Creating your own natural shampoo at home is actually quite simple! If you can follow a recipe, you can easily follow a formula. Formulating is chemistry, like baking, you need the right ingredients to have a successful result!
Beware of the many “shampoo” recipes that you will see on social media. I have seen so many that simply are not good for your hair even though the ingredients are natural and sound amazing.
An effective shampoo needs to do three basic things.
• Cleanse the hair-shampoo needs to remove dirt and soil from your hair and scalp, whether it is from sebum, dust or styling products, these can all build up on your hair over time. You also want the hair to be cleansed without being harsh and removing the beneficial lipids that you have on the hair.
• Cuticle of the hair-needs to be closed after cleansing. A good shampoo will ensure that the cells of the cuticle are laid flat, which protects the underneath layers from damage.
• Balance the pH of hair-your hair needs a slightly acidic pH for the cuticle to close, to reduce static electricity. pH of the hair needs to be between pH 5.5 to 3.5.
DIY recipes that include ingredients such as Castile soap are to be avoided. While Castile soap is wonderful for many things, it is not good for hair. It does cleanse, but it will not close the cuticle of the hair and the pH of Castile soap is between 9-11.5, as are most soaps because they are created with lye. It also cannot balance the pH of your hair. This higher pH is damaging to the cuticle (that’s the outer layer of the hair) and it results in breakage and frizz.
Another DIY recipe I have seen contains coconut milk-often combined with ingredients such as honey, vinegar and carrier oils-like jojoba oil. Even though coconut milk is a lovely healthy ingredient, it will not cleanse the hair, and let’s not even think of all these recipes that have no preservatives in them with these types of healthy ingredients that are an easy way to grow bacteria, yeast and mold. (I’ve seen the ones recommending that you keep it in the fridge, that’s great… if you remember to take it out and put it back in the fridge, or what happens when water is introduced into the product? Bacteria).
Beware of using shampoo soap bars, some of them are really made with ingredients that are truly made for washing the hair, lots of them are simply great bars of soap for the skin, but not for your hair. Learn to read ingredient labels. A real shampoo bar will have ingredients such as Cocamidopropyl Betaine and Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate. You should be able to find ingredient lists on any soap that you purchase.
Baking soda…I honestly just don’t even understand this one as a key ingredient. It can act as a degreaser, but it is not gentle on the hair. It has a pH of about 9.5 (remember hair needs to be between 5.5-3.5). It can irritate your scalp; it will not close the hair cuticle (means it will lead to damaged hair prone to breakage).
Ready to try making your own shampoo? Let’s get started!
You will find a downloadable formulation that you need to create your own liquid shampoo. I purchased all of my ingredients from https://www.voyageursoapandcandle.com/ you may purchase from your favorite online or local supplier, you may also purchase from Amazon if you wish. Check out my resource page for more of my favorite suppliers (of which I make no income, I just like to support really good Canadian businesses). You can also find free good shampoo formulations HERE
Remember to always use Distilled Water in all your formulations, and not tap or bottled water.
You can also purchase pH test strips or a pH test meter from Amazon (of which I am an affiliate)
Here’s my favorite formulation that I am currently loving. Remember to follow the guidelines while formulating, be picky about keeping your area and utensils clean. Measure accurately, and follow directions. Have fun, this formulation takes about fifteen minutes to make.
