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Home » Herbalism » Herbal Bath and Skincare Recipes » Soap » Homemade Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bars

Homemade Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bars

May contain affiliate links or sponsored content. Please see my privacy policy and affiliate disclosure.

Originally published on June 23, 2022. Last updated on June 24, 2022

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Rosemary and mint are beneficial for the hair and are perfect to use in a shampoo bar recipe. Learn how to make these homemade rosemary mint shampoo bars – they smell amazing, and are a wonderful herbal beauty care product!

five bars of rosemary mint shampoo bars

 

Homemade Shampoo Bars

I love making my own homemade herbal bath and beauty products, and this shampoo bar recipe is no exception!

Making homemade soap was the one thing that I didn’t do for a long time, admittedly because I was a little scared of the whole process. But when I finally did it, I realized it wasn’t really that bad.

Since I’ve started to make soap, I’ve also become interested in making shampoo bars. The process is the same as soap, but with different ingredients that are good for healthy hair.

I’m sure you will love these homemade rosemary mint shampoo bars!

rosemary mint shampoo bars on a cloth

How to Make Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bars

This recipe for rosemary mint shampoo bars comes from Jan Berry’s (of the Nerdy Farm Wife blog) Handmade Natural Soaps eBook Collection and she has been so kind to let me to share it with you!

She also offers a bundle that includes the ebook collection and a soapmaking course. I highly recommend these resources, especially if you are new to making soap or shampoo bars!

Shampoo Bar Ingredients

My favorite place for buying carrier oils, essential oils, and dried herbs for soap making is Mountain Rose Herbs.

I get the lye from Essential Depot. Lye is necessary for making these shampoo bars, but it’s not something to worry about too much. All soap is made with lye, or else it wouldn’t be soap! While you do need to be careful while handling it, there is no lye left in the final soap product due to the saponification process.

For a more detailed list of equipment, or if you are new to making soap, please see my post on how to make soap for beginners, or get Jan’s Natural Soapmaking eBook package.

It goes into much more detail on the whole process and makes it all really clear for people who are just starting out.

Before you Start: Make the Rosemary Infused Oil

The first step to making this shampoo bar recipe is to make rosemary infused oil.

Infuse about one cup of olive oil with ¼ cup of dried rosemary in a cool and dark place for at least 2 weeks (or use the quick heat method on the stovetop if you prefer).

a jar of rosemary infused oil

After the oil has infused and when you are ready to make the shampoo bars, strain out the rosemary through a fine mesh sieve.

straining the rosemary infused oil

Make the Peppermint Tea

When you are ready to make the shampoo bars, make peppermint tea.

To make the tea, steep one tablespoon of dried peppermint in one cup of boiling water for 15-20 minutes. Let it cool to room temperature and strain before using.

Make the Shampoo Bars

Wearing gloves, goggles, and long sleeves, weigh the cooled peppermint tea into a heatproof pitcher.

Weigh the lye next, then carefully sprinkle and stir it into the tea. Set the solution aside in a safe place to cool.

Let the lye solution cool for 30 to 40 minutes so the temperature drops to around 100 to 110°F (38 to 43°C).

Measure out the oils by weight. Weigh and melt the coconut oil, then combine it with the other oils. This should bring the temperature of the oils up to somewhere around 90 to 100°F (32 to 38° C).

If needed the oils can be warmed slightly to bring the temperature up to 90 to 100°F (32 to 38° C).

weighing the oils on a kitchen scale

Carefully pour the lye solution into the oils.

pouring the lye solution into the oils

Using a combination of hand stirring and a stick (or immersion) blender, mix until trace is reached.

blending the shampoo bar batter with a stick blender

Add the essential oils then pour the soap mixture directly into a mold, cover, and insulate with a towel or blanket.

pouring the shampoo bar batter into a soap mold

Use a spatula to make a design on the top of the soap if desired.

shampoo bar batter in a mold with a design on top

Let the soap stay in the mold for 1 to 2 days, then remove it from the mold and slice it into bars.

cutting the shampoo bars

Cure the shampoo bars in the open air for 4 to 6 weeks before use.

shampoo bars curing on a wooden cutting board

How to Use Shampoo Bars

The main difference between soap and shampoo bars is that shampoo bars are made with oils that are known for hair care, such as jojoba or argan oil.

There are also herbs, such as rosemary and mint that are used here, that are great for hair.

There are many more herbs for the hair and scalp that you can read about in the Handmade Natural Soaps eBook Collection.

To use the shampoo bars, simply rub the bar on your hair and lather up like you normally would.

Jan also talks about the importance of using a vinegar rinse with shampoo bars and has a few great ideas and recipes for those as well. You could also just use apple cider vinegar.

finished shampoo bars with rosemary and mint

I think you will love these rosemary mint shampoo bars!

To begin with, they smell absolutely amazing. They are pepperminty in a good way, and also herbaceous and piney from the rosemary.

These shampoo bars are great for the hair of course, but you can use them just as regular soap as well.

I think I’m fully addicted to soap making now. I’ll never buy soap (or shampoo) again!

a shampoo bar with bubbles on a wooden soap dish

 


More Natural Soap Recipes

Once you start making homemade soap, you’ll never be able to go back to store bought bar soap again. Have some fun and try these other soap recipes too!

  • Wild Rose & Yarrow Soap
  • Kombucha Soap
  • Beginners Calendula Soap
  • Dandelion Soap
  • Winter Spice Pine Soap
  • Rose Hip Soap

 

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
4.29 from 69 votes

Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bars

Learn how to make these homemade rosemary mint shampoo bars - they smell amazing, and are a wonderful herbal beauty care product!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Active Time 1 hour
Curing Time 28 days
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield 10 bars
Cost $30.00
Author Colleen @ Grow Forage Cook Ferment

Equipment

  • Safety Glasses
  • Rubber Gloves
  • Small Glass Measuring Cup
  • Large Bowl
  • Immersion Blender
  • Silicone Spatula
  • Soap Mold
  • Parchment Paper

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Oil Portion

  • 10 oz olive oil infused with rosemary
  • 8 oz coconut oil
  • 4 oz sunflower oil
  • 4 oz castor oil
  • 2 oz jojoba oil

Liquids and Lye

  • 3.82 oz lye
  • 9 oz peppermint tea cooled to room temperature

Essential Oils

  • 1 tbsp peppermint essential oil
  • 1 tsp rosemary essential oil

Instructions

  • Wearing gloves, goggles & long sleeves, weigh the cooled peppermint tea into a heat-proof pitcher. Weigh the lye next, then carefully sprinkle and stir it into the water. Set the solution aside in a safe place to cool.
  • Let the lye solution cool for 30 to 40 minutes so that the temperature drops to around 100 to 110°F (38 to 43°C).
  • Measure out the oils by weight. Weigh and melt the coconut oil, then combine it with the other oils. This should bring the temperature of the oils up to somewhere around 90 to 100°F (32 to 38° C). If needed the oils can be warmed slightly to bring the temperature up to 90 to 100°F (32 to 38° C).
  • Pour the lye solution into the oils. Using a combination of hand stirring and a stick (or immersion) blender, mix until trace is reached.
  • Add the essential oils then pour the soap mixture directly into a mold, cover and insulate with a towel or blanket.
  • Let the soap stay in the mold for 1 to 2 days, then remove from the mold and slice into bars. Cure in the open air for 4 to 6 weeks before use.

Notes

  • To make the rosemary infused oil, infuse about one cup of olive oil with ¼ cup dried rosemary in a cool and dark place for at least 2 weeks (or use the quick heat method on the stovetop if you prefer). After the oil has infused and when you are ready to make the shampoo bars, strain out the rosemary through a fine mesh sieve.
  • When you are ready to make the shampoo bars, make the peppermint tea. To make the tea, steep one tablespoon of dried peppermint in one cup boiling water for 15-20 minutes. Let it cool to room temperature and strain before using.
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Previous Post: « Homemade Soda with Yarrow, Rose and Strawberries
Next Post: Lavender Lemonade Made with Honey »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shana S Isaacs says

    March 21, 2023 at 2:26 pm

    Are there any homemade shampoo bars made without coconut oils and lye in them. I’m allergic to certain oils and butters (for skin and hair care). I use to use Dove which was a big no-no, now I have a rash and thinning hair. And I definitely don’t want to touch lye. My skin is just too sensitive.

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      March 23, 2023 at 12:31 pm

      Hi Shana. I’m sure there are some out there, but I haven’t done much research to find them.

      Reply
  2. Debbie says

    February 12, 2023 at 4:38 am

    What oils, additives and E.O is good for dry hair, oily hair and dry damaged hair that needs moisture? I have oily hair. I can’t find a recipe for those. I’m not new to soaping but I’m new to making shampoo bars, information is hard to find for what’s needed for each hair type.

    Reply
  3. Victoria L McMackin says

    January 31, 2023 at 11:05 pm

    Lots of asking about substitutions and doubling the size. Any time the amount or change of oil is done, the recipe needs to run through a soap calculator. You can find them online by doing a search. Different oils have different properties, some are more drying, or less bubbly, and even have a cleanliness value to them. Most posters will be using different molds also, so the soap calc (soapcalc.net is a good site to start) Or Brambleberry has a nice one also, and running your recipe thru the calc will give correct amounts for them. The term ‘trace’ is used when the mixture is just beginning to get thick, like super runny pudding and still pourable.

    Reply
  4. Joan says

    December 28, 2022 at 1:46 pm

    I’ve read that shampoo bars have to have a lower ph than regular cold press soap makes to be safe for hair. What is the ph of these bars and do you need an ACV rinse?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      December 29, 2022 at 11:29 am

      Hi Joan. I didn’t test the pH of these bars when they were made. I don’t use an ACV rinse, but if you’d like to, that’s fine.

      Reply
  5. SanDiy says

    October 26, 2022 at 11:17 am

    I’d like to double the recipe-do I need to modify any of the amounts of ingredients at all-or can I just double everything?
    Great recipe! I’ve made it several times now!

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      October 26, 2022 at 12:38 pm

      Doubling will work fine!

      Reply
  6. Leanna says

    October 10, 2022 at 3:36 pm

    Can you substitute hemp seed oil for the sunflower oil? Also, do you super fast this?

    Reply
  7. Amanda says

    July 20, 2022 at 9:58 am

    What does “mix until trace is reached” mean?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      July 21, 2022 at 10:47 am

      Trace is a term used in soap making that means, “blended to form an emulsion”. Mix until the mixture is emulsified.

      Reply
  8. Judy says

    April 23, 2022 at 12:28 pm

    Could you use only 1 type of oil if you are limited. In case of supply chain shortages. I can grow sunflower oil.

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      April 25, 2022 at 9:40 am

      For sure!

      Reply
  9. april says

    November 3, 2021 at 4:18 am

    I don’t know much about this stuff as I haven’t dared make soap with lye with the little people here. Could this be made from a melt n pour soap base by chance?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      November 4, 2021 at 10:44 am

      No, this recipe can’t be made as a melt and pour soap, sorry!

      Reply
    • Sharon says

      January 9, 2023 at 8:10 am

      I don’t see why you couldn’t use a melt in pour and just add some rosemary essential oil and some peppermint essential oil to the strength you like and pour it into a mold. The benefit is in the oil that you are using

      Reply
  10. jordin says

    October 7, 2021 at 6:56 am

    can you subsititute sunflower oil for safflower oil?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      October 11, 2021 at 9:40 am

      Of course!

      Reply
  11. Ashley says

    June 12, 2021 at 5:38 pm

    Hi quick question, is this moisturizing enough to not use a follow-up conditioner?
    If not, can you recommend a good diy recipe for conditioner?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      June 14, 2021 at 9:06 am

      Hi, Ashley. I use a homemade leave-in conditioner with these shampoo bars from Mountain Rose Herbs.

      Reply
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