Avocado Butter Shampoo Bars

Avocado Shampoo Bars Recipe - Palm Free Hot Process Soap
I can’t wait to share this recipe with you today! I’m so in love with these little shampoo bars.

Not only do they leave my hair soft and shiny, but they work perfectly for hands and body too.

(Bonus: they’re also working great for bathing my dogs!)

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Cutting Avocado Shampoo Bars Into Mini Shampoo Bars

For this recipe, I started with my usual base of Olive Oil (a basic soap making oil with emollient properties) and Coconut Oil (adds lather and hardness). If you’re allergic to coconut oil, try using babassu oil instead.

I then added some Rice Bran Oil (vitamin E rich, adds a nice, silky lather and is a good stand-in for some of the olive), Shea Butter (moisturizes and contributes to a harder soap), Avocado Butter (nourishes and conditions skin and hair) and Castor Oil (contributes to the lather factor.)

I used Bramble Berry’s Lye Calculator to create the recipe and superfatted the soap at 5%.

I used their 12 Cavity Rectangle Silicone Mold, though it only filled nine of the cavities, and then sliced each bar in half, to make mini-bars that are easier for me to use and hold.

Avocado Shampoo Bars - Palm Free

Avocado Butter Shampoo Bars

  • 10 oz (283 g) water
  • 4.25 oz (120 g) sodium hydroxide (lye)
  • 8 oz (227 g) Coconut Oil
  • 3 oz (85 g) Avocado Butter
  • 3 oz (85 g) Shea Butter
  • 4 oz (113 g) Castor Oil
  • 8 oz (227 g) Olive Oil
  • 5 oz (142 g) Rice Bran Oil
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) Lemongrass Essential Oil, optional

Yields around 9 shampoo bars, or 18 mini shampoo bars. All measurements are by weight. Directions are given for both hot process and cold process soap below.

Step 1 – Weigh and Mix the Lye Solution

Put on your safety gear of gloves, goggles and long sleeves. I like to also cover my work area with a few sheets of wax paper and have some paper towels handy to contain any stray spills.

Weigh the water into a stainless steel or heavy duty plastic pitcher. I use an old Tupperware or Pampered Chef pitcher. Next, weigh the lye into a small cup or container.

Sprinkle the lye into the water (not the other way around or you might get a lye volcano) and gently stir with a heavy duty plastic or silicone spatula or spoon until the lye is completely dissolved. The temperature will get really hot. Avoid breathing in the resulting strong fumes that linger for a few moments.

Set the lye solution aside in a safe place where it won’t get disturbed. If you’re making hot process soap in your crock pot, then it will only need to be set aside for about ten minutes while you work with the oils. If making cold process, let the lye cool down around 30 to 40 minutes before mixing with the oils.

Step 2 – Weigh and Heat the Oils & Butters

Weigh out the solid ingredients – coconut oil, shea butter and avocado butter – and melt them in a double boiler or over low heat until melted. While those melt, weigh out the other liquid oils and place them in your crock pot (for hot process) or soap making pot/container (for cold process). Pour the hot melted butters and coconut oil into the other oils. That should bring the temperature up to somewhere around 90 to 100°F (32 to 38° C).

Step 3 – Combine and Mix to Trace

Pour the lye solution into the warm oils. Using a stick or immersion blender (looks like THIS and is not a handheld mixer) stir the solution with the motor off for around 30 seconds. Turn the motor on and blend for a minute or so. Stir for another 30 or so seconds with the motor off, then again with the motor on and so forth. (We don’t run the stick blender continuously so we don’t risk burning out the motor. It also cuts down on air bubbles in your finished soap.)

Alternate with this method until trace is reached.  “Trace” is when your soap batter gets thick enough to leave an imprint or tracing, when you drizzle some of it across the surface. Below is a picture of my soap at trace, but it’s a lot thicker than it needs to be. (My fault for only half paying attention to the task at hand!) Your soap batter will probably be thinner.

Avocado Shampoo Bar at Trace

Step 4 – Choose Cold Process or Hot Process

Up until this point, you make cold process and hot process pretty much the same. Weigh, melt/heat and stir to trace. Now though, you have to decide if you’re going to cook your soap (hot process) or pour it straight into a mold (cold process).

With cold process, you just stir to trace, add essential oil and any other extras, pour the soap batter into the mold, let it sit for 24 to 48 hours, remove from the mold and cure the bars in the open air for 4 to 6 weeks before using. It’s one step shorter than hot process and your bars will usually end up looking nicer and smoother. However, there’s that 4 to 6 week wait time for the bar to cure.

With hot process, you stir to trace, cook your soap for around an hour, add essential oil and any other extras, then scoop it into a mold, let it sit for 24 hours, remove it from the mold and you can use it right away. Though, hot process still does even better if you let it cure a few weeks too.

The choice is completely personal. No one way is better than the other, so choose as you wish!

Lemongrass Essential Oil

Step 5A – Cold Process Instructions

Once trace is reached, you can stir in any extras. In this case, I just have lemongrass essential oil. Stir that into the soap batter and pour into your mold. Cover with a sheet of wax paper and then a piece of cardboard. Lay a towel or quilt over the mold to keep the heat contained. Let it sit for 24 to 48 hours and then remove from the mold.

Let the bars cure on sheets of wax paper or coated cooling racks for around 4 weeks before using.

Step 5B – Hot Process Instructions

Once trace is reached, turn your crock pot on low. (If you have a really old crock pot that heats slowly, you might need to preheat it sooner.)

Cook the soap batter for 1 hour, checking every 15 minutes and stirring if needed. Here’s what mine looked like at

15 minutes:

Avocado Shampoo Bar After 15 Minutes Cook Time

30 minutes:

Avocado Shampoo Bar After 30 Minutes Cook Time

45 minutes (I stirred after 30 minutes or it would look differently):

Avocado Shampoo Bar After 45 Minutes Cook Time

60 minutes (I stirred again after 45 minutes or it might look differently):

Avocado Shampoo Bar After 60 Minutes Cook Time

After the soap has finished cooking, stir in any extras that you want to add. In this case, I only added lemongrass essential oil.

Spoon the hot soap into your molds and smooth the tops as best as you can. You don’t have to cover or insulate hot process soap. Let the soap sit in the molds overnight then remove the next day. Cut the bars in half, if you’d like mini shampoo bars as shown. You can use this soap right away, though the bars benefit from curing a few weeks too. And that’s it – you’re done!

Using Shampoo Bars

When using a shampoo bar, you often need to follow up with a vinegar hair rinse to help restore pH and remove any soap residue. This is especially true if you have hard water, like we do here. I haven’t found the need to use it as much with this recipe, but here are a few pretty infused vinegars you might want to consider for your hair:

Lavender Vinegar | Rose Petal Vinegar | Violet Vinegar

I usually dilute with equal parts water and rinse OR for more convenience and less waste, just keep a spray bottle of vinegar in your shower and spritz it over your scalp and hair after shampooing. Rinse with water and you’re done!

Shampoo Bar Notes

Not everyone’s hair type does well with shampoo bars, so if you find that you don’t care for how they work on your hair, you can still use them as a hand and body soap.

If you’d like a truly natural alternative to commercial shampoos and conditioners, I highly recommend Morrocco Method haircare products.

They’re color safe, paleo friendly, vegan, and gluten free – made in small batches with 100% pure ingredients like apple cider vinegar, aloe, essential oils and other healthy plant extracts.

I’ve especially fallen in love with their Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo and Floating Lotus Conditioner – they leave my hair so clean and soft, even with our hard well water!

You can learn more about their products HERE or click on the banner below.

All Natural Hair Care Alternative

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author, herbalist, soapmaker

Jan Berry is a writer, herbalist, soapmaker, and bestselling author of The Big Book of Homemade Products, Simple & Natural Soapmaking, and Easy Homemade Melt & Pour Soaps. She lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains with her family and a menagerie of animals, where she enjoys brainstorming creative things to make with the flowers and weeds that grow around her. You can also find her writing about gardening and foraging over at her family's website: UnrulyGardening.com!

390 Comments

  1. Oh, I’m in love with making milk soaps, so I’d definitely buy more silicone molds so I could make bigger batches. More bars, more fun! Soap making is addicting!

    1. I’d LOVE to purchase -oils, and butters, pigments, mica’s, or even a new awesome mold ! That’s what I’d so jump up and down & do a little victory dance if I was given BB Gift Certificate !

    2. I am very new to soap making. If i won the contest i would order more essential oils and soap colors. I love your blog and have learned so much. Thank you, Jeanie

  2. I appreciate all of your posts and have been inspired endlessly! Thank you! This soap sounds amazing. If I win the certificate from Bramble Berry, I would buy essential oils and butters for skin care products for my family. My 7 year old daughter is my ultimate inspiration and she loves makin them with me. She has some invigorating ideas for a girl her age.

  3. I love seeing your new blog entries pop up in my news feed. You always have such great insight, and amazing recipes. With a $50 Bramble Berry gift certificate I would buy some butters and oils to help perfect my goats milk soap recipe.

  4. With 50$? One could always use more essential oils! Or shea butter, grape seed oil, oh gosh I would have a hard time deciding! :)

  5. I would love to purchase more molds and butters to make new soaps! Soap making is my passion!

  6. I am new to soap making, The Soap Queen videos have been so helpful! Ive only done melt and pour, so far. I would spend it on more soap base!

  7. I would likely spend an hour drooling over all the things Bramble Berry has, then buy the ingredients to make soap.

  8. Thanks for your recipes and hints – super helpful!! I would buy some real silicon molds because at the moment I am using cardboard milk cartons for molds – have all my friends collecting them for me . Or maybe some tamanu oil, because I would like to try it…

  9. I love Bramble Berry. They are my favorite supplier. I would use the gift certificate for more fragrance oils, soap classes, or quick mixes.

  11. I would get more base oils to experiment with. Right now I only use olive, coconut, and sweet almond.

  14. I have never ordered from Bramble Berry – I would order hard oils. Thanks for a great looking recipe.

  15. I wouldike to by a stock of butters and everything needed make this soap. I love the smell of lemongrass.

  16. I would SO enjoy spending $50 at Brambleberry! I know exactly what I would get – their Lots of Lather quick mix! And I have been eyeing a few new fragrances…Love their stuff!

  17. I would buy more avocado butter for my lotion bars, love the creaminess it gives them!

  19. Thanks for the opportunity! I would use my certificate to buy some molds or other soap crafting supplies. I am just starting out in soap-making, and I can’t wait to try this recipe! :)

  20. 50$ at Bramble Berry, what wouldn’t I buy!!! :) Although, I would probably blow the entire thing on some expensive essential oil that is normally out of the question- like rose absolute or pure sandalwood!

    Thank you for an amazing shampoo recipe. I have been working hard to perfect mine and haven’t quite mastered it!

  21. I have recently had a stroke but I love soaps using essential oils. I can’t make my own. Are these available for sale?

  22. I have never made my own soap but it is a craft I would love to try. I have been enjoying your page and a Bramble Berry gift certificate would certainly get me on my way with so many soap recipes to try out.

  24. I would buy WAY too much! THAT’s what I would buy! But I would LOVE every minute of it!
    My 8 year old neighbor want’s t learn how to make soap so I would start there.

  26. I love essential oils and clays from Bramble Berry. I would probably buy more of these or put it towards more molds if I won. Thank you for sharing your great recipes. We love them!

  27. I would do the same, more essential oils and fragrance oils for my soaps/toners/beard oils and such! Thanks for posting this, I’m totally going to make some!

  29. Love the soap recipe! If I won one of the gift certificates I’d use it to buy essentials and sodium hydroxide for making our own soap!

  30. I can’t wait to try this recipe! :)

    As for using the Bramble Berry gift certificate – I think I’d splurge a little and buy some meadowfoam oil. I love trying new butters and oils in my soaps!

  31. I would stock up on different clays for my soap. And a new cutter. And some EOs. And…well, you get the picture :)

    1. Wow.. This sounds amazing. I would buy some new Tea tree or look for some new oil for my poison Ivy. Its bad this time of year for me. Lol.

  32. If I won I’d buy a pound of Purple Brazilian Clay [the only place I’ve seen it for sale], the rectangle silicone mold and a small bottle of Anise EO :) :) :) :) :)

  33. I bought supplies from Brambleberry a couple months ago and am incredibly pleased with their selection & quality! I’d probably use it to stock up on clays, oils, or try some new essential oils.

  34. I’ve always wanted to make my own soaps,so if I won I’d spend it on anything & everything for soap making!

  35. Always nice to find new resources for soap making supplies. I’ve never made shampoo bars but I have tried others. Might be nice to try making it myself.

  36. I have wanted to try my hand at soap making and such but I am afraid to invest the money in something I can not do. A gift cert. would certainly help to push me into the making instead of procrastinating stage!!

  37. Thank you so much for the entry and sharing all the great recipes you share! If I won, I would use it to replenish my butters. I need to try the avocado butter and I need more Shea and Mango butters.

  38. I just love your recipes :)
    I have my eye on the 18 bar birch mold on the Brambleberry site ❤️

  39. I make cold process soap and would love to make some hot process soap too. Thanks for the chance at winning the gift certificate! I would buy a soap insert for the mold I previously got from Brambleberry. And you’re right they are a fun company and very helpful too! Thanks for the recipe!

  42. Just today I was browsing to find a nice sounding shampoo bar and here it is! With a $50 Bramble Berry gift certificate I would buy another container of their fabulous lip balm base and some of those ever so cute push up clear tubes! hmmmm, maybe some lip balm tins or more melt and pour soap. Could use a couple more molds and hopefully that stainless steel bath bomb mold will be available again soon. Goodness, it’s hard to wait to see if I win! I sure hope so – I’m getting all excited already!!

  43. I want to make this recipe so bad! I am new to soap making and still need a little more practice. Once I get it down, I will be trying this recipe next. With a $50 certificate I would buy some actually molds and tools instead of using a milk carton lol. And I would also live to try out a different variety of butters and oils from Brambleberry – which one I would choose is the hardest decision.

  44. Love this recipe and with $50 to Brambleberry, I would drool over pigments, essential oils, fragrance oils and a new wooden mold. :) Love everything I’ve ever gotten from Brambleberry!

  45. Since I found your blog I’ve become enchanted with making new lotions, bars, and salves from your recipes. I purchased almost all my supplies from Brambleberry and they were great (but I’m low on some already!)I’d definitely use the gift certificate to purchase more butters and oils along with molds and containers when I venture into soap making over the winter.

  46. I am anxious to try your Avocado Shampoo Bars. Thank you! I already get my supplies from Bramble Berry. If I win a $50 Gift Certificate, it will be used to buy butters and oils to make these Avocado Shampoo Bars!
    Thanks, again!

  47. I’d totally buy the ingredients for making your avocado shampoo bars! They look awesome! :) :)

  48. I would by some EOs and the avocado oil to make these wonderful shampoo bars, thank you soooooo much for the recipe. Happy soaping :)

  50. I would buy Rice Bran Oil!!! I have read several times about it’s great properties and can never remember to include it in an order!

  52. I would love the gift certificate so I could buy the necessary supplies to make lotions and lip balms….and the containers for them, too! Love your website and all your creative ideas! :)

  53. Just added this recipe to my ‘things to make’ list! I would definitely be purchasing butters and essential oils with a gift certificate. I would love to own some Geranium essential oil to use in various recipes on your site that I’ve been dreaming about making :)

  55. I would purchase butters and oils to try out some recipes ideas that have been twirling around my head.

  56. hello!! i love your site! and i love brambleberry! i would use the gift cerftificate to get the ingredients for making charcoal acne bars. my family and i have the worst problem with adult acne and want to make our own products for it!

  57. I haven’t washed my hair with anything but my own soap bars for about a year now. This is a very nice recipe I like adding an egg to some of my shampoo bars. I like looking at Brambleberries stuff altho I can never really afford to shop there yet. Once my soaps take off tho they will be getting color and scent. They happen to be in my home state just 3 hrs away so too far. Anyway nice recpie.

  58. I love the shampoo bars. I need to make some myself. I would love to sotock up on a few fragrances if I won the certificate.

  59. Love this post! I would buy a soap mold and some of the ingredients needed to try making these Avocado shampoo bars! Thank you for the opportunity…

  62. At Brambleberry I would buy a list of things starting with essential oils and probably ending with something as simple as pipettes…but then again, I’d be tempted to buy a mold.

  63. I’d like to be entered in the Bramble Berry gift certificate give away. I recently ordered from them, but would have liked to have ordered more scents (for instance, leather and my favorite oatmeal, milk & honey and my husband’s favorite Pachouli) and I’d like to try tamanu oil. I’m reading your site for the first time and loving it. Thank you.

  65. I would buy some avocado butter to try out this recipe! I love shampoo bars, and I already have the other oils; just need the avocado butter. I would also like to buy some of their fragrance oils. I’m a big fan of Bramble Berry’s fragrance oils!

  66. Thanks for the giveaway! I would get some molds and butters and oils to try soap making!

  67. I’d buy oils for scenting my soaps. I buy scents exclusively now from Brambleberry anyway so some of the new summer fragrances would be fantastic.

  68. Ooohh.. I would LOVE to win a gift cert from Bramble Berry.. I’ve never made soap but I would love to.. That certificate would be great to get me started!

    And Im gonna make some of this lovely recipe when I do too.. ;)

    Thanks!

  69. I made soaps to give as Christmas presents last year and now get asked for soap all the time. I love making soap so we all win. I would buy more essential oils and possibly a recipe book or two. Thanks for the opportunity to enter.

  71. These shampoo bars look wonderful. Brambleberry has the BEST customer service EVER! Thank you for the great post! ☺️

  72. Oh if I had $50 to spend it would definitely be Essential Oils and butters. I’ve been wanting to try some different butters but money always seems an issue . Thanks for the opportunity to win.

  73. I would love to start making my own bar soap. This would help get me started. I would buy anything that helped me with that goal. Thanks

  75. Wow- this is an amazing giveaway! It was a challenge to decide what I would buy with a gift certificate for one of my favorite companies! I’ve narrowed it down to: activated charcoal, which I use for bug bites, upset stomach and DIY makeup, annatto seed and madder root for makeup, tea bags for herbal and bath teas, and the melt and pour soap sampler. Thanks so much!

  76. I’ve been wanting to try my hand at soap making for a while now. I would get the basics. Thanks for the giveaway! I love your blog.

  77. i love your page & all the help you have been with my new adventure in soap making and her infusions.. I am trying to find dandelions, but everywhere people cut the grass & have not been able to find them for the dandelion soap & salve. I need new butters, so a certificate would be helpful. Luv all your stuff

  78. My younger sister is 7 months pregnant and I would love to get essential oils to make soap for her plus citric acid and sweet almond oil to make her bath bombs. She works on her feet everyday for 10+ hours and comes home to a 5 year old so she is exhausted. She deserves it and I would love to give this to her! Her birthday is 2 days after the drawing closes (July 25th) so it could be good news to give her on that day as well. Thank you for your generosity and always sharing such amazing recipes with us all. You are truly inspirational!!

  79. Thank you for this “recipe.” I recently developed allergies to a lot of the ingredients in factory-made soaps and am really interested in making my own.

    (If I won a certificate, I would definitely purchase the necessities and some add-ins too!!)

  80. Another recipe of yours that I am excited to try! If I won, I would order a few the special ingredients (rice bran and avocado oil)for this recipe as well as BB’s Burnt Sugar Fragrance Oil. I made my mom a small batch with the free sample they sent and your basic soap recipe. She loves it and is ready for more. Thanks for your site and offering the giveaway!

  82. I would get avocado butter which I have never tried, and maybe some molds and or oils I haven’t tried.

  83. I would use the gift card to whittle away at the Brambleberry wish list that I have that keeps getting longer and longer and longer.

  84. I would match that 50 and buy some stuff to make bubble bars! I haven’t made those yet. I have had a couple of requests for them. Thanks

  86. I would use the gift to purchase more products for my soapmaking:-) i dont have an immersion blender….i stir my soap by hand so that would be something i’d like to aquire. Otherwise some basic items……a few different basic oils for making/trying new recipes!
    This avocado shampoo bar looks great!! So do your vinegar rinses! I love using cider vinegar to rinse and i have made one with lemin juice(fresh, cider vinegar and essential oil. It works great!!

  87. I would get lavender essential oil (I just used the last of the one I had for a lavender/cedar batch of soap). Spearmint essential oil and another mold. And a random fragrance. I love trying out new scents, “just to smell”. :)

  89. I would have to buy the Avocado butter to try this recipe – I don’t have that in my personal apothecary yet and I have yet to find a good shampoo bar recipe! And more oils. I would buy oils.

  90. I would by oils like avocado oil and safflower oil. I would also buy the preservatives needed to make goat milk lotion :)

    Thank you for doing the giveaway! God bless!

  91. Have enjoyed your recipes, thanks so much. I would use the gift certificate to buy more butters and oils to experiment with.

  92. I would first pass out then spend my gift wisely since it would be my first purchase.

  94. I just found your site through Pinterest! It’s great! I love bramble berry! I would buy with the certificate lye and silicone molds. I have only made the melt and pour kind of soap(I was preggers so no harsh chemicals then) but now I want to take the leap to making soap from scratch. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.

  95. Nice recipe! I love making shampoo bars with our homemade honey lager, that way I can siphon some for my recipe before the carbonation is created (I am impatient when it comes to waiting for bottled beer to become flat!) Were I to win the BB gift certificate I’d buy some rosemary essential oil to sub for the lemongrass eo in this recipe, because it naturally adds strength and shine while promoting hair growth. Thanks so much for your generosity!

  96. Love your site…….love that you include hot process recipes….I would buy some new fancy butters for soap making if I won a bramble berry gift certificate.

  97. Brambleberry is such a good company. Love that they have videos and recipe ideas as well as all the great supplies. Love that each product has suggestions for using it. For example if a fragrance oil causes acceleration, they tell that. Great customer support. I would probably get some avocado butter for your shampoo bar recipe.

  99. I love Bramble Berry. I’ve been wanting to try some of their lab colors and some new scents. One of my goals for the summer is to try some swirly soap.

  100. Jan, I love your site. I read and re-read your posts for information and inspiration. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us all. As a regular shopper with Bramble Berry I would use a gift certificate to add to my oil inventory since I never have the oils needed for your latest creations!

  102. Love your site. You always have great recipes. I would use the certificate to buy the ingredients for this one that I don’t have. Like rice bran oil and lemongrass E- oil and other
    e- oils cause I can never have enough..

  103. I’m learning to make soap so that I can make gifts for my wife and other family members. Since I’m new to this I would order some silicone molds.

  104. Thank you for posting information on how to use Lavender Vinegar. Your posts are always quite informative and interesting. I would use the Bramble Berry gift certificate to purchase supplies for making soap and bath and body products.

  105. I am so excited about this recipe and so many others such as those I get from Brambleberry and Soap Queen! I can’t wait to make these bars! I have my eye on an 18 bar birch wood mold from Brambleberry and would put this certificate towards that purchase to make amazing soaps and shampoo’s with a little help from my favorite go to websites, The Nerdy Farm Wife & Brambleberry! You guys are truly my inspiration!

  107. Thank you for the new recipe Jan! If I won a gift certificate to Brambleberry I would buy some specialty oils to enhance my soap making.

  108. I’d get more shea butter & cocoa butter… love that stuff! Awesome drawing, thanks so much!

  110. If I won the gift certificate I would use it toward a bottle of Rose Absolute. Yum

  111. There are so many wonderful products available at Brambleberry!! I would order beeswax, shea butter, mango butter and the list just goes on and on

  112. Hi, Jan! I’d probably buy a loaf soap mold at Brambleberry. Thanks and have a blessed day.

  113. I would buy the lemongrass and more avocado oil to make the shampoo bars. Thanks for the tip on using your site to login to brambleberry every penny counts. As a fellow soaper I have used your recipes and will use your site to login to brambleberry.

  114. I love your site!
    I would love to buy more oils and essential oils and fragrance oils.
    Thank you for sharing soap recipes!

  115. I would get a couple of miles and some avocado butter for starters. Then see what I could get next.

  116. I can’t wait to make some shampoo bars! I’d buy avocado butter and some essential oils for my Christmas surprises.

  117. What a nice recipe! If I were to win I would buy some oils I haven’t tried in soap making yet. I tend to stick with the same recipes and it’s time I got braver and tried something new.

  118. I love all about BB and all their products!! And the information and recipes that you give us are priceless.

  119. I would buy more supplies to make my newborn granddaughter soap, and other items.

  120. Thank you for the recipe. I make my own soaps but have been wanting to make a super rich foot cream for my husband and I to use. The summer is hard on your feet when you have a farm and enjoy going barefoot. If I won I would buy Shea Butter and essential oils and I would make foot cream and try my hand at shampoo bars as well. Thank you.

  121. Jan it always such a gift seeing your newsletter pop up in my mail box with such great information and projects and I love sharing your newsletter. I had the great pleasure to meet Anne-Marie in person at the Alabama Soap Gathering. Thank you for all you do!

  122. I would buy avocado butter. I am out and now I NEED it to make these bars!

  123. I actually would buy more essential oils for my soaps!!!
    Thanks for the opportunity!
    Blessings!

  125. I would probably buy beeswax pastilles! I love making soaps, lotions and tallow candles… And currently, I’m shaving off a giant block of beeswax. LOL. Suddenly the pastilles make so much sense!

  126. I’m a newbie and have had fun helping a friend when she has made soap. I’ve been slowly collecting the equipment needed to begin making my own. I’d love to purchase silicone molds, pigments, and fragrances with the $50 gift card :)

  127. I love making my own soap and this one sounds like one l am going to try. Thanks!

  128. I love Bramble Berry and almost buy exclusively their products. I would love some professional molds. currently I’m using a loaf mold I’ve made myself but I’d like a large mold with bar separators.

  129. I would love to get my hands on the celestial molds, I can just imagine the scents that would reflect perfectly with those.
    Love your ideas and thankful you share them.
    Thanks a bunch.

  130. If I won $50 worth of products, I would diffenately buy some essential oil that I couldn’t afford normally, try some different micas and avocado butter or different butters that I haven’t been able to use yet or try. I love making wonderful goatmilk soap for my family, this would give me the opportunity to venture where I haven’t been… Thank you

  132. I just love your products and hope you will start selling them on line – I would like to try and make some soap this fall when it’s cooler in Florida, so would have to buy some of the basic ingredients that one needs to start making soaps, I love the one with the avocado in it, didn’t know you could make soap with that wonderful fruit. I love all your newsletters, tips and suggestions, you are a great person for sharing all your knowledge, thanks so much, I’ll be away till 8-5, so if I should be lucky enough to win, please don’t give away till I can reply, thanks so much to The Nerdy Housewife! Happy Summer!

  133. This recipe looks amazing. I am going to try it this week. Thank you so much for sharing. I have a wish list for several items at BB. But if I were lucky enough to win, I would buy more essential oils and sunflower oil, for sure.

  134. Hi Jan,
    If I won the gift certificate to brambleberries I woud buy the things I can only think about getting . Like the things to make this shampoo bar.
    Thanks for all your hard work.
    Sincerely ,
    Ruth

  135. Thank you for sharing your recipe and telling what each ingredient brings to the bar. If I got to buy something from Brambleberry I think I’d get things to use as natural colorants and some lotion ingredients. :) Thanks for all you do!

  136. I am always in a search for the perfect shampoo bar and this looks like a good one! I would use the $50 towards purchasing the avocado butter and rice bran oil to round out what I already have to make the bars!

    Thank you for sharing and for offering the gift certificates.

    Bets

  137. I love everything from Brambleberry, but I would purchase the avocado oil and Shea butter for the shampoo soap bar recipe. Which I plan to do even if I don’t win. I tried a shampoo bar before and it left my hair feeling oily and dirty. The only way I was able to get it clean was to wash my hair with Dawn dish soap mixed with olive oil… I am a little afraid to try again, I am hoping the vinegar rinse will help. Maybe the avocado oil is also going to make it work this time. Thank You for the recipe.

  138. I’m new to soaping. Probably don’t have a chance to win with so many comments . Buuuut I would by oils and butters . If I win!.
    Penny

  139. If I were to win, I would buy silicone molds and ingredients to make soap. I’ve never tried, but would love to.

  140. I am so glad and grateful to have found your site and so appreciate your generosity with your recipes and wisdom.
    I am just moving to a piece of land where I will again be able to create my flower and herbal healing gardens and look forward to playing with your recipes and creating my own.
    With this gift I would have a great deal of fun buying all the things that I am drawn to in Brambleberry.with thanks,
    Kate Rose

  141. I’d buy lavender buds, a few oils that I don’t have yet, and anything else that looks exciting!

  142. I love your posts. Thank you for sharing all of your hard work. If I won the BrambleBerry gift card I’d prder soap molds or and essential oils.

  143. I would love to try these shampoo bars! Fragrance oils from Brambleberry are my favorites!

  144. If I was the winner, I would spend the money on more Fragrance Oils :)….I swear, it’s an addiction. I love this recipe and will try it out for myself. I also love the fact that you cut it in half so it’s easier to hold on to. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us. :)

  145. I too would buy essential oils AND ingredients for making personal care products.

  146. I would use the $50 to purchase ingredients to make my first soap bars. Forms, butters, essential oils, etc… :)

  147. I love this recipe thanks for sharing it. If I was to win the BrambleBerry voucher I would buy a 12″ tall silicone mood, some new fragrance oils and ebooks :o) thanks xx

  148. I would purchase the avocado butter and essential oils to make this shampoo bar. Really like Bambleberry’s products and your recipes. So excited to try this recipe!

  151. I am not sure what I would buy if I got the gift certificate. I love Brambleberry and would likely buy something exotic or unusual that I could not otherwise purchase. Thank you for sharing your recipes, you are an inspiration!

  152. Thank You for the soap recipe and your news letter, always something interesting.
    I would love to make my own soap and certificate would be big help in purchasing supplies.

  153. thanks for offering! i would choose both the fragrance and essential oil samplers to try out for personal sprays, room sprays and soaps.

  154. Thank you for this opportunity! If I win, I think I would use the winnings to help expand my mold collection….or, more oils….or essential oils……augh, whatever strikes me at the moment because it is so hard to choose!!!

  155. Your shampoo bar recipe looks great! I have made your Lemon Balm Soap with great success – a gift card to Brambleberry would come in really handy! =)

  156. I would buy essential oils and anything else that might be a bargain for me in Canada!
    I appreciate all the useful and inspiring info that both you and Brambleberry post.
    Thank you kindly, you are an example for us all!

  157. I would love to win so I could get some essential oils – love reading your blog.

  158. Although I’ve made lip balms and salves, I have just begun making hot process soap…so far, just a shampoo bar, which I love and was surprised at how easy it was to make. If I won the gift card, I would use it to buy soap-making supplies.

  159. Thanks for the great recipe. I would probably try a new oil or butter; avocado butter sounds very moisturizing, and maybe some different essential oils too. :)

  160. Thank you, Jan. For good tutorials, tempting recipes, and your generous sharing and inspiration. I have avoided shampoos for almost 3 years, but admits I miss the good smell and soft lather. So I will try your recipe. I have read somewhere that to make liquid handsoap you can grate a bar of soap and melt it with water. Will that work with those bars?
    I never win, but if.. moulds, butters, clay, EOs is very tempting and a lot of other stuff I’m afraid. .. Thanks for all the inspiring stuff to read.

    1. I was thinking of liquid shampo with known ingredients. Looking forward to trying it. :)

  161. Thank you for the recipe! I’ve made a silk shampoo soap once and want to make more. Though mine was cold processed and I like bigger bars. :-)
    Oh, I love and use BB too! Their products are amazing and priced well. I soooo need to buy Rose and Chamomile EOs. :-) Thank you

  162. I am just beginning to get into soap making and have made several batches so far. Have accumulated molds, various butters and oils, essential oils, etc. I would love a $50 Brambleberry gift certificate to purchase more supplies.

  163. I am new to soap making so I would use the gift cert. for all the supplies I would need to get started.

  164. I would be thrilled to win a gift certificate to Bramble Berry!! The products I would purchase would be endless, all including essential oils, soy wax for candles and soap making ingredients! Thank you for the opportunity! =) =)

  165. I would love to win a gift certificate i would love to make this avacado shampoo bars

  166. I love Brambleberry! They have FANTASTIC customer service and will often add a surprise sample with each order. If I were to win the $50.00 I would first buy their beeswax granules, coconut oil stock up, shea butter, and cocoa butter. Anything left would go to essential oils. I love their lemon and lavender essential oils!

  167. Thank you for the soap recipe and newsletter. The gift certificate would be used to buy butters, essential oils & maybe a mold.

  168. I am getting ready to have a local Kansas City store start wholesale my soap! I NEED more supplies because I have just been giving soap to my friends and family! BrambleBerry was my first soap kit purchased and I love their products. I am started to experiment more with essentials oils and colors would love the help from BrambleBerry to make me a local Kansas City Maker

  169. I usually do not add color to my soaps. I would use the money to buy some colorants and challenge myself with some color techniques

  170. I’m only new to soap making so I would buy butters, moulds. My skin now feels great after using my homemade soap even my sons love the soap

  171. Jan: Thank you for sharing your recipes and wisdom. Interested to try the basil face cream! I would order some essential oils for fragrance or perhaps some oils for the main soap ingredients. I am hooked on making soap. Will never buy soap again.

  172. I would purchase oils, butters, pigments, mold, etc. I love your stuff and have made some for my wife. I have a great recipe for a salt scrub I’d like to share also.

  173. Sounds like a fabulous recipe! I recently made a hemp/honey shampoo bar–its curing so I haven’t tried it yet but am anxious to! If I had extra money to spend at Brambleberry’s I think I would try some new oils and maybe get a wooden soap mold. Thanks for all great posts!

  174. First, thank you for the wonderful tips and recipes you share, I have nade several of them and my family and friends love them. If I won I think it would be for extracts, love BB’s extracts in my soaps. Good luck to everybody, and thank you.

  175. I love the info you share! If I was one of the lucky ones, I would get mica, or molds, or butter or this could could go on and on :)

  176. I love to make my own soap, as I’m a new at this I could use a voucher on loads of things, but probably would purchase EO or one of those hand cutters, so I didn’t have to use a knife to cut my soap.

  177. If I won the gift certificates, I would buy a simple mold and some new essential oils. I’d love to try something new!

  178. I really like Bramble Berry for their soap making supplies especially the clays and extracts. I would use the gift certificate as partial payment for purchasing Cube mold, Half Cylinder Silicone Soap Mold and extracts.

  179. I so enjoy your blog! I have tried many of your salve recipes and my kids love them. My daughter and her fiance begged for more plantain and dandelion salves when they were here last! I have been toying with starting to make soap so if I won the gift certificate to Bramble Berry I would get supplies for starting that…or supplies for more salves. Keep posting!! I look forward to your emails and get excited when they come in!!

  180. I love your recipes! Thanks for sharing them. What would I buy with a $50 gift certificate from BB? Oh my! What a hard decision!!! It’s much more simple to say what I don’t want than what I do! I want EOs, molds, oils, butters, colorants, equipment… It would be Christmas in July

  181. I would buy lavender, tea tree essential oil and Energy fragrance oil. I love the soap queen videos. Thanks for this chance to win. Love your recipes and articles.

  182. 50 dollars to spend at Brambleberry’s. I love that place. I would purchase a 9 bar birch mold that I have been coveting. :) You are correct Lisa at Brambleberry is the best.

  183. Thanks for the recipes! Could I use avocado oil instead of avocado butter???inam a novice soap maker so I need everything! I think I would start with some clay and essential oils from Bramble Berry!!

    1. Hi Amy! I just checked with a lye calculator and yes, you can use avocado oil for the same amount of lye.

  184. If lucky enough to win a gift certificate, I would buy ingredients for some of many many things I’ve been wanting to make! Your shampoo bar sounds wonderful!

  185. Oh my goodness I love Brambleberry! They have so many amazing products and I usually have a “need to order list” going for them all the time. Let’s see right now I need serecite for my mineral makeup, zinc oxide for sunscreen, and red apple fragrance oil…I’ve also been wanting their 18 bar birch mold and $50 would really help! Thanks Jan!

  188. Oh my goodness, what wouldn’t I purchase! So many items. Butters, oils, fragrances, containers and more!

  189. I would love to try the avocado butter and babassu oil. I’m ready to try making my own shampoo bars. Thank you for the recipes!

  190. I am a beginner and I can’t tell you how invaluable you and Bramble Berry have been to me with recioes, helpful tips and a wonderful source for my ingredients.
    Winning a gift certificate…I would feel sooo appreciative that I could buy molds and supplies to help give my new business a boost.
    Supporting each othere…we will all be successful!

  191. Thank you for posting this recipe! I’ve never tried making a shampoo bar but I really would love to. If I won a Gift certificate from Bramble Berry I think I might do a happy dance and buy more oils to try a new recipe. I have so many I want to try it’s almost impossible to decide which one I should make next!

  192. Can’t wait to try that shampoo recipe. I do one with hemp oil that I like but I like to try new ones all the time. I have some chamomile and calendula infusing in my crock pot as I type. I was just thinking about your site yesterday thinking I hadn’t received an email in awhile. HAPPY to see this one today. A gift card for Brambleberry would be awesome maybe to try something new or get one of the more expensive items I have always wanted to try but stuck with the basics. HAPPY soaping

  193. Fabulous give-away! I would buy some Shea body butter, apricot oil and Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides – Fractionated Coconut Oil

  194. Another great recipe I’m going to try out! Thanks so much for the opportunity to win some gift certificates. I’d use them to finally go towards their awesome 9 bar slab mold! I still have yet to purchase some.

  196. I have been wanting to make a shampoo bar . Thank you so much for this recipe . I would love to win a gift certificate from Brambleberry ! I would buy some fall and winter fragrance oils for my soaps and wax melts. What a wonderful opportunity thank you .

  197. I havent shopped bramble berry so im excited to check them out. I do use essential oils and make my own body butter but have yet to try soap. I think a shampoo bar might be the ticket! Going to go check out a few of the oils you mentioned that i dont have

  198. Well, I would love to try your recipe for Avocado Shampoo Bars. If I win the gift cert, I would purchase all the ingredients to make it!! It looks wonderful!!

  199. Appreciate your share of the shampoo bar recipe. I will definitely try your recipe, I like that you have chosen ingredients that are so beneficial to our hair and bodies.

  200. I love Brambleberry! They truly have the best prices! I would order lots of fragrance oils and pre-measured soap base.

  201. I would definitely buy more essential oils to make more soap! Love making soap and your website with lots of great ideas.

  202. Thank you for sharing all your wonderful recipes. If I win the Bramble Berry certificate, I would like to buy alkanet root, annatto seeds and some clay to color my soaps naturally.

  203. I would buy some of the more exotic oils that I really can’t afford right now. Or maybe some scents… Or maybe both! :-)

  204. Thank you for this opportunity, The Nerdy Farm Wife.
    I think I would buy some of the oils and butters that are not as commonly used, the more “exotic” ones. But maybe some fragrance oils, or …gosh, there’s just no tellin’! :)

  205. I have yet to find the perfect shampoo bar for my hair, but I love avocado butter, so this looks great! Can’t wait to give it a go.

    I would probably buy a wood soap mold from Brambleberry. Maybe some EO’s other goodies.

    Thanks for sharing great recipes!

  206. You have an amazing site with lots of wonderful ideas, I love reading them and trying them out.
    I would have a hard time choosing from Bramble Berry, it would be very exciting to receive a $50.00 certificate for her products…WOW!

  208. I so love you site, have tried many of your recipes. Oh boy…if I had a $50 gift card to Bramble Berry, what a treat. I would buy the avocado butter to try out this new shampoo bar. Plus more Lavender EO, more Peppermint EO…and the list goes on…

  209. I have tried quite a few of your recipes, love the rose anti-aging cream. If I had the $50 gift certificate, I would buy more essential oils amongst other ingredients for soap making.

  210. I would buy soap making supplies so that I could make this soap! Thank you for sharing.

  211. I am moving to Guam where Avocado’s grow like weeds. I would HAVE to buy the rice bran oil (never seen it before) to try this recipe!

  212. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes Jan. You are a great inspiration! I would probably splurge on silicone molds at Brambleberry. Or maybe essential oils!

  213. Ooh those shampoo bars sound amazing!

    If I had a $50 gift certificate for bramble berry I would definitely purchase more essential oils and some nice butters. I’ve been eyeing the Brazilian clay sampler as well. So many choices!

  214. I’m sure I would buy some fragrance oils, but I need silicone molds and … and…

  215. Oh just once my husband would be so happy to see something show up at the house without a charge on the credit card for my soaping addiction.

  216. With the $50 I would get one tall and skinny silicone mold, three easy pour and measure long spout containers, and the colorants: Electric Bubble Gum, Fired Up Fuchsia and Fizzy Lemonade.

  217. I LOVE all things Brambleberry! If I were a winner, I would splurge on my favorite fragrance oils. I love Pumpkin Spice, Sensuous Sandalwood, Pikake Flower, Oatmeal, Milk and Honey, Winter Gardenia… Brambleberry fragrances are the best for cold process soaps, delicious and so well behaved!

  219. I have always wanted to make perfumes so I would probably spend it on perfume making products.

  222. Thanks for doing both cold and hot process with terrific pictures! I would buy the silicone mold if I won the gift certificate. :)

  223. I would love to buy essential oil, micas, and try some new oils/butters for my soaps. Or maybe a new mold! :-)

  224. Thanks so much for all of your guidance. With a gift certificate, I would buy natural clays and colorants for soap and lip gloss.

  225. I would love to indulge on something I wouldn’t normally get. Some new colors would be fabulous! :-)

  226. Love this blog and great post. Am always looking for palm free recipes!
    I would buy the silicone column mold, some micas and a FO or EO or both hehe! Okay my wishlist is looong!!

  230. If I won, I would try the avocado butter and buy a soap mold. I have made shampoo bar in the past and love them!!

  231. If I won the bramble berry gift card I would by the supplies to make this avocado shampoo bars!! I love their products!

  232. Definitely want to try this recipe. Have used many of your recipes and love all of them. I would use a BB gift certificate to purchase more oils and/or butters. Love Bramble Berry products.

  233. Love your Avocado Shampoo Bar recipe posted, I would purchase avocado butter, essential oils and natural coloring agents from Bramble Berry. Love making soap and experimenting with new recipes, molds & oils. I have ordered supplies from them in the past, quality products and service.

  234. What fun – I just found your site and a contest to enter!! Love Bramble Berry and their products. I wish they were not on the West Coast as I live in South Carolina. But I would definitely buy essential oils.

  235. Thanks again for your recipes! :) That avocado shampoo bar sounds wonderful, especially for winter time.

    I’ve never ordered anything from BrambbleBerry, because I live in Finland – but I would love to try some of their products. ;D I often look their sites and just enjoy them, because everything look so fancy…:)

  236. I want to start my own soap business! I would stock up on some quality carrier oils to get the ball rolling!!!!

  237. I am a new member to your site & I am excited to try making my own homemade products! So I would love to be able to start some projects & bramble berry sounds wonderful to get my goodies I need!!

  239. I have not ordered anything from Bramble Berry yet. But this gift certificate would give me a chance to try some of their E.O.’s and maybe a mold.

  240. My first purchase would likely be literature – so I could learn more about making soaps and shampoos!

  241. Off to gather my supplies! Brambleberry is one of my favourite shops as well!!

  242. My Bramble Berry purchase would be out of the potpourri section. This would include Bramble Berry’s organza bags stuffed with their lavender botanical to use in my linen closets and orange peel organza bags to use in my dresser drawers-lavender sheets for sleep and orange clothes tor energy.

  243. Thanks for this recipe !
    I’d certainely buy a kit of cold process soaps to help my four kids make their very own soap as they see me doing hot process soaps and they cannot (ok, I don’t want!) manipulate it.
    THANK YOU ! :-)

  244. I think I’d have to invest in a huge jug of coconut oil, we can’t seem to keep it on hand!

  245. I just started making some homemade products, so I would buy essential oils, maybe a different carrier oil then what I use now. Thanks for all your post, love them.

  246. I would buy more lye, I love Brambleberry’s lye, and more sunflower oil, and more “oop’s” molds and more tamanu oil, maybe some blue chamomile e/o or sandalwood e/o ( the little ones that are $$$) :) or perhaps a kit to try something new and unique…. the possibilities are endless. :)

  247. I would love to try soap making, with a $50 gift card I could buy some of the starting supplies! I love this recipe.

  248. I have tried and been successful with so many of your recipes. Thank you for doing all of the hard work and sharing it with the rest of us. I am so excited by this Brambleberry give away. I would use it to buy more beeswax because I’ve been making salves like mad this summer and I am almost out.

  249. I love Brambleberry’s products, website and all that the company does for their community. To make the shampoo bars, I would need to buy the Shea butter. My shopping list would not stop there because they have so many wonderful products. I could always use more coconut oil, essential oils and their fragrance oils are always so inviting!

  250. I love your website and bramble berry products. I would buy avocado butter and more essential oils if I won a gift card.

  253. I love your site! Can’t wait to try this recipe. With a gift certificate I would buy avocado butter to make this recipe! I would also buy clay for coloring. :)

  254. I have wanted to try my hand at soap making–so, the Bramble Berry gift would enable me to get the supplies to get started!!
    Thank you for all you do to empower us to become more self sufficient!!

  255. I would like to experiment on different oils in shampoo bars ,
    Like avocado oil, apricot oils, cocoa butter
    I have started making creams so will invest in emosafing wax
    To make sure they don’t split

  257. Hi, I would buy some soap making oils for your recipes that are hard to find in Canada. Thanks

  258. I would love to get supplies needed to start making cold process soap. I’ve only don’t m&p so far and I’d like to start making it from scratch.

  259. I would buy avocado butter and rice bran oil as my Canadian supplier doesn’t have these!

  260. Can’t wait to try this recipe, I love using milks for shampoo bars. I have a small flock of sheep and use sheep’s milk for my bars. I’ve been so happy with everything I’ve purchased from BambleBerry. Thank you for sharing your recipe with us!!

  261. I am new to all this and would use the $50 to go towards buying everything I woudl need to make my first soap!

  262. Hmmm, what to get from my 58 item wishlist? :)
    Probably more EOs and FOs–especially the more expensive ones (can never have enough to broil a brew of reality altering scents). I usually make CP soaps, but would love to pick up some liquid soap and lip-smacking basics. Happy Days ahead!

  263. I’ve always avoided making soaps because I wasn’t really sure where to find supplies, the lye made me a bit nervous, etc. But with a one-stop shop like this, I could give it a try!

  265. I would definitely buy a whole lot of 10x orange essential oil, it’s out of stock till July 30 :( and maybe a new silicone mold. Can’t wait to try the shampoo bars. We have well water here so I’ll have to try the rinse as well!

  266. I love Bramble berry and got some food safe glitter from them some time ago! I would probably look at beeswax and soap molds if I won a gift certificate!

  267. I order large amounts of oils from Bramble Berry. A $50.00 coupon would help with shipping. I will be trying your recipe for shampoo bars and will drop a line on how that goes. Thanks! deb

  268. Ooooo! Happy to hear they ship internationally!!! I’m more than halfway across the world now but I’ve used brambleberry FOs and clays in the past. I would buy some ingredients to try out lotion and hair conditioner.

  269. Thank you for such an informative and inspiring site. Your rugosa soap is on my To Do list.

    If chosen as a gift certificate recipient, I would definitely purchase the brambleberry lotsa-lather oil mix and essential oils (maybe yuzu f.o.) to scent my batch!

  270. I’d buy ingredients for this recipe! I’ve been wanting to make shampoo bars for awhile now.

  272. I would buy more butters, shimmer micas, and jojoba oil. The list would go on and on, as there are so many things I wish to do.

  273. I love you and brambleberry. … your book helped me so much start my hobby/business. And though i just received a brambleberry box yesterday i would order the items for this soap with the gift certificate

  274. I’d love to win one these gift certificates and I’d buy the ingredients to make the Avocado Shampoo Bars. I love shampoo bars but have not made any yet. Thanks!

  275. Since I am just getting started in the essential oils and soap-making there are just so many things I would love to get with this gift certificate. Looking forward to taking my first soap-making class this summer. I am just afraid that I will become addictive to it.

  276. Would love to win a $50 dollar gift card, I would buy more butters and oils. :)

  277. I’d buy a bunch of the oils I need to make more of your recipes. I’m amassing a collection!

  278. Oh my! Thanks to you i made my first batch of soap last fall and just made two more batches playing with scents. I would buy coco butter, shea butter, essential oils and hm…. hopefully much more!

  280. Sounds like a wonderful recipe, will have too try it!! and i would love to win!!

  282. Thanks for this great shampoo recipe! I love shampoo bars and if I would be one if the lucky recipients of the Bramble Berry gift certificate I would purchase more essential oils and/or a new mold to make it in!

  283. If I won a gift certificate to a soap making site, I would have to start making soap. I’ve never done it before, and have a book, but people keep giving me home made soap. I can’t tell if it’s because they know I like nice soap or if they’re trying to tell me something. I have two or three fancy European soaps left in my soap jar and I figured I’d start once the jar was closer to empty. I think a gift certificate would tip me over the edge, though. I hear soap making is addictive.

  285. I would have to start with the EO Sampler, coffee butter and one or two other things. I’ve been wanting to make my own soaps and lotions for some time and this would be a great way to get started!

  286. I love avocado! If I won I’d splurge and purchase something that is normally out of my budget…like a fancy EO or maybe some silicone molds.

  287. I think I’d buy some natural colorants and clays. That’s what I’ve been playing with lately.

  288. Read a lot of your blog pages but first time posting, thank you for all the lovely tutorials and such :)

    Would use the $50 gift certificate for butters, especially shea butter and avocado butter, if I won it. And the essential oils are making me wanting to buy them too…

    Thank you for the opportunity :)

  289. I would buy the fragrance oils that are the specials for July, I always love to get BB web specials!!!

  291. I want to learn to make soup and have been wanting to try shampoo bars, so I would buy the things I need to get started. Thank you for sharing the recipe, it sounds amazing!

  292. Thank you for posting! I’ve been meaning to try a shampoo bar.

    What wouldn’t I get from Bramble Berry!?

    Incas, eos, molds…..it would be a tough decision!

  293. I’m a huge fan of Bramble Berry! If I won, I would buy some butter, and Fragrance Oil/EO for my goat milk soap! I am just starting my own farm based soap business and it would be a blessing!!! :) :) :) :) :) :)

  294. Thank you Nerdy Farm Wife! I love your blogs and your recipes! I’ve been making my own cold process soaps for a while now and now am venturing into shampoos and lotions. I would buy essential oils and butters!

  295. Hmmmm, where to start….geesh, so much to say between loving to read all about your “crazy, busy days”, blogs and to see all your awesome recipes, I feel like I have a twin!!!! Crazy-busy is always a good thing, other than happy….it sure keeps me out of trouble!!!!(te he he).
    If I were to win the gift cert, I would certainly get some more molds for my embeds and some more fragrances as I am new to soap making and am having such a BLAST!!!! It sure is an addiction but I love keeping busy and everyone loves the outcome of my soaps so I am going to keep soaping and with time, I will have it down pat……Thanks for all the helpful info on your site…..Happy soaping :)

  296. i would love to win one of those. I am new to soap making and am having tons of fun!!

  297. I’d love to try out this recipe and get the supplies that I don’t already have from Brambleberry!

  298. I would love to purchase some butters and oils to make some luxurious body butters to pamper my three littles ( and me!) Thank you for the chance to win!

  299. If i won ~ I’d have to get some coconut oil & palm oil = I’m low on each of them… I already have a good stock of Bramble Berry f.o.s <3 thank*you for a chance !

  300. This looks like a winning recipe! If I won the gift certificates, I would stock up on Avocado butter. Oils. butters and waxes, And maybe some micas. I love making goats milk soap.

  301. I LOVE Brambleberry products as well as your wonderful site and blogs. I use many of your recipie’s. If I won the certificate I’d upgrade my molds to silicone. I soap in 5lb batchs at the moment, but need larger molds. Happy soaping and thank you for the chance to enter the contest. Good luck to everyone!

  302. I’ve been looking for a good shampoo bar recipe so I’m so I was so excited to see this in my inbox today! I buy nearly all of my fragrance oils from bramble berry and I just love how they send samples in each order. I have been wanting to get some of their cute lip balm tins and jars. That’s what I would get with a gift certificate!!

  303. I love Nerdy Farm Wife Blog, and LOVE Brambleberry, where I buy many of my soap-making products. I’m always excited to see what free sample they throw in my order, and have found some yummy scents I otherwise might not have tried! If I won the gift certificate, I would use it to purchase more Celtic knot molds, as I only have one, and want to make a wonderful scented man-soap for my hubby and sons!! Being Scottish and Irish, they would love the soaps : )

  304. Hi Jan,
    I am a chemistry teacher and discovered the fun of soap making and bramble berry when hoping to develop a good soap recepie for my chemistry students. The labs from text books turns out HORRIBLE!
    I would order fragrances or butters for my students in my chemistry class.

  305. I would use my Brambleberry gift certificate to buy Avocado Butter to make these Shampoo bars. I have not used this butter & I have wanting to try shampoo bars. I concerned about all the chemicals I am putting on my hair with shampoo. I love to soap!! and I love your recipes

  307. Thanks for the recipee! :) if I get the certificate I’d love to buy new natural colorants to experimentnin my new bars of soap :) and essential oils

  308. I love trying new soaps and am excited to try the shampoo bar. If I win, I’d purchase a variety of oils for experimentation!

  309. Having just started soap making with my daughter, we need almost everything. We’d love some molds and essential oils.

  310. What I great recipe! I just made my first batch of cold process and would love to play with color, which I would definitely do if I won.

  311. I am new to soap making so I would order supplies to go to the next step and buy some more advanced oils and scents.

  312. My kitchen crafting slowed down to a full stop when caring for my elderly mother. Now after her passing, I look forward to the joy of creating useful and soothing products for myself and my extended family. Bramble Berry has an outstanding selection, but I think I would start out (again) with the basic ingredients of cold process soap making. Thank you Jan for all your enthusiasm mixed in with your fine recipes. =)

  313. I would use the Brambleberry gift certificate to replenish my supply of soap additives, especially calendula!

  317. I made my first batch of soap recently with our goat milk. With a gift certificate I would order oils and butters to make more. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

  318. Hmmm…if I win a Brambleberry gift certificate I will buy a new mold & natural colorants!

    QUESTION: can this be made as a cold process recipe as well?

    Thanks!

    1. Hi Mirna! Yes, it sure can. If you scroll down to step 5A, it will tell you how to make it as cold process. :)

  319. You have such a nice website!
    Of I were to win the $50 I would buy some of the supplies I need to mage soap to go with my crocheted cloths and scrubbies!

  321. I would buy a rectangle mold with cavities so I could artistically decorate each bar separately. I love your site and thank full for the recipes you share. From Nanaimo Vancouver Island British Columbia

  322. I look forward to your newsletters and recipes. I’ve made your hp oatmeal, honey and lavender round soaps many times.. it’s one of my favorite recipes! I would use a Brambleberry gift card for essential oil or fragrance oil, or molds. It would be a difficult decision! Thanks for the opportunity to win! :)

  323. Oh my, Brambleberry has a great selection of products!
    I would definatley get a scent like Chamomile EO, or a new stick blender.

  324. I’m very new to soaping so to say exactly what I would buy is hard to do. First thing on my list would be the stuff to make the Avocado Shampoo bar. I have been wanting to make a shampoo bar.
    I am in the process of adding to my essential oils and Bramble Berry has become my favorite go to spot. I love watching Soap Queen TV.
    Regardless if I win Thank you so much for the soap recipe! I’m always looking for a new one to try.

  325. If I won the gift card, I would buy supplies to make these avocado shampoo bars! I am a newbie… I love Lush’s shampoo bars but I would LOVE to make my own!!

  326. I’m going to try the shampoo bars, I currently use my home made peppermint soap to wash my hair so am anxious to try your version. I’ve not purchased from Brambleberry yet but would like to try a silicone mold and get some rice bran oil and can always use more essential oils:)
    Thanks for taking the time to share your recipes!

  327. I cannot wait to try this recipe! If I won the certificate I would purchase more essential oils, carrier oils, and molds so that I can keep on crafting!

  328. I would purchase the ingredients to make this lovely shampoo bar as well as some additional oils. ❤

  329. I would buy the basics just to get started making soaps and butters. A scale. I definitely need a scale. And smiley faces. I think Bramble Berry could probably share their smiley faces.

  330. I can’t wait to try this recipe, I’ve been playing around with shampoo bars a lot lately and if I won the gift card i would find it hard to chose between stocking up on carrier oils or buying fragrance/essential oils or maybe even a new mold :)

  331. I’d buy ingredients to make this recipe. I’ve been searching for an alternative to shampoo and tried many “no poo” things, and they just don’t work for me. So I’d be thrilled to give this a shot. I love so many other recipes of yours that I can’t imagine why I wouldn’t like this one too!

  333. I love making your recipes. If I won a voucher I would probably buy some more essential oils and try out the shampoo bar recipe

  334. Love this recipe. I would buy a new soap mold off I won the Brambleberry gift card!

  335. Great recipe I want to try it!
    If I was chosen I would get some oils I can’t get locally and a new scent maybe. Thank you!

  336. If I were to win I would buy “butters” a little bit of everything! Your recipes always make me want to experiment with different types of butters – I don’t stray to far from Cocoa Butter.

  338. This year I’m going to try soap-making, for me and a friend who has just discovered an allergy to basically every cosmetic/beauty/cleaning product there is. So, a GC to BrambleBerry would go to oils and butters for a super basic soap!

  339. I love your site and recipes, and have ordered from Bramble berry before, I live in Namibia so supplies are very limited and postage and import taxes are very expensive often amounting to more than the goods, I would use the gift certificate to pay for the postages and taxes, thank you for a wonderful site

  340. I would buy essential oils and I would try this recipe. Really excited to get started.

  341. I love your multipurpose Avacado shampoo bar idea! I’d get some mango butter, EOs, and rose clay! :)

  342. Thanks so much for posting the shampoo bar recipe. I’ve been trying to formulate my own recipe with no success. Can’t wait for the weekend to make this. I would definitely buy more butters with my voucher. Can’t get enough!

  343. Essential oils. Lavender. I would stock up on lavender.

  344. Thank you for the recipe. With the $50 dollar gift card I would love to buy essential oils and mold so I can try making the soap .

  345. I would buy a soap mold!!! I have been using baking pans but the soap still comes out.

  346. If I won a gift certificate I would by a soap cutter. I have been using a large butcher knife and have always wanted a cutter. I just love your website and I buy all of my supplies through Brambleberry in Bellingham.
    Thanks,
    Dyan
    Red Tail Soap
    Shelton WA

  347. LOVE your blogs! I would use my gift certificate to get the stuff for this shampoo bar recipe!!!

  349. Hi Jan,
    I can not believe I won. WOW!!!!
    I sent you an email with my updated email information.
    Thanks so much for having this contest.

    Venessa

  350. Your avocado shampoo bars look great! So glad they turned out well for you. Thank you so much for your love for Bramble Berry. It is always so wonderful to hear positive feedback =)

  351. Pingback: Homemade Herbal Shampoo

    1. Hi Karen! I just used it as a replacement for some of the olive oil in my usual recipes (they tend to be higher in olive oil and I wanted to see how it would work to replace some of it.) I think you could substitute more olive oil for it or perhaps a few ounces of sunflower oil and the rest olive oil. It might need a bit more time in the mold and/or cure time if you do that, but I think otherwise it should work out pretty well!

  353. Where do you purchase your avocado butter? because BB and the other sites you have on your web site do not carry avocado butter.

  354. Jan, Could I replace the avocado butter with avocado oil? I don’t have avocado butter in my stock at the moment. Thank you.

    1. Hi Annie R! I just ran that change through a lye calculator and it looks like the lye amount stays the same. The avocado butter may give a little extra hardness to the bar that avocado oil doesn’t (just a guess though), but otherwise, should offer similar properties!

  355. Thank you so much for answering all my many questions. I’m learning so much from you :) This soap looks perfect for our needs.

    1. Hi Ariane! There are a lot of factors including hair texture and type of water you have, but I’d say this shampoo bar is more on the moisturizing side & would probably work better for normal to dry hair, rather than oily.

  357. I have marshmallow growing in my yard and have been looking for a recipe to use it in. I went ahead and bought the marshmallow from Mountain Rose just to check it out before I try my hand at preserving my own home grown. Do you have any tips on using Marshmallow Root and Powder? I found a hot process shampoo recipe for it that looks very similar to this one on-line but am wondering what is the difference in the two types of recipes, because I don’t have a old crock pot that I want to sacrifice at this point.

    I have heard you can use hot process soaps immediately after they cool vs. waiting the 4-6 weeks. Is that true with this soap you have posted? Also any warnings about Elder Flowers? I read a book recently and it talked about the scent of Elder Flowers so much I had to buy some to just see what kind of scent they have.

    1. Hi Peggyrae!

      I like to use marshmallow root when I’m making a tea up for someone with a sore throat or stomach ache. It’s very soothing. To incorporate it into soap or shampoo bars, you could use a water infusion and/or infused oil, in a similar way to hollyhock soap, which has overlapping properties & benefits: https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/hollyhock-flower-soap-recipe/

      Hot process and cold process is virtually the same, only with hot process you cook the soap for one hour so you can use it faster. You sure can use hot process right away once it cools, though it still benefits from curing a few weeks so the water can evaporate out and make a harder bar of soap.

      That marshmallow root hot process shampoo recipe you found online could be made cold process. Just whatever they say to add after cook time, you would stir that into your soap batter at trace instead, pour into the mold, let cure 4 to 6 weeks and you’re good to go!

      Elder flowers are very lovely! The dried ones don’t have much scent though. They are wonderful in skin care products & soaps, not to mention good in cold remedies too. I have an old book of my great-grandmothers that talks about using them for a nice complexion. They are so old-fashioned and charming – it’s hard not to pick them when they bloom here! (But picking them means less berries, so I have pace myself!) I don’t believe I’ve seen any contraindications for them that I can recall other than not to eat the stems (if you’re picking them fresh. Purchased shouldn’t have them in there.)

  358. Thank you so much for being so generous with information in your blog. I hope to try that marshmallow shampoo pretty soon. I made some aloe soap from another web sight the other day and was frustrated I couldn’t contact her directly. You spoil us so! With this recipe I was surprised that the lye content was substantially higher than calculated in the Brambleberry lye calculator. It calculated out at less than 0% super fat. I conferred with my husband the chemistry wiz and he was telling me that he thought the additional lye might have been in there to counteract th citric acid in the aloe gel.The ingredients in the aloe gel did list trace amounts of citric acid and carrageenan (sp?). This recipe had almost 20 ounces of aloe gel. I was nervous but went ahead and made it as listed and 2 days later the soap appears very nice but still has light traces of oil on the surface. That is the first time I have had that happen. Is it possible it could be from the fragrance oil? I put an additional 2 tsp to cover the smell of the spirulina I used for coloring. (Another first for me. Fishy..but the FO did cover it.) I don’t have any PH testing equipment but what does that trace of oil indicate to you? Should I worry about the ph? Thanks so much!

    1. Hi Lisa Ray! I love being able to talk directly to everyone via the blog and am always happy to help! It’s fun for me and I hope it helps others reading the comments later too. :)
      Do you mean that the Aloe soap from the other web site was less than 0% superfat? That does seem off.
      Would you mind posting the amounts of the oils/lye/water you used in that recipe here so I can see?
      Fragrance oil can be finicky sometimes and it could be a suspect for leaving that bit of oil on the surface.
      Usually when the oil thing happens to me though, my lye is not quite active enough & it’s time to replace the bottle. It sounds to me that you may have put in more than enough lye though, so it might just be the fragrance oil.
      You could gently blot at it with a paper towel as needed, to absorb any excess oil. Usually, that helps and it should cure out just fine over the next few weeks.
      I’ll check out your recipe too and see if anything else pops out at me.

  359. I did not mention that my husband and I also looked up the PH of aloe and found it has a PH of 3, very acidic. I have PH papers coming in the mail this week so I will let you know how it tests out. I think my lye is ok, I just purchased it recently and this may be my third or fourth batch with it.

    I was thinking about it and I don’t think I have seen very much on managing the PH of soap, only that it should test out within a certain range (6-10?) and that you should check every recipe against a lye calculator. I wonder what the chance is that soap will fall outside that range?

    The oils, lye and water are as follows, 29.8 oz Coconut Oil, 26.8 oz Olive Oil, 21.0 oz Lard, 5.0 oz Shea Butter, 13.4 oz Lye, 19.8 oz Distilled Water, plus 19.2 oz Aloe. There is a lot of Aloe. When I put the oils in the calculator, even at 0 superfat that number was less than the lye in this recipe.

    1. Hi Lisa! That recipe is definitely off – I wonder if the person who typed it up left off an oil or mistyped a number by accident? That can definitely happen. It looks like it has the makings of a nice recipe once the numbers are balanced out, so that’s my best guess there.
      If you send me the site link via my email (honeybeehillfarm at gmail dot com), then maybe I can find the owner and let them know.

      Here’s what I get when I put the recipe through Majestic Mountain Sage’s calculator. (I like that one since it gives a nice visual range of numbers for lye and liquids.)

      https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Lye-Heavy-Recipe.jpg

      As you can see, the lye amount is wayyyyy off the charts into the danger zone. The amount of liquids is much too high as well.

      Usually, when you use aloe in a recipe, it doesn’t alter the calculations, so that shouldn’t be a factor.

      For managing the pH of soap – you’re exactly right. There’s not much that you can do about that, other than making sure the oils and lye amount are balanced. Completely cured soap should be around the 8 to 10 pH range. You’re not likely to find perfectly neutral (7) or below, because soap has to be alkaline for the chemical reaction to work correctly. Acidifying it will break down the soap, which is why when you see cleaner recipes that combine vinegar (an acid) and castile soap (alkaline), they aren’t really doing anything but deactivating each other & potentially curdling in the process.

      I hate to say it, but I believe the soap you made will probably be very drying and possibly burn your skin, but definitely do a check with the pH papers when they come. (To test with pH papers, use distilled water to rub your soap since tap waters vary in pH.)

      Let me know how it tests out!

  360. Just got my PH strips and tested my soap. Surprising results! The aloe soap is currently testing between 8 and 9. I did two different tests. I stirred the soap in distilled water and dipped the strip next to the soap. In the second test I worked up a lather with the soap bar then dipped the PH strip in the lather as suggested by Brambleberry. Same results. It definitely didn’t get to 10 in any case. Interesting results certainly. I will test again when it is done curing. Email on its way to you regarding the site that originated the recipe.

    1. That is so interesting! I’m very happy to hear that it’s testing out well – that’s wonderful news! I didn’t get an email from you yet, but believe I found the recipe & site and will shoot the owner an email this weekend and find out more details on that intriguing recipe!

      1. Regarding that Aloe Soap I communicated with you about in December. I would like to make more but wondered if you had ever heard back why the author used the high lye content. The soap is so nice I almost hate to change the recipe. I will take my reply offline since it wasn’t one of your recipes. Thanks again!

  361. I do have some more PH Strips coming that have a smaller range. It will be interesting to see exactly where their PH comes in when they are done curing. I will check on that email, I sent it, so I will check the address and resend.

  362. Hi Jan,
    When will your Shampoo Bar Ebook be available? I already own your homemade soap ebook and love it but I want to make some shampoo bars now. This recipe is for normal to dry hair and my teen’s hair get’s greasy rather fast so I’d love to have several shampoo bar soap recipes to choose from.
    Thank you

    1. Hi Annie R! I’ve been sending notifications out to those who’ve purchased the original ebook about the updated version plus the package with its new companion guides, but my old systems are a bit inefficient & didn’t appear to catch everyone, so I’m glad you wrote!
      I just sent you an email about how to access your new updated Natural Soap Making eBook; if you don’t get it soon – let me know!
      For your teen’s hair, you might like the Calendula Citrus Shampoo Bars recipe on page 10 of the Natural Shampoo Bars companion guide and use the 5% superfat option (The Coconut Milk Shampoo Bars on page 14 would probably work well too). Or, if you don’t buy the guide, look for a recipe that has a superfat of around 5% (anything over might leave oily residue in oily hair). You could also increase the coconut oil a bit for more cleansing power. Citrus essential oils are great for hair that tends to be oily, since they too help lift and cleanse.

  363. Pingback: 200+ DIY Beauty Products and Recipes: The Ultimate List - The Nourished Life

  364. Hi Jan,
    Could i just purchase a batch of your avocado shampoo bars. I work full time and find that i just don’t have tons of time for finding all the ingredients and then making, drying, etc. Thanks,
    Marie

    1. P.S. I have a couple of Vintage tea cups that you may be interested in.
      ttyl,
      Marie

    2. Hi Marie! I no longer sell products online. I too am short on time these days and don’t have time to keep a store front going along with my other projects and farm chores. Etsy.com has tons of great sellers though and will have some wonderful shampoo bars to choose from that you’re sure to love! :)

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