Mark the Box Guy
Well-Known Member
Though Genny's now immortal shampoo recipe has (according to soapcalc) low cleansing, low bubbles, medium creamy, is soft, and has a ton of conditioning, and therefor has the same general characteristics I'd like in a conditioning bar, I'm compelled to still consider it a shampoo, though I have no idea why.
So after a trip into the local Lush, I picked up a bar of their crazy looking Jungle Conditioning Bar and leaped into the shower. That's a fine conditioner, and after a bit of digging about, saw that it was mostly Cocoa Butter with a bit of crushed up Avocado. As it so happens, I'm about to receive a carton with CB and Avocado Oil, so why not give it a go. It will be one of this weekend's projects.
Full disclosure: average white guy with fine greying hair that's washed too often with handmade (someone else's hand) Shampoo Bars and desperately wants a conditioner. I did have a bit of dandruff until the shampoo bars put an end to that.
Here's what I've come up with:
Avocado Oil 50g
Olive Oil 235g (though varying the weight from 130 to 300 had very little impact on SoapCalc.)
Castor Oil 80g
Cocoa Butter 200g
Yes: this sounds good. It should have zero cleansing, high conditioning, low bubbly, high creamy, and very soft. I had considering using shea butter and perhaps some sweet almond oil, but could find no immediate benefits. Did I miss something?
But this sounds inferior to Genny's shampoo. Her bar creates more bubbles.
The confusion is over just how to distinguish between the various soap types. Since I've started making soap (and reading a great deal) I've taken the view that soaps shouldn't be neatly organised into types like hair, body, or face. Instead, soap is very much a tool for a job, and should simply be created with the result and use in mind.
Which still leaves me considering whether Genny's shampoo should be used as, and called a conditioner (albeit a shea rather then coconut one.)
Any thoughts? Remember, I have neighbours (including my curmudgeonly Mum-in-Law) who are watching me carefully. England can be a dodgy place.
So after a trip into the local Lush, I picked up a bar of their crazy looking Jungle Conditioning Bar and leaped into the shower. That's a fine conditioner, and after a bit of digging about, saw that it was mostly Cocoa Butter with a bit of crushed up Avocado. As it so happens, I'm about to receive a carton with CB and Avocado Oil, so why not give it a go. It will be one of this weekend's projects.
Full disclosure: average white guy with fine greying hair that's washed too often with handmade (someone else's hand) Shampoo Bars and desperately wants a conditioner. I did have a bit of dandruff until the shampoo bars put an end to that.
Here's what I've come up with:
Avocado Oil 50g
Olive Oil 235g (though varying the weight from 130 to 300 had very little impact on SoapCalc.)
Castor Oil 80g
Cocoa Butter 200g
Yes: this sounds good. It should have zero cleansing, high conditioning, low bubbly, high creamy, and very soft. I had considering using shea butter and perhaps some sweet almond oil, but could find no immediate benefits. Did I miss something?
But this sounds inferior to Genny's shampoo. Her bar creates more bubbles.
The confusion is over just how to distinguish between the various soap types. Since I've started making soap (and reading a great deal) I've taken the view that soaps shouldn't be neatly organised into types like hair, body, or face. Instead, soap is very much a tool for a job, and should simply be created with the result and use in mind.
Which still leaves me considering whether Genny's shampoo should be used as, and called a conditioner (albeit a shea rather then coconut one.)
Any thoughts? Remember, I have neighbours (including my curmudgeonly Mum-in-Law) who are watching me carefully. England can be a dodgy place.
Last edited: