New to liquid soap

[Traumabrew]

Can I use my liquid soap as the base for shampoo or do I need to find a specific recipe for shampoo?

 

[GeezLouise]

There are several informative threads related to soap and shampoo; searching on "shampoo" and a bunch of reading should help with your question.

 

[lsg]

I would not use liquid soap for shampoo. The pH for shampoo should be around 6. The pH of liquid soap is around 9.
Here is a link to my go to place for info.:
http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/2010/04/why-cp-soap-doesnt-make-great-shampoo.html

 

[Traumabrew]

Thanks for the info

I went to the blog and it has alot of great info, but it is confusing a little. I see some shampoo recipes that require you to heat and hold ingredients at 170F for 20 min then cool. I see others that do not require any heating. Is this dependent upon which surfactants you use?

 

[lsg]

I use the heat and hold method with my water phase. I heat the water phase in the microwave and then put it in a 170*F oven for 20 minutes. This makes heat and hold easy.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Can I use my liquid soap as the base for shampoo or do I need to find a specific recipe for shampoo?

Although not universally accepted by all members, you can use your liquid soap base for shampoo. I learned to make soap to get away from chemicals so I do shampoo with every liquid soap I make. Some are better than others and you eventually get to a formula that works best for you and others in your family.

The main thing to remember about using lye-based soaps, hard or liquid, for shampoo is to rinse thoroughly with increasingly cool water until it's as cold as you can stand it, to close the hair shaft and prevent frizzies and flyaways. Then use an acid rinse such as lemon juice or apple cider vinegar... just a tablespoon or 2 in 8 oz. of water ... to remove any remaining soap scum and to restore the pH of the scalp.

ETA: Here's a link to a thread about Herbal rinses:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?p=653154#post653154