# Solid conditioner bars



## Dirtygurl (Dec 29, 2013)

Hi,  I'm new to this forum and relatively new to soap making.  I use cp shampoo bars on my hair and also use a solid conditioner bar.  I make the shampoo, but buy the conditioner from etsy.  I would like to make my own conditioner too, but can't seem to find a recipe.  Can someone help me out or point me in the right direction?  Thank you!


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## judymoody (Dec 29, 2013)

Swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com

compared to solid shampoo, solid conditioner is stone simple.


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## roseb (Dec 29, 2013)

Welcome, Dirtygurl!  Just wondering why you use conditioner? I have found that with my shampoo bar (Genny's recipe) I don't need a conditioner.  I spritz some apple cider vinegar if I remember & I'm ready to go.


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## DeeAnna (Dec 29, 2013)

I also use a separate conditioner with my shampoo bar, because I want to accomplish more than just adding superfat oils and non-saponifiables from the soap. I use a zero "cleansing" soap recipe similar to Genny's with a moderate superfat (5-6%). A separate conditioner also lets me apply conditioner where conditioning is needed and leave it off where it's not.

FWIW, I have a suggestion to share -- 

If you want to use an acid rinse, but don't like the smell of vinegar or the feel of cold vinegar water trickling down your back, use powdered citric acid instead. Some people have it on hand for bath bombs. If, like me, you don't do bath bombs, citric acid is sold in the US in many grocery and hardware stores -- look for it in the home canning section. It's used to acidify home-canned tomatoes. 

Just put a pinch or maybe two of the citric acid powder in the palm of your hand. Don't overdo it; a little goes a long ways. Add a small splash of water to the powder and the powder will dissolve almost instantly. Put the solution on the crown of your head and let it trickle through your hair, perhaps with some massaging and a bit of extra water to help distribute it evenly. After a few moments, rinse with fresh water and apply conditioner if you like. 

Caution -- As with vinegar or soap, don't get citric acid in the eyes!


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## DeeAnna (Dec 29, 2013)

Oh, and here's a good downloadable article about conditioners from Swift's website to get you started: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1020026/conditionertutorialthingie.pdf  There's info on designing a solid conditioner toward the end of the article.


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## Dirtygurl (Dec 29, 2013)

Thanks everyone!  I have to use a conditioner if I want to get a brush through my hair.  I have tried vinegar rinse and it does absolutely nothing for me.  I've actually been to the swiftcraft monkey website, but seems like her use of 60% btms sounds really high.  Bramble berry recommends no more than 15% in a recipe.  I have all the ingredients and I'm gonna give it a try but I just wanted some other opinions.  Seems like a lot of money to waste if I don't have the right recipe


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## savonierre (Dec 29, 2013)

just play with a few solid conditioner recipes and teak until you love it..

this blog has a ton of great info
http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.ca/


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## Dirtygurl (Dec 29, 2013)

I will,  thanks so much everyone


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## judymoody (Dec 29, 2013)

Dirtygurl said:


> Seems like a lot of money to waste if I don't have the right recipe



When I first started making conditioner bars, I made very small recipes - 100 to 200 grams of ingredients total.  You don't neeed to make a large batch.


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## DeeAnna (Dec 29, 2013)

"... seems like her use of 60% btms sounds really high. Bramble berry recommends no more than 15% in a recipe....:

Ah, but you're comparing apples and oranges -- or comparing the BTMS usage guideline for liquid conditioner vs. that for a solid conditioner. 

Agreed -- if you put more than 15% BTMS in a liquid conditioner, it would not be a very nice product. In the case of the solid conditioner, however, you aren't adding nearly as much conditioner to the hair as you would with a liquid, so the higher % is fine ... and it's also necessary to make the product solid.


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## Dirtygurl (Dec 30, 2013)

Thanks Deeanna!  I never thought of it that way.  I don't know why I'm so bent on a solid conditioner anyway.  I should just make the liquid.  I guess I just thought they would be fun to put into little molds.  Think I will try it both ways.


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## DeeAnna (Dec 30, 2013)

I think solid conditioner would be great for travel -- no liquids to declare to the TSA authorities, no mess in my travel kit. Also would be a nice toiletry to include in a gym bag or camping backpack.


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## judymoody (Dec 30, 2013)

Dirtygurl said:


> Thanks Deeanna!  I never thought of it that way.  I don't know why I'm so bent on a solid conditioner anyway.  I should just make the liquid.  I guess I just thought they would be fun to put into little molds.  Think I will try it both ways.



Solid is much easier.  Liquid can be tricky with respect to getting the proper consistency.  And yes, there's the added bonus that it's great for travel, you don't need packaging so it's more eco-friendly, etc.


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## Susie (Dec 31, 2013)

Gosh, thank you so much for asking this.  I never knew such a thing was possible.  I have long naturally curly hair, and there is simply no hope whatsoever of getting a comb or brush through after just a ACV rinse.  I went out and bought leave-in spray so I could use my homemade shampoo, but that rather defeats the purpose of making shampoo, does it not?

Anyway, thanks for asking this.  And thank you everyone for the responses!


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## Dirtygurl (Dec 31, 2013)

Susie, I was in exactly the same boat you were!  Lol. Wanted to use my shampoo bars but still using a store bought conditioner.  You can actually buy the solid bars from etsy which is what I have been doing.  Now, hopefully I can make my own...


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