Everyone loves a shampoo bar! They're amazing for eliminating plastic bottles, super handy for traveling and great to take to the gym. Making them yourself is so much more economical and as an added bonus, your friends will be very impressed! Note: Use a face mask when working with SCI. Makes 6 x 50g - 60g bars Check out our "How to make solid shampoo and conditioner bars" guide with photos here. Ingredients: Step 1 240g SCI surfactant 60g decyl glucoside 52g cetyl alcohol 11g conditioner pellets - palm free 8g deodorised cocoa butter, certified organic, fair trade Step 2 6g D-panthenol 6g cococaprylate 4g lactic acid 8g essential oil or fragrance oil of your choice. 2g Geogard 221 If you wish to add colour then 1 - 2 tsps should do it. Just sprinkle in as your blend until you reach the depth of shade you desire. Pictured from top to bottom: Natural - no colour added Red mica Purple mica Blue mermaid mica Green fairy mica Yellow mica Method: In a pot melt Step 1. Wear a face mask for this, keep any windows you can open and put on an extractor fan if you have one and don't have children around, the fumes from the SCI can be a bit harsh. The SCI can take a while to melt but don't leave it as you run the risk of it burning. Towards the end blending it with the stick blender can help speed up the process and give you a smoother consistency. Stir until the mixture comes together to form a paste-like consistency. Take the pot off the heat and stir/blend in Step 2 ingredients. Using a spatula, pour/spoon the mixture into moulds. Smooth top over with a knife. It can be very difficult to get a clean finish so don’t worry if it’s a bit messy. It sets quickly so you can always pop it back on the heat to re-melt in between filling cavities. Pop them in the fridge to set. About the ingredientsWe know some of these ingredients are unfamiliar and unpronounceable so here's a quick summary of what they are and what they do.SCI (sodium cocoyl isethionate) - a coconut oil-based surfactant. It is very mild on skin, hair and eyes and has a silky skin feel. SCI makes a great lather and is good for making liquid shampoos and solid shampoo bars. Conditioner pellets - palm free Decyl glucoside – one of the first of the alkyl polyglucoside (APG) surfactants. APG surfactants are obtained from renewable, plant-derived raw materials, such as vegetable oils and starch. They have first-rate environmental and skin compatibility profiles and fit in well with consumer demands for wellness, 'green solutions', mildness to human skin, and safety for human health. Lactic acid - Our lactic acid is produced from fermented corn. It is used to make a harder and longer-lasting bar and has excellent exfoliant, moisturising and deep cleansing properties. D-Panthenol - aka Provitamin B5, is commonly used in shampoos and conditioners, is water-soluble, and is absorbed easily into the human body. It is completely safe and non-toxic. It works by attracting moisture from the air and binding it to hair follicles. When D-Panthenol is used as a moisturising agent in shampoos and conditioners, the hair feels lubricated but not greasy. It can also make hair appear more shiny. Cococaprylate - a skin-conditioning agent to provide hydration, spreadability and slip. Geogard 221 - Ecocert approved preservative. |