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 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 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. 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 leave-in conditioner or even an apple cider vinegar rinse to help with tangling hair.
CHECK OUT MORE OF MY NATURAL HAIR CARE RECIPES
Coconut Rosemary Homemade Shampoo
Materials
- 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
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.
- Drop-in vitamin E oil and essential oils. Stir well.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
April says
Would it last longer if you stored it in the refrigerator? Of course, you would have to get it out a little bit before using but it would be nice to be able to make a larger batch sometimes. Thanks!!!
Laura says
Yes that would make it last longer!
Stephanie says
Hi Laura,
Can the coconut milk be substituted for something else so that it will last longer than just 1 week? Thanks for your time.
Best, Stéphanie
Laura says
You can do water instead but that won’t really help much with shelf life. You can store it in the refrigerator.
Toni Dash says
This is so awesome!! It is so easy to make and give great results for my hair!
Laura says
I am so glad! Thanks for sharing!
wilhelmina says
I love the scent of this shampoo, what a great recipe! It is so amazing when you realize how many unnecessary chemicals are in the things we buy!
Laura says
I am so glad you like it!
Kayla says
Hi Laura, so I made this shampoo for the first time last night and looking like my hair is gonna need time for that transition. What did you do to keep your hair looking nice while it’s greasy/heavy for this time? & is this shampoo good for everyday use if I decide I want to do that?
Laura says
Try dry shampoo and an apple cider vinegar rinse. I have recipes for both on my blog.
Melanie says
I’m excited to try this recipe! About how long do you think the shampoo will last if stored in the refrigerator between use? If I make a double batch and put half in the freezer? Thank you for your time!
Laura says
I use it within a week when kept at room temp.
Shira Sorensen says
How long does it last when you keep it in the refrigerator?
Shelley Minns says
Hi, I love this shampoo and have been using it for awhile now (5 weeks or so) and am so happy with the results. I also use the ACV rinse. So many recipes (conditioner bar and eczema salve) of yours have become staples for me so thank you!
My question is can I still use this shampoo after I colour my hair? I know it seems counterproductive since I gravitate towards natural products for everything in my life but I do colour my greys every 6-8 weeks because they are in such an odd pattern on my head lol. I’m thinking the shampoo will be fine but I may not want to use the ACV rinse after I dye my hair, thoughts? Thanks again!
Laura says
I am so glad you are enjoying my recieps! I personaly do not have colored hair, but other readers have said it works for them!
Abi says
Hi. How often do you use your coconut milk shampoo? Everyday? Thank you
Laura says
I only wash my hair twice a week.
Fiona says
Hi, what can I use instead of honey to make it vegan please?
Barbara says
Do you have a shampoo for white hair?
Laura says
I feel like this one would work for any color hair…
Cassidy says
Hi there! LOVE all of your recipes and can’t wait to try them! Can I leave the honey out of this recipe and still get clean, smooth hair? My boyfriend is allergic to honey but I really want to try this natural recipe for us!
Laura says
Thanks so much! Yes, you can!
Brandi Reaves says
Hi, thank you for this recipe. I’m wondering how you use up all of that shampoo in a week if you only wash your hair twice a week. It seems like there would be a lot of wasted product and also a lot of effort to do every week. Do you have any suggestions for something that lasts longer?
Laura says
With a large family, we use it up very quickly. You can adjust the recipe for how much you use in a week.
Kaytlyn Diaz says
I have taken the honey and rosemary out of the recipe so that I can use it for my 1 year old daughter. My question is would this also be okay to use as her body wash as well?