Making your own shampoo is simple and will leave your hair soft and moisturized. This coconut rosemary homemade shampoo is made with nourishing ingredients, rosemary essential oil and coconut milk.
Homemade shampoo with coconut milk and rosemary essential oil can help to strengthen and lengthen your hair. It will cleanse your hair without stripping its natural oils, allowing your hair to be more healthy.
I love and use only natural shampoo for my hair. Purchasing the out-of-the-norm natural shampoo is going to cost an arm and a leg. Looking at the ingredients on the bottle, and taking into account my love for DIY, I knew I would end up making my own…
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COCONUT MILK SHAMPOO
Coconut milk has essential nutrients that can promote hair growth and even strengthen the hair. It is high in vitamins C, E, and B vitamins, keeping your hair strong and moisturized.
When pure castile soap and coconut milk are mixed together, they make the shampoo lather and cause it to bubble. This will give you the same feeling as store-bought shampoo without the synthetics.
The best coconut milk to use for your hair is canned coconut milk that is full fat and unsweetened. Coconut milk found in the refrigerator section often contains lots of extra ingredients that you won’t want in your hair.
NATURAL SHAMPOO WITH CASTILE SOAP
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I buy castile soap in bulk in my house because I use it for so many of my DIY’s. Thankfully, it is very concentrated and lasts a long time. Castile soap and coconut milk is the base of this homemade shampoo.
Castile soap is often found in natural shampoos and is becoming very popular in the hair care world. It is strong enough to cleanse the hair and scalp without drying out your locks.
If you have thick long hair, castile soap may leave your hair tangled. It is best to follow up with a natural homemade conditioner after using this shampoo. Or you can rinse your hair with apple cider vinegar diluted in water after rinsing out the shampoo.
ESSENTIAL OILS FOR DIY SHAMPOO
My two favorite essential oils to use in my hair care routine are rosemary and lavender. They have so many great benefits for your hair, and they smell amazing together.
Studies have shown that lavender produces more hair follicles to help thicken and strengthen hair. Lavender has a beautiful floral smell that can promote calmness and reduce stress; stress can be the biggest reason for hair loss.
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.
You can also use peppermint, tea tree, cedarwood, or lemon. Lemon essential oil is a great option if you have oily hair as it is a natural degreaser and can help to eliminate the oily look.
NATURAL SHAMPOO RECIPE
ALL-NATURAL SHAMPOO INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 cup castile soap (I use Dr. Bronner’s unscented.)
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 10 drops vitamin E oil
- 10 drops rosemary essential oil
- 5 drops lavender essential oil
HOW TO MAKE ALL-NATURAL SHAMPOO
- Mix the coconut milk and castile soap together in a small bowl.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the olive oil and honey. Make sure it is well combined.
- Add the oil and honey to the coconut milk and castile soap. Stir well.
- Drop-in vitamin E oil and essential oils. Stir well.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
MORE ON THE INGREDIENTS IN THE HOMEMADE SHAMPOO
We already discussed the benefits of using coconut milk, castile soap, and essential oils in your hair. But why add in olive oil, honey, and vitamin E oil?
OLIVE OIL
Olive oil moisturizes your hair and can reduce scalp irritation and help with dandruff. The olive oil in this recipe can be replaced with any carrier oil. If you have really oily hair, you can omit the carrier oil altogether and I would suggest using lemon essential oil.
HONEY
Honey can be used to protect hair, seal moisture into the hair, strengthen hair follicles, and prevent further damage.
If you have damaged hair from coloring or heat, a honey hair mask might be for you! Adding honey to this shampoo makes it work particularly well for dry, damaged hair that is breaking off or prone to split ends.
VITAMIN E OIL
Vitamin E oil will help to prolong the life of your shampoo. Since this recipe is made with coconut milk, it is best for 1 week. Discard any extra shampoo that you don’t use after one week to avoid using spoiled shampoo.
Vitamin E oil can stimulate hair growth, prevents breakage and split ends, and boost your hair’s shine and elasticity.
HOW TO USE NATURAL SHAMPOO?
Natural shampoo can be used just like regular shampoo. However, after your hair gets used to using a more natural option, you will notice you can wash your hair less. It is recommended to wash your hair only a couple of times a week. Overwashing hair can strip it of its natural oils and cause it to dry out.
While switching to natural shampoo, your hair may need time to adjust. If your hair looks greasy, dry, or tangled after using, don’t be alarmed. It can take up to one month to make the transition to natural shampoo.
Using dry shampoo like my homemade cornstarch dry shampoo during the transition can help.
HOW LONG DOES COCONUT MILK SHAMPOO LAST?
Since this recipe is made with coconut milk, it is best for 1 week stored in the fridge. If using vitamin E oil, it will help to preserve your shampoo longer. Discard any extra shampoo that you don’t use after one week to avoid using spoiled shampoo.
DO YOU NEED TO CONDITION HAIR AFTER SHAMPOOING?
This really depends on your hair type. If your hair feels tangly after shampooing, it may need to be conditioned. You can make a DIY leave-in conditioner or even an apple cider vinegar rinse to help with tangling hair.
CHECK OUT MORE OF MY NATURAL HAIR CARE RECIPES
- DIY Hair Clarifier Shampoo
- Homemade Hair Growth Spray
- Homemade Shampoo Bars
- DIY Conditioner Bars
- Nourishing Hair Serum Recipe
- DIY Heat Protective Spray
Coconut Rosemary Homemade Shampoo
Equipment
- 6 oz squeeze bottle old shampoo bottles work great!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- ¼ cup castile soap I use Dr. Bronner’s unscented.
- ½ teaspoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon honey
- 10 drops vitamin E oil
- 10 drops rosemary essential oil
- 5 drops lavender essential oil
- Broad sprectrum preservative optional
Instructions
- Mix the coconut milk and castile soap together in a small bowl.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the olive oil and honey. Make sure it is well combined.
- Add the oil and honey to the coconut milk and castile soap. Stir well.
- Add the vitamin E oil and essential oils, then stir well.
- If using a preservative, add it now and stir thoroughly to ensure it's fully incorporated into the mixture.
Jessica says
How long would you say it’s good for? And can it be kept outside of the fridge with the preservative added?
Laura says
When kept in fridge, it will last 1 week. If you add a preservative, it can be kept outside the fridge.
Melanie says
Can this be stored in a glass foaming bottle?
Laura says
It works best in a squeeze type bottle. I have not used it in a foaming dispenser, though I would suspect it would clog the dispenser.