Over the last few months I have been trying to put together a formula for a shampoo bar to replace my normal plastic bottles. It has been quite difficult, once I decided on the mix of oils I wanted and the essential oils for stimulation and scent I spend and afternoon in the workshop missing it up.
There has been an ever increasing interest in shampoo bars, partially because of our quest to reduce the plastic footprint, we want to know what chemicals we are putting on our body and east of transport when going to the gym or travelling.
What’s in a bar of Shampoo?
Well a shampoo bar is similar to a bar of soap, it is just designed to cleanse the hair and scalp and may need to have some additional properties to help dryness or maybe itching. There are lots of recipes for shampoo bars, I have been adding castor oil to mine, it adds a creamy lather but also acts as a humescent holding moisture to the scalp. Jojoba Oil is another ingredient, know for its antimicrobial properties so it discourages bacteria. There are a few other secret ingredients,,,,but that is why they are called a secret!
Tailor Made
As with all the soaps I sell they are handmade so I know what goes onto them. However when people make the transition from traditional liquid shampoo to a bar it can take a while to adjust. Products that you have used before will have built up over time and through the transition period you may experience oiler or dryer hair this is all part of the process before you find what is normal for you.
When will they be on the website?
Now that I have decided on my final recipe I need to send it off to be cosmetically certified – this can take up to 2 months so we are likely to launch our new range in the autumn, that will give you time to use up all the bottles you have on the shelf!
