In this post on shampoo bars, Bella asked: Is it ok to make a syndet shampoo bar without cocamidopropyl betaine" Everyone makes it seem like an impossibility, but there is a company that makes them and they are sellilng very well and I don't see that ingredient in their product. The company is Ethique, here is the ingredients: Sodium cocoyl isethionate, sodium coco-sulfate, decyl glucoside, stearic acid, Cocos nucifera (coconut) butter, Theobroma cacao (cocoa) butter, vegetable glycerine, coco caprylate, cetearyl alcohol, coconut milk powder, Mentha piperita (peppermint oil), copper chlorophyll, lactic acid. I read that cocamidopropyl betaine some people are very sensitive to, so I was hoping to do without it. It is also really hard to find in small amounts to buy. Is using decyl glucoside enough to make the bar less irritating"
Yes, we can completely make a shampoo bar without cocamidopropyl betaine, but there are so many reasons to use it. Here are two...

1. It helps melt sodium cocoyl isethionate well. SCI can be a bit of a pain to melt, especially if you're dealing with noodles or flakes, and cocamidopropyl betaine gets that process going faster.

2. Cocamidpropyl betaine makes surfactant blends milder, which means less irritation.

Decyl glucoside isn't the mild surfactant everyone seems to think it is. It's nice and all, but it can have a super high pH - we're talking as high as 11, which is terrible for hair - and very few people think about reducing that...