20 Best Cheap Shaving Soap (2022 Updated)

I’m Laura’s husband. She bought this product for me and I have to say it has been one of the best shaving soaps that I have ever used. The texture of it made for a smooth shave. The aroma was excellent and the best thing about it is it’s all natural ingredients.

I don’t have to worry that I’m rubbing some harmful chemicals into my face and then scraping a sharp razor over it. Definitely a keeper and the only reason I’m only giving it four stars is because I’ve only had it for a couple of weeks.

I want to test it out longer and see the results.

Initially, my nose couldn’t figure this one out. I can smell the rose, but I’m not familiar with tobacco (blossom, I assume, or perhaps uncured leaf?). After each shave, I liked it better and better until it is now my favorite L&W scent.

Please make a Tobacco Rose lotion. The unscented lotion feels good but dilutes the scent of the soap.

Bought this for my husband who uses shaving soaps regularly. I really like how these smell. Nice fragrance. He said “it’s nice and soft so able to scoop out a little bit very easily. It lathers very nicely.

Pros: Compact, lightweight, good for many shaves despite size. Cons: NOT good for wet hands. You have to have dry hands to remove the leaves otherwise they stick together and dissolve. It took me a few tries to get used to.

Also, the quality of the product as a shaving cream is subpar. Overall: I’d still rather fly or camp with this than with a heavier bottle of liquid or can of shaving cream. I’ll continue to buy it until a better quality option is available that offers a better shave.

This product puts an end to the bar of soap in the soap box, then this soap box has to go in a zip lock bag so it won’t make a mess of your other gear. A great product that is compact, convenient & doesn’t leak.

It works well, I even tried it out washing dishes & it does that too. I will buy this again when I get close to running out.

I was surprised at how smooth a shave this provided. Just make sure you handle the sheets with dry hands or they will dissolve and clump together. Dissolve into a small amount of hot water and your set.

I received the sop eleven days ago. Tried it as soon as it arrived that same evening. Great lather with my Maggard 26mm synthetic brush. Awesome slickness and provided great protection during shave. Used my merkur 34c and paired with a voskhod de blade.

Spectacular shave. Really hard soap, bloom before use. It will definitely last a really long time. Highly recommend this soap to all wet shavers out there.

I like the soap the only issue I have is it leaves my face a little dry after use. Lathers well this is my second shave soap I have ever purchased and it goes well with there other products. Timeless spicy smell.

That and very lovely foam production (sort of sub/objective)- comes in self-contained tin (can cover and put back in drawer after use p- objective) and like the relatively subtle fragrance (subjective) I pity the sap that doesn’t use this soap.

– Mr. T.

I was running out of my usual (favourite) shaving cream, so I decided to try another brand. Several review sites gave high marks for Proraso and recommended their hard soap in a bowl. The best offers were for the 3 x 150ml pot bundle, so that’s what I went for.

I have been using the white pot (Sensitive – Oatmeal & Green Tea) for a couple of weeks and have had a smooth daily shave, with shaving brush and 3 blade disposable razor. The soap produces a thick creamy lather and the smell is pleasant and subtle.

Over the years, I have tried foams, gels, oils, creams and soaps, from several manufacturers, and never found any to compare with my favourite but this Proraso soap beats them all. As both products are made with 100% natural ingredients and give a virtually identical shave, the Proraso soap, from Italy, gets my vote for being better value for money.

I have a sensitive skin so after a bad experience with wet shaving for years have been using an electric razor including Philips and braawn wet and dry , but decided to try again wet shaving. I have little bumps and spots that will bleed easily so I used olive oil so I could see where the blade was going ,apart from being messy each shave was half an hour of discomfort and I thought my bristles must be extra tough.

So I nearly went back to electric however after reading the reviews about Proraso sent for a bowl of sensitive soap [white] and watched the Proraso video of a man using the products. I have to say after soaping up and shaving I couldn’t believe how easy it was with the blade just gliding over my face , so now I look forward to having a shave.

Yes after the first and second shaves there was a speck of blood but after using Alum it soon stopped , wet shaving is more hygenic with better results it just takes practice and a little care.

I bought my tub of Proraso “Red” Shave soap as my first “real” shaving soap. Prior to that I have always used what my dad called “soup can shaving cream. ” I chose Proraso because from what I have read it has been a tried and true yet inexpensive manufacturer of wet shaving supplies for decades, and I chose the “Red” formula because the description of its scent appealed to me the most out of the standard offerings of “Red,” “White,” “Blue” and “Green.

” I found the scent very mild but very pleasing–I only wish the scent was stronger so it might linger longer. The difference in the quality of shave between my previous method of disposable single blade razors and “soup can shaving cream” and my new Muhle R108 and this shaving soap is similar to the difference between using a crowbar and a scalpel for a precision task.

I am blown away by the closeness and lack of irritation and am firmly hooked on proper wet shaving. I plan on returning to this product in the future, but in honesty it may be awhile because I look forward to trying out other scents and manufacturers that Fendrihan offers.

I fear the “hobby bug” may have bitten me when i wasn’t looking, but if so, this product aided and abetted in the assault. I wouldn’t presume to advise any “old pros” out there, but for newbie’s like myself I say for the quality and price point you can’t lose giving this product a try.

Chiseled Face makes several scents and I thought I was purchasing a different one. So, I was surprised to receive Ghost Town Barber! But, hey, I like to try different soaps, so here we go. To my satisfaction, this is a light, fresh scent that actually does harken back to old time barber shops.

It has a decent richness to the foam and my razor glides through it well. The scent is growing on me and my wife approves. This is a solid choice and I’m happy I fell into it!.

After I shaved for the first time with Chiseled Face Sherlock soap and aftershave, my wife, who had not been ***** in weeks, immediately made passionate love to me. The scent is sophisticated, gentlemanly, but definitely sexy.

I think the tobacco is well balanced by the earth, leather, and spice. It lathers very easily with my hard city water, and has yet to irritate my sensitive skin. I think chisled face soaps are currently great value for money on both performance and scent.

Summer Storm is a slightly sweet earthy soap with a bit of spice as the scent fades. It does not smell like a storm or rain (petrichor was what I was looking for) but it does smells like wet dirt and fades to a warmer, spicy floral.

It is a smooth warm scent, but I did expect more of a refreshing rain fragrance. $40 price was okay.

I first received this shave soap in a set given to me as a birthday gift. Little did I know that this soap would become a favorite. Before this I strictly used Taylor of Old Bond Street shaving cream.

It was a product I loved due to its great latherability and great scents; never receiving the same results from a soap. Blades Grim Smolder shaving soap changed that, the smell is fantastic and that of a manly scent, not overpowering.

The lather I get from this soap is very pillowy, almost like marshmallow cream but not as sticky. After trying it from the set I just had to come and purchase more. Definitely get this product, you will not regret it.

The Blades Grim Shaving Soap is a good soap. I’m not a fan of how it has lavender, but the smell of mint is why I use it. The performance is great on Sinimint. I would also like to add that Smolder shaving soap is an absolute hit! WOW!!! The smell and performance on Smolder is AMAZING! I am absolutely going to buy more Blades Grim Products!.

I haven’t been shaving with straights for very long and haven’t tested too many creams and soaps yet, but I like this soap. It takes a while to work into a lather, but it works well once you have it.

It keeps my face slick and it doesn’t dry out as fast as some others I’ve tried. It leaves my skin feeling pretty soft as well. The scent is pleasant in the morning and not overbearing. I would purchase it again.

I find this soap to be excellent. It is very slick, thus helping the blade to glide over the face. Letting the soap puck soak in water for a few minutes helps it to “bloom” and soften up making the lather easier to make.

I cannot place the smell of the soap. It smells very flowery and powdery to me and I enjoy the fragrance very much. It does not provide as much “cushion” as a cream or canned foam, but the slickness helps to compensate.

Also, a sharp blade and proper blade angle helps to minimize irritation. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys using a “hard” type shaving soap with a good shaving brush. You can achieve a “Baby Bottom Smooth” shave every time.

This product is very soapy and with little effort you get a nice surface to shave. Softens whiskers like no other I’ve tried. Great product.

I have been using a shaving mug and brush for decades, and finding decent shaving soap is tough enough. This soap has very little scent, lathers up very well, and I get month’s of use out of one refill.

TranslateShow in original languageКрем-мило дуже сподобалось. Піна виходить достойна, але це мило веганське. Головним козирем даного продукту є максимально натуральний склад, з багатьма доглядовими інгредієнтами.

Після гоління шкіра є зволоженою, через що рекомендую користуватись ним на регулярній основі усім тим, хто бажає додатково зволожувати шкіру, адже багато мил підсушують її. Мило придбав після покупки однойменного бальзаму після гоління цієї ж серії, так як дуже сподобався запах – він не є класичним в розумінні як в старих одеколонів.

Ваші жінки не будуть фукати від цього. Це пахне сучасно. Для себе ставлю такий аромат в засобах для гоління на найвищу полицю поряд з чорним Флойдом. В планах придбати ще лосьйон Челла Біо. Ну і окрема подяка улюбленому магазину Barbercompany, який незважаючи ні на що, тримає марку і рівень для нас.

TranslateShow in original languageХорошая косметика для любителей влажного классического бритья. До уровня артизанов не дотягивает но стоит все же на пару ступеней выше чем все что из балонов

TranslateShow in original languageOttimo prodotto, come del resto cella ci ha abituato anche questo sapone è scorrevole protettivo; con una profumazione più leggera rispetto a quello alla mandorla, che forse è più invernale come fragranza.

In abbinamento al suo after dona un post shave di livello. Promosso.

Have quite a few different shaving soaps, but this Pinaud Clubman is excellent and very reasonably priced. ! Lathers excellent, thick and rich, subtle scent. Lather stays moist and thick on face, does not prematurely dry out and is slick.

If you know how to prepare it, youll know what Im talking about. Place your warm wet brush directly into the container and whip it up a bit and then transfer your brush to your mug and whip up a lather occasionally dipping the tip of your brush sparingly in warm water, because water is what is going to release the power of this soap.

Lather and apply. It is without question one of my favorites, in the top 3 I have ever used. ! 5 STARS.

I have used a mug snd brush many years. I would never go back to the stuff in a can. Clubman is rhe best I have found for comfort etc. once you steer using a mug and brush for shaving you will Never go back to using the aerosol etc.

This soap works best with a badger hair brush and working the foam in a bowl or scuttle. Foam works up quickly. Provides a smooth shave because it stays soft and slick on your skin. Leaves your skin moist.

Old world barber shop scent is subtle, not overbearing. I use this on my head and face. This is as good as the Pirasso soaps, but doesn’t last as long.

I had not used this soap before so I decided to place on bathroom sink to 1- see how my hands react over a few days and 2- let everyone else try it. WOW! It cleans without leaving my skin dry and there was no soap residue on soap dish/ sink.

(You know how kids throw the soap around) Easy fit into soap saver bags for showers. I will definitely buy these again. Love them.

I have very sensitive skin and have struggled for years trying to find a shave cream/soap that wouldn’t irritate my skin. This shave soap is exactly what I’ve needed! I use it with my straight razor and it’s magic! I no longer have to slather lotion on my legs immediately after shaving.

Literally no irritation at all!.

I really like this razor, although there is a learning curve. I’ve cut myself a few times every time I’ve shaved (so far I haven’t nicked my armpits), although the cuts are getting less. The first shave seemed to last longer, but now it seems my hair is growing back faster than normal, if that’s possible? I absolutely love the look of it and of course, the sustainability.

Hopefully I’ll get the hang of it and stop cutting myself, and the shave will last a bit longer!.

I love the Proraso Red Line of products 1st time buying the soap typically I use the shave cream and love it. I am going on an extended trip out of the country and I wanted the soap rather than the cream for use in different Hotels with out risk of having.

A cream leak all over since it would exposed to extrem heat while in luggage compartment. Proraso Red line has an amazing sandalwood scent. Highly recommended can not go wrong with proraso any of the lines I also use the sense aloe vitamin e blend.

I’ve been on Fendrihan for many years, trying countless different products from all the different categories and price ranges, looking for the best grooming regimen out there. This soap is one of the worst I’ve tried, as the lubricity it provides is on the low end of the spectrum, and it tends to dry out very quickly which leaves a hard flaky layer of soap scale on the face.

This is turn affects the smoothness of the shave and opens the door for razor burn. I live in a very dry climate, which would of course affect this, but given there are other products available that easily last the whole shave, I had no reason to finish the tub, and have no reason to try this again.

The smell is also sub-par compared to other products on here, reminiscent of a hotel bar of soap with a very slight hint of eucalyptus and menthol. My current favorite (earning a repeat brand purchase) is eShave, with St.

James of London and Musgo Real being close contenders. Mind you, they are shaving creams, and it is up to you to decide whether something triple the price of Proraso is worth it. If you’re going to go all-in with your shave, and have the luxury of time, use a soap, cream, and glycerin.

Carefully pour a small amount of very hot water in a shaving mug with a puck or dollop of soap. Swish the water a bit and allow the soap to go into solution. Add another dollop of shaving cream, and a drizzle of glycerin, and whip with your brush to form what is unequivocally the best lather you’ll ever experience.

Follow with a hot towel wrap, and your favorite aftershave product.

I have used this product for a couple weeks and am very happy with it! This is the first shaving soap I’ve tried. I’ve mainly used it with a shaving brush, which creates a creamy, luxurious consistency to give the best smooth shave.

I’ve also used it by simply rubbing it on the skin I want to shave, and though less ideal, it worked well enough and prevented razor burn, razor bumps, and other irritations. As someone with sensitive skin, I find it’s harder and harder to find products that do not irritate me.

This worked like a charm. Although there is a light scent, it is pleasant, and it does not linger. I am a woman who shaves my face, legs, and armpits. This did not irritate my face, which is very sensitive (rosacea and eczema).

I originally tried this out hoping for an eco-friendly, space-saving, cost effective shaving product. I was pleasantly surprised with how well this works in all of those areas. The fact that it gave me just as good of a shave as other shaving creams and foams is awesome.

Although I’m curious to try other solid shaving soaps, I am definitely keeping this one in mind as one of my go-to product list.

I have used this a few times and usually just shave legs. I am comparing this product others organic and natural soaps I have used, sometimes artisan. The bar is nothing special except that it shrinks really quickly! I use it modestly, it does not foam up much at all, but is OK.

Not great. It just won’t last long at the rate it dissolves. Disappointing.

I am trying to eliminate toxic products little by little and I am very happy with the results of this shaving soap. I have never used shaving soap before, so I was not sure what to expect. Over the past year, I have started to develop razor burn every time I shave.

Not an issue with this shaving soap! The scent is light, lathers well, and leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth. My husband even started to use this of his face and head. Highly recommend to anyone who, especially those trying to use more natural/ less processed products.

The man who is behind Captain’s Choice took a chance and put his products on the line and asked a certain apothecary to trust him when he said that these products are better than what is out there. Captain’s Choice shaving soap makes an incredibly slick lather.

Protection is great. Post shave feel is great. This is the bay rum that made me like bay rum. The scent is not overpowering. its just a damn good scent. This review is on the original but the other offerings are just as good.

In my opinion, Captain’s Choice was in the forefront of the independent artisan movement with his aftershaves and kept it going with his shaving soaps which were originally made in conjunction with another distributor but, thankfully, are entirely under the Captain’s Choice banner.

Also, Do yourself a favor and get the CC aftershave too!.

I purchased the Captains Choice Sandalwood shaving cream and aftershave. The lather produced is awesome is very thick, cushioning, slick, and provides a great skin feel during the shave. I have not nicked myself at all and my face feels good during the shave.

The scent is more of a woodsy scent. Think dried wood that was soaked in a sandalwood scent. It’s a bare bones scent of sandalwood rather than a cologne scent. The after shave feels great, it provides a mild sting after you apply it but the face feel you get is really good.

I like the aftershave with any sandalwood soap that I have. The scent is exactly the same as the soap. This scent is a discrete scent that will last for a few hours. The protection for the face lasts all day.

I don’t know if it is because of my upbringing and childhood memories of playing in the woods and hiking and camping in the northwest, but the scent for me brings me so much joy. Juniper takes the lead, but it is rounded out with sweet vanilla and a masculine clove and bay scent.

This soap performs well, not the best I’ve experienced but definitely good for the job. It’s the scent that makes it for me though. It feels like an upgrade to the Captain’s bay rum line. I went ahead and purchased the north aftershave and balm and this line is my go-to for daily use.

when I’m not trying new products :P.

I have aged, easily irritated skin. I could not use the previous version of Cade shave soap, but this one works fine for me. It has fewer ingredients than the previous one, is gentler, and less fragrant.

All pluses for me. I agree with the disappointed reviews who claim this soap provides a weak lather that dissipates. However, re-lathering is not necessary because it leaves a slick, protective coating on your face that makes shaving comfortable while providing a great aftershave feel.

I would urge all those considering buying the soap to do so. Like me, you might be pleasantly surprised.

I have been using a major cosmetic line of aloe shave gel. The L’Occitane mens shave soap is far superior in performance as well as lasts much longer than the equivalent 3. 5 oz. can of aloe gel I had been using.

Improved shave experience and cost savings.

Still love the scent but I do not like the reformulation. First the price increased and now the formula changed. Cade was a wonderful soap. The new formulation does not lather as well. The lather is not as stable and dissipates quicker.

I don’t know what’s going on with L’Occitane when it comes to men’s products. This was such a great shaving line for men with the aftershave, edt, and soap. Now the aftershave and edt have disappeared and the soap has changed formula.

I guess I’m done with L’Occitane for my shaving and scent requirements.

I was looking for something unscented and this is pretty close. The fragrance is like baby powder but very faint and non-obtrusive. The lather is great and works like a charm. After a lot of searching for decent shave soap that wasn’t stinky, this is a keeper!.

This is the product I use and love for shaving. It doesn’t cause irritation to my skin. Price is very good. It doesn’t clog my razor. I prefer this over shaving creams and foams. Leaves my skin smooth and razor glides easily.

I know it’s old fashioned but I still shave with a mug and brush. I’ve used this same product for many years, I’m 83 now and I was afraid I couldn’t find it, but I did. It’s the same product I’ve used for I don’t know how long.

I’d used 100 cakes of it when I ran out and began to look for more. I was so glad when I found this same product again. Oh, by the way, I bought 12 boxes not just the six shown above. What else can I say? Satisfied customer,.

James W. Miller.

This was a re-order to replace an empty container. I believe this is my third or fourth time to order this. I haven’t used anything else for an extended time period. Keep up the great work!! Jeff

Though smaller in radius than I expected for using a brush to lather up without spillage over the side, it works just fine for that purpose. I love the soap and scent and now can bring it with me on my travels.

I look forward to starting my days away with this special hand brush ritual. so much better than aresol foam.

I love this product. I have been using the shave soap for a couple years. I find that it gives me a much better shave than the stuff out of a can. I recommend it to everyone for themselves and to give as gifts to other and no one has ever said they did not like it.

Wow! Super good lather. Lavender scent is pleasant, not too overpowering. Very easy to face lather. Slick glide, nice smooth shave (even from a duller blade. lol!). Skin feels good after, no dryness or irritation.

As with all harder soaps, try and soak this puck in HOT water for about 15 minutes prior to initial use or if you’ve not used it in a while. Previous reviewer Allan posted a good method for anyone new to wet shaving and/or trying one of the so called ‘harder soaps’ for the first time.

When loading your brush, use a wetter brush than you normally would with a cream or softer soap. I used a smaller Vie Long horsehair shave brush, and judging by the amount and quality of lather I got.

seems like this soap will last a long time. small brush, more than enough rich lather for three (plus) passes. Very happy with this purchase, thanks Fendrihan!.

The older hard soap was excellent. Calling this a soap is a stretch; it’s even more soft than a cream. Pre-whipped lather is probably more accurate. Works fine, smells fine, doesn’t last at all. The demise of this soap is sad.

While I’m partial to TOBS Royal Forest Shaving Cream, I’ve been using Fine Fresh Vetiver and Green Vetiver Aftershaves for about a year, loving them. Only recently did I discover in poking around on the WCS website that Fine produces this Fresh Vetiver Shaving Soap.

It’s easy to build a lather on my face after soaking the puck while I shower, and using the “puck water” as a pre-shave. Six circles with my silver badger brush loads it up. The lather smells great, and lays down a thick and creamy.

The soap has excellent post-rinse slickness and provides good face hydration. Fine stuff; glad I tried it.

I’ve used Ogallala for year, but thought I’d give the Col. Conk Amber a go. Out of the container, the aroma was pleasant. The soap “puck”, though was a bit too large for my vintage shaving mug. Pushing it into the top of the mug, I microwaved it for 15 sec.

, which softened it such that is settled nicely, conforming to the sides and leaving no gaps. But, the first use was disappointing. I wasn’t able to work-up a good, thick lather, getting, instead, a thin emulsion that tended to dry out and had to be re-applied as I proceeded to shave.

Hoping to salvage the investment, so to speak, I shaved off pieces of my Ogallala and added them to the Col. , microwaved the mixture to soften it, then stirred the combination together. Next shave, the Ogallala in the mix served to work-up a satisfactory lather that didn’t require re-application.

I don’t think that the combination with the Col. did anything to improve the shaving experience, though, over just using Ogallala by itself, but at least the mixture is good enough to use, thus, I don’t have to court-martial the Col.

and show him to the wastebasket. but I won’t be enlisting him again.

For several years I was using William Shaving Soap but I was never happy with the lather. After I lathered up my face and started shaving one side, the lather on the other side would collapse before I could get to it.

This was the only shave soap I could find around my area. I have used spray can soaps but always was disappointed in them too. So I did some web searching and watched some videos on wet shaving. I decided to try a better soap but didn’t want to spend a lot on a puck and not have good results.

So I decided to try Col Conk, which was more than twice what I was paying for the Williams. The Col Conk lathers up fast, is thick and smooth and doesn’t collapse. Plus the Bay Rum sent is very pleasant but doesn’t linger, which I like.

For me this is a bargain soap that performs well and doesn’t break the bank.

Background I have been shaving with shaving soap for about 10 years. I started with Mugs and Wilkinson Sword (blue tub) but decided to try several brands from Fendrihan when I opted to try a closed comb razor.

I wanted a razor that wouldn’t plug up when I didn’t shave on weekends but had to head back to work (military) shaven for Monday. I started with Gillette sensor and ended up switching to Shick (not sure if that is spelled correctly) because the blades lasted longer.

This combination gave me virtually no razor burn and very few, rare cuts. Way better than shaving with foam which I did for a decade or more before and nicer than my electric razor I had before I was married.

Review I bought several soaps to try including this one, Edwin Jaggar, and Ogallala. I haven’t tried the Ogallala yet but have used the others extensively plus my left over Wilkinson Sword soap for the last 8 months since my order arrived.

I found the aroma of Bay Rum from Conk to not mirror anything rum I’m familiar with. My wife and teen daughters described it as smelling like suncreen. I found that the lather didn’t really produce as well as Edwin Jaggar, Mugs, or Wilkinson Sword.

Since this is a glycerin based soap I thought I might try other soaps to compare and found that Pears soap (sold at most drugstores and even dollar stores for $1. 25) worked better than this brand. I tested it for a week and had equal results to Mugs or Wilkinson Sword at half the cost of the cheapest soap (although it smells a bit like turpentine).

I also tried Dove soap which didn’t work at all. Overall, the aroma is OK but doesn’t stick to the skin (nor does Edwin Jaggar). The lather is the least pleasing out of any other brand I’ve tried less Pears glycerin soap.

I won’t buy it again based on aroma and cost to benefit. My recommendation is to either go cheap for an equivalent shave experience or go with Edwin Jaggar which produces a very nice lather that stays.

tops

TranslateShow in original languageexcellent produit, parfum agréable, super glisse ! seul bémol : convient a bol à savon Plisson, en porcelaine, donc pas du tout conçu pour voyager. Pour voyager, Plisson propose une crème à barbe en tube plastique à usage unique (écologique !).

Bref, excellent savon, qui ne quittera pas votre salle de bain.

TranslateShow in original languageParfait. Je tiens à signaler que la livraison s’est effectuée avec votre partenaire Mondial Relay mais que je suis obligé de cocher un autre type sinon je ne peux envoyer mon avis.

It doesn’t lather too well but it makes shaving so much easier. My skin becomes very smooth for the blade. My problem with this product is that there’s an ingredient that is causing me to breakout which I’ve never experienced before.

I was already using a clean shaving product before this shaving soap. Another problem that I have is that this company doesn’t have any customer service.

I’ve been using these shave bars exclusively since finding them, they are the absolute best. They’re so rich and the lather is great. However I wish there were bigger size options and more scent variety.

It’s clear from other reviews that men aren’t the only ones who use this product, why not cater to the rest of us?.

I adore this soap. After I heard that the chemicals in shampoo and conditioners and goof with your mental health and your own chemical composition I went looking for a more natural alternative. It took about a month for my hair to adjust, but it feels so healthy now.