Friday, October 30, 2009

Virginia Soaps and Scents / a TOS Crew Review

I have a confession. I tore into my package of soap from Virginia Soaps and Scents and used them up long before I remembered to take a picture of them for the review in my blog.

Virginia Soaps and Scents sent Crew members (free) a three-pack soap sampler, a shampoo bar sample, and a sample-sized laundry kit.

I became a Virginia Soaps and Scents customer in the spring, when I first learned about them, long before my opportunity to review their products for the Crew. I ordered two shampoo bars, one scented and one unscented, after asking VSS all the questions that I needed to ask about ingredients in regards to the allergies we have in our family.

I can tell you that as a customer, Virginia Soaps and Scents offers top notch customer service. Richelle from VSS answered my questions via e-mail quickly and thoroughly, giving me the information and confidence I needed in order to purchase.

Finding natural products to use on our skin is important to me. I look for natural scents and avoid chemicals when possible, especially in soaps and lotions.

I LOVE THE SOAP FROM VIRGINIA SOAPS AND SCENTS! There. I said it. :) The web site give shoppers a description of the difference between soap and bars of detergent here.

Three of the bars took me back to childhood with their scents. The ginger lime shampoo bar and orange soap smelled reminded me of hard candy (the round kind w/ a hole in the middle) that we often had when I was little. No one but me knew that I had to sniff it several times while I was bathing with it. It smells absolutely delicious! My favorite scent, though, is the oatmeal, milk and honey -- I can't describe it, exactly, but it was comforting and luxurious all at the same time.

As soon as the box of samples arrived, I e-mailed VSS to clarify information about ingredients. When you live with allergies, companies can change formulations and ingredients, and we spend a lot of time checking and double checking ingredients. Richelle was again speedy and thorough, and the only soap that I deliberately kept away from my gluten free girl was the soap that contains oatmeal. That same soap has "milk" in the name, but Richelle told me that contains a fragrance oil by that name and not cow's milk.

Perfumes, candles, diffusers and the like give me a headache. I've asked my daughter's autism tutors and other professionals to refrain from wearing scented products around us because it bothers me so. The samples and full size *scented* products I've used from Virginia Soaps and Scents did not provoke a headache or break out my skin. (!!!!!!)

The shampoo bar was created by VSS for a group of civil war re-enactors. The story behind it's development is here. The shampoo bar is different. I am accustomed to a liquid, and that was my husband's comment, too. Taking a square bar and rubbing it on wet hair is just, well, different. (I know. I already used "different".) My hair is extremely thick and dry. (I've been told many times by the wonderful women who have cut my hair over the years that I have enough hair for three people.) It's heavy. And it's graying. The shampoo bar makes a nice rich sudsy lather on my hair, and when I rinse it, it squeaks. And I can't get my fingers through it. My hair felt cleaner than with a traditional liquid shampoo, but I was not able to leave the shower without an application of a liquid conditioner.

I think the shampoo bar is great to send with kids to camp, or to take camping (if your family camps -- we do not). It would also be great for travel by air, because it's not a liquid.

I have not yet mixed my laundry soap kit -- I'll blog about that when I find the right container for mixing and storing the final product (a gel, I understand).

The soaps are beautiful to look at and wonderful to sniff. ;) VSS has holiday soaps available on the web site now. I have to take the time to sit down and decide what to order -- because I want more of them. The cookies and cream soap looks good enough to nibble (but Richelle while it is probably edible, she tells me I won't like the taste! *grin*)

To read what my Crewmates who have to say about these products, click HERE.

Virginia Soaps and Scents sent me samples in exchange for an honest review. I received no monetary compensation for this review.

No comments:

OnePlusYou Quizzes and Widgets

Created by OnePlusYou -

Stat Counter