Shampoo Bars are Soap

Ingredient Chronicles - Shampoo Bars are Soap

Yes shampoo bars are simply soap.  Before you start wondering why you use soap in your hair let's discuss shampoo bars, their purpose, ingredients, how they're made, along with the pros and cons.

What is a shampoo bar? What's their purpose?

A shampoo bar is typically hand made soap bars that are created to cleanse the hair as a replacement for sulfate based shampoos. In recent years using shampoo bars instead of sulfate based shampoos has increased as consumers have moved toward more natural ways of caring for their hair.

Shampoo bars work similar to shampoos in it's cleansing capabilities the difference is the way they are made and the different ingredients used to make the lather.  In traditional shampoos, sulfates are the chosen surfactant used to increase lather, cleanse the hair, and lift the hair shaft to prepare the hair to absorb the conditioner (hence the higher pH to open the hair shaft).  The process for making shampoo bar soaps is different.

Ingredients/How are they made?
Shampoo bars are made using by mixing sodium hydroxide (lye) with triglycerides (oils and fats) together with water to form the process known as saponification.  During saponification the lye and water mixture reacts with the oils/fats to form soap and glycerin (glycerin is a by-product of saponification).  You may ask what happens to the lye during this process? The lye "disappears" during the chemical reaction and the curing process - will discuss that later- allows time for the pH to lower and the burning effect of lye to diminish.  The oils in the chemical reaction lend the softening effect to the soap. Side note, the more oils used the milder the soap.  Any oil can be used to make shampoo bars, but the main oils used are coconut oil, palm oil, and olive oil.  Since they typically produce the best lather.

Most soap makers us the cold press method in which the bars are allowed to cure once the chemical reaction is complete. Curing is simply the process of letting the bars sit for a while before use to allow the saponification process to finish.  As the bars cure the water evaporates and the bars become milder, harder, and the lather increases.

Pros of Shampoo Bar

• High oil content can be useful for it's emollient (softening) properties 
• Can be mild compared to some sulfate based products depending on how they're made
• For hair/skin that is already dry it can help replace oils removed by the cleansing process
• Glycerin can remain and be very moisturizing for hair and skin

Cons Of Shampoo Bars

• High pH level (normally 8-10) which can lead to dry, tangled hair (depending on oils used and how it's made).  This pH disruption can cause breakage, contribute to frizzy hair, and reduce the natural gloss of hair
• If used in hard water (calcium, magnesium, or iron deposits)  it can leave a film on hair that needs to be removed using harsh cleansing methods
• Can leave the hair "squeaky" clean or feeling stripped.  That feeling is really the film deposit that has been left behind on your hair which can also lead to tangled, dry hair
• High pH level can cause dry, itch scalp

Ways to remove the film can be simple such as using vinegar to remove the build-up and lower the pH of the hair.  If needed you can also use a sulfate based shampoo to help remove the build-up on the hair. Experimenting with shampoo bars will be the key to learning how your hair reacts either positively or negatively.

If you have any questions, comments, experiences with shampoo bars please share.


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Ingredient Chronicles

I'm so not a great blogger, but I really want to do better, really I do.  I'm embarking on a new educational series entitled the Ingredient Chronicles in which I will discuss ingredients.  My goal is to provide information for people to make decisions about their products by having knowledge about the ingredients and what they are known to do.  The findings are based on real scientific research and experience, but I will state the difference between the two.  I hope you enjoy reading and if you ever want to know something please don't hesitate to recommend something to the Ingredient Chronicles.



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Can Apple Cider Vinegar Help With Dandruff?

I love experimenting with different things as I will only know if something works if I give it a try.  I've read that many people use ACV (apple cider vinegar) to remove build up from hair as well as provide a little sheen. So I figured I would see what it would do for my hair.

Results, my hair hated ACV, I mean really hated it.  My hair was squeaky clean and extremely dry and they're was no trace of any type of sheen.  On the flip side of that, I noticed my scalp felt really good and not tight and itchy as it normally does when I shampoo.  So I started thinking maybe ACV could help with my seborrheic dermatitis (a fancy word for dandruff).  I started reading a little more about the benefits of ACV and as it turns out, it supposedly can offer assistance with skin issues. I also starting using it on my face as somewhat of a toner and it did help with the dry flaky skin that comes as a result of seborrheic dermatitis. 

How it works
Apple cider vinegar has antibacterial and antiseptic properties and its thought to balance your skin.  As a toner it adjusts that pH balance of your skin to keep your acid mantle intact.  When your acid mantle is disturbed your skin is prone to dryness and breakouts.

ACV Scalp Tonic
1 tbls  water
1 tbls vinegar
1 tbls aloe vera juice

Mix and you're ready to apply to your scalp.  I use a toothbrush to massage my scalp while I'm doing it.

You can also add a little oil to the mixture to be beneficial to your scalp.  Some good oils are neem oil, rosemary EO, chamomile EO, tea tree oil EO, and clary sage EO to name a few.


ACV Facial Toner

Same recipe as above but add 1/4 tsp of glycerin to add a little moisture.

**Remember ACV is an acid so you may need to start with less ACV to see how your skin adjusts to it.  If your skin burns when you use it, reduce the amount of vinegar.

Use toner by wiping it on your face with a cotton ball making sure to avoid your eyes.  Don't use on open sores or wounds as you will surely feel a burning sensation.  Moisturize your skin as usual when you're done.


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Are you protecting your skins acid mantle? Or how many of us actually know what it is?

pH and the Acid Mantle

The term pH stands for the “potential of Hydrogen". It is a measure of the Hydrogen ion concentration of a substance. The Hydrogen ion concentration is more commonly referred to as the acidity or alkalinity level. The more acidity in the substance, the lower the pH, the less acidity, the higher the pH. There are differing values of pH in the body depending on what function is being performed. For example, the pH of the stomach is very acidic, around 1, because stomach acids help break down the foods we eat. Our saliva and blood, on the other hand, are much closer to neutral. Neutral substances, like water, have a pH of 7. A pH above 7 is considered alkaline (less acidic), and a pH below 7 is considered acidic.
The acid mantle is a thin oily film that sits on top of the outmost layer of our skin. For most people, the pH of the acid mantle is about 4.5 to 5.5. Why is our skin naturally acidic at the surface? Our slightly acidic skin helps to fight off harmful bacteria. Many of the contaminants that might enter our skin, such as chemicals from the atmosphere and harmful bacteria, are alkaline in nature (i.e., they have a pH of higher than 7). Our skin’s natural acidity neutralizes these chemicals and bacteria, much the same way the milk of magnesia neutralizes stomach acid when we have heartburn. Neutralizing these harmful contaminants is part of the body’s defense system. Maintaining the skin pH at the proper level is vital to protecting ourselves from harmful bacteria which can lead to acne, infection, or irritation.
Most of us use soap and water to clean our faces without realizing that this may not be beneficial to us. Soapy water is highly alkaline (with a pH of 12, see chart) while our skin is naturally acidic (with a pH of approximately 5). Soapy water is commonly used to clean our faces because it removes the natural oils from the skin. While this leaves our skin with that “clean feeling," soap is actually neutralizing our skins acid pH thereby stripping away our natural defense systems. Particularly for those of us that wash our faces 2, 3, or 4 times a day because of a problem condition like acne, stripping away the acid mantle can actually worsen our condition. Similarly it is important for us to know the pH of any cleansers, moisturizers, makeup and other products we use so that we don’t remove the protective oils and acid mantle from our skin.

Article by Celibre Medical Corporation

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We Did It Again!!!!! Pura Body Naturals is the Nappturalite Radio Elite Product Award Winner



I smile when people love the products, it lets me know I'm doing something right.  Thanks Dawn and Jay for the high scores.  Dawn awarded the MuruMuru Moisture Milk and the Amazon Hair and Body Butter 9/10 points while Jay awarded the MuruMuru Moisture Milk a perfect score of 10/10!!!!!

Thank you ladies for the rave reviews. 

Join the ladies LIVE on Sunday evenings at 5pm CST/6pm EST at www.blogtalkradio.com/nappturalite or catch the replays on BlogTalkRadio & iTunes!

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Nappreneur of the Month Ep1 - Pura Body Naturals

Check out my interview with The Curl Station. I was the Nappreneur of the Month!!!
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Thanks Lil Better Butter

A fellow entrepreneur and I traded goodies as we both discovered we’re butter lovers.  I’ve heard many great things about Lil Better Butter so I was more than thrilled to try some. 

Lil Better Butter description from website:
A smooth creamy blend of unrefined shea butter,coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil. Lil Better butter is excellent to seal moisture into hair and skin. This product is all natural and handmade.

Lil Better Butter is worthy of all the praises I’ve heard plus some more.  Being that I have very dry skin I take careful measures to apply oil based products while my skin is still moist and can absorb it better.  After applying the butter my skin was very soft and not to mention the scent had me smelling as fresh as a baby.  In addition, the butter was whipped making it very light and fluffy, so it melted right into my skin.

Mango Honey Shine description from website:
An all natural pomade made with honey, mango butter and coconut oil. This pomade will help tame fly aways and add shine to braids, twists and wash-n-gos.

The item has a natural honey scent and a sweet flavor. It can be used as a lip balm.

The description says it all.  Being that I love mango butter I was more than happy to use this on my edges and throughout my hair.  My hair was sooo soft and there was an obvious shine especially around my edges.  I did use it on my skin with great results too; my skin was soft and I smelled sweet like honey. 

AvoCoco Description from the website:

A lightweight moisturizer with an avocado butter base and coconut oil for seal and shine. AvoCoco Cream comes in a two ounce container and has the scent of baby powder.

Avocado Butter is hydrogenated avocado fruit oil that yields a soft, ivory to light greenish, creamy and soft butter that has excellent penetrating properties. Avocado butter is a very rich, moisturizing treatment for the hair and skin, and it has some natural sunscreen properties.

Since I love avocado butter I was very excited about trying this one.  It’s lighter than shea butter so for anyone that likes light butters this blend would be great.  I used it on my skin and hair with both resulting in soft goodness. 

Overall I would give Knapsgirl an A+ for their great products.  The goodies can be purchased at Knaps Girl Etsy shop. 






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