How to Make Solid Shampoo?

Solid shampoo is an environmentally friendly alternative that adds sustainability and naturalness to our daily lives. This guide will explain in detail how to make solid shampoo at home, which ingredients should be used and the important points to be considered during the production process.

Solid shampoo provides effective cleaning even with little use thanks to its highly concentrated formula. With its water-free structure, it offers long-lasting use and increases our sensitivity to the environment by reducing plastic waste. It offers long-term effectiveness even with a small amount of use and creates a practical alternative with its easy portability when travelling.

If you want to get more detailed information about the advantages of using solid shampoo: Enjoy a Foam-Filled Shower with Solid Shampoo! You can read our blog post!

Baboon's solid shampoo varieties support hair health with customisable formulations suitable for personal preferences and hair types.

Basic Ingredients and Formulation of Solid Shampoo

The solid shampoo formulation consists of rich ingredients that support hair and skin health, such as surfactants, natural oils and essential oils. Surfactants cleanse, while natural oils nourish and moisturise the hair.

Ideal pH Level and Hair Health

Solid shampoos do not have a constant and high pH like soap, one of the biggest advantages is that the pH is adjustable, that is, it can be adjusted to a pH level suitable for hair and skin.

The pH level of solid shampoo should be adjusted in accordance with the natural structure of the hair. Generally, a pH value between 5 and 6 is ideal for maintaining the natural balance of the hair.

Tricks of Preservative Free Formulation

Raw material selection is very important when formulating solid shampoos. Surfactants and emulsifiers, which we call clean ingredients, should be selected rather than materials with proven potential harm to the skin in conventional cosmetics, so that the clean content claim, which is one of the claims of solid shampoo, can be achieved. Today, there are dozens of alternatives with organic and vegan certificates.

You may also be interested in this blog post: Skin Damaging Substances: Which Ingredients Should We Avoid?

Thanks to raw materials that act as natural preservatives, solid shampoos can remain intact for a long time without preservatives. Extending the shelf life naturally is another advantage of solid shampoos.

Solid Shampoo Production

Material selection, formulation and production stages are extremely important in solid shampoo production. Here is a step-by-step guide for making solid shampoo:

1. Material Selection

• Surfactants: To support the claim of clean ingredients, organic and vegan certified surfactants should be preferred. Surfactants provide the cleansing properties of the shampoo.

• Emulsifiers and Co-Emulsifiers: These are substances that allow oil and water to mix. For example, substances such as cetyl alcohol can be evaluated in this category.

• Oils: Oils that need to be melted, such as cocoa butter and coconut oil, increase the moisturising properties of the shampoo.

• Extracts and Vitamins: Vitamin E, herbal extracts and natural preservatives enhance the nourishing properties of the product.

• Essential Oils: Provides the product with a pleasant fragrance and extra properties (e.g. peppermint oil cooling effect).

2. Safety Precautions

Safety equipment such as masks, gloves and safety goggles should be worn during production. Especially when working with surfactants in fine powder form, a respiratory mask should be worn.

3. Production Stages

Phase 1: Preparation of Powder/Solid Phase

• Weigh powdered or solid surfactants in a separate container. Sieving may be useful to avoid agglomeration.

Phase 2: Preparation of the Hot Phase

• Fats, emulsifiers and co-emulsifiers are melted by bain-marie method. High temperatures should be avoided to preserve the structure of these materials.

Phase 3: Preparation of Cold Phase

• Liquids that will not be heat treated (extracts, vitamins, natural preservatives, essential oils) are weighed in a separate container.

Mixing and Formulation

• Gently knead the powder/solid phase and the melted oil mixture. Continue this process until a homogenous mixture is obtained.
• Then the cold phase is added and the mixture is homogenised by kneading again.
• The pH is checked and it is checked whether the product is suitable for the skin.

Shaping and Drying

• The consistency of the mortar is adjusted according to the forming tool to be used. Silicone moulds, plastic moulds or compressor presses can be used.
• After the shaping stage, the products are dried in a suitable environment for about 1 week.

By following these steps, you can produce an effective solid shampoo with clean ingredients. Paying attention to the quality of materials and safety precautions during the production process improves the quality of the product and user safety.