Trying to avoid SLS and other harsh surfactants in your cosmetics? There are many mild, natural surfactants available. Learn about the different types of natural surfactants, with a list of my favorites.
What is a surfactant?
There are many types of surfactants and they are used for many different purposes, but they all share one quality: they help increase the wetting properties of a liquid. Surfactants can be found almost everywhere. You can find them in everything from detergents and shampoos to toothpaste and even conditioners.
Surfactant definition:
(A surfactant,) also called surface-active agent, (is a ) substance such as a detergent that, when added to a liquid, reduces its surface tension, thereby increasing its spreading and wetting properties. (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Surfactant function
Some surfactants are emulsifiers, others are foaming agents (and some may actually do the opposite of those functions). Some act as detergents, while others act as insecticides or fungicides. Some help with solubilizing (small amounts of oils into water, for example) and others help increase viscosity.
How do surfactants work?
Surfactants affect the surface tension of liquids to increase wetting.
Why would you want to increase wetting?
Normally, when you spray water on a surface like a window, rather than spread evenly over the surface, the water will bead up. That’s because of the surface tension of the water. The molecules of the water come together in a stable configuration and are attracted to each other. When you are trying to clean that window, though, that beading isn’t helping you. You want the water to spread evenly over the surface to better clean it. You also want something that can grab onto the grease and dirt on whatever surface you are trying to clean.
Micelles in surfactants
Surfactants affect the surface tension that is making the water bead up rather than spread out. They have a water-loving head and an fat (oil) loving tail. They come together in structures called micelles.
I already explained a bit about how the micelles in surfactants work in my micellar water recipe, but for those who haven’t read that post, let me give you a quick, simplified explanation. The water-loving heads of the micelles bond with the water while the oil-loving tails on the inside of the micelles bond with the grease and grime. That pulls the grease and grime into the center of the micelles out of contact with the water, making them easier to rinse away.
You’ll also find that hot water helps clean better because the hot water helps melt the fats which makes it easier for them to be brought into the micelles.
Types of surfactants
There are four main types of surfactants, each behaving somewhat differently, and some with completely different functions. The detergent-like surfactants tend to be the anionic, non-ionic and amphoteric surfactants. Some cationic surfactants are used as emulsifiers and are great for hair conditioners. (I use BTMS, a cationic surfactant, in my hair conditioner recipe.)
These are classified based on the charge of the polar head of the surfactant which can have a positive charge (cationic), a negative charge (anionic), or no charge (non-inonic). Amphoteric surfactants have both a cationic and anionic part attached to the same molecule.
- Anionic – Anionic surfactants are the most commonly used surfactants because they tend to provide the best cleaning power and the most foam. You’ve probably heard people talking about one of the most commonly used anionic surfactants, SLS (Sodium lauryl sulfate or Sodium Laureth Sulfate). It can be found in everything from shampoos and shower gels to even toothpaste. I’ve also shown you how to make soap (many types by now!), another anionic surfactant.
Anionic surfactants can be harsher on the skin, which is why they are often combined with other types of milder surfactants. - Nonionic – The second most commonly used surfactants are nonionic surfactants. They don’t ionize in water or aqueous solutions. Nonionic surfactants are gentler when cleaning. Because they don’t carry a charge, they are the most compatible with other types of surfactants. Recently, sugar-based nonionic surfactants have been developed to offer a safer, non-toxic alternative to some of the more harsh surfactants on the market up until now.
- Cationic – Cationic surfactants don’t generally give foaming like the other types of surfactants. They are often used in hair care products (mainly conditioners and anti-static products because they don’t provide the foaming for use in shampoos) because their positive charge is attracted to the negative charge in hair. This makes it difficult to completely wash them from your hair, so some stays behind to help reduce friction between hairs which, in turn, reduces the amount of electrostatic charge in hair. This helps make hair more manageable and helps prevent damage.
Cationic surfactants aren’t usually compatible with anionic surfactants! - Amphoteric – Amphoteric surfactants can carry either a positive or negative charge depending on the pH of your product. Despite that, they are still compatible with all of the other types of surfactants. These tend to be very mild surfactants which is why they are usually combined with other surfactants. While amphoteric surfactants may not give a lot of foam on their own, they can help boost the foam of the other surfactants. Amphoteric surfactants are often combined with anionic surfactants to reduce their harshness and help stabilize their foam.
Natural surfactants list:
Natural surfactants can be derived from many types of plants. Common sources are coconut or palm, but they can also be derived from other types of fruits and vegetables.
There are many natural surfactants on the market today, and with increased consumer demand, I imagine that many more will be available in time. I have tried many of them, but today I’ll focus on some of my favorites. I like these surfactants because they are gentle, they tend to be easier to find, and they work well together. You can use these in everything from gentle shampoos to shower gels, facial cleanser, and baby washes.
Choosing your surfactants
Keep in mind that many of these surfactants are not palm free, so you’ll want to source them from places that allow for sustainable methods of obtaining their materials. I buy surfactants that have been certified sustainable by RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) standards.
Another thing to keep in mind is that these surfactants can differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. The names are polymeric and aren’t referring to an exact structure. Some places will use different plants as the origin of elaborating each surfactant, and the way each surfactant cleans, solubilizes, etc. can vary depending on where you buy it from. I’ll be describing these surfactants based on my suppliers, but you’ll want to check on the specifications of the surfactant you are buying if it’s important to you to know what plants have been used to derive them, the pH, the concentration, etc. Use this list as a general guideline!
Along those lines, while mine are listed as ECOCERT approved, that may also be dependent upon the manufacturer of each surfactant.
I’ll be updating this list and adding more surfactants as I use them and learn more about them. For now, though, this should give you a good starting point to understanding what we are going to be working with.
Coco Glucoside
Coco Glucoside is a non-ionic surfactant that is obtained from coconut oil and fruit sugars, but it can also be obtained from either potato or corn. It is a very gentle, foamy cleanser and is completely biodegradable. You can use it in products that you want to have an ECOCERT certification. It has an alkaline pH (around 12) which makes it self-preserving as is, but you will probably have to adjust the final pH of products using it to pull it into a range more suitable for your skin or hair (and you’ll need to add a preservative).
Decyl Glucoside
Decyl Glucoside is very similar to coco glucoside (non-ionic and ECOCERT compatible), but it has a shorter chain length. It creates less foam (its foam is less stable) than coco glucoside but it does add more viscosity to a product. It is derived from coconut oil and glucose and is completely biodegradable. It can be used in all sorts of shampoos, gels, baby products, etc.
Lauryl Glucoside
Lauryl Glucoside is very similar to the other 2 glucosides I’ve mentioned. It has a longer chain length and more viscosity. It takes longer to foam than the other two, but it also has the most stable foam. While it is also a mild cleanser, it isn’t as mild as the other 2 alkyl polyglucosides.
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate is a gentle anionic surfactant that can be used in natural products (ECOCERT). It is a great alternative to SLS for a milder, more natural shampoo (or body wash, etc.). It has larger molecules than some of the other surfactants (like SLS) making it unable to penetrate and irritate the skin in the same way. It cleans and provides foam in products made for people with sensitive skin.
Coco Betaine
Coco betaine is a coconut based amphoteric surfactant. It’s mild and can help boost foam and increase the viscosity of products made with it. It’s very mild and provides for gentle cleansing. It’s completely biodegradable and has a pH around 6-8. It is also ECOCERT compatible so it can be used in the elaboration of “natural” and “organic” type products.
Sodium Coco Sulfate
Sodium coco sulfate is an anionic surfactant that is ECOCERT and BDIH friendly. It has a pH of 10-11 and is derived from coconut oil. It is a water-soluble surfactant that is sold in solid form. It’s usually used in non-soap shampoo bars and/or bar cleaners (syndet bars).
Plantapon® SF
Plantapon SF is a mix of vegetable-based surfactants (coconut, corn, and palm based) that can be used in a variety of gentle cleansing products like shampoos, shower gels, and facial cleansers. It includes sodium cocoamphoacetate, lauryl glucoside, sodium cocoyl glutamate, sodium lauryl glucose carboxylate, and glycerin. It has a pH between 6.5 and 7.5.
Because this is a mix of surfactants, it can be a good choice for those who are just delving into working with surfactants. You can easily mix up formulations without needing to buy a lot of raw materials or doing a lot of work. (I’ll work on getting up some recipes that use this as soon as I can.)
Completely natural surfactants
While not as effective as the other more processed surfactants derived from natural sources, those looking for a completely natural alternative may be interested in studying some of these natural surfactants. These plant based cleansers all have natural saponins that are a type of non-ionic surfactant. They can be used alone or combined with the other surfactants for a more effective final product.
Soap Nuts (Soap Berries, Aritha)
The fruits taken from the sapindus trees/shrubs from the lychee family have saponins which are natural non-ionic surfactants. They are usually called either soap nuts or soap berries, and they clean without creating much foam.
You can either throw a cloth bag of them in with your laundry to naturally wash your clothes, or you can steep them in warm water to extract a liquid that can be used for cleaning. Make just enough for what you’ll need and you can freeze the rest.
Liquid Yucca Extract
Liquid yucca extract is a natural non-ionic surfactant that comes from the yucca plant, a desert plant that has natural saponins of its own. While you can add it to your homemade shampoos, yucca extract is also used in gardening to help get nutrients to the roots of other plants by washing away concentrated salts that build up.
Shikakai powder
Shikakai powder is another plant with natural saponins which are natural non-ionic surfactants. It is normally used in hair care as a very natural “shampoo.” It naturally has a low pH which makes it ideal for hair care. It’s said to be good for all hair types, especially those that are prone to breakage and damage. Like with the other natural surfactants, you can either combine it with other surfactants or use it on its own. To use it on its own, you make a paste by mixing the powder with warm water and running it through your wet hair once it the paste has cooled. You then leave it to act for 10-15 minutes before rinsing it out. It may slightly darken hair.
Soapwort
Soapwort is another plant that has been used for many years as a soap alternative. It can be used to clean the skin, wash your hair, or even as a laundry soap. It’s especially good for delicate fabrics. To use soapwort, you need to make an infusion of the soapwort in water, and then you can use the resulting liquid as a liquid soap alternative.
Ruqayyat Hassan
Please respond,
I would like to make a mild moizturising shampoo for dry curly hair and I have only access to these suffactants: SCI, coco glucoside, cocamidoproply betaine and carpal glucoside.
Because of cost issues I can only pick two out of these, please recommend what two would be great for this hair type and still produce excellent lather.
I also need help with thickening the product and the only gum I am accessible to is Xanthan gum, I heard it can give a tacky feeling to the products, will 1% be enough?
I also have access to glyceryl stearate, poly quat, centrimonium chloride. Which of these products can I add for thickening or moisturising benefits.
Thank you
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Hi Ruqayyat,
I don’t know. SCI is an anionic that cleans pretty well and gives good lather. You could combine with either coco glucoside (non-ionic) or cocamidoproply betaine (amphoteric) depending on your water type, etc. Either would be fine, though, for most cases. (I’ve never worked with carpal glucoside, so I don’t know much about it.)
For thickening, you’ll have to experiment. I usually use xanthan. (Take a look at my shampoo recipe for an idea of how much to use- that said, the amount needed can really depend from xanthan gum to xanthan gum. They aren’t all the same.)
SCI can by thickened with salt, I think. Perhaps try that first. (I use salt to thicken my homemade laundry detergent, and I love it!) The feel is better and it’s more stable than xanthan if you can thicken with salt. Not all surfactants can be thickened with salt, though.
Cetrimonium chloride is cationic and, thus, great for conditioning. I’ve never worked with the other two. I’d have to research more about how they are used.
Ruqayyat Hassan
Hello, I want to make a milk shampoo for dey curly hair. Can I use a blend of coco glucoside and cocamidoproply betaine only? And will it produce enough lather?
Also can you please tell me what ASM to use them at.
Thank you.
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Hi Ruqayyat,
Yes, you could try using a mix of those two surfactants. (I used those in my baby wash and shampoo recipe.)
You could take a look at that as a starting point for a mild shampoo, and then increase, as needed, for adults. (Adding more will help add slightly more lather, of course.)
Melissa Simas Tyler
Where can I purchase surfactants that are vegetable based and not from coconut?
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Hi Melissa,
That’s a great question, but it’s really one that I, unfortunately, don’t have an answer for.
I’ve asked in several places this very same question myself, and can’t really get a straight answer. You’d have to talk with each individual supplier and ask because even the same surfactants may have be derived from different plants depending on the manufacturer.
I haven’t been able to find any surfactants that don’t use either coconut or palm. (And, even if you are OK with palm, I can’t really name any without coconut.)
Luckily I don’t have issues with coconut, but I’ve been hearing from more and more people with severe coconut allergies, so I’d love to be able to recommend something to them as well.
So, if you ever do find something, I’d really appreciate it if you would let me know so that I could help other people!
Carolynn
Hi Tracy,
I made shampoo and conditioner today for the first time and used foaming apple as the surfactant for the shampoo. However, I did a straight replacement in grams of the foaming apple which amounts to around 45% of the recipe and when I double-checked the foaming apple says 1-25% suggested use. (I’m still remembering everything to keep track of. Sigh.)
Is this an issue where I should just try again w/ a new batch of shampoo or does it not matter a ton that I’m over the recipe %?
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Hi Carolynn,
The only problem I see with having used too much surfactant is that it will be more cleansing. You’ll really end up with a shampoo that is more cleansing than it needs to be.
There are ways to fix that. You could dilute it with more water. If you do that, though, make sure that you also add more preservative to account for the extra weight of your product.
I hope that makes sense.
In any case, I’d suggest giving it a try. You can apply it to really wet hair and just work it in better. See how it goes.
If you feel it is too concentrated, you can always dilute it afterward.
Mc
Hey! I was wondering is there anyway to replace one surfactant with another? I am currently looking for a replacement for “Surfynol 104s”
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Yes, you can sub different surfactants, but it’s best to stick with the same type. (Anionic, amphoteric, etc.- and liquid vs. solid.)
I’m not familiar with Surfynol 104s. You’d have to look it up and see what type it is and what the normal format is.
Erin Schmorleitz
What are the general ph levels of the natural surfactants like soap nuts etc?
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Hi Erin,
I’m not sure. They probably all have different values. I’ve seen soap nuts said to have a pH of 4-6, though, which is generally good for hair and skin.
Yash
Hi Tracy,
Very useful article. I’m learning on producing naturally derived surfactants and create an impact to the society.
The harsh cleaners and chemicals used currently are distorting the marine life. And young entrepreneurs like you and me have to take charge and prevent this from happening. Can you please connect ? There’s more learning from you and I hope you can guide me and be a part of the clean revolution.
Regards,
Yash
Louise
This is a very interesting article.
I am currently experimenting with surfactants blended with oil and lye based liquid soap. I am hoping to get the best of both worlds, a shower gel that I can wash my hair with and not have to use an acid rince.
Have you tried a combination bar or liquid?
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Hi Louise,
I’ve considered it at times, but never really actually tried it.
My main issue with the idea is that soap is said to fall apart when brought down to a pH near neutral. It’s normally at a pH of 9 or above.
When I use other surfactants, it’s normally because I want to use a product with a lower pH- like for a shampoo.
So, it hasn’t really made a lot of sense for me to use them together. I use soap for products where the pH isn’t an issue- and otherwise use other surfactants.
I hope that makes sense.
When you have the right pH for a surfactant blend, there is no need for an acid rinse.
L. Moon
Hi
sodium coco sulfate is not natural. Like all sulfates it’s synthetic and very similar in composition to sodium lauryl sulfate
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Yes, this can be tricky and controversial, as what one calls “natural” isn’t “natural” to everybody.
In places where there is a certification for “natural” products, this is generally allowed because it is allowed in organic and ECOCERT products.
This isn’t a surfactant that I personally generally use either. I did buy a small amount to test it out, but haven’t really used it much yet.
I tend to stick to others myself, but it is another option.
Venetia
Hi Tracy. I am allergic or react to every single shampoo natural or not and am getting desperate. There was one single shampoo I used to use which was absolutely amazing and my hair and scalp used to party every time I used it. Then the company discontinued it and I am itching, scabbing and greasy hair with everything I have tried. It’s unbearable.
I have finally managed to source everything from the ingredients of this particular shampoo, but, as a complete beginner, having researched all over the internet as to how best to make it, I still don’t feel confident of measurements of each ingredient. I know I will probably need to replace a couple ingredients: methylparaben and another Cocomide DEA 85%…the rest is natural which I have sourced as far as Australia…I don’t know how much of each ingredient to put in and what alternatives to use. Are you able to help? Do you offer consulting sessions… I am absolutely desperate!
Many thanks! Venetia
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Hi Venetia,
Why don’t you send me an email to [email protected] with a link to the particular shampoo you are trying to recreate (or a list of ingredients and other information.)
I can’t make any promises- especially since without trying out the product, I have no idea what I’m aiming for. That said, I can try to help somewhat.
Kalypso
Venetia, I have coconut allergies that turned out to be at the root of my long standing problems with hair fall, breakage, and scalp issues from conventional shampoos. This is because coconut derivatives are in EVERYTHING from toilet paper to makeup, and everything in between. It started with occasional mystery rashes on the backs of my hands that we eventually traced to whenever I used “foreign” hand soap in a public bathroom, but over the years it has accelerated due to continuous and increasing exposure to coconut derivatives as they started showing up in more and more different products, in greater quantities. At one point I had a bad case of seborrheic dermatitis on my scalp from coconut exposure. My hair loved the shampoo but it hated my scalp.
Once I figured out this was a full-blown allergy and not just “sensitivity” or due to bad shampoo that didn’t get my scalp clean, and stopped using all commercial products altogether (that’s only been a couple of months ago), my scalp has healed, I get far fewer rashes (still get them from time to time as the allergy worsens and things that never bothered me in the past now cause anything from uncomfortable rashes to full blown painful hives), and I’m feeling better overall. I’ve been doing herbal hair conditioning rinses for awhile so having to switch to herbal hair WASHES wasn’t as great a leap as it might otherwise have been.
But I have had to go to making my own herbal hair washes as well as the conditioning rinses, and using 100% olive oil bar soap which I can fortunately buy locally. I may yet have to turn to making my own soap, and I’m definitely on the lookout for an effective coconut/palm-free laundry detergent.
I balked at going the herbal route at first because (a) herbalism involves a whole heapin’ lot of woo, (b) most recipes online are pretty dang vague and (c) a lot of the recipes for herbal hair care that got the most play involve packing herbal mud into your hair and then washing it down the drain which is messy, expensive, and can clog up your plumbing.
I have found soapnut based herbal rinses (brewed as “teas”) to be my most effective and efficient alternative to commercial products. There is a learning curve, and there is initial investment required for the herbal powders involved. I use 11 in my version, some people use more. I have found that recipes involving only 3 or 4 different herbs generally to be insufficiently cleansing, overly drying, or otherwise ineffective.
Here is the recipe I based mine off. Note that she uses this as a mud pack for hair. Make a tea instead. Keeping in mind that some of the ingredients are either hard to find here, impossible to get sufficiently fresh, and/or do not work well as a tea (curry leaf, for instance, contains volatile substances that cook right out in no time flat so I don’t use it in my herbal hair rinses that must be brewed/cooked).
https://www.paticheri.com/2019/03/13/how-to-make-your-own-herbal-hair-wash-powder/
I modified her recipe as follows (I use all powders as those were easiest for me to find):
• 8 parts Shikakai
• 1 part soapnut
• 1 part amla
• 4 parts hibiscus
• 1 part fenugreek seed (ground rather than whole)
• 1 part rose petal powder
• 1 part aloe vera powder
• 1 part tulsi
• 1 part brahmi (Bacopa monniera, not to be confused with the gotu kola aka “brahmi”)
• 1 part bhringraj
• 1 part neem
Vetiver is not easily available so I left it out. DItto arappu, which is hard to get sometimes even within India. It’s use in hair care is virtually identical to shikakai which is easy to find (and cheaper by a whole lot) so I just subbed more shikakai in instead.
Curry leaf is too volatile for a brewed hair rinse. Gotu kola is not the “brahmi” typically used for hair care and is harder to find than the more widely used Bacopa monniera. It may work but I already had the Bacopa monniera version. Flour is typically used in a hair mask to absorb oil, it has no use in an herbal wash. If you did want to use this as a mud mask for your hair, almost any type of flour would do, Europeans typically used rye or barley flour for this , sometimes whole wheat or oat flour.
The last 4 ingredients are the most easily dispensed with, although if you are having scalp issues I would still suggest using the neem as it helps to heal that. You may be able to get away without the rose petal powder and/or the aloe vera leaf powder as well if you fiddle the fenugreek/hibiscus (as in increase one or both slightly) but DO KEEP IN MIND, I’ve already significantly departed from the original recipe and balance IS important.
A lot of people try soapnut hair washes and complain it is too drying and that is so, because they are using pure soapnut or a 2:2:1 blend of soapnut/shikakai/amla and nothing else (often they don’t even use the amla). The rest of the ingredients are there for conditioning effect so your hair doesn’t get too dried out by vital cleansing ingredients. Shikakai is conditioning as well as cleansing, amla can be drying as well as conditioning, everything has to work together synergistically.
I buy mostly MB Herbals powders from amazon but an herbal supply shop could provide most or all of these. The powders are much too fine for a tea ball so I take full size coffee filters intended for drip coffee makers to make a packet. I mix the powders well in the indicated proportions using 1 part = 1 tsp. When I settle on a final version I’ll make more but for now I only make a cup or so of the powder at a time. Use ground fenugreek seed because the whole will soak up so much water, the seeds swell up huge and they WILL break the bag. Don’t put more than a 2 or 3 T of your powder mix in a packet, you need to leave room for the powders to absorb water and swell. 2T max if fenugreek is involved. Tie the coffee filters up into little packets using 100% cotton twine (any polyester or other artificial fiber may melt in the pot).
I use a cheap coffee maker used only for this purpose to brew my rinses. I put 2 packets of powder in, fill with warm water. Its a 12c coffee maker which in reality is 7.5 REAL cups (not quite 2 qt) given that a coffee-maker-cup is only 5 oz. Put it on the burner on warm. It has a 2 hour autoshutoff. I usually punch it back on 2 or 3 times. This is probably overkill, online sources seem to converge on a 30 min cook time as the most appropriate but they do actually bring it to a boil. On the coffee maker, it never gets to a boil so a little longer is probably warranted but the 6 to 8 hours I’ve been doing is probably NOT warranted, LOL!
When its “done”, for however long you chose to brew it, just toss the herb packets, let the “tea” cool, then freeze most of it. I use the mini ziploc containers with the screw on lids (4 oz) or the small size (8 oz) and only take one at a time out. It ends up making about a quart to a quart and a half once you account for evaporation and the water that the powder sucks up.
This stuff will mold if left out more than a few days. In winter I can get away with a week or two at 60F room temp but in the summer (no AC here) only 2 or 3 days. So freeze most of it, and keep whatever you are using in the next few days refrigerated.
I have observed that this works better when it is warm (about body temp so around 95-100F) rather than straight out of the fridge. No need to reboil it but warming it slightly before use may increase its efficacy.
Application is easier if you have it in a pour or squeeze bottle (the ziploc containers I use in the freezer were cheap and great for the freezer, but not that great to try to directly pour hair wash out of onto your head in the shower, LOL!). Some people freeze in ice cube trays, then they can pop out however many cubes they want, when they want them.
If insufficiently cleansing, try warming it (as mentioned above); or apply it to dry hair (applying it to wet hair will dilute it); or add a very small amount of white vinegar if your water is alkaline (pH 8 or higher). If your water is hard, try using distilled water instead of tap water. Use a shampoo brush – round thing with soft silicone fingers – to get your scalp clean. Comb through your hair with a wide-space double tooth comb or similar (mine was made by Conair and cost me $5 at Target). Let it sit in your hair for at least 5 mins, up to 15 mins if necessary. Rinse out. You’re done.
You do not need to stand in the shower and scrub your head trying to work up suds. This WILL NOT lather to any significant degree. Its actually way quicker than using conventional shampoo and conditioner, I was shocked at how quickly I was done the first time I used it. Yeah, it will usually work better if you let it sit in your hair while you finish up doing other things in the shower, but so far I’ve found that unless I oil my hair prior to the wash, just the time it takes to apply it and comb it through is enough. I’m still working it out but it ends up being way easier and more effective than I would have thought.
DO NOT GET IT IN YOUR EYES. Soapnut will burn if it gets in your eyes, really really burn. For this reason don’t use it on little kids.
Tracy Ariza, DDS
Hi Kalypso,
Thanks for the detailed comment.
I was also going to caution about getting the shikakai in the eyes as it can also burn.
During our lockdown period here in Spain, I only used shikakai and amla powders to wash my hair for around 2 months. It worked out much better than I imagined and I was very happy with how it left my hair.
I have consulted with the tutor in one of the haircare product formulation classes I’m in, and she agreed that it’s very hard to find surfactants without coconut. You’d have to talk to each supplier to make sure that coconut isn’t used in the making of it- as it can depend on the supplier.
I’m not a fan of using soap on the hair as the high pH can dry hair. That said, if you are looking to make an olive oil-based soap, I have a recipe on the blog for pure Castile soap. The Aleppo style soap would be another non-coconut oil alternative.