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Hair Care
Our grandmothers used soap to wash their hair, then a vinegar rinse to restore acidity. Shampoos, containing detergents, were only invented after the second world war. While soap is still a wonderful hair cleanser in soft or rain water areas, unfortunately it is not a good option if the water in your area is hard (full of minerals). That "ring around the bath" (the soap precipitating some of these minerals) gets left in your hair.
So our purpose has been to find the mildest possible shampoos using gentle surfactants which dont strip all the natural oils, and reducing any other harmful chemicals as well. The popular decyl polyglucose, while being a "natural" plant derived surfactant, has the unfortunate effect of cleansing rather too well, stripping the hair and leaving it feeling dry and hard.
After many years sourcing ingredients and playing, we have come up with our solid shampoo bars, which we are very happy with. Think of them as bottles of high quality health food shop shampoo, without the water. They will last at least as long. One lady had one last for 2 years! We like the effects on our hair, and we like the fact that we dont need any preservatives in them! (Only products containing water require preservatives.) We make them in crock pots, melting down the solid surfactants over a period of several hours, then pouring into moulds. We have two shampoo options for adults, and a Teddy shampoo for kids. Our popular dog shampoo bar is a variant of the human ones, with extra ingredients to repel fleas and ticks, and to soothe troubled skin.
In addition, we have access to some very fine organic virgin coconut oil, which is delightful when used in hair conditioners. Our solid conditioner bar has been a hit, but we only make it available in the Dry Season (Easter until October) as the Broome heat melts the bar and we cant guarantee your order will not be left out of airconditioning.
The scalp sometimes gets very itchy when repeatedly washed with modern shampoos. So we have developed a lovely conditioning treatment made of wonderful oils infused with skin soothing herbs.
The following products are available for Hair Care
Health Helpers
These skin care products are designed to help your body's natural defense and healing systems, using age old herbal remedies and modern scientific plant knowledge. No preparation should replace medical attention for serious ailments.
Please note that we are not qualified naturopaths. We simply have some experience with, knowledge of, and respect for herbs, essential oils and cosmetic raw materials. Many of these products were designed years ago, and their helpfulness and efficacy has been proven countless times via the feedback we have received over the years from our customers. Over this time, our respect for plant power in supporting the body's own healing processes has deepened.
Kiddies' Stuff
Hidden Valley products which mix dollops of fun with complete harmlessness. Shop staff are very happy to help and advise.
Suggestions include:
Shampoos
All our shampoos are solid, but they are not soaps. Think of them as large bottles of high quality health food shop shampoo without the water, lasting as least as long, and possibly quite a bit longer. One lady had hers last 2 years! Why do we make them like this?
First, it eliminates the need for any preservatives, as waterless products do not need to be preserved. And preservatives are possibly the most controversial ingredients in any skin and hair care products. So we sidestep any problems here.
Conditioners For Hair
We offer a hair & scalp treatment for dry, itchy, irritated scalp (also good for psoriasis), a liquid conditioner for normal hair in two aromas, and a solid conditioner bar (for cool weather times only).