Say goodbye to traditional shampoo and swap it for this DIY shampoo bar recipe! This is a great way to add a natural option to your hair care products.
Solid shampoo bars are made with natural ingredients and can be customized to your liking. A shampoo made out of natural ingredients will not only make your hair look and feel better but you will also have a healthier scalp with less dandruff or dryness thanks to the lack of harsh chemicals that can be found in commercial shampoos, causing damaging over time.
A great alternative to store-bought shampoo, this moisturizing shampoo bar recipe is a way to use up any leftover soap scraps.
A homemade shampoo bar can even be used all over your body, just like a bar of soap.
How to Make Your Own Shampoo Bar
Soap is a handmade product of the natural ingredients that we use every day. Soap makers combine lye (sodium hydroxide), water and different oils into their own recipes which then react together in what’s called the saponification process to create soap without any leftover components from these production materials left behind!
It takes patience when making soap; however once produced you can enjoy its cleaning properties with minimal maintenance time since this process doesn’t require adding fragrances or dyes like many modern store bought soaps do nowadays.
You can choose from a variety of natural oils when making your soap mixture. Think about the hair benefits when you decide which oil to use. In this recipe we are going to use coconut oil because it is a great base for shampoo bars, making them hard and keeping the moisture in.
Coconut Oil creates a good lather that helps repair damaged, dry hair. Olive oil has great moisturizing properties and will help split ends. Castor Oil acts as a stabilizer. All three oils will help with oily hair, hair loss, stimulate hair growth, can be used for curly hair and different hair types. For a natural conditioner, use apple cider vinegar.
If you are leaning towards a zero-waste lifestyle or a more sustainable lifestyle this shampoo bar recipe is a great place to start, getting rid of plastic bottles.
Ready to give it a try? Keep reading for instructions on how to make your own shampoo bar.
Here’s How to Make Easy Shampoo Bars:
Prep Time 35 minutes
Resting and curing time 30 days
Makes 12 bars
Supplies need to make your own DIY shampoo bar
Because you are working with lye, it is recommended that you use supplies designated only for soapmaking.
- Glass mixing bowl
- Non-reactive pot (Stainless steel, ceramic, glass, or metal cookware with enamel coating)
- Candy thermometer
- A soap mold (silicone molds yields the best results)
- Digital scale
- Stick blender
- Wooden spoon
- Gloves and protective eyewear
- White Vinegar
Wear protective gloves and safety goggles throughout the entire soap making process, including clean up. Wash all of your supplies in hot soapy water with vinegar.
Ingredients
- 12 oz distilled water
- 5 oz lye
- 10 oz coconut oil
- 10 oz tallow (or palm oil)
- 10 oz olive oil
- 6 oz castor oil
- 1.5 oz essential oils (tea tree oil, rosemary, orange and peppermint are great oils to use)
Instructions
In a glass jar add the distilled water.
Carefully add the lye solution to the water and stir.
NOTE: NEVER add water to the lye, this will cause a bad reaction.
Let the mixture sit, giving it time for the chemical process to take place and cool.
Combine the coconut, tallow, olive and castor oil in a non-reactive pot. Warm on low to between 100 and 120 degrees.
Slowly add the lye water to the melted oils.
Using a stick blender, mix the mixture until it becomes trace. This means your mixture is still a fluid, but a drop of the mixture will stay right on the surface before it falls back into the liquid.
Add a few drops of essential oils.
Pour the mixture into the soap molds.
Cover the tops of the mold with a piece of cardboard, followed by a dish towel to keep the shampoo bar warm for 24 hours.
After 24 hours, remove from the mold and slice it 1 inch thick into 12 bars.
In a well-ventilated area, stand the bars upright and let them cure for 4-6 weeks.
Store unused shampoo bars in an airtight container.
Full disclosure: This DIY contains affiliate links.
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