Super Easy, Supernatural Shampoo Bar A Supernatural DIY
08-31-2021Homemade shampoo bars are a great and easy project to do while chilling at home! These bars are kinder to the environment and take up less space in the shower. A solid shampoo bar can be easier to handle and personally I love them so much more because I can add exactly what I want to the bar and leave out any unnecessary chemicals. This Supernatural Shampoo Bar is wonderfully gentle on your hair and can be tweaked to your preferences! Let’s get scrubbin’!
This method has been perfected over the years and can be scaled easily. The oils are the ingredients that change the most with a homemade shampoo bar.
Choose Your Oils
There are many oils you can choose for this homemade shampoo bar, but you’ll want to stay very close to the same SAP value as the olive and coconut oils. Look through the SAP chart here to stay within the desired range.
Castor oil (for example) is excellent for hair but is a bit low on the scale. If you decide to use it, you’ll want to decrease the amount of lye by about a half a teaspoon. This will help to balance out the ingredients, otherwise you would end up with a crumbly bar with too much lye.
There are some great oils for adding softness, shine and bounce to hair. These are the oils suitable for all hair types:
Coconut oil results in harder soap bars.
Sweet almond oil is great for color-treated hair thanks to its natural color-staying properties.
Castor oil is wonderful because it helps increase lather in your homemade bar. Since this oil can cause a messy build-up, it’s best to keep the concentration low (less than 15%).
Avocado oil helps tame any flyaways and is particularly suited for curly hair.
Jojoba oil is known to mimic the production of sebum. Using this oil in your homemade shampoo bar can help minimize oil production for people who have oily hair.
How to Make Your Shampoo Bar
You’ll Need
silicone soap molds
⅔ cup olive oil
⅔ cup coconut oil
¾ cup cool distilled water
⅔ cup other oil (consult the list above)
¼ cup lye (sodium hydroxide)
2 Tbsp of Supernatural Essential Oil Blends
First: You’ll need to be prepared to move quickly for some of these steps, so be sure to have everything laid out in preparation! Cover your work area with any kind of recycling paper (newspaper is best), put on your gloves and goggles (Safety first!), and mix the olive, coconut, and your extra chosen oils in a large bowl. If any of the oils are still solid, be sure to melt them first before measuring.
Second: Measure water into another large container or bowl. (Be sure to use a heat-resistant container when mixing, as the exothermic reaction once lye is added can cause heat around 220°F!) Measure your lye, making sure you have an exact ¼ cup. Stirring as you very carefully and slowly pour the lye into the water is CRUCIAL, make sure to NEVER go the other way around. Continue stirring until the mixture begins turning clear. Stand back while you stir to avoid the fumes. Allow the mixture to cool to about 120°F.
Third: When the oil mixture is at 75°F and your lye/water mixture is around 125°F, slowly pour the lye into the oils and stir. For the next 5 minutes, stir by hand. This will allow as many of the oil molecules to come in contact with as much of the lye as possible. After 5 minutes, use a stick blender (like this) to mix, being careful not to introduce air. Blend until the mixture is thick like vanilla pudding; this is called "trace." (Watch this video to see what trace looks like.)
Almost There! When you have achieved a trace, you can add an additional tablespoon of your specially chosen oil. This could be any of the other oils listed in the oil section above. This extra oil will add additional moisture to your homemade shampoo bar and the oil will not be fused in with the lye, thus allowing it to add extra conditioning for your hair. Be sure to also add your favorite Supernatural Essential Oil Blend! My personal favorite for the Shampoo bar is the Nourishing Blend.
Stir thoroughly to combine.
Final Step: Pour the soap mixture into molds and cover with plastic wrap. After 24 hours, turn it out onto a piece of parchment paper or baking rack. Leave in a dry place and turn once a week or so (which is not necessary if using a baking rack). Your homemade shampoo bars can be used after curing for 4 weeks. The bars will be milder the longer they are allowed to cure. A month-long wait is well worth the final product!
How to Properly Use Your Homemade Supernatural Shampoo Bar!
First: Thoroughly wet hair.
Second: Rub shampoo bar from scalp to ends, covering each section of hair, OR rub between hands to create a nice, foamy lather.
Third: Work shampoo into your hair, gently massaging the scalp and working through to ends.
Final Step: Rinse and repeat as necessary!
Important Notes When Making Soap
Wear protective gloves and goggles and cover all work surfaces.
Use caution when mixing the lye and water as the fumes can cause a choking sensation in your throat. This will fade quickly!
Remember to be very careful using lye. It can cause burns if not handled correctly. Keep some white vinegar handy in case of spills.
For this soap, I wouldn’t add dried herbs. They can get stuck in your hair and be difficult to remove.
This soap can also be made in a large mold. Cut it into bars after the first 24 hours when you remove it from the mold. They will be too hard to cut if you wait too long.
Keep pampering your beautiful self, and thank you for reading!
