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Shampoo Bar and Tangly Hair
Hi everyone! I’m working on a shampoo bar and trying for a pourable-ish formula. The problem I keep getting is that whist washing my hair gets quite tangly. After washing out it feels fine but personally I think the washing experience isn’t great.
The formula is
15% Cetearyl Alcohol
10% Stearic Acid
3% BTMS 80
1% Olive Silicone Alternative
35% SCI
10% Cocamidopropyl Betaine
24% SCS
0.5% Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
0.5% Polyquaternium-10
1% PreservativeCould it be the fatty alcohol or stearic acid causing this? The liquid shampoo that I’m comparing it to uses dimethicone but the reason I’m avoiding silicone is that I want to take it camping and want to use ingredients that are biodegradable.
Thanks so much! On paper it looks good to me but yes, the actual experience of using it is not as great as I hoped. 🙂
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7 Replies
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Cetearyl alcohol, stearic acid and BTMS could be impairing your SH performance. Try one sample without them.
And just as a reference, silicones are not biodegradable, but they do degrade (just not because of bugs).
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Stearic Acid is going to be draggy on the hair. Try replacing it with some more SCI.
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More than 3 times the amount you need 15% Cetearyl Alcohol
Eliminate completely, this will make hair feel like wax 10% Stearic Acid
Might be too much, cationic ingredients can do the opposite of what you want 3% BTMS 80
Almost sure this is unnecessary 1% Olive Silicone Alternative
Great ingredient 35% SCI
Also good 10% Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Increase substantially 24% SCS
Can be eliminated or used at a lower percentage 0.5% Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Never used but everyone loves 0.5% Polyquaternium-10
Necessary 1% Preservative -
Thanks everyone - it was definitely Stearic Acid that was the issue in the end. 🙂
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You made a good lotion bar. But when I create shampoo bars that fail I use it for dishes or skin. This makes a good skin conditioning soap.
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Hi there, I can strongly agree with you that these bars are not a great way to wash your hair if you are looking for something of a good time. They are infact the opposite. However, if you are looking to go camping or not wanting to lug around loads of heavy liquids, then this is your alternative. There are quite a lot of natural alternative silicones. If you want to know more let me know. cheers Dr Cath.
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What alternatives would you recommend Dr, Pratt? I like to use Caprylyl capryate or C12-15 AB in thin viscosity moisturisers but not shampoo bars because it’s too drying. Would Squalane/Hemi Squalane be substantial enough? On a different note, were you on The Eco Well podcast with Jen? Perhaps I saw you in interview on You Tube?
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