Thanks, I have my respirator all ready to go!
What Bath & Body Thing Have You Done Today?
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Thank you! Great info.
I do - I melt the stearic acid & cetearyl & other ingredients completely & add half the sci, wait until it is melted/ combined & stir in the other half. I thought I was doing the same as @KiwiMoose but I guess I modified her approach a little as I really like how well the instant pot works. I’m usually (always) doing other things s as everything melts downs.@Tammyfarms @Vicki C @KiwiMoose I’m planning to make the pourable bars and really appreciate the tips! For an initial test, my plan is to make 50 g, with additives limited to the preservative, 1% essential oil or FO and a tiny bit of mica just so I can tell if I’m getting the preservative mixed in properly. I’m not planning to adjust the pH while making the first bar, but will for the second round, once I better understand the behavior of the ingredients. My SCI powder seems very fine, and I’m not planning to add extracts, so I’m prepared for the possibility that my batch could run a wee bit dry. Overall it sounds like heat management will be the biggest issue. According to SCM, SCI melts at 69 C/156 F, which is similar to stearic acid and higher than cetearyl acid. (That photo could be enough to scare me off if I hadn’t already purchased all of the ingredients)
@Vicki C it sounds like you are melting the SCI. @KiwiMoose - is the SCI melting using your approach? My SCI is from Lotioncrafter and they have formulation guidelines for using with and without melting.
Good luck @Tammyfarms !
Good idea on the mica - or if you have any liquid dye even better - really helps to thoroughly combine.
Thanks again!
Shampoo bars are in the freezer! I ended up making 100 g and melted the Phase A ingredients together in a pottery mug in oven set to 200 F. It was all pretty smooth and melted by the time the mixture reached 195 F. I possibly could have taken it a little further, like 200 F, but was a bit worried about burning with such a small batch.
The DIY B&B instructions are to let the bars sit for 6 hours before popping them in the freezer. SCM recommends popping them into the freezer ASAP to help with the hardness due to the crystal structure. I opted for popping them in the freezer right away. Has anyone compared the two approaches?
The DIY B&B instructions are to let the bars sit for 6 hours before popping them in the freezer. SCM recommends popping them into the freezer ASAP to help with the hardness due to the crystal structure. I opted for popping them in the freezer right away. Has anyone compared the two approaches?
Great job! I've done both - put them in the freezer asap, and put them in the freezer 6+ hours later (because I forgot about them). Putting them in the freezer asap seemed to make them harder, which I prefer. But the ones I didn't freeze till later did work just fine.
Thank you!
Fab! I've never put mine in the freezer. I just leave them on the bench top until hard enough to pop them out - usually in a few hours.
Made the last batch of lotion from my first batch of DIY recipe concentrate, so I also made a fresh batch of concentrate. I designed new labels for the bottles - that is the most difficult part!
This week I got an order for 70 jars of sugar scrub for a friends 50th birthday next month. She is giving them as favors. 3 scent & color combinations - I'll just make 3 batches since I have so much time to get them done.
This week I got an order for 70 jars of sugar scrub for a friends 50th birthday next month. She is giving them as favors. 3 scent & color combinations - I'll just make 3 batches since I have so much time to get them done.
My shampoo bar is testing 5.5 using pH paper. (10% solution in DI water). The liquid shampoo I've been using in the shower is testing about the same, possibly a wee bit lower, but not clearly 5.0. Should I try to get my bars down to 5.0?
I used coconut and castor oil in my 1st test batch. What other oils do people like, or do you think oil choice is mostly about label appeal? I've been doing a lot of reading at ChemistsCorner lately and it's not unusual to find statements like this: "There is no point in adding oils to shampoo systems. Shampoos are meant to REMOVE oil. All you do by putting an oil in your system is your tie up surfactant so it won’t be available to clean the hair."
I used coconut and castor oil in my 1st test batch. What other oils do people like, or do you think oil choice is mostly about label appeal? I've been doing a lot of reading at ChemistsCorner lately and it's not unusual to find statements like this: "There is no point in adding oils to shampoo systems. Shampoos are meant to REMOVE oil. All you do by putting an oil in your system is your tie up surfactant so it won’t be available to clean the hair."
Using a pH tester, mine are usually between 5 and 6, depending on additives. I have very dry, curly hair, and don't honestly notice any difference between using bars anywhere in that range.
I get what they are saying about not using oils in shampoo. At the same time, I suspect that some of the oils and other hardening substances are used to hold the SCI together in a bar form, if that makes sense, and perhaps to slow down the rate at which the surfactants combine with water and get used up. I'm no chemist, so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on that point. I also know that castor oil is supposed to have qualities beneficial to the scalp, so it may be that it's used to somehow balance out some of the cleansing qualities (similar to using different FAs or SFs in soap, although by different mechanisms, of course).
I'd be happy to experiment with some no-oil bars if someone has a suggested recipe. I think that's similar to what @Tammyfarms was trying in her BTMS-free bars.
I've decided to give beard products another chance, especially with Father's Day coming up in a couple of months. This past week, and this weekend, have been spent watching videos and reading about beard products. At this point, I have three recipes for beard oils (light, medium, and heavy) as well as a 'Stache wax recipe that is made with powdered rosin (which I'm testing on my eyebrows). John has a beard but it's more of a scruff than a real beard so he's no help.
The beard oil pictured is being tested by a co-worker's husband, who has a full beard and doesn't normally use products on it, apart from shampoo. I'd still like to create a beard wash and will be thinking on that today. I'm leaning towards a shampoo bar made with ingredients that might appeal to men. Suggestions are always welcome!
The beard oil pictured is being tested by a co-worker's husband, who has a full beard and doesn't normally use products on it, apart from shampoo. I'd still like to create a beard wash and will be thinking on that today. I'm leaning towards a shampoo bar made with ingredients that might appeal to men. Suggestions are always welcome!
Yes! My current bar, which I have been using a little over a week, has no BTMS, oils, Stearic acid, etc. This is the same recipe I had been using but I removed the 3% BTMS and added a little rosehip and rosemary powders and SCI to bring the amount up to 100%. Usually my hair is already getting greasy the afternoon of the second day. Today is my third day and although my hair isn’t freshly washed looking I could still run to the store without a hat.
The downside is that this bar has been used 3 times (wash, rinse and repeat) and I can already tell it’s getting smaller. One of my projects today is the DIY pourable shampoo bar.
I’m a little nervous as it does contain 1% castor and 1.5% RBO along with a good amount of cetearyl alcohol and Stearic acid. I’m starting with 50 grams so not a huge deal if it doesn’t work for me. Hubby can always use it. 
@AliOop It seems quite reasonable that the oils play a role in the physical behavior of a formulation, or how easy it is to make the bars. I'm not planning to take them out. I've read that coconut oil can penetrate the hair shaft, which it suppose might help hair look better/thicker. I never paid much attention to what was in my shampoo until recently and for the most part have no idea if anything other than the main surfactant influences how I feel about a shampoo.
I use 2% fractionated CO in mine, and 5% shea butter. This is because I have dry, coarse and frizzy hair and these help to combat that. If you read the ingredients of any commercial shampoo - I'm pretty sure you will find they all use oils of some sort. In fact, I even use my lotion bars (100% oils and waxes) as a styling product - they really help to combat the frizz!
My shampoo bar creation didn’t go as planned. I started phase one and went in search of my PH meter. Found it and attempted to calibrate it. It wasn’t calibrating so I looked closer and the bulb that covers the electrode was broken and there was a lot of schmutz at the base which is impossible to clean. We had let a neighbor borrow it a while back and either he or my hubby damaged it. 
Anyway, it’s toast. Tried to find one on line and gave up. 
I am not sure what I’m going to do about a meter but just decided to go to the DIY B&B FB page to see what their recommendations are.
At least I made a small test batch of lotion before the shampoo bar fiasco. I can say I got something done today. I had much bigger plans for the day. Oh well. Tomorrow is another day.
Anyway, it’s toast. Tried to find one on line and gave up. I am not sure what I’m going to do about a meter but just decided to go to the DIY B&B FB page to see what their recommendations are. At least I made a small test batch of lotion before the shampoo bar fiasco. I can say I got something done today. I had much bigger plans for the day. Oh well. Tomorrow is another day.
I made a batch of the DIY B&B lotion concentrate, replacing the butter and the coconut oil with meadowfoamseed oil. As expected, it is quite a bit softer than the usual base, but I'm ok with that.
I've already used some of it to make a very lightweight, fast-absorbing facial lotion. Argan, calendula extract, and IPM were my additives. I can already tell that this is going to work much better for my face than lotion made with the original base/concentrate ingredients. Those are lovely for the skin on my body, or around my eyes where I need more hydration, but not for the majority of my face, which breaks out immediately with even a small amount of CO or butter. I'm so excited to test this over the coming days to see how my skin reacts with regular use!
I've already used some of it to make a very lightweight, fast-absorbing facial lotion. Argan, calendula extract, and IPM were my additives. I can already tell that this is going to work much better for my face than lotion made with the original base/concentrate ingredients. Those are lovely for the skin on my body, or around my eyes where I need more hydration, but not for the majority of my face, which breaks out immediately with even a small amount of CO or butter. I'm so excited to test this over the coming days to see how my skin reacts with regular use!
Oh, I’m excited to hear how you like it! I haven’t done many modifications to the recipe - just cutting the CO in half and subbing SAO in, then using Meadowfoam for the 5%. I’ve only made hand & body lotion not being quite sure what I’d do to make it more suitable for facial lotion. Keep me/us posted?
It seems like many (most?) of my days are like this. At this point I figure if I have not made any huge mistakes I'm still at least marginally in the plus column.
I certainly will. I just washed my face for the evening and used some more of it. I do love how quickly it absorbs and yet still leaves my skin feeling soft.Oh, I’m excited to hear how you like it! I haven’t done many modifications to the recipe - just cutting the CO in half and subbing SAO in, then using Meadowfoam for the 5%. I’ve only made hand & body lotion not being quite sure what I’d do to make it more suitable for facial lotion. Keep me/us posted?
While I love the feel of a rich cream when applying it, unfortunately, anything the least bit comedogenic or occlusive doesn't work for my face. You'd think at 60+yo, that would at least start to change, but not yet.
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