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Why does liquid shampoo have saponified oils?
I tried a liquid shampoo recently that my very dry, hypersensitive, partly compromised skin tolerated.
But why does it contain saponified shea and coconut oil? Do saponified oils make the formula less irritating?
formula:
Liquid Shea Butter Soap (Aqueous Shea Leaf (Butyrospermum parkii) Extract, Saponified Shea (Butyrospermum parkii) Butter* (and) Virgin Coconut (Cocos nucifera) Oil), Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Polyglucose, Lavender Essential Oil
Thank you chemists! -
8 Replies
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This is a really basic question and I think you may need to do more research into the Fundamentals. Traditional soaps are saponified oils using a strong base (usually NaOH or KOH) to create an alkaline soap. Saponification is the cornerstone of soap making. These compounds are generally at a higher pH and in fact can not stably be brought much below a pH of 8 or so.Syndets or “synthetic” surfactants are far more common and can be brought to a more skin friendly pH. -
@Microformulation thanks! i know the difference between “soap” and surfactant-based shampoo.
but why does the specific formula, made with synthetic surfactants have to contain saponified oils?
why can’t it simply use contain surfactants + unsaponified oil?
it seems to be quite alkaline in PH, thus it can’t be great for the hair?
sorry, fairly newbie here.
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Climatechangeanxiety said:why can’t it simply use contain surfactants + unsaponified oil?
It can. You oftentimes get inexpensive soaps that are SLES + CDEA + salt + something oily for feel when using. However, they’ll be less efficacious as a shampoo/handwash as a proportion of the surfactants will be ‘used’ for solubilising oils.
Bear in mind you can also superfat saponified oils. Granted higher pH’s aren’t ideal but they can still result in some conditioning.
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Climatechangeanxiety said:@Microformulation thanks! i know the difference between “soap” and surfactant-based shampoo.
but why does the specific formula, made with synthetic surfactants have to contain saponified oils?
why can’t it simply use contain surfactants + unsaponified oil?
it seems to be quite alkaline in PH, thus it can’t be great for the hair?
sorry, fairly newbie here.
Have you gotten a pH reading on the product? -
The simple answer is that it is done for marketing. The LOI you listed should not be trusted anyway as it is most likely missing some ingredients and not in the appropriate order. They are most likely using potassium salts of shea and coconut oils with synthetic detergents. Dr Bronner promotes the concept of using saponified oils as the only soap/detergent you will ever need. I have seen indications of using it for dishes, laundry etc. In reality, soap should be limited to cleaning the body. It is not recommended for hair.
The LOI posted is really just meant to create a “natural” product augmented with synthetic detergents. Customers think they are literally shampooing with shea and coconut oils.
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Cafe33 said:In reality, soap should be limited to cleaning the body. It is not recommended for hair.For years we have been producing a liquid soap made from coconut oil. It’s popular, and sells well. But did take some time to perfect.
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@Cafe33 that’s nuts! I had no idea big companies could get away with not listing all ingredients, or listing in wrong order!
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Yes, I learned this from people like Perry on this forum. I shouldn’t have been surprised as I came from the nutritional supplement world and have witnessed a few similar situations. What you and I call “big companies” are considered small when compared to large corporations such as L’Oreal and P&G. They can get away with it, up until they don’t…
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