Shampoo Bar questions

[not_ally]

I want to make some shampoo bars for Xmas presents and had some questions for you shampoo bar makers out there:

(1) What size seems to work the best? It seems like commercial ones run the gamut between 3 to 6 oz. How many washes do you typically get out of a 3 oz bar? I realize this would depend on the formula, as I've tried the DIY B&B recipe and one of the Humblebee ones, the DIY B&B one was hard as a rock after a several day cure and has lasted a long time, the Humblebee one got pretty mushy and melted accordingly quickly. But your results would be nice if possible.

(2) Does anybody else have difficulty getting FO's/scents to stick with these? They don't seem to linger in your hair after you shower the way commercial shampoos do. I am adding more FO than the recipes call for, but still do not really smell fragrances in my hair after showering, certainly not after some time elapses.

 

[lsg]

I used clay in the shampoo bar I made and the scent seems to linger. You might try using a fixative with your FOs Or EOs.
the Eden Blog - Fixatives and Their Function in Natural Perfumery

 

[not_ally]

Thank you, @lsg! Will try. Also, appreciate the Eden Blog link, very interesting and informative.

 

[Kcryss]

Wow, 6oz shampoo bars? lol, my soaps are only 4oz. 6oz is way too large imho. I would stick with 3oz. Most of the shampoo bars I've made so far are guest soap size.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Are you making syndet bars or soap-as-shampoo?
I make my syndet shampoo bars around 50 - 60g ( about 2 ounces).They last for several weeks with both my husband and i using it. He shampoos everyday, whereas I do every third day.

 

[not_ally]

@KiwiMoose, syndet bars, definitely, my hair can't take regular CP, it makes it very strawlike and yucky/sort of coated feeling. I love the shampoo bars, though. Thank you for your size/time results, I think smaller is better based on what you and @Kcryss have posted.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

You might try using a fixative with your FOs Or EOs.
the Eden Blog - Fixatives and Their Function in Natural Perfumery

Thank you for that link. I love what they had to say about my all-time favorite "anchor" for EO blends:

Oakmoss: Has a heavy, rich earthy-mossy, bark-like and extremely tenacious fragrance with a high fixative value; blends well with virtually all other oils, including lavender and ylang-ylang. Used to lend body and rich natural undertones to all perfume types.

Oakmoss is not just for neutralizing the odor of animal fats in soap. Even 10% Oakmoss at 1 part added to a blend adds a solid base to "fix" the fragrance without adding a dominant tone. It's a good thing!

 

[not_ally]

@Zany_in_CO , what is 10% oakmoss at 1 part? I assumed 10% oakmoss meant 10% of the fragrance blend, but don't understand the "1 part" piece. Also, my memory is that you use exclusively EO's, do you know if you can use EOs to "fix" FOs in place?

 

[Mobjack Bay]

But let’s not forget that oakmoss absolute is a skin sensitizer:

“Tisserand and Young warn that there is a high risk of skin sensitization associated with Oakmoss Absolute and that it should be avoided by those with hypersensitive/diseased/damaged skin and in children 2 and under. They recommend a dermal maximum of 0.1%.”

source: Aromaweb

 

[DeeAnna]

@Zany_in_CO , what is 10% oakmoss at 1 part? I assumed 10% oakmoss meant 10% of the fragrance blend, but don't understand the "1 part" piece. Also, my memory is that you use exclusively EO's, do you know if you can use EOs to "fix" FOs in place?

The "10% oakmoss" is oakmoss diluted in a carrier oil. The oakmoss is 10% of the total weight of this mixture.

And then you use that mixture in your EO blend as "1 part" of the EO blend.

People do this for EOs, concretes, absolutes, etc. that have very low skin-safe dosages and/or are thick and difficult to work with in pure form. ROE (rosemary oleoresin extract) is another example.

 

[not_ally]

Thank you DeeAnna. Exactly what I needed, and good to know.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

@Zany_in_CO , what is 10% oakmoss at 1 part? I assumed 10% oakmoss meant 10% of the fragrance blend, but don't understand the "1 part" piece.

Go to the link provided in Post #7 to learn how to make 10% Oakmoss. Once made, you need very little to anchor a blend. Trust your nose.

Also, my memory is that you use exclusively EO's,

Nope. I used to be that way but no longer do that because FOs seem to last longer.

do you know if you can use EOs to "fix" FOs in place?

Yes, I believe that's the way to go but I would refer to the Eden Blog @lsg recommended to access a guide for making EO/FO blends that work.

I use a combo of EO + FO. Conveniently, when I first started doing that, WSP came out with a boatload of EO/FO blends that capitalize on the best of both worlds. Go to WSP Fragrance Calc. Choose "Cold Process Soap". Then choose "FO & EO Blend". Then type an "A" in the box that asks you to choose a blend and you get a drop down menu of all the blends available. Then you can use the ID number of each blend that interests you to go to the page to learn more about it. So cool.

I prefer the blends with a larger % of essential oils. My all-time faves for scent and longevity are Bladderwrack and Pink but both are now only available in bulk sizes.

 

[glendam]

I have made them to be about 3 oz, depends on the mold I use. Usually I follow the recipes from Humblebee and me, and they have lasted a long time, except one of them, where I did a substitution for one of the butters (I think it was the mango mango recipe).
I also have noticed that the fragrance does not seem to last, or is overpowered by the scent of the other ingredients. I have not tried adding more though.

 

[KiwiMoose]

They last for several weeks with both my husband and i using it.

Incorrect grammar! ..with both my husband and me using it. There. I'm happy now.