Do You Guys Use Soapnuts?

[snowcloud]

I was curious if any of you guys actually use soapnuts on a regular basis..

http://allyouneedtoknow.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/soapnuts-in-hand.jpg

I found this post that Diamondbell made about different herbs and I noticed she had soapnuts listed on there but, I didn't see much response about it:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=10900

I have been using soapnuts for years now. I haven't washed my hair with shampoo in.. I can't even remember.. While I have been reading around some of the cleanser type of posts, I noticed that some of you still use shampoo. And I guess I would just like to share what i personally think is an even BETTER natural alternative..

A little background about soapnuts first though...

"Soapnuts" or "soapberries" are aptly named because, their genus of plants produces a compound known as saponin which is a highly effective natural surfactant. Saponin based cleaners are litterally ideal for your hair because, they will be anywhere on the pH scale between 4-6.. As many of you know, our skin and hair has a pH of around 5.

I have never had a problem getting any amount of oil cleaned out of my hair with the soapnut method. I use to do the baking soda and ACV thing but, this tops that by a thousand... :cool:

Anyway, In Diamondbell's post she talks about making a paste with soapnut powder to rub into the hair.. That works well to clean you but, I know since this is a "long hair" community, most of you would have an extremely difficult time rinsing the powder out..

When I first discovered soapnuts I was using the powder but, what I do now is way more efficient..

http://allyouneedtoknow.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/soapnut-tea.jpg

Let me introduce you to soapnut tea... But don't drink it! :p

That right there is 2 cups of water and 44 soapnuts which makes a relatively dense batch of saponin liquid.

Soapnut tea or rather "saponin liquid" is far superior to shampoo in every way. It totally cleans all the oils and what-have-you out of your hair without leaving it feeling all bone dry. I think one of the best qualities about this is stuff is simply its ability to leave your hair moisturized. For instance when you are doing a deep conditioning treatment to your head such as olive oil or avocado.. you want to soak up those oils and essential fatty acids as much as possible. But if you were to wash with shampoo after that deep conditioning, it would totally ruin all your progress with your moisture. Soapnut mixtures will clean you but, leave your hair in that luscious silky condition you would expect after an oil treatment or deep conditioning.

So.. I know at this point you may be thinking.. "Well, I'm not just about to go ahead and pour that whole jug of liquid on my head"

And that is why you do this:

http://allyouneedtoknow.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/soapnut-froth.jpg

That right there is pure soap froth.. I pulverized the water and those soapnuts in my blender and then strained them through a nut milk bag.

That froth is actually very thick and can be incorporated into just about anything.. The froth will slowly easy back into liquid form over a period of time but, what is weird about this stuff is that even after that froth has returned to liquid, you can whip it in the blender again to get that same frothy consitency.. Very curious indeed..

So normally what I do with that froth there is stir it into some organic greek yogurt, toss in a little essential oil and BAM... Super fragrant and protein rich shampoo ready to go in about 20 secs tops.. :D

*Note: The only down-side to soapnuts is that they have an intially pungeunt aroma.. Not pleassant at all.. This is why you add your essential oils though.. Either way the soapnut fragrance is not lasting once it has been washed out..

So.. I know some of you may be thinking "Well.. I am Vegan and, yogurt is out of the question for me.."

And that is why you move up to some of this:

http://allyouneedtoknow.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/guar-gum.jpg

That right there is guar gum, a natural emulsifier and thickening agent.. It is like the Swiss army knife of hair care ingredients.. With guar gum you now have complete an total control over water based recipe turning them into thick and stable gels.

So here is how you would make a recipe with that:

Shampoo of Mango Ylang

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of Saponin Liquid
3/8 cup of Pure Mango Juice
3/8 tsp. of Guar Gum
7 drops of Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

Directions: Squeeze and filter yourself some mango juice. Throw that juice along with the rest of the ingredients into your blender. Blend at high speed for about 20 secs. Take it out and you are good to go.

The guar gum not only thickens the loose liquids but, it also perfectly emulsifies the essential oil into them.. That is one of my favorite combos but, you can use any juice, tea, rose water or essential oil you can think of.

I would love to hear your replies. I have been doing this for a long time now and, would love to share more recipes. Let me know what you think :graduate:

[Wavelength]

This really looks interesting! Thanks for posting it! I've never been that much into natural alternatives but I do make my own skin cream and facial cleanser, and I really like your great pictures and simple directions.

[Topaz]

Wow, thank you, Snowcloud! That's all really great information. Sometime when I have more leisure time for indulging myself, I will definitely give this a try. Question: is your mixture good for bathing one's body too? If so, it could be a really all-around good cleanser.

[brave]

This is pretty fascinating and I'd been considering soap nuts, but my hair seems to need a ridiculous amount of moisture and can't really handle even sulfate free shampoo. Think it's still worth a try at some point?

[Kricket]

Hmmm. something i will have to try

[meeliah]

Very interesting. This is something that I would love to try as I'm trying to get away from any commercially produced external body products. I have an all natural soap bar that I've been using for my hair, though I've gotten where I use that only seldomly. Occasionally, I do like to use some type of soap. Especially when I've deeply oiled.

I'm not sure where I would locate Soap Nuts. Is that something that you can get at a health food store, grocery store, or would I need to order it online. I don't think I've ever seen them in the market, but again, I haven't ever looked.

[Jing]

I've been wanting to try soapnuts for a while, but I have too much other stuff to go through right now. You said you pulverize the nuts in a blender and then strain the bits out, but I've seen other people mention that you can get several uses out of the same soapnuts. Someone even said she would toss ones that had been used a few times into the washing machine. Do you do anything differently to get all their potential use out of them in one go? How long does the saponin liquid last once it has been made?

[GrowingGlory]

Great thread starter, thanks so much! I usually just dilute soap nut soak in pure water, but these recipes look like a step toward a more luxurious, shampoo-like product that likely appeals to new users. Thanks so much!

[snowcloud]

Ok finally i got to upload a picture.. Anyway.. ok Im gonna try and answer the questions in order..


If so, it could be a really all-around good cleanser.

You can use soapnuts to wash your whole entire body. I normally make a little extra soapnut shampoo before going into the shower just so I can use it all around :p


This is pretty fascinating and I'd been considering soap nuts, but my hair seems to need a ridiculous amount of moisture and can't really handle even sulfate free shampoo. Think it's still worth a try at some point?

This is EXACTLY my problem.. My hair is extremely thin and gets so brittle from using synthetic shampoos. I have not had one problem with moisture since switching to soapnuts. Like I was sayin about the deep conditioning before. It is almost better with soapnuts to pre-condition. The layer of intense moisture in the scalp and hair provided by the deep conditioner will still linger there far after the soapnut wash but, they will rid all the EXCESS oil.


Is that something that you can get at a health food store, grocery store, or would I need to order it online. I don't think I've ever seen them in the market, but again, I haven't ever looked.

You can't likely find soapnuts in a store near you.. And the thing you gotta understand about soapnuts is that.. Most companies weigh out and ship you the seeds of the soapnuts with your order. The seed of the soapnut contains absolutely no saponin and is completely useless to you. I get my soapnuts from one source. A little company called NaturOli.

They only sell you the pure soapnut husk which is where all the saponin is. You can find their whole soapnut husks on Amazon for about 20 bucks a pound.. and trust me that is something that will last you a while. Not to mention, NaturOli will also provide you some nice muslin bags to work with when you order from them.


Someone even said she would toss ones that had been used a few times into the washing machine. Do you do anything differently to get all their potential use out of them in one go? How long does the saponin liquid last once it has been made?

NaturOli actually advises you to use your soapnuts more than once. But since I destroy them in the blender that is out of the question for me.. That jar of 2 cups water and 44 soapnuts is going to make me a batch of saponin liquid that can last over a month... You can make smaller batches of course but, what I do to preserve my saponin liquid is I throw a couple pieces of whole lemons, peels and all, into the blender when I pulverise the soapnuts.. The citric acid inside the lemon is going to easily preserve your saponin liquid long enough for you to make use of it.

Not to mention the raw essential oils from the peel of the lemon get beautifully infused into your liquid providing you extra nourishment and fragrance.


Ok so, I actually need to wash my hair right now.. I am going to make this recipe right here because, I just so happen to have these ingredients:




Aloe Darjeeling Polish

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of Tea = Darjeeling Tea
• 1/4 cup of Aloe Vera Leaf Gel
• 1/4 cup of Saponin Liquid
• 1½ tbsp. of Honey
• 1/2 tsp. of Guar Gum / Xanthan Gum

Tools: Blender + Knife + Pot + Tea Bag

*Note: It is best to cold steep your darjeeling tea for this recipe. That will enhance the
conditioning properties of this mixture.

Directions: Brew up some darjeeling tea and chill it in your refrigerator once it
is done. While your tea is cooling, slice open some aloe vera leaves and extract
the inner gel. Measure out some of your cold darjeeling tea and pour it into
your blender along with your aloe gel and the remaining ingredients. Blend this
until you have a soft, smooth gel. Use this gel to hydrate, moisturize, alleviate
and nourish your whole head while you wash. Make sure to massage well and
rinse when finished.




This is another one of my personal favorites.. The aloe in this recipe is extremely soothing and healing for your scalp.

I am going to take some pictures of the recipe so you can see what it looks like up close. I will also take some before and after photos of my oily / clean hair..

I will post back in about 2 hours.. :D

[snowcloud]

K.. i just waitin for my hair to air dry then i gonna snap some photos :cool:

[cmg]

Love this stuff! If there were two things in my household I couldnt do without, they would be soapnuts, microfiber towels and henna.

OK, those were three things ;)

For you Americans; there are several species of wild soapnuts growing in Florida and other various places on the American continent. Just go and pick some. You dont have to import them from another continent like Asia. Long transports, pollution and so on. Just saying. I whish there were an industry of the soap plants in my native country. I can use birch leaves, but I dont want the hazzle. So I buy soapnuts from Asia and hope they are at least transported by boat and produced in an environmentally friendly way.

/ CMG

[cmg]

Here is an article on LHC about soapnuts!

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=95

[snowcloud]

Ok the results are in:

but first lets take a look at that Aloe Darjeeling recipe:

http://allyouneedtoknow.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rsz_hpim0697-bip.png

http://allyouneedtoknow.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rsz_hpim0703-bip.png

The guar gum really allows you to truly lather this stuff in like would would expect a shampoo to do. Very clean and fresh ;)

ok now its time for the before and after photos...

Before:

http://allyouneedtoknow.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rsz_hpim0693-bip.png

After:

http://allyouneedtoknow.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rsz_hpim0728-bip.png

http://allyouneedtoknow.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rsz_hpim0713-bip.png

Keep in mind i did this wash without any conditioning before or after.. Just a pure wash.

My hair and whole head feels sooo minty fresh and revitalized right now.. There is really something that can't be explained when you get that fresh awakened feeling after hoping out of the shower.. I really love this stuff. I hope you guys do too!! :rolling:

[GrowingGlory]

Wow! Luscious, fabulous hair! I've used organic soap nut soak for a long time, and sometimes added a little lime juice and organic lemon tea tree EO. I never use the blender, though. Looks rich and foamy, and I want to try it.

[Tabihito]

Bookmarking this thread for sure. I'm CO, but if I could get to where I didn't need to use slightly-suspect chemicals to wash my hair, that would be absolutely lovely. My body is WO from years of laziness as a kid, I'd just scrub with a wet washcloth, but transitioning my hair to WO has never worked well for me, the oil-slick stage is just too long. This looks like a wonderful alternative.

[snowcloud]

Bookmarking this thread for sure. I'm CO, but if I could get to where I didn't need to use slightly-suspect chemicals to wash my hair, that would be absolutely lovely. My body is WO from years of laziness as a kid, I'd just scrub with a wet washcloth, but transitioning my hair to WO has never worked well for me, the oil-slick stage is just too long. This looks like a wonderful alternative.

Lol i love your little bellsprout picture.. I have always been a big van of Victreebel.. He is pwnage.. :D:D:D

Anyway.. I will try and add some more unique recipes with some different twists to them. But, I would like to ask you Tabihito.. I am kinda confused with the lingo you are using.. I am tryn to understand it though.. What does "CO" and "WO" mean..?

Oh, and thank you GrowingGlory for all the compliments ;)

[Hollyfire3]

Lol i love your little bellsprout picture.. I have always been a big van of Victreebel.. He is pwnage.. :D:D:D

Anyway.. I will try and add some more unique recipes with some different twists to them. But, I would like to ask you Tabihito.. I am kinda confused with the lingo you are using.. I am tryn to understand it though.. What does "CO" and "WO" mean..?

Oh, and thank you GrowingGlory for all the compliments ;)

CO means conditioner only washing and WO is water only washing.:)

[akilina]

Wow how interesting! I have always heard of soapnuts but never really looked into them...I bet I could find some in my town. I live in sort of a hippie town and I could probably find these. I love the sound of the aloe minty soap. My favorite fruit ever is mango but I am allergic X___X
Thanks for the posts!

[snowcloud]

CO means conditioner only washing and WO is water only washing.

Ahh.. kk.. I guess i need learn some more lingo.. thanks a mill


My favorite fruit ever is mango but I am allergic X___X

noooo.... you gotta have mango its so delicious.. :beer:

[Littlewing13]

I tried making the liquid from the powder once. Didn't work for me, left a coating. Was very shiny though!

[GrowingGlory]

Has anyone tried Naturoli shampoo?

[snowcloud]

Has anyone tried Naturoli shampoo?

That is funny that you ask.. I have been buyin NaturOli soapnuts for quite a while but, I have never once tried their shampoos.. They look really nice but kinda pricey... Plus I can make like 100 shampoos with about the same amount of money invested in the soapnuts.

:disco:

[GrowingGlory]

Yes, exactly. I can't help but wonder how well they work, though.

[cmg]

snowcloud: Here is the lingo used here on LHC for you :) :
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=10

I offten see alot of negative kommenting on soapnuts, they are not believed to work and people who are using them are idiots. They make the cloths/hair etc dirtier than just water etc.

There is alot of research based on soapnuts and soapnut based products since the last twohundred years (1807 i believe was the first time saponines were extracted). In countries like Malaysia, Taiwan, China, India, Sweden and more, they have done alot of scientific research about them and also compared their effect against other detergents. The washing optimum of the soap nut saponines is 100 degrees C and at soft acidic water pH 3,99. This favours hand washing methods and the hotter machinewash temperatures. The modern synthetic detergents are enhanced with enzymes, zeolites, bleaching agents and so on, which support their washing capabilities at lower temperatures instead. Tests can therefore be misleading, not done properly following scientific standardizing methodology. Also the modern washing powders are better at spot removal because of the additives. The proper tests are usually done with standardised amounts of wash nut powder (aritha from a blend of two soap nut species) and not whole nuts or liquids.

This means, that you cant really compare apples and pears. Some of the tests cited on the internet are therefore blaha, because this knowledge has not been taken in account. And it makes you wonder, who is paying for this particular kind of research. The washing optimum for kommercial washing powders lies at a concentration of 0,25 % washing detergent, pH 9,66 and the temperature 50 degrees C. The most effective soapnut extract concentration in a waterbased solution lies between 2-4 % (about 15-20 grams of powder per litre water). In properly performed tests, taking in account these differences, removing unfair factors, and only using washing optimums, the soapnuts actually win all the time. Soapnutbased detergents removed 55,7 % of the dirt and the synthetic washing powders 44,5% (after five washes during 10 minutes each on each sample). This is found consistently in tests done from 1941 until 2006.

I can see why this research is not favoured by washing powder manufacturers. The soapnuts do not perform very well in some non-standardized tests, performed perhaps on cotton with stains that require stain removing agents. Such materials are not very typical for a modern household either, this schould also be taken in account. We use textiles with more and more synthetics today. Much thanks to these improperly performed tests the general opinion is often tinted propagandawise against the soapnuts and other natural saponine agents.

I am glad the LHC forum is discussing the soapnuts. Trial and error is a very good way to find out the truth about stuffs. There is a reason for why the people of China first refused to use the synthetic stuffs for their clothing. The stuff simply ruined the silk and the colours. Today unfortunately the soapnuts are getting more expensive than the synthetic washing stuffs in some of the native countries, which is a bad thing.

For silk and wool I use only soapnuts at home, and also for other clothes and sometimes for my hair. It is a great cleaner and oil stain remover and works for various other purposes too.

I will definitively have to try that mango and peppermint stuff! Sounds delicious :D

/ CMG

[leilasahhar]

Yes! It works for me..makes my skin and hair feel squeaky clean. No coating on my hair just feels really refreshed n clean.

[Ki]

Interesting post. Thank you. I really like the idea of soap nuts, unfortunately they've only worked for me once. After oiling my hair then using the soap nut liquid, it didn't get all the oil out. So I re-applied the liquid later in the day and hurrah it worked! It felt like such a long process though- preparing the nuts- soaking, boiling, and then the frustration when it didn't get all the oil out first time... I feel too lazy to do that every time I wash my hair. So at the moment I'm just using bottled herbal shampoo. I still have nearly a whole bag of the nuts (must try using them for the laundry one day) but yes, I'll have to try them for my hair again. I live in a very hard water area so it may be I just need to use more nuts per water for it to be effective.

[cmg]

I live in a very hard water area so it may be I just need to use more nuts per water for it to be effective.
No it wouldnt. You have to get rid of the hardiness first somehow. You can do this by adding something acidic, perhaps lemon juice or white vinegar in the sulution you use. If you dont make the process softer the nuts wil only form komplexes with the lime in the water, not with the dirt or oil from your hair.

Acording to research, you cannot up the concentration of soapnuts to get a stronger effect. The other stuffs like resins, gums, oils etc from the nuts themselves will counteract this, and the solution will be to viscous to be effective.

So the only remedy here is to either soften the water or add acidic stuff to the nuts you use.

/ CMG

EDIT:
Not over 4% saponine from soap nuts. Concentrations above this will be to viscous (Sarin & Copal 1941 and others).

[Ki]

No it wouldnt. You have to get rid of the hardiness first somehow. You can do this by adding something acidic, perhaps lemon juice or white vinegar in the sulution you use.



Hmmm ok. The instructions I got with the soap nuts said to add 1 or 2 extra if in a hard water area (but this is for laundry). So my thinking was harder water = more soap nuts. I'm pretty sure I added lemon juice to the liquid, but it could be I needed to add more and/or put it in earlier in the process to soften the water rather than add it at the end? I have read that too strong a concentration of soap nut liquid/ using too much can leave hair with a dull appearance or residue, so that makes sense what you said about a concentrated solution being too much. I will definitely try again with a more acidic water. Thanks.

[akilina]

Ahh.. kk.. I guess i need learn some more lingo.. thanks a mill



noooo.... you gotta have mango its so delicious.. :beer:

I know man its total torture! I don't die or anything when I eat it...but I definitely pay for it for about a week. I break out in hives and that part isnt worth it. :(

[snowcloud]

Interesting post. Thank you. I really like the idea of soap nuts, unfortunately they've only worked for me once. After oiling my hair then using the soap nut liquid, it didn't get all the oil out. So I re-applied the liquid later in the day and hurrah it worked! It felt like such a long process though- preparing the nuts- soaking, boiling, and then the frustration when it didn't get all the oil out first time... I feel too lazy to do that every time I wash my hair. So at the moment I'm just using bottled herbal shampoo. I still have nearly a whole bag of the nuts (must try using them for the laundry one day) but yes, I'll have to try them for my hair again. I live in a very hard water area so it may be I just need to use more nuts per water for it to be effective.

The one thing you have to understand about soapnuts is that they are very versitile when it comes to the strengthen of their cleaning power..

NaturOli recommends about 5-6 soapnuts for one wash of laundry and to even reuse them.. One load of laundry is going to use gallons and gallons of water.. I put 44 soapnuts in just 2 cups of water... :cool:

Can you imagine the strength difference there. What's more, I actually pulverise the soapnuts and their liquid in a blender for the utmost effective saponin extraction. What I am left with is an extremely dense saponin liquid. I can take less than a 1/4 cup of this dense liquid, add it to a base like yogurt or something and completely obliterate all the oil from my head.

The density of the saponin is key really... ;)

And yes boiling soapnuts one at a time for your hair wash can be a bit too frustrating. That is while I make a large batch infused with lemon that will last me about a month.. And contrary to popular belief, the soapnuts need absolutely no heat to release there saponin.. A cold steep and a little shake will extract the saponin just as effectively..

[snowcloud]

snowcloud: Here is the lingo used here on LHC for you :) :
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=10

I offten see alot of negative kommenting on soapnuts, they are not believed to work and people who are using them are idiots. They make the cloths/hair etc dirtier than just water etc.

There is alot of research based on soapnuts and soapnut based products since the last twohundred years (1807 i believe was the first time saponines were extracted). In countries like Malaysia, Taiwan, China, India, Sweden and more, they have done alot of scientific research about them and also compared their effect against other detergents. The washing optimum of the soap nut saponines is 100 degrees C and at soft acidic water pH 3,99. This favours hand washing methods and the hotter machinewash temperatures. The modern synthetic detergents are enhanced with enzymes, zeolites, bleaching agents and so on, which support their washing capabilities at lower temperatures instead. Tests can therefore be misleading, not done properly following scientific standardizing methodology. Also the modern washing powders are better at spot removal because of the additives. The proper tests are usually done with standardised amounts of wash nut powder (aritha from a blend of two soap nut species) and not whole nuts or liquids.

This means, that you cant really compare apples and pears. Some of the tests cited on the internet are therefore blaha, because this knowledge has not been taken in account. And it makes you wonder, who is paying for this particular kind of research. The washing optimum for kommercial washing powders lies at a concentration of 0,25 % washing detergent, pH 9,66 and the temperature 50 degrees C. The most effective soapnut extract concentration in a waterbased solution lies between 2-4 % (about 15-20 grams of powder per litre water). In properly performed tests, taking in account these differences, removing unfair factors, and only using washing optimums, the soapnuts actually win all the time. Soapnutbased detergents removed 55,7 % of the dirt and the synthetic washing powders 44,5% (after five washes during 10 minutes each on each sample). This is found consistently in tests done from 1941 until 2006.

I can see why this research is not favoured by washing powder manufacturers. The soapnuts do not perform very well in some non-standardized tests, performed perhaps on cotton with stains that require stain removing agents. Such materials are not very typical for a modern household either, this schould also be taken in account. We use textiles with more and more synthetics today. Much thanks to these improperly performed tests the general opinion is often tinted propagandawise against the soapnuts and other natural saponine agents.

I am glad the LHC forum is discussing the soapnuts. Trial and error is a very good way to find out the truth about stuffs. There is a reason for why the people of China first refused to use the synthetic stuffs for their clothing. The stuff simply ruined the silk and the colours. Today unfortunately the soapnuts are getting more expensive than the synthetic washing stuffs in some of the native countries, which is a bad thing.

For silk and wool I use only soapnuts at home, and also for other clothes and sometimes for my hair. It is a great cleaner and oil stain remover and works for various other purposes too.

I will definitively have to try that mango and peppermint stuff! Sounds delicious :D

/ CMG

Some interesting facts in here.. THanks a ton for this CMG :cheese:

[Tia2010]

I was reading about soapnuts a while back but kind of put them out of my mind, this thread just renewed my interest in them :D

[Svart]

You can find their whole soapnut husks on Amazon for about 20 bucks a pound..

That's extremely expansive. I get my soapnuts for 1/10 of that, from a company in Germany.

[snowcloud]

That's extremely expansive. I get my soapnuts for 1/10 of that, from a company in Germany.

Do they sell you the seed of the nut as well?.. If they don't, is there anyway to get them online and also.. What species of soapnut is it? NaturOli uses the Indian Soapnut (Sapindus Mukorossi)..

[dragaica]

Thanks a lot for the soapnuts story - I was thinking for a while, but now I'm really convinced to go and hunt them. Your recepies sounds amazing. Do you keep the solution in refrigerator? How long is it stable from the fa
brication? do you use hot water?

http://www.aroma-zone.com in France is selling them 1 kg - 9.9 euro. http://www.aroma-zone.com/aroma/soins_ailleurs.asp
Does anyone knows a cheaper source?

[amber-rose]

i have a few questions :P here they come

1. how long do you soke the soapnuts before you use the blender ?

2. you say you use 1/4 to mix with the gum and other ingredients to make a shampoo, so you can make 4 shampoos out of the batch blenderd soapnuts ??

3. how do you store the soapnut mix and for how long ?

4. how do you store the shampoo?


sorry for my crappy englisch :( i'm from holland :P

[Milui Elenath]

I used Mellie's method from the soapnut article for a short while but came to the conclusion that my hair is just too dry for soapnuts, even with a weakened solution. I have been water only for ages and my hair is still dry so I realise I am in the minority. If WO was not working or I had oily hair soapnuts would be my choice.

I do use them in my washing machine and I use them in fairly cold water (30-40 degrees) except for the whites which I wash hot. I am sure they work better hotter but they work for me at the cooler temps with most ordinary laundering. Frankly even when some items don't come out clean they are certainly not doing any less of a job than my old detergents did - I really don't notice a difference.

Also there is another (very long) thread with alot of peoples experiences if anyone is interested in some further information. http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=8449&highlight=soapnuts Oh BTW don't get them in your eyes!!!!

ETA Oh and I used a foaming pump bottle that I got from a soap supplier.

[Svart]

Do they sell you the seed of the nut as well?.. If they don't, is there anyway to get them online and also.. What species of soapnut is it? NaturOli uses the Indian Soapnut (Sapindus Mukorossi)..

They claim these are Sapindus Mukorossi, imported from Pakistan. In theory there are no seeds inside, in practice a few will sneak inside.

I was buying them from their polish shop last year for 139PLN/10kg which is ca. 3.24 EUR/kg or 1.83 USD/lb, but I see they are more expensive now at 230PLN/kg (ca. 5.35 EUR/kg or 3.03 USD/lb) (http://natura24.pl/go/_info/?user_id=2153&lang=pl). Strangely, I can't find them in their german webshop.

[snowcloud]

I used Mellie's method from the soapnut article for a short while but came to the conclusion that my hair is just too dry for soapnuts, even with a weakened solution. I have been water only for ages and my hair is still dry so I realise I am in the minority. If WO was not working or I had oily hair soapnuts would be my choice.

I do use them in my washing machine and I use them in fairly cold water (30-40 degrees) except for the whites which I wash hot. I am sure they work better hotter but they work for me at the cooler temps with most ordinary laundering. Frankly even when some items don't come out clean they are certainly not doing any less of a job than my old detergents did - I really don't notice a difference.

Also there is another (very long) thread with alot of peoples experiences if anyone is interested in some further information. http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=8449&highlight=soapnuts Oh BTW don't get them in your eyes!!!!

ETA Oh and I used a foaming pump bottle that I got from a soap supplier.

That is kool.. If you can get-r-done with nothing but water, the more power to you.. Really in nature, you would not have soapnuts on you. In all honesty, water is all our hair truly needs anyway.

[GrowingGlory]

I've remembered a few small soap nut tips to share: less is more. A weaker solution may clean more effectively than one that is too strong, which leaves resin in hair. A mild acidic rinse removes accumulated resin. Cold brewing releases saponins but little resin, an advantage when washing hair. A small piece of lime rind (1/2"x1/2") in the brewing vessel (I prefer a glass jar; Mason jars are ideal) increases its cleaning power. Soap nut solution has a lot of slip, so be careful while handling glass jars or getting out of a soap nut solution bath in the tub.

[cmg]

I buy my nuts in Scandinavia or Germany, usually at prices like 20 Euro per Kilogramm nuts. Usually I buy them without the nuts inside it.

Nuts. They arent nuts, really. I just keep saying that :cool: :D

In Indian ayurvedic traditional products and remedies the species S. mukurossi is very common, though it is not the only species in usage. Sapindus mukurossi is said to be the strongest of the soapnut trees with 17,2% extractable saponines, but it is blended with others. The usually exported portions of soapnuts contain a blend of S. mukurossi and S. laurifolius. The reetha powder on the other hand is often made of pure S. laurifolius or a blend of S. laurifolius and S. trifoliatus (some say they are the same species).

The most common soapnut on the american continent is S. saponaria. The indigenous people in places like Hawai, Mexico, Samoa, Fidji and other places use a species called S. marginatus and a few others.

(This information comes from various scientific reports, but I have also myself noticed that there have to be several different species among the commercially available nuts.)

/ CMG

[cmg]

Additional info:

The total content of saponines in soapnuts can be up to 43-67% (varies between species, place of growth, season etc) but it is not easy to extract all of it.

About the cooking to get the saponines out:

I use the cooking method five to eight minutes boiling to get a strong sud. Then I use the leftover nuts either in the machine wash or dry them up and grind them to a powder, which I use as I would use reetha/arita powder.

I have not found any valid data for soapnuts, but for chick peas and lentils:

The saponine content in the water after boiling chick peas is 2-5%, which is ok for many household purposes. The chick peas lost 44-52% of their original saponine content due to the boiling process (it got destroyed), the rest could not be utilized. Lentils lost 6-14% of their original saponine content into the water. The lentils lost 15-31% of their original saponine content due to the boiling process (it got destroyed), the rest could not be utilized.

All data after 120 minutes of boiling.

So I would stay on the safe side of these 120 minutes at least.

/ CMG

[terpentyna]

So much fun info in this thread! *bookmarks*

[snowcloud]

damn cmg you have been throwin down some info.. two thumbs up

[cmg]

Did a big info-search a few years ago about stuffs containing saponines. Just happen to have some of it left on my computer. And I like the soapnuts (and other soap containing herbs as well) :)

/ CMG

[amber-rose]

could you anwser my questions ? , i love to try :)

[Kyaatje]

Did one with lime, aloe and lavender : totally loved it. Next time I'm not adding the nuts ... I was lazy and didnt strain it felt all gritty and I'm plukking bits out of my hair 2 days later ;-)

[snowcloud]

i have a few questions :P here they come

1. how long do you soke the soapnuts before you use the blender ?

2. you say you use 1/4 to mix with the gum and other ingredients to make a shampoo, so you can make 4 shampoos out of the batch blenderd soapnuts ??

3. how do you store the soapnut mix and for how long ?

4. how do you store the shampoo?


sorry for my crappy englisch :( i'm from holland :P

Im so sorry i didn't get back to you sooner.. Ok i will try to answer these in order:

1) over night

2) I say to use a 1/4 cup because that will guarantee get any head clean.. You can however work with smaller percentages when mixing with other liquids like teas and juices.. Generally that batch you seen me make will last me around about 10 - 15 shampoos... About a month.. Its all your personal preference though..

3) refrigerate it and add some lemon juice for preservation.. Don't try to keep it for more than a month or so..

4) the soapnuts themselves come in a little cloth bag.. Just tossed in my little cupboard basically.

[snowcloud]

Ok you guys Im back with another recipe.. Did this one tonight and tried to snap some photos before the sun went down :sun:


Citrus Sweet Shampoo

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of Clementine Juice
1/4 cup of Orange Juice
1/4 cup of Saponin Liquid
3/4 tsp. of Guar Gum
9 drops of Sweet Orange Oil


Note: You can get the texture of this one really frothy if you have some really dense saponin liquid and you go easy on the guar gum.

Directions: Juice yourself about half a cup of lemon and orange juice and throw it in the blender. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend at high speed for ruffly 40 seconds for extra frothiness. Take it out and get down to business.

http://allyouneedtoknow.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rsz_bipsauce.png

http://allyouneedtoknow.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rsz_cracksauce.png

http://allyouneedtoknow.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rsz_dripsauce.png

[GrowingGlory]

Ooh! I want to try something like that with a fresh clementine.

[Rosethorn]

I really want to try this but I'm worried about the lemon juice used for preservation lightening my hair. Does anybody know if that will happen or if I'm just being paranoid?

[snowcloud]

I really want to try this but I'm worried about the lemon juice used for preservation lightening my hair. Does anybody know if that will happen or if I'm just being paranoid?


its not really that much lemon anyway.. I only put a 1/4 slice of lemon in with that first jar of soapnut liquid. it ain't gonna change nothin. Plus you are just washing it in and out real quick.

And you could always use other citrus fruit.. like GrowingGlory was sayin about the clementines.. Those will be a lot less abrasive but still have citric acid for preservation.

To be honest I have had a lot of experience with lemon and found that its true lightening abilities only shine through with lengthen exposure to the sun :sun:

[LizTheLyre]

i'm totally into this soap nut thing, it's at the top of my "to try" list, but i'm not crazy about blending and straining, could i just use the liquid/tea? and if i could, would i have to change any of the recipes?

[snowcloud]

i'm totally into this soap nut thing, it's at the top of my "to try" list, but i'm not crazy about blending and straining, could i just use the liquid/tea? and if i could, would i have to change any of the recipes?

You can just make single batches of tea if you want or just fill up one of the muslin bags that NaturOli provides for you when you buy their soapnuts.. You can take that little bag right there and throw it in a jar if you wanted.. You do not have to pulverize the soapnuts like i did.. :cool:

http://allyouneedtoknow.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rsz_rsz_hpim0373.png

[cmg]

I have a real trouble deciding what reciepe to try next :(

About the storage: I dont really know if they get bad because of this, but they do contain up to 30% oils. I think you should be able to smell it if they have gone bad. :confused: I have never had any go bad, and the mixes I keep stored in the fridge or at roomtemperature till they are used up. The dont go bad within two weeks anyhow.

/ CMG

[snowcloud]

I have a real trouble deciding what reciepe to try next :(

You should try mixing one up with some cucumber and aloe... super nourishment :disco:

[Rosethorn]

Thanks for the info. I'm just waiting for my soapnuts to get here.... :)

[snowcloud]

Thanks for the info. I'm just waiting for my soapnuts to get here.... :)

Rosethorn.. Are you a vegan? What do you plan to do with your soapnut mixtures.. I was gonna say if you are not vegan.. Soapnut Tea + Greek Yogurt = WIN :)

[Rosethorn]

Nope. Not a vegan. Unfortunately, my hair hates protein so I was going to experiment with one of the guar gum recipes. Ordered some of that, too. :)

[snowcloud]

You should try using some colloidal oatmeal.

[AutumnJasmine]

I have been curious about soapnuts ever since I saw the youtube video by Henna Sooq. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD5Zix75xIs

[Kyaatje]

Weeehaaaa had real foamy hair for the first time with soapnuts :D
I don't like the feel of guar gum in my products so I set the soapnuts to soak and then just whip a batch up when I'm going to wash my hair. Today I mixed in some lavender, grapefruit and rosemarin EO .... Real simple, stays fluffy in the jar for a little bit with liquid on the bottom, but qI do love it that way

[Rosethorn]

My first experiment went well. I made a small batch for starters. I blended the soapnut fluff with lavender eo, some herb tea (peppermint, thyme,rosemary), and some guar gum. It seemed a bit too.... set. Stiff like a jelly, almost. So I think I'll use less guar next time. Also, I think I didn't put enough soap in. I was having trouble measuring the fluff. It's fun to play with, though. I really liked this and I know I'll keep experimenting. Thanks for the info and the recipes, snowcloud. And the spiffy pictures.

[snowcloud]

My first experiment went well. I made a small batch for starters. I blended the soapnut fluff with lavender eo, some herb tea (peppermint, thyme,rosemary), and some guar gum. It seemed a bit too.... set. Stiff like a jelly, almost. So I think I'll use less guar next time. Also, I think I didn't put enough soap in. I was having trouble measuring the fluff. It's fun to play with, though. I really liked this and I know I'll keep experimenting. Thanks for the info and the recipes, snowcloud. And the spiffy pictures.

Yah the guar gum can be a tricky little buggar to work with and kinda thickens differently to each new mix.. You will get it down though. You kinda just gotta eyeball it.. :rolleyes:

My main appraoch with guar gum is to have the recipe finish with a consistency that will easily dissolve into bath water.. For instance if you were to drop a little bit of your recipe into your bath and it doesn't immediately break apart with a little water movement, then you went a little to heavy on the guar gum..

To be honest though.. that lathery and soapy texture you are looking for actually comes from the froth of the soapnut liquid. Don't be afraid to throw good amounts of it in your recipes.. Your only gonna end up getting cleaner :D

[cubedcoley]

Bumping this thread in the hopes that there will be some new interest in these amazing soapberries! I have some on order...might have to finally post some pictures of my hair to document the results. If you have not already, head on over to the "I wrote a book and wanna share it" thread by OP Snowcloud. It ROCKS!!

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?p=2296157#post2296157

[itdontmatter48]

Wow snowcloud, your hair looks super soft and shiny. I will be looking into soap nuts. TY

[TeaEarlGreyHot]

I've been using soap nuts for years to do my kids' laundry/diapers. I buy them online ALL the time, but have seen them in some grocery stores in the laundry/household aisle.

I'm currently making up a batch of shampoo using soapnuts, lemon, sweet orange essential oil, honey and maybe some carboxymethyl cellulose from Mehandi.com since I've abandoned indigo (just to see if it does anything).

[CurlyCap]

Well, last night I did a soapnut trial. As a curly, it's very hard for me to cleanse my hair without overdrying it. Rumors of soapnuts cleansing without stripping made me figure it was worth a try.

However, since I cleanse so rarely, I knew it would be useless to make a formula that would last for 10-16 washes. I wanted a tea for a single wash.

Here's what I did:
1. Purchased the trial pack of soapnuts from NaturOli. 15-20 soapnuts came with two muslin bags. Purchased through Amazon, $6.99 + free shipping.

2. When I got home, I placed all the soapnuts into a quart sized tupperware of lukewarm water, then went about my usual after-work business. I figured an hour of steeping should be fine if people are using the same amount of soap nuts for a laundry cycle (~30min). By the time I came back, the total steep time turned out to be ~1.5 hrs.

3. I took the tea (light brown in color), shook it, and saw plenty of bubbles form. It couldn't form a complete foam...but still plenty of bubbles. Transferred to an old water bottle for ease of showering.
http://i.imgur.com/OHvEW.jpg?1

4. In shower, wet my hair and then poured soapnut tea over everything. Let it sit while I took care of other bathing things.

5. Rinsed as normal.

Overall, it was okay. It was obvious that my hair was cleaner (and I'd used a silicone containing conditioner the night before which left a noticeable residue). My hair did not feel stripped. HOWEVER, the smell during the entire process was horrendous. So instead of letting my hair dry to see the end of effect of the washing, I had to condition to try to mask the smell. Today I have soft clean hair, so it's obvious the soapnuts had no negative effect. I just don't know how good the results would have been if I hadn't conditioned.

Tips for next time:
1. Add some kind of positive smell to the tea. Otherwise, I won't be willing to pour it on my head again.

2. Steep in warm water (or heat tea before using), because pouring tepid water over your head in the shower is unpleasant.

Anyway, thought I'd share. If you don't mind the smell, it turns out that this is a cheap and effective way to cleanse your hair.

[DinaAG]

trying to find it here in Egypt but cant so far :'( i sooooooooo want to try it!!

[katfemme89]

Where can average folk purchase these in a small town? Would my only option be to buy online?

[snowcloud]

Anyway, thought I'd share. If you don't mind the smell, it turns out that this is a cheap and effective way to cleanse your hair.


Hey Curlycap :)

I see you are studying the soapnuts.. They are a bit smelly arent they :eyebrows:

LOL I was reading what you had made, and I can't help but express my encouragment for a more nourishing recipe.

I wanted you to take a look at what I made this afternoon:

http://berryhairy.com/images/baby-herbal-kiwi-cream.jpg

I call it.. Baby Herbal Kiwi Cream :grnbiggri

ingredients

• a handful of fresh baby dill
• one avocado
• one kiwi
• a little water


All I did was squeeze the juice from one kiwi and a fat handful of fresh baby dill. That gave me about half cup of juice. I then blended the juice with a one big avocado and strained that mixture as well..

You could easily do something like that with your soapberry liquid...

I guess what I really mean to say is that if you really are only going to treat yourself to a thorough washing every once and a while. It should be entirely luxurious and nourishing to your dome piece every time. :D

Trust.. I really don't wash my hair that often. Its not necessary.

You will find that simple tea base cleansers will often leave your hair feeling a tad disappointed that you didn't spice it up a bit more.

:blossom: ..Think of it like therapy.. :blossom:

[Blondschopf]

Hiya :)

Obviously we're quite lucky in Germany, you can get a package of soap nut husks in our biggest drug store chain called "dm" for just a few bucks and amazon sells the kilogram for 11 Euros :)) And a little bag is also included ^^

I have to say I haven't tried them as a shampoo yet but just recently I made a VERY STRONG laundy detergent following this recipe:

- about 80 grams of soap nut shells
- 1 litre water
- 2 teaspoons citric acid (over here you find crystalline citric acid where the cleaners are because ppl obviously put that stuff in their coffee machines for cleaning :P but it kinda comes down to the same as adding fresh lemon juice / peels I guess)
- 25 drops of your favourite EO

The nuts for this recipe are boiled for one hour, which - I have to say - leaves your kitchen smelling absolutely horrible. I also feel that you don't need to heat the nut/water - mix at all.
But on our packaging it normally says: Break the shells into smaller pieces, that way you increase the surface from which the saponins can come out. That seems kinda logical to me so I always do that. For my shampoo I think I'll just to the kind of "cold tea" - method. Add a little lemon (or - for that matter - rosemary tea, peppermint tea, sage... all have the same anti-germ-effect!) and you're good to go ^^

By the way: Because I'm lazy and forgetful I have in my posession a little bottle with soapnut shampoo/ detergent, that I didn't infuse with a ton of stuff to keep it fresh and I've had it standing on my "hair-desk" for over a year now I guess. It's not in the fridge, it is subject to sunlight, yet it looks as if it's been there for one day, not 300 ;) I hope that can cool down your worries a bit (ok i'll give it to ya - I live in a cooooold european country *harhar* Maybe wouldn't have done it in Florida or Australia ;) )

But I'll definitely have to try some of the recipes here, thanks a ton for sharing!!!!

[ravenreed]

Soapnuts may be natural, but I don't necessarily think that they are better for me. The worst allergic reaction I ever had from a hair cleanser was from soapnuts. I could instantly see the skin turn red where ever the foam touched! Then the itching and flaking set in. Not just on my scalp, but on my hands and arms too! It was not fun. I will stick with my CO routine full of all those chemicals that don't give me hives wherever they touch me. Even shampoo doesn't give me that bad a reaction. I didn't even dare use them in my laundry after that bad a reaction.

ETA: I am going to snip the original post a bit.



I was curious if any of you guys actually use soapnuts on a regular basis..

http://allyouneedtoknow.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/soapnuts-in-hand.jpg

I found this post that Diamondbell made about different herbs and I noticed she had soapnuts listed on there but, I didn't see much response about it:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=10900

I have been using soapnuts for years now. I haven't washed my hair with shampoo in.. I can't even remember.. While I have been reading around some of the cleanser type of posts, I noticed that some of you still use shampoo. And I guess I would just like to share what i personally think is an even BETTER natural alternative..

[silverthread]

I've used homemade soapnut shampoo twice now, and I love it. I made a "mild" batch (10 berries in 2 cups of water), and made one of the lighter recipes in Berry Hairy (by Snowcloud). My hair is soft, not greasy, but not stripped. I highly recommend soapnuts (if you're not allergic), and snowcloud's book, too!

[henné]

I've used soap nut powder before (or as it says 'reetha powder' on the bag) and it worked for me, but I felt like it dried out my hair a little too much. The truth is that I used some sort of haphazard 'recipe' how to prepare them online and all I can remember is soaking the powder in hot water for a while before washing my hair with it. It was a bit too gritty for me too, but I guess that would be totally avoided by using whole or partially broken up soap nuts. I want to definitely try it, but the only store that I saw that carries soap nuts around here sells them for quite a lot of moolah ... yeah yeah, Sweden ... But perhaps I could try to buy them off amazon.co.uk then.

Will subscribe to the thread to read other folks' experiences. :)

[snowcloud]

Soapnuts may be natural, but I don't necessarily think that they are better for me. The worst allergic reaction I ever had from a hair cleanser was from soapnuts. I could instantly see the skin turn red where ever the foam touched! Then the itching and flaking set in. Not just on my scalp, but on my hands and arms too! It was not fun. I will stick with my CO routine full of all those chemicals that don't give me hives wherever they touch me. Even shampoo doesn't give me that bad a reaction. I didn't even dare use them in my laundry after that bad a reaction.

ETA: I am going to snip the original post a bit.

Hey Raven.. Sry to hear you had such a bad reaction. :(

Do you happen to know if the reaction actually came from the saponin or just the soapberry in general.. Well, I guess that is a dumb question. That would be almost impossible to tell..

I am tryn to find other reliable sources of natural surfactants. I know there are some other plants that can clean your hair, but most of them are not readily available.

[ravenreed]

I have terrible allergic reactions to many things and often times natural products are worse for me than conventional ones... I think at this point it is better to stick with what works. I am glad that they work so well for other folks.


Hey Raven.. Sry to hear you had such a bad reaction. :(

Do you happen to know if the reaction actually came from the saponin or just the soapberry in general.. Well, I guess that is a dumb question. That would be almost impossible to tell..

I am tryn to find other reliable sources of natural surfactants. I know there are some other plants that can clean your hair, but most of them are not readily available.

[Deborah]

I experimented quite a bit with soapnuts a few years ago. It was fun to try, but washing my hair with them caused my hair to be way too dry. I used them many times for laundry, but the clothing was not really getting clean. So I used up the largish bag I had bought, then gave up on them.

[vatikagirl]

Hi snowcloud, thanks for such cool recipes. I don't know how did I miss this post but when I read it I was like :applause
Now there a few questions that are bugging me.

1. How well does the recipe with guar gum and other juices lather? say like does it lather like a commercial shampoo itself or more like a herbal shampoo type?

2. Is that same recipe capable of removing oil for hair which has been oiled to an extent that they look oil-slick?

3. Have you ever tried making the saponin tea by soaking and thereafter boiling the soapnut and then pulverizing them? If yes what were the results?

4. Do you yourself do any pre-saponin shampoo wash treatment for your hair?! like pre-wash oiling or pre-wash protein hair mask etc.

Would appreciate if you could volunteer anymore info on this subject.
Thanks for all the lovely recipes and snaps that you have posted.

I read somewhere that you have a published book under your belt, would love to hear about that too.

[linnepinne]

Thanks flr all the tips and recipes in this thread!
I've had some soap nuts laying around my cupboard, and I've tried them on my hair before, but I forgot what I thought about it, lol!
So now I just made a batch of thick foam that I will try during my next wash. Only, I hope I did not release too much resin since I boiled them for about 5-10 mins. If I feel like they leave some kind of residue on my hair, I'll just make a cold tea over night and try that before I decide that it's not for me.

Tank you all again!

[Denebi]

I tried a self-made soap nut shampoo yesterday, and the results are great! My scalp feels balanced (not too dry, but also not greasy), and my rather brittle ends aren't half as dry as they normally are after a shampoo wash.

Thanks to snowcloud and his wonderful book I used the following "recipe":

5 or 6 soap nut husks, cooked several minutes in more or less a cup of water, then blended into foamy saponin liquid,
a squirt of lemon juice,
a few drops lavender and neem essential oils,
a teaspoon of coconut oil,
enough xantham gum.

(sorry, I never cook with exact numbers, just cannot do it! I just throw things together until it somehow "feels" right :o)

I squeezed it through the soap nut bag which was kindly added to my soap nut order and then stored it in the fridge.


And although I have chalky hard water it washed out completely, no problems with residue on my hair.

[veggielocks]

Thanks for sharing! I have used soap nuts to wash some laundry but I never thought of using them to wash my hair. I will have to try it sometime :)

[HairySherry]

This may have already been asked but I'm feeling a little lazy and don't want to read through the whole thread. :) Does a shampoo made of soap nuts do anything to combat dandruff? If not on its own, would adding some Tea Tree Oil help at all? Thanks!

[Denebi]

Yes, soap nuts are said to help with dandruff. And you certainly can add tea tree oil to it, in fact, adding essential oils is rather a good idea. Soap nuts tend to smell... disgusting all on their own. ;)

[HairySherry]

Yes, soap nuts are said to help with dandruff. And you certainly can add tea tree oil to it, in fact, adding essential oils is rather a good idea. Soap nuts tend to smell... disgusting all on their own. ;)
Haha, thank you for the advice Denebi! I will keep that in mind!

[snowcloud]

I tried a self-made soap nut shampoo yesterday, and the results are great! My scalp feels balanced (not too dry, but also not greasy), and my rather brittle ends aren't half as dry as they normally are after a shampoo wash.

Thanks to snowcloud and his wonderful book I used the following "recipe":

5 or 6 soap nut husks, cooked several minutes in more or less a cup of water, then blended into foamy saponin liquid,
a squirt of lemon juice,
a few drops lavender and neem essential oils,
a teaspoon of coconut oil,
enough xantham gum.

(sorry, I never cook with exact numbers, just cannot do it! I just throw things together until it somehow "feels" right :o)

I squeezed it through the soap nut bag which was kindly added to my soap nut order and then stored it in the fridge.


And although I have chalky hard water it washed out completely, no problems with residue on my hair.


LoL.. I don't like to measure my stuff either. It is more fun to just throw it in their and start blending LOL :applause

This recipe sounds sweet.. a perfect example of an easy and unique hair cleanser. I hope you enjoyed it :D

Me and Ryan are working on some some new stuff at the moment. Just got another shipment in of that true, fine-grade colloidal oatmeal. :bounce:

[Denebi]

Yes, I did enjoy it, thanks a lot for the inspiration :)

So, I supplied myself with that magical oatmeal, too. It's cheap and I can get it anywhere, I really have to give it a try the next time I'm blending my 'poo.

Moreover, nearly every room here has several Aloe Vera plants. They will overgrow me sooner or later. Now's the time to bring those lazy little bastards to good use! ;)

[jojo]

I first used soapnuts in 2008 and had great results; more shine and body plus my hair grew a little quicker with them, probably due to soapnuts being an antifungal and antibacterial, therefore they optimise the scalp.
You do not need to blend the nuts at all, ive just gone back to these and this is what i do. I use about 15 nuts and place them in a large 3 pint bowl with a teaspoon of citric acid ( you could use lemon juice) and a tablespoon of coconut oil, i leave this mixture over night. In the morning i squeeze the nuts and then add a small say 100mls in a container with a lid and i shake the mixture, this produces a foam. I add this foam to lightly coconut oiled hair, i dont massage in just place it on my hair and i wait ten minutes,then i rinse with warm water and finish with cold. My hair at this stage feels slightly coated but not in a coney way but even wet my hair feels thicker, probably due to not having chemicals weighing it down.
Once my hair is damp i take a pea sized amount of coconut oil and place it ears down , concentrating on the ends of my hair.

Once my hair is dry its incredibly shiny, more body is apparent, my waves are more pronounced and my hair overall feels stonger, all these results get better each time.
It does take a bit of trial and error to get the mix right to meet your own individual needs and reports of greasy hair the first few goes is not uncommon, but stick with it it is so worth it.
I really dont know why i stopped doing this, but im so happy to have made the choice of going back to them. Going to try and stick to this routine as i know its better for my hair and my pocket!

Forgot to say you can reuse the nuts 3 times but may need to leave the mixture on a little longer as its weaker and a bowl mix lasts me or should nearly two weeks. You can blend the used nuts when they have been used three times to use as a face pack but no need to blend to make the shampoo!

[kaydana]

I'm really tempted to try this. My hair seems to have got bored of CO, so it's time to try something else, and I really like the idea of using natural products.

I'm interested to know how this is going to work out cost-wise though. I can get 1kg of soapnuts (with the seeds in) for £11, how many washes can I expect from a kg (using the liquid as it is, not one of the luxurious sounding shampoos)?

Would it work to make the liquid (not the blended one, just the soapnut "tea"), put it in a spray bottle and use that to apply it in the shower? I'm not bothered about it being foamy and it seems like it would be a good way to apply it evenly, but I'm not sure how thick the liquid is.

[redsiren]

I looked it up and I can get them pretty cheap over here(in the netherlands)
10 euro's for one kilo, so I might just give this a try:)
Whenever I oil my hair I am so sad that I can't get it out ofmy hair with co washing so I have to shampoo, I feel like I loose a lot of precious moisture that way.
I would be so happy if this is the holy grail i've been looking for, i've tried so many things ( I like trying things tho)
But thank you in advance for all the information you have provided:)

[Kyaatje]

Redsiren if you want to order online I know a site that sells them cheaper, but I don't recall the postal price

[redsiren]

What was this site?

[Kyaatje]

here you go : http://www.plant-and-warmth.be/index.php?cPath=75
I myself ordered there and the quality of the nuts is really very good. I ordered with a couple of friends so that we could split the postal costs. The soapnuts are at €4,95

[redsiren]

That's a lot cheaper indeed:)
Thank you.

ETA: the shopping is the Same as it would be if I ordered within the netherlands and they have alot of other cool stuff too:p

Hehe, I meant shipping:p

[SleepyTangles]

I've tried soapnut wash yesterday, and it's sooo good!!! My hair feels lovely, soft and silky! :crush::crush::crush:

[Kyaatje]

That's a lot cheaper indeed:)
Thank you.

ETA: the shopping is the Same as it would be if I ordered within the netherlands and they have alot of other cool stuff too:p

Hehe, I meant shipping:p

I know, I found them only recently but what a price differance, right !

[jojo]

I'm really tempted to try this. My hair seems to have got bored of CO, so it's time to try something else, and I really like the idea of using natural products.

I'm interested to know how this is going to work out cost-wise though. I can get 1kg of soapnuts (with the seeds in) for £11, how many washes can I expect from a kg (using the liquid as it is, not one of the luxurious sounding shampoos)?

Would it work to make the liquid (not the blended one, just the soapnut "tea"), put it in a spray bottle and use that to apply it in the shower? I'm not bothered about it being foamy and it seems like it would be a good way to apply it evenly, but I'm not sure how thick the liquid is.
See. above how i used them before, no need to blend and personally i wouldnt go for the ones with seeds in there not as good from my experience as the sticky shell ones. I will post you the link were a lot of us on here get them. I am trying to help you, through past experience, though wish id never bothered now as nobody seems to have paid the slightest bit of notice...oh and your very welcome!

[jojo]

See. above how i used them before, no need to blend and personally i wouldnt go for the ones with seeds in there not as good from my experience as the sticky shell ones. I will post you the link were a lot of us on here get them.
Here the link http://www.gogreen.cellande.co.uk/shop/products/soapnuts/soapnuts.php

[kaydana]

See. above how i used them before, no need to blend and personally i wouldnt go for the ones with seeds in there not as good from my experience as the sticky shell ones. I will post you the link were a lot of us on here get them. I am trying to help you, through past experience, though wish id never bothered now as nobody seems to have paid the slightest bit of notice...oh and your very welcome!

I hadn't realised the ones with seeds weren't as good as the ones without, thanks for letting me know (and thanks for the link).

I had read your other post, I just wanted to know if the liquid could be applied with a spray bottle rather than shaking it up to make foam as I've never had much luck in the past trying to put foamy stuff in my hair evenly. I'm also not sure how much soapnuts weigh, so wasn't sure how many I'd get for a kilogram. Maybe I worded the questions badly, I'm sorry if you thought I was asking stuff you'd already answered.

[TheHowlingWolf]

Sorry if this has been said, I kind of skimmed through some pages, but what type of conditioner can/do you use with this? I just ordered some new shampoo/conditioner but maybe later in the spring or in the summer time I would love to try this out! Can you use Indian herbs with it? I'm new to both soap nuts & Indian herbs so I have no clue where to start!!! What kind of things can you put into a mixture...anything? Or are there some things I should avoid? Like are some oils better than others (coconut oil vs. olive oil, etc)? I have a feeling that when I do make a mixture, I'll mess it up! lol so I'd like to do some more research and look for more recipes! :)

[Chlorophylliac]

Reviving. Just went back on the soapnut wagon. I'm finding my hair is quite picky, though! It likes tea steeped from the fruit - that's it. Anything else leaves a residue - even the powder. I can't figure out why; methinks it's an issue of the species of the soapnut used. I make a separate condish of aloe juice, amla, and shikakai. Anyone have new recipe ideas?

[vpatt]

I first used soapnuts in 2008 and had great results; more shine and body plus my hair grew a little quicker with them, probably due to soapnuts being an antifungal and antibacterial, therefore they optimise the scalp.
You do not need to blend the nuts at all, ive just gone back to these and this is what i do. I use about 15 nuts and place them in a large 3 pint bowl with a teaspoon of citric acid ( you could use lemon juice) and a tablespoon of coconut oil, i leave this mixture over night. In the morning i squeeze the nuts and then add a small say 100mls in a container with a lid and i shake the mixture, this produces a foam. I add this foam to lightly coconut oiled hair, i dont massage in just place it on my hair and i wait ten minutes,then i rinse with warm water and finish with cold. My hair at this stage feels slightly coated but not in a coney way but even wet my hair feels thicker, probably due to not having chemicals weighing it down.
Once my hair is damp i take a pea sized amount of coconut oil and place it ears down , concentrating on the ends of my hair.

Once my hair is dry its incredibly shiny, more body is apparent, my waves are more pronounced and my hair overall feels stonger, all these results get better each time.
It does take a bit of trial and error to get the mix right to meet your own individual needs and reports of greasy hair the first few goes is not uncommon, but stick with it it is so worth it.
I really dont know why i stopped doing this, but im so happy to have made the choice of going back to them. Going to try and stick to this routine as i know its better for my hair and my pocket!

Forgot to say you can reuse the nuts 3 times but may need to leave the mixture on a little longer as its weaker and a bowl mix lasts me or should nearly two weeks. You can blend the used nuts when they have been used three times to use as a face pack but no need to blend to make the shampoo!

Jo jo, do you add water to your mix? How much?