{"id":6222,"date":"2011-05-19T14:09:25","date_gmt":"2011-05-19T20:09:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.greatcakessoapworks.com\/handmade-soap-blog\/?p=6222"},"modified":"2017-09-19T21:02:38","modified_gmt":"2017-09-20T03:02:38","slug":"my-quest-to-make-shampoo-in-a-bar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greatcakessoapworks.com\/handmade-soap-blog\/index.php\/my-quest-to-make-shampoo-in-a-bar\/","title":{"rendered":"My Quest to Make Shampoo in a Bar"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/a>. Seems like it can take that long for your hair to adjust.<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

Here’s what they look like after cutting:
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First Batch of Shampoo Bars<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

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! <\/p>\n

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<\/a>. She says,<\/p>\n

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. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So, who else is using shampoo bars? And what are your recommendations?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,601],"tags":[600,599],"class_list":["post-6222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-making-soap","category-shampoo-bars","tag-handmade-shampoo","tag-shampoo-bar-soap"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t