This is the strangest looking shampoo ever. Love the woodsy smell but I find I have to use a ton and/or wash twice to get any lather. This works best for wiry/dry hair which my hair isn't, so I probably would not repurchase. Also, very expensive.

I've been searching high and low to find a product that compares to it. Nothing does. I do not like the product that Aveda created to replace it. The new product does nothing for my thick, long naturally curly hair. Since they have stopped making it, I have stopped using Aveda products.

So sad this is discontinued. I won a bet with a friend who has a stash, though, so I'm trying to keep the fix coming ;)
I think you need a special kind of hair to make this work for you. I have medium thick and wavy hair and believe that his hair type (oily, too) is what this shampoo is made for. I'm surprised to read all of th ecomplaints about the smell, it never bothered me at all. As to lather, this is a very dense and rich shampoo that needs only a little to go a long way. Put it on wet hair, lather in as much as you can, then... ADD WATER! I swear it works to extend the "reach"of this shampoo. It's so very moisturizing, and when I rinse it makes my hair smooth and shiny.
Love it. Would buy forever if I could. Will try the reformulation.

this is the best shampoo i have tried. i used this daily for 8 years and my hair never fell out. it really is sad they have to mess things up and dont really realize how good of a product they have. it was discontinued. it is hard to leather they should have put something in there and made it lather better. it would have been the best shampoo around. especially for hair loss.

I understand Aveda is no longer providing this product and it's been replaced with a "new", "improved" formula with a different name. I used a lot of the Sap Moss shampoo and conditioner over the past few years. It works pretty well for my hair -- the shampoo especially. The smell is a little strange and takes some getting used to but for the most part I liked it well enough I kept buying it. I like that it's packaged in see-thru containers. I've tried the "replacement" product and UGH!!!! HORRIBLE SMELL!!!! I'm off to find another brand....

This works great for my hair which can be dry at times. Leaves my hair super soft and shiny. A teeny-tiny bit goes a looong way.
I don't mind the smell but I normally use a nice conditioner after this so that overpowers the smell anyway.
One lippie off because it's so expensive.

I never though any product could compete with Redkens All Soft to soften, my naturally dry, brittle and frizzy hair - but this one does! It's even gives a softer and more natural feeling than the Redken ones too. Makes my hair shiny, soft and managable. The nearest thing to baby hair you can come with my locks;-.)
It's not a divine smell, but I have no problem with it....guess I kind of like that it's so natural smelling, that the scent is not so strong. I've been out of this shampoo for months now, forgotten to buy and then ordered wrong, and that really showed me how addicted I am to this one, still with a cabinet full of other great (expensive) shampoos - hate thatr the it's been discontinued;-(

Phew.
This stinks.
That is the ONLY reason I gave this a lower rating...cause the smell is so bad, I couldnt last through the product long enough to truly appreciate its work...
Yet, Excellent moisturizing properties! But I HATED the earthy, forest, oak-outside-esque smell. HATED it.
I wish it could have grown on me, because I DID think it was good for my hair. Still....I can get the same effect with Alterna Caviar Moisturizing Shampoo, or Bain De Terre Jasmine Moisturing Shampoo before I wash my hair in something that I don't think smells good.
For what its worth, the smell doesnt last once you dry your hair, its only in the shower.

This is a review mainly to let people know that it's being discontinued in May 08. I've been using litres of this for years not because it's so great but because I'm addicted to the earthy smell. Such a change from the usual fruity or flowery ranges. That said, it does moisturize but I think it took many months of use to notice it. I wash my hair daily so I was looking for something that didn't dry out my hair. For reference I have long, fine hair, more oily at the roots and flyaway at the ends. So by days end I need to wash it again which is fine by me. If you go a few days before washing this is not the shampoo for you. An Aveda rep told me to leave the shampoo in my hair for 30 seconds or so before rinsing as it is more moisturizing than the conditioner!?! Incidentally I didn't find the conditioner very moisturizing for the ends of my hair and switched to their Clove conditioner which was much better.

It was recommended to me by the SA as my hair was needing some extra moisture. I usually like the smell of Aveda hair products but this one turned my stomach. First time I used it I knew it was a mistake, tried it again to give it a fair chance then binned it. Same goes for the conditioner. Smell it before buying.

I have used this product for several years. Although the smell does have to grow on you. With regular use I have seen hair transformed (and not just my own) from dull split overall unhealthy to shiny and beautifully conditioned healthy hair. I have a friend with severely overprocessed unhealthy hair and with regular use her hair became healthy inspite of her overabuse to it. In fact she is the reason I first tried it. The price well if you consider it takes such a small amount I think it is worth it. I buy the large bottle and it usually last me about 9 months. I have a full head of very thick hair shoulder length. The trick is to adequately saturate your hair. I usually add more water after the shampoo and it will lather right up. Too much is a waste. The conditioner is great as well. The only draw back for some is that some people are sensitive to the formulations. For me it is great and I love the products.

Like most Aveda products, this one smells... well, rather awful. I personally cannot stomach the scent of most Aveda products.
My stylist gave me some of this to try, since it is lower in sulphate content than most Aveda shampoos. It is best to use just after I have my hair coloured and works well; however, given the price, I would expect that I should look like Miss Universe after using it. No shampoo I have ever tried is worth that much money, and certainly not a shampoo that smells like this one. Aromatherapy?! More like aroma shock therapy. Pinch nostrils before using!

This stuff did not work for me at all. I felt like I was putting mud on my hair, and it looked that way too. Left a gummy feeling on my hair.

I like it because it doesn't have sulfates, but I don't think it has transformed my hair, and for the price I want to see a significant change.

first off, i adore aveda products. for what you get, they're well worth the price. in the winter, i have very very very dry hair, and tried the sap moss line last winter. for as much as it costs (more than aveda's normal line) i would have expected something miraculous. it doesn't leave shiny, it doesn't help with static, it seemed to make my color-treated hair seem a little dull and flat and, honestly, my new regime moisturizes oodles better. my advice? use aveda's products outside the shampoo and conditioner, and when your hair starts to get crazy dry in the winter, use dove (i know, it's crazy, dove) intense moisture shampoo and conditioner and phyto's deep moisturizing mask treatment for color treated hair. the results are way better.

Most people reading this review will already know about the smell, and most will already have decided whether or not they want a shampoo that smells like "sap" and "moss," otherwise known as leaves and dirt. I'm not crazy about the smell but it is intriguing and fortunately, it is easily overcome by using a fragrant conditioner. With that said, I think the quality of the shampoo for normal, colortreated hair is outstanding. A little bit of this does go a long way and it absolutely does not strip color. I have naturally dark blonde hair which I dye brunette and this is one of the few shampoos that my easily-faded hair can get along with. It rinses nicely and leaves no buildup that I can detect. I always follow this with a light, fragrant conditioner (Shampure or Lush American Cream) or once a week with a protein reconstructor (K-Pak or Keraphix) to keep my hair glossy and strong. Additionally, I occasionally have a problem with sebbhoretic dermatitis around the edges of my hairline and since I have been using sap moss, I've had no trouble with that. It's very gentle. So, if you can afford it, have pretty good hair, and you want a very good shampoo to maintain the status quo, I would say this is certainly worth a try. I believe you can get trial sizes at most Aveda salons, which for something that smells this strange and is this expensive, is a definite must.

I have been trying to use this up. It's expensive for such a small amount and the squeeze hole size makes it hard to dispense the product. Once you finally get it out, it does a decent job, but nothing to write home to Mom about. Will not repurchase. I'm trying damage remedy shampoo instead.

i agree with other reviewers that this was ok, but nothing special. i actually did not mind the scent, i like the earthy scents, but it just didn't work all that great, especially for the price. not horrible, but just not the best.

As an aveda cosmetology school graduate I have always been partial to their products, but i have to say I hate this stuff! I was craving a yummy, natural moisturizing shampoo and this was not it! It was impossible to squeeze out of the crappy packaging, had a horrible lather and did nothing for my dry damaged hair. Hope it works for some of you... but did not work so well for me!

Hated this product. It left my hair feeling sticky and dirty.