I’m finding more and more of my soapmaking friends are huge fans of using bar soap as a shampoo. Not only does the shampoo bar reduce the number of chemicals that you put on your body, they say it can actually improve the look and feel of your hair. My friend Michele did a recent experiment, using a shampoo bar for 14 days. Seems like it can take that long for your hair to adjust.
After doing my own research and asking some questions, I found a lot of interesting information. Not all of it was the same. For instance, not everyone agrees on the best ingredients for a shampoo bar. Some say no palm because it leaves a residue. Others say palm is fine. Some say use coconut for great lather, others say it’s too drying. One person said lots of cocoa butter works great. Another said cocoa butter made her hair limp. I found some recipes that use hemp oil, some that use babassu, some that use jojoba, but most of them agree that lots of castor oil is a key ingredient to create lots of lather.
Then there are all the additives you could possibly use. Lemon and chamomile are good for blonde hair. Rosemary and coffee are good for dark hair. Seaweed was recommended. Infusions of marsh mallow for scalp issues. Panthenol, soy protein, nettle, egg yolk, goat’s milk, beer… Also salt bars seemed to work well for some folks.
There was also some information about superfatting and water discounts. One person was adamant about having a low superfat. She recommended 3%. Someone else superfatted her recipe at 8%. Several mentioned using a high water discount since most shampoo bar formulas will end up pretty soft.
Without getting too fancy my first time around, I made my first experimental batch of shampoo bars yesterday. I did use a lot more castor oil than usual which can make the soap very soft. Being the impatient sort, I decided to speed things up a bit by hot processing my first batch. I tried using some cocoa butter, but not lots, no palm, and superfatted the batch at 4%. The formula that I used behaved quite a bit differently than my usual recipe, but it did eventually finish cooking and I mushed it into the mold.
Here’s what they look like after cutting:
First Batch of Shampoo Bars
Nothing too exciting, right? What did you expect from hot processed soap? It’s just not all that pretty. I did add some rosemary and peppermint essential oils to this batch, so it smells nice. Even after hot-processing, it’s still a bit soft. I’ll have to wait just a bit longer before trying them out!
One final thought: those who use shampoo bars also recommend an apple cider vinegar rinse in lieu of conditioner. About 1/2 c. vinegar to 4 c. of water, according to Amy of Tenth Avenue Soapworks. She says,
For me, the cider vinegar rinse is an absolute necessity. Without it I can barely run my fingers through my hair, but after I pour it over my scalp, my hair gets so nice and soft.
So, who else is using shampoo bars? And what are your recommendations?
It’s that vinegar rinse that has stopped me from trying it on a regular basis. Do you think any other acid might help (and not leave me smelling like a salad?). Maybe some dilute lemon juice?
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@Ruth – From what I’ve heard, you don’t smell the vinegar afterward as much as you might think. Not speaking from personal experience, of course! I did read that someone used citric acid (1 tbsp per 32 oz). It certainly wouldn’t smell at all!
Hi ladies, I only notice the vinegar as long as my hair is wet. Make sure you rinse well and after you dry and do whatever your routine is you won’t smell it. My husband says he never smells it. I don’t dilute my vinegar rinse, but probably if you did it would be even less likely that you would smell it.Also, beee careful to not get it near your eyes it burns(ask me how I know.) It doesn’t even have to get in them(only near)to burn.
Amy,I use castor in my formula at 5% and it has plenty of lather,however it is not like commercial shampoo lather(not as abundant.)I wonder why yours is soft – your sf isn’t high? The bar I have been using is at a bit higher and with castor. Hmmmm?
I second this…vinegar rinse is a must.
“I can barely run my fingers through my hair, but after I pour it over my scalp, my hair gets so nice and soft.”
Oh btw,I meant to add that your shampoo bars look just perfectly wholesome and good for your hair. I like the less smooth texture for such a utilitarian bar of soap.
Thanks for your input, Michele! I was just feeling the bars again tonight, and they really aren’t that soft. I’m about to go test one out now!
I’m very interested in hearing how you like your shampoo bar. I made some once for my husband but they just weren’t doing the job. I don’t think I put quite as much research into it at the time. I really want to use a shampoo bar but I have to use a really moisturizing shampoo as it is. Anyway, if you get it figured out, I’d love to try one again sometime and maybe use the rinse too.
I would definitely be adding lots of olive oil, coconut oil, castor, hemp and jojoba. Maybe even a little sugar for extra bubbles. I would reckon 4% for superfat too, otherwise it might leave hair too oily. And yes, the ACV rinse is a must! These look lovely Amy.
I’m a total shampoo bar convert… and it’s pretty funny that the first scent combo we developed was also rosemary/peppermint! Ha!
Our bars are pretty soft too; it’s the castor oil percentage. But we get really good lather. The one I use daily has sea kelp in it, and is made with chamomile tea.
A couple things I’ve noticed: Now that my hair is used to the bar, if we run out and I use my old commercial shampoo, my hair goes totally limp and won’t hold the wave. With the natural bar shampoo, it has much more body.
And as someone who colors her hair every 6 weeks, I’ve noticed (and I’m not kidding – my hairdresser confirmed it) that with the bar shampoo (no sulfates!) my hair color doesn’t fade out. It maintains true color for the full 6 weeks!
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@Holly – I can tell I’m going to need some time for my hair to adjust, but so far it’s feeling much “cleaner” after the first use! It was a bit tangly too, but hopefully that will get better too!
@Erin – I’ll try your suggestions next. I know I want to try several variations, so thanks!
@Larissa – I stretch my visits out to 7 weeks, but that was one thing I was curious about – how it would affect my color!
Ive been using a shampoo bar for some years now, I make it with goats milk, olive oil, coconut oil and jojoba oil. It did take some getting used to.. I find that the residue factor also depends a lot on the quality of the water, I live in the countryside in the north of Chile, in Southamerica, and I have spring water on my farm, but when I send the shampoo bar to friends in the city they say their hair feels very limp and yucky with lots of residue, I think it may have something to do with the fluor and other chemicals in city water…the vinegar rinse is very necessary though, if I dont rinse my hair feels very limp…Im going to try using castor oil for a bit more lather…thanks for sharing the recipe and experience!
@Alejandra – Thank you so much for sharing your experience as well! We are fortunate to have nice, soft water at our house, which I am sure helps. I would like to try a recipe with goat’s milk too. In fact, I’m sure I will be trying a couple different recipes before this is all done.
I’ve been using goat soap for shampoo and for my skin care. It really works because my hair didn’t dry and frizzy. I feel about it and very refreshing. But I have a problem when I stay in the city because the dust steaks and my hair becomes dry. There is something on the water and the environment where I stayed. I’m using jojoba oil for now because I feel at ease after a week.