Could this shampoo bar make a good general soap as well?

[Dan]

I came up with this recipe as a shampoo bar. I was really trying to maximize the castor oil and beeswax, for conditioning, lather, and maintaining hardness.

Olive Oil 30%
Palm Oil 30%
Coconut Oil 15%
Castor 15%
Beeswax 5%
Canola 5%
About 1 tsp honey per bar
Used all goats milk in place of water

Soapcalc results
Super fat 5%
Water 34% of oil weight

Hardness 37
Cleansing 10
Conditioning 63
Bubbly 24
Creamy 38
Iodine 62
INS 135

It turned out better than I hoped. It set up super-quick with all the beeswax, but not too hard to handle. I love the silky hardness. Even though the bubbly number is only 24 there is a ton of lather, which is important to me. I like all the soapcalc numbers except for maybe the cleansing at 10. My question is whether or not it would fine for a general purpose bar as well? Does the low cleansing number matter for that? Low cleansing is good for a shampoo bar, but not for all-over body? What would be the weakness as far as an everyday bar?

Thanks so much

 

[shunt2011]

It would be fine for a body soap. I wouldn't personally use it as a shampoo bar as it's too high in CO and the beeswax causes a drag as well as a waxy coating for the hair.

 

[Dan]

I see what you mean about the waxy coating. Is the castor oil a problem as long as the bar turned out nice and hard? What is the issue when it's too much?

Thanks

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I agree - it's more a body bar than a shampoo bar.

Cleansing number is somewhat misleading - a Castile has a cleansing number of 0 but still cleans you.

 

[Susie]

Exactly what shunt2011 and TEG said.

 

[Obsidian]

I think it would be a very nice body bar. Having dry skin, I like the cleansing number to be around 10. For shampoo bars, I keep the cleansing number between 3 and 6 with a 3% SF. You don't want oily/waxy residue left on your hair.

 

[shunt2011]

Here is a great thread regarding shampoo bars. Give it a read, lots of great information.

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=30946&highlight=genny

 

[MorpheusPA]

For me, with dry skin but grease-pit hair, this would be a good shampoo bar...but I'd prefer something more conditioning for a body bar. My shampoo bar is 30% CO and I still have to wash my hair twice.

Your mileage, however, is going to vary a lot. There's no reason somebody wouldn't be perfectly happy with this for both body and hair, or just for body but find it too drying for hair.

 

[Dan]

Thanks for the input. Really appreciate it.