Jump to Directions
Are you tired of using commercial shampoos packed with harmful chemicals that strip your hair of its natural oils? Get ready to transform your hair care routine with a natural homemade shampoo recipe that leaves your locks looking luscious and feeling cleaner than ever.
Making homemade shampoo allows you to take control of the ingredients that touch your hair and scalp, ensuring a healthier, eco-friendly and personalized hair care experience. This luxurious, all-natural shampoo is made with coconut milk, castile soap, sweet almond oil and a blend of nourishing essential oils.
Coconut milk, the star ingredient of this recipe, is rich in vitamins and minerals that strengthen and rejuvenate your hair, while castile soap gently cleanses without causing any damage. Sweet almond oil adds an extra layer of hydration, giving your hair a soft, silky finish. To enhance the shampoo’s benefits, I’ve also included a medley of lavender, rosemary and sage essential oils, which not only provide a calming aroma but also promote hair growth and scalp health.
As we delve into the step-by-step process of creating this simple homemade shampoo, prepare to revolutionize the way you care for your hair. Say goodbye to store-bought shampoos and hello to a natural, eco-friendly alternative that will leave your tresses feeling pampered and looking fabulous.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup of coconut milk
- ¾ cup of liquid castile soap
- 2 teaspoons of sweet almond oil
- 20 drops of lavender essential oil
- 20 drops of rosemary essential oil
- 10 drops of clary sage essential oil
- ½ cup of water
Supplies
- Glass measuring cup
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Can opener
- Small whisk
- Funnel
- 16-ounce foaming soap dispenser
By the Numbers: How to Make Natural Shampoo
Follow these simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make the best all-natural homemade shampoo recipe for clean, vibrant locks.
Step 1: Whisk Coconut Milk
Open the can of coconut milk with your can opener and whisk to combine the liquid and solid portions until it’s nice and smooth.
Step 2: Add Coconut Milk to Measuring Cup
Pour ¾ cup of the coconut milk into your glass measuring cup and whisk it again to make sure it’s smooth and there are no lumps.
Step 3: Add Castile Soap
Add ¾ cup of liquid castile soap to the measuring cup and whisk until it’s smooth and well combined with the coconut milk.
Step 4: Add Oils
Next, add 2 teaspoons of sweet almond oil, 20 drops of lavender essential oil, 20 drops of rosemary essential oil and 10 drops of sage essential oil to the measuring cup and whisk until all of the ingredients are well combined.
Step 5: Transfer to Shampoo Bottle
Once it’s smooth and well combined, pour the shampoo mixture you just made through the funnel into your soap dispenser.
You’ll notice it doesn’t quite fill the entire jar or bottle.
Step 6: Add Water
Top off the bottle with luke warm water (mine takes almost ½ cup of water), then whisk to combine.
Step 7: Seal and Use Your Shampoo
Finally, it’s time to replace the lid on your new shampoo dispenser and it’s ready to use. See below for tips.
Tips for Making Homemade Shampoo
Answers to all of your questions about making homemade shampoo, including tips, variations and substitution ideas.
Best essential oil blends for hair
These are my choices for the best essential oil blends for gorgeous hair. Use equal parts of each oil or play around with combinations of about 50 drops total of your favorite essential oils to find what works best for you:
- Everyday use: lavender, rosemary and chamomile oils (optional: add carrot seed oil to moisturize)
- Aromatic blend: lavender and orange essential oils smell delish together
- Clarifier: lavender, rosemary and peppermint oil
- Dry hair and/or dry scalp: rose, sandalwood, ylang ylang and lavender oils; add 1 teaspoon jojoba oil. It’s best to use a hot oil treatment first, which will allow the hair to fully absorb the oils.
- Oily hair and/or oily scalp: rosemary, eucalyptus, chamomile, cedarwood and lemon essential oils (this blend leaves behind clean, shiny hair with a fantastic fresh scent)
- Dandruff-prone hair: use any of the blends above but add tea tree oil.
- Shine booster: chamomile, lavender, lemon, tea tree and bergamot essential oils.
No matter your hair type, you can benefit from quality essential oils. Remember, a little bit goes a long way. And if you’re on the hunt for the best brand of essential oils, be sure to read why I use Rocky Mountain Essential Oils!
Alternative to sweet almond oil
I know not everyone can use sweet almond oil and that okay! While I like it for my hair, sometimes I also use other carrier oils like jojoba oil and olive oil.
When you’re diluting essential oils to use in hair products, two of the best alternative carrier oils to use are rosehip oil or argan oil (read more about the best carrier oils for essential oils). You can also use castor oil, liquid coconut oil, avocado oil or any other oil you know your hair likes.
Why add water
The main reason we add water in this recipe is to thin it a bit to work with foaming soap dispensers. If you’re not using a foaming dispenser, you can omit the water. You can also replace it with aloe vera juice for extra nourishment for your hair if you’re using a foaming dispenser or aloe vera gel with a regular dispenser.
How to use homemade shampoo
It’s important to shake this shampoo well before each use to make sure the ingredients are mixed. It’s also important to patch test the first time you use it, especially if you have sensitive skin.
Finally, it’s not recommended to use most essential oils on children under the age of five unless you’re using a known kid-safe essential oil. If you omit the essential oils, this will be really similar to a baby shampoo which is safe to use with most kids.
Now you’re ready to use the shampoo just like your regular shampoo. Massage it into wet hair, then rinse with hot water. Follow with conditioner or a hair rinse and style as usual.
Shelf life
In ideal conditions, this shampoo will keep for approximately one month. If you won’t use 16 ounces of natural shampoo in 30 days, you can make smaller batches for best results.
More DIY natural hair care products
If you liked this recipe, try these other DIY tutorials for hair:
Homemade Shampoo Recipe
Supplies
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- ¾ cup liquid castile soap
- 2 teaspoons sweet almond oil
- 20 drops lavender essential oil
- 20 drops rosemary essential oil
- 10 drops clary sage essential oil
- ½ cup water
Tools
- Glass measuring cup
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Can opener
- Small whisk
- Funnel
- 16-ounce foaming soap dispenser
Instructions
- Open the can of coconut milk and whisk until smooth.
- Pour coconut milk into your glass measuring cup and whisk again to make sure it’s smooth.
- Whisk in the castile soap until smooth.
- Whisk in the sweet almond oil and essential oils until well combined.
- Pour the shampoo mixture through the funnel into your soap dispenser.
- Top off the bottle with water, then whisk to combine.
- Replace the lid on your dispenser and now you have your own shampoo, ready to use.
More Homemade Beauty Products
