Clarifying Shampoo Bar - Thoughts?

[Consuela]

I'm sorry, for some reason I have this inability to just say what I want to say and instead, need to make a story out of everything

Anyway. I make these Shampoo Bars - and I've been on the same recipe for a few years now. For the past few years, my hair has been wonderful. I know A LOT of people suggest and swear by a vinegar rinse - but I have NEVER had ANY good luck with that at all. So I stopped trying and I don't use one.

Then we moved to the land of treated city water. And until I entered my 3rd trimester all within a week of each other. Literally, I washed my hair in our old house on a Tuesday (well water) - my hair was nice. The same way it always is.

We moved into our new house on a Wednesday and I washed my hair......and my hair was greasy. I immediately said "I hate this water. This is disgusting, feel my gross hair."

Hubby says "Maybe it's your hormones, you're in the third trimester now, pregnancy does crazy things to pregnant ladies."

True. I totally get that. So I washed my hair again, and again, and every time I did with that shampoo bar - my hair was OILIER than hell. Me and the Shampoo bar had a falling out... I went to the store and bought the cheapest strippen-ist shampoo I could find to give my hair a good old fashioned stripping with a detergent.

Worked wonderful. My hair was back to normal....for a few days.

Pregnancy Hormones. Said the husband again.

Until more than one house-guest mentioned that the water felt "oily" and different than where they were from. Of course, water is different everywhere... (So here I is, thinking that perhaps this isn't a prego-related issue.)

Anyway... I need to make some kind of clarifying shampoo bar and reformulate the one that I have made because I'm not happy with it.

The first clarifying bar I made I had originally made it for volume...but I didn't care for the "lack" of lather - and I just didn't love it. I made this over a year ago - so it's had a nice long time to cure. Hubby loved it - but I don't.

Also - I wonder if it's stripping too much, causing my hair to make MORE oils to accommodate - and thus, feeling greasy....again.

So here's my starting point:

1000g CO
500g OO
300g Grapeseed O
50g Shea
4TBS Lemon/Lime Juice
Sea Salt (less than 50%)
2 TBS Ground Lemon Peel Powder
Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit & Patch EO
SF 3%

There's a lot I could muck around with. And don't get me wrong: I realize the reason the lather is crappy, is because this particular recipe - won't work well as a salt bar. Plus the SF, and the addition of Shea, don't work well in this recipe.

SO my question(s) is/are:

Should I try a 100% CO Salt bar for clarifying? But then, I'll have to up my SF... (My regular salt bars are SF at 10%) - and couldn't this perhaps contribute to the oily hair problem all over again? OR will this be what I'm looking for?

Should I just reduce the other oils and increase the coconut until I find a happy medium?

Cut the Shea Butter out?

Should I scrap this recipe altogether, and just start back at square one?

OR... do I cut the salt right out, and go with a different group of oils? (I wanted a salt bar, because when we were in Mexico - I washed my hair with the ocean water - and it was lovely... I really wanted to try and recreate that.)

OKay. Now that I wrote you a novel, I hope someone has something to say about this... And open to all criticism about this recipe, and opinions. I MAY even be open to trying the vinegar rinse again...but we'll see.

 

[IrishLass]

I've never made or used shampoo bars, so I can't weigh in on that, but I just wanted to chime in on the water issue. It sounds like your new place has really hard water. From what I understand, the minerals in hard water (mainly calcium) react with the sodium in handmade lye-based soap and form calcium soap which is highly insoluble and scum-forming, which can make hair feel really gross and heavy-laden, like it's not clean. Sounds like your old well water was more on the soft side of things. Using a bit of tetrasodium EDTA or sodium citrate in your soap formula can help cut down on the scum formation.


IrishLass

 

[Consuela]

That absolutely makes sense! I'll see if I can order some tetrasodium EDTA or sodium citrate with my next order and give it a try.

That's exactly what it feels like. Soap scum built up in my hair

(AND...just realized, the other day I used foaming bath butter in my hair because I left the other shampoo in the other bathroom; so I tried that. It also has tetrasodium EDTA in it, and my hair was rather lovely after using that..)

 

[CaraBou]

I had the same thought as the Lass. It's worth a try before going back to ground zero (or make them concurrently; two batches are more fun than one!). Good luck.

 

[Susie]

If you are in the US, you can buy citric acid from any store that sells canning supplies(if you just can't wait for a shipment). I got some at Walmart.

 

[Consuela]

I'm in Canada, but there is a close soap supplier that I can get citric acid from, for sure. I will get both and try those out.

 

[cmzaha]

I've never made or used shampoo bars, so I can't weigh in on that, but I just wanted to chime in on the water issue. It sounds like your new place has really hard water. From what I understand, the minerals in hard water (mainly calcium) react with the sodium in handmade lye-based soap and form calcium soap which is highly insoluble and scum-forming, which can make hair feel really gross and heavy-laden, like it's not clean. Sounds like your old well water was more on the soft side of things. Using a bit of tetrasodium EDTA or sodium citrate in your soap formula can help cut down on the scum formation.
IrishLass

I have to agree with IrishLass on this. If I were you I would make some nice mild syndet shampoo bars. Susan at http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/2010/06/shampoo-shampoo-bars-overview.html has several recipes and hints.
Hair really does not like bar soap. Soft water versus hard water makes a very big difference in how the hair is after shampooing

 

[Obsidian]

Have you tried a vinegar rinse since moving? It can help with removing residue.

 

[Consuela]

Have you tried a vinegar rinse since moving? It can help with removing residue.

I have not, but I will try that to, as I am open to options

 

[Dahila]

a year ago I had a major hair loss, all test good, then I dumped all the specialty shampoos and made Obsidian shampoo bar with the ACV rinse. I added soapworth and it is the best shampoo I had ever had. Hair stopped falling out, color stays longer, and hair is easy to maintain (it is short) Shinny and no build up My friend who have very long hair is using it too, and she like it, a lot. She does rinse with ACV