When I started trying to give my family a chemical-free lifestyle, I found it pretty easy to switch to natural cleaners like homemade laundry soap and all-purpose cleaners. But I wasn’t so ready to change my own personal hygiene routine. I’ve always had oily hair and skin and didn’t want to give up my store-bought shampoos and face washes out of fear that natural products wouldn’t manage my oily hair well. However, once I learned more about the chemicals in regular shampoos, I decided it was time to make a switch.
I discovered that chemical shampoos strip your hair of natural oils, which often causes your scalp to overproduce oils to make up for the loss. This was surprising to me because I realized that stripping the oils was actually making my hair oilier over time!
First, I tried the no-poo method, but it was a disaster for me. I envied those who found success with this method, but it just didn’t work out for me, so I went back to my usual shampoo while searching for another solution. That’s when I came across solid shampoo. The idea of using a bar of soap on my hair seemed odd at first, but I was excited about trying it because I liked the thought of using a soapy lather.
I was happily surprised by how effective the shampoo bar was. Although it took a bit of time for my hair to adjust, I never felt like it was dirty, unlike my experience with the no-poo method. Plus, since I wasn’t stripping my hair of its natural oils, I could wash it less often, which was a relief, as I previously felt the need to wash it before going out.
Another benefit was getting through showers more quickly, which really mattered to me as a mom of five. The actual shampooing time remained the same, but using an apple cider vinegar rinse instead of traditional conditioner saved time by cutting out the waiting and rinsing phase.
An additional advantage of the shampoo bar is its versatility; since it’s essentially a bar of soap, you can use it on your entire body. It’s also travel-friendly because you just need the bar and a small bottle of rinse.
Soap is made by mixing lye (sodium hydroxide) and water with different oils, causing a reaction where the oils turn into soap with no leftover lye. Each oil has a unique saponification value, meaning they need different ratios of lye and water. A soap calculator can be really helpful for working out the right amounts to use.
Different oils offer different benefits in soap making. Coconut oil provides a hard bar with good cleaning power, while olive oil creates a soft, moisturizing bar. Castor oil stabilizes the lather, and tallow forms a firm bar with great cleansing attributes. For shampoo bars, you want a good mix of these, such as:
– Coconut oil for cleaning and lather (up to 30%)
– Olive oil for moisture (up to 50%)
– Castor oil for stable lather, slightly more than 10%
– Tallow for firmness (up to 50%)
Essential oils can add a nice scent to shampoo bars, though they aren’t essential. I’ve used combinations like tea tree, rosemary, peppermint, and orange, which turned out lovely.
I keep separate bowls and spoons for soap making, since we work with lye and I prefer not to use them for food.
To use a solid shampoo, just wet your hair and rub the bar over it until it forms a good lather, then massage like you would with regular shampoo. After rinsing with water, many people follow with an acidic rinse like apple cider vinegar (ACV) or lemon juice. For drier hair, you might try a 50/50 mix. Since my hair is oily, I use less ACV—about 1/3 cup in a 20 oz spray bottle filled with water, and add a few drops of essential oils like rosemary and peppermint for a nice smell. After spraying all over your hair, leave it in as the vinegar smell fades, leaving just the essential oil fragrance.
If you’re curious about natural shampoos, give it a try and see what works for you!
