Virginia Soaps & Scents (not curriculum, but homeschool related!) part 1~ Soaps, shampoo bars

Well, this was a fun package to receive in the mail as part of the TOS Crew, and it smelled good too! But, where is the connection with homeschooling, you ask? Well, it's fairly simple, and I'm sure very believable to my local readers.... a homeschooling family began with a history lesson, and ended up making and selling soap! This particular family, the Spargurs, hail from Virginia, and most of their 9 children work in the family business.

OK, so what exactly did I receive to review, and what do I think? Part 1 of my review will cover the Bar Soap, and the Shampoo Bar. Come back later for Part 2 to hear about the Laundry Soap Kit!

Soap.... Handcrafted Olive Oil SOAP (not Detergent..... Click HERE for an education in soaps VS detergents) We were sent "Sample 3 scents~ Orange, Oatmeal, Milk & Honey, and Coconut Lemongrass. They all were quite pleasant to the olfactory organs once they were separated in different parts of the house. The Orange went to the kitchen sink, the Oatmeal and Honey to the Bathroom sink, and the Coconut Lemongrass to the shower.

What do I think? Well, I suppose I have to be completely honest here, and let you all know that I just don't think that I'm a "bar soap" kind of girl*~ Give me my foamy pump soap and bath gels any day. HOWEVER, that being said, I'd LOVE to see them come out with a liquid version that I can "foam" at the faucet... after all... These are all-natural soaps, which my current "Gel" variety is not, and I am a fan of knowing exactly what the ingredients are whether a product goes in or on my body....

I must let you know that I do think that these soaps would make lovely gifts for those that ARE "bar soap sorts".... I can think of a few folks in my circle of friends and family that would appreciate these! They are very reasonably priced for gift-giving:
4.5 oz bars are $4.50 each, 3/$12, buy 4 get one free, and buy 10 for $35




Check out the slide-show above to see how gorgeous these soaps are!

• "Regular" Soaps, that are a far cry from common... These are PRETTY! They belong in your kitchen, guest bath, etc.....
• Holiday/Christmas Soaps... I say Holiday, because I think that the Pumpkin Spice Bar would be nice for a Thanksgiving hostess gift!
• Beautiful "Gourmet" soaps... "Black Tie" and "Cookies and Cream" are the type I long to buy and enjoy.... if only I was a bar soap person.... (sigh)

The other item that I am going to review in Part 1 is the Shampoo Bar
I tried a shampoo bar over 15 years ago, and while it was a "novelty", I wouldn't say that I was overly impressed. I seem to remember almost no lather, and very little else, so I was actually interested in how this would compare.

The idea with this shampoo bar is that you run it over your wet hair and lather up! And lather it does! (I understand that coconut oil is great for that!) So... how did it work? Well, I tried it first without conditioner, and my thin, fine hair got all tangled, but my scalp felt GREAT! Next I tried it followed by conditioner, and that seems to work fairly well, although my hair is still a little more "Fly-away" than I like. What I do appreciate is how my scalp feels, and I'm hoping that this will be a good fit for my daughter, and her semi-dry, flaky scalp, although we'll definitely have to use conditioner on her long fine hair as well.

• If you're interested in trying something new
• If your scalp is giving you trouble
• If you're going to be traveling on an airplane
• If you're going camping (OK, not any time soon here in New England...)

........ this might be something that you'd like to try, and who knows, you may find yourself a new shampoo that doesn't come as a liquid! (BTW, your mileage may vary, based on hair and I'm guessing ph-type... but it could be worth a try... no more icky chemicals and empty shampoo bottles! Who says homeschoolers aren't GREEN!) 5.5 oz bars for $5.50, 2 for $10

Now, due to a few things, like a husband that does the laundry, but doesn't do "kits", and multiple weekends away from home, I have not had a chance to mix up and use the laundry soap, but that is on our agenda for this weekend, so stay tuned for Part 2, the Laundry Soap Kit. (I'm truly pretty excited about this one as well, since I have read a lot about the advantages of making your own laundry soap, from knowing what the ingredients are to savings benefits, I just haven't "Gotten around to it".... but now I have to! Thanks TOS, and Virginia Soaps and Scents!

BTW, while you check out their site, you'll notice that their soap, shampoo, lotion, and body powder are all available unscented.... yes, there is more to be explored beyond soap & scents at Virginia Soap and Scents... (Check out their new Sampler Sets.... These include the size soaps we received for review....perfect for stocking stuffers and bathroom sinks!) Enjoy!

Blessings~


*My objection to bar soaps has to do with that "Squeaky Clean" feeling that others adore, but I seem to abhor... I really, really, really don't like it when my skin squeaks, and that happens with almost EVERY bar soap I've ever used. I also end up feeling like my skin is drier than usual, which has not been the typical reaction of many of my Crew Mates. Please be sure to drop by the TOS CREW. Based on conversations amongst the crew, I'm sure that you will read a majority of rave reviews! (This means I'm in an odd minority, for no reason I can fathom other than that my skin doesn't like solids.... ??? )