How to Make Natural Shampoo [Easy Recipe]

Do you know how this would work on colored hair??

thank you!!

thanks I will try this out. I haven’t had any good luck in the past with home made shampoos.

YESS I knew you would come through with a shampoo recipe for me!  Definitely giving it a try!

Thank you for this! My shampoo & conditioner are the last of my “dirty” beauty products… I have switched EVERYTHING else to clean products but it seems like all the natural shampoos leave my hair so greasy I will give this a try! And I agree, your daughter has beautiful hair

I just checked your site not 2 days ago looking for just a recipe! Thank you for posting. I was worried about the no poo thing, and this sounds like answers to my need for natural shampoo. Since going Paleo, I have noticed allergic reactions to normal shampoos.

I added some organic avocado oil and organic jojoba oil instead of olive or almond oil!  It is fanstastic!

I haven’t colored mine in a long time, but I would guess that the coconut milk would be very nourishing, and there is nothing in the liquid castille that should strip the color.

My hair is fine too and tangles really easily and I don’t have trouble with this, but I’ve heard that apple cider vinegar as a rinse is amazing for conditioning, I just never liked it.

Nope, it will last longer (more than a month) if you do, but I haven’t had it go bad yet…Just dont make a gallon batch and it should be fine out of the fridge

I haven’t needed it, but some people love using apple cider vinegar as a conditioner.

I’m currently trying the no poo method and so far so good. I only wash my hair once a week and with the no poo method I really needed to wash it on day 5 – my scalp is definitely in transition.

This recipe looks great and I will be sharing it on my blog and blog Facebook. I had a lot of readers tell me the no poo method didn’t work for them so this is a great recipe to send them to.

I am going to try this. As for Apple Cider Vinegar, mix about 1/4 C in a quart or so of water and pour over your hair. It is not a conditioner, as such, but will remove tangles because it closes up the shafts in the individual hair strands so they won’t tangle together. It leaves hair shiny. The vinegar smell does not stay in the hair.

is that your daughter’s natural hair? haha children are sometimes blessed with the best hair types and color

That is great! I wish I could do that too, but my hair is so long, I think it would tangle…

Yep… that is her natural hair color and texture. She got the great Italian genes on that one! She was born with a ton of hair, and by the time she was 3 months old I was actually having to use natural detangler because her hair was so long… I hope the curls stick!

Not unless you are an actual celiac. It shouldn’t harm the skin, since it isn’t hitting the digestive track, unless you have full celiac disease, which is an autoimmune reaction. There are definitely some non-wheat versions if you are diagnosed though…

Question on the results after shampooing. I made my first batch last night and tried it. My hair had this weird feeling to it. I dried it with the hair dryer to see how it would look. It wasn’t tangled, but it seemed really dull. It seemed that way this morning when I woke up, got it wet, and redried it. Any suggestions? I followed the recipe to a T. Thanks!

Some other readers have given feedback too, and found that they had to adjust ratios to get it perfect for their hair types. One suggestion was to use equal parts of water, castille soap and coconut milk, and other suggested using homemade coconut milk (I updated with the link above) if the canned stuff seems to leave a residue on your hair. Hope that helps!

If your hair is really fine, try the homemade coconut milk if you can… doesn’t weigh down as much

Does it smell bad without the essential oils as those tend to irritate my senses?

I tried doing the no poo for about a year, never worked for me, not matter what I did. Just using the baking soda dried my hair out, it does not help that I live in a VERY DRY climate. My hair way dry, frizzy and always looked oily and greasy, even after the year. No matter what I tried, it just did not work. I had to go back to shampoo and conditioner, begrudgingly. I have been wanting something natural, that would work, so I did not have to use the chemicals, I will give this a try. If if works for you, it should hopefully work for me! 
My hair is baby fine and I have a tone of it. 
As a side note, not using soap on my skin has worked wonders for my dry skin. Always feels clean and is much softer and smoother, Hublet loves that!
Thank you for all of your natural cleaning solutions and remedies!

I really think the no-poo success or fail hinges a lot on water quality and type as well as personal body chemistry.  Every *body* is different & sometimes our bodies change too.  No poo worked for me for some months, then one day the baking soda started to just make cement with the oil on my head.  I also tried solid shampoo (like a bar of soap) which some people rave about, but didn’t work for me.  Will have to try this! 

Oh man… I have photos, too, of my no-poo days and I don’t look so great!  Unfortunately, I decided to dabble in baking soda and vinegar during high wedding season last summer so I look less than great in pictures from weddings last year!

Anyway, I’ll have to give this a shot.  Currently I use LUSH solid shampoos.  They’re better than regular shampoos but still not as “clean” as I’d like.

How much did it cost for you to make a one month supply?

Im really struggling, my hair feels horrible, so tangled and dry, impossible to comb and it seems to leave white chunks in our hair did I do something wrong? I have longer, thin, curly hair. Ireally want to avoid regular shampoo conditioners but they made my hair feel Nice soft and I was able to straighten sometimes and make nice soft curls the other times. z. I tried to straighten the other day and had to rewash in plain castile soap which did not do good things either but at least it wasnt so greasy… Help please im desperate I feel like a dirty poodle. My daughters hair is similar to your daughter but I dont seem to notice in her what I am in mine. It isnt soft but seems better. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Ive tried the acv for conditioner but it ends up feeling and looking super greasy.

Thai kitchen. We dont have much variety here. I tried to read the instructions for making your own its rare to find coconuts here though. Im trying to stick it out but im really hating how it feels. Its been 3 Weeks ive read it can take at least a month.

Does this give enough slip to work out tangles in the shower without using a comb? Ive got curly (fine, not coarse) hair that I do not brush…rely on lots of conditioner to work everything out. Would love to be able to make my own shampoo!!

Hi I just bought the peppermint oil castile soap and then got worried cause I’m pregnant…7 Weeks. Do you know if it’s safe?

Do you have any conditioner recipes? I just tried this shampoo and made my own coconut milk. My hair is very greasy now, any tips?

Thank you. My hair is pretty fine. I was using the baking soda/apple cider no poo method for a good ten months or so but it was leaving my hair really tangly and almost greasy and didn’t feel soft, it felt straw like almost. The no poo method worked really well for the first week or so but then my hair went down hill and i had really long hair. Right now my hair is shorter than before but I do feel like my hair gets oily/greasy feeling the next day or so.

AWESOME. Thank you for this! Castile soap, no ‘poo, and other oil washing methods have not worked for my hair either. I have thick but fine (not coarse) hair, and it gets oily pretty quickly. I am definitely trying this one – it sounds like it will do the trick!

I just made this last night and used some this morning – holy lather!  I was so shocked…and thrilled!  One thing I really missed using more natural shampoos is the lather!  And my hair feels great.   Thanks!!!

What kind of coconut milk are you using? My hair is naturally fine and oily too, so I have to use homemade, strained, coconut milk.

I used canned organic coconut milk.  I am going to try to mix some extra castille soap in to see if that helps.  I don’t exactly have access to any real coconuts in NW IN.

If you can even get dried unsweetened coconut at the store without any additives, you can make your own coconut milk…

Thank you for sharing this recipe – I have fine hair like you and had the same problem with just plain Castile soap – my hair got mega tangled! I haven’t tried your recipe yet, but I’ll give it a go.

I made this shampoo and put rosemary essential oil in it and everyone in my family loves it. I no longer need to use conditioner, although I have made up one that I love, and I can comb my hair right out of the shower which is something that I have NEVER done in my entire life. I have naturally curly hair, and it is VERY CURLY… Also, my step son says that this shampoo has helped with the psoriasis on his head. I suspect that the rosemary oil has something to do with that. Thanks for this recipe… My hair has never looked, or felt, so good.

what if you are highly allergic to coconut milk what else could you use? 

THANK YOU! Tried and true. I modified it with the tips in the comments. My hair was oily at first, but it has adjusted in a couple weeks and now I am loving it! Thank you for all of you wonderful recipes. I also love your baby wipes/scouring powder/ and am going to be trying some of your make-up/lotion bars/ and whitening ideas Thanks again! 

after two or three washes this still left my hair a tangled mess! What am i doing wrong?

How often are you washing your hair with this? Every day?

What about using coconut milk that comes in a “milk” carton? That is what I stock but I know it is very different from canned or homemade coconut milk. Do you think that would work as well? If so, I will be making this today!

Does this give you the sudsy feel? Thanks for the recipe!!

I’m a no-poo girl myself.  I think it has been over six months and I LOVE IT.  I do not have oily hair and it is a bit on the thicker side–I also use a diliuted apple cider vin as a rinse.  LOVE IT too.  My favorite part besided the money that is saved.  My hair has grown sooooooo super fast.

I tried no-poo and it was no good! My hair looked terrible I will try this!

I just tried this the first time today although I’ve been “coming off” shampoo the last couple washes before this already, using only saponified coconut oil soap. I used homemade coconut milk for this but didn’t add the essential oils as I did not have any on hand right now.  I also tried spraying some diluted avc on after washing. So far, I can’t figure out if my hair needs more oils or less?! It feels kind of like straw and yet it’s almost sticky like an oily residue is left on it. It’s so tangled and straw like I rip out a lot of hair trying to comb it through. Not smooth at all! I have pretty fine hair and quite a bit of it. I’ve also tried a very small amount of coconut oil as leave in conditioner…didn’t seem to make a difference. What would you suggest? Do I need more oil or less or just give it time?

I am FINALLY
getting out of my “phase” of change. It’s been 3-4 weeks and I am seeing my
hair “normal” again! I started out w/ the baking soda wash/acv rinse.
Then I tried this recipe. I have had all sorts of greasy hair, dry hair, out of
control hair…..but I’m happy to say that I am now only using this shampoo
(wellness mama’s recipe) and LOVING it! I’ve had “good/normal” hair
for 3 washings now and it’s great to be back! I even feel that my hair feels
“thicker” just because I’m feeling my hair clean and product fee NOT hair that has been
coated w/ products! I do use a bit of coconut oil, or sunflower oil, or grape seed
oil (what ever I’m using that day on my face or body) to put very
LIGHTLY/LITTLE on my hair for some conditioning.  I’m enjoying my
normal/good hair that has been washed w/ chemical free ingredients AND it is
cheaper!

Love your site
Wellness Mama! Thank you for your posts! I can’t wait to get through the entire
site and try new things. My next project will be the lotion bars! I’ve been making
my own creamy lotion for a few months now (goal is to have all beauty and cleaning
items homemade) and I’m excited to see if the “bar” type will work
out better for our house!

Hi Karen,

Did you make the shampoo and try it? If yes, I would like to know how it goes on your hair after you use it.
Thank you:)

In the fridge, a few weeks…

Thanks so much for this recipe! I have used a handful of different methods for cleaning my hair, which is fine, very thick, and very oily. The only one I’ve been able to stick with has been the no poo method and have been doing that for about 6 months. I have to say that it cleans my hair wonderfully, but I’ve never been able to get my hair to go longer than a day without getting oily again – not even over night – so I’ve been using the no poo method every day. The last month or so, it just isn’t soft and shiny any more. I think the baking soda every day is too harsh, even countered with an ACV rinse.

I tried your recipe today and even with just one wash there’s a vast improvement in my hair – soft and almost shiny again! I’m amazed at how light it feels – my hair is so thick that it never feels light! I can’t thank you enough! This shampoo, along with some hot oil treatments, may just bring my hair back to normal.

My shampoo recipe was pretty much as the recipe indicated, except that i used a few drops of tea tree oil instead of pretty smelling essential oil. I didn’t need any additional conditioner, but I was a little worried for a minute after I got out of the shower!

I did use the homemade coconut milk. For those who can’t find a whole, fresh coconut – there’s no need, you can use purchased unsweetened shredded coconut instead. Most big box grocery stores are selling Bob’s Red Mill products these days – look in that section for unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut. Or you can find unsweetened shredded coconut in most any health food store. And it’s so much easier than opening and shredding a coconut!

Thanks again!

If it left your hair feeling oily, you probably don’t need the Vitamin E oil or any other oils. What kind of coconut milk did you use?

yes

It should be fine though you could probably add a little more oil. I’ve also use coconut oil as a daily conditioner. It’s a little messy but very moisturizing.

Homemade… there should be a link above to make it… very easy though.

I just made and tried my first batch today and I also didn’t have the silky feeling, but I think it’s b/c I have hard water.  When I got out of the shower, I ran my comb through my hair snag free and less tangles.

m definitely gonna try this out  

also check my blog http://www.dudettestalk.wordpress.com  

I have tried several ways of making this shampoo, and it still isn’t working for me – HELP!!!  My hair is very thin, very fine, and curly (medium-curly).  The first batch I followed the recipe but used re-hydrated coconut milk.  My hair was straw-like, there was a film on it (it seemed), and TONS of hair came out when I’d pick-thru it.  This second batch, I made my own coconut milk, I left out the Vitamin E.  I have tried olive oil and coconut oils as conditioners as well.  My hair is STILL straw-like, greasy-looking, tons of hair comes out.  I think I’ve tried everyone’s suggestions, but still no-go.  Anything else I can try?!  I want SO much for this to work!!!

OH THANK HEAVENS….!  My husband and i are so tired of the sour smell of vinegar in my hair! i have been using a baking soda rinse, followed by a vinegar rinse for about 2 weeks. personally i find my scalp to be itchy and my hair is less than appealing after a shower. in fact, my whole shower experience leaves me feeling more like a salad than a human! I CANT WAIT TO TRY THIS!

Wow! I saw this first on your web page. I was so excited to try something that resembled regular shampoo without leaving my hair smelling like a vinaigrette! I was previously using a baking soda rinse followed by apple cider rinse…. Pew! Did the job, but dang! My hubby was missing the fresh clean shampoo smell, and I almost went back to my old bottle…. Praise God I found you! Not only did it smell great, but it’s better than anything else I’ve ever used! We have even experimented and added a little vanilla extract and a very tiny amount of butter extract to richen the scent. I don’t know where you got this recipe, but whoever originally came up with it deserves the Hair Care Genious Award!

My sister and I followed this recipe, but ended up with very greasy hair. We live in South Texas, so we’re wondering if the humidity may have caused this. Any solutions? 

I have fine, very wavy to curly hair that tends to be pretty oily, but still dry at the ends. I am currently cowashing and have been pretty successful with that, but wanted to try this as well. Do you use conditioner on your ends as well? I was reading the packaging on my castille soap and it said it dissolves oil… So, in theory wouldn’t it effect the structure of the oils you are adding?

What would you use as a BASE shampoo from Dr. B.. since this is Peppermint for colored hair?? thank you…

Thank you…

I think it would depend on your hair type. I usually don’t unless I’ve be in the sun a lot.

Do you have any idea about where you can Liquid Castille soap in Canada? Amazon can’t ship it to me.

Would the Dr. Bonner’s peppermint castile soap work in this recipe?? I thought maybe I could use it and just leave out the essential oil step.

Dr. Bronner’s website says that it is available in Canada. Maybe try a health food store? Some grocery stores in the US carry it, might want to try them also- look on the bottom shelf of the soap asile!

Thanks Amanda!

Just for scent

I live near Ottawa. I’ve seen Castile soap at all the health food stores as well as Independant Grocerers in the organic and health products aisle.

RAchael, I have been using the baking soda / ACV rinse since March but it doesn’t make my hair feel nice like yours seems to be. How long is your hair and do you use product in it? My hair is baby fine, down to my waist almost… just doesn’t feel right so I have been using Miracle II moisturizing soap as a shampoo. My main goal is to be toxin free, but a secondary goal would be to be able to make homemade products, and none of these seem to be working well for me. Sorry I can’t be of help. I just tried this coconut milk shampoo and it made my hair feel even worse than the baking soda shampoo.

I tried the no poo shampoo and used it for about three mo..It was good (and my hair didn’t come out after the poo ) for awhile and my hair didn’t feel clean and it started to turn a funny color..So I had to go back to the bad stuff and my hair comes out each time I wash my hair pretty much…I wish I could use it , on the one hand its great but then on the other not so good…

A suggestion for those having problems with “strawlike” rough or tangly hair after using this mix. Try clairfying your hair first before switching to this routine. Plain old baking soda will do it – mix with water and pour over hair – leave on for 1/2 a minute then rinse well but do NOT rub your hair with BSoda on it. Rinse extra good and use a rich conditioner – leave that on for a few minutes longer too.You may have the type of hair that hates protein – that frequently causes the dry “strawlike” results.

I make my own shampoo bars and the recipe I use is basically a Castille soap anyway (depending on your definition of Castille, some sites say any all vegetable soap is, others say all olive oil, mine falls in the first category), so I thought I would try replacing the water with coconut milk in my last batch to see if I can get the coconut milk benefits that way. I used homemade coconut milk. They are curing, will post an update when I get to try them out.

I think tea tree essential oils would be awesome because it is somewhat antibacterial and has a wonderful scent. I use tea tree for acne, sores and just about everything else maybe it could help with sensitive scalps or dandruff?

just made some! gonna try it tonight. thanks! i already made some deo and it works better than the clinical strength i was using!!

You could cut back on the oil or it might take a few washes for your hair to adjust

I have dry hair (naturally curly on top of not producing enough natural oils in my skin) I make a conditioner that my friends are now asking for more of. In an 8oz bottle I use 120ml water, 30ml vinegar, 15ml argan oil, 5ml liquid silk amino acids, 5-10ml honey, 3ml Vit E oil, an emulsifier and a combination of essential oils depending on people’s hair type. The smell of the vinegar washes out to leave just the fragrance of the essential oils. I use the argan oil because of the anti-aging properties which keeps the ends of the hair from splitting but I use 7.5ml argan and 7.5ml jojoba for a friend who has oily hair.

Coconut oil usually… going to post on this soon, but every few days I just brush through dry hair and then shampoo as usual…

It is probably good a lot longer, but I’ve never had a batch that I didn’t use up before then, so I can’t say from first hand knowledge that it lasts longer…

sounds interesting, i really want to try this, does the
shampoo has expiry date (?) since the coconut milk does

I have fine, thin, straight hair, can’t get a perm because I’m obviously allergic to the solution(my hair falls out…not good!) I ran across a simple homemade shampoo recipe that I use and my hair does wonderful, it even looks a couple of shades lighter and not nearly as dull. I simply take one tablespoon of baking soda, put it in a half pint jar, add a few drops of liquid castile soap, fill with water and shake to mix. I use half, rinse, then repeat. You have to be sure and rinse really well to get all the baking soda out. People give me a funny look when I tell then what I use to wash my hair, but they all agree that my hair looks better than ever!

yep

Amber, I have a similar problem with my scalp as well. For close to two months now I’ve been shampoo/conditioner free by using a recipe I’ve adapted from several websites. Depending on my hair and scalp condition when I need to wash it I change it up to suit my needs.
I juice one lemon and one cucumber and mix the juices together. If my hair is just slightly oily, I use it just like this. If very oily, I add some extra lemon juice. If dirty but not extra oily, I add a bit of baking soda. If my scalp is acting up, I use less lemon juice and more cucumber. Finally, once every two weeks, I rinse with apple cider vinegar.
Also, if the lemon juice is lightening my hair any (it does that after a couple of weeks) I use a tea rinse two washes in a row to restore the darker color. I prefer peppermint and brew it rather strongly to get the dark color. Added bonus is it smells great! Not so bonus is it is much harder to comb my hair after.

It sounds like the adjustment period, but I’d try adding less oil and more coconut milk to see if that helps.

I made this today, and my husband and I both used it tonight (so did the baby but he cant really tell me if it felt any different being only 13m haha) But we both thought it made our hair feel…Dry? maybe thats not the right term, but it was strange feeling. Maybe its because we are so used to our “bad” shampoo’s and the lather it gives off. but when I rinsed my hair it was like I had used a bar of dry body soap on my hair! I had to put in a TON of conditioner?

If I do not have Liquid Castille Soap, with what should i replace it ?.

And for Vitamin E oil, could i use the Capsules.

I went no-poo for nearly a year out of financial necessity. It does take a little time for your scalp to adjust, and I find that I only need to clean my hair a couple times a week now. However the tangles make me crazy! I have very long hair (to my waist) and I have arthritis in my shoulders so its a problem for me. I started using an organic coconut conditioner that I really like just on the ends to detangle instead of the vinegar rinse and I liked that a lot. Then I got even lazier and started buying the matching shampoo, still only do my hair about twice a week though so its not bad. I would rather use something even better, that I make myself. But I still need a good conditioner

I am currently doing the No-poo, I really enjoy how it makes my hair look. I have natural curly hair, very thick. I have no tangles. However I hate the smell of the Apple Cider Vinegar, when I do “wash” my hair. I am looking for something more clean fresh smelling. I know I can substitute lemon juice, but I was looking for other scents as well. I will have to try the coconut milk, with essential oils.

Every few days and I use dry shampoo if needed in between

Might need to reduce the amount of soap and increase the amount of coconut milk in the mix…

I did this recipe adding the vitamin e oil and essential oils and my hair turned out really greasy! I then made another batch omitting the oils and added it to the first one to dilute the oils but my hair still turned out greasy. After going 4+ months with baking soda and vinegar, i gotta say, I think I prefer the baking soda. Maybe I did something wrong, but I don’t like how greasy my hair feels.

When I use homemade, I just make small batches so it doesn’t go bad (enough for a couple of days…)

Ive made the shampoo several times but after a few wks i cant stand the waxy build up feeling on my hair from the castile soap. I did the acv rinse and my hair was a tangled mess. I would love to keep using natural products if you have a way to get rid of that yucky waxy feeling ty

I boil indian gooseberry and soapnuts in water untill it remains half. Then seive it and use the liquid as shampoo.

I wonder why none of these homemade shampoos work for me, I have tried the The “No Poo” method, this method and others. With this one my hair felt like a thick layer of oil or grime that made my hair dull and stuck together. I wish there was a way to do this. Any ideas?

Can we store homemade coconut milk and store it in refrigerator? and is yes for how long?

I just made your recipe for my fiancee, and added 1 tsp of olive oil instead of the 1/2 tsp recommended in the recipe, because she has extremely dry hair, but unfortunately still left her hair dry and crunchy… I have decided to increase the oil to 2 tsps, do you think that will work?

I am using a variation of this recipe on my husband that we suspect has seborrheic dermatitis. Instead of almond oil I use borage seed oil and I add 30-40 drops of tea tree oil. I have him let it sit on his scalp for 5 minutes before rinsing. I also make other variation for body wash, replacing avocado oil instead of almond oil and add 1 tsp of vegetable glycerine. Great recipe!

I use the no-poo recipe myself since my hair is more oily. I add a little bit of vegetable glycerine to the apple cider vinegar rinse and use that on my ends only and then I spray in a leave in conditioner of water and vegetable glycerine to the ends. We live in a very dry climate so I had to do a little extra for the ends of my hair.

Hair has a pH of 4 to 5.5, so to not disrupt your acid mantle (sebum production on your scalp) you should only use pH balanced shampoos. I have done a lot of research on this, I have also attended beauty school so I can say this is true. Using highly alkaline solutions on your hair (baking soda, bronners soaps, etc.) though it feels soft and manageable that is really the disulfide bonds in your internal hair structure being weakened by the alkaline solution.The colors and perms that are performed use this method to work, they “open up” your hair to deposit the color or permanent, then a clarifying shampoo is used to “close” your hair and lock the color or permanent in. To then bring your hair down to it’s proper pH a acidic solution (apple cider vinegar) when using a alkalinic cleanser is used, this is called clarifying. This process is not healthy for your hair or your scalp. There is a great tutorial on youtube on your hair’s pH and why this rollercoaster up and down the pH scale is highly disruptive. The maker of these tutorials is a licensed salon owner and stylist. You can check her out at KimmayTube on youtube. Or, you can ask any stylist that you know. This is why so many shampoos on the market advertise that it is pH balanced. Because that is very important. So forcing your hair to go up to an 8 or 9 and then forcing it back down to a 4.5 in a short period of time is very damaging. If you would like to keep your hair in it’s proper pH, and love making homemade beauty products, then mix 1/4 cup of coconut milk (store bought or homemade both are fine) and 3 heaping tablespoons of aloe vera gel (lily of the desert), shake well, strain through cheesecloth to remove aloe fibers, and wallah! You have pH balanced shampoo that cleanses your hair, stimulates growth of your hair, and is edible! Food for your hair! Refrigerate after use, it generally has a 1 week shelf life. You can find this recipe on youtube as well. I find that if you pour it on your scalp only, and massage and let rest till you are done with your shower, then rinse, it is magic on your hair. Just google all the benefits of aloe vera, and you will see. Then google all the benefits of coconut milk, and you will see again. This shampoo has been so amazing, I can’t ever imagine using anything else ever again.

Currently I use a mix of 1 tbsp baking soda and 1 cup water. I don’t wash every day but there was a three week transition before my hair was “normal” looking (wore lots of ponytails that month). Once a week I follow up the wash with a rinse of ACV, works great. It’s hard for the kids to wash with my mixture though since it’s very watery so I am going to give this a go for them. Thanks!

Great thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to answer all our questions! I’m sure it’s time consuming

Just tried this–thanks. I’ve been trying the no-poo method, but not sure if I have the patience to wait out the greasy stage…I think this will help!

Not for a few days but if you will take longer than that to use, then yes…

Hi all My hair is thick and fine, and tends to be dry. I keep it in a short pixie cut.

I tried the no-poo method and found that as long as I don’t use too much baking soda it works very well. If I use too much it makes my hair frizzy. What I finally settled on was 2 tablespoons of baking soda dissolved in 2 cups of water, work through hair and leave on about 5 mins, then rinse thoroughly. As for the vinegar part, I just couldn’t get past the smell. It does dissipate once your hair is dry, but if you re-wet your hair to style it the vinegar smell comes back. Even my dog ran away from me then and normally he’s Mr Cuddlebug! It’s just too stinky. So I bought some lemon juice, and I use it instead of the vinegar, one half cup in 2 cups warm water, and I leave this on for about 10 mins.
I made a leave-in conditioner using one half cup of glycerine and rosewater, one cup distilled water, and one tablespoon of rubbing alcohol. The rubbing alcohol is necessary to keep mold from growing. I put this in a spray bottle and spritz a small amount on my hair after my shower, then work through from roots to ends.

It’s made my hair amazing It’s clean and soft and smells good

HI– this works wonders on my hair, but my scalp is a little dry. Any suggestions? More oil? I used Argan instead of Vitamin E because I had it on hand…I also use tea tree in the mixture. This is actually my 3rd go around with the recipe, but my first issue with dandruff. Is it because I’ve been sick? Is it because I used a lesser coconut milk and it’s catching up with me? =( I really, really, really detest dandruff and need some help.

I have very fine, straight hair and have been using baking soda & apple cider vinegar for 4 months. I have no complaints at this point. The 1st 4-6 weeks were a little tricky and some adjustments in measurements had to be made. I still have to wash my hair everyday or else it gets pretty oily, this part is no different than when I was using commercial shampoo & conditioner.

Love your blog! I just came across it searching for a natural homemade shampoo recipe because the one I made is so not working out for me. I feel the build up like I need to wash it again! I made it from scratch and thought it would be the best shampoo ever, not so much. Now I’m not sure what I can do to salvage it since I still have 1/2 gallon of unused shampoo. I will have to give this a try this weekend and let you know how it goes, but for now I have to wash my hair out again.

It does, but you might need to play with the proportions a little bit to get it right for your hair…

hello, i would love to use this method!! do i just use the coconut milk with aloe vera gel as a shampoo and rinse out and no conditioner? or what could i use as a conditioner or leave in conditioner? also, is it aloe vera gel or juice? thank you so much!

When I get the castille soap buildup, I just wash with baby shampoo. I usually have to do that about once a month, then go back to castile. No need to be a fanatic about natural shampoo. Sometimes balance is nessesary.

Hi i am new to your blog and i was happy to find an all natural shampoo, but when i used the shampoo it left my hair so oily and waxy. Do you think maybe i need to use more cocnut milk to make it less oily? or maybe not so much castile soap?

It can take a week or so to completely adjust…

I have been washing my hair with baking soda and vinegar, and although that has worked to clean my hair, I notice that I am very oily within a few days, I am going to make this right now and try it in my shower! Any suggestions for conditioner?

Oh no! I tried this and my hair is so greasy and it looks like I haven’t showered in a week! Anyone else have this issue? Advice?

I had the same issue the first time I used it. I know I put too much Vitamin E oil in it so I added a lot of water to the mix and shook it well. Now my hair looks awesome. Good luck!

I used olive oil, lavender oil, and the Dr. B’s baby shampoo.

i absolutely love your site!! we are gradually getting away from all
things unnatural… we are almost there!! just weaning off of our last
products now.. it’s been gradual since January.. but so far i’m loving
it.. plus saving so much money is an added bonus!! i’m sitting here
typing this with a wet head after using this recipe… so far so good..
my scalp feels soothed, and i could actually get a comb through it which
was amazing..

Oh my goodness I just tried this and it is amazing! I have medium textured hair very porous and gets try I don’t pay attention to it like I should. this is absolutely perfect. I usually use baking soda with a vinegar rinse but since I had surgery near my scalp recently, I wasn’t sure how the baking soda would do near my incision sites. so anyways I tried this and my hair is perfect!!! thank you thank you thank you! by the way for the oil i used half apricot and half jojoba bc the hair and skin absorb them better. Amazing!! I think there is going to be a film left on your hair for lack of a better term because it is the natural oils conditioning your hair

I love this blog and have been using this recipe with excellent results for my dry scalp. I prefer fresh rosemary and peppermint essential oil. I also have a chamomile/rosemary/jojoba mix for once a week. It’s helped my hair so much since I quit shampoo/conditioning!

I use Dr. Bronners for soap and make my own toothpaste, but now I am very interested in cutting out the last of the bad products, deodorant. Do you have recipe’s or advice on how to no-deodorant?

I learned that Vitamin E has gluten in it and I have a gluten allergy. Is there something else I can use for the shampoo and the lotion bars?
Thanks!

You can just omit it…