Shampoo separation :(

[jarvan]

I have been dabbling in making a liquid shampoo, based off of the info on swiftcraftmonkey's blog. Such good info there!

The thing is this: I find my final product to be a bit runny for my liking. Therefore, I have a couple of options for thickening. I have Crothix and I have table salt. I chose salt for no other reason than to try it. I had read a while back that common table salt used sparingly can thicken nicely. It sure does. I was real happy with the consistency and poured it into the little bottle, then by morning, a small layer had separated. It looks a bit like the water drawn out of the rest of the shampoo.

Anyone wanna hazard a guess as to whether it was the salt causing the water to come out or the product to start to separate?

Any other ideas?

If I need to give more info, I can. I just don't like to put up a recipe if I don't have to.

 

[jarvan]

I will reply to my own post, since I think I figured out the problem. I think I must have added just that little bit too much salt and caused the solution to "crash" and start going the opposite direction (thinning).

Plus, I am a dumb bunny because I just should have concentrated the batch like I had contemplated and cut down the water in the recipe. Then I would not have needed the salt to thicken it, hence crashing the mixture. It's all good. The shampoo is usable.

I have reworked my recipe and will know tomorrow (when I batch it) whether it worked.

 

[Sunny]

yaaaaay I had no direction for you but here's some moral support! good luck! :wink:

 

[carebear]

i've been watching to see what responses you get (I don't play in the liquids arena much). please let us know what tomorrow brings!

 

[jarvan]

It was definitely the salt that caused my trouble. I concentrated the shampoo this time and made a coordinating conditioner and so far they look great in the bottle. I'll test them tomorrow. I am curious to see how the conditioner comes out of the airless pump bottle I have it in. It's the consistency of a thick lotion.

 

[Best Natural Soap]

Yay for you!!

I haven't dabbled in shampoos yet. Are they every bit as nice as the commercial products you were using before? Or, do you have those "I wish it was more like...." moments?

I remember trying to get my mom to try my soap when I was in college- she said it left more soap scum than her usual soap (Dial), so she was very reluctant to switch. Over time, she's come around. Now, she's an exclusive handcrafted soap user!! There's hope for us all...
:wink: