Manufacture of Shampoos

​Shampoos are a mixture of surfactants, conditioning agents and many other ingredients in an aqueous base. In addition to basic shampoos which simply clean the hair, there are products designed for specific hair types; “2-in-1” shampoos and conditioners; products which offer properties such as treatment of dandruff; UV protection; some degree of coloring (although most hair colorants are based on conditioners rather than shampoos); and “medicated” products. ​

The video below shows how to dilute  a key ingredient in shampoos:

The Process

A typical manufacturing process would be as follows: 

• Water is metered into the process vessel. This is often heated to around 130-140℉ (55-60℃) to aid dilution/hydration of other ingredients.
• The first ingredient added is normally the surfactant, as other additives, particularly those which affect viscosity, can make dilution of the surfactant more difficult.
• Conditioners and other ingredients are added.
• pH is adjusted to the required level.
• Sodium chloride or other viscosity modifiers are added last, along with color and fragrance.

Formulations vary widely, however, the range of ingredients used can be summarized in the following table: