The only reason I'm giving this product a 5-star rating, is because that is the unfortunate limit Amazon has set for me as my maximum rating. Would that it were possible to rate higher, I would. As it is, bear with me for just a few minutes as I wax rhapsodic.
I'm a guy with medium-long, curly, coarse, dry hair that flakes like a blizzard if I wash it with shampoo, and greases up like oil flowing over the beard of Aaron if I condition it, including "conditioning" with natural oils.
I have tried everything. I have tried minimal washing (produces greasy hair with dandruff [how is that even possible?]). I have tried aggressive "softening" lotions, which smelled like silicone caulking. Probably because they were. I have done "no-poo" for months, only to finally break down under the buildup of dirt and grease, because my hair is completely unresponsive to brushing, and turns into a frizzy poodle-do. Baking soda and vinegar? Tried it, wanted SO BADLY to love it, but with a combination of hard water and substantial sebum production, it just fell flat, much like my hair beneath it.
Enter J.R. Liggett. I do not exaggerate when I say this product is an epiphany. Yes, an epiphany. Two days ago I stepped into the shower, depressed about med school, depressed because I missed my fiancee, depressed because my hair looked like crap, but I wasn't willing to cut it. I stepped out of that shower a new man. I admit I had a momentary panic attack when I first began to lather. After about four swipes of the bar across my hair, I began the usual fingernail-against-scalp routine, and this soap literally ERUPTED into suds. It produced enough lather for me to wash my face, my beard, and a good portion of my body. (Side note, the mild peppermint tingle produces a particularly enjoyable experience.) Inside my head and perhaps to the empty bathroom, I screamed, "NOOO!!!" Lather is bad, lather like that means my hair is DESTROYED for the next two weeks. Every microgram of oil is now gone, excoriated from my rough, coarse tresses....
I swallowed my sob and rinsed.
And then something magical happened. As I rinsed my hair, it felt lighter, freer, the strands gliding easily through my fingers. There was none of that squeaky, waxy, plastic-y friction, so familiar to me after shampooing. It just felt... Clean. As an insurance option, I had prepared about a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in about 12 oz water, and I used about half of this as a "conditioning" rinse. As I rinsed this final concoction from my hair, all my doubts, all my worries, all my depression were washed away with it. Because DAMN my hair felt fine! I dried that glorious mane of thick, chestnut curls and I won't deny that I may have shaken them from side to side, just to revel in the sheer pleasure of MOVEMENT in my hair.
Today is now D+2. Some of the afterglow has subsided. Life outside my apartment, outside my Grecian curls, has intruded into my mind. But guess what? I haven't had to shampoo my hair yet. I rinsed it with water twice (when I showered yesterday and today), and used a slight dab of coconut oil (just because), and it STILL feels great! It's still light, it's still curly, it still has movement and body. It still hasn't frizzed up, it still hasn't greased up, and it still hasn't produced the Himalayan snow cap of flakes about my shoulders that has plagued me since high school. And when the inevitable happens, and I do need to use this shampoo again (probably tomorrow), I won't be dreading it. For the first time in my life, I will WELCOME it! Deus laudetur!
So that's it, that is my review. Just buy it, people. Yeah, the bar is small. But guess what: You use a tiny bit once to twice a week; it'll last you months. Yeah, it's $7, which is like $2/oz. But did you not read what I wrote above?!?! It's magic, people! For the cost of a "Vente" specialty coffee drink (probably pumpkin, because "It's Fall!"), you can Change. Your. Life.
Do it.
Just do it.
Adieu.
| Department | Bath & Shower |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | J.R. Liggett |
| Department | Bath & Shower |
| Item model number | 1050 |
| Product Dimensions | 6.35 x 3.18 x 5.08 cm; 90.72 Grams |
| ASIN | B000IRL52M |
