Many people use their cold process soap as a shampoo bar as well. But hair is different than skin, so you need to do a few things differently in order to have the best results. Most soap makers recommend:
Homemade Shampoo Recipes
First, for the best results on your hair, there are a few changes you can make to your regular soap recipe that will help your soap work better on hair. Castor oil makes great shampoo, as do the softer oils like avocado, canola, and almond. Here are three recipes to get you started. Feel free to customize them or use similar oils that you may have on hand. (For example, you can easily substitute palm kernel for the coconut, or rice bran for the olive, or lard for the palm.) Included are the percentages of each ingredient to make a 2 lb. batch of soap. They can be scaled up or down according to your needs. Note: The superfat/lye discount is calculated at 6 percent for these recipes. Some people prefer a low (3 percent or so) superfat in their shampoo bars, others prefer a high (10 to 15 percent) superfat in their recipes. Give 6 percent a try and then adjust up or down depending on your preference. Be sure to always run your recipe through a lye calculator! These recipes will still all probably take at least 48 hours to harden in your soap mold. Basic, Mild Shampoo Recipe
25 percent coconut oil25 percent olive oil20 percent castor oil15 percent canola oil15 percent palm oil
To make a 2-lb batch:
5.8 ounces coconut oil5.8 ounces olive oil4.6 ounces castor oil3.5 ounces canola oil3.5 ounces palm oil3.2 ounces sodium hydroxide6.4 ounces water3/4 tsp of salt (to make the soap get harder quicker)1 tsp of sugar (to boost the lather)1 ounce of fragrance or essential oil blend
Light Cleansing Recipe
30 percent coconut oil25 percent olive oil25 percent castor oil10 percent palm oil10 percent canola oil
To make a 2-lb batch:
6.9 ounces coconut oil5.8 ounces olive oil5.8 ounces castor oil2.3 ounces palm oil2.3 ounces canola coil3.2 ounces sodium hydroxide6.4 ounces water3/4 tsp of salt (to make the soap get harder quicker)1 tsp of sugar (to boost the lather)1 ounce of fragrance or essential oil blend
Luxury Shampoo Recipe
25 percent coconut oil20 percent olive oil20 percent castor oil10 percent canola oil10 percent avocado oil10 percent palm oil5 percent jojoba
To make a 2-lb batch:
5.8 ounces coconut oil4.6 ounces olive oil4.6 ounces castor oil2.3 ounces canola oil2.3 ounces avocado oil2.3 ounces palm oil1.2 ounces jojoba3.1 ounces sodium hydroxide6.2 ounces water3/4 tsp of salt (to make the soap get harder quicker)1 tsp of sugar (to boost the lather)1 ounce of fragrance or essential oil blend
To make these soaps, follow basic soap making instructions. The amount of water in these recipes are low so that they will harden quicker in the molds. The high percentage of soft oils in the recipes can make them take a while to harden in the mold. You’ll want to make sure to add the salt and the sugar to the lye water. The salt helps the soap to get harder quicker and the sugar helps boost the lathering ability of the soap.
Rinse
Because of the high pH of cold process soap, most people use a slightly acidic rinse on their hair after using a shampoo bar. The high pH raises the cuticle of the hair follicle, making it more prone to damage. The rinse helps lay it back down. You can make the rinse out of either:
1 cup vinegar (apple cider or white) to 2 cups water or1 tbsp. citric acid powder to 3 cups water
Give shampoo bars a try. Some people rave about them; some people like them, but prefer a traditional shampoo.
