Shampoo bar questions

[Servant4Christ]

I made my first shampoo bar! DIY B&B pourable recipe, I made the variation for dry, brittle, or curly hair.
Anyway, I finally used it tonight and now I'm confused. My hair felt like straw and literally could squeak after rinsing it out! Is this normal for shampoo bars? Forgive my ignorance, but I've never even used a shampoo bar before. I feel like I cheated because even though I planned to forgo any conditioner in order to really see how my hair would feel afterward, I reached for my store bought conditioner knowing I wouldn't be able to brush my hair if I didn't. Does long hair make a difference in performance? I have fine hair (lots of it) that's wavy and almost to my waist. OTOH, it worked very well as a body and face bar.

 

[artemis]

Is this a cold processed soap or a synthetic detergent shampoo bar?

 

[Servant4Christ]

Syndet pourable shampoo bar recipe from DIY B&B on Etsy. I've not had success using CP on my hair, though it's been years since I tried.

 

[Misschief]

That doesn't sound right. I make the Sunflower Shampoo for Normal to Dry Hair and I find it almost over conditions my hair; I certainly don't need much extra conditioning except, occasionally, on the ends when it gets a bit longer. You can see what my hair is like in my avatar. It's quite fine and I have a lot of it.

 

[Servant4Christ]

I made the baobab recipe. The cetearyl I bought turned out to be a 50/50 blend of cetyl/stearyl which I was told shouldn't make a big difference so I just went with it. I followed the recipe for a 100g bar but did not add color or fragrance. I wasn't sure what to sub for the fragrance so I just omitted it entirely and didn't sub in anything. I'm just shocked because I didn't expect conditioner level moisture from a shampoo, but I didn't expect squeaky and impossible to put a wide tooth comb through at all even under running water. I guess I can try making another bar and compare, but I'm not sure how it would be any different.

 

[Misschief]

I made the baobab recipe. The cetearyl I bought turned out to be a 50/50 blend of cetyl/stearyl which I was told shouldn't make a big difference so I just went with it. I followed the recipe for a 100g bar but did not add color or fragrance. I wasn't sure what to sub for the fragrance so I just omitted it entirely and didn't sub in anything. I'm just shocked because I didn't expect conditioner level moisture from a shampoo, but I didn't expect squeaky and impossible to put a wide tooth comb through at all even under running water. I guess I can try making another bar and compare, but I'm not sure how it would be any different.

Colour and fragrance won't make a difference in the performance of the final product. When you're washing your hair, I assume you're washing the scalp only? When I first started using the shampoo bars, I did condition lightly for the same reason (running a comb through my hair) which I've done with every shampoo I've ever used. Now, it's only the occasional tiny bit of leave in conditioner on the ends.

Apart from that, I'm not sure what to tell you.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Are there any 'conditioning' ingredients in the shampoo bar?
For example mine contain shea butter, fractionated coconut oil, vegetable lanolin, vegetable silicone, Provitamin B5 and silk protein. I still use a conditioner because my hair is very dry and coarse - but some of my customers say they don't need to.

 

[AliOop]

I am also wondering if the overheating in the microwave affected the performance of the bar. But I have to admit, although I bought all the baobab ingredients, I haven't tried them yet. My hair is thick, dry, and coarse, so it's probably not a good comparison anyway.

Darn, I do hope you can work this out so this recipe works for you!

 

[Servant4Christ]

@Misschief Scalp only? No, I washed as normal, starting at the scalp and pulling the rest of my hair up into the lather and then rinse. I remember watching Marie on Humblebee wash all of her hair with one of her shampoo bars so thought that's what I'm supposed to do. Am I only supposed to wash my scalp?

@KiwiMoose Yes, plenty of conditioning ingredients including panthenol, oil, extract, and hydrolyzed protein.

@AliOop I don't think I overheated. It never was hotter than the target range. I think that's just what happens when you heat in silicone instead of glass or ceramic.

 

[ChristinaOlivia]

I made my first shampoo bar! DIY B&B pourable recipe, I made the variation for dry, brittle, or curly hair.
Anyway, I finally used it tonight and now I'm confused. My hair felt like straw and literally could squeak after rinsing it out! Is this normal for shampoo bars? Forgive my ignorance, but I've never even used a shampoo bar before. I feel like I cheated because even though I planned to forgo any conditioner in order to really see how my hair would feel afterward, I reached for my store bought conditioner knowing I wouldn't be able to brush my hair if I didn't. Does long hair make a difference in performance? I have fine hair (lots of it) that's wavy and almost to my waist. OTOH, it worked very well as a body and face bar.

Sometimes your hair needs to adjust. I notice that when I make a new shampoo bar with a new formula the first time I use it my hair will feel strange. Try it for a week and see if it changes. I used that same recipe but for curly hair. Only difference is an oil or protein

 

[Servant4Christ]

I just made another bar the same size, method, ect. I did figure out the smell is from the SCI. Guess I'm just not familiar with the smell of surfactants. I'll unmold it tonight and maybe try it out in the shower this weekend. I'm not brave enough to try it again so soon, especially with company coming.

 

[Misschief]

@Misschief Scalp only? No, I washed as normal, starting at the scalp and pulling the rest of my hair up into the lather and then rinse. I remember watching Marie on Humblebee wash all of her hair with one of her shampoo bars so thought that's what I'm supposed to do. Am I only supposed to wash my scalp?

@KiwiMoose Yes, plenty of conditioning ingredients including panthenol, oil, extract, and hydrolyzed protein.

@AliOop I don't think I overheated. It never was hotter than the target range. I think that's just what happens when you heat in silicone instead of glass or ceramic.

You mentioned that you had longer hair. It's really only your scalp (down to about ear length) that needs cleansing. The rest of your hair will get enough of the cleansing as you rinse.

 

[Servant4Christ]

You mentioned that you had longer hair. It's really only your scalp (down to about ear length) that needs cleansing. The rest of your hair will get enough of the cleansing as you rinse.

Ok, I'll try that but I had to condition clear up to the roots because of how squeaky my hair was. My hair is very puffy today.

 

[Kiti Williams]

Ok, I'll try that but I had to condition clear up to the roots because of how squeaky my hair was. My hair is very puffy today

I had hair down past my butt. I use my own cp shampoo, no junk, just soap. It has had raving reviews as to how well it works. I also make a solid conditioner, which I put on my ends and up to a "pony tail length. When I shaved my head prior to my 1st Chemo, the hair was very healthy and had almost no split ends.

 

[Misschief]

I had hair down past my butt. I use my own cp shampoo, no junk, just soap. It has had raving reviews as to how well it works. I also make a solid conditioner, which I put on my ends and up to a "pony tail length. When I shaved my head prior to my 1st Chemo, the hair was very healthy and had almost no split ends.

But you were using CP shampoo. This thread is about syndet shampoo bars.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Where are the recipe variations (baobab, sunflower) coming from? I have the 2018 recipe book, which I think is the latest, and I don’t see a section on options. I looked at etsy again. Are they in the 2021 Hot Pour book?

 

[Servant4Christ]

Where are the recipe variations (baobab, sunflower) coming from? I have the 2018 recipe book, which I think is the latest, and I don’t see a section on options. I looked at etsy again. Are they in the 2021 Hot Pour book?

Yes. I only recently purchased it but it says hot pour shampoo bar recipe copyright 2021.

 

[Servant4Christ]

I had hair down past my butt. I use my own cp shampoo, no junk, just soap. It has had raving reviews as to how well it works. I also make a solid conditioner, which I put on my ends and up to a "pony tail length. When I shaved my head prior to my 1st Chemo, the hair was very healthy and had almost no split ends.

That is lovely! I tried cp shampoo bars years ago and my hair doesn't tolerate that high of a ph. I lost a lot of scalp and a lot of hair trying to stick it out, though. I have a relative who went through chemo and absolutely swears by using pine tar soap as her shampoo now. Everything else makes her scalp itch like crazy.

 

[Servant4Christ]

My second bar looks the same-ish, but feels different. I can't really describe it except a little more substantial along the lines of my CP soaps just a wee bit lighter. I have no idea why this is. I did everything the same as last time. I'm hopeful that my next hairwashing goes better and then I can just designate that first bar to being an all over body bar. Fingers crossed.

 

[Kiti Williams]

But you were using CP shampoo. This thread is about syndet shampoo bars.

True, but I believe the learning curve is the same.