Table of Contents
Natural Shampoo Recipes
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DISCLAIMER
Our readers offer information and opinions on Earth Clinic, not as a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your physician, pharmacist, or health care provider before taking any home remedies or supplements or following any treatment suggested by anyone on this site. Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs or diagnose your particular medical history.
3 YEA
[YEA] 03/25/2008: Jane from Ontario, Canada writes: "Baking soda reduces oily hair and cleans up product build up. Mix 1/4 to 1/2 (more for longer hair) of baking soda with water and mix it with water to make a thick paste. Put the paste on wet hair and scrub into roots/focusing on the more greasy areas. Scrub in and leave in for 5 minutes, then rinse.
Your hair will feel dry or cottony when its wet, but once dry it will be soft. You can use conditioner after use, but not needed. I used this on my oily hair without washing my hair with shampoo first, actually i didnt use shampoo at all, and my hair was swqueeky clean!"
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[YEA] 03/03/2008: Kerry from Launceston, Tasmania....Australia writes: "Baking soda or Bicarb which it is called here...is fantastic to wash hair with I use 1/4 cup of bicarb mixed with a cup of warm water in the shower and just tip onto my hair and rub for just a couple of seconds...then rinse...its amazing when it dries its like ive used shampoo... soft and bouncy if hair is a tad dry at times...iI just add a very small amount of organic conditioner to the ends ..and yes I use organic cold pressed coconut oil for a monthly deep condition..."
01/04/2009: Lelly from Kingston, Jamaica replies: "what is the best way to get rid of hair loss in women? I have tried massage, aloes, castor oil. I did not follow any instructions in terms of measurement. just went by hear say and experimented."
EC: Please check out http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/hair_loss.html
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[YEA] Anonymous writes: "If you mix baking soda and shampoo in your hand once a week it will not only remove all hair spray, styling gels, and other products, it will remove impurities from the water and lighten your hair. I learned this from my hair stylist! Also, mix baking soda with hair conditioner in your hand and condition the ends of your hair it will give your hair more volume, body and health."
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BAKING SODA, APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
[YEA] 01/14/2010: Phoenix75 from Carmel, Ca, U.s.a. writes: "I used baking soda as a 'shampoo' to wash my roots with and then I used apple cider vinegar to rinse my ends with; the results are amazing!!! My hair is soft and full of body. My hair is really long and I am not sure what results it will elicit when it is tangled, but so far I am extraordinarily pleased with the outcome!"
01/15/2010: Francisca from Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France replies: "Do you use baking soda mixed with water or the powder on its own to wash the roots of your hair? I have dyed hair, no idea whether this will work..."
01/17/2010: Phoenix75 from Carmel, Ca, U.s.a. replies: "I mixed approximately two tablespoons of the baking soda, with some water, and I made a paste out of it, then I applied it to my scalp and I massaged it in. You may require less, or more, depending on your hair type...mine is long, so I tried 2 tablespoons...and then I mixed the vinegar with water as well."
06/07/2010: Kaya from Knoxville, Tn replies: "So, did you just use the vinegar on the tips or did you use it on all the hair?"
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[YEA] 09/27/2009: Accomplicekim from Chicago, Il writes: "Hello!
I've been commercial-product-free for nearly 6 months & it's AMAZING! A few things I'd like to add:
STEP 1: Baking soda/water shampoo (1:5 ratio) should be mixed in cold water, Shake before & during application) applied to a DRY scalp (so you can maintain control over solution) via condiment or hair-coloring bottle) and massaged lightly. Extending this mixture to the ends of the hair *after the first use* will strip the hair and make it dry/frizzy. If this mixture gets in your eyes, it will feel like when you're swimming in the ocean with your eyes open. :) You can let this sit on your scalp if you're inclined. The conditioner sitting makes more difference. With the Baking Soda 'poo, for longer hair, I put up in pigtails to keep ends from getting scrubbed. Try it once- you have nothing to lose & I hope you are as happy as I am!
STEP 2: *RINSE WELL* with your regular shower temp/water before proceeding or your scalp will exfoliate & you will look like you have the worst case of dandruff in your life.
STEP 3: Conditioner: Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) (also 1:5 ratio with water) can be either poured or sprayed into the hair. I got a large spray bottle from a dollar store that has markings for mix-ratios & holds a liter; this lasts a looooong time. :)
Step 3 and 1/4: While this sits on my hair, I usually scrub body down with Baking Soda (I make a thick water-paste to control it better, then *before rinsing body*, spray down with ACV conditioner mixture (spraying over my hair again, too) and sort of scrub down with it.
STEP 4: Rinse well from head to toe all at once. Wrap hair in towel until shower complete.
STEP 5: Usually, the dead skin will start to come off the body during the rinse process, so I often scrub down with Baking Soda again. I just got Borax today, so I am going to see how the second sloughing goes with that. Incidentally, if my heels have gotten thick, the mixture literally makes the skin on my feet come off with my fingernails by the wrap-up of the shower as opposed to soaking forever!
I have very long hair and I have zero problem getting a comb through *after* towel drying!! PLUS, it only seems to take about 15 minutes for my hair to dry! I would not have believed it if I hadn't tried this myself!
Also, natural-bristle brushes will do wonders distributing the natural oils.
To test my experience, I used the commercial shampoo/conditioner & my hair ended up, well- crappy! No body, no luster, thin and "hay-wire"! 'Took about 20 min to dry with hair dryer)
I only have to shampoo once every 4 days. Immediately following my first wash/condition (where the Baking Soda went the length of my hair), my hair felt thicker, was a LOVELY shade of brown with red highlights and WAVY! Honestly, I feel and look like a movie starlet!! And I will be 40 years old Oct, 2009!
WHAT I HAVE LEARNED:
* Don't use white vinegar- it doesn't have the same effect and stripped my hair down to a dry mess.
* You can vary the ratios, if you want to try it, but I came back to this ratio for my hair.
* I tried adding Tea Tree Oil, Cinnamon Stick, Vanilla Bean to shampoo & conditioner & found that I didn't "need" any of these, but they were better when added to ACV mix & shaken before spraying. I personally found the basic 2 ingredients, separately, were the most effective for me.
* I found that the daily Baking Soda/ACV body washing actually made me feel more content.
* I only use Pure Cocoa Butter in stick for as a moisturizer now.
* When mixing with castille (sp?) soap, the soap left a film that I disliked; I tried this on the hair & body only because of my "addiction" to the sudsing effect of commercial products.
I hope some of you enjoy this! "
09/28/2009: Tricia from Ireland replies: "Accomplicekim - I have been following the Lorraine Massey protocol for about two months now and it has worked wonders for my hair. I always thought that pregnancy had contributed to my bad hair(curls gone, dries out etc.) but it turns out that sulphates in shampoo don't suit me anymore. Anyway because this is working so well I am always looking for alternatives to sulphate shampoo's. So I have a question. This system involves using conditioner & brown sugar as a shampoo and then condition as normal. This allows the natural hair oils to work their way down the hair shaft but also leaves a lot of product on the hair. When I want to colour my hair (and, boy, do I need to) I have to use a sulphate shampoo first. This irritates the living daylights out of my scalp and tears my hair assunder again. Do you think that if I followed your way would a colour take in my hair without the sulphate shampoo first. Also, Are you using the cocoa butter on your body skin or on your scalp. Thanks."
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5 YEA
1 QUESTION
[YEA] 10/21/2009: Kantuckee from Green Road, Kentucky, Usa writes: "Years ago I picked up a small book of old timey cleaning recipes from the 1900s. In the last century before there was store bought bottles of cleaning concoctions people made their own products. Women with the long hair used Borax Water to clean their hair very efficiently. The recipe I use is 1 cup of Borax to 1 gal of very hot water. Let it sit for 24 hours and shake it occasionally. Use only the water from this jug to wet your hair and just squeeze through, don't scrub. Rinse throughly and if needed do a vinegar rinse to clean any buildup.
When you are low on the borax water I add water and/or borax to keep the level right in the jug.
I hope this helps."
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[QUESTION] 03/02/2009: Janette from Calgary, AB writes: "I have a question what ratio of borax to water should I use if I am using it as a shampoo?"
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[YEA] 01/27/2009: Marcie from Dallas, TX writes: "i was using baking soda and borax mixed with my shampoo for a while and loved the results! i have very dark brown hair w/natural red highlights and i love it that way. over time i noticed that my hair was getting lighter in color. after some research i found out that baking soda will lighten your hair if used continously. since i didn't like the reddish brown hair i stopped using that mix and swtiched over to only Borax and water.
i've been using just the borax and water for close to 2 months and my hair isn't as light as it was but it is still not my natural dark dark brown that is growing in from the roots. obviously, the borax is still lightening my hair only not as drastically as the baking soda. i only wash my hair about once every 5 days or so. i really don't like the whole lightening effect but when i find the right amount of borax my hair can hold a curl and looks FABULOUS!! i'm not sure how borax will affect color treated hair, but i don't have to use conditioner at all with Borax."
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[YEA] 09/06/2007: Katya from Grand Rapids, MI writes: "WOW! This is great i never knew Borax could do so much! I've been using it for almost two years to wash my hair and body with. My hair is soft and shiny, like baby hair and i'm 54 years old! I rinse with 1/4 teas. of citric acid mixed in a pint of water. Together they are the best! No more itchy scalp, no more chemically laden shampoo! Now i'm going to try using it to get rid of Candida!"
04/17/2008: Thersa from New Orleans, Louisiana replies: "How much borax should you use as a shampoo? Do you mix it with warm water? Does it affect color treated hair?"
07/22/2008: Nanette from H.B., Calif. replies: "I have the same inquiry about using Borax shampoo on color treated hair. Will the Borax change the color at all? I have chronic scalp (and skin itching) like biting and crawling but no bumps, rashes or visible sign of fungus or infestation. In addition to the intense itchiness, I often feel like another woman here mentioned, 'like my hair is not strongly rooted in my scalp and have the inclination to pull it. I am experiencing hair falling out and looking thin and scraggly. I am anxious to try the Borax shampoo to be rid of the constant itching."
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[YEA] 08/26/2007: Jennifer from Windsor, CA writes: "Hi read Jackie's post a week or so ago regarding her results with borax and water to shampoo hair. I gave it a try and my hair felt great. I have long, heavy hair and it felt clean, soft and not dried out at all. Is anyone else doing this? I'm curious to see if anyone else had done this long-term as I want to make sure I'm not going to destroy my color-treated hair in the long run. I found a shampoo recipe online last week that included borax, castille soap, glycerin and a couple other ingredients. It turned out to be a disaster - after using a second time, my hair was a matted mess. I'm thinking it was the Dr. Bronner castille soap - which I love for face cleansing, but not on my hair. I used the straight borax and water this morning and my hair feels soft and clean again."
[YEA] 06/10/2008: Kathy from Chatham, Ohio replies: "Hello, I have been using borax on my hair for about 2 weeks, now. I lost my hair (,chemo treatment about 10 years ago) and have been coloring my hair for about 10 years. My hair color is remaining true, it is soft and seems thicker than it has been in 10 years. I am rinsing with lemon juice because I have not been able to get a hold of any citric acid. YEAH!! Thank you to BORAX."
EC: Kathy, we found a huge jar of citric acid in an Asian grocery store for just a couple of dollars! Think it was in the spice section...
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1 YEA
[YEA] 08/17/2008: Cindy from Wichita, Kansas writes: "I use a bar of Kirk's Castille soap in the shower and as shampoo. I have very long hair and the Kirk's rinses almost instantly. Then I use regular conditioner which also rinses very quickly since using the Kirk's. I love it. I hate modern soaps. It takes 5 gallons of water just to get it off your hands! I use Dr. Bronner's liquid peppermint soap in foaming soap dispensers for hands and dishes. I use regular dishsoap for greasy dishes and then use the Dr.Bronner's to get the regular detergent off. Yuck!"
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CHEMICALS IN COMMERICAL SHAMPOO
04/17/2008: Dee from Philadelphia, United States writes: "Until about a month ago I too was using those same commercial shampoos etc. until I happened to come across some information by accident. I was searching for some homemade shampoo recipes etc. and the reason I was searching is because I had noticed for quite some time that my hair was not in the condition that I thought it should be especially since I haven't had any chemicals ie hair dyes in it since 1996. The only thing I have put in my hair has been Henna the real kind from plants not that fake a** stuff you can buy in beauty stores. I DC my hair twice a month with castor oil and rosemary/lavender EO combo oil yet my hair looked damaged. I kept wondering what is the problem? The ONLY other things I was using on my hair was shampoo and conditioner. Hmm...could there be a link?
So, when I found this link and clicked on it and it talked about recipes and such and how there are so many dangerous chemicals a vast majority of the shampoos etc. on the market today and have been for a long time. I was shocked. I knew that there were alcohols in shampoos as well as some other stuff but I didn't realize it was this bad and I had no idea how hazardous some of those chemicals could be to one's health!
By accident I found this cosmetic database website called cosmeticdatabase.com and looked up some of the ingredients of the some of the shampoos and conditioners I have been using on my hair for years and what I found pissed me off royally. Did you know that some of chemicals that are used in our shampoos and conditioners etc. here in the United States have been banned in Canada and Japan? That right there is a BIG red flag.
Needless to say after finding all this out I went on a mission to find a company that made chemical free shampoo. In the past I have done business with a internet company (Emporiumnaturals.com) but at that time wasn't aware of the harmful chems in shampoo etc., well it turns out that they make their own shampoo and the ingredients are virtually chemical free they are: Coconut, Castor, Palm, Jojoba, Distilled Water, Soy Protein, Vegetable Glycerin, and Potassium Hydroxide.
So, I purchased some and I really like it the ONLY downside was that with me being African American I needed more moisture so I separated some shampoo into a 4oz bottle and added two small capfulls of castor oil and one capfull of jojoba oil and my hair felt wonderful! My goal is to eventually make my own shampoo but until then this shampoo is great!
I am going to try some of the washes on this website too and think that with time my hair will get better and better. I will update and let everyone know.
Thanks"
10/26/2008: Patricia from Asheville, North Carolina / USA replies: "To: 04/17/2008: Dee from Philadelphia... I also looked up ingredients on cosmeticdatabase.com
Hate to tell you this, but Potassium Hydroxide, one of the ingredients in Emporiumnaturals.com shampoo,
is considered toxic as well."
04/26/2009: Alice from Manama, Bahrain replies: "Sodium Hydroxide in natural products is an ingredient that when mixed with any fats like coconut oil etc..forms a salt which is HARMLESS. The end product of the reaction will not contain sodium hydroxide. Some natural companies like to include that on their list, and some companies don't, they put "soap base" or something not to cause confusion since the end product itself doesnt contain it."
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01/26/2008: Jacie from USA writes: "Thank you to Alice from Wiesbaden, Germany for the all natural shampoo recipe using egg yolks. It sounds wonderful and I look forward to trying it. Danke!
Thank you also to Earth Clinic for creating a new thread for Natural Shampoo Recipes. I think it may prove invaluable for people wishing to turn to alternate solutions.
We all know that many of the common commercial personal care products in the U.S.A. contain synthetic chemicals but I was just not aware of how BAD the situation really might be. Some of our every day use products contain one chemical after the other that may be less than safe.
You can check the Material Safety Data Sheets on the ingredients in your shampoos and other personal care products. The Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are required by the manufacturers. Here is a site where you can enter the chemical and see if it is their database. It is Vermont Safety Information Resources, Inc. I am not affiliated with them, nor do I know anything about them other than that they are cited on the Libraries at the University of California, Santa Barbara website and a link is provided there.
http://www2.siri.org/msds/index.php
For example, a search for Sodium Laureth Sulfate, also known as SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE, a chemical in many shampoos reveals that it CAUSES IRRITATION TO SKIN, EYES AND RESPIRATORY TRACT. MAY CAUSE ALLERGIC SKIN OR RESPIRATORY REACTION.
Or that the EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM OR REPEATED EXPOSURE (Repeated or prolonged contact) with skin may cause dermatitis.
SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE is in many products. I am not a chemist so I will leave you to do your own research on why this is used.
I was hoping that the more so-called organic or natural product lines would be better, but sadly, I have found they use harsh or synthetic chemicals, too. I just purchased a so called organic skin facial cleanser only to get it home and read that it, too contained SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE; something for your face - that is linked to skin problems!
MORE seriously, some of the chemicals being used in our cosmetics and personal products may have had one or more studies done that suggest that the chemicals may be linked to cancer or immune system issues.
It is far too vast for me to try to relay here. (I will also leave you to figure out for yourself why this use of these known hazards is permitted in the U.S.A.)
Since many of the people posting here are experiencing serious health problems, I wanted to add this to your arsenal of natural health remedies: Check up on what you are using on your body.
I wish I could say that I have found a reliable internet source with integrity that can offer guidance in this matter, but I have not. They seem to either offer incomplete information or are connected to commercial or other pursuits. The information they are presenting can%uFFFDt be trusted because they either are selling something outright, or they have links to where you can buy the products. (The way the internet is nowadays, if you have a link to a product you are probably getting a kickback.) In that case, you have to question their motivation and question the information; it may be biased. It is also possible that it may be distorted or just plain inaccurate. Also, some of them are accused of using scare tactics. But of course, that doesn%uFFFDt mean that we aren%uFFFDt facing a very real threat from too many toxic chemicals. Yes, a tricky spot to be in.
If you do your own research, I strongly encourage you to look at who it is that is providing the information. See if they are selling products, if not, what is their mission? Go to their "About us" page if they have one and form an educated judgment based on how they present themselves. Run separate searches to see how they are referred to elsewhere on the web. Most importantly, do they provide substantiation for their claims? You can't just take the statements on face value. If you can't see the source listed you have to ask them what their source is. If they can't give you a source, then you must question their real motives for publishing the information.
Your local university or public libraries might be able to provide information on the studies done on the chemicals as reported in scientific journals. It is up to the consumer to look at who conducted the study, to interpret the findings, and decide whether a product is right for themselves. But it is still tricky for the lay person to know how to interpret these studies. I know there is at least one book for the layperson out there on safety in cosmetics. You could probably find it easily by googling key search words. I don't know anything about whether it is well regarded, but I'm going to see if my library can obtain for me it through the interlibrary loan system.
Maybe if we all put our heads together we can figure this out. In the meanwhile, I for one am only using natural products on my body right now.
I wish everyone light and peace on their health journeys!"
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EGG YOLK AND APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
[YEA] 01/23/2008: Alice from Wiesbaden, Germany writes: "Hello! I would like to let you know, that I have tried an "all natural shampoo" today. I just mixed two egg yolks (organic) with a bit of honey and put it on my wet hair for about 10 min while taking a bath with ACV. Then I rinsed it with lukewarm water and a tablespoon of ACV for an "extra shine". It works wonderful and the hair looks and feels great after this procedure. Please note that the original ancient formula also contains a teaspoon of cognac. By the way...the white of the egg can be used as a wonderful facial cleanser! Give it a try and you will be amazed about your wonderful hair!"
[YEA] 01/25/2009: Zantariah from Sydney, Qld, Australia replies: "Hi Alice and thanks for that info about the egg white but I'll take it a step further. Mix some finely chopped oats with the egg whites and viola! we have a wonderful face mask. leaving the sensitive area beneath the eyes untouched, smooth on the mixture and leave till dry. Try not to talk or move any part of the face. caking it too thickly should be avoided as it will take too long to dry. Have fun!I would also like to mention "The Atlas". Most of us are born with the head sitting tilted in the top vertabrae called The Atlas. I have nothing to gain by passing on the info I am just so ecstatic after a lifetime (I'm 69) of pain and agony to be over migraine, insomnia and sciatica amongst many more ailments. Just google-- atlasPROfilax... It's a one off guaranteed treatment available worldwide no manipulation involved. Truly, do yourself justice and get it done. I'll check back regularly to see if anyone has queries. Cheers, Zantariah*"
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EGG YOLK AND LIME JUICE SHAMPOO
[YEA] 06/14/2008: Dianna from Austin, Texas writes: "i make my own shampoo with egg yolks. i just whip up 3 egg yolks and rub it into my wet hair. sometimes i add a drop of lavender oil. wait a few minutes and rinse out very, very well with cool water. then i take a lime or small lemon and squeeze it into a liter of water and shake it up. pour this all through your rinsed hair and then rinse again with cold water. this will even take off a pre-poo coconut oiling!!! and it makes your hair very shiny and soft."
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LEMON, ROSEMARY AND LAVENDAR OIL
1 QUESTION
[YEA] 08/03/2007: Pati from Orangevale, California writes: "I have a Purebred Turkish Angora Cat that is 18 years old now & has never been sick a day in her life.(From My own secret food recipes). So experimenting I decided to mix a few drops Pure Lemon Oil into my hand with natural Organic Shampoo & bathed her in that mixture. It rids her of any Fleas and Itching & makes her white long hair shiny & bright! It does not dry out her skin. So I decided to use just a drop or two of pure Lemon, Lavender & Rosemary oil mixed with my shampoo a large amount on my hand & left it on for a minute or so & then rinsed very well. I then Conditioned with Organic Conditioner or Marine Conditioner from the Sea & now my hair stops falling out, the itching has stopped from dry scalp & my hair is thick, very long down to my lower back and shiny."
[QUESTION] 01/09/2009: Valerie from Heidelberg, Ontario Canada replies: "Question for Pati Orangevale Ca. She has the 18 year old Turkish Angora cat. Would she share her own secret food recipes. I have 3 cats and would like to make my own cat food. Also is molasses good for cats? thx val"
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1 YEA
[YEA] 03/01/2008: Marjorie S. from Clarkrange, Tennessee writes: "re: Dandruff. Rain water is the very best to shampoo with and then the most wonderful rinse you will ever use. Leaves your hair shiny and soft as baby hair. You will be thrilled. If your rain water is not perfectly clear when you collect it, let it settle and then carefully strain through a coffee filter. Do not collect the rain water in aluminum. Enjoy!"
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1 YEA
[YEA] 02/21/2008: Nellie from Portland, USA writes: "I just wanted to share a simple and effective (not to mention easy on the wallet) recipe for dealing with a dandruff-ridden scalp: honey and sugar shampoo! I make this by mixing approximately equal parts sugar and honey. . . The result: a well-polished scalp, and increased hair growth from the honey! A great follow-up is an herbal tea rinse with a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice for extra cleansing and shine. Believe me, this works a lot better for my dry hair and scalp than most shampoos I've tried and is healthier in the long run. I've also tried the egg and honey shampoo Alice from Germany posted here earlier, and it works wonders! Alice, thank you!"
05/06/2008: YuYu from Bruxelles, Bruxelles replies: "Thanks for sugar shampoo. I will try. I know it should work for scrub. Does anyone know how to make coco glucoside from coconut? Any scientific publication about that? I search through but still don't find one."
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Other Pages of Interest:
Natural Hair Conditioners
Natural Hair Coloring Recipes
