Bittim (Terebinth)
Botanical Shampoo Bar — Handmade solid shampoo bar, vegetable oil based · approx. 110 g · traditional Anatolian hair care
Who it suits
Oily scalps and flaking, and anyone curious about a soap that tastes of where it comes from. The scent is strong and particular. If you want a milder solid shampoo, Laurel & Avocado.
What to expect at first
Hair that has been washed with detergent shampoo for years can take two or three washes to settle. In that time it may feel heavier or waxier than usual, especially if your water is hard. It passes. Rinse for longer than feels necessary, and if the waxiness is still there after a week, one rinse with diluted apple cider vinegar clears it. The resinous smell fades from the hair within an hour.
How it's made
Cold-process: the bar is made at low temperature and left to cure for weeks rather than pushed through heat and pressing. The bittim fruit is gathered from wild trees, not grown on a plantation, so how much oil exists in a given year depends on the harvest. That is why this is the smallest batch in the range.
Handmade solid shampoo bar, vegetable oil based. Made in Türkiye in small batches, cold-process, with a 5% superfat. Free from SLS.
Ingredients
Olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, terebinth (Pistacia) seed oil, castor oil, palm oil, cocoa, aqua.
Allergens
The oil is pressed from a Pistacia fruit, the pistachio family. Treat this bar as containing tree nuts. No dairy, no honey.
Weight
Approximately 110 g. Every bar is cut by hand, so weight and pattern vary slightly.
Caution
For external use only. Avoid contact with the eyes and rinse with plenty of water if it happens. Do not use if you have a tree nut allergy. Patch test on a small area first if your scalp is sensitive, and stop using it if irritation occurs. Keep out of reach of children.
- Solid Shampoo
- Handmade
- Vegan
- Cold-Process
Stand the bar on end on a draining dish, out of the direct spray, and let it dry between washes.
Reviews load here.
The cloth
- Wild-gathered bittim oil
- from terebinth trees in south-eastern Türkiye
- For oily scalps and flaking
- resinous and green, nothing added
- Vegan
- no parabens, no SLS, no synthetic fragrance
- Made in Türkiye
- the smallest batch in the range, about 100 g
Solid Shampoo
Handmade
Vegan
The making
Made slowly, in small batches.
The color
In the region it has been used on hair and scalp for generations, and it is still made the same way, in small quantities, because the fruit is gathered rather than farmed.
The smell is resinous and green, unlike anything on a shop shelf, and it is the reason people either love this bar or leave it alone.
Frequently asked
How do I use it?Wet your hair, rub the bar directly along the scalp two or three times, then work the lather through with your fingers. Rinse thoroughly.
How long does one bar last?Roughly fifty to sixty washes, so two to three months for most people. Stand it on end on a draining dish, out of the spray, and it will last at the top of that range.
What does bittim smell like?Green, resinous and slightly bitter, closer to pine sap than to anything floral. It is the natural smell of the oil, with nothing added.
Bittim is sold on its own rather than in the sets. Browse all botanical soap bars.
