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Testimonials
Read what our fabulous customers have to say!

YOU-nique...the word to describe you!

You have your own personality...
You have your own spirit...
You have your own heart...Y
No one else can do things in the same way you do!
No one else has the same talents and abilities you have. 

You are You-nique...the only you the world will ever get...
And what a great gift to the world you are!

Many recipes are completely different.  Sometimes we simply tweak a recipe--a bit more of this or a little less of that.  In these testimonials many of our customers have shared their experiences with our all natural products.  With a wide variety of recipes and essential oil blends, we are sure you will find a soap, shampoo, lotion, or lip balm that is just right for you. And what a great gift to the world you are!

Read  Three Sisters and a Friend:
Adventures with All Natural Shampoo Bars
by Lori in Michigan

A hint to help your customers wade through all of these accolades:  If you are looking for help with a specific problem or condition, such as eczema, just go up to the top of your browser bar and pull down the "edit" menu.  Then click on "find" and type in the word "eczema".  Then you can read all of the comments that pertain to that specific skin issue.  You can also type in the name of a specific soap or shampoo to see if anyone has written about it.  I know this may work for everything, but it may help. 

My skin thanks you again for all of your fabulous products.    Sarah, Michigan

I love using your products they are utterly phenomenal!  I placed a sizable order with you a long while ago for a multitude of your sample soap bars and full sized shampoo bars.  I have always had extremely long hair and I tend to keep an eye out for products that would be beneficial to keeping long hair healthy.  A forum I often read spoke of your shampoo bars and after reading all of the information on your site about your shampoo bars and the great testimonials I had to try them!  I really love how soft they make my hair and I can see a huge difference in the strength and health of my hair.  I don't have as much damage as I did using commercial and salon products.  I threw the rest of my hair products away! I won't use anything but your shampoo bars from now on and I love the fact that you have so much variety!!  I cannot wait to try your Babassu & Marsh Mallow shampoo bar. 

As for your soaps: I always hated soaps! They left my skin feeling dry, irritated and tight so I have always used body wash liquid soaps, but when I made my order for shampoo bars your soaps just sounded irresistible and I figured I would give it a try and also I thought they would make great and unique gifts so I ended up buying quite a bit!!  It is really amazing how different your products are from standard items you can get at the store. I don't know what it is you do, but you have the magic touch. Your soap smells heavenly and they do not make my skin feel uncomfortable in any way, just clean, soft and smooth.  I even use your soaps on my face and I never felt comfortable with that before! And surprisingly enough your soap works better than any of my old beauty products!  I am so glad that I stumbled onto your website and I will be a lifelong customer, so I hope you never stop making your fabulous products!!  Thank you for all of the hard work and care you put into your products, it really shows.  Best wishes!

Hello Ida!
 
I read the testimonials on your site, and I felt that perhaps I should add to the list of very happy customers.
 
I'll start off with mentioning that I have -extremely- sensitive skin...a lot of the commercial products that claim to be for sensitive skin even break me out.   To make matters even more worse, my skin is also very dry.
 
I first ordered in November last year.  I had broken out in hives(something had reacted to me, we couldn't quite figure out what.  I think it was partially due to stress), I'd gone to the doctor and the prescription itch cream was, to say the least, not doing ANYTHING to relieve the itch.  I was reading  a blog site I'm part of (livejournal to be precise), and someone else had mentioned your site to someone else.  Being the curious type I am, I checked it out.  I'm also the type that likes to try new things, of course(this might be partially because I'd never found anything that worked -really- well on my skin).  I ordered a sample of the Chamomile and Calendula and a sample of the Avocado Oats and Shea.  I got the order in a few days(definitely much faster than I'd expected!) and tried out the Chamomile first.  It worked WONDERS.  The hives cleared up completely less than a week later.  I also used pure aloe vera gel, the coolness of the gel helps to rid of the itch, it works very well.  I wish I had found this before spending all that money going to the doctor and on various other itch creams that didn't work.
 
I made my second order last month(after the chamomile finally ran out..I still have the avocado).  I wanted to get a full size bar, but with me being the type that likes not only to try new things, but to have a variety of soaps at hand, I ordered samples of the Patchouli & herb, java spice, and chocolate almond.  Again, I love them all!   I don't think I'll EVER go back to using the commercial soaps(even the smellgood types like Bath and Body works-I actually threw out most of my body washes).  I can get just as much variety from your soaps and not have my skin break out like crazy, or be dry and itchy.  I'm already looking through and preparing to make another order when I get paid, and will definitely be trying your other products! I don't want to take up any more of your time, but I just wanted you to know that you have yet another customer for life!

I am an absolute convert after using your Babassu Marsh Mallow Shampoo.  Being Chinese, I have thick, coarse Asian hair that usually requires extra conditioner.  After a few initial uses of the Babassu marsh Mallow Shampoo, I am astonished by how soft and smooth my hair feels - no conditioner needed.  Thank you for making wholesome, natural, affordable products that actually work.

Thank you so much for your wonderful Goat Milk Honey Oatmeal.  My family is grateful for it.  My nephew had severe eczema.  At its worst, he developed a staph infection and the kids at school were starting to tease him about his arms.  He had several prescriptions for the eczema, but they hardly helped.

I came across your website & read some the testimonials about eczema.  I immediately ordered.  He started using it right away and within weeks his eczema cleared up.  Now all he uses is the Goat Milk Honey Oatmeal soap.  He doesn't even use lotion.  He is so much happier, which makes the rest of the family happy.

Hi Ida,

You know I've been using your products for a few years.  My hair and skin look and feel fabulous and healthy.  But I am writing to tell you how those little bath melts have made my husband soooo happy.  At first he baulked at the idea of spending so much money for a bar of soap, until I showed him (I actually showed him the numbers on paper) how much we were saving since I no longer had to buy expensive creams, lotions, hair conditioners, cuticle softeners, etc. (You name it, I used to buy it!).   Last month I asked Ron to rub one of those bath melts on my back in the shower.  I love taking HOT showers.  I know it dries my skin, but it just feels so good.  The next morning Ron showed me his normally hard, rough and cracked hands.  It was like a little miracle.  I will tell you that I tried  along time ago to get him to use your lotion bars—but he would not.  He said he had tried many lotions and they only made his hands sticky and never really helped.  To make a long story short, we keep the little bath melts by our sinks and Ron even has some at work.  He washes his hands with warm water and then while still wet rubs a little of the bath melt in (it melts so nicely), then rinses and dries.  His hands used to be so dry, they would crack, bleed, and really hurt.  But no more!   Please don’t EVER stop making your fabulous products! 

I just wanted to let you know how much I like the Neem and Tea Tree Soap.  I have had acne most of my life and have tried EVERYTHING to get rid of it.  I have used lots of expensive soaps, lotions, creams, etc. and never had the results that I had hoped for.  In the first week of using the Neem and Tea Tree soap, my face was clearing up!  I am now using a combination of your neem soap and a pure aloe gel and my skin looks better than it has in years.  So, thank you!

I have been using your cucumber-lime-yogurt soap since the day I got it.   Though I purchased it for my excessively dry hands (Winter in Michigan is brutal on the hands), I found it excellent as a body soap.  It is so soft and silky;  this is especially good as my water is pretty hard and that combined with the harsh winter here makes for very, very dry and itchy skin. Your soap has eliminated the need for body lotion;  my skin has never felt better.

I also use the rose shea soap after washing dishes or before slathering avocado and almond oil on my hands before leaving for the day.  It cleans and softens the hands very nicely.  A little tip that others may find useful:  I lather up with the rose/shea soap (and some warm water).  Then, I put about a tablespoon of baking soda in my hand and rub that in to the lather until it dissolves.  Then, I massage my hands--with special attention to the cuticles--and lather up a bit more with the rose/ soap, all the time running my hands under the warm water periodically.  It creates a rich, mildly exfoliating, silky lather, which softens the skin and cuticles.  Then I rinse it all off, use to towel to wipe off the excess water, leaving the hands slightly damp, and then coat my hands in shea butter & avocado oil (or almond oil), and then massage again until it all absorbs.  I must say, however, that your cucumber-yogurt soap works even better in this little process (but I only have one and it is in the shower).  I do this once in the morning before leaving for work and again at night after washing dishes, and it keeps my hands beautiful.  I hope this helps someone else.

Hi My name is Liz originally from the Caribbean but now live in Florida.  I have always wanted to try to use natural products on my skin and hair so when  I was browsing online and I saw your website I was like why not?  I must say buying samples is the BEST thing you can do as you can figure out what you like or don’t like.  So far I have fallen in love with the Rosemary mint shampoo bar.  I usually lather twice then use an ACV rinse and have absolutely no need for conditioner!!!  Simply unheard of for my curly afro type hair.  I have also used coconut milk as suggested but without the lime and my hair is conditioned.  I also use the body soaps and lotion butter bars and the tiny bumps that I used to have on my upper arms have all but disappeared.  The lotion bars are quite greasy at first but truly sink right in!!!!  I am so happy I ordered from you and will continue to do so. Be blessed in your future business!!!!   Love love love you products!

I have ordered from your company twice now.  I have severe Rosacea and have never been able to find a product that cleansed and moisturized my skin that did not either irritate my sensitive skin or break the bank.  I felt almost helpless at having to spend $100 on a tiny bottle of face moisturizer and cleanser that wouldn't hurt my skin, but also wouldn't even really moisturize in the first place.  My skin is so bad that I have had complete strangers stop me on the street commenting on my "bad sunburn" or "windburn" when it was really just the way my face always looked.

Someone sent me to your website and I looked up your recommendations for cleansing sensitive skin.  I picked several of the samples and have tried, and loved them all!  I can wash my face now without any painful tingling, or burning sensations.  I recently ordered some cocoa and shea butters to try and have been using both on my face, as well as using the multi butter lotion bar on my face, all with great success.  Not only do they actually work on moisturizing my skin, but my skin is not nearly as red as it used to be.  No one has mentioned the redness in a while now.  And my skin is soft for the first time.  I love to touch my face now that it feels so good.  The best part is that I do not feel guilty for spending a lot of money on products with ingredients in them that I can't even pronounce, just to have them not work.

So thank you for your wonderful products.  You have made me very happy and I will continue to order from your company!

Ida,

I just wanted to say thank you for making such wonderful soaps.  My skin was dry and itchy in the wintertime, no matter how often I reapplied lotion.  Since finding your soaps, I have not had to use as much lotion, just dab it on the really dry spots.  I particularly like your Carrot & Honey and Honey Butter soaps for my body, as they are so moisturizing.  My skin feels clean and soft when I step out of the shower, not tight like it used to.  For my face, I use the Shea Rose Clay, which has helped reduce my stress-related acne.  Taking a shower is now a fun, relaxing, delicious-smelling experience.
Thanks!

Hi Ida!  

        I just had to write to say thank you for all your wonderful products.  I just received my order and I could not wait to get my hands on the whipped cocoa butter.  It smells like chocolate heaven and feels so silky and smooth.  I also cannot wait to try out those bath melts......just the idea of them relaxes me, and I absolutely adore the flower shapes.  As for your soaps I have many favorites....the castile and calendula is the only thing I use on my three year old son.  I have a fit if hubby tries to use anything else on his delicate skin.   The Rhassoul Clay is the only soap that has touched my face since I tried it.  It makes my skin so soft and I love the fresh clean scent.  The chocolate almond bar makes my skin feel great and I love the way it suds up.   I am also a fan of the honey butter and goat milk oatmeal and honey......both are gentle and soothing to my skin......I have also used both of these on my son.   The hemp mango lotion bar smells great and I would have to agree with another customer that said it makes the best lip balm.....it really does!    That being said I do love ALL your lip balms....my favorite being the aloe and mocha java.....talk about a wonderful smell......I just want to eat it.   Oh Ida what can I say I LOVE your stuff, which means you can NEVER go out of business......I would be lost, not to mention I would have very dry itchy skin.   I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year.  I know I will now that my goodies have arrived.....Merry Christmas to me!!!!  And to anyone who may read this........these products are the greatest so give them a try.....not only is it fun but it is the best decision you can make for your skin and hair!

Thanks again guys! Your soap has been a lifesaver to my husband.  He had a skin condition and this stuff has cleared it right up when doctors could not!

Thank you for still offering this Herb Garden Shampoo Bar.  After a couple years using it, my husband has ALL the hair back he lost on top.  I didn't think it was possible to get it back, I had hoped to slow it down but his hair growth is nothing short of amazing.  His father is pretty much completely bald on top, so, of course, we assumed my husband would eventually be as well. Now, I don't think that will be the case.  After switching to your all natural shampoo bar, his hair has come back in and thick, shiny and soft, very beautiful.  He won't use anything else.  Thanks Ida.  We owe his sexy locks to you!  Thanks again, happy wife, Leaha.

Dear Ida,

I had to take a moment to rave about your soap.  I have seriously never found a soap that didn't make me itch or dry my skin out--even ones that claimed to be gentle or good for dry skin.  To combat that, I would slather my skin with a ton of lotions. I have to say that your Castile and Calendula soap has changed my life.  My skin doesn't itch, it isn't dry and I haven't even looked at my lotion in weeks!  I have never had skin this soft and lovely.  I am hooked!

The only lotion I've been using is your Multi-Butter Lotion Bar and that is only on my hands and cuticles.  My hands always get so dry that they crack and bleed in the winter.  So far, I don't even have so much as a hang nail!  Even my hands are soft and lovely.

I also have to rave about your Oats and Honey dog shampoo.  My dog, Max, has always had slightly dry and flaky skin. Nothing I've tried has helped--until now.  I bought a sample of your Oats and Honey dog shampoo and used it on his next bath.   I was amazed that it left his skin was amazingly soft and not the least bit flaky.  I was thrilled that you'd included the natural flea repellent as well.  He is not able to use the commercial spot flea repellents and I'd begun using a product made of
the same oils that you are using in the soap.  I am thrilled to have additional flea protection for him.

At this point, both my dog and I have new skin thanks to you and your wonderful products!

I'm so thrilled with everything I've purchased so far, that I just placed an order full of soaps and samples to give as Christmas gifts, as well as a few more things for myself.  I have to share these wonderful soaps with my friends and family and I have to try some of the shampoo bars for myself.  Thank you so much for making such wonderful, reasonably priced, products.  I am sure I will be a loyal customer for many years to come.

Ida,

I've been using your shampoo bars on and off for about a year (I don't recall why I ever stopped because they make my hair feel absolutely wonderful), but this isn't about me.  I recently ordered the honey and oats dog shampoo for my little girl, Torri.  She's a 6 y/o Yorkie with a long history of dry flaky skin and a terribly dry coat.  She used to belong to my mother and when I took her in she was almost bald from scratching and biting her poor itchy skin.  I changed her diet and tried washing her with gentle shampoo very diluted in unscented conditioner.  Most of her hair grew back, but its always been so brittle and dry and her skin always felt so tight and weird.  I searched high and low for something that would ease her condition, and nothing ever really worked that is until I found your dog shampoo.  All I can say is WOW.  After just one use (seriously, just one) she feels like a different dog.  Her coat is so silky and so lustrous!!!  I was amazed!!  No itchies anymore either.  We cannot thank you enough. Please, don't ever stop making your shampoo bars

Dear Ida,

I also wanted to let you know I have been having trouble with my skin for a while now - dry flaky patches, dermatitis/eczema type problems in certain areas.  I've tried goodness knows how many oils and moisturising creams and nothing has worked until now.  I currently wash my face with your Castile baby soap and moisturise with your Whipped shea mousse (I have the tiny jar and it goes a LOOONG way!!) and my skin has never looked better.  So thank you very much, I hope you never close your business because you have saved my skin.

The shea butter is also fantastic for putting on wet hair and allowing to air dry.  My hair feels really well moisturised.

Thanks again!

I just wanted to write you a " Thank You E-Mail" :-)    Your soaps and poo-bars really should be among the world wonders or at least in the record books ;-)   It's amazing what they can do to hair and skin... I still can't believe it.  When I got my latest order and opened the box, I was overwhelmed by the wonderful smell!!!

I use a Chocolate- Almond- Bar for my face, body and hair and it's awesome for all of it.   A friend once came to visit me and she asked what this "funky"-lookin`- smellin`" THING was :-))) that really made me laugh... at 1st  she thought it was a piece of cake...hahaha.  After using it she said it was better than cake ;-).

Well, I haven't tested all MY (Yeah...they're all MINE) soaps and poo- bars yet, since some are curing.  Some haven't been tested long enough to be raving about them... but I'm more than sure I'll be raving about them when the time comes :-).

OK, I'll stop now, since I'm sure you're getting tons of mail like this.

You rock!!!

My husband and I have been using your soaps for a few months now.  We both use the Neem Oil shampoo, as he has psoriasis and I have scalp itch issues.  Now we both use the rhassoul soap as well.  It's taken care of my body acne problems like nothing else can and I love the smell... it reminds me of tea with milk and honey! Now with winter coming on, we're trying some new things!  Thanks so much and keep on truckin!

It's been a while since my last order. I must confess that I became unfaithful and placed an order at  [another] soapmaker´s site.  I just felt that I would like to try some different products for a change.

Well, the lady in question was very nice, the whole transaction went smoothly, and the day after my payment I had my order in the mail.  But... all of her soaps and shampoos have a very distinct "soapy" smell - the same I noticed about [another company's] shampoo bars.  Your soaps and shampoos don't smell soapy at all! I got about six different shampoos and tried them all.  And each and every one made my hair greasy super-fast.  With your shampoos I wash about every four days - even on day five my hair will be acceptable.  With those new shampoos absolutely had to wash every three days, and even that was stretching it.  I think those shampoos are much harsher than yours, stripping the hair and therefore making it greasy faster.  I switched back to your shampoo bars and could go back to my washing cycle of every four to five days immediately.

What did that tell me? Never change a running system - Ida's soaps are the best!

So now I am in the mood for a nicely smelling package from Chagrin Valley - I meant to wait with my order until I had 

used up most all of my shampoos, but your new Café Moreno bar sounds just too, too delicious, and I can't wait!

Thank you for getting out those soaps so quickly.  I absolutely loved them.  Of course I seem to love all of your products. Especially the Whipped Shea Body Butter.  My stretch marks are disappearing before my eyes.  I only hope that Hollywood never discovers you guys, we'll end up paying $100 for this stuff. And my husband says thank you as well.  3 bars of soap and one tub of body butter have replaced roughly 10 bottles of beauty products, he loves the extra space!!  And my girls hair has never looked better, nor has my hair.  We love this stuff, I can't say it enough!!!

Please feel free to use any of my words on your website, they are 100% true and I am not the only one who feels this way about your products. My mother is the one who got me addicted.  And now all 3 of my sisters are addicted as well.  It's kind of funny, but I can't wait to run out of my other stuff so that I can try some more.  So thank you for putting something out there that ACTUALLY works, and doesn't just say that it will!! And I'm not just talking about my hair, my skin has never looked better as well!!!

Over a year ago I gave up using factory made shampoos & conditioner in favor of your shampoo bars.  What a difference in my hair, it holds moisture and feels soft.  My hair is color treated and the color stays put longer.  It is also very manageable.  I don’t have any tangles after washing my hair with your shampoo bars, I look forward to washing my hair with all natural ingredients.  Before I started using shampoo bars I thought my hair needed conditioner for softness and manageability – boy was I wrong.  As long as you keep making shampoo bars I will keep using them.  I think they are well worth the price.

Ida—

I have to say again, I am truly in love with your soapsJ   For years, I have been dealing with mild adult acne.  I have tried nearly every facial wash, cream cleanser, medicated soap, toner, astringent, and moisturizer that is available.  I have purchased the cleanser, toner, moisturizer of nearly every over-the-counter line available because I’ve always been told that the products are more effective when they are used together. They would work for a while, but did not give me the results I wanted. I’ve mixed cleansers from one line with toners and moisturizers from another line--with minimal results.  I’ve even purchased the popular 3-step systems (both the national and generic forms) and used them for months, with minimal results.

For the first time in my entire life, I truly believe that I have found the ideal products for my skin.  Since being introduced to your soaps, I have found that a great combination for my face is the Loofah Herb Garden and Neem and Tea Tree. I  have combination, acne prone skin.  My t-zone is oily and I have rather large pores in the skin on and around my nose (family traitJ). Since using your Loofah Herb Garden soap along with the Neem and Tea Tree, my skin has improved significantly.  My t-zone is not nearly as oily, the amount of acne that I get now is significantly reduced, and my skin has this wonderful glow.  So much so, that earlier this summer, I went to get a makeover and the makeup artist didn’t use a liquid foundation on my skin, but instead used a little concealer and a powder foundation. He even made a comment about my skin having a nice texture and tone.  However, he did notice those large pores on and around my nose (just can't fight genetics...I'm wanting to try the Scarborough Fair and Lemon Lavender to see if they can).

For years, I have been covering up blemishes with liquid foundation and lots of powder.  Now, I can dab on my concealer here and there, sweep the powder foundation on my face, play up my eyes and lips and go.  Makeup for me is now an enhancement, and not a cover up and I absolutely love it!   I truly owe all of this to your soaps.  I’ve begun to use the Loofah Herb Garden on my body as well, along with my favorite Cornmeal and Honey Scrubby soap and needless to say, this combination is working wonderfully. Because of your soaps, my face glows, my body glows…I’m just glowing all over (inside and out!!)

I just started buying your soaps and shampoo bars.   I have to tell you first off,  I LOVE your soaps and how soft they leave my skin.   I already got one of my friends hooked too. The other day on the phone she said to me "why did you ever tell me about this site! I want to buy everything on it now!"  I also have my mom hooked on it.  She made a point of making me feel how soft her skin felt after one day of using your Rhassoul Yogurt Complexion, her skin is very rough and dry (lizard feeling) normally.

Also, I do love your Goat Milk Honey Oatmeal soap, it has left my skin looking like a porcelain dolls. it looks so smooth. also, my hair is a nightmare, very dry and damaged. although your shampoo bars work good on my hair, I still needed to use conditioner and I didn't want to use store conditioner because of the chemicals in it, so I started playing with your soaps after reading that the soaps could work as shampoo. I had been using the Chocolate Almond soap as a hand soap and noticed how soft my hands were left after using it, so I decided to try it on my hair as a conditioner. it works wonderfully as a conditioner! not only did my hair turn out softer than ever, but it also curled my thick wavy hair.

And now I am patiently waiting for you to return from vacation so I can order more soap. I still have plenty of soap to last me a while, but I get so paranoid. I simply cant see myself going back to store soap, not when my skin is improving so much from its impurities thanks to your soap. 

HARD WATER SUGGESTION:  I believe I found another way for those of your customers with hard water that cannot afford a water softener and is something better than the vinegar rinse.  I had bought some samples of your shampoo bars.  I was very sad to realize that my water is hard as hard can be here.  I was looking for water softeners but they are too rich for my blood and tried your vinegar rinse solution but it just didn't work for me.  I was starting to get really depressed about it, so I decided to think just what was the problem.  I decided to try regular filtered water instead, since filtered water takes away all that stuff that makes it unsafe for drinking.  So, I filled up some bottles with filtered water and took a shower with that.  It WORKED! It rinsed all of the soap from my hair and my hair was left feeling very soft.  I got online right away and found shower head filters that cost much much less than a water softener.

I wasn't sure if you already knew all this.  I decided to take a chance and tell you just in case.  I thought many people would like a cheaper option than buying a water softener.  I am glad I found out about the filters before I gave up on the shampoo bars, they really have helped my hair with the shedding.   I have thick THICK wavy hair that is oily at the scalp) but some how I still got dandruff) and dry/damaged at the tips and that would shed like crazy.  Every time I took a shower I would pull out a clump of hair.  Now with the shampoo bars, since I started using them, I think I lost maybe 2 strands of hair, no more oily hair and no more dandruff.   I am still using the samples, so I haven't found which I like best yet.  Although I do like the Carrot Milk and Honey.  I am waiting till the colder weather hits before I order the Whipped Shea butter, don't want it to melt, I read that it helps the hair as well as skin.

I just wanted to say thank you for your wonderful products.  My daughter (nine months) has had horrible eczema since birth on her face.  She would get very inflamed red patches. We finally got most of it to go away except for one patch on her left cheek right by her mouth.  One use (I'm not kidding) of you baby soap [Castile & Calendula] this past week and it was gone and hasn't returned!!!  I was simply in awe.  I tried Arbonne International baby soap, Aubrey Organics, and Jason Organics... nothing worked.  I didn't even have to use lotion after her bath with this soap.  My son also gets really bad patches that crack and bleed behind his knees MAJOR improvement on him too. I ordered your Lavender Spice Shampoo for myself and again my psoriasis hasn't been dry and itchy and I've noticed the flakiness is almost gone.  Thank you for creating products that actually work on our very sensitive and dry Irish/Hispanic skin.

After having tried quite a few of Ida’s shampoo bars, I’ve found my favorites: Chamomile & Citrus and Carrot Milk & Honey.  I have coarse, naturally wavy hair that has old henna in it, but I decided a year ago to start to grow out my natural hair color (dark brown with maybe 20% white). The first shampoo bar I tried was the Babassu Marshmallow, and although it left my hair incredibly soft and curly, there was no shine.  The Herbal Garden left my hair full of static electricity, it was so bad I couldn’t even touch my hair or it would stand straight up.  I liked the Lavender & Spice, but it wasn’t quite “it”.  But both Chamomile & Citrus and Carrot Milk & Honey give my hair incredible volume, lots and lots of curl – and shine!  (My old henna colored ends tend to look a bit matte still, but my uncolored hair is really shiny.)  I use these two on my daughters as well, and although they have very different hair from one another (one has soft, curly hair and the other has straight and very thick hair) these bars work for both of them!  None of us need conditioner afterwards. Occasionally I rinse our hair with the honey rinse and it works great.  The climate in Sweden tends to be quite dry, so on days when I get lots of flyaway hairs, I warm up a tiny, tiny bit of whipped shea butter between my fingers and smooth it gently over my hair.  The shea butter tames those flyaways straight away, without making my hair heavy or greasy.  The “you-nique” section on the website is so true – one really has to try them out in order to find the perfect match.

I also adore Ida’s Honey Butter soap! I have sensitive skin that reddens from just about anything, but I can actually take a hot shower and wash my face with the Honey Butter soap and my skin feels calm and rested, not red or dry at all.  It removes makeup well also.  The Rhassoul & Yoghurt soap is great for my pre-teen daughter’s oily skin.

I would recommend Ida’s lovely soaps to all who would like to switch from chemical to natural ingredients. Besides delivering what they promise, they all smell delicious!

Dear Ida and Howard, We love your soaps!  My husband asked me this morning to order more soap decks so we could get rid of our liquid soaps in the kitchen and our other bathrooms.  He says his skin is feeling so much better from using the Marsh Mallow soap in the shower (he used to have a rash on his chest that is now gone!) and the Castile soap for washing his hands (it is helping with the severe dryness he had--which comes back when he uses liquid soap just once!--and also a small patch of eczema).  We are planning to take small cuts of the soap with us when we're out and about so we don't have to use the floor-cleaner-masquerading-as-soap offerings that are everywhere.  Thank you, thank you!

Hello Ida!

We would like to order some of your great soaps again.  I want to say: we use your shampoo soaps for a long time now, and we experienced a lot of changes with our hair. After the birth of my sons my curls had disappeared for a lot of yrs (!) ... but ... they decided to come back, all of them, after having tasted the delicious shampoo bars and it is clear that they will not leave if I stay treating them so well.  Also my son got more curls and my husband had a spot on his head where his hair was always dry and bad and this spot disappeared and there is only nice healthy shiny hair like the rest of his hair. He feared hair loss like his dad, but also this fear disappeared and he gets a lot of compliments about his beautiful healthy curly wig.

Hi Ida:

Just a quick note to say I'm enjoying the new olive & shea soap.  After trying dozens of handmade soaps, the olive & shea is the ONLY soap I can use on my face.  I believe the palm and coconut oil soaps are too drying and irritating for me.  Your olive & shea is extremely gentle; I haven't experienced any burning or extreme redness while using it.  It also makes a good shampoo bar for my four year old baby's fine hair.  I'll be ordering again soon!

I am writing to tell you about the awesome experience my husband has had with one of your products.  He is a welder and any time I would touch his hands they were always very dry, rough and cracked.  It would make me cringe just to touch them.  He tried washing them with regular soap and using lotion, but it didn't work.  He even tried Vaseline!!  Well I saw the Java spice soap for hands and decided to give it a try.  Everyday he comes home from work he washes his hands with the soap. No lotion or Vaseline, just the soap.  In a few days there was a huge difference.  I was shocked!  His hands are so soft  and conditioned now and we owe it all to the Java spice soap.  What a wonderful product.  I have spread the word. You've got a life time customer.  Thanks so much.

Hi Ida,

You are completely right.  Even about things you haven't yet addressed.

1) I came across your site, ordered a number of soaps (trial size), and found an immediate difference in my hair once I started shampooing with your soaps.  I have dry, fragile, fine, but thick hair, and immediately it became softer and less fly-away.  I particularly like the Mud & Clay.

2) A couple of months later, I got around to installing a water filter on my shower head.  Immediate difference!  Not only with my hair, but with my skin as well. 

3) Then, one night, for the heck of it, I grabbed Neem & Tea Tree to use as a face soap instead of the expensive, extra gentle stuff that I usually use (I have a really sensitive/allergic skin and I go bright red when I try to cleanse at night).  My skin loved it.  Not only didn't I react, my skin actually calmed down and looked less red afterwards.

Needless to say, I recommend you to all my friends.  Tell the soaps to hurry up and cure because I need to order more!

Hi!  I’m Carolyn, and I’m an Ida’s soap addict lol.   For the first time, I ordered several different kinds of your soaps prior to the holidays, just to try them out…and I am sooooooo glad I did.  I am truly in love with your soaps.

First, I have one confession... I kept the mailing envelope that they came in (only for 5 days) because it smelled so amazing.  I decided to use the Cornmeal and Honey scrubby soap for my shower that night.  Let me say, it was the most exhilarating, refreshing, enjoyable shower I have ever had.  I’m a bath/shower addict anyway, and I love my bubble baths, shower gels, and exfoliating scrubs—but using your soap made me not want the shower to end!  I literally stayed in an extra 10 minutes, just scrubbing away and enjoying the fragrance that was wafting around me.  From that point on, I eagerly anticipated each bathing experience.  One of the reasons I wanted to try this soap was because I have problems with acne on my upper back and the backs of my arms.  I have tried all sorts of exfoliants and scrubs, and this soap was by far the best I have ever used. After a few uses, my skin had this amazing glow and smoothness that was unreal.  I ran out of the soap about 3 weeks ago and I’m having some serious withdrawal symptoms.  

I also ordered the Carrot & Honey complexion soap and the sample of Goat Milk Honey Oatmeal soap.  I was using my standard cleansers and decided to stop and try the soaps. I’ve been using both of them (since January) for facial cleansing and I am amazed at the results.  I have frequent acne breakouts and have tried everything from over the counter to more expensive systems, and these soaps have made such a remarkable difference in the appearance and texture of my skin (in just a few weeks).  I’m noticing that the scarring from previously healed acne is disappearing. My T-zone is generally very oily when I wake up in the morning, I notice now that the amount of oil is reducing, and the pores on my forehead are not nearly as huge.  The blemishes that I get now seem to heal very quickly. I’m no longer using my standard cleansers and only use your soaps.

Thanks so much for having the wisdom and foresight to share your soaps with all of us. What a treasure we’d be missing out on if you weren’t around.  You (and your husband) totally rock!!!

I was recently turned onto your soaps and other products and decided to try it for myself.  While I have loved everything I've tried, my biggest surprise has been my husband. He prefers white soap with no added fragrance, so I ordered him a castile/calendula bar.  While we waited for that to finish curing, he tried my Winter Survival and was hooked. He can't get enough of it, and is sad that it's a seasonal soap. He would love to have some all year long.  I love the way it makes my bathroom smell, so fresh and clean.

We've both been using the Extra Honey, Beer and Egg shampoo bar and have noticed wonderful changes in our hair.  He is African American and has very dry, nappy hair. His scalp used to be dry and flaky as well. My hair is thick, coarse and dry.  It's extremely frizzy and fuzzy most of the time. We've both noticed that our hair is healthy, shiny and SOFT. Neither of us has ever been able to say that about our hair.  My husband's scalp is no longer flaky, and I've been able to stop using all styling products and now only use a small spritz of hair spray if it's really windy outside.  My friends have noticed how nice my hair is and are very jealous!

With this dry Minnesota winter, the whipped shea mousse has been fabulous.  My dry, itchy skin has been replaced with nice soft skin and I only have to use a very little bit.

After my first order with you, I've ended up placing 2 more orders, for our family and a friend. I think we've got enough to last us a few months, and there is still so much more I'd like to try.  We'll definitely be ordering more in the future.

Hi Ida,

Just had to write to say thanks.  I feel silly even writing this, but I feel like I need a 12-step program ("I never thought this could happen to me ...").  I ordered a bunch of your soaps last summer, and my husband's comment was "How come all your soaps smell like tea now?"   My first reaction, to be honest, was that they might be a little too earthy for my regular self.  But they grew on me as I pored over the descriptions on your website (I'm trying to build up to the shampoo bars).  Then I ordered my next box last month.  And my husband asked which ones he was "allowed' to use (I grudgingly cut off a few slices ...).  I have 5 (yes, 5) of your soaps in my shower right now, plus 2 on my "face-washing" soap deck, and 3 more scenting my closet, waiting to be called into duty.  The bars are so big that I slice them into bars about the size of your samples, so I can fit more in my shower.   I have 3 small kids and my shower is my one "place" I escape to, even if it's just for five minutes.  Everything smells so good - my bathroom, my linen closet ...  And Sunday, when I had a few extra minutes, I double-soaped (pumpkin spice and avocado if you're interested ...) And, not a dry, scaly skin patch to be had.  It's getting ridiculous.  Not so ridiculous that you won't be hearing from me again, but ridiculous to be so happy about soap.  So, thank you for a wonderful product, and thank you for making my daily 5 minutes extra indulgent!
Nancy , newly addicted natural soap fiend!

I stopped by the site to let you to know I tried the Rosemary Lavender shampoo bar tonight, and I love it!  And I am terrible at remembering to give feedback, so I keep forgetting to tell you how much I love your Lavender Oatmeal soap as a face bar (besides having one of the all-time great scents, it's incredibly moisturizing, which I need - but it also manages to be very 'healing' and 'safe' for my breakout-prone skin), which is why I (finally!) ordered a full-sized bar with my last order.

Ida, I have to RAVE about the Extra Honey Honey Beer & Egg shampoo bar!!  It's amazing!! The lather is mild, but it cleanses surprisingly well and I definitely don't need a conditioner, my hair is so soft, so shiny and so detangled!  Woohoo!!  Do you plan on replacing the current Honey Beer & Egg with the Extra Honey recipe?  I hope so - it is fabulous!!  And today I tried the Castile & Calendula soap - ooh, my poor eczema-ridden hands are breathing a sigh of relief! Love it, love it, love it!  Thank you for making these wonderful bars!

For the record - my hair is fine, straight and almost at waist length, with a fussy scalp that used to itch like crazy.  I switched to conditioner-only washes a year and a half ago.  Now I'm using your bars only, and it's heaven!  I've been doing diluted vinegar soaks on the length of my hair right after I rinse off the shampoo bar, then I pour the rest over my head, and rinse in cold water.  I squeeze the excess water out of it, then I apply a very little amount of my own homemade concoction to the ends (cocoa butter, shea butter, jojoba oil, coconut oil, aloe vera, glycerin, honey & lavender essential oil).  The Extra Honey Honey Beer & Egg has been wonderful to my hair and scalp!

Hi Ida!
I received my new order yesterday.  Everything looks wonderful!  I have to give you some high praise for a few of your products.  First, your lip balm is an AWESOME product!  I have the worst problem with dry lips...especially in the winter.  After trying many natural balms, yours in the BEST.  My lips just drink it in and I never have that "greasy" lip look. Wonderful! Second, I tried your Cornmeal and Honey facial soap.  I have never in my life been able to go without using toner, but after that soap, I didn't feel I needed it.  It is just scrubby enough to get of the dry flaky skin, but still really hydrating.  I love it.  I know I bought lots of samples, so I may have a hard time deciding which is my favorite!  I also tried your Goat Milk Oatmeal soap bar, but as a shampoo.  It was the first time I've gone without conditioner on my ends.  My husband even noticed how much more body my hair had after it was dry and how soft it felt.  I am so thrilled!  Thanks again for all your wonderful products. Never stop making them!! :)

Ida,

I  LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE the extra honey shampoo bar.  My hair has  never been softer.  That bar is my new favorite and I cannot wait until you make more.  I will be stocking up!  Thank you for trying something different!

I have been using nothing but your soaps or shampoo bars followed by a vinegar rinse for the last six months and my hair is in such good health now I can hardly believe it.  My hair has never been soft before but now it is.  And it's shiny and smooth too. Your soaps have made me love my hair and I used to hate it for many, many years!  Thank you so much!

I would also like to add that my shedding has decreased very much.  I used to shed a lot every day.  My hair feels a lot thicker!  It's so great.  I lather and rinse X three times, and then use a vinegar rinse.  This washing routine, combined with only using aloe vera gel and vegetable and essential oils on my hair has worked better than any expensive salon product I have ever tried.

Hi Ida,

I am new to your products and heard about you through the pebblespage.com website.   I am of African American and Indian descent and always found it frustrating how the commercial and even other so called "natural" shampoo's dried out and dulled my hair.  The first time I visited your website and looked at all your shampoo and body bars I knew I was on to something good.  I must say that bars have exceeded my expectations.  The love, care and craftsmanship is greatly apparent in your unique products.  You have a customer for life!

I started using the Babassu Marsh Mallow shampoo bar and have used it exclusively to give a good test.  I LOVE IT!!!!!!  I decided NOT to read your description of this wonderful soap so that I would not be swayed or influenced by any power of suggestion (which works really well with me).  The 1st time I used it, I asked myself how I would describe this soap.  The word that kept coming to me was "soothing"!!!!  It feels very soothing to my scalp!!  I also love the scent as well!!  One day, I got together with a girlfriend  after I had just washed my hair.  As we hugged hello, she said, "hmmm you smell good!"  It's a winner in my book--wouldn't change a thing!!  I mentioned to you about my struggle with being able to get a comb through my hair after washing.  I tried something new:  I just run a comb through my hair while the shampoo is still on my hair-- BEFORE I rinse it out!!  Problem solved!!! 

Chloe was ordering a bar of the honey butter soap to use as a hair conditioner.  I asked her to share her technique.

I use it [honey butter soap] as my conditioner now!  It's been working great!  I use the nettle shampoo bar on my scalp and then I use the honey butter soap on just the length of my hair, it works really good and makes the length of my hair really soft and also gives it a little bit of body too.

I was actually looking for a cheaper alternative and a longer lasting alternative to the $10 bottle of conditioner that I used to buy that would not last for very long.  Here I can spend $5 and the soap will last for quite a while!

Hi Ida!   Before I tell you my order, I'd like to rave a bit about your products.  Your shampoo bars are, I swear, the Holy Grail for my hair.  They make my scalp cleaner than any commercial shampoo ever has.  When I use them, my hair is soft, smooth, and shiny.  The soaps are also wonderful on my skin, making it soft and clean without drying it out too much.  They're convenient to use, and of course, they smell great!  I hope you never go out of business, because my hair, skin, and I would all be very, very sad.

I am still loving your soaps and shampoo bars!  A couple of weeks ago, I foolishly decided to try my liquid shampoo again.  Boy, did I regret it!  I got out of the shower with my head burning and itching.  My scalp started flaking up immediately.  After three hours, I couldn't stand it anymore, so I hopped back in the shower to massage some of the lather from my shampoo bar into my scalp and rinse it back out.  Problem solved!  I will not do that again! .

I am just glad to have found something that doesn't aggravate my head.  I've had, burning, itching scalp when I get out of the shower for as long as I can remember.  I figured I was just allergic to whatever was in shampoo and conditioner.  Even prescription shampoos didn't help. It's a relief not to go through my day thinking about scraping my nails across my scalp every chance I get.  Thank you very much!  So here I am again with a big order.

Just wanted to let you know that I enjoy your soaps sooo much! 

There’s so many wonderful choices I feel like a kid with a new toy when I come home and that package is sitting in my mailbox! 

My favorite is the Goat Milk Honey Oatmeal.   My face used to break out something awful because my skin is so oily. 

But only after a few days of using your soap which, by the way is NOT drying like commercial facial soaps, my skin began to clear up. 

Your soaps are a real blessing to me and my friends.   Keep up the good work!!!

 I really liked the shampoo and soaps I've tried so far.  I especially like the Mud and Clay shampoo bar.  It made my hair really soft.  I also liked the Nettle shampoo bar.  I like all the others I've tried as well.  I have to admit I was skeptical at first, but my scalp has already seen a significant improvement.  I had a really itchy, flaky scalp and now it seems to be really healing up and I'm also not having to do my vinegar rinses as much, which I love because I don't have to deal with the smell.

I also really like the smells of the soap.  The nettle bar especially.  It made me think of the black jelly beans I've always liked.  Thank you.

Hello Ida,

I purchased 13 samples from you some time back and got 14 samples which my family and I have been enjoying after a little initial adjustment

My grandmother calls your soap ‘Hao Ji Le’ (Chinese) which translates to ‘That’s great!’  She uses the extra bars to repel insects in the room. My sisters’ face cleared up and my mum stole a few samples.  My dad has a list waiting for my next order and my boyfriend feels that this is the best soap he has ever used.

Seems that my entire family is now officially hooked on your bars.  At this rate I will own one of every type of the soaps you make.  Plus those yummy lotion bars. You are addictive!

And here's me saying Xie Xie to you for all the great soaps that you make!

Your shampoo bars have become a staple in my house.  I can't imagine not having them around.  I have fine curly red hair, and you shampoo bars make my hair soft and very manageable.  So much so that my husband even commented that he can finally run his fingers through my hair without getting them tangled.  We are both thrilled.

Hello Ida!

I have used up all my samples from my last order, and I must say, I am quite impressed!  I have dry skin on my face and scalp, and eczema on my back and neck, even a bit in my scalp.  Normally after I get out of the shower after washing with my moisturizing shampoos and body washes, I am itching all over.  I nearly want to scratch my scalp off, and when my hair dries, the dry skin flakes off in vast quantities.  I have to be very careful with what I wear so the flaking doesn't show up as much.  My face too, even flakes up, making me look "ashy" and requiring lots of moisturizer and other care to make it go away.

Not anymore.  None of the shampoo bars I tried aggravated my itchy flaky scalp.  It doesn't itch at all when I get out of the shower and when my hair dries, there are no flakes.  I'm completely amazed by this.  I used to get flakes falling out on my shoulders when I just turned my head and now I can't get a single one to show up.  My hair doesn't love all the bars equally, but the Honey, Beer & Egg shampoo bar has done my hair good, too.  My hair dries much curlier, as if I cut a good six inches off of it.  I lose less hair in the shower and while brushing.

One thing I have learned is not to use any conditioner with the shampoo bars.  I tried it twice and both times, my hair felt like I coated it in candle wax, feeling dirty and oily.  It reminded me of the time I accidentally dumped baby oil in my hair instead of shampoo. Oh well, I'm not too heartbroken about tossing the conditioner out along with the shampoo bottles.

The Oatmeal Spice soap is the only thing I have ever washed my face with that didn't dry it out.  Even rinsing my face with water dries it.  I'm sorry to say the Complexion soaps I tried didn't work for me at all, in fact, they were the most drying to my face of all the soaps.  All the soaps I tried were mild enough that they didn't aggravate my eczema, for which I am very glad.  It's a relief to get out of the shower and not want to scratch my back and scalp until they're bloody.

I just wanted to tell you that my father had red irritated patches on his scalp, and the hair on the top of his head was thin.  After using the Herb Garden once, the redness and irritation significantly diminished.  Within a week, it was completely gone.  We also have noticed that he has quite a bit of new hair starting to grow.  He ran out of soap shortly before I placed the order and told me to order it right away... before his hair fell out.  I know my own hair has been so much softer and healthier since I began using your soap.

Hello,
My wife Mary recently purchased your products.  After only a few weeks of use we tossed all other brands of soap and shampoo in the house in the trash.  Your products are fantastic!

Hi Ida!

I have to tell you how much I love your shampoo bars  - especially the Rosemary, Lavender and Aloe bar!  My hair is naturally curly, and was dry, fine, and had no body. Not now! My hair is shiny, alive, my hair full of body and my curls are twice as curly.  It is truly unbelievable!!!

I used to spend an amazing amount on expensive shampoos and conditioners, hopping from one to the next, looking for the one that really did what it said.  No more!  Just one of your inexpensive shampoo bars has replaced all of those partially used bottles in my shower.  I have sent samples to other people who have enjoyed your shampoo bars the same as I! Especially one person who had the same type hair I have - She tried it a couple of times and LOVED it too!

Thank you so much for the wonderful, high quality solid shampoo. I believe it is the best product out there!

I need to order more soaps - I also use the shampoo bar on my 8 year old daughter now too.  When we used synthetic shampoo's and conditioners her hair would get oily and stick to her head and it had a weird texture also, but then I started using the shampoo bars on her head and now her hair is soft and beautiful again and she can go a couple days without shampooing - and (I don't know if the shampoo bar has anything to do with it) but there has been outbreaks of lice at her school - and even though she wears her hair down most of the time - she has never gotten it!

I have to say again for my daughter and myself - we love your shampoo bars and soaps!

I have also been using the sample of the Rhassoul Yogurt Complexion soap on my face and my complexion is wonderful now!  I have a regimen - I use the Rhassoul Yogurt Complexion soap to wash my face and then use the Whipped Shea Butter afterwards - all of the little acne and imperfections are just disappearing and I used to get dry spots - since your soap I don't ever get dry spots!

Sorry, I don't mean to be long and drawn out my email, but I have been trying to find products that do all the things your products do for years and I am so glad I came across your website!