7 Homemade Shampoo Bar Recipes – A How To

I’ve put together 7 homemade shampoo bar recipes together for you to choose from. Some are vegan, some have tallow. All are wonderful for the hair and formulated with pure ingredients specifically put together for hair and the scalp. Though, feel free to use these on the entire body as a luxurious body and face bar as well.

All of these recipes are made with the cold process soap making method. If you are new to soap making and need more specific instructions, go here: Soap Making for Beginners. You can also purchase my book, The Natural Soap Making Book for Beginners.

I know that some companies harvest Palm oil responsibly, while others do not. There are some very good companies that are providing jobs to communities, planting trees, and harvesting responsibly for the people to have a local commodity. Make sure to use palm from these companies.

If you are vegan, choose the vegan bars. If you like tallow or lard bars, then definitely choose one of the recipes below with those ingredients. You cannot simply interchange ingredients easily. But you can take a vegan recipe if that’s what you prefer, and use different essential oils, or even add honey or replace some of the water with milk.

7 Shampoo Bar Recipes

They are:

1. Palm Shampoo Bar (Vegan, No Coconut)
2. Avocado Shampoo Bar (Vegan)
3. Tallow and Honey Shampoo Bar
4. Cocoa Shampoo Bar (Vegan, No Tree Nut, No Coconut)
5. Coconut Milk Shampoo Bar
6. Clay Shampoo Bar
7. Goat Milk Shampoo Bar

As usual, be very careful with lye, and some essential oils can burn as well.  Research what you are doing and what you are using. See my essential oils safety page and for more in-depth soap making instructions you can get my book or my soap making instructions page: 7 Steps to Homemade Soap for Beginners.

If you are just transitioning off of shampoo, realize that your hair follicles struggle to over produce oils after each stripping of store-bought shampoo.  Your scalp will need to “re-learn” how much oil to make, so you will go through a greasy period of 1-3 weeks.  After your scalp adjusts, these soaps work great.

I follow up with a spray solution of half water, half apple cider vinegar as a conditioner.

Find Shampoo Bars in My Shop

7 Homemade Shampoo Bar Recipes

1) Shampoo Bar with Palm

3 lbs, or twelve 4 ounce bars – 10% superfat content

Ingredients:

• 13 ounces Olive Oil
• 10 ounces Palm Kernel Flakes
• 5 ounces Sweet Almond Oil
• 5 ounces Castor oil
• 12.5 ounces Distilled Water
• 4.4 ounces Lye
• 1 ounce Essential Oil

Directions:

1. Combine olive oil, palm flakes, sweet almond oil, and castor oil in a stainless steel pot and melt over medium/low heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Outside, wearing proper safety gear including gloves and a mask, pour lye crystals into water and stir until dissolved. Allow to cool to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. If oils or lye water are not cooling at the same rate, use a cold water bath in the sink.
3. When both lye water and oils are at the correct temperature, pour lye water into oils and mix with a hand or stick mixer until medium trace.
4. Add essential oil and blend well.
5. Pour into mold and insulate for 24 hours.
6. Remove from mold and cut.
7. Allow to cure for 4-6 weeks in a cool, non-humid location.

 2) Avocado Shampoo Bar

3 lbs, or twelve 4 ounce bars – 10% superfat content

Instructions:

• 10 ounces Olive Oil
• 9 ounces Coconut Oil
• 7 ounces Castor Oil
• 4 ounces Shea Butter
• 4 ounces Avocado Oil
• 12.9 ounces Filtered Water
• 4.5 ounces Lye
• 1 ounce Essential Oil

Directions:

1. Combine olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, shea butter, and avocado oil in a stainless steel pot and melt over medium/low heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Outside, wearing proper safety gear including gloves and a mask, pour lye crystals into water and stir until dissolved. Allow to cool to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. If oils or lye water are not cooling at the same rate, use a cold water bath in the sink.
3. When both lye water and oils are at the correct temperature, pour lye water into oils and mix with a hand or stick mixer until medium trace.
4. Add essential oil and blend well.
5. Pour into mold and insulate for 24 hours.
6. Remove from mold and cut.
7. Allow to cure for 4-6 weeks in a cool, non-humid location.

3) Tallow and Honey Shampoo Bar

3 lbs, or twelve 4 ounce bars – 10% superfat content

Instructions:

• 9 ounces Tallow
• 8 ounces Coconut Oil
• 7 ounces  Olive Oil
• 5 ounces Castor Oil
• 2 ounces Sweet Almond Oil
• 2 ounce Jojoba Oil
• 12.5 ounces Filtered Water
• 4.3 ounce Lye
• 2 teaspoons Raw Honey
• 1 ounce Essential Oil

Directions:

1. Combine tallow, coconut oil, olive oil, castor oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil in a stainless steel pot and melt over medium/low heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Outside, wearing proper safety gear including gloves and a mask, pour lye crystals into water and stir until dissolved. Allow to cool to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. If oils or lye water are not cooling at the same rate, use a cold water bath in the sink.
3. When both lye water and oils are at the correct temperature, pour lye water into oils and mix with a hand or stick mixer until medium trace.
4. Add essential oil and honey and blend well.
5. Pour into mold and insulate for 24 hours.
6. Remove from mold and cut.
7. Allow to cure for 4-6 weeks in a cool, non-humid location.

4) Cocoa Shampoo Bar

3 lbs, or twelve 4 ounce bars – 10% superfat content

Instructions:

• 9 ounces Babassu oil
• 6 ounces Apricot Kernel Oil
• 6 ounces Cocoa Butter
• 5 ounces Castor Oil
• 5 ounces Grapeseed  Oil
• 11.8 ounces Filtered Water
• 4.1 ounces Lye
• 1 ounce Essential Oils

Directions:

1. Combine babassu oil, apricot kernel oil, cocoa butter, castor oil, and grapeseed oil in a stainless steel pot and melt over medium/low heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Outside, wearing proper safety gear including gloves and a mask, pour lye crystals into water and stir until dissolved. Allow to cool to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. If oils or lye water are not cooling at the same rate, use a cold water bath in the sink.
3. When both lye water and oils are at the correct temperature, pour lye water into oils and mix with a hand or stick mixer until medium trace.
4. Add essential oils and blend well.
5. Pour into mold and insulate for 24 hours.
6. Remove from mold and cut.
7. Allow to cure for 4-6 weeks in a cool, non-humid location.

5) Coconut Milk Shampoo Bar

3 lbs, or twelve 4 ounce bars – 5% superfat content

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces Olive Oil
• 9 ounces Coconut Oil
• 5 ounces Castor Oil
• 3 ounces Cocoa Butter
• 3 ounces Sweet Almond oil
• 2 ounces Shea Butter
• 1 ounce Beeswax
• 6 ounces Filtered Water
• 6 ounces Coconut Milk
• 4.6 oz Lye
• 1 ounce Essential Oil

Directions:

1. Combine olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, cocoa butter, sweet almond oil, shea butter, and beeswax in a stainless steel pot and melt over medium/low heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine milk and water and refrigerate until very cold.
3. Outside, wearing proper safety gear including gloves and a mask, pour lye crystals into milk/water and stir until dissolved. Allow to cool to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. If oils or lye milk/water are not cooling at the same rate, use a cold water bath in the sink.
4. When both lye milk/water and oils are at the correct temperature, pour lye water into oils and mix with a hand or stick mixer until medium trace.
5. Add essential oils and blend well.
6. Pour into mold and insulate for 24 hours.
7. Remove from mold and cut.
8. Allow to cure for 4-6 weeks in a cool, non-humid location.

6) Clay Shampoo Bar

3 lbs, or twelve 4 ounce bars – 10% superfat content

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces Lard
• 9 ounces Coconut Oil
• 7 ounces Olive Oil
• 4 ounces Shea Butter
• 4 ounces Castor Oil
• 0.5 ounce Beeswax
• 4.6 ounces Lye
• 13 oz Filtered Water
• 1 Tablespoon Rhassoul Clay (or Red Moroccan Clay) (great for volume)
• 1 ounce Essential Oil

Directions:

1. Combine lard, coconut oil, olive oil, shea butter, castor oil, and beeswax in a stainless steel pot and melt over medium/low heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Outside, wearing proper safety gear including gloves and a mask, pour lye crystals into water and stir until dissolved. Allow to cool to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. If oils or lye water are not cooling at the same rate, use a cold water bath in the sink.
3. When both lye water and oils are at the correct temperature, pour lye water into oils and mix with a hand or stick mixer until medium trace.
4. Add essential oils and clay and blend well.
5. Pour into mold and insulate for 24 hours.
6. Remove from mold and cut.
7. Allow to cure for 4-6 weeks in a cool, non-humid location.

7) Goat Milk Shampoo Bar

3 lbs, or twelve 4 ounce bars – 5% superfat content

Ingredients:

• 9 ounces Coconut Oil
• 7 ounces Olive Oil
• 5 ounces Walnut Oil
• 5 ounces Cocoa Butter
• 4 ounces Castor Oil
• 2 ounces Sweet Almond Oil
• 4.5 ounces Lye
• 6 ounces Goat Milk
• 6 ounces Filtered Water
• 1 ounce Essential Oil

Directions:

1. Combine coconut oil, olive oil, walnut oil, cocoa butter, castor oil, and sweet almond oil in a stainless steel pot and melt over medium/low heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine milk and water and freeze until slushy.
3. Outside, wearing proper safety gear including gloves and a mask, pour lye crystals into milk/water and stir until dissolved. Allow to cool to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. If oils or lye milk/water are not cooling at the same rate, use a cold water bath in the sink.
4. When both lye milk/water and oils are at the correct temperature, pour lye water into oils and mix with a hand or stick mixer until medium trace.
5. Add essential oils and blend well.
6. Pour into mold and insulate for 24 hours.
7. Remove from mold and cut.
8. Allow to cure for 4-6 weeks in a cool, non-humid location.

BONUS RECIPE

Soft Herbal Shampoo Bar

3 lbs, or twelve 4 ounce bars – 5% superfat content

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces Beeswax
• 6 ounces Coconut Oil
• 22 ounces Olive Oil
• 4 ounces Sweet Almond Oil
• 4 ounces Lye
• 10 ounces Filtered Water
• 2 Chamomile Tea Bags
• 1 ounce Essential Oil

Directions:

1. Combine beeswax, coconut oil, olive oil, and sweet almond oil in a stainless steel pot and melt over medium/low heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Steep chamomile tea in water. Chill the tea water in the refrigerator.
3. Outside, wearing proper safety gear including gloves and a mask, pour lye crystals into water and stir until dissolved. Allow to cool to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. If oils or lye water are not cooling at the same rate, use a cold water bath in the sink.
4. When both lye water and oils are at the correct temperature, pour lye water into oils and mix with a hand or stick mixer until trace. This may be harder to see trace. Just make sure the water and oil is fully emulsified and very light trace is reached.
5. Add essential oils and used chamomile tea leaves (optional) and blend well.
6. Pour into mold and insulate. After 24 hours, if it is still too soft to remove from the mold, wait another day or two.
7. Remove from mold and cut.
8. Allow to cure for 4-6 weeks in a cool, non-humid location.

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Make sure you check out my Soap Making and Bath and Body books HERE.