If you are a soapmaker looking for a fabulous shampoo bar recipe with lots of lather that will make your hair softer than it’s ever been before, then this recipe is for you! It comes from Lisa G. of Opus Soaps in Petersburg, Texas.
When I first set out to make a great shampoo bar, I did a bit of research on the best ingredients to use and took a shot at it. It worked fine for my first try, and my hair did a slow transition away from the commercial shampoo I’ve been using all my life. It had decent lather, and made my hair feel softer and cleaner than it ever had before. In fact, here’s a photo of it:
My first attempt at a shampoo bar
Then Lisa sent me her recipe, and I whipped up a quick hot-processed batch. Oh my. My first soap never saw this much lather! And my hair! After the first time using it, my hair was noticeably softer and easier to comb through!
Opus Shampoo Bar, hot processed
Oh, but then Lisa sent me an actual bar that she had made using the cold process method, and it was EVEN BETTER. When I first picked it up, I noticed how silky smooth the surface of the soap felt. Then with a bit of water added, the lather began to grow into an lots of large frothy bubbles. After rubbing it around my hair, I noticed that the lather got super dense and creamy. Heavenly! See for yourself:
Opus Shampoo Bar, cold processed
Are you ready to make your own batch now? Here is what you’ll need:
Opus Shampoo Bar – 3 lb. batch, superfatted at 5%
Water – 517 g (Lisa uses half beer, half aloe juice)
Lye – 192 g
Coconut Oil – 382 g
Olive Oil Pomace – 408 g
Castor Oil – 63 g
Lard – 340 g
Shea Butter – 42 g
Cocoa Butter – 25 g
Rice Bran Oil – 123 g
I’ve been using this recipe on my hair for several days and it’s amazing! I’m still using a bit of conditioner on the ends followed by a vinegar rinse (about 1 part apple cider vinegar, 3 parts water) on my scalp, which works down through the hair and makes it easier to de-tangle. After getting my hair shampooed at the salon yesterday, I did have to shampoo my hair twice with the bar soap to get the same lather, and my hair isn’t feeling quite as soft today. I suppose it will have to re-adjust again.
Anyway, give it a shot and let me know how it works for you! And huge thanks to Lisa for sharing her recipe!!
If you haven’t made soap with beer before, you might want to consult this post.
I forgot to mention that I left out the beer and aloe, I only used water. Next time I wil put the aloe in and see what happens
I really like the Opus shampoo bar and am excited about trying the recipe. I have not used lard in cp soap and would like to know what I might use instead? Is Crisco considered lard? Thank you for sharing your recipe and for your help with my question.
Regards,
Gale
@Gale – Unless you have a real aversion to lard, it really does make fabulous soap! You can buy the Manteca lard at your local grocery store. Crisco is NOT lard. You can use it, but don’t expect the results to be the same!
Anything you choose to substitute needs to be run through a lye calculator to be sure you have the correct amount of lye.
Made lard soap from manteca… lathers like crazy, but anyone else having problem with a slight ‘wet dog’ smell lingering after washing, especially hair?
@Shel – Lard soap on its own will definitely have a distinctive odor. I highly recommend using some essential oils to help cover the scent!
Oh so happy i found this recipe Amy, my ingredients (rice bran Is an oil I’ve never used before) are already on their way to me. I don’t have aloe juice either and forgot to order so would you just recommend half beer and half water? And this vinegar rinse you mentioned, do you leave it in the hair or wash out as well? Thanks!
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Could I switch out the olive pomace for organic virgin olive oil and the rice bran oil with either Apricot or Sunflower? Thanks!
@Autumn (& Cindy) – Feel free to tweak the recipe however you wish! Just be sure to run your changes through a lye calculator before making the soap. The vinegar should be rinsed out.