Shampoos are simply detergents used to remove excess oil anddirt and skin debris from the hair known as Sebum. Our hair follicle releases oily substances that coats the root of the hair. Dust and dirts often settle on thisgreesy coating making it difficult for our hair to function properly. For these reasons shampoo is used for keeping the hair in good condition by providing the hair and scalp with moisture and inturn prevent breakage and other scalp related problems,leaving the hair with a long lasting fragrance and shining look. For you to be able to identify a good shampoo,you have to consider the following attributes shampoos must not have a pH higher than 5.5.

• rich foaming (lather) action and ability to rinse out easily.
• the viscosity should be greater than the water
• ability to leave the hair manageable.
• it should be able to have long shelf life.

Some of the agents in shampoos usually include:modifying agents such as- opacifiers,clarifying agents, anti freezes conditioning and finishing agents.

Others are sequestrants,thickening agents,proteins,binders,foam and anti-dandruff agents.

Ingredients for manufacturing synthetic shampoo

* Antisol or Nitrosol – 1 1/2 cup

* Sulphuric acid – 1/4 litre

* Caustic soda 2 tablespoons

* Soda ash – 1 1/2 cup

* Fragrance (as desired)

* Menthol – 1 teaspoon

* Industrial camphor – 1 tablespoon

* Preservative – 1 tablespoon

* Colour ( as desired)

* Water – 10litres

Production process

1. Dissolve Antisol with 2 litres of water and let it stay for at least 24 hours, but if you are using Nitrosol, dissolve it with 5 litres of water and use immediately.

2. Dissolve caustic soda with 1 litre of water and keep to cool

3. Dissolve soda ash with 1 tin milk of water and keep aside

4.Mix soda ash solution with Caustic soda solution

5. Add sulphuric acid to the solution and stir

6. Dissolve colour

* Mixture *

– Add the mixture of soda ash,caustic soda and sulphuric acid into antisol/ nitrosol and stir

– Add the dissolved colourant and menthol and keep stiring

– Add fragrance and industrial camphor and stir

– Finally add the preservative and stir properly.

Leave the mixture to stay for some hours and finally package into squirt bottle or pump bottle for household use and for sale.

NOTES of Caution:

-The above measurement is for 10litres of shampoo, it can be increased to a required amount.

– Water is the bulk of all the ingredients in a shampoo,it probably makes up to 80-90%

– shampoos tend to be very acidic such that if the PH gets too high,the sulphur bridges in the hair keratin can break,causing serious damages to our hair.

– Caustic soda is very corrosive,it can damage skin when in contact with it.

– Wear plastic gloves.

– Do not inhale the vapor of soda

– Wear protective googles and mask

– Don’t use aluminium containers because it will melt with soda

– Keep children away from the premesis.

– shampoos must not have a pH higher than 5.5,which is also scalp pH. Hair shaft swelling which occurs due to alkalization of hair shaft after use of most detergents can be prevented by pH balancing the shampoo by the addition of an acidic substance, such as glycolic acid orCitric acid to adjust the pH down to approximately 5.5.

How to make shampoo from natural ingredients

Natural shampoos are usually very simple to produce. What you need for this production are those common ingredients right there in your kitchen cupboard and few other ones which may not be in the kitchen.

* Ingredients for producing natural shampoos

1.APPLE CIDERS VINEGAR HAIR WASH

This is a tonic that restores the natural PH balance of your hair and inturn close the cuticles making your hair to shine and feel supple. The apple cider vinegar prevents itchy scalp and also helps in blood circulation.

*Tablespoon apple cider

* 5 teaspoon olive oil

* 2 tablespoon lemon juice

* 1 egg

– Pour all the ingredients into a blender and mix till it becomes smooth

– leave to settle for sometimes

– pour into a plastic bottle

– massage on your scalp and rinse out with luke warm water.

2. LIQUID CASTILE SOAP HAIR WASH

Castile soap is made from plant source such as coconut and olive.

Ingredients for liquid castile

* Tin of clean water

* 2 tin liquid castile soap

* 1/2 tin coconut milk

* 1 tablespoon aloe vera gel(optional)

* 1/4 tesaspoon peppermint oil

* 1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin

* 10 drops essential oil

– Pour all the ingredients into a sqeeze bottle and shake properly

-pour a require amount on your hair and massage gently in the scalp for 5 minutes and rinse out completely with lukewarm water.

castile bar soap

3. ALOE VERA HAIR WASH

Ingredients for Aloe Vera wash

* 2 teaspoon aloe vera gel

* 1 tin castile soap

* 2 table spoon sqeezed lemon juice

– Pour all the ingredients into a plastic bottle and shake properly

– Apply some to your hair and rinse with cool water.

Aloe Vera

4. AFRICAN BLACK SOAP HAIR WASH

African black soap wash has a healing property,it treats dandruff and prevents frizz and tangles.This soap is made from palm tree leaves,it is blended with coco pod ash, plantain skin ash, palm kernel oil and shea butter.

Ingredients for making Black soap

* 1 tin African black soup crumbled into pieces

* 1 cup of hot water * grape/lemon oil

* 1 table spoon honey.

– Add all the ingredients and mix together

– Add the hot water to dissolve thesoap and stir

– Pour into a glass jar.

– Shake and leave to cool down

– When it iscompletely cool, use some on your hair and rinse

– Preserve the rest for another day.

African black soap in procession

african black soap already mixed