I know people who started making soaps first of all because they needed a good and healthy shampoo and I really admire them. In my case, I first started making soaps, and only some months later shampoos. I first used some solid shampoo made of Sodium Coco Sulfate of which I discovered later that it was a light formula of Sodium Laureth Sulfate, so I stopped making them. Afterwards I used liquid shampoo’s made of some washing base which worked but still I wanted to obtained my own soap shampoo.
Now I can say that creating a soap recipe seems to be so easy compared to creating a shampooing recipe which suits you best. My mistake was that I used my soaps as shampoo, only changing some ingredients or modifying the quantity of some oils, but I forgot one thing: washing hair is totally different than washing your hands or body. So, what I had to do first was to review the recipe and to get other values with the SoapCalc site. It was not easy, but reading some other experiences helped me and finally I am content to say that this formula works for me.
The recipe:
Olive oil 180gr
Avocado oil 60 gr
Castor oil 40gr
Cacao butter 40gr
Sesame oil 40gr
Neem oil 40
Lye 52gr
Beer 104gr
At trace, I added the following:
Shikakaï/Shikakai/Acacia concinna powder 10 gr
Pine tar 1 spoon
Sodium lactate 8 gr
Tea tree essential oil 4 gr
Mint essential oil 4 gr
Bear in mind that it takes some time before you will find out if the shampoo will suit you. Use it at least 3 weeks and you will be sure if the recipe works for you. After washing your hair with a soap-shampoo bar, make sure you rinse you hair with some apple cider vinegar and water/lemon juice and water for clean and remarkably shiny hair.
I have also to say thanks to some friends whose shampoos experiences helped me to arrive at this recipe: Cee, Liza, Amalia, Marika.
Naturelle by Natalia 
This sounds like a lovely recipe! With the tea tree oil and mint essential oil, I bet it smells nice and fresh too =)
Thank you, Anne-Marie!
Thank you for sharing your recipe! I ordered some neem oil but won’t be receiving it for another month. I like its therapeutic properties, but from your experience, how is the smell? Do the tea tree and mint completely mask it? What is shikakai and what does it add to the shampoo? Is lactic acid the same as sodium lactate? I hope you don’t mind all my questions. 🙂 thank you!
No, the essential oils don’t mask completely the scent of the soap, because the pine tar is of a very strong smell.
Neem oil is a very strong oil too, but in this shampoo it’s more pine tar that I smell.
Shikakaï is an Indian powder called aslo ‘the fruits of the hair’. Because of its saponin-rich composition, it was often used in place of shampoo in Indian culture. Acacia Powder/Shikakaï is mild, has an antioxidant effect and helps prevent dandruff. It also helps to provide and maintain hair glossiness and shine.
Hope it clear, Soapjam!
I’ll be repeating myself,but lactic acid is the acid,sodium lactate is a sodium salt of lactic acid,they cannot be the same!
I updated now, sorry for the confusion!
The recipe seems good for “eczema” too.
Yes, taking into consideration the % of neem oil, it would also make a good anti-eczema soap. Thank you!
This sounds so conditioning. I’m also wondering what shikakai is and what lactic acid does to the soap. Sodium lactate is a sodium salt of lactic acid, so, no,it’s not the same.
I know pine tar is recommended for many skin ailments, but for the hair….? What’s its purpose here?
So interesting recipe, with many intriguing ingredients included…
I’m glad you have found your winning formula,congrats!
Oh yes, I could never be fine with vinegar smell around me, does it really necessary? Why does everyone suggest vinegar rinse? What if I don’t do so? No shine and/or….?
Maja, regarding the pine tar addition in this soap:I have already made a soap using pine tar and then I read a lot about its properties and it seems that pine tar, due to its soothing and anti-inflammatory properties is useful for the cure of dandruff. Being also well-known for its antifungal and antimicrobial effects, it is a good ingredient for soaps and shampoos. Dandruff was often a hair problem for me, so that’s why I added it.
Yes, the vinegar smell is necessary because it removes clumpy residue and gunk in hair from product buildup. It works by closing the cuticle of the hair, which makes light reflect off of it. In other words, it makes your hair super shiny!
You can also use lemon juice, which is a more natural solution than the commercial vinegar. I am more content with the lemon juice and yes, I can say that rinsing your hair with it really makes your hair shine.
Oh no, now I’ll be hesitating to make my shampoo bar. Additional rinse off with tons of lemon juice (not to mention vinegar) really makes fuss!
I didn’t know pine tar was good for dandruff,it appears to be a miracle, good just for anything…
I use the juice of one lemon 😉
I was so intrigued by this shmpoo bar and totally forgot to mention that this photo is sooooo gorgeous! Bravo,Nat!
Funny to notice that others have also a lot of questions like me 😀 I have never heard of shikakai powder, but when I googled it I noticed that somewhere I have seen that package before. Just don´t remember where. And I was sure that you had made some chocolate treats when I saw that beautiful dark brown rose 🙂 What kind of beer did you use? And did you boil it before mixing it to the lye? Some recommend that you do, some don´t. I agree with you that it takes time before you know if a recipe is good for your hair. I at least need one lighter recipe for the summer and fall months, and one for winter and spring. My hair just needs so much more moisture in the end of winter.
Thank you, Marika!
I added lager beer and I didn’t boil, but I have also heard of good shampoo recipes using goat milk (maybe next time). I haven’t noticed that I needed a different shampoo according to different seasons, but again, you are more experienced in shampoo’s, Marika!
You have some lovely and exotic ingredients in there, what a nice recipe! I bet the essential oils will feel very invigorating too, sounds like this will be a wonderful shampoo bar Nat!
This recipe is influenced by your coconut oil -free shampoo bar, so thank you, Cee!
I am so glad that all hard work payed off. Congratulations! This soap looks so lovely and the picture is stunning!
Ma bucur Natalia ca ai gasit reteta de sampon potrivita pentru tine, vad ca ai ingrediente minunate in ea, otetul de mere sau sucul de lamiie pentru limpezire da un luciu grozav firelor de par. Felicitari !
Multumesc Geta! Si eu zic la fel referitor la sucul de lamaie/otet de mere, m am obsnuit atat de mult cu luciu parului incat nu cred ca as renunta vreodata la ele!
Multumesc pt reteta, Natalia. De multa vreme caut o reteta pt sampon solid si in sfarsit am gasit-o. As vrea sa stiu insa de unde pot gasi Acacia powder, pine tar and sodium lactate? Locuiesc in Bruxelles. Si o alta intrebare: samponul acesta e recomandat si pt.parul gras, care cade cu usurinta?
Merci de raspuns si spor la sapunarit!
Buna Otilia, si eu stau in Bruxelles 🙂
Pudra de shiakai si sodiul lactate le poti gasi pe http://www.aroma-zone.com/aroma/accueil_fra.asp.
Pine tar, insa, il gasesti pe la farmacii.
Da, eu am parul normal spre gras, deci cred ca e ok si pentru par mai gras decat al meu!Bafta si tie !
Multumesc tare mult. Poate ne vedem o data la o cafea si vorbim despre sapun, ce zici?
With pleasure 😉
Iti las mail zilele astea si vorbim!
That looks like a wonderful shampoo recipe, Natalia! Thanks for sharing it!
That is a gorgeous looking soap Natalia! And with lovely sounding ingredients. It’s wonderful to make your own products, isn’t it?
Merci pour ta recette, Natalia !
Not gonna lie… your shampoo recipe looks good enough to eat. Mahalo for sharing. 🙂
Buna, Natalia,
sint pentru prima data in situl tau, de fapt cautam si eu o solutie pentru sampon, nu imi mai place nimic din comert, si sint sensibila la mirosurile astea chimizate.
Te rog sa ma ajuti un pic: toate ingredientele care le-ai folosit cum le-ai amestecat? este vreo ordine careva, trebuie incalzita compozitia? sint noua in domeniu, dar pentru sanatatea copilasilor sint curajoasa sa incerc sa fac sampon si sapun in casa.
Iti multumesc,
Natalia ( locuiesc in Italia si cred ca gasesc toate ingredientele)