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7 Homemade Shampoo Bar Recipes

Posted by Kelly Hair, Handmade Soap, Homemade Soap Recipes, Natural Beauty 402 Comments
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[Updated 1/12/2018] Here are 7 homemade shampoo bar recipes I’ve put together for you to choose from.

I know that some people like to use Palm responsibly, while others do not. Some people like using tallow and lard, while others prefer a vegan bar. So, hopefully cover something for everyone.

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

Why Use Natural Products - Shampoo Bars from Simple Life Mom

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:

7 Homemade Shampoo Soap Recipes -Simple Life Mom

  • 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.

7 Homemade Shampoo Bar Recipes - cold process soap from Simple Life Mom

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.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

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


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402 Comments

402 Comments

Leave your reply.
  • isleofazure
    · Reply

    November 19, 2013 at 8:55 AM

    Excellent, will try to make some on the weekend when I have all the ingredients. Thank you Eco Mom 🙂
    Smiles!!!

    • Simple Life Mom
      · Reply

      Author
      November 19, 2013 at 9:08 AM

      Let me know if you have any questions.

      • isleofazure
        · Reply

        November 19, 2013 at 9:13 AM

        Will do and thank you, when you make things, they are valued so much more and plus it’s healthier for you, cannot beat that 🙂
        Smiles!!!

      • Awnsergirl
        · Reply

        March 8, 2014 at 5:23 PM

        What is lye

        • Simple Life Mom
          · Reply

          Author
          March 8, 2014 at 5:35 PM

          Great question. Lye is sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. Potassium hydroxide was originally made from wood ash and makes a softer soap. Sodium hydroxide is needed for these recipes. It is made from a chemical reaction between soda and lye. It must be handled very carefully or it will burn you. It can be obtained in a plumbing section of a store, but it must be pure, with no other drain ingredients included. Lye reacts with oils, basically busting open the oil molecules and turning them into soap. The lye is essentially “used up” in the process, but you have to wait for the full conversion, which is why soaps need to cure for at least 3 weeks. Without lye- you cannot have real natural soap.

          • Michelle Fontenot

            April 20, 2019 at 6:02 PM

            Why can’t you used potassium based lye?

          • Kelly

            Author
            April 22, 2019 at 9:15 AM

            Your soap bars will be soft and never set up.

      • Barbara
        · Reply

        May 10, 2016 at 6:26 AM

        I love the idea of soap shampoo bars but the palm oil is a no no. Perhaps a substitute. The Indonesian rain forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate because of Palm oil plantations. Rain forests make fresh oxygen. I’m hoping there will be good air for my grand children to breath. Just saying.

        • Kelly
          · Reply

          Author
          May 10, 2016 at 6:59 AM

          There are plenty of responsible sources that are planting and harvesting on their own land, replinishing as they go. Palm oil is definitely still an option if you are conscience of what you are buying.

          • LeAnn Mc

            July 13, 2018 at 5:33 PM

            exactly. Not everyone or business is being irresponsible. You have to know where you are purchasing and demand to know their mission statement regarding palm oil. If they are doing it right they will supply with that information.

      • ACIA FAJARDO
        · Reply

        January 7, 2019 at 10:27 AM

        HELLO WHAT CAN USE IN REPLACEMENT OF JOJOBA OIL AND SWEET ALMOND OIL…? I ONLY HAVE BEEF TALLOW COCONUT RED PALM OIL CASTOR OIL AND OLIVE OIL… I JUST WANT TO TRY TO MAKE SHAMPOO SOAP.

        • Kelly
          · Reply

          Author
          January 7, 2019 at 7:07 PM

          You need to find a recipe that has the exact oils you have on hand, or use a lye calculator to make your own recipe. I do have palm oil recipes here: https://simplelifemom.com/2014/04/07/8-homemade-palm-oil-soap-recipes/

          • Kimi

            September 24, 2019 at 11:13 AM

            I was wondering what the difference is between soap and shampoo bars.. Is it the lye content? The recipes seem to be the same oils etc.

          • Kelly

            Author
            September 26, 2019 at 9:22 AM

            It is not the lye content, although less lye and more superfat content does effect hair. It’s mainly the oils used. A lot of body bars are also great on hair.

  • latebloomlisa
    · Reply

    November 19, 2013 at 10:59 PM

    I am definitely going to make these soon!

  • nazfiraanriz
    · Reply

    November 20, 2013 at 6:33 AM

    Hello, thanks for visiting my blog… and by the way you have a lot awesome soap recipes… however, some of the ingredients are quite rare to me and I have no idea where to buy/ find them.. how I wish that I could make one too.

    • Simple Life Mom
      · Reply

      Author
      November 20, 2013 at 7:00 AM

      When I first started a lot were rare to me too. Surprisingly, most ingredients can be found in your local grocery stores, walmart, online at Amazon. A great place is bulkapothecary.com.

  • Hannah
    · Reply

    January 10, 2014 at 6:45 PM

    HI,I have just stumbled upon your blog,I would love to make these shampoo bars but before I do I just wondered if you have had any experience in using them on children. Are they/should they be safe for children’s skin?

    • Simple Life Mom
      · Reply

      Author
      January 10, 2014 at 7:31 PM

      Great question. Lye soaps are much better for you and your children than store bought soaps that are full of harmful chemicals. If you’ve never made lye soaps then I would suggest getting your feet wet with the basic recipe on my soaps page. Otherwise, these soaps have great oils, butters, and essential oils that are great for your skin, hair, and health. As long as there are no allergies (like to coconut) then all’s good. Some recommend olive oil soaps (castille) for babies, but I’ve used all these for my kids since they were little. Of course, do your own investigation, but these are all we use.

      • Sunita
        · Reply

        August 23, 2017 at 11:12 AM

        how long before its okay to use ?

        • Kelly
          · Reply

          Author
          August 23, 2017 at 11:16 AM

          Since it varies per recipe, a good rule of thumb is to wait at least 4 weeks.

  • Melissa B
    · Reply

    January 23, 2014 at 10:59 PM

    These may be dumb questions, but how would you use these? Just lather up and rub the lather into your hair? And would you be able to just wash your whole body with it too?

    • Simple Life Mom
      · Reply

      Author
      January 23, 2014 at 11:08 PM

      Great questions. Yes, just lather and rub into your hair and rinse. You can definitely use it on your whole body. I save it for my hair since it would be used up by family too quickly otherwise, but there’s no reason why you can’t.

  • Elizabeth
    · Reply

    February 23, 2014 at 12:32 AM

    I have a question. I want to make #5, but I’m confused about when to add the coconut milk. Do I mix it in with the water to add to the lye? I would be concerned about the coconut milk burning or something… Am I over thinking this? Lol!

    • Simple Life Mom
      · Reply

      Author
      February 23, 2014 at 10:04 AM

      That’s a great question. Milk soaps can be a bit tricky at first. Some people get batches that are too dark, or it over heats. Here is what I do: Make sure your coconut milk is very cold, as well as your water. Weigh your water and milk and chill. It can even be slightly slushy. Just make sure that your oil mixture is not too hot when you start to add your lye to your water/milk because you want both mixtures to reach 100 F around the same time and your lye mixture will be considerably cooler than if you used room temp. water. After you’ve combined your lye mixture with your oils and brought it to trace, added your essential oils and are ready to pour, don’t incubate right away. Cover the top with plastic wrap or parchment paper to prevent ash, but leave the towels and blankets off until it’s reached gel stage. You’ll see it look almost translucent. Then incubate for 24 hours. It’s not that different, but takes a little more care. Let me know if you have any other questions.

      • englishgarden2003
        · Reply

        March 4, 2014 at 1:57 AM

        Thanks! That answers my questions perfectly! Now for the BIG question- Do you have any recipes for conditioner bars??

        • Simple Life Mom
          · Reply

          Author
          March 4, 2014 at 8:06 AM

          These bars have great oils in them to help keep your hair healthy. For conditioning you can use 1part apple cider vinegar, 1 part water in a sprayer. Spray thoroughly and rinse.

          • Julie Needham

            June 15, 2018 at 7:00 AM

            For the conditioner you mention above – 1 part apple cider vinegar, 1 part water in a sprayer. Spray thoroughly and rinse – if you leave it on will it condition more, or is it important to only spray thoroughly and rinse, please? Thank you!