Make Your Own Shampoo
Ranked #885 in Healthy Living, #20,177 overall
Homemade All-Natural Shampoo
Do you want to make your own shampoo? You can! It's not difficult, plus making shampoo yourself lets you customize the scent of your shampoo or avoid all scents and synthetic chemicals altogether, if that is what you want. You can make an all-natural product, plus get the sense of accomplishment that comes from doing it yourself. Are you ready? Let's get started.
photo: Old Shampoo circa 1909-1932 (Library of Congress)
photo: Old Shampoo circa 1909-1932 (Library of Congress)
Homemade Shampoo Overview
Modern commercial shampoos are detergents, but shampoo used to be liquid soap to which moisturizers were added so that the shampoo didn't strip natural oils from your hair and scalp. I've got a few different recipes for you in this lens. One starts from scratch, where you make your own soap and go from there. Personally, I don't like going back to basics quite that far, so I also get into how you can take a natural vegetable-based soap and use it to make a shampoo.
Shampoo Ingredients
... if you're doing it from scratch
These are the ingredients for the start-from-scratch shampoo:
2 lb 10 oz olive oil
1 lb 7 oz of solid-type vegetable shortening
1 lb coconut oil
10-1/4 oz lye (sodium hydroxide)
2 pints water
1-1/2 oz glycerine (also known as glycerin or glycerol)
1/2 oz vodka
1-1/2 oz castor oil
essential oils (optional), such as peppermint, rosemary, lavender, etc.
coloring (optional)
Read the safety precautions on the lye and follow them! Choose a well-ventilated area to make your shampoo. While kids can help make shampoo if you start with soap, this particular recipe is adult-only. Keep the lye away from kids and pets.
2 lb 10 oz olive oil
1 lb 7 oz of solid-type vegetable shortening
1 lb coconut oil
10-1/4 oz lye (sodium hydroxide)
2 pints water
1-1/2 oz glycerine (also known as glycerin or glycerol)
1/2 oz vodka
1-1/2 oz castor oil
essential oils (optional), such as peppermint, rosemary, lavender, etc.
coloring (optional)
Read the safety precautions on the lye and follow them! Choose a well-ventilated area to make your shampoo. While kids can help make shampoo if you start with soap, this particular recipe is adult-only. Keep the lye away from kids and pets.
Find Shampoo Ingredients Online
You may be able to find the ingredients to make your own shampoo at a health and beauty store or a craft store. If not, you can find them online. Feel free to add products to this list or to vote them up/down according to your preferences.
Dr Bronner's Organic Pure-Castille Liquid Soap - Unscented - 4 oz
As organic as soap gets. Renowned for their quality, more...1 point
Rosemary Oil 100% Pure Essential Oil Undiluted 4oz
Botanical Name: Rosmarinus Officinalis Plant Part: more...1 point
High Grade Sodium Hydroxide Lye Micro Beads, 2 Lbs.
High grade sodium hydroxide / Lye. Used for biodie more...0 points
Make Shampoo from Scratch
Mix together the olive oil, shortening, and coconut oil in a large glass or enameled pan.
Mix the lye and water in a glass or enameled pan. Heat will be produced by the reaction.
Warm the oils to 95°F-98°F and allow the lye solution to cool to the same temperature. One of the easiest ways to get the ingredients at the same temperature is to set the containers in a sink or tub full of water that is at the correct temperature.
When the mixtures are at the proper temperature, stir the lye solution into the oil mixture.
When the ingredients are integrated, the mixture should sort of resemble sour cream. Stir in the glycerine, alcohol, castor oil, and any fragrance oils or colorants that you want.
If you want solid shampoo, you can pour the shampoo into soap molds and allow it to harden. Use this shampoo by lathering it with your hands and working it into your hair or else you can shave flakes into hot water to prepare bottles of shampoo as you need it
If you want liquid shampoo, just add more water to the shampoo mixture, bottle the preparation, and use it the usual way.
Mix the lye and water in a glass or enameled pan. Heat will be produced by the reaction.
Warm the oils to 95°F-98°F and allow the lye solution to cool to the same temperature. One of the easiest ways to get the ingredients at the same temperature is to set the containers in a sink or tub full of water that is at the correct temperature.
When the mixtures are at the proper temperature, stir the lye solution into the oil mixture.
When the ingredients are integrated, the mixture should sort of resemble sour cream. Stir in the glycerine, alcohol, castor oil, and any fragrance oils or colorants that you want.
If you want solid shampoo, you can pour the shampoo into soap molds and allow it to harden. Use this shampoo by lathering it with your hands and working it into your hair or else you can shave flakes into hot water to prepare bottles of shampoo as you need it
If you want liquid shampoo, just add more water to the shampoo mixture, bottle the preparation, and use it the usual way.
Dry Shampoo
Shampoo is meant to remove excess oil and help lift away any flakes or grime. If you can't get wet, this is your best bet:
2 tablespoons corn meal
1 tablespoon ground almonds
1-1/2 tablespoons orrisroot
Mix the ingredients together. To use this shampoo, massage a teaspoon of the mixture into your scalp and brush it through and out of your hair. Repeat the process if necessary.
2 tablespoons corn meal
1 tablespoon ground almonds
1-1/2 tablespoons orrisroot
Mix the ingredients together. To use this shampoo, massage a teaspoon of the mixture into your scalp and brush it through and out of your hair. Repeat the process if necessary.
About Dry Shampoo
Another dry shampoo option is to brush baking soda through your hair. I don't really recommend this, because the pH of baking soda is such that it can weaken hair's protein, keratin. It's a decent dry shampoo for dogs, though.
Video Showing How to Make Shampoo
Here's a video that discusses making your own shampoo.
curated content from YouTube
Make Shampoo from Soap
This recipe makes a shampoo base that can be customized for different types of hair and different fragrances.
1/4 cup of grated vegetable-based soap (castile soap)
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp olive oil
Dissolve the soap in hot water to dissolve it. Stir in the vegetable oil. Feel free to double, triple, etc. this recipe.
You can use the base shampoo by mixing it with glycerine and essential oils or other herbal ingredients.
1/2 cup base shampoo
2 tablespoons glycerine
~5 drops essential oil
1/4 cup of grated vegetable-based soap (castile soap)
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp olive oil
Dissolve the soap in hot water to dissolve it. Stir in the vegetable oil. Feel free to double, triple, etc. this recipe.
You can use the base shampoo by mixing it with glycerine and essential oils or other herbal ingredients.
1/2 cup base shampoo
2 tablespoons glycerine
~5 drops essential oil
Special Shampoo Recipes
Using the Base Shampoo Recipe
Herbal Shampoo for Oily Hair
2 tablespoon dry peppermint
2 tablespoon dry spearmint
1 tablespoon dry sage
1 cup water
1/2 cup shampoo base
Bring the herbs and water to a boil in a saucepan. Remove the saucepan from heat and allow the mixture to steep for 20 minutes. Strain out the herbs. Mix the herbal water with the shampoo base.
Herbal Shampoo for Dry Hair
1 tablespoon dry comfrey root
1 tablespoon dry rosemary
1 tablespoon dry chamomile
1 cup water
1/2 cup shampoo base
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup milk
Bring the herbs and water to a boil in a saucepan. Remove the pan from heat and allow the mixture to steep for 20 minutes. Separate out the herbs with a strainer. Mix the herbal water with the shampoo base, egg, and milk. This shampoo is perishable so refrigerate any portion that isn't used right away.
Conditioning Shampoo
1 beaten egg
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup water
1/2 cup shampoo base
essential oils (optional)
Mix the ingredients together. This shampoo helps give your hair body (egg is a natural conditioner) and shine (lemon juice makes the shampoo slightly acidic, helping to seal the hair shaft).
2 tablespoon dry peppermint
2 tablespoon dry spearmint
1 tablespoon dry sage
1 cup water
1/2 cup shampoo base
Bring the herbs and water to a boil in a saucepan. Remove the saucepan from heat and allow the mixture to steep for 20 minutes. Strain out the herbs. Mix the herbal water with the shampoo base.
Herbal Shampoo for Dry Hair
1 tablespoon dry comfrey root
1 tablespoon dry rosemary
1 tablespoon dry chamomile
1 cup water
1/2 cup shampoo base
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup milk
Bring the herbs and water to a boil in a saucepan. Remove the pan from heat and allow the mixture to steep for 20 minutes. Separate out the herbs with a strainer. Mix the herbal water with the shampoo base, egg, and milk. This shampoo is perishable so refrigerate any portion that isn't used right away.
Conditioning Shampoo
1 beaten egg
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup water
1/2 cup shampoo base
essential oils (optional)
Mix the ingredients together. This shampoo helps give your hair body (egg is a natural conditioner) and shine (lemon juice makes the shampoo slightly acidic, helping to seal the hair shaft).
Books with Shampoo Recipes
Take the Shampoo Poll!
Loading poll. Please Wait...
Make Your Own Conditioner
Now that you have made your own shampoo, how about trying to make conditioner, too?
Sign the Guestbook
Got questions or comments about making your own shampoo?
submit
-
Reply
-
earthybirthymama
Feb 3, 2012 @ 7:57 pm | delete
- My Favourite book on this subject is The Fragrant Pharmacy, by Valerie Ann Woodward. Great Lense.
-
-
Reply
-
Karen Peterson
Dec 9, 2011 @ 10:09 am | delete
- I Travel for my job 6 months out of the year. I do not have access to a store for months at a time. I can not take enough liquid shampoo with me to last the entire period. What I would like to do is find a recipe for a powdered shampoo that I can make that will rehydrate with water. I am not looking for a dry shampoo to use between shampoo's but a true shampoo powder that I can reconstitute. Do you have a recipe for something like that?
-
-
Reply
-
SilmarwenLinwelin Nov 11, 2011 @ 3:56 am | delete
- I tried to make shampoo once but I think I put too much glycerine. My hair was too oily after I used it, but I think I'll try your recipes.
-
-
Reply
-
AshFarmsHerbalProducts
Sep 11, 2011 @ 9:25 am | delete
- How much water do you add to the recipe for liquid soap? Any idea how much liquid soap it makes?
-
-
Reply
-
Clipperguy
Sep 10, 2011 @ 11:53 am | delete
- Good stuff. I just might try it. I sell my one brand of hair care product, but it is made for me by a lab.
-
- Load More
What's New at About Chemistry
When I'm not making lenses at Squidoo I write About's Chemistry website.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byby Azareal
Azareal
Hi. I'm Dr. Anne Helmenstine, scientist, author, and mom. I write and edit About.com's Chemistry Website, which covers general chemistry, science proj... more »
- 108 featured lenses
- Winner of 13 trophies!
- Top lens » How to Grow Crystals
- This lens »
Won purple star
Feeling creative?
Create a Lens!
