quite the contrary. My skin is better now than it has been in years.

I recommend cutting the full sized bars into fourths which will give you the same size pieces as the average sample. It makes them easier to use for me. For my testing, I use the shampoo bars directly on wet hair and rinse. Then I follow with a weak white vinegar rinse (2T white vinegar in a quart of water.) and then rinse out the rinse. By using the vinegar rinse with the shampoo bars I get the feeling of light conditioning without weighing my fine hair down. I did use the bars on vacation without a rinse and it really was fine.  I just like the texture of my hair better with the rinse.  For the body and complexion bars, I use a microfiber cloth. I also need to tell you that I am usually scent sensitive. Some of the bars don’t appeal to me just on scent alone.  I am planning on giving the sampoo bars a long run to see if they will have a positive effect on my hair the way the natural soap has for my skin. 

It gets to be a little tricky on ordering. They sell out of some bars quickly, and cure times are nearly 6 weeks. It is tough to coordinate an order to get everything you want at once. I have read on other forums that if you email them with your order (especially if you are International) they will put curing bars in your order as long as you promise to wait to use them until they are ready. Email orders must be paid with Paypal or check.

Shampoo Bars:

-My absolute favorite is Café Moreno. It does have more of a clove smell than a coffee smell. I also like that it will help to enhance my brown hair color. I am planning to order a few of these.

-Rosemary Mint is also a staple type bar. It smells divine. I originally purchased a full size of this one, and will repurchase.

-Summer Sunshine is another that I really like. It has a warm fresh scent and my hair seems to like it.

-Nettle works, but is not necessarily a favorite for me. I like having it in the rotation. It has a nice very light citrus/fresh scent, and I need to test it some more because I really want the benefits of this one!

-Honey Beer & Egg has a light sweet scent. It does give my hair great body. I can’t use this one all the time because it seems a little rich, but it is a good one to have in the rotation.

-Herb Garden. I bought this one for its benefits, but it has a strong herbal smell. I am not sure I will even test this one due to my sensitive sniffer. It is just not for me when the others suit me better.

-Chamomile & Citrus has a strong citrus smell which I love. I would classify it as a clarifying shampoo. I tested this one on vacation, and I need to give it another go with my own water and a rinse. I just think I like the others better.

-Ones I’d like to still test- Extra Honey Beer & Egg, Rosemary Lavender & Aloe, and some of the more moisturizing ones once winter hits here (Olive Babassu, and Babbasu Marshmallow). I’d also like to test the Neem & Tea Tree.

Soap Bars:

-Chamomile & Calendula smells a little bit citrusy with a hint of floral. It is lovely and has gotten rave reviews at LHC..  It is still on the list to try as a facial/body soap, but it is great for hands.  I have repurchased this one in full size.

-Cucumber Lime Yogurt has a light limey scent.  It also made a great body bar.  I have repurchased this one in full size.

-Dead Sea Spa is probably one of my favorites for body.  It has a citrusy scent and is on my list for purchasing a full size.

-Avocado Oats & Shea is my other top choice for body.  It has a warm citrus scent and oatmeal in it for light exfoliation.  I originally bought a full size of this one and will repurchase.

-Grapeseed Shea is so far my favorite one for face.  Yes, I have been using soap on my face some of the time.  Who knew?

-Orange Creamsicle has a creamy orange scent.  It is not very strong, but nice.  It is probably one that I won't repurchase, not so much that I don't like it, I just like others better.

-Java Spice is currently my kitchen soap.  It has a spicey scent and has coffee grounds in it for scrubbing.  I purchased a full size of this.  I have a ton of soap for hands to use up before I repurchase, but I will!

-Citrus Woods Green Tea, I love the smell of this one.  It is fresh and rustic smelling.  Have not tried it, yet, but I can comment on the smell!

-Sweet Basil, not real thrilled with the smell of this one.  I can't say I will not like it, though.  I think it will probably end up in my kitchen.

-Carrot & Honey, I like this one for face, too, but just like the smell of the Grapeseed Shea better.  I still am not sure if I will get this one again.

There are a few more soaps I want to try, but they get used up quite a bit slower than the 'poo bars.  I really have my eyes on the Chocolate Almond soap, though!

Well, I finally bit the bullet and decided to give Ida's soaps a whirl at Chagrin Valley Soap& Craft.  I saw so many rave reviews on MMM, Everyday Minerals (All Natural Lifestyle Forum), here on Vox, from my friends at Addicted to Minerals yahoo group, and some of my friends at the Silk Naturals Forum.  I must say I am very happy with my purchase.  I am definitely still in the testing stage, but so far so good.

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First, I have to let you know, Ida is a lovely person.  Oh, I forgot to tell you- they are only 10 miles away from my house, so I chose 'local pickup' as my shipping method!  It was very cool to see the whole operation from the soap curing on racks in their packaging room, to the Shea Rose Clay soap they just finished making still in the molds, and the long bar of soap on the cutting table waiting to be cut into the bar size she sells.  Her son Sam runs the business end and she also has the help of Christy plus her daughter Sarah for the summer.  The setting is everything they say on the website.  She lives on the hill of the Chagrin Valley and at the edge of her back yard you can see the river below.  She can see the valley from her sink where she washes the pots.  She has perennials and herbs growing in her garden and her Beagle Dizzy was there to greet me when I arrived.

We must have chatted for about a half an hour about running your own business, and how she used to teach Science, but now does this full time.  It is quite an operation, and they do a fabulous job.  She does have a few health issues since being diagnosed with breast cancer early this year, but still seems to be doing well.  She has had the surgery and will be having radiation therapy sometime in the near future.  Sam seems to have everything under control, and as long as she can make the soap, she will!  As I was leaving, Sam handed me the lip butter as my 'parting gift'.

The sample bars are roughly a quarter of the size of the full sized ones.  They smell so good and I can't wait to try them all.  Today I tried the Chamomile Citrus shampoo bar and the Cucumber Lime Yogurt Soap.  The Whipped Shea is lovely, and I can't wait to try some more scents.  We are sensitive skinned people in this house (and DD has eczema), so this is a great chance to try some high quality products for our specific needs and support a local family business.

It is time for the ‘official’ announcement.  I had not intended on making a big production of this, but at the same time do not want anyone to feel I am hiding anything.  I have been on staff at Silk Naturals since early March.  I do get paid to moderate the forum, and I do whatever small projects/web help that can be done from 300+ miles away.

First let me say I am a fan of Silk Naturals.  In my sampling for over 8 months they were by far my first choice company.  I used the foundation, finishers, blushes and lippies nearly daily, and appreciated the attention to detail in Karen’s colors.  I have been vocal this way all along.  Karen needed help, and I was available.  I had already purchased a good portion of the product line by that time, so I just needed a few more things.  I guess it is true to some degree that as a staffer I will be more inclined to make a product of SN’s work for me.  However, in the past I have tried ‘making’ a company’s foundation or concealer work for me and even owned several shades.  No matter what color I tried, I could not ‘make’ it work for the long haul.  I am notorious for trying to use what I have, but actually using up what I like.  Who really has time to mess with products that don’t work? 

As for my main qualification, I like makeup.  For the last ten years I have been a 'StayAtHomeMom'.   I am by training a chemist, and by pursuit a fiber artist (I quilt, sew, knit, bead, and craft.)  As a result of the latter, I have an eye for color and texture.  I have dabbled in mixing my own minerals, but still appreciate the quality of Karen’s line.  I may have the skill and color sensibility to have my own line, but I lack the other qualities necessary.  MMU Co. owners need patience, determination, and the kind of will I don’t have. They need commitment to great service even on the weekends, holidays, and late at night.  And for survival, they need to be able to move with the market, and really be energized by the whole process.  Karen possesses these qualities and more.  She is also an extremely ethical person, and I can support her decisions 100%.

I do think it is in Karen’s best interest to have a staffer on the forum.  Also, I have honestly found I answer color questions differently now.  As a fan, I would offer up more what I liked and what worked for me.  Now, I really try to offer suggestions that will make the customer happy.  I am not there to ‘make the sale’, I am there to answer your color questions.  By doing so, we free up the email, and Karen’s time to create and run the shop.  Choosing colors online can be kind of a ‘hit or miss’ endeavor, but I try to help as much as I can.  In Karen’s philosophy, she (and I) would rather a customer purchase a few items that they will love, than tons of items they don’t really enjoy or need.  We feel you get a better overall experience that way.

I don’t really have to tell you this part, but here is how I charge time on the forum.  I do charge time to keep up in the forum and answer questions.  This relieves some of the email load that Karen receives.  I don’t charge time to do FOTDs or pics for the forum.  Also, I don’t charge time to check on high end colors and how they compare to SN’s (I have just about anything you could request within 20 miles- thank goodness for testers!)  I don’t charge time for questions answered on other boards.  To me, that is not ethical.  Time on the forum ends up being 2-6 hours per week, enough to have a little spending cash, but that is about it.  Originally, I was planning to be the forum moderator as a volunteer.  That is what makes it work.

I know some concern has been expressed over this type of situation as it has caused drama with other companies in the past.  This is not the intent at all.  I really want to help, both Karen and the customer.  Please, if you have any problems with this, feel free to send me a PM.