Want to play “I never”?
Good, I’ll start. Since becoming a mom, I have never ever accidentally used the phrase “go potty” with an adult because I forgot how to talk like one. I have never ever accidentally rubbed soft scrub in my armpits instead of my homemade deodorant.
And I most certainly have never ever run out of shampoo and washed my hair with regular bar soap.
Okay, I have actually done all those things. Now obviously I don’t recommend the first two, but hear me out on that last one.
It all started on a day when I needed to shower and get dressed in 10 minutes – so basically, a typical day at that stage of motherhood – and realized I was completely out of shampoo. Rather than hop out of the shower and mix up a batch of clay hair wash, I grabbed my coconut oil soap and rubbed it on my head.
There was SO. MUCH. LATHER. We’re talking lather for days. And my hair was so soft afterwards I started to feel a little self conscious about how often I was stroking my own hair. It did leave it a smidge oily, but I loved the overall effect so much I decided to play with the recipe and see if I could change that.
Turns out, reducing the amount of oil in the finished bar by about 8% did the trick. It gently cleaned and moisturized my hair without leaving it heavy or greasy. You only need three ingredients to make it, and today I’m sharing the recipe.
New To Shampoo Bars? Here’s What You Need To Know
As I mentioned in this article on detoxing your hair, commercial shampoos are usually made with surfactants such as sodium lauryl sulfate – which is often contaminated with the probable human carcinogen 1,4 dioxane – instead of true soap. (1) (2)
They also often contain silicone, which coats the hair and prevents it from absorbing moisture. While silicone can make hair look smooth and shiny in the short-term, it can actually cause it to dry out and become more brittle over time.
When you make the switch to natural shampoo, you’re going from an approach that strips hair and then coats it with polymers to something that washes and nourishes the hair with a natural oil. If you’re using the right bar it shouldn’t make your hair heavy or greasy – it will provide just enough oil to help hair maintain its softness and flexibility.
During the transition you may find that your hair feels a little gummy, though – this can happen as silicone and other polymers begin to peel off. Fortunately, you can speed up the process with the hair detox tutorial I linked to above.
Another reason hair can seem dry or dull is that it soap is alkaline and your hair prefers a more acidic environment. When washing with soap, you need to keep it happy by restoring hair pH with an acidic rinse after shampooing. You’ll find an easy recipe in the “How To Use Solid Shampoo Bars” section below.
The rinse acts as a “conditioner” that restores pH, smooths the cuticle and makes your hair shiny. In most cases you won’t need an additional conditioner, because shampoo bars moisturize as they cleanse.
Video Tutorial: Making Coconut Oil Shampoo Bars
Before I started making soap, I asked a friend if I could stop by and watch her make a batch. She agreed, and that afternoon in her kitchen helped me become comfortable enough with the process to try on my own.
In the video below, I invite you into my kitchen to do the same. I’ll walk you through my method for making hot process soap. Unlike cold process soap, which takes 4-6 weeks to cure before it’s ready, hot process soap uses an external heat source (in my recipe, a slow cooker) to speed up the process so that the soap can be used as early as the day after it is made.
After you watch the video, scroll down this post for the exact recipe and written instructions to follow as you go. There’s also a printable version of the recipe at the bottom of the tutorial.
Also, if you’re looking for the body bar and laundry soap recipes that I mentioned in the video, you can the body bar here and my homemade laundry detergent recipe here. Now, back to the shampoo bar . . .
Coconut Oil Shampoo Bar Recipe
This coconut oil shampoo bar recipe delivers a rich lather that cleans and gently moisturizes without leaving hair heavy or greasy.
Ingredients For Normal Hair (10% superfat)
- 33 oz. coconut oil
- 12.54 oz. distilled water
- 5.44 oz. lye (sodium hydroxide)
- ½ – 1 ounce essential oils (tea tree, peppermint, and rosemary are good options)
Ingredients For Dry Hair (12% superfat)
- 33 oz. coconut oil
- 12.54 oz. distilled water
- 5.32 oz. lye (sodium hydroxide)
- 1/2 – 1 ounce essential oils (tea tree, peppermint, and rosemary are good options)
Equipment Needed:
Note: According to Anne Watson, author of Smart Soapmaking, you can use your regular kitchen utensils as long as you follow these guidelines.
- 8 quart slow cooker/crock pot
- Immersion blender
- Digital scale
- Glass measuring cups
- Bowls for measuring your oils
- Medium-size heat resistant glass bowl for mixing the lye water
- Stainless steel or plastic spoon with long handle (If you use a wooden spoon like the one pictured below, make sure not to use it for anything but soapmaking)
- Protective equipment: long-sleeved shirt, plastic/rubber gloves, safety glasses or protective eye gear
- Soap mold – A standard sized bread pan will work for this batch, or you can use a flexible silicone mold like this one.. If you use a bread pan instead of a flexible mold that easily pops out the soap, just make sure to line it with parchment paper so you can easily lift the soap out.
- Thermometer (Optional – only needed if you’re adding essential oils)
- Sink filled with hot soapy water (For cleaning anything that comes in contact with lye. Wait until you’re ready to clean to fill the sink. Details below)
Step 1: Weigh Your Ingredients
Weigh all your ingredients – coconut oil, distilled water, lye and essential oils if you’re using them.
Step 2: Melt The Coconut Oil
Add the coconut oil to the crockpot and set it to low. It’s okay if it’s in solid state – it will melt fairly quickly. When the coconut oil is almost fully melted, move on to Step 3.
Step 3: Mix The Lye Water
It’s time to mix your lye water. Put on your protective gear, add your water to a medium-sized heat-resistant glass or ceramic bowl, and choose a well-ventilated area that kids and pets don’t have access to.
I prefer to mix outside, but some soapers like to mix in their kitchen sink with several open windows and a fan or air purifier running. If you’re new to working with lye, see the FAQ section for safety information.
Make sure you have a long-handled spoon or spatula ready. I use a this silicone spatula/scraper.
While wearing your protective gear and taking care not to breathe the vapors, slowly add the lye to the water while mixing gently. Order is important here, so make sure it is the lye you’re pouring into the water.
Keep stirring until the lye seems mostly dissolved. The mixture will be cloudy at first, but will turn clear in 5-10 minutes.
When it’s clear, proceed to step 4.
Step 4: Add The Lye Water To The Slow Cooker
Add lye water to the slow cooker (being careful not to splash) and stir a few times.
Step 5: Bring Mixture To Trace
Using the immersion blender, begin mixing toward “trace.” Hold the immersion blender straight up and down (versus at an angle) so that it is fully immersed in the mixture and doesn’t splash.
You’ll know trace is achieved when the mixture has the texture and thickness of a light pudding.
Step 6: Check On The Soap
Cover and cook on low for approximately 45 minutes to an hour. I stay nearby and check on the soap about every 15 minutes.
During the saponification process (the conversion of oil and fat to soap) the oils should rise up the sides like a wave and then fold back into the mixture. If they rise too high they can sometimes overflow out of the slow cooker, so I give it a few stirs throughout the process.
Step 7: Check for Doneness
When the soap is ready, it should look like soft, fluid mashed potatoes. Here’s how to test your soap for readiness according to Dr. Kevin Dunn, author of ‘Scientific Soapmaking.”
“1) Take a gloved finger and wet it.
2) Rub the wet finger over the surface of your soap to gather up a coating of diluted soap/lather (does not have to be frothing).
3 Very carefully touch the lather on your finger to only the very tip of your tongue – i.e., behave as if your finger might be covered with something gross or dangerous, instead of covered with something delicious like chocolate. Don’t go licking the bar of soap itself, and don’t go rubbing your lathered finger all over your tongue. Just a quick touch or 2 of your lathered finger to the very tip of your tongue is all it takes to be able to detect excess alkali/unreacted lye in your soap, which will make itself known by a zapping or stinging sensation on the tip of your tongue.
4) Repeat the above on each side of your soap.
5) Rinse your mouth out with water (or lemon juice if you desire) and spit.”
If there’s no zapping or stinging sensation, it’s ready. If you don’t want to do this test, the only other reliable testing method I know of is to purchase a waterproof pH tester kit and make sure the soap ph is between 8-10.
Note: It’s really important to make sure the soap is finished cooking and therefore all the lye is converted – otherwise it can burn skin.
Step 8: Add Essential Oils (If You’re Using Them)
If you’re adding essential oils, you’ll want to wait until the mixture cools to 140°F before you mix them in. If the mixture is too hot the essential oils will evaporate on contact instead of infusing into the soap.
You’ll know your soap mixture is cool enough when you can place a thermometer into the center of the mixture (not touching the bottom of the slow cooker) and it reads 140F.
Step 9: Spoon The Soap Into Your Mold
Spoon the soap into your mold and firmly tap the mold on your work surface a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. (It shouldn’t splash, but just in case make sure you’re still wearing your protective gear.)
Fill your sink with hot, soapy water and wash all your tools well while wearing your protective equipment. Rinse very well after washing
This is what your soap loaf will look like after it has hardened.
Step 10: Cut Your Bars
Unlike other bars which need to harden for 24 hours before being cut, coconut oil makes a very hard bar that will be difficult to cut if you let it dry too long.
Cut as soon as it’s cool and firm.
Step 11: Use Right Away Or Let Them Cure
Your shampoo bars can be used right away, but they’ll last longer if they’re allowed cure for a bit. I usually put one bar in my shower and then place the rest in an area with good airflow to continue to cure. Make sure they have about an inch of space between them and let them sit for up to a couple of weeks.
How To Use Solid Shampoo Bars
The easiest way to use your shampoo bar is to lather in your hands and then work from root to tip, then rinse your hair very thoroughly and follow with the shine boosting rinse below.
Shine Boosting Rinse Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2-1 cup apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
- Enough filtered water to bring the vinegar mixture to 1.5 cups
To Use:
Mix ingredients and pour into a container – I use a large squeeze top bottle. Pour enough over hair to saturate and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes, then rinse. Cool water is best because it helps smooth hair by closing the hair cuticle, but warm is okay.
Note: After my hair dries the scent of vinegar fades completely, but some people have reported that it lingers a little. If desired, you can spritz a scented hydrosol on your hair to give it a fresh scent. Sometimes called floral waters, hydrosols are scented waters that are created during the essential oil distillation process.
Some good options are:
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are answers to some of the most common questions I’ve received about soapmaking through the years. If you don’t see your question answered here or in this article on soapmaking myths, please leave it in the comments below!
What is the shelf life?
These bars will pretty much last indefinitely in a cool, dry place.
Can I substitute another oil like olive oil, castor oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil or sweet almond oil?
Yes, you can, but there are two things you need to know first:
- Different oils have different saponification values (the amount of lye needed to convert the oil to soap) so you’ll need to run the new recipe through a lye calculator to determine how much water/lye you’ll need.
- Coconut oil works well in this recipe because it creates a very cleansing lather. Many other common oils create more of a nourishing, moisturizing lather that will work beautifully for skin but may leave hair feeling heavy.
I want to make lye-free soap. How do I do that?
All soap is made by combining fats with lye to initiate a process called saponification – aka making soap. All soap is made with lye, but when used correctly there is no lye left in the finished product because it has all turned into soap.
Some people think that melt-and-pour soaps are lye-free, but actually they’ve actually just gone through the saponification process before being packaged and sold. Melting them does not actually making soap since saponification has already occurred, but it is possible to add essential oils, herbs and clays to customize the soap.
Can I make this into a liquid shampoo?
Liquid soaps like castile soap use a type of lye called potassium hydroxide instead of sodium hydroxide. I don’t know of a way to convert this solid shampoo bar into a liquid.
What are some tips for adding lye to water?
Add the lye to the water either outside or in a well-ventilated area. I personally prefer to add it outside, but some soapers use their kitchen sink as the mixing area after opening several windows and turning a fan or air purifier on.
When the lye is mixed in, it will become hot and release vapors which is why you want to be in a well ventilated area. When I mix mine I can see the vapors rising (they look like steam) so I just lean my head away and don’t breathe them in.
While the lye is cooling it should not be in an area that is accessible to children or pets.
Also, when mixing soap lye or blending soap, protect your work area with packing paper or something similar to keep the lye from getting on surfaces.
Can this homemade shampoo bar be made using the cold process method?
Yes!
Do you recommend this bar for color-treated hair?
Unfortunately, it’s not recommended for color treated hair because it cleans by opening the hair shaft, then closing the hair shaft after washing with an acidic rinse. If hair is dyed, the dye may leak out when this happens.
More Hair Care Recipes To Try
Homemade Hair Detangler – If there are tears over tangles in your house, here are three homemade hair detangler recipes that are inexpensive and simple to make.
Natural Hair Gel – Many of the styling gels on store shelves contain hormone disrupting fragrances and formaldehyde releasers, but you can make natural hair gel with just 1-3 simple ingredients using the recipes from my article.
Coconut Oil Shampoo Bar Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients For Normal Hair (10% superfat)
- 33 oz. coconut oil
- 12.54 oz. distilled water
- 5.44 oz. lye (sodium hydroxide)
- ½-1 oz. essential oil (tea tree, peppermint, and rosemary are good options)
Ingredients For Dry Hair (12% superfat)
- 33 oz. coconut oil
- 12.54 oz. distilled water
- 5.32 oz. lye (sodium hydroxide)
- ½-1 oz. essential oils
Equipment Needed
- 8 quart slow cooker/crock pot
- Immersion blender
- Digital scale
- Glass measuring cups
- Bowls for measuring your oils
- Medium-size heat resistant glass bowl for mixing the lye water
- Stainless steel or plastic spoon with long handle (If you use a wooden spoon like the one pictured below, make sure not to use it for anything but soapmaking)
- Protective equipment: long-sleeved shirt, plastic/rubber gloves, safety glasses or protective eye gear
- Soap mold (A standard sized bread pan will work for this batch, or you can use a flexible silicone mold like this one.. If you use a bread pan instead of a flexible mold that easily pops out the soap, just make sure to line it with parchment paper so you can easily lift the soap out.)
- Thermometer (Optional – only needed if you're adding essential oils)
- Sink filled with hot soapy water (For cleaning anything that comes in contact with lye. Wait until you're ready to clean to fill the sink. Details below)
Instructions
- Weigh all your ingredients – coconut oil, distilled water, lye and essential oils if you're using them.
- Add the coconut oil to the crockpot and set it to low. It’s okay if it’s in solid state – it will melt fairly quickly. When the coconut oil is almost fully melted, move on to Step 3.
- It's time to mix your lye water. Put on your protective gear, add your water to a medium-sized heat-resistant glass or ceramic bowl, and choose a well-ventilated area that kids and pets don't have access to. I prefer to mix outside, but some soapers like to mix in their kitchen sink with several open windows and a fan or air purifier running. If you're new to working with lye, see the FAQ section for safety information.Make sure you have a long-handled spoon or spatula ready. I use a this silicone spatula/scraper.While wearing your protective gear and taking care not to breathe the vapors, slowly add the lye to the water while mixing gently. Order is important here, so make sure it is the lye you’re pouring into the water.Keep stirring until the lye seems mostly dissolved. The mixture will be cloudy at first, but will turn clear in 5-10 minutes. When it's clear, proceed to step 4.
- Add lye water to the slow cooker (being careful not to splash) and stir a few times.
- Using the immersion blender, begin mixing toward “trace.” Hold the immersion blender straight up and down (versus at an angle) so that it is fully immersed in the mixture and doesn't splash. You’ll know trace is achieved when the mixture has the texture and thickness of a light pudding.
- Cover and cook on low for approximately 45 minutes to an hour. I stay nearby and check on the soap about every 15 minutes. During the saponification process (the conversion of oil and fat to soap) the oils should rise up the sides like a wave and then fold back into the mixture. If they rise too high they can sometimes overflow out of the slow cooker, so I give it a few stirs throughout the process.
- When the soap is ready, it should look like soft, fluid mashed potatoes. Here's how to test your soap for readiness according to Dr. Kevin Dunn, author of 'Scientific Soapmaking:1) Take a gloved finger and wet it.2) Rub the wet finger over the surface of your soap to gather up a coating of diluted soap/lather (does not have to be frothing).3) Very carefully touch the lather on your finger to only the very tip of your tongue – i.e., behave as if your finger might be covered with something gross or dangerous, instead of covered with something delicious like chocolate. Don't go licking the bar of soap itself, and don't go rubbing your lathered finger all over your tongue. Just a quick touch or 2 of your lathered finger to the very tip of your tongue is all it takes to be able to detect excess alkali/unreacted lye in your soap, which will make itself known by a zapping or stinging sensation on the tip of your tongue.4) Repeat the above on each side of your soap.5) Rinse your mouth out with water (or lemon juice if you desire) and spit.If there's no zapping or stinging sensation, it's ready. If you don't want to do this test, the only other reliable testing method I know of is to purchase a waterproof pH tester kit and make sure the soap ph is between 8-10. Note: It's really important to make sure the soap is finished cooking and therefore all the lye is converted – otherwise it can burn skin.
- If you’re adding essential oils, you'll want to wait until the mixture cools to 140°F before you mix them in. If the mixture is too hot the essential oils will evaporate on contact instead of infusing into the soap. You'll know your soap mixture is cool enough when you can place a thermometer into the center of the mixture (not touching the bottom of the slow cooker) and it reads 140F.
- Spoon the soap into your mold and firmly tap the mold on your work surface a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. (It shouldn't splash, but just in case make sure you're still wearing your protective gear.)Fill your sink with hot, soapy water and wash all your tools well while wearing your protective equipment. Rinse very well after washing.
- Unlike other bars which need to harden for 24 hours before being cut, coconut oil makes a very hard bar that will be difficult to cut if you let it dry too long. Cut as soon as it’s cool and firm.
- Your shampoo bars can be used right away, but they'll last longer if they're allowed cure for a bit. I usually put one bar in my shower and then place the rest in an area with good airflow to continue to cure. Make sure they have about an inch of space between them and let them sit for up to a couple of weeks.
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Sources
1. MadeSafe (2017) The Truth About Shampoo & Conditioner
2. Environmental Protection Agency (2010) 1,4-Dioxane
