DIY Shampoo for Healthy Hair and a Natural Home

I did something this week that I have been curious about for a long time: I made shampoo from scratch! My creation was based loosely off of this recipe from Little House Living which consisted of:

• 1/4 cup liquid Castile Soap -$10
• 1/4 cup water -$0.0001
• 1 teaspoon baking soda -$1
• 4-5 drops of essential oil -$0.05/drop

As I have explained in a previous blog post (Mistakes and Creativity- Use both!) I am a firm believer in ‘guidelines’ and not rules. So, when these amounts of ingredients didn’t quite fill up the little jar I was using, I splashed in a little extra of everything according that that ratio.

Are you an artist- or just following instructions?   Seth Godin

For most things in life, I suggest you take the risk and be an artist. This will be way more fun if you get creative with your special ‘poo. I promise you will not be able to make anything disastrous with these four ingredients.

Ingredients for Homemade Shampoo

You can purchase liquid castile soap at any larger chain grocery store or convenience store near you. It comes in multiple varieties and sizes: bulk lavender spoke to my heart the day I picked some up from the store. You can always buy unscented if you are unsure!

Water is water. I saw multiple recipes that called for distilled water. Frankly, I don’t shower in distilled water (hint, you probably don’t either) and I didn’t see the point in buying it special for my shampoo. I am sure there is a chemical reason to use distilled water if you will be storing your homemade shampoo for longer than a month, but I made such a small batch I wasn’t worried about it.

We had baking soda in the back of our baking cupboard that I was able to use. You can find it at almost any store that sells food. I know baking soda has an ‘expiration date’ where it is considered past it’s prime for baking. I have zero idea how old our box was, and my hair didn’t turn orange so you should be OK!

I am nuts for essential oils!! I have quite the collection and use them daily. I couldn’t pick just one essential oil, and I have a lot of favorites, so I ended up with a mixture of five! I have included the number of drops of each oil that I used, but this is completely up to you! My personal reasons for the oils I chose are:

1. Lavender: (2 drops) is great for hair growth and scalp healing! I shower before bed, so the scent of lavender also promotes a sense of calm and ease that triggers a ‘wind down’ in my evening.
2. Rosemary: (3 drops) improves circulation of blood to the scalp to amp up hair growth! Before making this shampoo, I was adding two drops of pure rosemary oil to my store-bought shampoo.
3. Peppermint: (3 drops) like rosemary, it improves circulation and will also reduce hair loss and itching scalp. Peppermint has a very clean and crisp smell to it.
4. Cedarwood: (2 drops) can regenerate hair and treat hair loss. The smell is very calming and delightful as well, but could be overpowering if used alone in a mix.
5. Tea Tree (Melaleuca): (2 drops) is a commonly used cleaning agent due to the strong anti-microbial properties it has. It will beat out the fungi and bacteria that like to grow in our hair jungles. I also use tea tree oil on my face to treat acne.

AND THAT IS ALL!

I shook the oils, water, castile soap, and baking soda up in the jar and skipped off to the shower to try it out. The baking soda separated out just slightly, so I have been giving the jar a quick swirl around before use.

Does Homemade Shampoo Work?

I think my husband currently likes it more than I do to be honest. I have showered once a day for four days using the new shampoo and while my hair has not gotten greasy, it has not quite adjusted to the new routine. I may have used too much baking soda or oils because a thin layer of …powder?… is noticeable to my touch during the day. My husband did not notice this when I asked him to feel my hair, so it is definitely something that might only be weird to you. It does not look any different, it is just a feeling.

While my hair has taken on that different texture, it has also looked and felt a lot thicker! I think this is because I am not stripping my head of its natural secretions (sorry, ew) as I would be with chemical shampoos. My bun today felt much more impressive than normal.

I should also note that I go to bed with wet hair and the area that tends to have the most powder/oil buildup is where my hair is plastered against a pillow all night. Throughout the day and running my hands through it a few times, the texture evens out.

I do not dye my hair, but I am very impressed with the color and shine it seems to have taken on! It smells fantastic all day long (my husband was very proud of himself for smelling so good before bed one night) and I have noticed less shedding on my clothing and hair brush. Finally, my extremely boring straight hair has taken on a cute little wave. Praise be to God!

All really good things that I am super excited about!

Cost Savings for Homemade Shampoo:

My jar of shampoo cost approximately $1.30 for all of the ingredients. The ‘serving size’ I use is smaller than the same amount I was using of my other shampoo. A bottle of store-bought shampoo at $5 each would last me four months. I am expecting this jar to last me about a month and a half.

So instead of spending $15 a year on shampoo, I will spend around $10.

Maybe you spend more on your shampoo than I do making the financial case more impressive. For me, I am taking as many small steps as I can to remove chemicals from my life that I do not need and minimize my impact on the water and resources that we all share.

This was a really fun little experiment for me to try. I am being honest, my hair does not feel as ‘pristine’ as it does after store-bought shampoo and rinse process in the shower is not nearly as smooth, but these things are worth it in my life right now. I feel great knowing I tried something new, something sustainable, and something healthy. I encourage you to try your own as well!

Please drop a comment below if you have tried something similar in the past worked or didn’t work for you! I can share photos for anyone who would like and talk about where I bought my supplies too.

xoxo Drifted Way