I've been looking into making a shampoo bar for a couple of weeks now. I gave another homemade shampoo recipe a try, it was using a mixture of Dr. Bronners soap and coconut milk. I do NOT recommend this. It might work for some people or maybe it's just something that takes a few days/weeks for your hair to adjust to, I don't know but my hair felt so completely gross! Anyway, thats when I decided to go ahead and use that as my body wash, use some regular shampoo for now and make a shampoo bar soap soon.
On a side note, Apple Cider Vinegar works really great as a conditioner! I know that one seems gross and yes there is the smell, but even with my hair, thick, medium length, it only took a few seconds and I could run my fingers through my hair and then combing it out was really easy too, and it feels just fine. I've just been using straight vinegar because I don't have a spray bottle, but other people have said to use 1 part vinegar 3 parts water and put it in a spray bottle and just spray it on right before you get out of the shower. I have left it in and rinsed just before getting out and I think I like the feel of my hair better when I do a really quick rinse.
Back to my soap making venture... I got my recipe from a couple of different sites. I really like visiting the Soap Queen Blog, http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/invigorating-shampoo-bars/. She has a lot of experience and shares lots of recipes too. The other blog I used was Frugally Sustainable, http://frugallysustainable.com/2011/12/shampoo-bar-soap-recipe/ in her blog she uses the "hot process" soap making and with a crockpot.
I didn't use either recipe exactly as they have them, and by the way, from what I can tell "cold process" and "hot process" soap making use the same recipe only the hot process takes less time to cure because the lye has been cooked out. Cold process looks a lot nicer though. I haven't tried my cold process bar yet so I won't know how to compare the processes for awhile. I thought I would give this one a try because I would like some soap now, not later.
Here's my recipe... using a digital scale to weigh everything by the ounce. And of course I first ran this through the great soap-calc, http://www.SoapCalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp
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| I made granola too for the first time! |
2 oz. sweet almond oil
8 oz. castor oil
8 oz. olive oil
10 oz. palm oil
12 oz. coconut oil (76 degree, which is the cooking coconut oil as far as I can tell)
15.2 oz. water
5.7 oz. lye
I also added after the cooking process about 1/2 C. goats milk and some different essential oils.
This follows all the same steps as in my Goats milk Soap recipe, http://simplymeliving.blogspot.com/2012/06/cold-process-goats-milk-soap.html. Instead of pouring the mixture into molds at trace, once trace is reached (everything being mixed in the crockpot) just put the lid on and after about 45 min. to an hour you add whatever extra you plan on and then spoon the gel like mixture into your mold. This way it only takes about a day for it to be ready to use, although from other posts I've read it sounds like it can pretty much be used as soon as it sets up. of course the longer it dries the harder the soap bar will be.
This gave me 12 bars of 4.5 oz. to 5 oz. and the lather is really great! Nice and foamy just like store bought! Only mine is natural yea!
Here's a note... don't use wax paper to line the pan! I finally managed to get my soap out, but it took a lot more prying and effort than I would have liked! Last time I used a big garbage bag and that worked pefectly. I assume it would work just fine for this one too.
I also found this site helpful, http://www.auntroma.com/Safety%20Data/Hot%20Process%20Soap%20Making%20in%20a%20Crock%20Pot.pdf
