A few years ago when our family started looking at both living more frugally and more naturally, we began exploring making homemade shampoo and other bathroom products. After lots of trial and error, I have figured out a great shampoo recipe for curly hair and one with one substitution to make it more suitable for straight hair! It is super fast because it’s shampoo made in a jar. Best of all, our hair is not greasy and out natural oils do most of the work.
As I mentioned in our homemade conditioner post, I have never shampooed my daughter’s hair. Her natural oils do most of the work. And we we can all go “no-poo” for a few weeks, typically, we can get back to our natural state as well… one without the chemicals that strip our hair and natural oils. Though the detox during that time is usually a greasy mess because our bodies are learning how to produce the “just right” amount of oils. So just be warned.
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What you will need to make shampoo in a jar
- A Jar! I love Libbey Drinking Jars that have the handles because I can store extra shampoo in the fridge and easily pour it into an old shampoo bottle or peri bottle for use in the shower.
- 1 cup of Baking Soda
- 3/4 cup Canned Coconut Milk PLEASE make sure that you have the right one – thick and in a can and not the drinking kind.
- 2 tsp Sweet Almond / Vitamin E Oil for CURLY hair or 2 tsp of jojoba oil for STRAIGHT hair. (Jojoba oil is the closest pH to that of human skin and hair, making it more suitable for the need of straight hair people like me where so much greasy can be a reality).
- 30 drops of Tea Tree Essential Oil
- 30 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil OR your favorite scent. Lavender is a nice one if you like taking your showers at night.
- (in some instances) some Distilled Water (this is however thick or thin you want it OR you NEED it to use a pump)
- (optional) Food Coloring. If you are making for a kid or just like some color, then this won’t stain your hair if you add for instance green to make it a light minty-green. I used it on my blonde hair and had no issues.
Steps to make the Shampoo
1. So start out by pouring in the coconut milk into the bottom of the jar.
2. Add the oils and then baking soda goes on top.
3. Use as little or as much distilled water as you would like for the consistency that you like, (sometimes none, but it is highly recommended if you want to use this shampoo in a pump). Screw on your lid.
4. SHAKE! This is fun to do with kids, because of course they love to shake and roll the jar.
5. Enjoy! Pour your shampoo into a peri bottle or old shampoo bottle to use in the shower. Glass jars are obviously not recommended or safe in the tub or shower.
6. To store: Put in your shower as usual and just discard after about 6-8 weeks if unused. Please remember to shake each time you use it. For those of you using clear bottles, you will see that it tends to separate after sitting. You can also store any leftover coconut milk in the fridge for an indefinite period since it is not being used to eat. Like I said before, I go ahead and make all of it and put the jar with a lid on it in the fridge for refilling purposes.
Please note that this shampoo is not going to be like commercial detergent-style shampoos. It will not lather up or anything like that, so be aware before you use it!
And while you’re here, don’t forget to check out our all natural detangling conditioner .
Kara is an author and advocate for positive, grace-filled parenting. She is homeschooler to her 5 children living on a farm in New England. She believes in creative educational approaches to help kids dive deeper into a rich learning experience and has her degree in Secondary Education & Adolescent Childhood Development. She is passionate about connecting with and helping other parents on their journey to raise awesome kids!
Heather
I was looking for homeschool info but came across this and now I HAVE to try it! Finding shampoos, that I feel are safe for my kids, are hard to find. I love essential oils so, a winning combination!
Kara Carrero
Well I am glad you stopped by and discovered even more than homeschooling 😉 I hope this works well for you and your family like it has mine! I struggle with finding products I deem safe, so I can definitely relate. Just remember that if you are using “regular” shampoo, it will take 2-4 weeks for hair to detox from that and can seem greasy in that time. If it’s still greasy after that, just change which oil you are using. jojoba, like I mentioned, is closest to human pH meaning it’s probably going to be the least oily! Good luck 🙂
Amber
It’s so hard to find a good shampoo recipe to make at home! Sometimes they don’t work all that well… especially for greasy hair. I’m going to test this one. Looks promising! 🙂
Kara Carrero
I COMPLETELY agree. And hair is definitely not the same for everyone. That’s why I have to use a different oil base (jojoba) than my husband (vitamin e) because otherwise my hair is a hot mess! Hope it works for your hair!
Chrystal @ Happy Mothering
I haven’t tried making my own shampoo before. This looks pretty easy!
Kara Carrero
It’s SO easy. It’s also a way that I can get things like this done with kids 😉
Joanthan (EcoDad)
Does temperature matter for how long it will last in the shower? I’m thinking about the hot summer days coming up this month and wondering if I should wait until the fall to try it out.
Kara Carrero
We have never had an issue with temperature and have used this recipe for several years (even living in OKC where we have had 30+ days of over 100 degrees in the summer). Hope it works well for you!
Kadonna
I cannot wait to try this on my daughter’s hair. Thanks!
Stephanie @GoodGirlGoneGreen
Nice. Look so simple; yet effective!
Jessica
Do any of the ingredients in this shampoo recipe have a negative effect on color treated hair?
Kara Carrero
I honestly do not know, as I have never dyed my hair. However, there is nothing harsh in this shampoo and it should be fine. I would test on the ends of your hair if you are concerned!
Shari Childress
As a hairdresser I can tell u that, to my knowledge and trial, there are no negative effects to color treated or highlighted hair. With the exception of food coloring. Sometimes highlighted hair will absorb other color, so I’d just leave that out.
Michelle Boettger
I have curly hair: it necessary to use a conditioner after using this shampoo, or do the natural oils kick in after a few weeks and take care of the conditioning as such?
Kara Carrero
I personally do not have curly hair, but my husband and daughter do. My husband does not condition and I only use a homemade conditioner on my daughter’s hair when it starts getting matted from her being a typical toddler.
Jo
Which Osborne Young Living Melaluca oils did you use?
Kara Carrero
I use Melaluca Alternifolia because we use it for all sorts of cleansing and anti-fungal/anti-bacterial type of uses around our home.
Samantha
Hi there, I’m dying to try this but my eldest is highly allergic to tea tree what can I substitute it for
Kara Carrero
You can substitute for any scent that you would like. I personally use TTO and Peppermint because they compliment each other nicely and the TTO can help with things like lice. However, it’s not completely necessary. I would maybe recommend something like Citrus Fresh and use that one only, doubling the amount since you’re replacing two oils.
Shari Childress
My daughter has curly hair in the back and straight on top and sides. Which oil do u recommend I use for her shampoo? Her dad and I both have straight hair.
Kara Carrero
I would say the jojoba oil. I would always err on the side of caution because that’s going to be less oily for the straight hair and it’s not going to hurt the curly at all since all hair is the same ph.
Samantha
Okie dokie thanks so much
Caryn
Will this work in hard water areas?
Kara Carrero
Yes! We have the hardest water living in Oklahoma and are even on well water.
Vicki
I was so excited to try this on my daughter and myself, but we both woke up the morning after a greasy mess. I mean, seriously can’t leave the house like this, greasy! I’m so disappointed and have a huge jar of the stuff in the fridge 🙁 Any ideas where it all went so very wrong for us?
Kara Carrero
That is unfortunately part of the process especially if we are used to washing our hair with a detergent style shampoo. I mentioned in the post to be warned that it takes a couple of weeks to detox and that your natural oils will even out. So nothing went wrong, it’s just how our bodies naturally react and commercial shampoos typically strip our natural oils so they are on over-production mode and then we suddenly change that and our bodies have to adjust to not make so much.
Felicia
A great conditioner for any hair, but especially curly hair, is about 3-5 ounces of beer…..I use it flat. The beer pulls all of the greasy and chemical build up off and leaves your hair naturally refreshed. Pour it on, work through your hair gently and leave of 1-3 minutes then rinse out with cool to tempered water. Then natural potions in the beer leave a soft shine to your hair.
I have just tried this shampoo and am loving it with the beer rinse afterwards.
Kara Carrero
Interesting! Thanks for sharing.
mark
I made this last night to try out this morning and it seemed a bit thick so I added just a bit of water. Just a bit too much apparently, as it’s very watery now. Do you have any advice/experience fixing that, or should I just start over?
Thanks
Kara Carrero
I would look into finding a foaming pump as that might help. Otherwise, you can probably add more baking soda until you reach the consistency you want. However, it will probably be a bit more abrasive if you do. Hope this helps and it works out for you!
Vicki
Thanks for your reply. I should clarify that I’ve not been using a detergent style shampoo as you suggested, but natural clay. My hair wasn’t greasy before I washed it with your recipe, so it isn’t my natural oils either. My daughter is only 3 and has also never been exposed to commercial shampoos, yet she awoke in the morning like an oil slick. Something did go terribly wrong. I suspect my coconut milk, which was 3/4 solid coconut fat. Is this like the coconut milk you used?
Kara Carrero
No problem! That’s exactly like what we have used, so I am not sure. We have used this recipe for years and have had several friends use it as well with great success. Changing shampoos in general is going to be a shift in pH and clay has a pretty high pH and is very alkaline. So it sounds like you might need to bring down the pH for your specific hair types. You can do this by rinsing with Apple Cider Vinegar as a conditioner (dilute 2 parts water to 1 part ACV), adding more baking soda, or changing the oil that you used. Hope this helps 🙂
Nadiya
Hi, I’m wondering if you would know if the shampoo would work without the baking soda? I’ve heard some people say that it isn’t good to use because it can damage and dry hair out. I suppose with the oil in it it might not be a big deal, but I thought I’d ask. Thank you!
Kara Carrero
Baking soda by itself is going to be fairly damaging, but using it with an oil that works with your hair , it should still be fine. I have very sensitive skin and fine hair and have never had a problem, however I have with the baking soda only method. And using oils and coconut milk only is probably going to be extremely greasy.
Nadiya
I was reading the comments and saw someone mention something about clay. Is it possible to switch a quality clay like Redmond’s clay for baking soda? Or do half and half? I don’t know much about the ph levels of either, I didn’t have good results with the last shampoo I made… I don’t recall what recipe I used, I believe I gave it a few weeks at least for the transition, but it never got better… Maybe I didn’t follow something right, or I didn’t have the right ingredients for my hair.
Kara Carrero
Honestly, I have no idea. I have not actually used clay before. I would assess whateher you have oily or dry hair and then see what pH works best for you and see if clay fits into that mold or not.
Courtney
Hi there,
I have naturally oily hair and its thick and curly. I have been using wen – a no poo shampoo for a while now. Do u think this would be a good alternative ?
Kara Carrero
Honestly, if it is working for you then I wouldn’t change. It is possible that this would be a great alternative for you, but again, I am a firm believer in sticking to what works.
Lori
I was wondering if coconut oil can be used instead of jojoba oil? I keep coconut oil on hand and use it to condition the ends of my hair and it is wonderful for that. I’ve never used it on my entire head though. What do you think?
Kara Carrero
I think it would be worth a try, especially if you know it already works will on your hair. Just remember that it may react differently to your scalp. I have used coconut oil on my daughter’s hair and it made it somewhat oily, but with the curls it made it look like mousse was in it and not like it was gross.
Kayla
I’ve been try to go natural with everything this past year, and the hardest thing to manage has been the shampoo! It just never stops being greasy, no matter how long I wai. It out. So out of pure frustration I went back to my Dove shampoo last week but since doing that my hair just gets greasy and slimy half way through the day! I was at the desperate shave it all off stage until I found this. It’s a concoction I have not come across yet. Super excited to try it out today. Thanks so much!! (:
Kara Carrero
You are welcome. I really hope it helps! The greasy part is the most frustrating for me. I am not sure if you read through the other comments, but we have had lots of discussions about pH. That’s the most delicate factor in shampoo! So I definitely recommend starting with jojoba oil if you usually struggle with greasiness. Unfortunately, sometimes we are our own science experiments we have to troubleshoot, right?!