DIY Tallow Shampoo Bar (that actually works!)
Are you in search of a natural shampoo that actually leaves your hair feeling clean, shiny, and smooth? After years of dealing with that exact scenario, I began making this tallow shampoo bar and it has been the perfect solution. With just a handful of ingredients, I’ll walk you through how you can make them yourself!
My Shampoo Story
It’s no secret that we are big fans of using tallow on our skin around here. Tallow balm, tallow-based sunscreen, and magnesium lotion are just a few of the ways. But when it came to shampoo, I was more skeptical.
For years, I had tried a wide array of natural shampoo options. From no poo, to baking soda and apple cider vinegar, to several expensive natural shampoo brands, my hair was never left feeling like the clean and shiny, smooth that I was going for.
A friend suggested that I try using a shampoo bar and bought me a Lush shampoo bar. Upon first use, I knew this was different than anything I had tried before (in a good way)! After using that shampoo bar for a month or so, I began wondering how I could make something similar myself.
That’s when I stumbled upon this recipe for tallow shampoo bars and gave them a go. After making a few tweaks to the recipe, it’s been four years and we still love and solely use these shampoo bars.
How to Make Tallow Shampoo Bars
While making shampoo bars, or any soap for that matter, may sound intimidating, the process is really quite simple with the right tools, ingredients, and following a few important safety procedures.
If you are getting started with soap making, there are a few necessary start up costs, like lye and a soap mold. But once you stock up on the needed ingredients and equipment, we’ve found they quickly pay for themselves in the amount of soap that can be made!
Ingredients Needed:
Olive Oil – Anytime you are purchasing olive oil, it’s important to find a high-quality olive oil. We have a friend from Greece that has her own business selling olive oil from her family’s olive orchards. Her number one tip when buying olive oil is to look on the label and only buy olive oil that says it is from one country. Often, the label will list a few different countries, which she says is a red flag for potential adulteration or a less quality product.
Coconut Oil – Coconut oil is helpful to give these bars lots of lather that you want in a shampoo. We buy ours from Costco.
Tallow – Tallow is rendered beef fat (suet). High-quality, grass-fed tallow is ideal for maximum nutrients. We purchase our tallow from local farms or butchers. If you don’t know of a local farm in your area, check localharvest.org to find a farmer nearby. Sometimes you can find already rendered tallow. If not, purchase suet (beef fat) to render down to tallow yourself. The process is simple—it just takes some time. We follow this wet method for rendering to eliminate any beefy smell.
Castor Oil – Castor oil is high in ricinoleic acid and much anecdotal evidence sings the praises of using castor oil on hair. Look for castor oil in a dark glass jar for avoiding rancidity. We purchase this organic castor oil for making these shampoo bars.
Lye – Soap is made by combining oils together into a hard bar. This process is called saponification, which requires and alkaline agent in order for the chemical reaction to take place. This is where lye comes in. Lye is used to saponify the oils to creating a firm bar of soap. We use this lye.
Essential Oils (optional) – There are a few specific essential oils that are known for being beneficial for hair. You can use whatever blend that you’d like. We typically use peppermint essential oil. Our favorite place to purchase quality essential oils is Plant Therapy.
Equipment Needed:
– Scale
– Safety Goggles
– Safety Gloves
– Immersion blender (blender or food processor could work too)
– Soap Mold
– Soap Cutter
Tallow Shampoo Bar Frequently Asking Questions:
How do shampoo bars work?
Shampoo bars are essentially soap bars with specific formulas designed to benefit and clean hair. Once wet, they are activated and will create a lather to clean your hair and scalp. Only a few swipes of the shampoo bar are needed.
Is there a lather?
Yes! This is one of my favorite parts about these shampoo bars. As opposed to many other natural options that do not produce a lather, these do and feel luxurious.
Can I go from using standard shampoo to these shampoo bars?
Commercial hair products use synthetic chemicals to help give hair its shine. However, over time these synthetic ingredients can build up on hair keeping hair from being able to absorb moisture and turning it dry and brittle. Before making the switch from a commercial shampoo to this tallow shampoo bar, a hair detox may be in order.
What about conditioner?
Honestly, we’ve found that this tallow shampoo bar works great as both a shampoo and conditioner. However, I’ve talked to others who use this shampoo bar alongside an apple cider vinegar rinse or a homemade dry conditioner.
Can you use these shampoo bars for other things?
Yes! Because this shampoo bar is essentially a concentrated soap, it makes a great body soap as well. I’m also experimenting with using it as a dish soap bar for a zero-waste dishwashing option.
Who are shampoo bars for?
These shampoo bars can really be a one-stop-shop for the whole family! Since we’ve started making them, Jim and our kids have started using them for shampoo and body wash.
Tallow Shampoo Bar Recipe
Yield: 8 bars
Ingredients:
– 10 oz (283.5 g) Olive Oil
– 10 oz (283.5 g) Coconut Oil
– 10 oz (283.5 g) Tallow
– 6 oz (170.1 g) Castor Oil
– 13.7 oz (388.4 g) water
– 5.1 oz (144.6 g) lye
– 1 tbsp Essential oils (optional)
Directions:
1. Measure out all 4 of your oils and place in a medium saucepan.
2. Melt olive oil, coconut oil, tallow, and castor oil over med-low heat until melted.
3. While the oils are melting, measure out water in a food grade plastic bucket or stainless-steel bowl (avoid glass because the heat produced in the lye reaction could cause cracks in the glass).
4. Measure out lye.
5. Once the oils are melted, allow to cool to 100°F (38°C). We like to put the saucepan in the fridge to speed this up.
6. While the oils are cooling mix lye solution. We always do this outside while wearing protective goggles and gloves. Slowly pour the lye into the water (never the water into the lye). Stir continuously with a stainless-steel spoon (not wooden).
7. After the water/lye solution is gently but completely mixed, set aside for 10 minutes to cool.
8. Slowly pour the lye solution into the oils and blend with an immersion blender until a vanilla pudding consistency is formed. Don’t over blend.
9. Add in essential oils and briefly mix in.
10. Pour into soap mold. You can cover with wax paper and flat object on top if desired overnight.
11. 24 hours later, remove soap from the mold and slice into 8 bars. We do this by cutting in half, then cutting the halves into quarters, and finally into eighths. Set on a cookie rack with a towel over it for 4 weeks to cure before using. This will allow the soap to harden and be firm enough to use.
What’s been your experience with natural shampoo options? Have you tried shampoo bars? We’d love hear what your experience has been! Let us know in the comments below.
Some of the above links are affiliate links. This means we earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. We are so appreciative of your support!
Check out more of our favorite tallow skincare DIYs:
- DIY Tallow Magnesium Lotion
- Simple Homemade Sunscreen With Tallow
- Simple Tallow Deodorant Recipe That Actually Works
DIY Tallow Shampoo Bar
Are you in search of a natural shampoo that actually leaves your hair feeling clean, shiny, and smooth? After years of dealing with that exact scenario, I began making this tallow shampoo bar and it has been the perfect solution. With just a handful of ingredients, I’ll walk you through how you can make them yourself!
Ingredients
- 10 oz (283.5 g) Olive Oil
- 10 oz (283.5 g) Coconut Oil
- 10 oz (283.5 g) Tallow
- 6 oz (170.1 g) Castor Oil
- 13.7 oz (388.4 g) water
- 5.1 oz (144.6 g) lye
- 1 tbsp Essential oils (optional)
Instructions
- Measure out all 4 of your oils and place in a medium saucepan.
- Melt olive oil, coconut oil, tallow, and castor oil over med-low heat until melted.
- While the oils are melting, measure out water in a food grade plastic bucket or stainless-steel bowl (avoid glass because the heat produced in the lye reaction could cause cracks in the glass).
- Measure out lye.
- Once the oils are melted, allow to cool to 100°F. We like to put the saucepan in the fridge to speed this up.
- While the oils are cooling mix lye solution. We always do this outside while wearing protective goggles and gloves. Slowly pour the lye into the water (never the water into the lye). Stir continuously with a stainless-steel spoon (not wooden).
- After the water/lye solution is gently but completely mixed, set aside for 10 minutes to cool.
- Slowly pour the lye solution into the oils and blend with an immersion blender until a vanilla pudding consistency is formed. Don’t over blend.
- Add in essential oils and briefly mix in.
- Pour into soap mold. You can cover with wax paper and flat object on top if desired overnight.
- 24 hours later, remove soap from the mold and slice into 8 bars. We do this by cutting in half, then cutting the halves into quarters, and finally into eighths. Set on a cookie rack with a towel over it for 4 weeks before using. This will allow the soap to harden and be firm enough to use.
Notes
Equipment Needed:
Scale
Safety Goggles
Safety Gloves
Immersion blender (blender or food processor could work too)
Soap Mold
Soap Cutter
Pin it for later!
you said you sell your shampoo bar
how much would you like for four bard?
we would even take the ends,
Hi! Thanks so much for your interest! Right now we are only selling locally and not shipping. It has been on our list for a long time but we just haven’t had capacity to make it happen.
Please let me know when you ship soap. I’m in Texas. Thank you
Hi! We’ll make sure to get the word out if we start shipping. Thanks for your interest!
I would like to try it before I invest in the supplies! I think it might be the castor oil solution for my hair and face issues.
I hope this works well for you! You could check Etsy to find a similar bar to try it first before making it yourself.
Yes, I’m in Texas too!
I would like to purchase shampoo bar. How do I do this?
Hi! We aren’t selling them currently but stay tuned. It’s one of our goals for 2025!
I would also love to purchase some shampoo and soap. I could pay for shipping and would love 4 bars and would take the ends as well.
Hi! Thanks so much for your interest! We’d love to be able to ship but our little family just doesn’t have the capacity right now. I’d check on Etsy to see if there is a similar shampoo bar there.
I made my first batch ever of tallow shampoo/body soap. I’m excited to use for 1st time this coming Tuesday. It’s plain but would love to know how to add color and herbs/ oatmeal. Do you have any directions for this or where could I learn this. Ty. So excited to leave chemicals behind even if it is later in life. Better late then never
Hi – I love your videos! Many thanks! I went to Etsy to try to find a bar with the same ingredients that you use, but so far, all were a bit different. Any idea if any sellers use your same ingredients? Thanks.
I don’t know of any specifically. Sorry! One of our goals for 2025 is to start selling these bars!
I would love to see the “hard” “conditioning” “cleaning” etc. before I make these beautiful bars. 😍 any chance your able to share? I’m unsure on how to add this to the soap calculator as no % are given. Thank you in advance! 😁
Hi! Here’s all of the info!
Soap Bar Quality Range Your Recipe
Hardness 29 – 54 43
Cleansing 12 – 22 21
Conditioning 44 – 69 53
Bubbly 14 – 46 36
Creamy 16 – 48 37
Iodine 41 – 70 51
INS 136 – 165 158
I plan to start making these. However, I will need to allow for cure time. You can check me out on Facebook @ The Wild Olive Soapery.
I’m sad to find out that you only sell locally. Here is a short story: Back in the mid 90’s I noticed a white film on my hair, being confused what it was because I just washed it so I washed it again and again and again and so on for about two I washed my hair a few times a day in the hottest water my scalp could stand than rinsed it in the coldest water I could stand to get rid of that residue. I quit using conditioner and very picky on the shampoo I use now and don’t use very much, I can’t stand the residue/taste on my face and lips that it leaves. So sense the mid 90’s I can rightfully say I have been looking for a good all around soap to use for everything I just don’t have the means to make it my self. Thank you and hopefully you will one day you will be able to expand.
Oh wow! I’m so sorry for what you’ve been dealing with. That doesn’t sound fun at all! We’d love to be able to ship, unfortunately we don’t have the capacity right now. I’d check on Etsy for a shampoo bar with similar ingredients!
I plan to start making these. However, I will need to allow for cure time. You can check me out on Facebook @ The Wild Olive Soapery.
Hope you love them!
Would also LOVE to buy them from your sweet family! Please let us know if you get an online shop set up 🙂
Thanks SO much! We’ll definitely keep you posted!
Hi,
What is the PH of this bar shampoo?
Thanks,
ranifreeman@hotmail.com
Hi! I’ve never tested the pH. Sorry!
I use bar shampoo now. I would like to make my own. I have very fine hair and find that some of the oils you are adding may make my hair oily and weighed down. Do you know of others who can speak to this who have used your shampoo?
Hi there! My mom has very fine hair as well and she has been using this shampoo bar for years now with no issues and really enjoys it. My hair is thicker so I can’t speak to it personally but I don’t find that it makes my hair oily at all. I usually go one week between washes and don’t use any conditioner and it holds up really well! Hope this helps!
I would love to try this but I am concerned about the oils clogging my shower drain. I’ve had trouble in the past with build up in the drain when using natural oils for hair treatments. Your thoughts? Do you have a place you can recommend for buying lye?
We’ve been using it for years and we’ve never had issues with the oils clogging the drain. I believe this is because instead of straight oils, the saponification process of turning the oils into soap changes the product so it doesn’t have the same effect with clogging drains as the straight oils would. In the post, we link the lye we’ve purchased for this! Hope this helps!
Just pour some vinegar after using something very oily
Yes! A vinegar rinse can work really well!
Hello, is this soap good for washing men beard?
Hi there! We don’t have any bearded men in our house, so I couldn’t tell you from experience but we love it for hair! Let us know if you try it.
Hello, thank you for posting this recipe. I work with a heritage hog farmer so I’m super excited to be trying this recipe with lard instead of tallow.
Do you know if the ratios of your recipe can be doubled or tripled, etc.?
Awesome! Doubling or tripling to make large batches should be no problem! Hope it turns out great!
I make my own lye with wood ashes so it is already a liquid. Do you know how much I would need to use. I make it till it floats and egg so it is strong. I am thinking the 13.7 oz as that is the water amount?? thoughts?
Oh, great question and that’s very cool! I’ve never experimented with making my own but I think keeping the same amount of water would make sense if you believe it’s similar strength. Let me know how it goes!
So cool that you make your own! I’ve looked up a few videos but still find the process intimidating. Do you have a wood burning stove to obtain all of the ashes?
What is the size of soap mold? Thank you for sharing. God bless you.
You’re welcome! Our soap mold is 42 ounces!
I followed the instructions all measured up. It didn’t work
I’m sorry that happened. Can you explain more about how it didn’t work so I can try to help?
I am currently in my first trimester with baby number 8. I have all the ingredients, and would love to give it a try, but i know castor oil is not great to use when u are prego. Have u used this shampoo bar while pregnant? And u did worry at all about the castor oil? I’m kind of guessing that u used it when u were pregnant, because u have a little on your back! Thanks for the recipe and info!
Hi! Congratulations! I would stay away from ingesting it or even doing castor oil packs but I did use it throughout multiple pregnancies and haven’t had any issues! All the best to you!!
Great!! Thanks so much!!
Hello! We have a lot of lard on hand, which I’ve used to make soap with before, but I was wondering if you know if I could use lard instead of tallow in this recipe with the same ratios? Thank you so much!
Yes! You could definitely substitute lard for tallow!
Hi! I am interested in making this recipe. It sounds amazing, and I’m trying to get rid of putting chemicals on and in my body, as much as possible. What size food grade bucket are you using? Thank you! Lori
Hi! The food grade bucket we used is 1 gallon. I hope you love the soap!
Thank you very much for sharing. I’m just starting soap making so I’ll definitely try this recipe. I have rendered suet for tallow so all set. Looking forward!
Wonderful!! I hope you really enjoy this soap!
How long does the soap keep for?
It will store well for several months!
As a girl growing up (50s & 60s) Grandmother taught me and my sisters to care for our very long hair by: once a week, wash with home made lye soap (she made) or Dove (back before the additives), vinegar to rinse, comb out starting at the bottom work your way up. Throughout the week brush with a natural bristle brush 100 strokes (this distributes your natural oils).
Now a days when you ask a (Hair Specialist) about getting the natural healthy hair, they say it’s all product. They are never taught anything else. I would love to buy your product when you start mailing. Thank you
I love this so much!! What a wise grandmother you had and I love that that was your experience.
Are the ounces listed for all the ingredients weights or fluid ounces?
Good question! They are weights!
I know that you are only selling your shampoo bars locally but what I’m wanting to do is try out the shampoo recipe before going all in and making several bars. Do you know of anyone else that would be willing to sell a bar just so I could see if it is what I’m really wanting. Thanks so much for all the information!
Hi! You’re so welcome! I’d try looking on etsy – I’m sure there’s a similar option on there to try!
Would you happen to know how long the finished bars would last and the best way to store them?
Hi! They’ll last for several months! We just store them in an airtight container in a cabinet.
Hi Joelle,
Did you have batter left over once your mold was filled? The ingredients total almost 55 oz. so the recipe filled my 50 oz. mold plus 2 of those small pink silicon molds that say “100% Hand Made”. I can’t wait to try it out in a month or so.
Hi! Good question! Ours always fills the mold perfectly but it’s very full. All the way to the top or even slightly over. Using the silicone cups is a great idea though for the extra! I hope you love the soap!
Hello, thank you for your recipe.
Can this be made as a liquid form by leaving out the lye and just putting it in a bottle instead?
Hi! You’re welcome! I’ve never tried that but you’d have to only use select oils. The tallow and coconut oil are solid at room temperature so that wouldn’t work. I have heard of other having luck just using a drop of castor oil but I don’t have experience with this. Let me know if you find something that works well for you!
I absolutely live your channel. I am trying to healthier in the product and foods in my life. I would love to purchase your lye soap. Thank you.
Hi! Thank you so much for the encouragement! We aren’t currently shipping right now because of our families limited capacity but thank you so much for your interest!
Hi, does this soap work with hard water? With out creating the waxy build up?
Hi! We are on a well with a water softener. I have noticed on the occasions when we forget to add salt or the softener doesn’t run for whatever reason that I can definitely tell a difference in how my hair feels that I don’t prefer.
What can I use in place of coconut oil? I have a sensitivity to it!
Hi! Honestly, I haven’t tried experimenting with substituting out the coconut oil so I’m not sure what the best replacement would be. Sorry!
Babassu oil
Hello from Indonesia! I absolutely love watching your videos on homesteading and DIY skincare. Your content is both informative and inspiring! Regarding the shampoo bar, I was wondering if it’s possible to substitute lye with baking soda?
Hi there! Thank you for the kind words. Lye is essential in this recipe for the saponification reaction to occur and make soap. Lye is sodium hydroxide vs. baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. Lye is caustic and not safe for consumption but in soapmaking, the saponification process makes it safe for using as soap. Baking soda is non-toxic and great for baking. I hope this helps!
Dear Joelle,
It seems like there are a lot of people who would like to buy your bars of soap and your answer is consistently that you don’t have the capacity to sell outside of your regular locals. Perhaps a solution to that could be to pay (in soap bars) one of your regular buyers to take your bars and mail them out for you, handling all of the marketing end of it. Just a thought.
I really enjoyed watching you and your sweet baby. I’ve subscribed and am looking forward to seeing more of you.
Cheri
Hi Cheri! Thanks for the suggestion. Figuring out systems to mass produce our soap bars is the biggest thing keeping us from selling them right now. I definitely agree that having the right help would be essential! Thanks! 🙂
Hi I made a mistake and thought I could just sub avocado oil for olive oil because it is what I had in my kitchen. I didn’t even consider the fat content is different between these oils and now it’s been 24 hours and I went to cut the bars and they are crumbly. Can they be saved some how or should I toss them and start fresh? I feel so dumb.
Oh no! I’ve never experimented with making them with avocado oil but I totally hear where you are coming from because that’s my most common substitution for olive oil as well. In my experience, I’ve had issues with bars being a bit crumbly if I overmixed with the immersion blender. I definitely wouldn’t toss them but stay the course and see what happens. Maybe not ideal for giving as gifts but I’m guessing it should still make a lovely soap!
I’ve made soap in the past using this:
SoapCalc
http://soapcalc.net/calc/soapcalcwp.asp
You can use any oils or combination of oils, and it will tell you how much lye to use. It’s really handy! It has directions for how to use the calculator too.
Thanks for sharing!! This is what we use too. It’s a very helpful tool!
If crumbled, just put crumbs in a nylon stocking, tie not on end, and scrub up a lather.
Interesting idea! Thanks for sharing!
Hi!I am wondering how much each bar costs, as it sounds really expensive to buy all of those ingredients. Could you give me an approximate cost for each bar? Thank you!
Hi! We sell each bar (1/8 of the recipe) for $12 but only locally at this point. It is an investment to get all of the ingredients but once you get them, it’s easy to make multiple batches, which make great gifts! Thanks!
Is there a liquid version? Like leaving out the lye?
Hi! Good question. Tallow is a solid at room temperature so it wouldn’t work as a liquid. I’m sure there are other recipes for liquid shampoos but I don’t have experience personally.
You mentioned playing with it for dish soap, but have you also used it for laundry? Or do you have another process for that?
Thank you 🙂
Hi! Good question! I wouldn’t recommend this bar for laundry. I’m experimenting now with a recipe for dish soap and laundry soap is on my list too but I haven’t found something I love yet. We will definitely post something here when we do!
Great video! What is the super fat percentage in this recipe?
Thank you! It’s 5% super fat.
Thank you so much for this recipe, so excited to try it. I need help though, converting the measurements to metric please? I cant tell when your recipes are referring to regular oz or fluid? Thank you!
Hi! Good question. Regular ounces by weight.
This is probably a silly question, but do you use the tallow shampoo bar as a body soap as well?
Not silly! Yes! It makes a GREAT body soap as well!
Hello! I’m excited to make this recipe! I’m just wondering if there is any reason why I couldn’t sub goat milk for the water? Thanks!
Hi! I don’t see why not but I haven’t tried it personally!
Hello, I used your recipe, and it is lovely. Thank you for sharing it with us. My sister is vegan, and she is interested in making bar shampoo with me. Do you have a substitute oil you could suggest to replace the tallow?
HI! So glad you like it! From what I’ve read, palm oil is the best vegan substitute for tallow but I haven’t tried it personally!
Thank you, I’ll try it and let you know.
Hi there. I just now made my 1st half batch of shampoo bars. I’m so excited about this and intend to make my own lotions too. I’m a sr with very dry eczema skin and everything out there sets me off. I got one bar from a boutique and it leaves me feeling gummy. Since I’m only making for myself and my daughter. How do I make a batch but add different fragrances. Ty for what you do, you’re amazing
Hi! That’s awesome! I hope you really like this bar. To make different fragrances, I would use different essential oils. We love peppermint or my kids love the citrus flavors. Floral scents would be lovely too!
Before I buy all this equipment, I would like to try the soap and see if it will work for me. Do you sell this product?
Hi! Thanks for your interest! We don’t yet but are hoping to in the future.
I’m an old soap maker but had never made a specific shampoo bar so was interested to try your recipe. Two weeks after pouring into the mould I still can’t unmould the soap, it’s still very soft and sticky. It didn’t go through a gel phase or produce any heat after putting in the mould. Having run the recipe through the calculator on Magestic Mountain Sage it seems to me there’s a lot of water in your recipe but I’m not sure if that is why my soap hasn’t firmed up. Can you help with any ideas why my batch is so soft?
I’m so sorry that was your experience! Did you do the measurements by weight? Without knowing exactly what was done it’s hard to troubleshoot. The youtube video can give more of a helpful visual to see how we make it. Hope this helps!
Oh no! My friend and I made this today and I think we made a mistake. We measured fluid ounces for all the liquids and dry ounces for the lye. I’m looking at it now and I think you only are doing dry ounces when you measured. We ended up with more than the mold could hold. Am I correct that you only did one unit of measurement which was ounces as un weight, NOT fluid ounces?
Hi! Sorry, I should clarify this in the post. They are measured by ounces in weight!
Can you use this on colored hair?
I don’t see why not but I don’t have colored hair so I don’t know that from experience. All the best!
I tried the tallow shampoo bar first time tonight. The lather and smell were amazing. My hair tangled really bad, was extremely dried out, couldn’t get my fingers through it. I did the vinegar rinse which made it more dried out. I added a lil leave in conditioner which helped but ended up with tender scalp. My hairs naturally curly so naturally dry to start with. Also, do you have list of oil blends you use. Ty
So in made this soap, it has cured for 4 weeks now. Today is the day I get to try it out. Can you tell me what u sell ur bars for? I need an idea of how much to charge. Even though I haven’t tried it myself yet but already have a few ppl interested in trying it too. Need to know how much I can sell it for. Thank you
Hey! Awesome, hope you love them! Our friends and family rate is $12/bar. It helps recoup the cost for materials and some of your time. If we were selling them retail on a larger scale we’d need to look into pricing more but they’d likely be higher.
Thank you for sharing this recipe and the dish soap. Could you please share the measurements for the shampoo bar omitting the tallow like you did for the dish soap? Thanks, we are plant-based.
You’re welcome! Babassu oil may be a good substitute for the tallow but I haven’t experimented with using it in this recipe myself.
I love this shampoo bar! It was my first time making soap, followed your directions exactly, and it turned out perfect. My husband and I use this shampoo bar exclusively, and after drying my hair I put a few drops of rose oil (that I made from my rose petals and sweet almond oil) in the palm of my hand and rub my palms together before smoothing it onto the middle and ends of my hair. It takes away the fly-aways and my hair is soft and has great volume. Many thanks for this great recipe.
Thanks so much for sharing!! So glad to hear this!
What is the superfat percentage of this bar recipe?
It has 5% superfat!
Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Is there a substitute for castor oil? I am very allergic to it but would love to try this recipe. I didn’t know if olive oil, more coconut oil or almond oil would work instead.
Oh bummer! From what I’ve read, there really is no perfect substitute for castor oil. Babassu oil could be worth looking into or more coconut oil. I haven’t tried doing either though so I don’t know from experience.
We made the shampoo soap yesterday. We mixed in rosemary and peppermint essential oils after it made trace. Your recipe worked out perfectly. So sad that we have to wait 4 or 5 weeks to try them out. However, good things come to those who wait, I’ve heard.
Thanks for sharing! So glad they turned out well for you.
Waving from over the border in Indiana! How long does a bar last when used as both a shampoo/body bar? We have five older kids still at home so we go through a lot of soap!
Hi! Only 3 of us use it right now in our family showering a few times each week (not everyday) and it lasts us a couple of months at least. Long hair vs. short hair and how often your are showering will impact how far it goes but with a family your size, maybe 1 month is more realistic?
Hello. My hair is struggling SO bad! I’ve been using the shampoo bar for 1-2 months now. There is always a residue in my hair and hairbrush even after a recent wash, my scalp is flaky, my hair feels heavy + oily/greasy all the time even right after washing. I don’t want to go back to commercial products due to health + pregnancy reasons but this is getting so frustrating. I absolutely have the lost the ability to wear my hair down ever anymore. I’ve done the bentonite clay mask a couple times and it seems to help very short term. What can I do??
Oh no!! A couple of thoughts/questions. Do you have hard water? We have well water and I’ve noticed the couple of times when we’ve forgot to fill our salt in the softener, it REALLY effects my hair and I don’t like how it feels at all (much like the way you described it). Have you been doing a conditioner at all? I’ve started doing an apple cider vinegar rinse after and really like how that leaves my hair feeling? Last thought…what’s the texture of your hair? I’ve heard from a few with really curly hair that this bar wasn’t the best for them but those with straight or more wavy hair it seems to work much better for. I hope this helps!
I’m not the OP, but I am experiencing the same issue with your shampoo bar recipe- flyaway, greasy looking scalp area, and flakes in my scalp and on my hairbrush. We do not have hard water. I am not using any conditioner, though I did try an ACV rinse thinking it would help, but I didn’t like how it made my hair feel. I have straight, fine hair. I’m accustomed to using shampoo bars, but I’ve never used a tallow-based bar before. I thought maybe I wasn’t rinsing well enough so I have been turning the water temp up before rinsing and spending an extra minute rinsing. Still no luck. Any ideas what else I might try? I really want to love this bar and have a whole loaf worth made up.
Hi there! I’m so sorry you’re experiencing this. I don’t have any great tips but after having this post and video out there for a while now it seems like while it works so well for many, it doesn’t work for everyone. Hair and skin are so bio-individual. The soap does make a lovely body bar and hand soap bar so even if you aren’t loving it for shampoo, it still makes a great soap! All the best!
AWWW!!! We get to use your recipe this weekend! My sister and I have wanted to make this for so long for our gray hair. Thank you for sharing this! We are BEYOND excited to make it! Oh and I love the plant therapy essential oils – good call!
Yay!! I hope it turns out for you guys!! I saw your other comment so fingers crossed that it comes out well!
Hello,
I just tried my first bar. It never came to pudding consistency. It’s thicker than water, but not quite trace… I was worried I was going to over mix the whole thing. Do you think it will cure hard enough? I also had a lot leftover… im worried I used too much of one of the ingredients. Fingers crossed it turns out! Thanks for putting this recipe on your site!
Chelsea
Hi Chelsea! Thanks for the comment. How’d it look after a couple of days? Hopefully it hardened for you and turn out well!
I’m in Ireland and wondering when your recipe says ounces do you meant fluid ounces? Looking forward to making this and trying it out.
Thanks for the clarification – it’s actually ounces by weight! Hope you enjoy it!
Hi! Can I use extra virgin olive oil in this recipe? Or does it have to be a light olive oil? Thanks!
Hi Megan! Extra virgin is great!
Is this bar good to use on color treated hair? After paying the high price to hide the grey I hate to wash Out all the color
Thanks in advance. Susie
Hi Susie! To be completely honest, I’ve never tested it on color treated hair so I’m not sure. I’d be curious to hear from someone who has. Sorry I’m not more help on this one!
Hello! My family is LOVING your tallow balm and deodorant. So we are super excited to make this soap, as we know it will be just as fantastic! Do you have a link for your friend’s olive oil?
Thanks!
So glad you are liking those recipes! Here’s a link to the olive oil we buy! https://www.mavrasgreekoil.com/
Hi- I made this soap recipe this weekend, however, the olive oil(I’m thinking) rose to the top. It was soft when I cut the bars. I thought it might harden but it just melted. The rest of the soap is still in tact. Imagine a lemon bar. So, I scraped the “icing” off. Any thoughts on why this may have happened? I did not use an immersion blender. I hand mixed and I melted the oil in the lye water mixture not before hand. Thanks!
Hi! I’m thinking the soap did not actually reach “trace” when you mixed it or emulsified completely. Was it like a light pudding consistency when you poured it into your molds?
Hi! Can jojoba oil be substituted for olive oil?
Hi! I’ve never tried subbing the olive oil for jojoba oil so I’m not sure. Let me know if you try it! I’d be curious to know how you like it.
Howdy. Approximately how many minutes of blending does it take to get to pudding consistency? I blended for about 5 minutes and my arms got tired, so I stopped. It didn’t get to pudding consistency. Should I have gone longer? I thought I was over blending.
Hi! Do you have an immersion blender or blender or food processor you could use on low? I’ve never actually tried to do it by hand but you want to make sure that all of the oils emulsify. I hope this helps! You’ll know if you over blend if it starts to get too thick. Good luck!
Hi! It would be very helpful to have the measurements in grams. Thanks so much
Hi! I just updated the recipe to include the weights in grams as well!
I have a tallow soap recipe that I have been using for awhile now, but I wanted to try a shampoo bar. My soap is typically already quite hard when I unmold after 24hrs. This was still quite soft and sticky. Is that typical of this recipe? I measure by weight for everything.
Hi! I don’t think I’d describe ours as sticky after 24 hours. It’s definitely firm but still soft enough to easily be cut. I hope that makes sense. And you are correct, measure by weight!
Hi! Thank you so much for the recipe! I’m going to make this soon! In your video you were not wearing gloves while measuring the lye or pouring into the mold!! Please wear gloves! The soap is still caustic and will burn you for about 72 hours.
Thanks! Good point! I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Hello can I sub goat milk in for the water? Thank you
Hi! I’ve never tried adding goat milk so I’m not 100% sure but I’d love to hear your results if you add it!
Can I omit the olive and just use double coconut oil? Can’t wait to try these!
I haven’t tried that so I’m not sure how it would go. Avocado oil is usually a good substitute for olive oil. Hope you love these bars!
Hi there
I’ve been using syndet shampoo bars for a year now, and I started to make make them at home about a month ago now. But my scalp has been dry and flaky no matter what recipe or different bar i use. I haven’t used a soap based shampoo bar before, do you think it would work better for me? I made this recipe yesterday and they came out beautfully today when I cut them.
Thank you
I hope they work out well for you!! I’m so glad the bars turned out beautifully :).
So when people ask to substitute oils please refer them to a lye calculator. The exact measurements are important so after saponification there is no lye left in the bars. If the oil is insufficient for the lye you may make something that can ‘burn’. Thanks
Good point!
I have been making & using your shampoo bars for the last several months and I love them. However, I’ve noticed that they strip the color from my color-treated hair. Do you have a sulfate-free alternative for color-treated hair? If so, could you please share the ingredient, and how to use it in place of the lye for your recipe? I have not found another recipe that uses similar ingredients such as coconut oil, castor oil & tallow. Thank you!
Hi! I’m sorry, I don’t have experience with color-treated hair so I’m not sure!
My bars turned out crumbly, what am i doing wrong?
Do you think they were overmixed? That’s the first thing that comes to mind.
Howdy. Are there any adjustments to this recipe to make it suitable as a body bar? I find no mention of anyone using this as a body bar soap…
Thanks
Hi there! It makes a great body bar as is!
Thank you for the recipe! I will note, I tried this as a newbie and my soap cracked because I poured to hot. I just learned from other soap makers you shouldn’t pour hotter than 100 degrees. I just wanted to let other beginners know so they don’t make my mistake.
Thanks for sharing!
Hi, it says 144g lye. Is it 144g granulatet lye? How much water should I use?
Hi! We use lye as the micro beads (the link is in the post of the one that we use). The lye is 144 g and it’s 388.4 g of water.
Hi! I am excited to try this shampoo bar! My husband and I followed your instructions but *may* have slightly over-blended 😬… The consistency of the first pour was smooth like pudding. The second pour was a little clumpy like pudding that had been left out and had become firmer on the top. So there are some lumpy parts in the 2nd pour but still soft. Do you think that one will still work out? 🙏🏼❤️
Hi! It should be just fine! We’ve had that happen many times too and it’s always cured as usual. Enjoy the soap bars!!
Hi there! I am wondering what the super fat is, & what the % are of each if I wanted to make a bigger batch?
Thank you!!
Hi there! It’s a 5% super fat so the castor oil is 16.67% and the rest of the oils are 27.78%. Hope this helps!
Thank you for sharing your recipe. Do you wait for the lye mixture to reach 100 degrees?
Yes! It must cool to around 100 degrees before mixing to avoid cracking.
Love this recipe! I’ve never made soap before, but with your instructions and video it felt easy! My soap turned out perfectly. I’ve been using it on my normally very oily hair, fine hair and this leaves my hair feeling clean and shiny and it doesn’t get as oily! Love it! Thanks!
Awesome!! So glad you liked these soap bars! Thanks for sharing!
Does this shampoo bar work well for dry scalp and/or skin? My skin is just becoming more and more irritated by commercial soaps and my scalp is left super dry and nothing seems to help!
Thanks!
Hi there! It’s very bioindividual so I can’t predict for sure whether or not it will work well for you. I do think it’s a very moisturizing shampoo that tends to work better with dryer hair than those that struggle with greasy/oily hair. Thanks!
Hi, I couldn’t find the temperatures for your lye and oils, did I miss them? Also, what happens if the lye I more than 10 degrees colder than the oils?
Hi! I cool everything down to around 100 degree F or below. Happy soapmaking!
Thank you. I can’t wait to Strat using them. They have now been curing for 1.5 weeks, they look lovely.
One more question: does this recipe have a superfat percentage?
Hi! Yay, that’s exciting! It’s a 5% super fat.
I’m just wondering why there’s so much water in this recipe. Are there benefits to using more water? Or can I use less and make the bars cure faster?
It’s based on the recipe from soap calc that helps determine ratios of oils to water and lye. I’d stick to using the amount given or the recipe will be thrown off. Hope this helps!
Hello!
I want to try this but my husbands skin has an allergic reaction to olive oil. Any substitutes?
Thank you!
Hi! Avocado oil is a great substitute for olive oil.
I made two batches of these. The instructions were simple to follow! Thank you! I have found that they make my hair ( very course) feel greasy, not entirely sure why… they work fantastic in my daughter’s hair. She has fine hair. I would think it’d be the opposite🤔 either way, I’m going to keep making them for my other family members. And possible try & find something different for my hair type. Thanks for posting!!
Thanks for sharing! There does seem to be a bio-individual component here and they do seem to work better for some than others. I’m so glad your daughter likes them and they make a lovely body soap too if you don’t want to use them for a shampoo bar :). Thanks for the comment!
Does this bar dry your skin or hair out? Iv been reading alot into the soap/shampoos and read that there not exactly ideal for hair bc it’s ph is not ideal for hair? Been wanting to make my own. Thanks in advance
I’ve found it to be very bioindividual. They work really well for some and others not as much depending on hair type. You could also try an applecider vinegar rinse to help balance the pH.
some people seem confused about weight. maybe if you listed in parenthesis the % of oils and tallow it would help. Plugging the % of each oil into soap calc would really help those that aren’t used to making soap. it really does take the mystery away. also they can plug in the number of oz or pounds they want to make.
I am going to try this recipe. I have made many shampoo bars but never found one I liked that didn’t weigh my hair down so will only be making a pound the first time around.
thank you for the recipe.
Thanks for the suggestion! I hope this one works well for you. It does seem to be bio-individual depending on the hair type.
I’m enjoying the linked hair cleanse and this shampoo recipe for the first time today. The shampoo bar feels more like a conditioner, which makes me happy to know I won’t need a separate recipe for a conditioner.
So glad you are liking it! I didn’t use condidtion for several years. With my hair being much longer now, I recently started adding an ACV rinse for conditioner but only sometimes. I haven’t noticed a huge difference.
Can you make this without an immersion blender, and how long would it take to set?
I’ve never tried making these by hand stirring but have done it on low power in our blender and that worked well. Hope this helps!