shampoo bar
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rubyslippers
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Just CPed my first shampoo bar a couple of weeks ago so it is still in the curing stage but I am very anxious to try it. I used coconut, olive, palm, castor, avocado and jojoba and lots of goat's milk. Everyone's hair is different which is why there are so many commercial shampoos on the market but I have found that almost any of my soap bars are great as shampoo bars. I have short, fine natural hair (I mean no coloring or perms) and have always been one to shampoo daily. Since I have been using my soap on my hair it is not necessary to shampoo daily (although old habits are hard to break); my hair is fluffier (not weighted down by the additives and chemicals in commercial shampoos) and it just behaves better. And never have I had any tangling issues. I have stopped buying shampoo and all that hubby and I use are my homemade soaps.
All my soaps contain castor oil (a must in a shampoo bar) and at least one luxury oil or butter. Jojoba is also another great oil in a shampoo bar as its chemical composition is very similar to sebum.
Just give it a try with one of your soaps and see what you think. You may be pleasantly surprised. I will add that there are a few soaps I've made that I did not like the results on my hair - a few that were heavy on the butters made my hair feel heavy and borderline gummy so I avoid those bars for shampooing. Good luck
All my soaps contain castor oil (a must in a shampoo bar) and at least one luxury oil or butter. Jojoba is also another great oil in a shampoo bar as its chemical composition is very similar to sebum.
Just give it a try with one of your soaps and see what you think. You may be pleasantly surprised. I will add that there are a few soaps I've made that I did not like the results on my hair - a few that were heavy on the butters made my hair feel heavy and borderline gummy so I avoid those bars for shampooing. Good luck
tracey11474
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I'm hoping to make up a batch or 2 this weekend and plane to add castor oil and wheat germ oil to mine.
My hair is medium long, about 4 inches past my shoulders, and yes, some shampoo bars can make your hair all tangly, but some react pretty well. My current bar is 25%CO, 25%Lard 35%OO 10%Shea butter and 5% Castor Oil. It is a little drying, so I cut 5% of both the lard and the CO and replaced it with Almond. I just made that about 3 days ago, so I have not tried it yet, but so far it looks good. I use cream to make the recipe so that adds superfatting.
Lard seems to be the important ingredient, as funny as that sounds. I thought I did not want to use lard in the shampoo bar, but all the recipes I tried without it tangled my hair dreadfully. Might not be the same for everyone.
I save the more expensive oils, like Jojoba, for oil treatments. Work a bit through your hair 1/2 hr or so before you wash it.
I am, obviously, still in the process of working out a good recipe--a long process! Best to you as you figure out yours!
Lard seems to be the important ingredient, as funny as that sounds. I thought I did not want to use lard in the shampoo bar, but all the recipes I tried without it tangled my hair dreadfully. Might not be the same for everyone.
I save the more expensive oils, like Jojoba, for oil treatments. Work a bit through your hair 1/2 hr or so before you wash it.
I am, obviously, still in the process of working out a good recipe--a long process! Best to you as you figure out yours!
Overthemoon
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My favorite shampoo bar is 100% coconut with a high superfat. I've used a variety of different oils, never lard, personally I hate lard, but my coconut bars are perfect for my hair, and my roommates hair. Cured her dandruff of all things.
You'll have to experiment with oils but I have found no purpose in using more expensive oils in shampoo or really soap in general, save them for lotions, etc.
You'll have to experiment with oils but I have found no purpose in using more expensive oils in shampoo or really soap in general, save them for lotions, etc.
i learned that one with hard way.
my hair never liked soap to wash with but I was told that my hair would "get used to it" so I kept trying. mistake. my stylist almost beat me about the head with her curling iron LOL.
my hair never liked soap to wash with but I was told that my hair would "get used to it" so I kept trying. mistake. my stylist almost beat me about the head with her curling iron LOL.
Pepper
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I first made CP 10 years ago, and haven't used shampoo since. Nothing special, just whatever I had made at the time. Recently I made a beer soap = 100% replacing the water. It's fantastic for hairwashing. I also have short fine hair, no colouring, so that's no problem. I used CO, ricebran & sunflower, with a touch of beeswax, and used spiced mahogany to fragrance. It made a lovely hard bar, and leaves my hair feeling great.
tracey11474
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So is it safe to say that shampoo bars are NOT recommended for people who color their hair???
Overthemoon
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I have colour treated hair and haven't had a problem with it stripping but I think it's safe to say it can be a problem for a lot of people. Mind you I also have short hair and dye it once a month so frankly it wouldn't matter.
Bubbles Galore
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I've been washing my hair with soap for over a year now. I use the 100% coconut or castile or any of the soaps without palm oil. I still use a commercial hair conditioner to follow which is designed to protect colour in hair. :wink:
I tried CP shampoo bars, liked some very much, and had good results for a while. Over time....not so much. Even with citric acid rinses, my hair was awful and didn't get happy again until I ditched the shampoo bars.
After some trial and a lot of error, I've settled on traditional shampoos for now and will be trying syndet bars eventually, those look really promising.
After some trial and a lot of error, I've settled on traditional shampoos for now and will be trying syndet bars eventually, those look really promising.
I don't have long experience with this--have been washing my hair with a shampoo bar for 4 months now. So this is a "for what it is worth" post.
My color still looks good-no fading. I only do the roots when I color, so there is not fresh color on the rest of it.
My color still looks good-no fading. I only do the roots when I color, so there is not fresh color on the rest of it.
ChrissyB
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I have colourd hair. I dont like "shampoo" bars, they just dont work for me. I buy high quality shampoo and conditioner from the hairdressers, I pay a lot for my hair colour and want to maintain it.
Having said that, I do make a tea tree oil cp soap and use that to wash my DS's hair, they had a bout of head lice at the school and I was paranoid so read up on the TTO, it works great, makes his hair lovely and clean and he so far as avoided the dreaded lice.
I just read the ingredients on my shampoo and meadowfoam seed oil is listed.
Having said that, I do make a tea tree oil cp soap and use that to wash my DS's hair, they had a bout of head lice at the school and I was paranoid so read up on the TTO, it works great, makes his hair lovely and clean and he so far as avoided the dreaded lice.
I just read the ingredients on my shampoo and meadowfoam seed oil is listed.
lice. gah. don't get me started.
if she does get them - you can apply a 50/50 mix of cyclomethicone and IPM for 10 minutes. kills the suckers dead. reapply again on the 7th day.
there is a product approved by Health Canada with this exact formula.
another option is to apply it once then every night for 10 days soap the head in olive oil and wrap in a plastic shower cap for 4 hours or overnight. that way if any eggs survived the suckers will suffocate when they hatch. but I personally go with the first option. tho hell, a combination of them might be good since the cyclo/ipm is a bit drying so the OO can only help!
if she does get them - you can apply a 50/50 mix of cyclomethicone and IPM for 10 minutes. kills the suckers dead. reapply again on the 7th day.
there is a product approved by Health Canada with this exact formula.
another option is to apply it once then every night for 10 days soap the head in olive oil and wrap in a plastic shower cap for 4 hours or overnight. that way if any eggs survived the suckers will suffocate when they hatch. but I personally go with the first option. tho hell, a combination of them might be good since the cyclo/ipm is a bit drying so the OO can only help!
ChrissyB
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Carebear what is IPM and cyclomethicone?
Would I get them from Aussie soap supplies?
And what else would I use them for?
Would I get them from Aussie soap supplies?
And what else would I use them for?
IPM is isopropyl myristate and cyclomethicone is cyclomethicone.
IPM is used in lotions and cyclo is used in bodysprays. you might be able to interchange them also. they are somewhat like fractionated coconut oil by feel.
either can make something like body butter or a lotion bar less greasy (I just use 2% or so).
I think either lotioncrafters or the herbarie have good writeups on them. maybe from nature with love.
IPM is used in lotions and cyclo is used in bodysprays. you might be able to interchange them also. they are somewhat like fractionated coconut oil by feel.
either can make something like body butter or a lotion bar less greasy (I just use 2% or so).
I think either lotioncrafters or the herbarie have good writeups on them. maybe from nature with love.
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