Craft a beautiful homemade shampoo bar! Made with shea butter, oil, aloe vera, essential oils and a melt and pour soap base to help nourish and hydrate hair.
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DIY Melt and Pour Shampoo
I love making natural skincare products! I’ve got recipes for lip gloss, herbal salves, lotion and even bath salts. But my favorite item to make has to be soap. Especially when it as easy as melt and pour!
I’ve long been making my own homemade soap to wash my body and face but I had never dipped my toes into making a diy shampoo bar. Wanting to avoid handling lye and other special soap making equipment, I opted for my go-to melt and pour soap base.
After making a handful of bars, I am very pleased with the results! No need to spend a boodle on a solid shampoo bar when you can create nearly a half dozen melt and pour shampoo bars for a fraction of the cost. And honestly, they truly work well at cleansing your hair and keeping it healthy!
If you’re new to making homemade shampoo, follow along to learn how to make shampoo bars — it is so much fun!
What is the Best Base for Shampoo Bars?
When making a melt and pour shampoo bar, I find the best base to use is a shave or shampoo base. They both have a great lather, are easy to customize and will clean your hair well. My favorite melt and pour shampoo base is from Stephenson and can be purchased from Bulk Apothecary.
Depending on your hair type, you may prefer to purchase another type of soap base. Each kind is a little different, some being better for moisturizing while others are great for deep cleaning. You can learn more about each soap base in this detailed post, 8 best melt and pour soap bases.
Here are my recommendations for the best soap bases for shampoo bars:
Goats Milk Melt and Pour Soap Base
Shea Butter Melt and Pour Soap Base
Cocoa Butter Melt and Pour Soap Base
What are the Best Ingredients for Shampoo Bars?
Melt and pour shampoo bars are a great alternative to liquid shampoo. By making soap at home, you can control the ingredients and select what is best for your skin. Simply melt and pour! This particular melt and pour shampoo bar recipe includes a handful of hair-loving ingredients such as jojoba or olive oil and shea butter.
Shea Butter – Is a wonderful addition to this easy shampoo bar recipe due to it’s moisturizing properties and ability to tame frizz and protect against heat and styling tools such as a straightener.
Jojoba Oil – This oil provides nourishment, while conditioning and softening hair.
Aloe Vera – Just a small amount of aloe vera gel leaves skin soft and smooth by helping to soothe an inflamed, irritated scalp.
Rosemary Essential Oil – Fresh and stimulating, rosemary essential oil helps to increase circulation to the scalp, promoting healthy hair.
Peppermint Essential Oil – Not only does peppermint oil smell great, it also helps to increase hair growth over time.
Tools You May Need
- Saucepan
- Quart size glass canning jar or heatproof bowl
- Spatula
- Kitchen scale
- Soap mold
How to Make a Shampoo Bar
Discover how easy it is to make the best melt and pour shampoo bar recipe right from home. Convenient, quick and completely customizable for every hair type.
Makes: Four 4-ounce bars
Ingredients
1 pound (16 oz) melt and pour shampoo base (see list of alternatives above)
2 teaspoons (6 g) shea butter, optional
1 teaspoon jojoba oil or olive oil
1 teaspoon aloe vera gel
35 drops rosemary essential oil
15 drops peppermint essential oil
Directions
To make the melt and pour soap, chop the shampoo soap base into 1-inch cubes. In a heatproof glass jar or bowl, add the soap cubes, shea butter, jojoba oil and aloe vera gel and set on top of a saucepan with a few inches of water inside the pan. This will be our makeshift double boiler. Turn the stove heat to medium low.
Once the soap has melted, remove the bowl from heat. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the rosemary and peppermint essential oils.
Pour the soap into your desired mold. Let settle and cool in a dry place for a few hours or until solidified. Remove the soap from the mold. Store bars in a cool, dry place.
Washing Hair With Bar Soap
Wet your hair and the bar of soap, then gently message into the scalp and roots. Run your hands through your hair to create a foamy lather. Leave in for moment, then rise out shampoo with warm water. Follow with your favorite conditioner.
Alternate Essential Oil Ideas
While this recipe calls for a combination of rosemary and peppermint essential oil, you can switch them out based on your personal preference. Pick an oil purely for its scent or select one that has great hair care properties. Here are a few essential oil ideas for homemade shampoo bars.
- Sage – helps to remove excess oil in hair
- Tea tree – reduces dandruff
- Bergamot – strengthens hair follicles
- Thyme – provides hair a deep clean
- Lavender – calming to reduce inflammation from dryness
- Lime – improves shine and stimulates growth
Find More Natural Skincare Tutorials
Gardening Soap Recipe Melt and Pour
Melt and Pour Shampoo Bar Recipe
Craft a beautiful homemade shampoo bar! Made with shea butter, oil, aloe vera, essential oils and a melt and pour soap base to help nourish and hydrate hair.
Materials
- 1 pound (16 oz) melt and pour shampoo base (see list of alternatives above)
- 2 teaspoons (6 g) shea butter, optional
- 1 teaspoon jojoba oil or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon aloe vera gel
- 35 drops rosemary essential oil
- 15 drops peppermint essential oil
Instructions
- To make the melt and pour soap, chop the shampoo soap base into 1-inch cubes. In a heatproof glass jar or bowl, add the soap cubes, shea butter, jojoba oil and aloe vera gel and set on top of a saucepan with a few inches of water inside the pan. This will be our makeshift double boiler. Turn the stove heat to medium low.
- Once the soap has melted, remove the bowl from heat. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the rosemary and peppermint essential oils.
- Pour the soap into your desired mold. Let settle and cool in a dry place for a few hours or until solidified. Remove the soap from the mold. Store bars in a cool, dry place.
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