Shampoo Bar Calculator — Oil Blend for Hair Bars

This shampoo bar calculator splits coconut, castor, olive, and “other” into grams from total oils and four percents that sum to 100%. Use it before lye calculation so the scale matches the card.

Scalp tolerates different cleaning than body skin: coconut lifts build-up but can feel harsh on curls; castor helps lather; olive and soft oils soften feel. Balance cleanse, conditioning story, and hardness with lather checks and tester notes.

For each oil: grams = total_oils × (percent ÷ 100). Sum the four grams; rounding may differ by a gram—adjust the last line if you need exact totals.

If “other” holds two oils, weigh them to the combined gram target your percentages produced, then split internally—this tool does not subdivide that bucket.

Total oils: 1,680 g at 40/12/22/26 → coconut 672 g; castor 201.6 g; olive 369.6 g; other 436.8 g.

Enter grams in the soap calculator; tune superfat with curl testers—high coconut clarifies, soft oils add slip.

Lock percents in a recipe version, print grams, weigh oils in two stages if you use warm coconut and cool soft oils, then run NaOH and water. Only after the sheet is approved do you pick fragrance loads from the fragrance calculator—acceleration on a high-coconut hair bar ruins more than one loaf.

Starting blend: Coconut lifts cleansing; castor supports lather in hard water; olive and “other” (sweet almond, jojoba, etc.) soften the wash. Keep superfat in a range your hair testers accept—too low can feel squeaky; too high can weigh fine hair down.

Use the soap calculator for NaOH, and consider citric acid discussions if you adjust pH in advanced workflows (follow reputable guides).

Hard water: lean on castor and clear rinse guidance. Curls: lower coconut, log frizz versus slip. Retail: pair with conditioner or acidic rinse education—avoid medical claims.

• Percent sum ≠ 100% — the tool will warn; fix before weighing.
• Ignoring alkalinity — soap is not pH-neutral; set customer expectations.
• Confusing this with syndet chemistry — different ingredients and claims.
• Fragrance at skin levels — scalp sensitivity varies; test.
• Promising “clarifying” without defining hair type — the same coconut load reads harsh on color-treated swatches.

Give testers a rinse protocol (cool water finish, optional acidic rinse) so feedback compares apples to apples. Log water hardness zip codes when remote testers report different results—castor helps bubbles but cannot rewrite municipal minerals.

Solid bars travel well; zero-waste shelves like them. Salon trials need labeled testers plus rinse guidance—not medical advice. Syndet bars rely on synthetic surfactants and different claims; this page stays on lye-saponified oils.