Depending on your hair and personal preferences, you can use a variety of ingredients to make your shampoo.
Most simple recipes use liquid castile soap, like Dr. Bronner’s. This soap is organic, fair trade, and non-GMO project verified. You can get this soap in numerous scents (scented naturally using essential oils), but the basic, unscented soap will probably work best with your own essential oil mixture.
Some people choose to use castile soap alone to wash their hair, since it’s an all-in-one natural soap, but many find that it makes their hair dry and dull. Adding these other ingredients to your shampoo will help you get the results you want.
The second most important ingredient, if you choose to add to your castile soap solution, is coconut milk. Most recipes call for canned coconut milk, but others recommend homemade coconut milk if canned milk isn’t providing your desired results.
You can add a small amount of olive or almond oil to soothe frail, dehydrated hair. Others suggest adding honey, coconut oil and vitamin E oil for a more gentle mixture.
Here are two recipes you can follow, depending on how simple or complex you want to make your homemade shampoo with essential oils.
Simple Homemade Shampoo Recipe:
1/4 cup liquid castile soap
1/4 cup coconut milk (homemade or canned)
20 drops of essential oils
For dry hair add 1/2 tsp olive or almond oil (optional)
(Recipe courtesy of Wellness Mama)
Complex Homemade Shampoo Recipe:
1/2 cup liquid castile soap
1/4 cup coconut milk (homemade or canned)
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp fractionated coconut oil
1 tbsp vitamin E oil
40 to 50 drops essential oils
(Recipe courtesy of Shalom Mama)
Essential Oil Combinations to Try:
These shampoo recipes aren’t tear-free, so be sure to keep the soap out of your children’s eyes when they wash their hair. If the solution gets in someone’s eyes, rinse them with cool water for 15 minutes. If irritation still occurs, see a doctor.
Essential oils have many uses, from simply smelling delicious to relaxation to fortifying damaged, dry hair. Feel free to experiment with scent mixtures to find your favorite combinations. And remember, less is more when it comes to powerful oils. Be conservative with the amount of drops you use at first and add more later if the solution isn’t strong enough for you.
Some popular essential oils and their uses for shampoos include:
ROMAN CHAMOMILE: Use for fine to normal hair. Chamomile gives golden highlights and sheen to your hair, conditions, soothes inflamed scalps, and helps scaly scalps.
CEDARWOOD: This oil normalizes a dry and oily scalp, and stimulates scalp and hair follicles. It can be used to treat hair loss and dandruff and as an antiseptic.
EUCALYPTUS: Eucalyptus is an antiseptic and can be used for dandruff treatment.
LAVENDER: Good for all hair types, it helps balance natural scalp oils, soothes the scalp and calms hair, promotes hair growth, and can be used to treat itchiness and dandruff.
LEMON: Use for oily hair and treatment for dry scalp and dandruff. Gives golden highlights and helps balance your scalp’s natural oils.
LEMONGRASS: Helps oily hair by slowing down scalp oil production.
PEPPERMINT: Use with dry hair. Peppermint promotes growth by stimulating circulation.
ROSEMARY: Good for oily hair, dandruff treatment, and promoting hair growth.
TEA TREE: Can be used to treat a dry scalp, dandruff, and lice. Good for oily hair.
THYME: Thyme is antiseptic, stimulates blood flow, and invigorates the scalp to help with hair loss.
YLANG YLANG: For oily hair, dandruff treatment, and stimulating hair growth. Oil is soothing and antiseptic.
Conclusion:
Your scalp will need a few weeks to adjust to your natural shampoo. It’s important to be patient as the natural oils are redeposited onto your scalp and your hair soaks up all the healthy ingredients you are now feeding your locks.
Your natural essential oil shampoo will allow you to wash your hair less so you have more time to do the things you love. And once you see the shine and vitality that your hair will get from all-natural soap, you’ll never use grocery store shampoo again!
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