Just like liquid shampoos, shampoo bars have varying ingredients depending on the manufacturer or recipe used. However, shampoo bars often avoid using synthetic or animal products, which may be an important consideration for some consumers. Most bars are made of ingredients in three categories: oils and fats, essential oils and fragrances, and a caustic agent like lye.
Coconut Oil
OrganicFacts.net, a website that focuses on organic foods and other items, notes that coconut oil creates shiny, moisturized hair. In its pure state, it is used as a conditioner and treatment for damaged hair, the website explains. According to TheSoapGuru.com, when combined with other ingredients, coconut oil creates a hard bar with excellent lather. However, the site cautions that only 20 percent of the entire oil content should be coconut oil to avoid creating a brittle bar.
Olive Oil
According to TheSoapGuru.com, olive oil is used in shampoo bars to create a creamy, moisturizing lather. Although it requires some work to lather on its own, when combined with other ingredients it creates a lush feel. However, high-quality olive oil can be very expensive, and it is difficult to mix thoroughly with other oils to make shampoo bars.
Caster Oil
Caster oil is a moisturizing fat that creates a stable lather, notes SoapNuts.com, a website for soap making enthusiasts. Unlike some other oils, it does not create a hard bar of soap and is easy to mix with other oils.
Lye
Shampoo bars are a mixture of oils or fats and a caustic agent, usually lye. You may be familiar with lye as an alkaline substance that can create chemical burns and permanent scarring. However, Iowa Lakes College emphasizes that lye reacts with the oils when the shampoo bars or soaps are made and creates natural soap and glycerin. The resulting compound is not only harmless, but very desirable.
Distilled Water
Using distilled water, rather than tap water, ensures that there are no impurities that could influence the other ingredients in the shampoo bars. The North Dakota State University Agriculture Department notes that common impurities removed during the distillation process include sodium, heavy metals, nitrate and radionucleides.
Essential Oils
The Homemade Bath Products blog recommends rosemary oil for use in a basic shampoo bar recipe. However, the site notes that another essential oil should be substituted if the intended user is pregnant. Each essential oil has specific properties that should be researched before you make or purchase a shampoo bar, but smell is also of primary importance and should not be discounted.
References
- The Soap Guru: The Nature of Oils in Soapmaking
- Homemade Bath Products: How to Make a Shampoo Bar
- Iowa Lakes College: The Art of Soap Making
- North Dakota State University Agriculture Department: Treatment Systems for Household Water Supplies Distillation
- Organic Facts: Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
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