Confused regarding Syndets

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Jaxx59

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I purchased a shampoo bar with just one syndet and two other ingredients (Water and Coconut Oil) The bar is really good with luxurious lather and cleans very well.

Whats confusing me, is that when you look at the ingredient list of most syndet bar shampoos is that the ingredients list can be very long, with a few of those ingredients being syndets. Why does it have to be that way when you have one with just three ingredients that work to provide you with a very shampoo.
 
I purchased a shampoo bar with just one syndet and two other ingredients (Water and Coconut Oil) The bar is really good with luxurious lather and cleans very well.

Whats confusing me, is that when you look at the ingredient list of most syndet bar shampoos is that the ingredients list can be very long, with a few of those ingredients being syndets. Why does it have to be that way when you have one with just three ingredients that work to provide you with a very shampoo.
Not all hair is created equally. While some will do good with one recipe, others won't. It's just like soap and the many differences in skin. For example, one of my recipes my mom can't use it is drying for her but for me it isn't. When formulating syndet bars or soap, people tend to stay with the formula that works for them.
 
If this syndet bar works the way you want it to, there's no reason to look further. But don't assume what works well for you will work well for everyone else.

There are a number of reasons why many 'poo bars have a longer ingredients list.

You'll often see two or more cleansers used in many shampoo bars because it is a demonstrated fact that a well-chosen blend of two or more cleansers will be milder than just one cleanser alone. This is also true for cleansers used for regular bathing, not just for washing hair.

Even lye-based soap can be blended with one or more syndets to make a mild "combo bar." Check out the ingredients in Dove cleansing bars for a popular example of a combo soap-and-syndet cleanser.

There are many reasons why non-cleanser ingredients are used -- they can further modify how the product cleanses the hair and they can also improve the feel of the hair or skin after cleansing. The coconut oil you mentioned is there for this reason -- it reduces the cleaning power of the cleanser and perhaps adds a bit of conditioning to the hair after the lather is rinsed off.

The problem with coconut oil (or any other fat) is that more than a touch of fat in a shampoo bar can weigh down fine hair and even leave the hair feeling a bit greasy. So there are other ingredients that can be used instead to provide a light amount of conditioning for fine hair without adding heaviness or greasiness.

Still other ingredients can be included to soothe itchy scalp, make the hair easier to comb when wet, reduce frizziness and static cling, smooth and strengthen the hair shaft, etc.

And some ingredients add "sales appeal" which is important in this increasingly crowded market.

In addition to all that, there should also be a preservative included in syndet bars to inhibit microbial growth on the wet surface of the bar.
 
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