I hear so much nice feedback about my shampoo bar and many people are very sad that I won’t be making shampoo bars anymore. It was a very hard decision for me, but I need to focus on other projects and my passions. One of them is teaching, inspiring and encouraging people to learn and make their own, personalised soaps and shampoo bars.
You can learn how to formulate and make your own personal care products at one of my in person workshops (check the upcoming workshops here).
But today I would like to share a very simple, minimalistic solid shampoo recipe with you!
Gentle Lavender shampoo bar recipe
Ingredients we are going to use:
SCI (sodium Cocoyl Isethionate) is the most gentle surfactant available, it is derived from coconut oil and completely biodegradable. It gently cleanses the hair and gives an amazing creamy white foam! It is really magical! It has a pH of 5 to 6.5 which makes it perfect for hair care, because our hair has slightly acidic pH. The only downside of SCI is that it comes in very fine powder, so it is important to wear a respirator when working with it in big quantities.
Oat flour enhances the absorbent and cleaning powers of the shampoo bar and also adds softness to the hair. Oat flour is very gentle and soothing.
Kaolin clay is a pure and natural mineral that has a number of uses. This mild clay works well for people with sensitive scalp that needs extra care.
Ground lavender flowers contribute to this shampoo's colour and texture, also adding plant properties. Lavender has been used for centuries for hair care: it is known for its soothing, antibacterial and relaxing effect.
Coconut oil adds ‘’food’’ for the hair. It contributes to the anti-frizz effect of the shampoo.
Water is needed for helping to mix the dry powders together. Most of the water we add is going to evaporate.
Lavender essential oil contributes with a relaxing and calming aroma.
Recipe (for a shampoo bar of 100g):
- 55g SCI
- 8g Oat flour
- 8g Kaolin Clay
- 7g Ground lavender flowers
- 10g Coconut oil
- 10g Water
- 2g Lavender essential oil
Put all ingredients together, starting from the dry ones, and then using your hand start mixing the dough. It is basically like making any kind of dough. When you reach a texture similar to modelling clay, start forming the shape you desire.
In theory, the shampoo bar can be used straight away, but it is recommended to wait at least a couple of days (optimally one week) for it to dry, so it can last longer.