When doing the unending research that I do, I wanted to create bars that offer something that other soap makers don’t offer. In fact, I’m going to change things up even more by offering carrier oils that most don’t use either. The recipe that seems to create the standard shampoo bar consists of Olive, Coconut and Castor oil. A three-ingredient recipe. Some soap makers will offer exotic oils like jojoba, argan, even silk fibers, but that’s not exactly how my company runs. I have at my disposal a few different ingredients, but all ingredients are easily found.

In this long article, I will go through each and every ingredient and why I am choosing to use them. 2 different recipes will be used, plus essential oils that are overlooked, and not commonly used in shampoo bars. Most companies offer 4 to 8 different bars for different hair conditions. 8 bars is a lot of soap to choose from. I won’t be doing that. My bars will be multi-purpose merely because all my products can be used for multiple things. Rosemary essential oil will not be used in any of my shampoo bars. As much as I love Rosemary and the great qualities it has, one thing it has going against it is that it cannot be used by those who are pregnant since it can damage the fetus and cause birth defects.

For the scents I will be using, all target a few things. Mainly each differently scented bar is great for all hair types. Curly, colored, normal, dry, itchy. Some have specific targets like curly, colored, damaged or stimulates growth, but to eliminate confusion on what is good for what, each different scented bar works for normal to dry to oily hair.

Cedarwood & Tea Tree targets itchy scalp

Lavender Peppermint great for all hair types

Peppermint Eucalyptus great for all hair types

Lavender, Tea Tree, Citronella Peppermint Tea Tree stimulates growth and adds shine

Lavender Ylang Ylang works for curly, colored or damaged hair

Now I’ll break it all down.

Cedarwood – hair growth, dry hair, oily hair, helps normalize the scalp's sebum production, minimizing greasiness and promoting a healthier scalp.

Tea Tree – antibacterial, antifungal, insect repellant, prevents dandruff, including yeast overgrowth. Prevents grey hair.

Lavender – soothes scalp, works for dry hair, promotes hair growth, improves the scalp's environment, leading to healthier hair and more manageable strands.

Peppermint – hair growth, reduces itching, cools and invigorates scalp.

Eucalyptus – hair growth, antibacterial

Ylang Ylang – manages dry and brittle hair, boosts hair growth, decreases fall out. Balances the scalps natural oils.

Citronella – protects against and helps heal hair infections

All these essential oils are also insect repellants which aid in preventing lice, ticks and help in healing bites. These shampoo bars are also made to handle winter hair which the cold temps can cause the breakdown of hair particles.

Okay, so what about the moisture qualities, where are they? That comes from the carrier oils I will be using.

The two recipes I am using are Olive oil, Canola Oil, Sunflower Oil and Coconut Oil. 
The other is Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter and Castor Oil

Olive Oil – preserves hair moisture and strengthens hair. Olive oil has oleic acid, palmitic acid and squalene which are all emollients which means they have softening qualities. Olive oil adds softness and strengthens hair by penetrating the hair shaft and preserving moisture.

Canola Oil – rich in mono and polysaturated fatty acids, vitamin E, and phytonutrients which are anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer, thus moisturizes and repairs damaged hair. This in turn helps hair get longer and thicker.

Sunflower Oil – promotes hair growth, keeps hair moisturized, renews hair luster and shine, keeps frizziness at bay and promotes scalp health. Sunflower oil is rich in linoleic acid which new hair growth needs. The linoleic acid keeps hair hydrated since it's a natural emollient and the oleic acid reduces water loss from hair strands. High in vitamin E, which is an antioxidant thus prevents oxidative stress on hair, aiding to luster and shine. The anti-inflammatory properties prevent scalp conditions from getting aggravated.

Coconut Oil – moisturizes without adding greasiness, relieves dandruff, restores luster to dry and damaged hair, tames frizz, protects hair against styling damage and is safe to use on all hair types. Coconut oil is packed with fatty acids that improve hair health and is found in nearly every shampoo and conditioner made. Coconut oil is the only oil capable of reducing protein loss which hair is made of, particularly keratin.

Shea Butter – is a hydrator with benefits of moisturizing, softening and protection of hair. Works on thick, coarse, dry or damaged hair, and no other ingredients interfere with shea butter. Shea butter does 4 things for hair. It moisturizes, reducing friction and locking in moisture. Revitalizes dull, dry hair since shea is loaded with vitamins A and E and essential fatty acids, thus reducing dryness and prevents split ends, while increasing shine and lessens frizz. Reduces inflammation and irritation and does not clog pores, the antioxidant properties protect the scalp from sun damage and fight dandruff. Protects hair by creating a shield over the hair follicles thereby eliminating damage of environmental toxins and sun damage.

Castor Oil – a very popular oil in shampoo bars due to its hydration, strengthening, healing. An oil that works wonders on hair. Castor is known to smooth strands, nourish hair since it's an emollient, promotes scalp health due to its antibacterial properties and helps to reduce fungal and harmful bacteria, prevents split ends and breakage by coating the hair shaft and helps purify hair and scalp since the oil absorbs dirt.