Forget this stuff! (Image: Procter & Gamble)
If you weren’t too keen on the whole no-poo idea, then try this homemade shampoo. I found the original recipe here, on Passionate Homemaking, and have altered it to fit my hair’s needs. The beauty of this shampoo is that you can change any part of it to make it work for your hair. Use different measurements, different essential oils – the possibilities are endless.
1 cup organic liquid castile soap (You can get this from Dr. Bronner’s or from Mountain Rose Herbs*.)
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 ΒΌ cup water
10-20 drops of your favorite essential oils (lavender is my current favorite)
I use a spray bottle (as suggested by Passionate Homemaking blogger, Lindsay Edmonds) to apply this shampoo. It works really well. The only drawback is that it is plastic, which I try to avoid. Many people have dozens of plastic water bottles lying around the house (so often given away as promotional material at summer street fairs, so they tend to pile up) – you can easily use one of these, as well. The nozzle would make a great applicator.
Make sure to shake this mixture before using it. The castile soap makes a great lather, for those of you who need some lather in your shampoo! 
I like to use a low castile soap to water ratio, whereas the original recipe calls for the opposite. Castile soap has a very different feeling than traditional shampoos, as it is made from oils. Your hair will feel thicker and it will probably take some time to get used to. But your hair WILL be clean.
This is the shampoo I have used for a year and a half. I absolutely love it. This is a great shampoo to use as a transition to no-poo, if you are interested in taking that route. Or as a substitute for traditional shampoo. As I mentioned before, I use baking soda every fourth or fifth shampoo to get my hair super clean, then return to this shampoo.
There is one drawback to this (and some other) homemade shampoos: static electricity. There are chemicals in commercial shampoos and conditioners that bind to the hair for a number of reasons, including the prevention of static electricity. However, I’ve never found this to be a huge problem – just a minor annoyance.
So…if you aren’t sold on this shampoo’s ability to get the job done, or its eco-friendly ingredients, then just imagine how much money you will save by using this, rather than buying shampoo and conditioner every few months!
*5 Seed is an affiliate of Mountain Rose Herbs. We fully stand behind their ethical and eco-friendly business practices.
I have tried the no-poo baking soda and water, baking soda paste, and Passionate Homemaking’s recipe. None of them worked with my hair.
My boyfriend is actually using this shampoo recipe now to use it up. It made my hair sticky. I tried Kiss My Face pure olive oil bar of soap on my hair too with similar results. I noticed that my hair got staticy as well, which is alright, but I couldn’t stand the greasy, sticky, residue left in my hair. I suspect our water must be hard or something. (Since I have to work during the weekday, I don’t want to go through a “transition” period other than on the weekend.) In the book I’m reading (The Green Beauty Guide – Julie Gabriel), she mentions you can try using organic baby shampoo and a really good conditioner. I might try that if I can find something not too expensive, although I’d prefer to be able to make my own magical concoction.
I ordered a crapola amount of products from you. It should arrive any day now. I am in such suspense, it feels like Christmas! I can’t wait for my order to arrive! AND since my birthday is coming up, my mom is going to contribute some funds towards my purchase as a birthday present. Awe, what a great mom.
Hi T!
Yes, I know some people have had that same experience with homemade shampoos and shampoo bars. When I moved to my new house, I also had that problem (sticky hair), and finally had to buy a water filter, which helps immensely. And I totally understand the unwillingness to go through the transition period – it is really hard when you have someplace to be everyday and want to look good! I think it’s great that you are looking into organic baby shampoo – I think that will be wonderful. Do let me know how that works out.
Your order was so so so much appreciated!! I should’ve emailed, as I forgot how long it takes stuff to arrive in Canada. For some reason, it takes almost twice as long for my shipments to reach Canada than the UK! Odd. In any case, you will find a thank you note inside! And thanks to your mom, too!
Happy early birthday!
Hi T!
I’m posting a new recipe for this shampoo on Monday that I think you will like. No sticky/tacky/gummy!
Yay! I can’t wait! I agree, I think the vinegar and castile soap is what made my hair feel scummy.
Hmmm.. I am tempted. sorely so. maybe I’ll get the ‘stuff’ for the ingredients this weekend.
I think it takes forever for stuff to arrive in Canada because our postal system is terrible…. seriously. but it is so worth the wait!
I’m trying this recipe without vinegar tomorrow, just as an experiment. Will let you know how it goes…
The post issues are cracking me up. I can’t believe how fast packages get to the UK, and my poor Canadian customers sit there for an extra week, in most cases, waiting waiting waiting. It’s like the Pony Express!
Hey Y! Thanks for letting me know these posts were here! I read through the whole page. I’ve only been on your Greenspell site, not this one. So glad I know about it now! Its wonderful. I’ve started recording my days and the feel of my hair. I am going to try baking soda tomorrow and then make the DIY shampoo this weekend. I will keep you posted
Oops, I assumed you had access to this blog through my FB fan page updates. But then, I know from experience on the other side that those updates can get lost in the shuffle!!
You must’ve been checking Greenspell and thinking, “Where ARE those posts on hair care?!”
Anyway, I’m going to try the shampoo sans vinegar tomorrow, and will let you know how it works. Always tweaking to find the right measurements and ingredients!
I made this last night. As you know, I washed with baking soda yesterday, and my hair feels wonderful for the first time in a week. I showered today, but didn’t wash as I want to get to at least a day between washings. However, my daughter, who is 9 used the shampoo last night and her hair feels great. She has virgin (no perms or colors) beautiful red hair. I am excited to get her started on this stuff instead of commercial shampoos. Thanks so much, Y!
You have a daughter?! I didn’t know! How cool! I’m so glad she’ll grow up without all those products!
Just so you know, I just started trying a new version of that shampoo – 2 cups water, 1/2 cup castile soap, 10 drops lavender e.o. So far, I’m loving it, and it is less tacky than the original. (Vinegar and castile soap tend to get gummy when mixed.)
Hard water … a thorn in my side! LOL I am in England, concluding a long, birthday holiday-retreat and have had to deal with hard water for the first time. I have virgin, curly-wavy, dark auburn hair and have been using Dr. Bronner’s lavender soap for washing, twice-weekly, for five years. Luckily, my hair is much shorter than it used to be (was waist length for decades). The stickiness bugs the heck out of me! Yet, I am not resonating to the energy of ACV and would rather not attempt to use BS while renting …in ‘this’ home.
I find it unthinkable to buy a filter when I’m leaving in two months.
I did manage to find a natural shampoo … so my method is washing first with DB then add a little of this other (Urtekram http://www.urtekram.dk/english/) and then rinse very, very well. Works well enough …. most times. I don’t resonate with the idea of using a separate conditioner so this will have to do, until I return home.
I’m off to check out that vanilla lip balm! Natural lip balms are really hit or miss.
I’m quite fond of eco-lips but wonder if the oils they use are too strong for the lips.
I much prefer a tube rather than a tin because I’m very mindful about keeping the contents sterile and being a no-nonsense kind of gal and on the go, I can’t see myself using a lip brush.
Many thanks for your site! Best wishes!
~Shijael
@Shijael: I totally know what you mean about lip balms in tins. I said right on my product pages that I know they aren’t as convenient or marketable as plastic tubes. However, I won’t use the tubes because they are #5 plastic and most people won’t realize that they cannot be thrown into the commingle recycling bin – and therefore, they end up in the landfill. Plus, I just refuse to use plastic if I can use something else. I do have some plastics in my business, but very, very few. I hope to come up with an alternative tube (paper or metal) in the future, but for now, it’s all about the tins! I love the tins because they are made from recycled metals and can be reused so often. They are far easier to clean and sterilize than tubes, too.
Minus the beeswax, lovely ingredients. Made my mouth water reading them.
Is there a vegan formula in the works?
I was getting ready to send you some tins and tubes to fill for me (with your recipe) but I really feel the desire to use only vegan.
Hi there Shijael!
Yes, I do use a lot of beeswax for numerous reasons. I had one vegan lip balm but I didn’t like the way it turned out. I’m still working on another formula. My Sankalpa Scents, however, are vegan.
Thanks for the info about the #5 plastic tubes. I will do some research about it because either some companies use different plastics or there is some deceit to uncover. The tubes I have bought from while here in the U.K. (where I haven’t been able to make my own balm) all have recycling labels on them and even have a reminder printed right on the label to recycle. I also think a couple I bought in a hurry before I left for this holiday, also had the recycling logo. So some research is in the works. I have also heard that the ‘recyclable’ plastic water bottles people use, also sit in the landfill. I do not know if this is true or not, as so much released by media, is there to excite emotionalism and fear. This ‘recycled-plastic-dump-and-sit’ may or may not be of the same travesty.
I will be oh-so-happy when there are more plastic-alternatives on the market for us to choose from. What really makes me cringe is all the usage of the large plastic garbage bags. I love the idea of recycled cardboard tubes. I can’t see a reason why they wouldn’t work and would be easily recyclable.
You are certainly right about the tins being much more easily cleaned and sterilized than the plastic tubes!
We’ve come so far and have so much further to go.
We’re getting there though … we are all getting there.
Blessed week!
~Shijael
@Shijael: You are so right about that delicate balance for vegan lip balms! It is tough. I hope I can master it soon, though.
As for the recycling thing, I should have been more specific. Most American recycling centers don’t process #5 plastics. They say you can throw it in, because many want to get as many potential recyclables as possible in the commingle bin – then they sort it and throw away what cannot be processed at any given recycling center. (My brother-in-law works at our local recycling center so I get the scoop from him, lol!)
Anyway, the company Preserve has a program called Gimme 5, in which they accept #5 plastics. The only catch is that you have to bring the plastics to their drop-off locations (and they don’t have one in every area, or even in every state, as far as I know), or mail them in at your expense. So for the people who AREN’T near a Gimme 5 drop-off location and for those whose recycling centers don’t accept #5′s…well, I don’t fancy that many will want to deal with the extra step and expense of mailing their used lip balm tubes to Preserve. So it’s basically easier on MY conscience to prevent those tubes from going into the world and, possibly, into the landfill.
Please do let me know if you find out new information, though. I’d love to hear it!