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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nYou might be wondering why you wouldn\u2019t use lye in your shampoo bar, as it\u2019s a key ingredient in so many online recipes for both soap and for solid shampoo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reason I\u2019ve included a lye-free shampoo recipe here, is that a lot of people have problems with their scalp that is a direct result of the use of lye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Soap made with lye has quite a high pH, and it\u2019s really hard\nto reduce it in a soap or shampoo bar recipe. \nSome people say curing a bar for longer lowers the pH, but it still\nwon\u2019t lower enough. Shampoo bars\ncontaining lye normally have a pH of between 10 and 13. This is quite alkaline, considering our human\nhair and the oil on our scalp has a pH of around 4.5-5.5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Using lye soap on the rest of our body isn\u2019t as much of a\nproblem \u2013 our skin is always shedding and regenerating so it bounces back\nreally quickly. But hair, although we do\nlose some every day, doesn\u2019t grow back as fast, so over time, lye can cause a\nbit of damage to hair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s really hard to find a recipe online for a shampoo bar without lye. Some claim to be recipes \u201cwithout handling lye\u201d but in actual fact most use melt and pour soap bases which already contain the lye! So although you don\u2019t need to handle it yourself, it is still in your finished shampoo bar product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are making a lye-free shampoo, it\u2019s important to make sure your shampoo bar has a high superfat content. You want to balance that by including a higher superfat content \u2013 around 12%-20% is what I think works well (noting that I have naturally dry hair). Ingredients like cocoa butter or shea butter work for this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recipe for lye free shampoo bar<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSo here is a recipe for a lye free shampoo bar, with a higher superfat than a lot of other bars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It looks a little more complicated than many shampoo bar\nrecipes that you see online, and is more expensive to make, BUT\u2026 that\u2019s because, unlike many other recipes\nonline, this is a SHAMPOO, and not a soap! \nIt has no lye, has surfactants, pH adjusters and ingredients that will\nhelp preserve the shampoo bar and stop any nasties growing while it sits in\nyour bathroom. Remember that even\nthought it costs to produce, you are getting a pure shampoo that will last for\naaaaages, and overall it\u2019s still more cost-effective, not to mention hair-friendly,\nearth-friendly and waste-friendly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This recipe will make about four bars, or 200 grams. You can halve it if you like to make a\nsmaller batch. Measure with accurate scales\nfor best results, but there is some room for adjustments. It\u2019s based on a recipe at www.schoolofnaturalskincare.com<\/a>\n\u2013 a great information source! <\/p>\n\n\n\nEven thought some ingredients sound complicated, they aren\u2019t\n\u2013 they are plant-based, or plant-derived. \nDefinitely not SLS and no nasties. \nAll are accepted in organic formulations. You can click on each ingredient to see it on\nAmazon for more information and options. \nI\u2019ve put in a link to a product I suggest, but there are so many brands\n\/ sellers you have a few options. It can be hard to buy the ingredients in\nsmall batches \u2013 but does it matter? You\u2019ll\nend up with some great supplies that you can use for more shampoo bar making,\nsoap making, candles, and loads of other stuff!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read on for the recipe and instructions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Equipment:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nDigital\nscales<\/a>, bowls spoons, a double\nboiler<\/a> if you have one (not essential), and some molds<\/a>. These can be silicone cupcake pans if you want. If you don\u2019t have anything to use as a mold \u2013\ndon\u2019t panic, you can make a slab of solid shampoo and cut it later.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIngredients:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nClick on each ingredient for a link to Amazon, where you can read more information or buy it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even thought some ingredients sound complicated, they aren\u2019t\n\u2013 they are plant-based, or plant-derived. \nDefinitely not SLS and no nasties. \nAll are accepted in organic formulations. You can click on each ingredient to see it on\nAmazon for more information and options. \nI\u2019ve put in a link to a product I suggest, but there are so many brands\n\/ sellers you have a few options. It can be hard to buy the ingredients in\nsmall batches \u2013 but does it matter? You\u2019ll\nend up with some great supplies that you can use for more shampoo bar making,\nsoap making, candles, and loads of other stuff!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read on for the recipe and instructions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n