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 my ebook 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 with hair 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 skin and 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.
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 an all-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 my lemon 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 your scalp 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
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.
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.
Elna says
How much should I use per wash?
Kat says
Hello, I use this recipe for shampoo for about two months now. Just recently, I started experiencing some skin flaking, and it feels a bit itchy. I am not using water& vinegar rinse after I wash my hair. I am not sure what is going on, is it a dandruff? My hair feel much more moisturized than before, when I was using shop bought shampoos. I really like the feel now, except of that one little thing with flaky skin on my scalp. I would appreciate any advice regarding the issue, thanks.
Suzette Stockley says
Can I substitute something else for jojoba oil or just leave it out of I don’t have dry hair? I do have mature hair as I am 55yrs old.
Laura says
You can just leave it out
Kim says
How much preservative should we add if using coconut milk? Would you recommend the preservative your conditioner recipe calls for? Thank you!
Chuhee says
Hi,
This is Chuhee,
Thanks so much for the post!
It was really helpful
I am wondering if I can substitute carrot seed carrier oil for jojoba oil as I heard it is good for hair and scalp, is the oil good for all hair types?
Also, even though the shampoo contains rosemary oil, is it safe for kids to use, like +2 above? thank so much for your help in advance!
atsara.co.id says
thanks for your sharing information about DIY natural shampoo, I’m so excited to try this with my favorite esential oil (lavender and rosemary oil),
Christy says
Do you keep this at room temperature? I just made some and I’m so excited 😊
Jem says
Hi there, I have made and used this shampoo for the first time and only used it once and discovered although it was very nice it took out a lot of my blue and purple hair colouring as I could see heaps of it in the foam lather…is this normal because I don’t want to lose my hair colour faster because this shampoo is too good at cleaning…how can I have a natural shampoo that won’t strip too much of my hair colouring please, I’m almost too worried to use again if more colour comes out like that? Oh and also, what else can you use as a preservative besides the Lenatural broad spectrum preservative?
Cherilyn says
Do you have a measurement for the natural preservative if using coconut milk?
Laura says
It will depend on the one you choose to use, I would check the back of the bottle for specific measurements.
Bonnie says
What is a good preservative to use??
Laura says
You can add a broad spectrum natural preservative or antioxidant like vitamin E antioxidant or rosemary antioxidant to help stabilize the shelf life of the product if desired.
Chuhee says
In case we use antioxidants like GSE or Vitamin E, what would be its shelf life?
Anne says
Hey 😉
Thanks for this shampoo recipe, I’ll try !
I was just wondering, in regards of the essential oil, I want to use 3 of them… so is it 15 drops all together (so per example 5 of each EO) ? or should I use 15 of each, making my shampoo containing 45 drops of EO in total !?
Laura says
Yes, 15 drops all together.
Anne says
Thank you Laura 😉
I made the shampoo last week and am really surprised in the good way!
I have to wash my hair every day because of the work I do and would not have been surprised my hair would have had a greasy looking/feeling because of the change but no ! The only thing is that yes, my hair look flatter than before and I am not sure if I can add something ? Otherwise, I am just so happy to know it’s all natural and not full of chemicals that even if they look slightly flatter, I don’t mind ^^
I’l try to do a body cream for extra extra dry skin now 😉
Laura says
I am so glad you are enjoying the recipe! It may take your hair a little time to fully adjust to a natural shampoo.
Doris Bourbonnais says
Hi, I love your homemade shampoo! I have tried two different recipes but both seem to clog up my foaming dispenser which I purchased from Amazon per your recommendation. Why is this?
Regards,
Doris
Laura says
Hi Doris, I’m sorry that dispenser is not working out.
They no longer offer the heavy duty one I have.
You may try using an old foaming soap dispenser.
Gabriela says
Thank you for this recipe! I have allergies and I’m looking for to making this. Does it need to be refrigerated to last a month?
Lui says
Can I add cornstarch instead of arrowroot powder?To thicken it?Has anyone tried it?
Gus Parks says
Awesome recipe! I have some more severe dandruff issues and apparently aspirin, tea tree oil, baking soda, green tea, honey, garlic, and lemon all have anti fungal and antimicrobial properties – would you suggest adding any of these? If so, how should I incorporate them? Thank you so much!