6 DIYs for Your Own Homemade Shampoo

Shampoos made at home are not merely good for your hair, but can also be customized according to your needs, depending upon the hair type, hair problems, and so on. This is because homemade shampoos, both liquid and dry, are made of mild, natural ingredients, being hair-friendly, having no sulfates.

Natural Homemade Shampoo

1. Organic dandruff shampoo and conditioner

This recipe works both as a shampoo as well as a conditioner, with lemon juice having natural conditioning and anti-dandruff properties. It can also help with sensitive scalp problems and head lice treatment since it helps in balancing the scalp’s pH level.

Ingredients

• Coconut milk – 1/4^th cup
• Liquid castille soap – 1/3^rd cup
• Vitamin E oil – ½ tsp
• Green tea liquor (steeped and cooled) – 1/3^rd cup
• Almond or olive oil (optional) – ½ tsp
• Lemon juice – 1-2 tsp

Procedure

1. Pour all the ingredients in a small, old shampoo jar, and shake thoroughly to mix.
2. Use around 1 teaspoon whenever you need a shampoo bath.

Store this in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. Shake well every time before use.

2. Coconut oil shampoo with honey and essential oils

This is a waterless shampoo that lathers, with the coconut oil and honey giving it moisturizing properties.

Ingredients

• Fractionated coconut oil – 2 tbsp
• Liquid castile soap – ½ cup
• Raw honey – ¼ cup
• Coconut milk (or raw goat milk) – ¼ cup
• Vitamin E oil – 1 tbsp
• Essential oils – 40 to 50 drops*

Coconut Oil Shampoo with Honey and Essential Oils

Procedure

1. Transfer all the above ingredients in the jar. Shake the whole mixture well.
2. Use it like any other regular shampoo, as and when you need.

*Here is how to use combinations of different essential oils to treat different hair issues:

– For hair loss, mix the essential oils of cedarwood, peppermint, lavender and rosemary 10 drops each.
– For dandruff issues, use melaleuca, rosemary, lemon and lavender 10 drops each.
– For damaged or fragile hair, combine lavender and orange 15 drops each, with 20 drops of clary sage.

Tips

• If you do not have vitamin E oil at home, you can mix 1 tbsp of olive oil with 1 or 2 vitamin E capsules, and use this mixture as a substitute.
• Additionally, adding 1 tsp of Epsom salt to the mixture during application can combat greasiness. Keep it for 5 minutes and wash off.
• Alternatively, for a gentle baby-friendly version of this shampoo, mix ¼ cup baby liquid castile soap, 1-2 tbsp almond/jojoba oil, and a few drops of essential oil (lavender, tea tree, chamomile) in a 12-oz. glass bottle, and fill the rest with water. Mix the ingredients thoroughly. Also use this as a body wash for your baby.

3. Clarifying shampoo without castile soap for curly and color-treated hair

This protein-enriched shampoo is good for color-treated hair since both egg and lemon juice has acidic properties. Also, the protein found in beer’s malt works great especially for damaged curly hair.

Ingredients

• Egg – 2 (egg white and yolk included)
• Lemon juice – 3 drops
• Edible gelatin – 1 tbsp
• Beer – 2 tbsp
• Cornstarch – ½ tbsp

Procedure

1. Whisk all the ingredients together.
2. Wash your hair with this shampoo.
3. Rinse thoroughly with warm water (to ward off any smell), and finally with normal water.

4. Clay shampoo for oily hair

Ingredients

• Green clay – 1 tablespoon
• Liquid castile soap – 1 tablespoon
• Strongly brewed green tea – 2 teaspoons
• tea tree oil – 10 drops

Procedure

1. Combine all the ingredients together to form a smooth paste.
2. Use this as your normal shampoo.

5. DIY Natural shampoo bar with castile soap

Ingredients

• Castile bar soap – 1 pound
• Pale ale (or any hoppy beer) – ½ cup + 2 tbsp (divided into 2 parts)
• Rhassoul or kaolin clay – 2 tbsp
• Shea butter – ½ tbsp
• Jojoba oil – 1 tbsp
• Avocado oil – 1 tbsp
• Essential oil – 5 to 1 oz

DIY Natural Shampoo Bar with Castile Soap

Procedure

The procedure is very similar to making hot process soap. You only need to mix ½ cup pale ale with the grated Castile soap before putting it in the crock-pot. Then mix the remaining pale ale with the clay and add it to the melted soap along with shea butter, avocado oil, jojoba oil, and the essential oils. Then mold the soap as instructed.

You can use any essential oil of your preference including jasmine, vanilla and rose. For dark hair like brown, red and black, rosemary and peppermint are good choices, while lavender and lemon are suitable for blonde hair.

6. Aloe vera and coconut milk shampoo for dry hair

Aloe vera is effective in restoring your hair’s pH level, treating eczema and dry hair. It also combats psoriasis, prevents thinning of hair by enhancing growth.

Ingredients

• Pure aloe vera gel – 3/4th cup
• Coconut milk – 1½ cups

Procedure

1. Mix the aloe gel with the coconut milk.
2. Use it like a shampoo during your shower.
3. Preserve the rest as ice cubes for later use.

Few more simple DIY shampoo recipes

1. Mix rhassoul clay, glycerin, and apple cider vinegar together. The quantity depends on the length and thickness of your hair, but the final thickness should be like egg yolk. Apply thoroughly all over your hair from the roots down to the tip and wash off after 5 minutes.
2. Soak 50 g of dry soap nuts in 2-3 cups of water overnight. Next morning, mash them and strain the soapy solution, and add 1 tsp of shikakai powder. Shampoo your hair with this.
3. Mix a cup of water (boil it for 10 min. in case of hard water) with 1 tbsp baking soda and massage for 2-3 minutes. Allow it to sit for 2 minute, and rinse off thoroughly to avoid baking soda from leaving residue.
4. Add 7 oz of natural yogurt, 2 tbsp of coarse sea salt to 1 tbsp baking soda, apply the mixture on your hair, allowing it settle for 10 minutes. Wash off.

Oatmeal flour can thicken the consistency of your shampoo. Gums like xanthan, cellulose or guar gum are also general shampoo thickeners. They are also good suspending agents and foam stabilizers, and do not penetrate into the skin. Use a proportion to get your desired consistency. These are available in shops that sell baking ingredients.