Shampoo Bar S/F percentage

[carolyntn]

For those who make a shampoo bar - do you use a lower superfat than your normal CP bars? I usually s/f at about 5 - 7% for my regular bars, but am considering using a 4% s/f for shampoo bars. Will a lower s/f leave less deposit on hair, since there are fewer free oils?

 

[fiddletree]

I actually up my SF to 7%. I figured that it could add some extra conditioning.

 

[debbism]

about 4 - 6% for shampoo works for me. I use a lot of castor so lower superfat keeps it light enough to keep hair from being weighed down

 

[Fragola]

Why would soap cause deposits* on the hair ? Don't you rinse it off ?

* Except for soap scum, which is unrelated to SF

 

[fiddletree]

I think she is wondering if a higher SF will leave hair greasy.

 

[WomanInTheWoods]

I've made 2 shampoo bars so far, both sf'd at 5%. The first left my hair very dry. It was made with dark, flat beer. The second batch is much better; I boiled the alcohol out of the beer before soaping with it. My hair feels much better with this one. I've used my coffee bar on my hair before, which is an 80% coconut recipe, sf'd at 20%. It left a white coating on my hair. I couldn't see it in the mirror, but it was on my brush bristles when I brushed my hair, and my hair felt heavy. Rinsing with diluted ACV helps with that.

OP, is that the deposit you are talking about? I'm continuing to work on my shampoo recipe, trying different beers, slowly adjusting the sf... I'll just keep making small batches.

 

[carolyntn]

Fiddletree and WomanInTheWoods - you are right. I fear a higher SF will leave too much free oil on the hair resulting in greasy, heavy hair. I myself don't use shampoo bars - I make them for my hubby and boys. Of course they refuse to use ACV rinse - so I need as little deposit as possible. Here are my hurdles to surmount: teenage boys with greasy coarse hair and extremely hard city water. Perhaps syndet bars would be my best option.
Carolyn

 

[WomanInTheWoods]

I've heard people agree about the syndet bars... I've not tried them yet, I'm too darn stubborn & want to keep with my soaps! lol What sf & oils are you using?

As for the hard water issue... I've read adding salt to your recipe (1/2 tsp up to 1 tsp ppo) will help with hard water. It's suppose to act as a water conditioner, allowing your bars to lather better. It should be added in with the liquids, dissolved before adding lye. I have done this, but haven't really tested the bars enough to see a difference yet. Something cheap & quick to try, so wth, right?

 

[Fragola]

I fear a higher SF will leave too much free oil on the hair resulting in greasy, heavy hair.

The theory I have learned is that soap washes oil away and doesn't leave oil behind.

If hair is greasy, it wasn't washed well. On the other hand, if hair feels heavy, straw-like, what's left behind is probably soap. ACV will soften that residue (I don't believe it actually washes it away).

Which isn't related directly to the SF, but to the cleaning power the soap has. And is aggravated by an insufficient rinse.

In practice, I have seen that if soap makes a lot of lather, it's a good sign that it will leave little residue.

 

[dagmar88]

I fear a higher SF will leave too much free oil on the hair resulting in greasy, heavy hair.

The theory I have learned is that soap washes oil away and doesn't leave oil behind.

If hair is greasy, it wasn't washed well. On the other hand, if hair feels heavy, straw-like, what's left behind is probably soap. ACV will soften that residue (I don't believe it actually washes it away).

Which isn't related directly to the SF, but to the cleaning power the soap has. And is aggravated by an insufficient rinse.

In practice, I have seen that if soap makes a lot of lather, it's a good sign that it will leave little residue.

On skin, yes. But because of the high PH soap raises the hair cuticles, so it doesn't wash off as well.

 

[Fragola]

And you mean that because of that, soap leaves an oily residue on hair and not skin ?

I am not convinced ... Oil molecules from soap are still closer to soap than to hair cuticles, and I see no reason for them to choose the cuticles. From what I read, soap forms those little micelle thingys, which trap grease inside. Which to my mind means that the superfat never has a chance of escaping the soap.

But we won't know for sure until we get the white residue on the brush to the lab for checking