I’ll be upfront with you: this DIY shampoo bar recipe contains one formula. Not three, not five, just one. It’s the recipe I’ve made first, tested, used on my own hair, and refined based on what I learned.

This recipe is formulated for oily hair specifically. If have normal hair or dry hair, those shampoo recipes are the better starting point…same process, different balance.

If you’re not quite sure what formula your hairs needs, take the Batch and Bubble hair type quiz to find out. If you want personalised recipes sent to your inbox, pop your email in at the end (but you don’t need to!):

If you’re new to making syndet bars and want to understand the full process before diving into a recipe, how to make shampoo bars at home covers everything from equipment to first-batch tips.

If you’ve been put off making your own soap because of lye and six-week cure times, homemade soap without lye covers the syndet alternative, and everything you can make with it beyond just shampoo.

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I genuinely use and trust.

This is also not a lye-based soap bar recipe. The bar I make, and the bars Batch and Bubble is built around, are syndet bars. If you’re not sure what that means or why it matters, I’ll explain that first. If you just want the recipe, skip ahead.

What is a syndet shampoo bar and why does it matter for beginners

Syndet is short for synthetic detergent. A syndet bar is built around surfactants, the same cleansing ingredients found in liquid shampoos, rather than soap. This distinction matters for a few reasons.

Traditional cold-process soap bars are made with lye (sodium hydroxide), which requires careful handling, precise measurements, and a curing period of four to six weeks. They also have a naturally high pH that can affect hair and scalp, and they react with hard water minerals in ways that cause the waxy, heavy buildup that gives shampoo bars a bad reputation.

Syndet bars skip all of that. No lye, no caustic ingredients, a pH that’s naturally closer to your hair and scalp, and significantly better performance in hard water. The curing period is seven days rather than six weeks. This is mostly to allow the bar to harden fully rather than for any chemical process to complete.

For beginners, syndet is the more forgiving format. The ingredients are gentler to work with, the process is more straightforward, and the results are more predictable. It’s where I started, and it’s what I’d recommend to anyone new to making their own haircare.

If you want the full comparison between syndet and lye-based bars, I’ve written about that in detail here.

Before you start: a note on ingredients

The ingredient list for a syndet bar looks intimidating the first time you read it. SCI, CAPB, cetyl alcohol…none of it sounds like something you’d find in a home kitchen. I felt the same way.

Here’s the reassurance: these are well-researched, widely-used cosmetic ingredients. SCI (sodium cocoyl isethionate) is a gentle surfactant derived from coconut oil. CAPB (cocamidopropyl betaine) is a mild secondary surfactant also derived from coconut. Cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol that acts as an emollient and hardener. Despite the name, it contains no ethanol and is not drying (and is also not a liquid at room temperature!). White kaolin clay is exactly what it sounds like. Jojoba oil and glycerine are familiar to most people already.

None of them require special safety equipment beyond basic kitchen hygiene. This is not a lye recipe. You do not need goggles, gloves, or a dedicated soap-making space. A clean home kitchen and a glass mixing bowl, and a face mask for a small part, are all you need.

The DIY shampoo bar recipe: beginner friendly

Batch and Bubble Everyday Syndet Shampoo Bar
Makes approximately 5 bars at roughly 100g each Best suited to: oily hair. Works well on fine hair. Can be adapted for other hair types, see notes.

Ingredients:

Ingredient	Percentage	Weight (600g batch, 6 bars at 100g)
SCI (sodium cocoyl isethionate)	65%	390g
CAPB (cocamidopropyl betaine)	15%	90g
Cetyl alcohol	10%	60g
White kaolin clay	6.6%	39.6g
Jojoba oil	2.4%	14.4g
Glycerine	1%	6g

Above links are Amazon sources.

Total batch weight: 531g

The links in the table are to Amazon links for each ingredient. But if you want to shop where I shop, head over to Heirloom Body Care.

What each ingredient does

SCI(65%): the primary cleanser. SCI is one of the gentlest surfactants available for solid bar formulation. It produces a rich, creamy lather and is mild enough for daily use. It comes in noodle or powder form, more on which to use and why shortly. SCI’s mildness also makes this formula suitable for fine or thinning hair, see the thinning hair guide for more

CAPB (15%): a secondary surfactant that boosts lather and adds mildness. Liquid at room temperature, it also helps with the overall texture and blending of the bar. Because it’s liquid, it aids in bringing the other ingredients together during mixing.

Cetyl alcohol (10%): a hardening agent and emollient (aka a skin-softener). This is what gives the finished bar its firm, solid texture and what keeps it from turning to mush in the shower. Despite being called an alcohol, it’s not drying. It actually adds a slight conditioning quality and helps the bar feel smooth on the hair.

White kaolin clay (6.6%): a gentle clarifying ingredient that helps absorb excess oil at the scalp. At this percentage it’s particularly effective for oily hair. For a family formula or for normal to dry hair types, reducing this to around 3-4% produces a gentler result. I have since tested a lower clay version for normal hair: the normal hair recipe is here, and there’s also the dry hair recipe. Curious haw different clays compare? Bentonite in shampoo bars covers the stronger alternative and who it suits.

Jojoba oil (2.4%): adds a small amount of conditioning and slip. Jojoba is technically a wax rather than an oil, which makes it stable and lightweight which is a good choice for oily hair where heavier oils would be counterproductive.

Glycerine (1%): a humectant (moisturiser) that draws moisture to the hair and scalp. At this small percentage it contributes to feel rather than dramatically changing the formula. It also plays a practical role in the making process – adding it to the melt phase aids the melting of the other ingredients. I learned this one by trial and error!

Read more in the Batch and Bubble ingredient series:

• What is SCI? 
• What is CAPB? 
• What is cetyl alcohol? 
• What is kaolin clay?,
• What is jojoba oil?,
• What is glycerine?

A note on preservatives

You may notice there is no preservative in this recipe. This is intentional and correct for this formula.

Preservatives are required in cosmetic products that contain water, because bacteria, mould, and yeast need water to grow and survive. This bar is an anhydrous formula (meaning the finished product contains no free water). Although CAPB is supplied as an aqueous solution (containing water), the small amount of water it introduces evaporates almost entirely during mixing and the seven-day cure. The finished bar has water activity too low to support microbial growth.

This means no preservative is needed and adding one would serve no purpose.

What does matter is how you store and use the bar. A bar that sits in standing water between uses creates damp surface conditions that can, over time, allow mould to develop on the outside of the bar. This is true of any soap or shampoo bar, not just homemade ones.

To keep your bar in good condition:

• Use a draining soap dish that allows water to run away completely between uses
• Allow the bar to dry fully between washes
• Do not store in a closed container while damp

An important note for other recipes: This no-preservative guidance applies only to anhydrous (water-free) bar formulas. Any homemade product that contains water (e.g. liquid shampoos, conditioners, lotions, creams, or scrubs made with water) requires a proper broad-spectrum preservative. Do not assume a recipe is safe without one simply because it is natural or homemade. More on homemade shampoo types here.

Equipment you’ll need

• Digital kitchen scale (accurate to 1g, 0.1g if you can – this matters when making smaller batches when the lesser ingredients can be as small as 1g.)
• Large glass mixing bowl (3L or larger)
• Medium saucepan
• Silicone spatula
• Silicone ice cube tray moulds (large cube size works well, the bars release easily and the cube shape may perform better in the shower than oblong bars due to less surface area exposed to moisture at any one time)
  • I bought this mould to help make a Minecraft birthday cake (it worked!) and I find it creates a really nice sized shampoo bar
• Small mixing bowl or jug for the secondary ingredients
• Thermometer (optional but useful for your first batch)

For more detail on each item including what to look for, what to avoid, and what I’d do differently, the full equipment guide is here.

The process

Step 1 – Prepare your moulds and workspace

Set your ice cube tray on a flat, stable surface near your stove. Have your spatula and secondary ingredient bowl ready before you start melting. Once the melt phase is ready it cools quickly, so having everything prepared in advance matters.

Prepare your equipment.

Step 2 – Melt the first phase

Fill your saucepan with a few centimetres of water and bring it to a gentle boil. Place your large glass bowl over the top to create a double boiler — the bowl should sit above the water, not touch it.

Add to the bowl in this order:

• CAPB
• Cetyl alcohol
• Glycerine

The glycerine goes in here, not with the second phase, because it helps the other ingredients melt more smoothly. I added it to the second phase on my first batch and noticed the difference when I corrected it.

Stir gently and consistently with your silicone spatula. Melt using visual cues rather than a set temperature: you’re looking for a fully homogeneous (all the same), smooth mixture with no visible lumps or unmelted pieces. You want a thick mashed potato feel. This takes patience. Don’t rush it by turning the heat up, SCI is sensitive to high heat and can degrade or become grainy if overheated.

The visual changes during the melt phase as the cetyl alcohol pellets soften and dissolve. The pellets become translucent as they melt, wait until no solid pieces remain before moving on.

Step 3 – Prepare your SCI

This is the step that catches most beginners, and it’s where I went wrong on my first batch.

SCI comes in chip form (small flakes) or powder form. If you’re using chips, which is common and totally fine, I’d strongly recommend grinding them in a coffee grinder before you start. Chips melt unevenly: the bottom of your bowl melts while the top layer cools and sets, leaving you with a lumpy, partially melted mass that’s difficult to work with. Grinding to a powder first eliminates this problem almost entirely. Use a dedicated coffee grinder that you don’t also use for coffee, or clean it thoroughly first.

Powder SCI can be used directly without grinding.

NOTE: SCI powder can irritate your lungs so wear a face mask when handling this ingredient until it is thoroughly wet.

SCI chips loaded into the grinder before processing. Three seconds later, this is a fine powder. Remember to put on your mask before you open the lid.

Step 4 – Add the SCI

After the Cetyl Alcohol is fully melted, add your SCI powder (or chips if you prefer) and continue stirring over heat for a few minutes. It will quickly become a thick, mashed-potato like texture. It’s important to keep stirring and mixing to fully incorporate the SCI.

The combined mixture just after the SCI is added. Thick, white, and cooling fast. This is the consistency you’re aiming for. Work quickly from here.

Step 5 – Prepare the second phase

Between stirs, combine in your small bowl:

• White kaolin clay
• Jojoba oil

Stir these together until the clay is fully dispersed in the oil and no dry clumps remain. This takes about a minute of stirring and ensures the clay distributes evenly through the finished bar rather than clumping.

Jojoba oil measured into a ramekin on the scale. Decanting first gives you far better control than pouring from the bottle directly, especially for small quantities like this.

Step 6 – Combine

Once the first phase is fully melted and smooth, and the SCI is properly incorporated, remove the bowl from the heat. Add the clay and jojoba mixture and stir to combine thoroughly.

Work quickly from this point. The mixture cools fast. It will hold its shape when scooped but still be pliable enough to press into moulds.

Once the jojoba oil and kaolin clay mix are incorporated, the mixture takes on a beige colour from the clay.

Step 7 – Fill the moulds

Fill each cavity as fully as possible. Once the mixture has cooled enough to handle comfortably – just a minute or two after removing from heat – use your fingers rather than the spatula to press it firmly into each cavity. Fingers are significantly better than a spatula at this stage: you can feel where the air pockets are, push the mixture into the corners and edges properly, and fold any mixture that has spilled over the edges back into the bar rather than losing it. The mixture at this point feels like warm, dense dough. It’s pliable enough to work with but cool enough to handle. Press firmly and evenly across the surface of each bar until it’s compact and level. The bars will have a slightly rustic, matte appearance and that’s part of the joy of a homemade product.

Two test bars in the mould. This was a trial batch at reduced quantities to test a new formula. The four empty cavities aren’t a mistake, just a smaller batch. Now the hardest part: waiting seven days.

Step 8 – Cure

Leave the bars in the moulds at room temperature for 24 hours, then unmould and place on a rack or dry surface with airflow on all sides. Allow to cure for seven days before use.

I know you want to use it straight away but the seven days is not optional.

I know. It’s really hard not to take it with you to your very next shower, particularly if, like me, your most recent experience with a purchased “natural” shampoo left your hair feeling coated and you’re eager to see whether you’ve finally solved the problem. Wait anyway. Trust me. The bars harden and the texture improves significantly over the cure period. Testing at day three versus day seven produces a noticeably different result.

Letting your syndet bars cure for seven days really is necessary to fully harden the bar. Using it before then will result in a bar that doesn’t last as long.

Step 9 – Clean up

This part is actually more exciting than you think. Just hot water in the bowl and the beautiful foam you’re hoping for in the shower is evident right away.

Cleanup is the best part. A splash of hot water in the mixing bowl and you get immediate proof that the bar will work exactly as intended…generous foam, clean feel on the hands. If this moment doesn’t make you smile, I don’t know what will!

What to expect from the finished bar

The bar should feel firm and solid.

In the shower, expect genuinely good lather. Not the thin, disappointing lather of some commercial natural bars, and not the fake-feeling lather of sulphate shampoos. A real, creamy, effective lather that rinses cleanly.

For oily hair, the clay percentage in this formula is well suited to regular use. More on why this formula works specifically for oily hair here. For normal or dry hair, or if you want a family formula that works across different hair types, reduce the kaolin clay to around 3-4% and increase the SCI slightly to compensate.

On fine hair specifically, this bar does what it should – cleans without stripping, lathers well, and rinses without the residue some shampoo bars leave. I’ve also used it on my dogs with good results, which says something about its gentleness.

If your hair feels different in the first few weeks, that’s normal. The shampoo bar transition period guide explains what to expect and how long it takes. Or if your scalp reacts easily to products, this guide to shampoo bars for sensitive scalp covers what to use and what to avoid. There’s also a more in depth article about what makes the best shampoo for sensitive scalps.

A friend who tried this recipe has genuinely oily roots and very dry, colour-treated ends which is one of the more challenging hair type combinations to formulate for. Her verdict after trying it in and around her $70 retail product:

“Just used your shampoo and conditioner again (I did my expensive one in between) and nup, I genuinely love the one you made more! Very freaking good! My hair feels so clean!”

Given that a full batch of five bars costs under $17 in ingredients, that comparison lands a little differently than it might have otherwise. The full cost breakdown is here.

And if you’re wondering, you can read more about whether shampoo bars are really good for your hair, or long a bar actually lasts in real use, the longevity breakdown is here.

The trimming question

When you unmould your bars, the edges may be slightly crumbly or rough. Trim these off with a knife rather than discarding them. They can be dissolved in warm water to make a liquid hand wash. Do not store it for later use, without a proper preservation system, liquid products made this way have a very short shelf life. Use it fresh or skip it.

SCI: chips or powder?

Both work. Powder is easier for home kitchen use because it melts more evenly. If you can only source chips, grind them first. A basic coffee grinder does the job in under a minute and makes a meaningful difference to how smoothly the melt phase comes together.

This was the main thing I changed between my first and second batch, and it solved the uneven melting problem almost entirely.

Remember the face mask when handling SCI powder. In addition, I choose not to make shampoo bars until the kids are in bed or at school so they don’t breathe any in. Maybe a bit over the top but if I’m wearing a mask, I wager they would have a reason to as well.

Troubleshooting this DIY shampoo bar recipe

Bar is crumbly or falls apart: Most likely undermixed or poured too cool. The mixture needs to be fully combined before moulding – if it starts setting in the bowl before you’ve finished filling the moulds, work faster next time or make a smaller batch.

Bar is soft after seven days: Check that your cetyl alcohol was fully melted and incorporated. A soft bar usually means incomplete melting of the hardening agent. Also ensure the cure space has adequate airflow.

Lather is thin or poor: Check your water hardness – this is the most common cause of poor lather with any shampoo bar. An ACV rinse after washing will help. If you’re in a hard water area, a shower filter is worth considering. The full lather troubleshooting guide covers every cause in detail. The syndet vs liquid shampoo comparison explains why syndet performs better in hard water than soap-based bars

Bar feels draggy or leaves residue: The clay percentage may be too high for your hair type. Try reducing to 3-4% in your next batch. An ACV rinse will also help clear any residue while you adjust.

Mixture set in the bowl before you finished: It cools faster than you expect. Have moulds ready before you start melting, work close to your stove, and move efficiently once you’ve combined both phases. Smaller batches are easier to manage for your first attempt.

Hair feels frizzy after washing: Most commonly caused by pH mismatch or the adjustment period. The full frizz guide covers every cause and fix.

A few honest notes from my first batch

I was so sure of the recipe that I went straight into bulk production, making five bars on my first attempt.

Making one test bar first would have been the smarter move. I had an SCI melting issue that affected the whole batch. They still worked, but a single test bar would have let me correct the process before committing the full batch.

The ingredient names were genuinely intimidating before I started. SCI and CAPB sound like industrial chemicals, not something you’d make shampoo from in your kitchen on a Sunday afternoon. Getting past that initial hesitation was probably the hardest part. The actual process, once started, is straightforward.

The wait was the second hardest part. Total torture. They stare at you. They whisper to you. They call your name. IGNORE THEM!

The lather on the first proper wash was the payoff. After months of expensive, underwhelming “natural” shampoos that left my fine, oily hair feeling coated and gross, a bar I’d made myself in a glass bowl over a saucepan produced better results than anything I’d bought. That’s still the part I find most satisfying about making my own. AND, the cost per bar is amazing. But I’m not keen on selling the bars I make (at least, not for now).

What’s next

I’m currently working on variants of this formula. The conditioner bar recipe is also published if you want to complete your routine:

• lower clay for a normal here – recipe here
• different coloured clays purely for visual pleasure – see the green clay and rosemary shampoo bar for oily hair (spoiler: the green clay is for more than just prettiness!), and the french red clay shampoo bar for oily hair too.
• or if you’re not sure which conditioner weight suits your hair, start here
• and if you’re in a hard water area, the best shampoo bar for hard water article covers what actually works.

Check out the routine articles (full shampoo and conditioner recommendations) for:

• Dry hair
• Normal hair
• Oily hair

If you want to know when those are published, the best way is to join the Batch and Bubble list and get a free troubleshooting guide while you’re there.

The same melt-and-mix process used for syndet shampoo bars applies directly to body bars; the DIY syndet body bar recipe is the starting point for the full body bar range.

In the meantime, if you make this recipe, I’d genuinely love to know how it goes! Especially if your hair type is different from mine and you notice anything worth adjusting. Reply to any of my emails or get in touch through the site.

Written by Neets at Batch and Bubble
DIY personal bathroom care
www.batchandbubble.com