A reader emailed me and asked if I’d ever heard of using clay to wash or detox your hair. I hadn’t, but was intrigued, so I started researching…

Mud in Your Hair?

Turns out, clay can be very beneficial for hair in the same way it can be beneficial in the rest of the body: it removes toxins to leave hair super-clean and with a lot of shiny volume.

I still like my coconut milk shampoo, but from the comments, it definitely doesn’t work for everyone. This recipe is another great option that could be used regularly. It seems especially good for those with fine or naturally oily hair as it leaves the hair very clean, but I also found sites recommending it for those with coarse or frizzy hair for its ability to tame the hair (I can’t speak personally on this one as my hair is very fine).

If no-poo hasn’t worked for you, and homemade shampoo hasn’t worked for you, I’d encourage you to try this option. It can be customized for your hair type and lasts up to a week in the shower.

Sound strange to wash your hair with mud? Give it a try…

How to Detox Your Hair

As I mentioned in my herbal hair colors post, different herbs can have darkening or lightening effects on hair. Nettle is said to be great for hair, so I would use this on any hair color. I used chamomile flowers on my hair since it is blonde, but rosemary would be a better choice for dark hair (and it is also supposed to be a good natural remedy for dandruff).

These are the mixtures I’ve tried:

For blonde hair: 1/4 cup chamomile flowers + 2 tablespoons nettle leaf in 2 cups boiling water
For dark hair: 1/4 cup Rosemary leaf + 2 tablespoons nettle leaf in 2 cups of boiling water

After the mixture cools, I strained out the herbs and used 1 cup for the clay recipe and 1 cup for the final rinse with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar added.

Put mud in your hair- natural clay hair detox for thick and shiny hair

4.44 from 39 votes

Hair Detox Recipe

Use clay, herbs, and apple cider vinegar to remove toxins from your hair and leave it shiny and smooth.

Prep Time19

Author: Katie Wells

Materials

For Blond Hair:

¼ cup chamomile flowers

For Dark Hair:

¼ cup rosemary

Remaining Ingredients:

2 cups water (boiling)
½ cup apple cider vinegar
¾ cup bentonite clay (or redmond clay)
10 drops essential oil (optional- I used lavender and rosemary for hair growth)

Instructions

Combine the herbs of choice with the boiling water and allow them to steep until the water cools slightly.
Strain herbs out.
Combine 1 cup of the herbal tea and the apple cider vinegar in a blender, food processor, or non-metal bowl.
Add the clay 1 tablespoon at a time while blending or whisking.
Keep adding clay until the mixture is smooth and about the consistency of yogurt.
Add the essential oils if using and mix in.
Store in an air-tight container in the shower for up to a week.

To Use:

Wet hair.
Starting at the roots, massage a handful of the clay mixture into hair and work down to the tips.
Repeat until all hair is coated. Leave 5 minutes or up to 20 minutes (do not let dry!) and rinse out with warm water.
Optional: I use the remaining 1 cup of herbal tea combined with 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar to rinse with.

Notes

Note: Bentonite clay is most effective if it doesn’t come in contact with metal before use. Mix with wood, plastic or glass for best results, though I haven’t found that this makes much of a difference for hair products. I use an old mini-food processor with a plastic dough blade that I found at a thrift shop.

Do you prefer a pre-made option? Morrocco Method offers an excellent hair and scalp detox product that is made from raw, wildcrafted ingredients.

Would you put mud in your hair? Why or why not?
Natural clays help detox your hair to leave it shiny and thick without the need for chemicals. This recipe explains how and why your hair needs a detox.

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

197 responses to “How to Detox Your Hair”

itsmurr

October 12, 2013

I made a tweaked recipe of the Terressentials Mud Wash that is similar to this, but my recipe is

4 oz Aloe Vera juice
1 oz Rhassoul clay
4 drops Nettle oil
4 drops Ylang ylang essential oil

BOOM. This stuff does wonders for my oily scalp but dry end natural curls. Adds body, moisturizes, and defines my curls. I do this once a week to clarify.

Reply
1. Jamie
  
  November 13, 2014
  
  Thanks this sounds awesome! My body has been craving Aloe Juice for some reason lately, or I can tell it’s “calling me” which is never has before. I feel so in a twirl with all this shampoo stuff, now that I went no-poo but dont’ want to use baking soda, but feel all greasy… this recipe just hits the spot. I haven’t tried it but it’s just want I want, and I don’t even know why! haha… I dont’ want to overdry my hair with the clay, this sounds nice.
  
  Anyone ever use a clay shampoo with honey? Or anything like that?
  🙂
  
  Reply
  1. Dottie
    
    November 22, 2014
    
    Hi Jamie! I made a Bentonite Clay shampoo yesterday using the clay, alovera gel, honey and a bit of filtered water. Shampooed with it, left it on about 5 minutes, rinsed it, then used my regular acid rinse of water and lemon juice. My hair came out wonderful! It’s soft, shiny and voluminous!
    
    Reply
Irina

September 7, 2013

Hi! This is my first time posting here! 😀 I have read some of your recipes and I loved them! But my experience with mud wasn’t very good… I started to go no-poo on June 10th and the first month I washed my hair with clay (first with kaolin and then with bentonite) but my hair was very sticky and greasy. I have greasy hair so I thought it was the detox period that left my hair like that, but then I saw that my last shampoo left me residues on my scalp, and the clay was stuck in that residues. So now I’m washing my hair with an egg + lemon mix but I’m not sure if the residues will disappear if I only do this and still today my hair is greasy. Do you know any natural remedy to remove all this residues of the scalp? or will they disappear after time? 🙂

Reply
1. Gin
  
  September 11, 2013
  
  I’ve used a mix of baking soda and water as a thin paste, worked into the scalp and throughly rinsed. The baking soda is a mild abrasive that will clear up any residue
  
  Reply
Tonja Field

September 6, 2013

Trying this tomorrow.. attempted no poo and it just left me irritated. This actually smells good to me (plenty of lavender and peppermint essential oil) and I even put some on my face tonight as a mask! *crossing fingers*

Reply
Lisa Johnson

September 4, 2013

I’m assuming you’re caucasian? I have African-American daughters… any word on how well this works for dry kinky hair? I’m always looking for natural hair products for them that WORK… seems like it might not add moisture and softness though… clay? I use bentonite in the bath now and then for detoxing, but on hair seems like it might dry out a bit?

Reply
1. Wellness Mama
  
  September 6, 2013
  
  I don’t have any personal experience, but have heard others mention using this shampoo but then adding an oil when the hair is drying to keep it from being too dry…
  
  Reply
2. Denise
  
  September 9, 2013
  
  Rhassoul clay is more moisturising I heardand gives good curl definition.
  
  Reply
3. Kanisha
  
  December 13, 2014
  
  In theory the clay should only pull out the metals, not the oils. I haven’t tried it yet, but I am today. I plan on adding jojoba and argan oil to my conditioner. A friend of mine recently applied a clay masque to her hair. She loved the end results!
  
  Reply
  1. Mary
    
    March 12, 2015
    
    what is your conditioner? do you make it? I am using this recipe for the shampoo right now for almost 2 months, but all of a sudden my ends started getting straw like and waxyish feeling and I’m thinking its that im not using conditioner really except once in a while but its crappy ology conditioner that I just don’t want to waste, but no clue on what to use naturally. I also have very curly hair
    
    Reply
    1. jenny
      
      March 13, 2015
      
      I use honey and aloa vera and I use this shampoo like once a month. And always AV, I also have curly hair. I also recently made the shampoo with the Coconut milk, I also use that about once a month, I don´t add castile soap to it but i use aloa instead.
      On the days I don´t shampoo I have a spray with water, Aloa, rosemary and sometimes jojoba or argan oil and sometime glycerin. It really gives my curls a boost in the mornings.
      
      Reply
      1. Kimberly
        
        October 15, 2015
        
        Jenny, I am curious how much of each of those ingredients do you use for that spray? I’d like to try that.
      2. Jenny Sigurgeirsdóttir
        
        October 16, 2015
        
        Hi Kimberly,
        I fill a spray bottle with water, add about 2 squirts of Aloa, 10 drops lavender and 10 drops rosemary and then 1 squirt argan or Jojoba oil.
        You can play with the amounts until it suits you : ) I also sometimes add sandalwood just for the smell.
Deanna

September 4, 2013

Katie, I super-appreciate all your efforts with your recipes and have enjoyed ALOT of them. I always do my best to click on the links to Mountain Rose Herbs so you get a little kickback. I am disappointed however in the shipping charges that they charge. They are OUTRAGEOUSLY HIGH in my opinion! Have you had any complaints from others? I emailed them directly as well, but was wondering if I am the only one.

Reply
1. Laurel de Leo
  
  May 3, 2015
  
  In their defense, I have received shipments packed with natural materials, like recycled paper twists and thought how much more that must cost than styrofoam peanuts. The styrofoam people do charge less, but I don’t like getting it.
  
  Reply
2. Carol
  
  September 13, 2015
  
  Unfortunately, most of the high cost is due to the USPS changes in shipping requirements Some items are no longer able to be shipped via USPS, resulting in either UPS or FedX charges which are usually higher or the charges for them have increased from the USPS. It isn’t MRH fault. I’m just lucky that I drive by their storefront daily so I can pick up my orders…which I do at least once a month!
  
  Reply
Tanya

August 15, 2013

Love this post! Great job Wellness Mama!!! You will inspire many!

Reply
Trinity

July 31, 2013

Made this tonight and it was lovely! Because I’m lazy and only wash my hair once a week I’ve popped the rest in the fridge in the hopes it will keep longer 🙂

Reply
1. Trinity
  
  July 31, 2013
  
  I also slathered it on my face as a bit of a mask 🙂
  
  Reply
  1. Kay
    
    September 1, 2013
    
    Did it end up lasting? I’m curious, because I only wash once a week as well, and I don’t know if I want to spend the time making shampoo every week!!
    
    Reply
    1. Trinity
      
      September 1, 2013
      
      Yep! It lasted about a month 🙂 And that’s only cos I ran out.
      
      Reply
    2. Ginger
      
      January 1, 2015
      
      I made one batch of this recipe with plain water instead of tea, and it lasted me a month of using twice a week. I just left it on the side of the tub, I didn’t refrigerate it. Actually I might have made half a batch, I can’t remember. I think I used more of a 1:1 ratio of water to clay, not 2:1 as this recipe indicates. I just kept adding clay until it seemed the right consistency. I’m not sure how I would tell if it went “bad” but it didn’t smell bad or change consistency or anything over the weeks.
      
      Reply
2. Candace
  
  March 2, 2015
  
  So glad to read this – was just going to post that question but decided to read the comments first
  
  Reply
Yolanda

July 30, 2013

Oh boy, I love this mud shampoo but I also tried the 1Tbls Apple Cider with 1 cup of herbal tea after I washed my hair. I also tried the 1-2 drops of Argon Oil. and both of those don’t work. My hair feels soft but it also feels like waxy straw.(and I don’t mean the kind that you drink from) It’s hard to explain. When I am drying my hair, the brush doesn’t go through my hair smoothly, I have to keep pulling it and pulling it. I can a 1 day without washing but that’s it. This mud shampoo is the only thing that works without having a ton of oil on my hair. I don’t even have oily hair.

Reply
1. Megan
  
  April 20, 2015
  
  This very same thing happened to me. It almost seems to be coated in something. Very soft but not shiny and not easy to comb.
  
  Reply
  1. Melody
    
    May 27, 2015
    
    I’ve been using clay for about a year and noticed when I moved to a house with hard water that the same clay that worked before will now leave this terrible, unbrushable, dust-attracting residue. You two might be dealing with hard water too. I wish I had a solution.
    
    Reply
    1. Bri
      
      July 7, 2015
      
      I dealt with the same problems due to hard water as well! I have no clue why this works, but I have found that my hair isn’t straw-like if I increase the strength of my apple cider vinegar wash. Once I rinse all the mud out of my hair, I use 2 parts vinegar to 1 part water or tea, and that seems to take the straw-like feeling away. If your water is really hard, you can increase the strength even more until it works for your hair. Hope this helps!
      
      Reply
2. Carol
  
  September 13, 2015
  
  Possibly you are getting a residue from years of using commercial products. It is like ‘die off” result. If you continue, the waxy and oily feeling will eventually go away as your hair is returned to it’s better self.
  
  Reply
andrea

July 26, 2013

What Is Your Opinion On Doterra Oils Vs Mountain Rose Oils? IKnow Doterra Claim I Is The Only One To Take Internally And IsThe Strongest. BuT IsTheir Reall A Difference Besides Costs?

Reply
1. Kat
  
  February 3, 2014
  
  It’s hype. There are only a few places in the world that produce EOs and most companys ‘products are not that different from each other. In addition to being a MLM, doDeterra also trademarked their “therapeutic grade EO” – which isn’t backed by any governing body, it’s all their marketing. Nothing more, nothing less.
  
  Reply
  1. Lori
    
    May 5, 2014
    
    Thank You for an answer that would much like mine especially after I read the Intelligence of Essential Oils,(or something like that, I checked it out at the library, and felt like I got my use out of it, and didn’t want to purchase, so I don’t have the exact name), and asking many questions of those where I’ve purchase mine. My note to everyone on more than just oils, research, don’t believe all the hype of brand name products, like on groceries, I find that many times the lower price brand is just as good if not better than some brand.
    
    Reply
  2. Monica
    
    October 11, 2014
    
    Regardless if what you want to believe about marketing, please stop telling people that “there are only a few places in the world that produce essential oils.” That’s completely false.
    
    Reply
    1. christi
      
      February 21, 2015
      
      The fact is, about 75% of oils come from the same distilleries (obviously different ones for different oils). They are big operations but quality varies because they can often redistill the material. Small distilleries can’t produce the amounts large companies need. And unless the company can afford to purchase everything the distillary products they can’t get exclusivity. I buy some of my oils for my business from the same distillates that doterra buys from. But I only buy first distillation.
      
      Reply
    2. Irma Nunez
      
      July 3, 2015
      
      Monica, she is telling the truth. Do Terra is just marketing and there are a restricted number of destilleries for oils. I don´t know why you got angry. And the truth is that there are other oils that are food grade just as DoTerra. It´s good to make some research.
      
      Reply
  3. Lauren Pettit
    
    February 20, 2016
    
    Actually I have tried both rose mountain and doterra oils internally and externally and can definitely tell a difference. I hate it. I wish there was no difference. I like to use rose mountain herbs if i am just making something I want to smell nice. But for actual results for a flu bomb or a health dilemma Doterra produces faster results.
    
    Reply
Daniela Eve Hudkins

July 25, 2013

I’m going to try this tonight! In the past I have combed in a small amount of apricot kernal oil to moisturize my hair… Do you think it would work now??? You know what, I’m just going to try it now and let you all know how it goes 🙂

Reply
Sue

July 24, 2013

Ooo!!! I really want to try this. my allergies have forced me to forgo store bought, chemical infested shampoos and conditioners. i keep getting contact dermatitis around my shoulders and back. I’ve always been allergic to perfumes, and lately it’s just been getting worse. :/ i tried the baking soda method and my hair felt horrid, which caused me to be hesitant about the coconut shampoo. hopefully this will work for me. i have no idea what else to do if it doesn’t.
Anyway, my hair is fine and breaks easily. i was wondering if there were certain clays for certain hair types?

Reply
1. Karen
  
  December 30, 2014
  
  red clay is great for dry and brittle hair
  bentonite is for hair that is much more oily.
  
  Reply
2. Lisanne
  
  August 4, 2019
  
  Hi Sue! You might want to try the “no-poo” method. I’ve been using rye flour, mixed with water (I shake it in an OXO salad dressing shaker), then rinse with couple teaspoons of Apple Cider Vinegar & water (takes out tangles). I’ve taken to combing my hair in the shower & this helps with rinse process. My hair looks & feels great, plus growing like mad! Very natural process, no toxins, no reactions. Hopefully for you, too!
  
  Reply
  1. Shade Grimes
    
    August 16, 2019
    
    Would this be clarifying also? I have hard water.
    If not, what would be good? Thanks!
    
    Reply
3. Jennifer Sheldon
  
  May 13, 2022
  
  I am wondering though, are the metal blades on a blender or food processor going to hinder the effectiveness of the clay?
  
  Reply
  1. Jamie Larrison
    
    July 10, 2022
    
    I’ve heard that if the blade is stainless steel it shouldn’t cause an issue.
    
    Reply
Yolanda

July 16, 2013

Oh, I forgot to add that this ended up all over my shower, I had to rinse the whole shower off. It was the Green Clay. I is there a clay that won’t clog up the drain that isn’t Green??

Reply
Yolanda

July 16, 2013

Made this with Green Clay. I only had Rosemary leaf for the tea. (No poo has never worked for me, even after the transition stage. Tried it 3 times) After using this recipe, my hair was soooo soft but not shiny at all. Do you know why that is?
Also, can I use this everyday? I put ylang ylang essential oil and there was no smelliness.

Reply
1. Wellness Mama
  
  July 16, 2013
  
  You can rinse with more vinegar in the water for more shine or brush with a tiny bit of argan oil on the brush….
  
  Reply
  1. Yolanda
    
    July 16, 2013
    
    Okay, I wil try that. You mean Apple Cider Vinegar right??
    Also, can I use this mud shampoo everyday??
    Thanks so much for this recipe, I love it!!
    
    Reply
    1. Wellness Mama
      
      July 19, 2013
      
      Yes and yes 🙂
      
      Reply
2. Jessica
  
  October 12, 2014
  
  You can also try some Oregano Oil. Just a drop or two (depending on length) of this on dry hair will give you great shine, and can be used instead of conditioners (for people whose hair still needs some).
  
  Reply
  1. christi
    
    February 21, 2015
    
    Unless you don’t want to smell like an Italian restaurant for days. …
    
    Reply
  2. Kat
    
    November 27, 2019
    
    Just a concern, most people’s blenders and food processors will have metal blades. Might be best to just hand whip the clay into the mixture, unless you have a plastic pastry blade on your food processor. Have tried this recipe on my scalp countless times and it works magic. My hair has more movement and a light silky feel, which is an amazing switch up from having such heavy thick hair.
    
    Reply
Leah

July 10, 2013

Hi! Have you (or anyone else) tried premade clay hair masks? I ask because I’m in Jordan and need something to naturally clarify my hair (for some reason it’s been pretty greasy for the last few weeks and I do not want to use regular shampoo), and I don’t know where to find specialized products here. I’ve seen clay masks in some stores here. The other option I’ve been looking into is baking soda, but clay seems to do more of what I need, so I’m curious to try it out.

Reply
1. Wellness Mama
  
  July 11, 2013
  
  Haven’t tried them but they should be pretty similar…
  
  Reply
2. Lisanne
  
  August 4, 2019
  
  Hi Leah! Amazon has everything you’d need; do they deliver to your country? But don’t use Baking Soda, it’s PH Balance is all wrong for hair & will destroy it!
  
  Reply
Sarah Whaley

July 10, 2013

does anyone know if this will strip the henna out of my hair?

Reply
1. Mia
  
  July 14, 2013
  
  Sarah,
  
  I have henna in my hair and using clay doesn’t seem to effect it all all. I use a mixture of coconut milk, clay, and a couple of other ingredients.
  
  Reply
2. Stephanie
  
  February 4, 2015
  
  I use Red henna and Black herbatint coloring in my naturally light blonde hair and this hasn’t affected it at all!
  
  Reply
Yael Scutaru

July 9, 2013

Can I use Kaolin clay instead of bentonite?

Reply
1. Wellness Mama
  
  July 9, 2013
  
  Yep…
  
  Reply
  1. Yael Scutaru
    
    July 9, 2013
    
    Thanks 🙂
    
    Reply
  2. Helen Jackson
    
    June 25, 2014
    
    I printed out your recipe for mud hair detox. You mentioned using different teas for different colored hair. What do you recommend for gray hair
    
    Reply
Virginia Miner

July 7, 2013

Yes. My hair is so sad with no-poo plus pregnancy and I don’t want to go back to the store stuff! I will give this a try!

Reply
Marcela

July 7, 2013

Hi! what do you recommend to wash dry hair?

Reply
1. Murr
  
  October 12, 2013
  
  Coconut milk seems god (:
  
  Reply
Holly Hedge

July 6, 2013

I’ve been doing this along time instead of shampoo, no poo didn’t work for me. Heads up to anyone who is planning on trying this, rinse extra well, my hair can still feel gritty especially if you us regular shampoo and conditioner often. Also mix it up and try clays other than bentonite (which can be found at whole food under the azteca brand) like green clays which I hear some people’s hair just love.
Anyone who is considering going this route instead of shampoo or no poo, look up the company terressentials they make an amazing hair cleansing product. They’re website also has all kinds of tips and instructions to detox your hair completely off shampoo and it honestly makes my hair 500 times better then when I make my own with bentonite. Thank you wellness mama for sharing the knowledge to the paleo community, I honestly wasn’t sure this was ever going to make the leap.

Reply
1. Angela
  
  May 10, 2014
  
  It works Excellent. Surprisingly, the mud works as a cleanser though It takes a while to get used to putting mud in your hair, sometimes we also use one kind of Mud used to called multani mud in our face, which works so nice. Thanks for sharing such amazing information.
  
  Reply
  1. adhaincroi
    
    October 2, 2015
    
    Multani Mitti is the Indian name for Fullers Earth which is awesome for all kinds of uses. face packs very rich in magnesium chloride which is good for acne and problem skin. Is a good scrub and can also whiten the skin or help with pigmentation variation issues. I like it with a little honey or rosewater for a face mask. if you have sensitive skin though you need to be careful its quite drying. add some coconut milk maybe for dry skin. Mixed with a bit of water I use it for the no poo method instead of baking soda, and follow with vinegar and water or a rosemary decoction (basically boiled in water like tea)
    
    Reply
2. Ginger
  
  January 1, 2015
  
  I never thought I’d go the “no-poo” route, but I made up a batch of this and have used it twice a week for the past month. I just use water because I have brown hair mixed with gray and I didn’t want to dull the gray. I follow with an apple cider vinegar rinse, and it makes my fine, wavy hair clean, soft and shiny. I’m not sure, economically, if it’s better than shampoo but I do like it and am not sure I want to go back to shampoo and endure the few weeks of transition again. The only problem I have is that it does make the shower pretty gritty and messy so I have to clean more.
  
  Reply
Ali

July 6, 2013

It’s important to use high quality calcium montmorillonite clay for the best results and to avoid clogging your drain. Sodium bentonite clumps which makes it harder to rinse and it can clog drains. If you buy edible grade montmorillonite clay, there is no end to the external and internal applications and benefits!

Reply
1. Leah
  
  July 8, 2013
  
  Is there a brand you like? Where’s the best place to order some from?
  
  Reply
2. Yolanda
  
  July 22, 2013
  
  This Clay is for Fish right?
  
  Reply
3. Maria Palompo
  
  August 3, 2014
  
  I just made Wellness Mama’s remineralizing toothpaste with Sonne’s #7 Detoxificant (Sodium: 5 mg, Iron: 2 mg). Other ingredients are bentonite clay and purified water.
  
  Is this also okay to use in this shampoo mud recipe?
  
  Reply
4. Nim
  
  February 24, 2015
  
  Can one use Fuller’s Earth? Thank you 🙂
  
  Reply
  1. Kanika
    
    May 31, 2015
    
    My grandmother has been washing her hair with fuller’s earth clay since her childhood. She has way better hair than my mother (who always uses harsh chemical based shampoo). I was doubtful when I first hear about washing hair with clay, but some posts online has convinced me to try it.
    
    Reply
5. Eileen
  
  April 11, 2016
  
  Thank you! My husband was telling me to knock it off with the clay in the drains! lol I just treated my hair with the mud, then washed with the coconut milk/Bronners soap/Essential oils w a dropper of black seed oil and then rinsed with filtered water/organic apple cider vinegar and my hair feels FANTASTIC!!! Everyone is noticing and telling me how great and full of body it looks now!
  
  Reply
  1. ana
    
    July 7, 2016
    
    hmm I’m gonna have to try that. I used just the coconut milk shampoo and my hair was tangled and oily and just not very happy.
    
    Reply