Tuesday 12 July 2011

Creating a Herbal Solid Shampoo bar

Not many people know that much about the moisturizing properties of castor oil, but this oil when used in soap making helps to give the final bar a texture and creaminess unrivalled by any other oil Ive ever used. Formulating a shampoo bar that gives an abundant lather, cleans the hair effectively without stripping it of its natural oils, has to in my experience have a fairly high level of castor oil for it to be effective. With a bit of experimentation I created a Herbal Shampoo Bar with approximately a third each of castor, olive and coconut oils and then superfatted it with jojoba oil thats known for its benefits for scalp and hair care.

Many people have problems with dry scalp conditions, that culminate in dandruff or sebhoeric dermatitis that doesnt seem to go away with the chemical based shampoos on the market. Some people are also allergic to some of the chemicals used in High Street brands thus exacerbating the problem even further. Using a blend of essential oils, specifically aimed at scalp problems this bar has a lovely herbal scent with touches of Thyme, Rosemary and Sage. Its very easy to use by just wetting the hair as normal and then rubbing the bar directly on to the hair, its quite amazing how quick it is to lather up just like normal shampoo. Usually one wash is sufficient although if you have very long hair you might need two goes. One thing I would recommend is to rinse the hair and scalp after shampooing with a vinegar rinse. This helps to clear the hair of any soap residue, leaving it beautifully soft and silky.If you are sceptical about using soap as a shampoo you might like to read the following blog which explains in more detail the experience of switching from commercial shampoos to a natural shampoo bar.

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