Last Updated on July 25, 2022

Did you know you can make a homemade bar shampoo? It’s so simple to and you can use bars soap on hair to leave it clean and fresh!

Whether you are going on a camping trip or are spending time at home, using DIY soap bars is a great way to save on products. This 4 in 1 shampoo is not only better for your hair, but it helps keep nasty chemicals out of the water too.

homemade bar shampoo

Alright, so this post has been a long time coming. You have searched and searched in my search bar for DIY soap bars, and I am finally delivering! So let’s talk about how to make a shampoo bar!

I have long, mostly straight, fairly dry, thick, and very fine hair. I live where there’s hard water. It’s much harder to use DIY soap bars in hard water than it is for those with soft water. Ditching shampoo can take some time to adjust to. There’s no one size fits all solution. 

But, I’m very happy with my decision and love the results. My hair used to knot like crazy. I always struggled with huge amounts of tangling. Since switching to this soap bar recipe, I’m tangle free. My hair is smooth and silky! 

I embeded it low res in the blog post to keep from slowing down the site, check it out on youtube for higher quality and HD. 

why you’ll love bar soap on hair

• It’s an easy zero waste swap
• can be made easily
• can improve the silkiness of your hair
• makes a great gift idea

my experience with 4 in 1 shampoo

To give you a representation of my experience on using DIY soap bars. I used to spend 10 minutes just brushing my hair in the morning. That’s how many tangles I had. I now only spend maybe 30 seconds brushing. Life. Changing. 

However, it still doesn’t hold curl very well… I’m experimenting with different hairsprays. I’ll let you know if I find one!

I used a hair wax in the video… hindsight, after seeing myself in the video, it was a mistake. Oops. But, I was NOT refilming. (And, I couldn’t bribe Justin with enough chocolate to spend another afternoon filming….) You live. You learn. You don’t try new stuff on the day you shoot a video.

This is what the soap looks like when it’s come to trace. Like coconut pudding! 

When crafting this recipe, I wanted to use as few ingredients as possible. I like to keep things MEGA simple. But, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can play around with soap calculations here. 

Tips for Using a Shampoo Bar:

1. Don’t rub the bar on your head. And, especially not in your crown. Rub the bar together in your hands. Create a nice lather and then apply to your head. 

2. Avoid concentrating the soap in your crown. In fact I’d recommend shampooing the crown last.

3. SCRUB! I mean scrub. Give yourself a nice scalp massage – at least two minutes. This is not like regular shampoo that’s just going to luxuriously fall out of your hair with just a shower stream. 

4. Balance your pH. Acid rinse baby. Depending on the natural grease level of your hair and whether you have soft or hard water will depend on what type of acid and how often. I wash my hair once or twice a week and do the acid rinse once a week or every other week. 

I like one tablespoon of vinegar diluted in a cup of water. More vinegar does not mean better – I learned the hard way! You will look like a grease pit. Just one tablespoon diluted in a cup of water is plenty.

5. Be prepared for a detox phase. Going from regular shampoo to a shampoo bar is different. You can read more about that on a no poo blog. 

6. Massage your scalp. This has helped my hair so much. Before brushing your hair in the morning and before bead massage your scalp for a minute or two to help redistribute the oil. 

7. Invest in a boar bristle brush. At night for 5 – 10 minutes I brush my hair to redistribute the oils. This isn’t every night, but if I have some down time and I’m watching tv or listening to music I’ll brush my hair. 

A Note on Lye:

It’s really not that scary. Lye comes from wood ash. It was used as a cleaning agent for a long time in the middle ages and renaissance. It is caustic; so, be careful. There’s no need to freak out. Don’t drink it. Don’t use it with anything with aluminum, don’t use it in a small and confined space. If it gets on you, brush it off and cleanse the area with running water. 

Make sure to keep the area well ventilated. 

You cannot make soap without lye. You cannot do it. Without lye all you have is fat. And, you can’t clean with fat.

4 in 1 Soap Bar

• 16.5 oz of coconut oil: bought in bulk at rainbow grocery or in glass mason jars.
• 2.72 oz of lye: bought in plastic #2. Needs to be 100% lye.
• 6.27 oz of water

For detailed instructions on how to make it, check out the video! 

I use this bar for everything! Shaving, shampoo, wash my face, and my body. Even if you hate it for your hair, it’s still awesome for shaving. It’s nourishing and has an awesome lather. 

So, don’t be discouraged! I’d say go for it. 

I’d love to know what you love to use on your hair. Do you use a shampoo bar? Baking soda? Shampoo in bulk? 

Also let me know if you liked the video! Do you want to see more youtube?