Homemade Shampoo for Hard Water Buildup

Clean your hair better than ever before with this homemade shampoo for hard water. So say goodbye to hard water build-up in the hair and hello to clean, voluminous locks!

Many people live in hard water areas and don’t even realize it, blissfully content with their hair and the variety of shampoos they can use, which give good results. 

Others have a terrible time with mineral build-up from hard water, particularly in things like kettles, pans, and around shower heads. 

Yet did you know that hard water can leave all kinds of minerals in your hair? Making it feel dull and heavy?

If this sounds oddly familiar, you’ll appreciate my recipe today. I have always known we had hard water in our home, but I never realized how bad it was until I washed my hair for the first time with this shampoo.

It’s a special homemade shampoo for hard water, which removes all the unwanted hard water scalp build-up that feels heavy and downright icky. 

I’ll share all I know regarding how to remove hard water build-up from hair, its effects on your hair, and what hard water scale build-up looks like. 

Don’t worry – hard water doesn’t damage your hair. It’s more that it doesn’t leave it as clean and voluminous as you’d like.

So – best try out this shampoo for hard water and reclaim your glorious locks! This is such a great shampoo; once you start, you’ll return to using it forever. 

What is hard water build-up in hair?

Hard water contains certain minerals that can evolve into a residue on your hair over time. 

These minerals make hair feel dry, heavy, and lackluster despite whatever hair products or even homemade shampoo you use. 

In truth, if you’ve always lived in a hard water area, you probably don’t even know that there might be hard water build-up on your scalp. 

You’d get to feel the difference when you wash your hair in a soft water area for a few days.

Or, simply use this homemade shampoo recipe instead to feel some improvements!

Why you will love this recipe

• As with all my natural hair care recipes, this only contains natural ingredients which are kind to your body, hair, and the environment. No harmful synthetics or toxins in sight!
• It’s not that difficult to make. Just follow the instructions as I take you through it step by step. 
• It works really well! You’ll notice the difference in the feel and look of your hair after just one application. 

a few key ingredients

• Castile soap: is a natural, vegetable-based soap famous for its gentle cleansing properties. 
• Vitamin C powder: is an antioxidant and renowned for stimulating collagen production (the building blocks of healthy skin and hair). This is actually what works the most to remove mineral build-up in the hair. 
• Activated charcoal: great for absorption of excess oil, grime, and dirt. Also useful for getting rid of mineral deposits from hard water. 
• Tea tree essential oil: a wonderful scalp cleanser, being antibacterial and antimicrobial, it refreshes the hair from the shaft. 

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Get my full disclosure HERE.

how to make homemade shampoo for hard water

You will need to prep beforehand for this recipe. These are the tools you’ll need:

Tools:

• Immersion blender
• Digital scale
• Measuring cups
• Reusable shampoo bottle (or an old shampoo bottle)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 ounces of warm water
• 1/2 ounce of iodized salt (any salt will work)
• 1/4 cup of castile soap, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1/4 teaspoon of vitamin C powder
• 1/8 teaspoon of activated charcoal
• 13 drops of Linatural Broad Spectrum preservative
• 4 drops of tea tree essential oil

how to make shampoo for hard water

Dissolve the salt in warm water.

Add it to 1/4 of a cup of the castile soap. It’s going to gel up immediately.

Use a fork to stir it together. Don’t worry if it stays clumpy; we’ll fix it later.

Combine the remaining tablespoon of castile soap with vitamin C powder, charcoal, preservative, and tea tree essential oil in a separate bowl.

Stir well until the ingredients are fully incorporated.

Transfer to the soap and water bowl and mix with an immersion blender.

Transfer to your airtight shampoo bottle for storage.

Note: This shampoo is ready to use once all ingredients are mixed. 

How to wash hair in hard water

This shampoo is best if used 2-3 times per week until you notice your hair becoming lighter in texture and more manageable. 

After this, I recommend using it once a week or as needed. The salt in this recipe is naturally drying to the hair and scalp and should not be used as a permanent replacement for your regular shampoo.

Hopefully, you’ll find that your hair becomes less greasy, with more volume and zero residues. That’s the aim, anyhow!

Think of this as a heavy-duty DIY clarifying shampoo – leaving your hair cleansed and free of unwanted hard water buildup in the scalp.

Tips for this hard water shampoo

You’ll see that this recipe needs a preservative. I’ve used the Linatural Pure Spectrum preservative because it’s natural and does a great job. 

It also does a great job help ridding the hair of dandruff. Or you can use this DIY dandruff scalp scrub to help get rid of it.

If you wish to use your own preservative, make sure you follow the instructions on the packaging for proper dilution.

If stored correctly in the bottle and away from sunlight, this shampoo should last for up to 6 months.

Plastic squeezy shampoo bottles work great, but sometimes they’re not suitable for use with essential oils. 

If you’re ever in doubt, opt for a glass container instead. 

Precautions

A word of caution! Vitamin C and charcoal powder may irritate the skin in some people as they’re pretty potent ingredients. Start by using a small amount and see how your skin reacts.

Doing a skin patch test a day or so before you wash your hair with this shampoo would also be beneficial. 

Just take a tiny amount and test it behind your ear. If you notice any redness, stinging, or reaction, don’t use it. 

I hope you enjoy using this shampoo for hard water build-up in the scalp and hair. I’d love to hear how it worked for you!

If you made it and loved it, I would love for you to leave a review! And if you have any questions, drop me a comment below!

And if you are looking for more great hair care posts, try one of these next!

• Homemade dry shampoo
• How to make rosemary water for hair
• Apple cider vinegar hair rinse
• Sea salt spray for wavy beach hair
• How soap nuts benefit the hair
• How to make soap nut shampoo