TOS Review Virginia Soaps and Scents

Being on the TOS Crew has some major perks, and having the opportunity to learn about Virginia Soaps and Scents and then use their products is one of them.

Virginia Soaps and Scents (VSS) is owned and operated by the Spargur family, homeschoolers in rural Virginia. They did what many people dream of...took a family project that became a family passion and turned it into a business. What a blessing to work doing what you love!

And even better is the fact that everything from the soap to the labels is handcrafted.

We like natural products. We eat a lot of whole foods. We even grind our own wheat for Pete's sake. But we've never ventured into the homemade soap arena. I'm not sure why; it just never made it to the top of our list of things to do.

I was excited to see that the very nice folks at VSS put together a special sampler just for the TOS Crew. It included 3 bars of hand soap- fresh orange, coconut lemongrass and oatmeal, milk and honey- a shampoo bar, and a laundry soap kit.

The hand soap was a no brainer. Natural ingredients, smells good, lathers good, happy mom. They offer a dazzling array of scents from Country Clothesline to Bay rum. The ones we received were scented just enough to smell good but not enough to be overpowering.

The arrival of the laundry soap kit was timely because we've been talking lately about making our own laundry soap to save money. We followed the simple directions and made ourselves some laundry soap. We used a 'free and clear' type detergent before, and I have to admit I don't notice a huge difference in our laundry using the VSS laundry soap.

I personally find that that's a good thing though. I don't like perfume-y smelling laundry at all. And once stink bug season is over (if you live in or near Maryland, you're nodding your head in agreement), I'll start hanging my clothes back on the line to dry. So the bottom line on this is that we plan to continue to use the laundry soap because it's less expensive and gives us the same quality laundry as store bought soap.

The shampoo bar...I will admit I was completely skeptical. I have long fine, curly/frizzy hair, and I have to use conditioner to be able to comb through my hair. So I did some experimenting.

First I tried just the shampoo bar, and I was able to comb through my hair with a lot of work.

Then I tried the shampoo bar with a vinegar rinse (do the vinegar rinse *before* you shave your legs...ouch!). I think disaster best describes this experiment; I had to get back in the shower and condition my hair so I could comb it without becoming bald.

Finally, I settled on using the shampoo bar *and* conditioner. Happiness. I have to add that Bill and Ella both have very dry skin, and they love, love, love the shampoo bar. I actually use it as body soap for Ella, and her skin is noticeably less scaly. Bill has had a mystery rash on his chest since forever, and it completely cleared up using the shampoo bar.

To say we like these products is an understatement.

You can purchase a 4.5 oz bar of soap for $4.50 per bar, 3 bars for $12.00, 10 bars for $35.00. If you buy 4 bars, you'll get 1 free, and they have many scents from which to choose.

You can purchase 1 laundry soap kit for $4.95 and 6 kits for $25.00. Or you can buy just the soap bar and use your own borax and washing soda.

The shampoo bar is available in 3 different scents - Ginger Lime, Coconut Lemongrass and Cherry Almond - as well as an Oily Hair/Clarifying Formula Tangerine Grapefruit option. You can buy a 5.5 oz bar for $5.50 or 2 bars for $10.00.

But don't stop there. Be sure to check out their full line of handcrafted products including pet shampoo, lip balm, shaving soaps, and gourmet soaps. They even offer a fundraising option.

If you live locally, you can also purchase VSS products from retailers such as Quail Cove.

Do yourself a favor and buy some Virginia Soaps and Scents soap today!

You can read other TOS Crew reviews here.

~ I received these products for free so that may use them and give my honest opinion of them.