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How to Make Natural Shampoo [Easy Recipe]

January 19, 2012 By 86 Comments

natural homemade healthy coconut shampoo kid approved How to Make Natural Shampoo [Easy Recipe] I’ve made natural alternatives to most of our household products and toiletry product, but shampoo was by far the toughest.

I tried the “no-poo” method, which has great results for some, but did not work on me at all (and I have some terrible Christmas pictures to prove it!). If you have coarse hair that isn’t naturally oily, this method may be great for you! I have baby-fine hair and it didn’t work for me.

I also missed the foaming aspect of shampoo (I know… the “foam” in regular shampoo is made by chemicals and detergents…)

I tried plain liquid castille soap, which left a tangled mess, and I tried a bunch of homemade recipes that didn’t work well at all.

Finally, at the inspiration of a natural coconut milk (scented) shampoo that I love, I’ve finally found a recipe that I’m happy with and that doesn’t leave my hair tangled, oily or both.

It works on kids hair too (that’s a picture of my daughter’s newly washed hair) though it isn’t tear free, so watch the eyes!

It’s such an easy recipe that I can’t believe it took me this long to think of it…

Secret ingredient: Coconut Milk!

Natural Homemade Shampoo Recipe:

How to Make Natural Shampoo:

  1. Combine all ingredients in an old shampoo bottle or jar of some kind (pump soap dispensers and even foaming dispensers work well for this. If you use a foaming dispenser, add 1/4 cup of distilled water)
  2. Shake well to mix.
  3. Keep in shower for up to a month.
  4. Shake before each use.
  5. Use about a teaspoon every time you shampoo.
  6. If you use a foaming dispenser, it also makes a great shaving cream- just dilute with 1/4 cup distilled water!

Ever made your own shampoo? Gone “no-poo?” How’d it go? Share below!

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About Wellness Mama

Wellness Mama is a full-time housewife with a background in nutrition, journalism and communications. Her passion is helping others achieve optimal health through a “Wellness Lifestyle.” She has helped hundreds of clients lose weight, increase athletic performance, improve fertility, and overcome numerous health problems and diseases. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, & Pinterest.

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  • Leslie_millican

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

  • Muminbloom

    I am so doing this!  Thank you thank you!  I bet your hair smells wonderful :)   Do you have to refridgerate it?  Any conditioner needed?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=748036873 Kelli Strecker Almaguer

    thank you!!

  • Keri

    Does it need any type of follow-up rinse or conditioner? My hair is very fine and tangles easily.

  • Zorik

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

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=154100970 Marilyn Brault-Binaghi

    I’ve been no-poo for nearly two years now, and it is awesome.  I only “wash” my hair once or twice a week and I never need “conditioner” (ACV).  I have naturally thick and slightly oily hair, and I keep it very short, so this method has worked really well for me.  Of course, when I first started it was pretty scary since my hair seemed to go into shock, but it has since calmed down.  I do like the sound of your shampoo, though, and I might consider using it as a shaving cream since I have so much trouble making my own.  Thanks for the tips :)

  • Karen

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

  • Karyn

    I hope this works. I, too, tried to go without shampoo, but after a month, my hair still was oily and even more limp than usual. My husband and kids do fine without, lucky them. Your daughter’s hair is beautiful, by the way.

  • MichelleM

    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 :)

  • Karen Sales

    I’m going to make some tonight!  Thank you!!!

  • CK

    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.

  • http://profiles.google.com/ceciliapowers Cecilia Powers

    my question is the same…. a need to refrigerate since the coconut milk? i’m making some of this tomorrow!

  • Thehodge4

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

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=721924872 Andrea Schember

    I did the no-poo method for 4 months and it took my normal, somewhat thin, fine hair 6 weeks to adjust. I liked it, but made the mistake of using regular shampoo while staying with my in-laws. Just like that, 4 months of training my scalp down the drain. Have had to go back to regular shampoo. However, your recipe looks great and I’m going to make it!  

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    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.

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    No refrigeration needed or conditioner. I sometimes do an avocado or coconut oil deep conditioning, but not often, since my hair tends to have plenty of oil naturally.

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    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.

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    You’re welcome. I wish I had liked the no-poo method, but I just could never get it to work well for me. My hair is really long and wavy and very fine though, so that might be why. I have friends who have had amazing results with it though. For shaving cream, you could also add a couple tablespoons of aloe vera gel if you have it for extra smoothness, but it’s definitely not needed :-)

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    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 :-)

  • DrMommaLaelle

    Sounds interesting, I might just have to try it!  Do you use anything for conditioner along with it?  

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

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

  • http://darvellperez.blogspot.com/ Mallory Korte

    really a great post and recipe

  • http://twitter.com/racheljonat Rachel Jonat

    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.

  • Psz

    I just use a bar of cheap basic castille soap, the same I use in the shower. this works just as well. I like to keep things simple and cheap whenever possible. :)

  • Bluegrassjill

    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.

  • Sarah

    I saw in one of the comments that it will last “longer” in kept in the fridge, but how long does it last if you just make one batch and keep it in the shower?  Does the steam and heat from the shower cause the shampoo/coconut milk to go bad?  Just afraid to make this and have it go rancid or something!

  • Venus

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

  • Venus

    as in, is that how her hair naturally looks? i know it’s not colored

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

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

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    As long as you make it in small amounts, you should be able to keep it for several weeks or a month. I don’t make more than I listed in the recipe, and that has been in my shower for up to a month with no ill effects, but you could make smaller batches weekly if you are concerned, or keep in the fridge.

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    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!

  • http://www.facebook.com/jessica.r.kenney Jessica R Kenney

    Any problems since the Vitamin E you recommend is wheat-based?

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    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…

  • http://profiles.google.com/ceciliapowers Cecilia Powers

    i just made this and now i can’t wait to take a shower. it looks so luxurious!

  • CK

    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!

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    hmmm… what is your hair naturally like? Is it fine or thick? Oily or dry? If your hair is naturally dry, you may need to add more coconut milk, and if it tends to be more oily, you may need to not use the oil…

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    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!

  • Trina

    Perfect timing!  I need to make another batch of shampoo and will definitely try this.  I never thought of using cocnut milk, sounds so luxurious… 

    My receipe (currently – I am always modifying it somehow) is:  5/8 cup water, 1/8 cup witch hazel, 2 tbsp liquid castille soap, 1 tbsp honey and 40 drops of mixed essential oils.  This is an adaptation of what I found in Jude’s Herbal Home Remedies, and I have found it keeps my hair very soft (I have pourous fine hair a horrible mix).  It doesn’t have as much suds as your version, but keeps my hair clean and tangle free.

    Can’t wait to try it!

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

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

  • CK

    I will try the suggestions. I didn’t add any water. My hair is pretty thick and above the shoulder.  I went ahead and added the almond oil, and wondered if that might have been the problem. I will make another batch and try the adjustments. Thanks!

  • We4reeds

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

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    Nope, just mildly coconutty

  • Jenn

    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!

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    You’re welcome! Try the homemade coconut milk if you can if you hair is really fine, and omit the oil unless you need it.

  • Lisa

    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!  :)

  • Carol Procter

    I havn’t used shampoo for 12 months now, been using rhassoul clay, but made this tonight and my hair has washed lovely. I have dead straight hair. Will see what it is like tomorrow after sleeping on it.

  • Caitlin Miller

    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.

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  • http://organicsshampooinfo.com/ organics shampoo

    I think organics shampoos are a lot healthier than traditional shampoos and you are not putting all those toxic substances in your face

  • Kveate

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

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