I am brand new to soapmaking, but have some experience herbal and acid rinses.
I noticed several people had a hard time, getting oily results when starting out. If you have hard water it seems to be a common struggle. Several people have recommended the FAQ on how to deal with hard water from J.R. Liggett:
https://jrliggett.com/faq#best-results.
In regards to herbal rinses and acid rinses, different people have different results. I don't use acid rinses often, maybe once a week or so. I will leave them on for a minute or so after
gently combing through with a wide tooth combination. For an acid you can use:
- 1.5 tsp lemon juice in 8 oz. warm water
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar in 8 oz. warm water
- 1 tsp citric acid in 8 oz warm water
For the herbal acid rinses, there are a few ways to go about it. Infusing vinegar is certainly the most "straight up". Add the herbs of choice to the vinegar (some people use kombucha vinegar, wine vinegar, most common is apple cider vinegar), warm it in a double boiler until it warm but not hot. You don't want to boil it. Then pour the herb and vinegar mixture into a clean, glass jar and let it steep for 4-6 weeks, shaking it regularly. Then you can strain out the herbs through a cheesecloth or fine mesh, and simply use the vinegar as above.
If you are using the lemon juice or citric acid, it takes a little more effort ongoing, but less time up front. If you are infusing water, you basically make an overnight tea. Bring the water up to heat, add the herbs, put in a clean jar, close and let steep for 24 hours. You can then store the tea in the fridge to preserve it for a week or two. You can dilute the tea with warm water and the acid to keep it from being an intensely
refreshing rinse - 2 oz tea, to 6 oz water - and acid of your choice depending on your preferences.
I tend to leave a weeks worth in a condiment bottle in the fridge, and the rest of the herb mix can stays in the fridge.
As far as what kind of herbs to use? It really depends on what you are looking for. If you want to use essential oils, add those after everything is done infusing and you're making your mix for the week. Then 5-7 drops in the bottle, and make sure you shake well before rinsing, to distribute the oils through the water.
Some good herbs for the "normal" range of hair and skin are:
- Lavender
- Camomile
- Nettle
- Horsetail
- Mint
- Sage
- Rosemary
- Green tea
- Fenugreek
- Borage
- Burdock
If you are using essential oils, don't use Rosemary essential oil if you are pregnant or have epilepsy.
Essential oils can be the same as the herbs above of course, additional ones might be carrot seed, Clary Sage, Patchouli, Geranium, Cedarwood, Peppermint, Lemongrass, Neroli.
For oily skin/hair: Rosemary, Lemongrass, Tea Tree, Sage, Eucalyptus, Neem, Clove, Bay, Oregano, Mint, and Basil.
Just be careful of Peppermint - too much and you will feel very minty fresh.
I generally use a mix of Lavender, Sage, Chamomile, Clove, Fenugreek, Rosemary, Nettle, and Mint herbs. I then use essential oils of Clary Sage and Cedarwood.
For blondes, I don't recommend herbal infusing Rosemary, Sage, Borage or Clove. Instead use Calendula, Chamomile, Lemon, and/or Sunflower petals.
Brunettes consider Black Tea, Black Walnut hulls (crushed or chopped), Comfrey root, Nettle, Rosemary, Sage.
Red heads consider Calendula, Henna, Hibiscus flowers, Red Clover flowers, Rose hips, and Red Rose petals.
You can use these herb combinations minus the acids, just as a nice treat for hair and scalp - especially the horsetail and fenugreek. I hope this helps give some inspiration and food for thought, whether you use shampoo bars or not!
Kaye
