How to Make Homemade Shampoo

You don’t need a lot of fancy equipment to make homemade shampoo. You won’t even need to turn on your stove.

There’s not a lot of clinical research to back up claims that homemade shampoo is safer for your hair or the rest of your body. But if you’re looking for other ways to keep your scalp and locks refreshed, here are some things to consider about making your own shampoo.

Before you get started, keep in mind that your hair has probably adapted its balance of oils to the ingredients in commercial shampoo. It might take a while for your hair to adjust to its new cleaning routine. Your hair will grow accustomed to a new routine, but it may take some time.

Ingredients and tools

You might want to grab a funnel to make combining the ingredients less messy.

Use an old shampoo bottle that you can recycle to hold your new shampoo or use another kind of container that can hold 8 to 16 ounces. You can also reuse containers, which is better for the environment.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of peppermint or chamomile tea, brewed strong and completely cooled
• 1/2 cup castile soap (you can get scented or unscented, depending on your preference)
• 10–15 drops of your essential oil of choice (lavender or rose oil are both excellent starters)

SHOPPING LIST

• funnel
• container
• castile soap
• essential oils for hair (try lavender or rose)
• peppermint or chamomile tea

Shampoo recipe

Think of this recipe as a base. You can use it on its own, or swap out and add other ingredients.

1. Start by pouring the tea into your container. To make it easy, insert a funnel into the container and use that to get the tea in.
2. Next, add the castile soap.
3. Remove the funnel and start adding the essential oils, drop by drop.
4. Put the shampoo cap back on. Shake well to combine all ingredients.

Remember that there aren’t any ingredients or preservatives stabilizing the shampoo. Shake well before every use. Use it all before 2 weeks is up for the best results.

That’s how simple it is to start using your homemade shampoo in the shower.

Shampoo customizations

There are endless ingredient combinations, and it might be fun to experiment until you find the perfect one for your hair.

• Lavender oil. If you use lavender oil in your shampoo, you may see faster hair growth in addition to more hair follicles and thicker-looking hair.
• Peppermint oil. ResearchTrusted Source indicates that peppermint oil may help hair grow faster. One study in 2014Trusted Source found that peppermint essential oil was more effective at this than the leading hair-loss prevention ingredient, minoxidil.
• Essential oils for dandruff. Peppermint oil may also help if you have dandruff. Other essential oils shown to help with dandruff include thyme, tea tree oil, and bergamot.
• Honey. You can mix 1/4 cup honey into your shampoo recipe to try to soften and soothe damaged hair. Anecdotally, some people swear by honey in their hair, saying that its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties may soothe a flaky scalp.
• Coconut milk or oil. If you like a creamy lather, include 1/4 cup canned or homemade coconut milk in the mix when you make your shampoo. Coconut milk is high in vitamins, anti-inflammatory, and has a moisturizing quality. Adding coconut oil to homemade shampoo may leave your hair feeling softer or glossier. But adding coconut milk may also shorten the shelf-life of your shampoo.
• Aloe vera. Aloe vera is another ingredient that you can easily mix into the recipe above. Just 1/4 cup of pure aloe vera gel might help soothe your scalp and improve the shine and texture of your hair. Since aloe vera promotes cell turnover and growth, it might also boost hair growth.

The takeaway

It can be simple and quick to make your own shampoo, and you might have most of the ingredients at home already.

Before applying it to your scalp, make sure to shake homemade shampoo well so the ingredients are combined.

Just remember that this mixture can go bad, so try to use it all up within 1 to 2 weeks. Only mix up the amount of shampoo that you need.