Natural Shampoo Recipe You Can Make at Home
Most modern hair products are packed with synthetic materials and the effects of many of these on our health and on the environment are largely unknown. The residues left behind by harsh chemicals may build up on our hair and can start to affect its appearance and health dramatically. There is no doubt that many of these modern products can leave a large hole in your finances as well. Do you really want to spend a lot of money on something that you are going to wash down the drain?
This is why many people are now turning to natural products for their hair. If you want to protect it and the environment and save money at the same time, here’s an all-natural shampoo and conditioner recipe that’s easy to make at home!
Shampoo and conditioner manufacturers want their products to do two things. They want them to smell attractive and create a lot of foam. However, the synthetic materials that achieve this are actually very powerful products and may even be detrimental to our health when used over time. For example, many hair products contain sodium lauryl sulphate, a surfactant which is used as an industrial detergent and degreaser. When we apply it to our scalp, it may remove natural oils on our scalp and can irritate and dry out some people’s skin.
A natural and healthy alternative is to use organic shampoos and conditioners, made with natural and plant-based ingredients and scented with essential oils. However, there is a problem! These products are nearly always more expensive than conventional products.
So, why not make your own? Here we will tell you how to use a traditional formula which is natural and cost-effective that you can make at home from ingredients that are cheap and easy to get hold of.
Ingredients for natural shampoo and conditioner
- Sodium bicarbonate
- Apple cider vinegar
- Two plastic bottles
Method for preparing the natural shampoo and conditioner
For normal hair, mix a tablespoon of bicarbonate into a glass of warm water until it dissolves and fill half of one of the bottles with it. This first mixture is your shampoo. Add more bicarbonate for oily hair, or reduce the amount if you have dry hair.
Mix a quarter of a glass of apple cider vinegar with one glass of water in the second bottle. This second mixture acts as a conditioner. The drier your hair is, the more vinegar you’ll need to add.
How to apply your natural shampoo and conditioner
- Apply the bicarbonate mixture to wet hair, covering the scalp in sections and gently massaging it in.
- Rinse well. The hair will feel a little rough at this stage.
- Apply the vinegar mixture over the hair and scalp and comb through to the ends. Then rinse it out.
Personalise your shampoo and conditioner
You can add essential oils to these natural hair products to give them exactly the fragrance that you like and which will leave the hair with a pleasant fragrance. You will find that tea tree oil helps with dandruff, and rosemary oil helps prevent hair loss. Lavender is relaxing for the scalp and leaves a lovely scent. The smell of the apple cider vinegar will disappear when your hair dries.
If your hair is very dry, you will find it useful to apply some jojoba oil or sesame oil after washing. Leave it on for 10 minutes for maximum effect.
Bear in mind that your hair is used to synthetic products – you have probably used them for years. It will need a little time to adjust to the use of natural products, to replace that natural layer of oil that keeps the hair and scalp healthy. Once you leave chemical products behind, you might experience notable changes, such as greasier hair or more dandruff. Do be patient, however, because after a couple of weeks the positive effects will start to show. Alternatively, you could make the transition slowly, using progressively less chemical products each time you wash, and progressively more natural shampoo and conditioner, until you’re eventually you are no longer using synthetic chemical products at all.
