Syndet Shampoo Bars!

[DeeAnna]

The acid rinse, IMO, is a partial fix for the problem the soap-as-shampoo causes. The alkalinity of soap causes the cuticle of the hair (the little scales that cover each hair shaft) to open up. This makes the hair rougher and easier to damage.

It's like a frayed rope breaking easier compared to a rope that isn't frayed. This roughness can make the hair look fuller and fluffier when the hair is dried, which some people like. For my and my spouse's hair, however, this roughness reduced the shine of the hair and made our natural waves seem more frizzy.

An acid rinse helps lay the cuticle back down, making the hair shaft smoother. For some people, this acid rinse appears to be enough to cause the cuticle to lay down properly.

For others, an acid rinse helps the cuticle to lay down better but not 100% back to normal. The damage accumulates and becomes permanent, leaving the hair rough and brittle. That's what happened to me, and it's really frustrating because the damage takes some time to become obvious (at least for me). By the time it became obvious, there's no fixing it. Instead I had to cut the damaged hair off and start over.

Scenter Square on Etsy sells ready made syndet shampoo bars and hair conditioner bars. I think she does or did sell kits to make the 'poo bars, including the recipe. If she doesn't have any kits listed, you might ask for availability. Sniff Inside the Box by ScenterSquare

 

[Misschief]

Can you share with us where you bought the recipe? I have a couple of ebooks and am trying to get my head around all of the chemical names of the ingredients...I didn't do so well in any Chemistry class I took....I'm not sure I could formulate my own bars...too many choices. I'm willing to buy another recipe/book knowing someone else is using it and it works. Who knows I may already have it and just haven't stepped off that cliff to make it. LOL

This is the recipe I purchased and use.
https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/630...f=sr_gallery-1-1&organic_search_click=1&bes=1

 

[Quilter99755]

Thanks, @DeeAnna and @Misschief I will check both of them out.

 

[KiwiMoose]

This is an interesting read: The Shampoo pH can Affect the Hair: Myth or Reality?

 

[cmzaha]

I was just looking at the e-book I have and it stressed using a vinegar rinse to restore the ph of your hair. That doesn't make a big enough difference?

If your hair is short cut regularly and not shampooed every day it just might survive soap. But if it is long gorgeous, washed daily it very may not. Even vinegar rinses which mainly cut the soap film will not stop the damage.

 

[Sarah B]

These are *gorgeous*!! I've been working a few different formulations (one that I found for free, and several from swiftcraftymonkey that are superior). How did you get these so smooth? I'm thinking maybe I need to swap out my powdered SCI for noodles.

 

[SPowers]

I belong to another group and it does seems people fall into 2 very distinct camps: those who love shampoo bars and those who absolutely hate them for the reasons stated.
I did go ahead and make mine yesterday - a coconut milk shampoo bar: OO; CO' Caster; SAO; Jojoba & Avo Butter... it was nice making a bar that was simple with nothing else (fragrance/additives) to distract me. If my hair doesn't like it, I can at least say I tried it and move on with Syndet. Thanks for all the comments.

 

[Savonette]

Generally, the majority here advocate against using soap (lye based) on hair as the pH is too high and will damage hair. There are those though (Zany is one), who have been using and loving lye based shampoo bars. If you do decide to go with lye based shampoo bars, from my understanding, it's very important to follow up with something like a cider vinegar rinse and copious amounts of water. I think Zany wrote that she uses warm water, and gradually makes it colder.

Personally, I've purchased a recipe for syndet bars and love it. It's very easy to make; basically, you melt all the ingredients together and mold it.

I looked into syndet a few years ago and it seemed like they contained completely different ingredients that didn’t overlap with soap making stock. Plus you need a filtered respirator due to the superfine particles. Is that all true? Or should I have searched for more info?

 

[Claudette Carignan]

Can you share with us where you bought the recipe? I have a couple of ebooks and am trying to get my head around all of the chemical names of the ingredients...I didn't do so well in any Chemistry class I took....I'm not sure I could formulate my own bars...too many choices. I'm willing to buy another recipe/book knowing someone else is using it and it works. Who knows I may already have it and just haven't stepped off that cliff to make it. LOL

I am as well so confused on the shampoo bars. I would Love to buy a proper recipe for a good shampoo bar. I’ve done a little research and am very intimidated by all the ingredients!! It sounds so confusing and complicated.

 

[Quilter99755]

This is the recipe I purchased and use.
https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/630...f=sr_gallery-1-1&organic_search_click=1&bes=1

I bought the recipes yesterday and the way that she has things set up makes it sound so much easier than the other ebooks I bought even though the directions are very similar...it is just the way she says them. So I ordered the two items that I didn't already have, but they may be awhile in getting here. In the meantime I will make one of the other recipes that I have stuff for but will use her book when putting it all together.

It was amazing that so little was different but the end result is that now I understand it better just by the way it was written....and I've seen lots of YouTube that didn't help either. Thanks for the site. I will try her recipe when I get all the goodies. Am excited about it.

 

[DeeAnna]

I looked into syndet a few years ago and it seemed like they contained completely different ingredients that didn’t overlap with soap making stock....

You're right -- there's not a lot of overlap in ingredients for syndet cleansers versus soap cleansers. I understand why you might be reluctant to invest in yet more ingredients. That's one of the reasons why I detoured down the soap-as-shampoo route for awhile.

But I learned a syndet cleanser doesn't damage my hair and soap does. No amount of wishful thinking that, "Soap should work!" is going to change that fact.

So I can do one of two things, now that I know soap isn't an option as shampoo. I can make my own syndet shampoo with surfactants and other ingredients that work for me, or I can buy commercial shampoo and spend a fair bit of time in the store reading ingredients lists to find a product that doesn't irritate my scalp and is nice to my hair.

I like how my syndet shampoo bars are working out and I enjoy the process of making these bars, so I'm willing to invest in the ingredients.

"...Plus you need a filtered respirator due to the superfine particles..."

It is wise to work in a well ventilated area and/or wear a suitable respirator if you use any kind of powdered or hazardous ingredients.

 

[Misschief]

I looked into syndet a few years ago and it seemed like they contained completely different ingredients that didn’t overlap with soap making stock. Plus you need a filtered respirator due to the superfine particles. Is that all true? Or should I have searched for more info?

I don't have a filtered respirator but I do use a medical mask for one of the ingredients as it is a very fine powder.

 

[HowieRoll]

@KiwiMoose your syndet bars are beautiful! I love the color. Did you use a press with them?

@Misschief, do the bars from the recipe you purchased get mushy in the shower (especially toward the end)? I switched from making liquid shampoo to shampoo bars a few months ago and all was going well until summer humidity hit. Now the bars get soft and mushy in the shower and I need to figure out a reformulation. But I have all the ingredients for the recipe in the link you posted and would just buy it if they work and save myself the hassle of a million tweaks again!

(I also wonder if using a press helps keep them more firm during use?)

 

[Misschief]

@KiwiMoose your syndet bars are beautiful! I love the color. Did you use a press with them?

@Misschief, do the bars from the recipe you purchased get mushy in the shower (especially toward the end)? I switched from making liquid shampoo to shampoo bars a few months ago and all was going well until summer humidity hit. Now the bars get soft and mushy in the shower and I need to figure out a reformulation. But I have all the ingredients for the recipe in the link you posted and would just buy it if they work and save myself the hassle of a million tweaks again!

(I also wonder if using a press helps keep them more firm during use?)

Not that I've noticed. I do let them dry thoroughly between uses. Also, once they get smaller, I put them into an organaza bag and hang it up between uses.

 

[Savonette]

You're right -- there's not a lot of overlap in ingredients for syndet cleansers versus soap cleansers. I understand why you might be reluctant to invest in yet more ingredients. That's one of the reasons why I detoured down the soap-as-shampoo route for awhile.

But I learned a syndet cleanser doesn't damage my hair and soap does. No amount of wishful thinking that, "Soap should work!" is going to change that fact.

So I can do one of two things, now that I know soap isn't an option as shampoo. I can make my own syndet shampoo with surfactants and other ingredients that work for me, or I can buy commercial shampoo and spend a fair bit of time in the store reading ingredients lists to find a product that doesn't irritate my scalp and is nice to my hair.

I like how my syndet shampoo bars are working out and I enjoy the process of making these bars, so I'm willing to invest in the ingredients.

"...Plus you need a filtered respirator due to the superfine particles..."

It is wise to work in a well ventilated area and/or wear a suitable respirator if you use any kind of powdered or hazardous ingredients.

I just noticed Wholesale Supplies Plus has a shampoo bar kit! Perfect! Actually they have 3 kinds of shampoo bar kits so it's Perfect Perfect Perfect

 

[KiwiMoose]

These are *gorgeous*!! I've been working a few different formulations (one that I found for free, and several from swiftcraftymonkey that are superior). How did you get these so smooth? I'm thinking maybe I need to swap out my powdered SCI for noodles.

No - don't do that! I think the trick for pouring is the amount of emulsifying waxes/quats/ butters used ( totaling 21%) and the powdered surfactants only totaling 58%.
Melt the first lot, add the powders until it all melts down, add any liquid surfactants at the later stages of that, then take off the heat before adding preservatives, fragrance and anything else that is heat sensitive. FYI - I still use about 20% of my SCI as noodles just for a bit of texture.

 

[melinda48]

Generally, the majority here advocate against using soap (lye based) on hair as the pH is too high and will damage hair. There are those though (Zany is one), who have been using and loving lye based shampoo bars. If you do decide to go with lye based shampoo bars, from my understanding, it's very important to follow up with something like a cider vinegar rinse and copious amounts of water. I think Zany wrote that she uses warm water, and gradually makes it colder.

Personally, I've purchased a recipe for syndet bars and love it. It's very easy to make; basically, you melt all the ingredients together and mold it.

MayI ask where you purchased the recipe for syndet bars? My daughter-in-law is requesting shampoo bars and I would love to accommodate her but don’t want to make her something that would be ruinous for her gorgeous hair! Thanks.

 

[shunt2011]

I bought the recipes yesterday and the way that she has things set up makes it sound so much easier than the other ebooks I bought even though the directions are very similar...it is just the way she says them. So I ordered the two items that I didn't already have, but they may be awhile in getting here. In the meantime I will make one of the other recipes that I have stuff for but will use her book when putting it all together.

It was amazing that so little was different but the end result is that now I understand it better just by the way it was written....and I've seen lots of YouTube that didn't help either. Thanks for the site. I will try her recipe when I get all the goodies. Am excited about it.

I purchased this same one months ago and it's much clearer to translate for sure.

 

[shunt2011]

@melinda48 She shared the link on the previous page of this post.

 

[Misschief]

MayI ask where you purchased the recipe for syndet bars? My daughter-in-law is requesting shampoo bars and I would love to accommodate her but don’t want to make her something that would be ruinous for her gorgeous hair! Thanks.

I posted the link up thread, post #22