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Whether you made your own solid shampoo or bought it from a brand, a similar problem can arise: your solid shampoo crumbles. Its texture does not hold and it breaks into a thousand pieces. Several reasons can explain this phenomenon. It can be due to its composition, its manufacture, its use or its conservation. We will see first why your solid shampoo crumbles and especially when it is homemade. Then we'll see then how to do so that it does not break. Finally, that you have it home made ou bought from a specialized brand, we will finish by giving you advice on use and storage to prevent it from crumbling.

Why is my solid shampoo crumbling?

Solid shampoo is relatively fragile. We will give you solutions so that it is ready to be used without the risk of it breaking.

Reasons for a solid shampoo that breaks

The number one reason your solid shampoo may crumble is because of its makeup.. And this, especially when it is homemade. The solid shampoo is made from the most natural basic ingredients possible:   

• Mild surfactants that serve as emulsifiers and washing bases. They are essential in the recipe because they will allow the binding of all the ingredients. Therefore, they will prevent the shampoo from crumbling. They are going to be responsible for the texture of the solid shampoo. 
• An aqueous base which will also allow the ingredients to bind together at the time of preparation and prevent it from breaking.
• Vegetable oils or vegetable butters which will hydrate the hair. However, these oils will not be used to hold the shampoo solid, on the contrary they will rather soften it.
• Powders that will nourish and hydrate the hair, and sometimes even cleanse the scalp. My these are often responsible for a solid shampoo that becomes friable and brittle. 
• Essential oils that will nourish the hair. They do not act on the structure of the solid shampoo.  

The second reason for a solid shampoo that breaks can be due to a poor balance in the dosage of these ingredients.Here are the dosages to follow if you want your solid shampoo not to not break down into fragments. (These dosages are likely to vary depending on the recipe you have chosen. However, be careful that any ingredient is not under or over dosed): 

• the surfactant should be between 30% and 80%. Below 20% you will have difficulty keeping a solid texture and a solid shampoo that does not crumble. (We will see that there are alternative solutions in the next part if you want to minimize the surfactants in your recipe).
• The aqueous phase should not exceed 15-20% of the recipe. 
• Vegetable or mineral powders are between 10-30%. This percentage will depend on the nature of your hair and your tolerance to it. However we will see that they can be responsible fora solid shampoo that breaks and crumbles. 
• Vegetable oils or vegetable butters must be between 10 and 20%.
• Essential oils between 1 and 2%. They are optional in the recipe because they can be poorly tolerated by the skin. 

The third reason for a solid shampoo that crumbles can be due to its misuse and conservation. Whether your solid shampoo is homemade or bought from supermarkets or from a brand, misuse or poor storage can cause it to break. Indeed, some gestures are to be respected and others to be avoided. The fact that it does not have any packaging makes it necessary to maintain its hygiene and to take care of its environment. These are simple gestures and habits to take and we will see them in the last part of this article. 

But first, let's start from the beginning: the processes to be followed during its manufacture for prevent your solid shampoo from crumbling and breaks. 

How do I keep my solid shampoo from crumbling?

Find out in our article on making a solid shampoo, a complete guide and 5 recipe ideas that should keep your shampoo from crumbling.

Several solutions exist to prevent your solid shampoo from crumbling. Depending on the ingredients you used, find among the tips below, those that seem insightful to you to complete your future solid shampoo recipe:

• Increase the dosage of surfactants. 

The surfactant is an emulsifier. It is the element which will make the link between an aqueous phase and an oily phase and allow them not to be out of phase. It is therefore the essential element to make a solid shampoo with a solid structure that does not break down. 

The ideal thing for a solid shampoo to have a firm texture and not to crumble is to increase the dosage of surfactants in your recipe. A solid shampoo will struggle to be firm and compact below 30% surfactant. You can go up to 80% surfactants in your solid shampoo. However, we also don't recommend it to avoid stripping your hair. The ideal compromise is a washing base formulated between 30 and 60% surfactants. This way you will also have a solid shampoo that foams better.

Sometimes it is difficult to choose the surfactant that is suitable for both solid shampoo and our hair. To make solid shampoos well tolerated by the scalp while bringing a firm structure with solid shampoo and prevent it from breaking, it is advisable to use the combination of mild surfactants such as SCS Sodium Cocoyl Sulfate, with a very mild surfactant such as SCI Sodium cocoyl isethionate. 

If you are already using this combo but your shampoo is crumbling, change the dosages by increasing the SCS slightly and decreasing the SCI slightly. In fact, the more highly concentrated SCS maintains the strength of the shampoo much better than the SCI.

However, if you want a solid shampoo while avoiding surfactants as much as possible, there are other solutions that we will see below. 

•  Add cetearyl alcohol or cetyl alcohol in your preparation to prevent your solid shampoo crumbles. 

1. Cetearyl Alcohol: It is a mild emulsifier. It is used to thicken and stabilize the shampoo. It is therefore a consistency agent that will allow the solid shampoo to be more compact and therefore prevent it from breaking. We advise you to respect a dose of 0.5 to 2.5% for the purpose of your recipe. It melts from 50 degrees. We advise you to add it to your preparation at the same time as the surfactants. 
2. Cetyl alcohol is a co-emulsifier that is used in your preparation as a consistency agent to stabilize emulsions and modulate the texture of solid shampoo. It thickens it and therefore makes the pebble firmer and prevents it from breaking. We recommend that you use it in your recipe from 2 to 5% and incorporate it when mixing with the surfactants. 

Use one or the other but not both in your recipe as they serve the same role of thickener and stabilizer. If you have a preparation with a fairly high percentage of surfactant (more than 40%), use cetyl alcohol, which is co-emulsifier and which is very sufficient as a supplement. 

• Decrease the dosage of vegetable, mineral or ayurvedic powders in your preparation to prevent your solid shampoo from breaking: natural clay, nettle, rhassoul, neutral henna, Shikakaï, Reetha, Sidr ... Be careful, do not completely remove the powders from your recipe because they contribute to the strength of the shampoo and they are great for nourishing your hair. However, their composition naturally friable can cause the concern for crumbling of your solid shampoo if you use a lot of it. Do not add more than 10% of your recipe total, as it will be more difficult to mix the ingredients together and this can be the cause of your solid shampoo crumbling. 

• Add vegetable butters to your solid shampoo. Vegetable butters (cocoa, shea, mango kokum etc.) are naturally firm when dry and keep in the open air. They promote a texture that is both firm and creamy with solid shampoo and therefore allows it to be less crumbly and less brittle. 

• Add arrowroot starch to prevent your solid shampoo from breaking. Less common in preparations, this starch compensates for the lack of surfactants present in your recipe by acting as a thickener. It allows better hold for aqueous products in particular. We recommend it as a last resort because it is a thickening and binding agent, more than solidifying. It is used when mixing in a water bath with the other components and between 1 and 10%. 

• Increase the dosage of your aqueous solution to your recipe. You can add 5% water in your preparation for prevent your solid shampoo from crumbling. Indeed, water will be one of the binders when all the ingredients are merged together. It is important to have enough so that the ingredients bond and weld together. This tip is even more valid if you use very little surfactants. 

• Follow the steps to make your solid shampoo. Indeed, even if the majority of the components are natural, a little chemistry is necessary to obtain your pebble. If you do not follow the procedures well, you will probably end up with a structure that does not hold and therefore your solid shampoo will crumble. 

• Let your solid shampoo dry well. Once you have finished and incorporated the shampoo preparation into the mold, let it air dry for at least 2 hours. We do not recommend putting it in the refrigerator as this can weaken it and participate in its lack of firmness and its crumbling. Once it has dried enough to take it out of its mold, unmold it. Let it air dry for at least 48 hours. Note that ideally it is better to let it dry for 5 days.

How to use and store your solid shampoo so that it doesn't crumble?

It can be difficult when you first use a new object to know how to use it and how to keep it as long as possible over time. This is the case for solid shampoo. We will have to understand the actions to adopt so as not to damage it and that it does not crumble.

How to use your solid shampoo to prevent it from breaking

Use your solid shampoo the same way you use hand soap to prevent it from crumbling. Wet your hands, take your solid shampoo and lather it into them. Then gently apply the product to your scalp. Use circular motions and leave for a few seconds or a few minutes if possible. Do not rub your lengths and ends at the risk of applying too much product or damaging them. The latter are washed when you rinse your hair, by running shampoo on them. Do not hesitate to rinse your hair thoroughly to prevent the product from sticking to the scalp. To find out more precisely the right methods of rinsing your solid shampoo, it's here!

When you use your solid shampoo, there is things you shouldn't do at the risk of weakening your shampoo and your hair at the same time. 

• Do not apply the shampoo roller directly to your scalp. By rubbing, you risk damaging your skin, but also applying too much product that can irritate your scalp and finally destroy the shape of your solid shampoo. Over time, your solid shampoo will crumble and eventually break.

• Do not break your solid shampoo by applying it improperly. Apply the foam of the solid shampoo, not pieces of it on the hair. 

• Make only one application of the solid shampoo per shower and do not repeat it 2 or 3 times. A single pass of shampoo is enough to clean your hair. The risk is to use it excessively. As a result, your shampoo will have a fragile texture and will break more easily.

• If, despite everything, your solid shampoo breaks, collect the pieces. At the end, with broken solid shampoo remnants, you can powder it and then reform it into a solid shampoo using hot water. On very low heat, mix a little water and the pieces of shampoo. Once everything has melted, remove the homogeneous paste from the heat and leave to dry in a mold for about 2 hours. Remove it from the mold and let it dry for at least 48 hours.

How to keep your shampoo solid to prevent it from breaking

To prevent your solid shampoo from crumbling, you must first of all store it well. For that, nothing could be easier, but simply a habit to take. You should let your solid shampoo dry between each use. Moisture and strong shampoo don't mix. Indeed, water develops bacteria in the latter since it has no preservative. Bacteria can be responsible for a solid shampoo that crumbles. Finally, water will also modify its texture and make it more brittle. To avoid these complications, take care to keep your solid shampoo away from splashes and moisture. It goes through storage methods adequate. To quote the most simple and optimal:

• Put it in a box while being careful that it allows it to dry between each use (there are boxes specially designed for solid shampoo that allow moisture to escape).

• Place it on a soap dish far enough away so that the splashes do not reach it. 

• Put it on a cup or in a clean, dry washcloth that is only used for this purpose. 

In any case so that your soft shampoo solid keeps longer and does not crumble during use, let it dry avoiding water and humidity as much as possible between each shampoo.