Interested in making my first batch of shampoo bars and had a few questions for those of you who have done I before. I have used Coconut oil as a moisturizing treatment before with disastrous results my normally thin flat hair was a total frizzy mess. Is incorporating it into a shampoo bar going to have the same effect? And to help with cleansing and lather has anyone tried using soap nuts? I was thinking about boiling some in water and using that mix instead of water. Any suggestions, ideas or success? Thanks.
Shampoo bar
- Thread starter Jjspin
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Soap is not shampoo. You will ruin your hair more. Go to www.swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com and read about making syndet shampoo bars. They are made with Surfactants.
Welcome Jjspin! :wave:
I've never used soapnuts, but I think there are some here who do. Hopefully they will chime in soon.
When you use the term 'shampoo bar', do you mean a lye-based bar (i.e. soap) or a syndet based bar (i.e., synthetic detergent/surfactant)?
Although I do make a shampoo bar (lye-based), it does not contain coconut oil. And the funny part is that I don't even actually use it on my hair- because my hair does not do well with lye-based shampoos at all. I use it on the rest of me instead, which loves it.
RE: coconut oil....as it relates to being used by itself vs in a lye-based soap formula: coconut oil that's used in its normal/natural/unsaponified state as a moisturizing treatment is much different than coconut oil used as part of a lye-based soap formula- whether a shampoo bar or a body bar. The lye changes the chemical makeup of the coconut oil and turns it from being a moisturizing agent into a highly cleansing soap that will suck your skin dry of its natural oils (unless you highly superfat it).
If your shampoo bar is a syndet-based bar, I have no advice to offer since I have never made one, but the link Carolyn pointed you to above is an excellent source for such info.
IrishLass
I've never used soapnuts, but I think there are some here who do. Hopefully they will chime in soon.
When you use the term 'shampoo bar', do you mean a lye-based bar (i.e. soap) or a syndet based bar (i.e., synthetic detergent/surfactant)?
Although I do make a shampoo bar (lye-based), it does not contain coconut oil. And the funny part is that I don't even actually use it on my hair- because my hair does not do well with lye-based shampoos at all. I use it on the rest of me instead, which loves it.
RE: coconut oil....as it relates to being used by itself vs in a lye-based soap formula: coconut oil that's used in its normal/natural/unsaponified state as a moisturizing treatment is much different than coconut oil used as part of a lye-based soap formula- whether a shampoo bar or a body bar. The lye changes the chemical makeup of the coconut oil and turns it from being a moisturizing agent into a highly cleansing soap that will suck your skin dry of its natural oils (unless you highly superfat it).
If your shampoo bar is a syndet-based bar, I have no advice to offer since I have never made one, but the link Carolyn pointed you to above is an excellent source for such info.
IrishLass
If you are talking about having used coconut OIL on your hair ... keep in mind that the properties of a given OIL are not remotely the same as the properties of the SOAP made from that oil.
Coconut oil SOAP in particular is very harsh to the skin and hair. I'd not use it on my hair if you paid me. Mose people who use lye soap to wash their hair use little or no coconut oil to make the soap.
You might want to skim through this thread to get ideas: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=30946 The last page in this thread might be a good place to start to learn whether you really want to use lye soap to wash your hair.
I have used soap nuts to wash clothes but not hair. I was advised that soap nuts can be drying for my hair type so I never tried them. My hair is already extremely dry. My scalp barely produces oil.
But there are many people who swear by them. I am not sure how you would incorporate them into a soap, if that is what interests you. Most people soak them in hot water. The "soap"comes out in a gel type of liquid. You remove the nuts and use the gel as "soap". If my memory serves me correctly, the pH of soap nuts is lower that that of soap. From that perspective it could be more gentle on you hair cuticle than soap.
Will you let us know how it turns out if you try it?
But there are many people who swear by them. I am not sure how you would incorporate them into a soap, if that is what interests you. Most people soak them in hot water. The "soap"comes out in a gel type of liquid. You remove the nuts and use the gel as "soap". If my memory serves me correctly, the pH of soap nuts is lower that that of soap. From that perspective it could be more gentle on you hair cuticle than soap.
Will you let us know how it turns out if you try it?
kdaniels8811
Well-Known Member
Search for LizArdlady shampoo bar recipe. http://lizardladysoapinfo.blogspot.com/2014/06/so-you-want-to-make-bar-of-shampoo.html The recipe is hot process, I use the same recipe and make it cold process. The shampoo bar rocks! I use it myself on my hip length hair and sell a ton to my customers. Good luck!
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