Today we are creating a Solid Cleansing Conditioner Bar, also known as a Co Wash, so perfect for very curly hair, if you prefer to use a conditioner bars instead of shampoo! Made with the cationic surfactant BTMS 50, along with 3 different butters and coconut oil, it will leave you hair feeling soft and light after use.
The ingredients
Behentrimonium Methosulfate (and) Cetyl Alcohol or BTMS 50 is a cationic surfactant, which offers a fine coating on the skin and hair and allows it to be conditioning. Behentrimonium methosulfate is derived from the oil that comes from the Rapeseed. It has a PH of 5-7.
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter or Cocoa Butter is a solid raw material that is obtained from the roasted seeds of the Theobroma Cacao Tree. It acts as an emollient for the hair, it can moisturise the hair, strengthen the hair shaft and can make your hair more manageable.
Mangifera indica Seed Butter or Mango Butter is a soft but solid raw material extracted from the Kernal of the Mango fruit. It is a wonderful emollient for the hair, helping to prevent split ends, moisturises the hair and can act as a seal for the hair strand which gives it protection.
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter or Shea Butter is a fat extracted from the African shea tree. It is a fantastic emollient for the hair, it can act as a sealant, locking in moisture and keeping it soft and helping it protect your hair from free radicals.
Cocos Nucifera Oil or Coconut Oil is derived from the wick, meat and milk of the Coconut palm fruit and has many wonderful benefits for the hair, this emollient has anti fungal and antibacterial properties which may help reduce breakage and any dandruff or flakiness on the scalp.
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate or SCI is a anionic surfactant, commonly known as Babyfoam due to its gentle and mild nature. It is a sodium salt ester of coconut fatty acid and comes in either powder, chips or prills. It melts down nicely into a thick paste when mixed with a liquid surfactant, and adds a soft velvetly lather to our formulations. It has a PH of 4-6.
Preservative - I personally use Geogard 221 (also known as Cosgard), but you can also use an alternative, like Geogard Ultra, or Preservative Eco. We use a broad spectrum preservative because our bar comes into contact with water.
Essential Oil - This is where you can put your own special twist, for whichever fragrance or hair benefits you personally prefer. I have chosen to use Menta Piperita Oil or Peppermint Essential oil, it has been known to help stimulate the blood flow to the scalp which allows it to encourage hair growth.
Citric Acid helps to act as a PH adjuster and also has been known to help remove any excess oil and build up on the scalp.
Tocopherol or Vitamin E helps is an antioxidant that can help prevent hair breakage, contributes to hair health and shine and may help balance oils on the scalp.
PhaseTrade NameINCI Namew/w%FunctionABTMS 50Behentrimonium Methosulfate (and) Cetyl Alcohol 53%
Surfactant/Conditioning
ACocoa ButterTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter 15%
Emollient, hardener
AMango ButterMangifera indica Seed Butter 10%EmollientASCISodium Cocoyl Isethionate9%Surfactant/CleanserAShea ButterButyrospermum Parkii Butter5%EmollientACoconut OilCocos Nucifera Oil 5%EmollientBGeogard 221Dehydroacetic Acid (and) Benzyl Alcohol1%PreservativeBEssential OilMenta Piperita Oil1%FragranceBCitric AcidCitric Acid0.5%PH adjusterBVitamin ETocopherol0.5%
Antioxidant
We will make a 200g batch to start with, which can make two 100g bars, or four 50g bars
(You can see in our pictures we made a few little bars, they're about 35-40g each
Phase A
BTMS 50 106g
Cocoa Butter 30g
Mango Butter 20g
SCI 18g
Shea Butter 10g
Coconut Oil 10g
Phase B
Preservative (I used Geogard 221) 2g
Essential Oil 2g
Citric Acid 1g
Vitamin E 1g
Quick Notes:
With the SCI I used flakes and waited for them to be almost melted down within the formula, as long as they're evenly dispersed within the mixture it will work. But I would recommend melting it as much as you can :)
Method
Weigh out your Phase A ingredients into a beaker, (I used a 500ml beaker to weigh my ingredients into) then put it on a double boiler, you can even use a jar lid or a trivet within a pot of water to act as a double boiler. This is how I personally do it.
The Phase A ingredients will almost completely melt down, the SCI may take a bit longer, I had mine on the double boiler for over an hour to get a good melted consistency that I desired. (I would recommend stirring them while they're melting down with a mixing spoon to help speed it along)
While your Phase A ingredients are melting, weigh out your Phase B ingredients into a small beaker and stir well with a little spoon or stirrer.
Get your moulds ready to pour your mixture into while the other ingredients are melting.
Once your Phase A ingredients are melted down to your preferred preference take of the heat and stir well, add in your Phase B ingredients, and pour into your moulds.
Once in the moulds cover them with cling film (i use the eco friendly kind) and put them in the freezer for a couple of hours
Once they're out of the freezer, leave them to cool to room temperature, pop them out of the moulds, then leave for a day or two before use.
Make sure you don't leave the bar in a puddle of water, otherwise they will break down very quickly, let them dry inbetween uses.
If you enjoyed this, want to support what we are doing and love to make more solid skincare or haircare products, check out our eBooks Syndet Bars for Beginners and Summer Essentials Skincare.
Let me know how you get on! And feel free to send us photos of your bars for us to feature on our instagram page to [email protected] or tag us on instagram @laecovita
© Created by Anna Castellani 2021, All Rights reserved. For personal use only, if you would like to use it for commercial use, please contact us at [email protected]