hair

Cocoa Butter Solid Conditioner Bar

A solid cocoa-butter conditioner bar with BTMS-50 for shine and detangling. Plastic-free, long-lasting — full recipe with exact grams and step-by-step.

By DIY Cosmetica ·
In this recipe
  1. Method:
  2. Notes:
  3. Related articles:

I’ve shared a recipe for a solid conditioner bar with mango butter in a previous post.

Mango butter is softer than cocoa butter and contains more fatty acids; Mango butter can be more nourishing to the hair.

I’m sharing a solid conditioner bar with cacao butter in this post. Cocoa butter can protect the hair from sun damage, and it helps create a harder bar.

I love to try new recipes for my conditioners. The bars last for a long time and can be easily travelled with. With a solid bar, there is no spill, no mess.

For the conditioning agent, we will need a cationic surfactant, I’m using BTMS50, but in the notes below, you can find alternatives.

BTMS could be hard to melt sometimes. You can grind it into powder before adding it to the beaker. As a powder, it will melt quickly and easily.

I’ve added a little mica powder to color my bars purple. This is optional. You can use any cosmetic grade mica to make your bars colourful.

Once you make your bar, you can use it as soon as it’s solidified. If you want your bar to last longer, make sure to let it dry in between uses.

To use the conditioner bar, you will need to wet your hair and glide the bar onto the hair. You will see the white conditioning cream on your hair. Leave it on the hair for a couple of minutes, and then rinse it.

Method:

  1. In a heat-resistant beaker, add the BTMS50.

Cocoa Butter Solid Conditioner Bar — step 1

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  1. Add the stearic acid.

Cocoa Butter Solid Conditioner Bar — step 2

  1. Add the cetyl alcohol.

Cocoa Butter Solid Conditioner Bar — step 3

  1. Add the cacao butter.

Cocoa Butter Solid Conditioner Bar — step 4

  1. Add the berry wax.

Cocoa Butter Solid Conditioner Bar — step 5

  1. Add the broccoli seed oil.

Cocoa Butter Solid Conditioner Bar — step 6

  1. In a different heat resistance container, add phase B, and start with the glycerin.

Cocoa Butter Solid Conditioner Bar — step 7

  1. Add the citric acid.

Cocoa Butter Solid Conditioner Bar — step 8

  1. Mix to dissolve the citric acid in the glycerin.

Cocoa Butter Solid Conditioner Bar — step 9

  1. Add phase B into phase A.

Cocoa Butter Solid Conditioner Bar — step 10

  1. Place the beaker into a double boiler on medium heat.

Cocoa Butter Solid Conditioner Bar — step 11

  1. When all is melted, remove from the heat.

Cocoa Butter Solid Conditioner Bar — step 12

  1. When the temperature is cooled down a little, add the fragrance and the preservative.

Cocoa Butter Solid Conditioner Bar — step 13

Cocoa Butter Solid Conditioner Bar — step 14

  1. Add the mica color and stir to combine.

Cocoa Butter Solid Conditioner Bar — step 15

Cocoa Butter Solid Conditioner Bar — step 16

Cocoa Butter Solid Conditioner Bar — step 17

  1. Check the ph and adjust if necessary. To learn more about ph adjustment, please read this post. Between 4.5-and 5.5 is fine.

Cocoa Butter Solid Conditioner Bar — step 18

  1. Pour into silicone molds and let the bars solidify for a couple of hours. You can place them in the fridge to speed up the process.

Cocoa Butter Solid Conditioner Bar — step 19

Cocoa Butter Solid Conditioner Bar — step 20

Cocoa Butter Solid Conditioner Bar — step 21

Notes:

  • BTMS50 is an emulsifying and conditioning agent. It is plant-based. The INCI is Behentrimonium Methosulfate (and) Cetyl Alcohol (and) Butylene Glycol. You can replace it with Varisoft EQ 65 (INCI Name: Distearoylethyl Dimonium Chloride (and) Cetearyl Alcohol) or Emulsense HC (INCI Name: Brassicyl Isoleucinate Esylate (and) Brassica Alcohol) in case you choose Emulsense™ HC, you will probably need to raise the PH, and it is only compatible with arginine for adjusting the pH. Check this post on how to adjust PH.

  • If you want to swap the berry wax, you can use Myrica fruit wax or add 5g of cetyl alcohol (20g of cetyl alcohol in total).

  • You can swap the broccoli seed oil with argan oil, fractionated coconut oil or jojoba oil. You can also use an oil infusion. To learn more about infusing oils please check this post.

  • If you use different preservatives, check the supplier instructions regarding how much to use and what PH level is recommended for the specific preservative.

  • I use fragrance oil in this recipe, but you can use the essential oil of your choice. Please make sure you are using an essential oil safe for this product. Some essential oils can irritate the scalp, and some are not suitable when pregnant or breastfeeding.

  • Mica powder is optional, you can use any color you like.

Learn more about the ingredients in this recipe

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