Questions about shampoos

[Fatima]

So I just started looking into soap making, at first I just assumed soap and shampoo making are interchangeable. But I read that they are not so I have started reading up on shampoo making. However, I am confused about the hoards of information online. Most online forums, and the book I read 'Liquid Soap making' by Summer Vautier give recipes of shampoos which have no surfactants and it just talks about the need to reduce the pH of the soap so that it is not harsh on the skin.

And then there is anionic surfactant, which is basically lye.... I am just confused on what to follow atm. Can someone direct my research a little bit.

Oh and my aim is of course keeping it all natural or close to it at least. But just the list surfactant names makes it sound like I should just buy that stuff from the supermarket....

 

[DeeAnna]

Hmmm. Not sure why you think anionic surfactants are "basically lye." Examples of anionic surfactants include sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, ammonium laureth sulfate, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, and disodium laureth sulfoccinate. These surfactants are not remotely close to potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide, the two most common alkalies (lyes) used to make soap.

So let's talk about terminology. If you are talking about a cleanser made by saponifying fats and alkali, you're talking about soap. If you want to call a particular soap product by another name -- body wash, shampoo, facial cleanser, or whatever -- that's fine, but it's still essentially soap being dressed up with a fancy name. I'm going to call it lye-based soap to be abundantly clear.

So then there are cleansers that are not lye-based soap. These are synthetic detergents (syndets) such as the ones listed in my first paragraph. Unless you're talking to a person who makes handcrafted lye-based soap for washing hair, the word "shampoo" normally refers to a syndet blend of cleansers used for washing hair. Not soap. Syndets.

Only in the world of handcrafted lye-based soap making do you hear much about lye-based soap being used as "shampoo." So when you delve into this craft, it gets really confusing to know for certain what the word "shampoo" means to the other people you are talking to.

If you want to make lye-based soap for washing hair, that's fine. Many people do and claim wonderful things for their "shampoo" and if it works on their hair, more power to them.

On the other hand, you'll quickly see equally as many lye-based soap makers who have gotten bad results from using lye-based soap to wash their hair. I'm one of them. If I could successfully use lye-based soap for washing my hair, I'd do it happily, but I've learned from experience that lye-based soap badly damages my and my husband's hair.

Please do not get into the way of thinking that "if I can't pronounce the name of a chemical, then it has to be bad." I can't use soap on my hair, but I make a syndet shampoo that does work well. I intentionally make it as simple as possible. Not because I feel my products must meet some "crunchy" and "natural" standards, but just because it pleases me to see how simple I can go and still get good results.

 

[lsg]

Lye based soap does not work well with my hair. Swiftcraftymonkey blog has a lot of information on surfactant based shampoos. It is not that hard to make shampoo with surfactants, if you know what each ingredient adds to the recipe.

 

[cmzaha]

Not only can lye based soap damage hair, it will wreck havoc with colored treated hair. Many people today spend high dollars for highly colored hair, this is usually done in 2 steps to acquire the color, sometimes 3 steps, which can already be hard on the hair. Now, throw in a high ph soap in the mix and you have a situation for fading hair color and adding another scenario that can cause damage. High ph opens the hair shaft cuticle, which is also what happens when most color formulas are applied to the hair so it can enter the hair shaft and the color sticks. When you use lye based soap you now open up the cuticle and start washing/fading the expensive hair color.

 

[Fatima]

Thanks! I think your comment is a good enough eye opener to force me into looking into surfactants properly. Thank you

Not only can lye based soap damage hair, it will wreck havoc with colored treated hair. Many people today spend high dollars for highly colored hair, this is usually done in 2 steps to acquire the color, sometimes 3 steps, which can already be hard on the hair. Now, throw in a high ph soap in the mix and you have a situation for fading hair color and adding another scenario that can cause damage. High ph opens the hair shaft cuticle, which is also what happens when most color formulas are applied to the hair so it can enter the hair shaft and the color sticks. When you use lye based soap you now open up the cuticle and start washing/fading the expensive hair color.

I have never dyed my hair but now I think I understand why lye based shampoos are not the correct way to go. Thanks!

Lye based soap does not work well with my hair. Swiftcraftymonkey blog has a lot of information on surfactant based shampoos. It is not that hard to make shampoo with surfactants, if you know what each ingredient adds to the recipe.

Yes I am have become a swiftcraftmonkey fan, it is amazing how much information it has