Shampoo Bar Formula Help

[simplymcghie]

Hi there everyone. Well I have created my own shampoo bar formula and have been using it for around 2 months now. I love shampoo bars and this bar is better then any I've bought off etsy so far (not to toot my own horn ) But while I still love this formula, I'm finding my hair needing something a little bit more conditioning and I thought that maybe some of you might have some suggestions for me.

Coconute Oil -25.53%
Olive Oil -25.53%
Avacado Butter -10.64%
Cocoa Butter -10.64%
Shea Butter -10.64%
Rice Bran Oil -8.51%
Castor Oil -8.51%

Is superfattting the solution here? I already super fat to 8. Or do I need to adjust levels/eliminate certain oils? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

 

[debbism]

I think it looks good but if it is not up to par for what you need, you could increase the castor oil levels. I would hate to say any one oil should be removed because they all look so nice but check the conditioning numbers in soapcalc.

just from my own experience, I get good conditioning with only 25-30% hard oils and the rest soft oils with a conditioning level in the 84-98 range. I get good results using castor, grapeseed, high oleic sunflower, meadowfoam and abyssinian - sometimes I dip into the rice bran oil for a lighter bar. I superfat at 4-6% and it seems to be very conditioning - add an ACV rinse after shampooing and it is even better.

 

[vjbakke]

I was just going to post something similar about formulating a shampoo bar. Yours gives me something to work with Would jojoba oil be a good one to try in a shampoo bar?

 

[judymoody]

I'd up the castor - I've seen as high as 15-20% in some recipes. And jojoba is nice.

I made CP shampoo bars a few times and have tried some made by other soapers. They don't work for me and I switched to syndet bars. Glad they work for you.

 

[simplymcghie]

I'd up the castor - I've seen as high as 15-20% in some recipes. And jojoba is nice.

I made CP shampoo bars a few times and have tried some made by other soapers. They don't work for me and I switched to syndet bars. Glad they work for you.

I've heard of syndet bars but don't really know what they are. What are they?

 

[vjbakke]

They are bars made from synthetic surfactants.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

You could just use a conditioner afterwards. :wink:

 

[simplymcghie]

You could just use a conditioner afterwards. :wink:

LOL I could and I have. I'm just wanting to avoid that if I can. It has made my life simpler so far not having to.

 

[fiddletree]

I use castor, jojoba, and sweet almond oils in mine... need to tweak my recipe because it's not as hard as I like, but otherwise works great. Castor and jojoba are the best hair oils, from the research I've done.

The problem with shampoo bars compared to more conventional shampoo is that the pH is higher than ideal for hair. If I recall correctly, I think hair is happiest around a pH of 5, which is obviously a lot lower than CP soap. I remedy this by following up with a mix of apple cider vinegar (25%), water (75%), and some essential oils to cut the vinegar smell a bit, and leave it in for a couple of minutes before rinsing out. I don't need to use conditioner now, and my hair is happier!

 

[debbism]

I love how the ACV rinse makes my hair feel......it sounds odd, but I actually like the smell...reminds me of french fries - yes, I put ACV on my fries.

But the scent doesn't linger after I rinse it out. Just out of curiosity, what EOs do you find cuts the smell and how much do you use?

 

[simplymcghie]

I've used Lavender EO before and it smells really nice.

 

[debbism]

any other EOs? I might be the only earthling who "dislikes" lavender.

 

[fiddletree]

I put rosemary and lavender EO, maybe a tiny bit of tea tree as well. I kind of just 'eyeball it' for the amount, it kind of depends on my mood.

 

[LauraHoosier]

We ran out of shampoo and I just picked up my handmade soap and went to town. If anyone has seen Breakfast Club you know the girl who makes it"snow" on her picture? Yeah that was my scalp. I couldn't pull my hair back without exposing the flaky yuck that was all the way to the edge of my hairline. All the scalp problems I was having are now gone except for in two stubborn spots and I now use T-Gel on them.

I use a good conditioner, always have, but now it shows. My hair is shiner and healthier looking and no splitting or damage. Can't wait for my hairstylist to see it but I can't wait to start making actual shampoo bars since from what I've read they sound even better.

 

[BlueValkyrie]

any other EOs? I might be the only earthling who "dislikes" lavender.

I can't stand lavender. And vanilla makes my stomach churn. Horses for courses...

If anyone has seen Breakfast Club you know the girl who makes it"snow" on her picture? Yeah that was my scalp. I couldn't pull my hair back without exposing the flaky yuck that was all the way to the edge of my hairline.

I so am that girl - must try my cp soap on my hair - haven't tried a dedicated shampoo bar yet, but eagerly watching for any tips on formulation

 

[Kleine Teufel]

any other EOs? I might be the only earthling who "dislikes" lavender.

I HATED it!!! That is, until my soap had about a week left of curing, then I started to think, "hey that's not as super disgusting as lavender usually is" now I love it.

 

[maya]

rosemary has been traditionally used for hair. i would try it.

 

[debbism]

OK...so I feel less of an odd ball. I do however like rosemary. I will give it a whirl.

 

[maya]

i love rosemary. lovelovelovelove rosemary. but then i like tea tree and the other medicinal smelling essential oils.

 

[fiddletree]

Both my husband and I have scalp problems (eczema, psoriasis, the works), and we have tried everything on the market, and none of it helped. We started using a shampoo bar I made, and BAM itchy dryness was gone for both of us! He went on a work trip this week and used hotel shampoo, and his problems came back with a vengeance.

I swear I am never going back to commercial shampoo again. My hair is slightly less shiny than it used to be, but it's a tradeoff I'm glad to make.