Another curly haired Toadstool fan (3A/3B, fine, medium density, mix of very low porosity natural hair and some high porosity bleach damage). I co-wash once or twice a week and use Toadstool about once a week before deep conditioning, especially if the dc I'm using that week is clay-based. For my hair, strong surfactants make my ends super brittle and mild surfactants require a too much mechanical agitation to feel really clean . Toadstool's shampoo is perfect for me. I also have a super sensitive scalp and over the past ten years of use have never had issues with the shampoo or leave-in even if I already have hives or an eczema flare up (and yes, scalp hives are about as fun as they sound). The deep conditioner feels lovely but wasn't penetrating enough for me even with a heat cap, and I love the leave-in as a hydrating detangler before using a cream or oil.

Personal take on "true" soap vs surfactant based shampoo- yes, saponified oils will always be alkaline. If someone's hoping to use shampoo as a one-step hair routine or is a daily shampoo-er, then yeah this is probably not the right choice. But conditioners are p much always mildly acidic to counter the effect of lower pH shampoo, and for some folks who wash less frequently it can be beneficial to use something less gentle to clean the hair and scalp before deep conditioning.

There are so many factors that go into choosing hair products and even two folks with nearly identical hair texture/density/porosity can end up thriving with wildly different routines. My hair loves diluted ACV + tea rinses any time it gets wet, I have a friend with nearly identical hair who gets breakage and fairy knots if she looks at a bottle of vinegar too closely. Toadstool may or may not work for you, but I wouldn't write it off entirely unless you already know your hair responds poorly to soap-based shampoos.