First syndet shampoo bars

Obsidian · Jan 21, 2018

I made my first syndet shampoo today with a kit I got from etsy. Came with everything but preservative, scent and color. It even included the actual recipe so I can just buy the ingredients instead of the kit.

It mixed easy, melted quickly in the microwave and was liquid enough to pour. I scented these with 1 part imogene rose and 2 parts BB champagne.

For some reason I was a bit intimidated to try these, maybe it was due to all the unfamiliar ingredients. Now that I know I can do it, its time to make some from scratch.

I like these so much more than liquid shampoo. They aren't as harsh as sulfate poo but more cleansing than sulfate free poo. No conditioner and my hair is soft & shiny.

earlene · Jan 21, 2018

So cool! They look lovely. Do you mind providing a link to the kit?

Obsidian · Jan 21, 2018

Sure thing. I also got a couple gifts, a sample sized syndet bar and a matching solid conditioner. Instructions are very well written too, its hard to mess this up. I would suggest a respirator or at the very least a fine particle mask. The powdered surfactants are extremely dusty, not good to breath in.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/109698585/shampoo-bar-kit-3-finished-bars?ref=shop_home_active_15

Cellador · Jan 22, 2018

Very cool! And thanks for the link! I have been wanting to try these, but I've been a little intimidated by the amount of new ingredients needed to make them.

BLKTea · Jan 22, 2018

Just Ordered the Kit for myself! I cant wait to try. Thank you for the Link.

earlene · Jan 22, 2018

Oops, they are sold out!

Obsidian · Jan 22, 2018

earlene said:
Oops, they are sold out!

message the shop owner and see if she will list more. Its not a product she normally carries so I don't know if she will relist it unless someone asks.

dxw · Jan 22, 2018

I'm a rank noob soap-maker and just, this weekend, made a small syndet shampoo bar batch from scratch – SCI > SLSa >> Other ingredients. Mine ended up nowhere near as pretty as yours, but they do smell delightfully lavender.

I found the initial melting phase (SCI) very slow until I added some of the beta coco liquid to the SCI. Providing a liquid phase clearly helps the solid materials melt.

I did not wear a face mask and found both the dust and the fumes a little discomforting. While I had visions of those inhalants stripping off my lungs’ surfactants I seem to not have suffered any problems.

My final bars, actually hemispheres, ended up with scattered small pearls of imperfections which I suspect are tiny remaining unmelted, or resolidified, SCI. The final product, although not very pretty, is already popular with the family (wife and teens of both genders) as it clearly cleans very effectively … and, well, lavender! Next attempt I plan to increase the conditioning / moisturising aspects, and make sure I have some liquid in the pot to start with … and wear a mask. Other next attempts include CP-soap ‘shampoo’ bars, but that’s an entirely other issue.

___
The attached picture shows two of my 'bars', one cut in half using a knife. The rough face you see on the two halves is the top, upper surface, from when they were in the mould.

Obsidian · Jan 22, 2018

from what I understand, most syndet bars are kinda lumpy. This particular recipe gets fairly liquid. The powders/oil and liquid surfactants were mixed then melted. Took about 2 minutes in the microwave, this is the recipe used.

Heated powder ingredients- add colorant here if using, micas work great.
SCI 32%
cetyl alcohol 5%
BTMS25 7%
Incroquat CR 5%
Shea butter (any butter will work) 5%
SLSa 28%

Liquid heated ingredients (mix with powders)
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate 6%
Cocamidopropyl Betaine 6%

Cool down phase
Silk amino acids 1%
Panthenol 1%
Dimethicone 1%
Cyclomethicone 1%
CTAC 1%
Preservative 1%
Fragrance 1-3%

melt heated phase at 30 second bursts in microwave. Make sure not to burn or overheat, it will puff up and come out of your bowl if you do. Will resemble applesauce when melted.
Cool down to the appropriate temps for your preservative. Add preservative and fragrance, mix well and quickly pour into molds.

dxw · Jan 22, 2018

I used a double saucepan method with a hemispherical stainless steel bowl sitting in/on a large saucepan of boiling water.

Obsidian · Jan 22, 2018

I was going to use a double boiler too but the instructions said it takes a long time and I'm impatient.

BLKTea · Jan 29, 2018

This was Super easy and super quick. I tried a bar today and my hair feels great!

Obsidian · Jan 29, 2018

They look great, I really like the mold you used. Did you scent them?

cmzaha · Jan 29, 2018

According to the recipe I see on her site she list Propandiol as an ingredient which is hygroscopic like glycerin, so I really wonder how the longevity of the bars are compared to syndets made with just liquid surfs as the main liquid.

BLKTea · Jan 30, 2018

i used .3 fl oz of mint EO and they smell great

Dahila · Jan 30, 2018

cmzaha said:
According to the recipe I see on her site she list Propandiol as an ingredient which is hygroscopic like glycerin, so I really wonder how the longevity of the bars are compared to syndets made with just liquid surfs as the main liquid.

I add preservative to my syndet the one oil soluble, just in case

Obsidian · Jan 30, 2018

cmzaha said:
According to the recipe I see on her site she list Propandiol as an ingredient which is hygroscopic like glycerin, so I really wonder how the longevity of the bars are compared to syndets made with just liquid surfs as the main liquid.

The ingredients in the kit are a bit of a mystery.

The ingredients on her site and the Etsy listing are different than the ingredients on the recipe card included in the kit so I don't really know what I'm washing with.

I do know the bars are quite hard until they get wet. Even setting it aside for a few days doesn't really help, they stay soft.

I like them enough to use them up but I won't repurchase the kit or bother with her recipe.

@BLKTea did you get a solid conditioner sample? I did and I think I like it but the scent it so terrible I can't stand to use it. It's nice on the skin too.

Might have to look into a good solid conditioner recipe.

Dahila · Jan 30, 2018

Obsidian mine were kind of soft as long as I had used Shea butter, I had switched to cocoa and right now i use only kokum butter and they are nice , very hard and white. Syndet bar should stay hard not to soften up
There is probably too much liquid in it,

cmzaha · Jan 30, 2018

Dahila said:
Obsidian mine were kind of soft as long as I had used Shea butter, I had switched to cocoa and right now i use only kokum butter and they are nice , very hard and white. Syndet bar should stay hard not to soften up
There is probably too much liquid in it,

My experience with making shampoo bars, any that are liquid enough to stay pour-able are going to end up getting mushy after a few uses. Hard butters help, but tweaking the emulsifier helps the most. I also preserve mine

Obsidian · Jan 30, 2018

I don't know what kind of butter was used in the kit but it was softer so was probably shea.
Here is a question, can these be mixed with water and made into a liquid?
If I try, I would guess I'd need a preservative for water based formula?

First syndet shampoo bars

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