Are we done talking about my May WDW trip? Certainly not! For example, I promised you a detailed look at Basin in Disney Springs. I know. It’s been weighing on your mind. I get it. To make it up to you, I’ve included a photo of myself in the shower in this post. You’re welcome!
WHAT’S BASIN, ANYWAY?
You know the store Lush, that has handmade soaps and cosmetics? It’s kinda like that, only cheaper and minus the cosmetics. (I think. I know they do lip balms but I believe that’s it?) They have hand-cut bath soaps in fun colors and scents, bath salts, face soaps, bath bombs, body soaps, solid shampoo bars and conditioners, body scrubs, hand creams, etc.
Some of the basic bar soaps have designs built into them with different colored layers, many with Disney touches like Mickey heads. Could be a practical way to add some Disney into your everyday life if you like that sort of thing, although personally I’m in it for the shower products.
I don’t think it’s a huge chain, but the locations at Walt Disney World have been around for a pretty long time. There’s a small store, Basin White, inside the Grand Floridian, and a bigger store by the World of Disney in Disney Springs.
You can also buy online. Most stuff is available on their site but the Disney locations do have some exclusives.
SO WHAT DID YOU GET THIS TIME?
I’ve been using Basin face soap for years, but the solid shampoos are a more recent addition to my shower routine. I was initially interested largely for the eco-friendliness; the shampoo bars have no packaging outside the barrels if you buy a set of four, and those are fully recyclable.
We went to the Disney Springs location around 9pm on a weekday, and it was still pretty busy. Still, they staff plenty of people around the store to help. You don’t have to stand around long before somebody in an apron will wander up and offer to assist.
I was sniffing around the bar shampoo section when a nice Basin CM pounced. She asked me about my hair type – fine, oily, v. wavy – and helped me pick out four bars for the barrel discount. I went with tea tree, charcoal, egg nog, and kombucha. Feel free to click through for full descriptions but honestly they all described strengthening and clarifying the hair in various capacities. You know, ’cause of the fineness and the oil and the waves.
So Operation: Buy More Shampoo Bars was a success. But there was a second mission – Operation: Oatmeal Face Soap. I’ve been using that face soap off and on for a better part of a decade, so I was absolutely aghast when the CM told me IT WAS DISCONTINUED. WHAT. I just bought some last year!!!
I was gutted but I was not deterred: Basin face soap tends to agree with my finicky face, and I was darned if I was going home empty handed. The nice CM told me that the closest thing they currently offered was the almond face soap. So I bought a bar of that, but now I can’t find it on their website and I am suspicious. Suspicious, I say!
WELL, HOW DO YOU LIKE EVERYTHING?
I took my mini haul home and immediately installed everything in my shower. That was mid-May. And guys, part of the reason this review has taken so dang long is I only just finished my first shampoo bar. It legit took three and a half months to finish one. I wanted to try at least two before I started slinging opinions around.
Now, as I said, I have fine hair, and it’s currently cut in a mid-length bob. On the other hand, I wash my hair almost every day. I’d say score one for cost-per-wash.
As for the individual bars themselves, I like them. They make my hair feel clean and don’t weigh down my waves. To be honest, though, I’m not sure there’s much difference from one to the other. I started with tea tree and just switched to kombucha, and I doubt I could differentiate between them in a blind test. They do have unique scents, anyway.
That being said, I plan to stick with them. The ROI is great, and I love the environmental friendliness. They don’t work miracles, but they do work. You could probably just pick your favorite color/smell and be happy with the result.
The almond soap (I told you there would be a shower shot, didn’t I?) has been a worthy replacement for the oatmeal soap so far. It’s gentle, easy to travel with, and doesn’t break me out. And like the shampoos, a bar seems to last a really long time.
I also like that it makes my face feel clean without it feeling stripped, although I definitely could use a little bit of moisturizer afterward. For the price, you can’t beat it; I’m definitely buying more, assuming it doesn’t disappear too. 😅
BASIN TL;DR PLEASE
Overall I would absolutely recommend basement for wonderfully priced products that aren’t necessarily mind-blowing but are marvelous, dependable workhorses. The environmental angle is awesome, plus every time you use your soap it’ll remind you of Disney!
Don’t buy the solid conditioners, though. Trust me, they suck.
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