The short answer is that there isn’t one universally “best” book or course, because shampoo bar manufacturing sits at the intersection of two different crafts: traditional soapmaking and modern cosmetic formulation. A good learning path will teach you both the practical side of making solid bars and the cosmetic science side-especially surfactants, pH, preservative strategy, and stability testing.

First, understand which type of shampoo bar you’re making

This matters more than most beginners realize. A true shampoo bar is usually a syndet bar, made with mild synthetic detergents like sodium cocoyl isethionate, sodium coco-sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine, and fatty alcohols or butters. These can be formulated at a hair-friendly pH, often around 4.5-5.5.

Many recipes called “shampoo bars” online are actually cold-process soap bars. They can work for some people, but because soap has a naturally high pH, they can leave hair rough, waxy, or irritated over time. If you want to sell shampoo bars as cosmetics in the EU or UK, you’ll also need to meet cosmetic product safety requirements. The best resources will make this distinction clear.

Best books

  • Scientific Soapmaking by Kevin M. Dunn - This is the most useful chemistry-focused book for cold-process and soap-based bars. It doesn’t focus only on hair, but it teaches pH, lye calculations, testing, and troubleshooting in a rigorous way.
  • Beginning Cosmetic Chemistry by Perry Romanowski and Randy Schueller - A practical introduction to surfactants, emulsions, preservatives, and product development. It’s especially useful if you want to formulate syndet shampoo bars rather than soap-based bars.
  • Soap Crafting by Anne-Marie Faiola - A friendly, recipe-driven book that includes shampoo bar-style projects and teaches solid bar formulation, colorants, and additives. Good for hands-on beginners.
  • The Soapmaker’s Companion by Susan Miller Cavitch - Useful if you are leaning toward more traditional, natural bar making. It covers cold-process soap chemistry and hair-care applications in a clear, readable way.

Best online courses

  • Formula Botanica - Certificate in Organic Haircare Formulation - One of the strongest professional-level options. It focuses on natural and organic haircare, including solid shampoo bars, and covers formulation, pH adjustment, ingredients, and cosmetic safety.
  • Institute of Personal Care Science - Shampoo Bar Short Courses - IPCS offers focused online short courses on shampoo bars, conditioner bars, and solid cosmetics. These are more technical and very useful if you want to formulate syndet bars properly.
  • The Nova Studio - Shampoo Bars eClass - A practical, on-demand class that walks through making shampoo bars, choosing surfactants, and testing pH. It is beginner-friendly but still formulation-focused.
  • Bramble Berry / Soap Queen tutorials - Not a formal course, but Anne-Marie Faiola’s free videos and blog posts on shampoo bars are an excellent starting point for seeing the process and understanding ingredients.

Don’t overlook supplier formularies

Some of the most current, reliable formulation knowledge for shampoo bars comes from ingredient manufacturers themselves. Suppliers like Croda, BASF, Stepan, and Innospec publish starting formulations, technical data sheets, and usage guidelines for surfactants such as sodium cocoyl isethionate, sodium lauryl sulfoacetate, and cocamidopropyl betaine. These are free and often more up to date than books, especially for syndet bars.

A practical learning path

  1. Decide which type of shampoo bar you want to make: soap-based or syndet-based.
  2. Study one strong formulation course, such as Formula Botanica or an IPCS shampoo bar course.
  3. Read a cosmetic chemistry book to understand surfactants, pH, and preservatives.
  4. Start with small test batches, record your formulas, and test pH, hardness, lather, and stability over several weeks.
  5. If selling, follow cosmetic regulations, including good manufacturing practice and, where required, a cosmetic product safety assessment.

For most serious makers, the best combination is a good hands-on course plus a solid chemistry reference book-and plenty of small-batch testing.