A great way to cut down on toxins in the home is by making your own shampoo. This all-natural shampoo is made with castile soap, essential oils, and jojoba oil. All of which can help restore damaged hair, hydrate your strands, and help to replenish natural oils.
Making your own homemade shampoo can be a very simple DIY project that will help restore your hair and promote hair growth.
With a combination of castile soap, water, and essential oils, you can make an all-natural shampoo for any hair type.
After trying a few natural shampoos, I decided to make my own because it is a whole lot cheaper! If you aren’t a DIYer, you can most definitely find natural recipes that work great, but not without a hefty price tag.
Another great option for your hair that is cost-effective would be shampoo bars. Shampoo bars can be very moisturizing, which is great for dry, damaged hair.
Ready to get toxins out of your home? Grab myebook with my favorite DIY all-natural products.
WHY MAKE YOUR OWN SHAMPOO?
Traditional shampoos are made up of a number of ingredients you will want to avoid. They generally contain ingredients that have been known to mimic estrogen, causing hormone imbalances as well as carcinogens and allergens.
Plus, essential oils can be used to strengthen and help withhair growth. I love using these same essential oils in serums, hair masks, and even hair sprays.
WHAT ARE THE BEST INGREDIENTS FOR DIY SHAMPOO?
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CASTILE SOAP
Castile soap is a very concentrated, vegetable-based soap. It is typically made out of olive oil or coconut oil. It has natural antibacterial properties that can help kill infections on the skinand is also known to help with skin imperfections, such as acne.
Castile soap is a gentle soap that can be used on sensitive skin, and it is very beneficial for the face. You can buy it scented or unscented; I prefer unscented because I will be adding essential oils to this recipe.
JOJOBA OIL
Jojoba oil is very moisturizing and can protect the scalp against dry, flaky skin and dandruff. It is rich in vitamins and minerals like vitamins A, B, and C, as well as zinc. All of which are amazing for the hair. If you have greasy hair, you can leave this out of the recipe.
ESSENTIAL OILS
Essential oils can be very beneficial for the hair. For example, lavender and rosemary essential oil can be used to thicken, strengthen, and lengthen hair.
Other oils like sandalwood or cedarwood can stimulate hair follicles and help with hair loss.
Adding essential oils to your homemade shampoo will also add scent without synthetic fragrances.
- Lavender– Studies have shown that lavender produces more hair follicles to help thicken and strengthen hair. Lavender has a beautiful floral scent that can promote calmness and reduce stress; stress can be the biggest reason for hair loss.
- Rosemary– Rosemary essential oil is the top oil for hair growth and thickness. It helps to treat dry hair as well as overly oily hair and can help prevent split ends.
- Tea Tree– Tea Tree promotes a healthy, clean-looking scalp. It can be used to help with a dry, itchy scalp and protect against lice.
- Cedarwood– This woodsy oil is excellent when you are making products for men because it has a very masculine scent. In fact, I use cedarwood in all the DIY products I make for my husband,and he approves. In addition, it stimulates hair follicles and increases circulation to the scalp making it a top oil for hair loss prevention.
- Peppermint– Peppermint oil is known for its cooling effect on the skin when used topically and for its refreshing minty scent. Peppermint is also great for the hair as it promotes hair growth and thickness.
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HOW TO MAKE ALL-NATURAL SHAMPOO
INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 cup of water (can substitute the water for coconut milk with a preservative)
- 1/4 cup of castile soap (I use Dr. Bronner’s unscented.)
- 1/2 teaspoon of jojoba oil (for dry hair, OPTIONAL)
- 10-15 drops of essential oils (I have my favorite blends listed below.)
HOW TO MAKE ALL-NATURAL SHAMPOO
- Add the water, castile soap, and jojoba oil to a glass container. (Use an old shampoo bottle, foaming soap dispenser, or a mason jar)
- Add in essential oils. (I used wild orange, lime, bergamot, and peppermint)
- Thoroughly mix ingredients.
NOTES:
- This shampoo is thinner than typical shampoo, but it does lather up a ton! Be sure to follow up with anall-natural conditioner.
- This shampoo will last for a month when stored in an airtight container.
BEST ESSENTIAL OIL BLENDS FOR ALL-NATURAL SHAMPOO
MY FAVORITE SCENT
- 6 drops wild orange essential oil
- 5 drops lime essential oil
- 4 drops bergamot essential oil
- 2 drops peppermint essential oil
BLEND FOR HAIR LOSS
- 6 drops rosemary essential oil
- 5 drops lavender essential oil
- 4 drops thyme essential oil
- 2 drops peppermint essential oil
BEST SCENT FOR MEN
- 6 drops lemongrass essential oil
- 4 drops sandalwood essential oil
- 4 drops melaleuca essential oil
- 2 drops bergamot essential oil
Get mylemon cedar beard oil recipe here.
BEST SCENT FOR CHILDREN
- 5 drops lavender essential oil
- 3 drops roman chamomile essential oil
- 2 drops wild orange essential oil
Get my baby shampoo and body wash recipe here.
HOW TO TRANSITION TO NATURAL SHAMPOO
If you are used to conventional shampoo, you may not like this homemade shampoo in the beginning. It takes some getting used to for you and your hair.
When you first start using a natural shampoo, you may notice your hair seems greasy, flat, fluffy, or just not quite right.
Regular shampoos and over-washing your hair will alter the natural oil balance and pH levels in your scalp. Your scalp produces oils;this is a good thing.
The oils help your hair to remain smooth, as well as keep your hair from drying out and breaking off.
When you wash your hair, you remove these oils,and your scalp produces more oils, so the more you wash,the more oils yourscalp is going to produce.
The less you wash your hair,and as your hair gets used to the new homemade shampoo, your oil levels will balance out. Promise!
I used to be one of those people that had to wash my hair daily,and by the end of the day, it was already looking greasy. Now I only wash my hair twice a week, and it never gets greasy. It’s amazing!
While you are “training” your hair, dry shampoo can be your best friend! You can make your own dry shampoo powder or dry shampoo spray to help you during this transition.
TIPS FOR THICKENING HOMEMADE SHAMPOO
- Add in arrowroot powder or cornstarch to naturally thicken your shampoo. Start with 1/2 of a teaspoon and add more until the desired thickness is reached.Note: cornstarch is the main ingredient in my dry shampoo.
- Oat flour can be used to thicken homemade shampoo. Make your own oat flour by blending up oatmeal in a blender until it has the consistency of flour. Add a small amount to your shampoo and shake well to incorporate.
- Add one tablespoon of baking soda to the shampoo and mix well.
- Vegetable glycerin can help to thicken shampoo and add lather. Start with 1 teaspoon and add more until the desired texture is met.
IS HOMEMADE SHAMPOO SAFE FOR ALL HAIR TYPES?
The ingredients found in this shampoo recipe are safe to use on all hair types. If you notice your hair is tangly, try making the recipe with coconut milk instead of water.
Some hair types do better with a coconut milk shampoo.
HOW TO ADD SHINE TO HAIR?
After washing your hair, try rinsing with a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar to increase shine. The mixture can be made with two parts water to one part ACV.
This is a great way to cleanse the hair and balance pH levels too!
How long does this shampoo last?
This shampoo will last for up to one month.
You can add a preservative such as linatural cosmetic preservative to extend the shelf life.
MORE DIY HAIR CARE PRODUCTS TO TRY
- Conditioner Treatment
- Hair Toner
- Conditioner Bars
- Heat Protective Spray
- Leave-In Conditioner
PIN IT FOR LATER
How to Make All Natural Shampoo
A great way to cut down on toxins in the home is by making your own shampoo. This all-natural shampoo can help restore damaged hair, hydrate your strands, and replenish natural oils.
Prep Time5 minutes
Additional Time3 minutes
Total Time8 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup castile soap
- 1/2 teaspoon jojoba oil (for dry hair)
- 10-15 drops of essential oils
Instructions
- Add the water, castile soap and jojoba oil to a glass container. (Use an old shampoo bottle, foaming soap dispenser, or a mason jar)
- Stir well.
- Add in essential oils. (I used wild orange, lime, bergamot and peppermint)
- Thoroughly mix the oils in.
Notes
This shampoo is thinner than the typical shampoo, but it does lather up a ton.
To thicken the shampoo add 1/2 tsp of arrowroot powder.
Add 2 drops of Linatural Broad Spectrum Preservative to further extend the shelf life.
