Teach Soap

So I was looking for a recipe for a good shampoo bar. I made one with EVOO, coconut, and castor oil with tea tree EO and it works but leaves my hair a tad stiff if I don't use a vinegar rinse, if i rinse after washing with ACV then my hair is soft but still has small vinegar smell and I'm one of those that doesn't like the smell of vinegar (which is ironic because I use it in pretty much every cleaning supply I make LOL). I have dry scalp/dandruff and frizzy curly hair and the bar did work to control my frizz yeah=) but I don't like the feel of it. I think I read on earlier post using egg is good. But I just don't know where to start on this. Thanks.

On another note how much activated charcoal do you add per pound of soap to get a nice dark black color, without making ruining or making it chalky. Also if you use BB silver mica would make the soap gray or would it add some sparkle to the black? If you want it to shine/ glitter do you need an actual glitter I think I saw glitters on BB. Just wondering thanks again, you gals are saviors. I love making soap and this forum is a great source of advise and help=)

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

I can't use cold process soap as a shampoo bar at all. It make my hair feel like straw, even with a vinegar rinse.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Mica in CP soap usually ends up going a flat color. The mica needs light to bounce off it to reflect/refract the light. You can still use it in CP but it's sparkly-ness stands out best in clear MP.

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

I have not made a shampoo bar yet (it's on my list). but i did read that CP soap is not good for your hair due to the high pH. If you haven't checked out swift's blog yet you should, she's very knowledgeable and fun to read, she also has good recipes with nice explanations on the why of things which I like.

Here's her link:
http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/

have fun

Erin

I love her blog! She has so much great info and I really like the way she explains why she's using what she uses. Very educational and fun.

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

Our water is so hard that shampoo bars make my hair feel gummy, even with a apple cider vinegar and water rinse.

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~Alyssa
We ascribe beauty to that which is simple; which has no superfluous parts; which exactly answers its end; which stands related to all things; which is the mean of many extremes. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wow! Thanks for sharing that blog! I know what I'll be doing when the babes are napping. She makes a lot of good points, but I love the way my hair is now, and I've never been happier. I will never use comercial shapoo again.

I had a big problem with shampoo bars leaving my hair feeling gummy when wet, and then as SB said, like straw when dry. I can't stand comercial shampoo, as my skin is super sensitive. For a long time I washed my hair in a baking soda paste, and rinsed with ACV and lemon juice (do not get this in your eyes! )

I decided to make my own shampoo bar, it took me a long time, and quite a few test batches to get a recipe down that I am happy with. You don't need to use a lot of fancy oils like a bunch of recipes call for. Just use a good percentage of a good conditioning oil. I like a combination of sunflower and canola oils added in. (the only thing with canola is it can take a while to trace, so be prepared) Plus I HP my shampoo bars so I can controll the super fat. This works for me, I don't use any other product on my hair. Nor do I color it. On a very rear occasion I will "do" my hair up, but life on the farm seldom calls for that

Thanks everyone! That was great insight.

I must be a weirdo or something because I use my CP soap on my hair and love the way it makes it feel.

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

The Husband has been using my regular soap as a shampoo bar for 9 years now, with no problems, and no vinegar rinse - and we have hard water.

I don't use it, but that's only because my hair is pink. I only use cheap commerical conditioner to "wash" my hair, and the only time shampoo is used on my head is when my stylist washes it after she touches up my roots every 2-3 months. But you can google "co-shampoo" for more info on that, since it really has nothing to do with soapmaking.

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Namaste,
Heather
Martinsville Emporium - ~

I do my hair pink once a year (used to be pink all the time when I was younger) and don't have a problem with my shampoo bars. You might be able to try baking soda, it's the "un-shampoo" I dunno if you process your hair for the pink though. I don't have to lighten mine, so that might be why I don't have a problem with it.

I love being a weirdo though and a dork *snarf*