FORMULATE A SHAMPOO BAR FOR DRY HAIR
Table of Contents
ABOUT THE FORMULA
So, you’ve spoken—and I’ve listened! By popular vote, we’re whipping up (or pressing down?) a fantastic shampoo bar that your dry hair will love. Let’s go!
The stars of this show are none other than SCI powder (Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate) and SLSA (Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate). If you haven’t worked with these two before, please get them because they’ll bring that luxurious, rich lather we all want in our shampoos. I like combining these two to create a balance of mildness and foaminess.
Because we are formulating for dry hair, I will use a small amount of argan oil. You can also use coconut or avocado instead. In general, I’m not a fan of loading up shampoo bars with oils and butters. Instead, I like to sneak in a refatting agent called Lamesoft PO65 (Coco-Glucoside and Glyceryl Oleate), which is fabulous for keeping your hair soft and hydrated without compromising the cleansing action.
Let’s mix things up a bit! While the DIY world is buzzing about BTMS in shampoo bars, I’m suggesting an alternative option without the raised eyebrows at compatibility: cationic guar gum ( Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride). It’s a remarkable natural conditioning agent that leaves your hair soft and smooth. A little goes a long way, and too much can leave your bar a bit sticky and soft.
While extracts like panthenol and proteins are fantastic in haircare products, this time, I’ll save those for conditioners. If you’re an experienced formulator and want to take things up a notch, feel free to add those extras.
To add a fun twist, I’m using green spirulina because not only does it have many beneficial properties, but it also gives the bar a gorgeous, earthy hue! However, plant colours like the green from spirulina aren’t the most stable in products like this, especially over time. They are often sensitive to environmental conditions, which can lead to discolouration or degradation in shampoo bars. The colour will fade or turn to grey, which can happen with other botanical powders like rose powder. If you’re planning on using the bar immediately, spirulina’s great. But if you’re looking for a longer shelf life, I’d suggest swapping it for something more stable, like pink clay, yellow clay or kaolin.
HOW TO USE
Apply directly to wet hair, or swirl it around your hands and work up a lather. Massage into the scalp and hair, then rinse and condition.
POSSIBLE SOURCES
THE FORMULA
| Phases | Ingredient | Function | %w/w |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Cetyl alcohol | Structural | 18.20 |
| A | SCI powder | Surfactant | 50.0 |
| A | Argan oil | Emollient | 3.0 |
| B | SLSA | Surfactant | 15.0 |
| C | Glycerin | Humectant | 4.0 |
| C | Cationic guar | Conditioning agent | 0.30 |
| D | Cocamidopropyl betaine | Amphoteric surfactant | 4.0 |
| E | Lamesoft PO65 | Refatting agent | 4.0 |
| E | Essential oil of your choice | Fragrance | 1.0 |
| E | Tocopherol | Antioxidant | 0.10 |
| E | Spirulina | Botanical | 0.40 |
Method:
Before you do anything, please make sure you wear a suitable mask when working with powdered surfactants.
- Start heating Phase A in a water bath.
- When it starts to soften, add in Phase B.
- Prepare slurry (Phase C) and add to Phase A/B. Stir it in well.
- When your mix is soft and looks paste-like, remove it from the heat and add Phase D.
- Blend all ingredients in Phase E and add to the mixture when it’s under 60°C.
- We now leave it to cool to around 40-45°C.
- Once cool, knead by hand like a dough.
- Use a bar press/ pluck to prepare the bar.
Allow the shampoo bar to dry for 24-48 hours.
*Use the leftover shampoo in the pan/beaker to check the pH. Add 1g of the bar to 9g of distilled water and stir to dissolve. You can now check the pH. My bar has a pH of 5.14.
*If the “dough” hardens and you cannot work it, just place it back in the water bath for a short while.
