About our shampoo bars:
Our neighbor Ben S. brought me a shampoo bar that he had purchased elsewhere in Wisconsin and asked if I could make this for him. He was having problems with his scalp. It flaked and itched.
Ben was a very patient and willing test subject while the formulation process was in progress.
The research began.
A shampoo bar is formulated very differently than a face and body soap. For a nice clean rinse, castor oil is used in a heavy percentage. Specific herbs and essential oils that are known to be beneficial for hair care may be added to enhance the natural experience.
While we superfat a bath soap so that we have extra moisturizing oils left behind on our bodies, this is not what is desired for hair care. The desire is to have the excess sebum and oils that are on our hair shaft removed. This is why no butters are used in a shampoo bar. Most butters do not saponify completely, so they would be left behind as extra oil on our hair. We would end up with a heavy feeling to our hair.
While my final formula isn't the exact one that Ben asked me to duplicate, he was thrilled with the results.
Avocado & Nettles Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar
Rosemary has many important properties.
- It is an outstanding free radical scavenger and therefore has amazing antioxidant properties
- It has a remarkable stimulating effect on the skin.
- It has good antiseptic properties and is traditionally used for hair and scalp stimulation.
- Rosemary enhances brunettes hair highlights
When used in fair concentrations in hair products, it not only has a stimulating effect, but also results in forming an extraordinary hair and scalp conditioning product.
Ingredients: purified water (infused with rosemary, nettles, shavegrass), coconut oil, castor oil, palm kernel oil, olive oil infused with rosemary, nettles, shavegrass, sodium hydroxide, rice bran oil, jojoba, safflower oil, and avocado oil
$6.50
Our Herbal Bar Shampoos are the finest shampoos ever formulated. These shampoo bars will leave your hair and scalp feeling clean and your hair shiny.
I have infused nature’s best hair-care herbs, nettles, rosemary, and horsetail shavegrass, in both the oil and water phases of the soap-making process.
Avocado oil helps to promote healthy hair growth and nutrition to your hair. It also adds that extra "shine". You will love the glossy, healthy results.
Avocado & Nettles Lavender Flowers Shampoo Bar
Lavender is mainly used for it's wonderful aroma therapy benefits and:
- It has antiseptic and anti-dandruff properties.
- Contains ursolic acid, which is not only antibacterial, but is also active against lipid oxidation and inhibits elastase.
Elastase results in tissue degeneration and stimulates the inflammatory processes, as well as tissue degradation. This is seen in skin disorders such as psoriasis and eczema.
Ingredients: purified water (infused with rosemary, nettles, shavegrass), coconut oil, castor oil, palm kernel oil, olive oil infused with rosemary, nettles, shavegrass, sodium hydroxide, rice bran oil, jojoba, safflower oil, and avocado oil
$6.50
When using a natural shampoo bar, it will generally take about one week to ten days for your hair to adjust to this natural shampoo bar. Initially your hair will feel like cotton candy, but don't give up! Tincture of time is all it takes a little bit of vinegar. How much time is dependent on the amount of "product" such as hair spray, that you use in your daily grooming.
It is recommended that you follow your shampoo with an herbal apple cider vinegar rinse. A mere two tablespoons of any vinegar in a cup of cool water is sufficient to close the cuticle of the hair shaft.
This will not only ease combing, but will keep the static under control. We recommend using cider vinegar but any vinegar will work well.
Just think how easy travel will be with a simple shampoo bar in your luggage. When you get to your destination, stop at the store for an inexpensive bottle of vinegar. Just leave it behind when you are ready to return home.
Will your hair smell like vinegar? Once your hair is dry, the bouquet of vinegar will dissipate.
What you will notice is that your hair will shine and have more body than ever before.
Shampoo bars work best in soft water. We have city water and that also works well. If your water is unusually hard, then use the Head to Toe Shampoo for best results.
For information on avocado, nettles, rosemary, horsetail/shavegrass, and lavender, please see our information page. |
