I’ve made natural alternatives for body wash, dry shampoo, and other hair care products, but homemade shampoo was by far the toughest. After lots of (failed) experiments, I finally came up with a recipe for DIY moisturizing homemade shampoo. It uses natural ingredients and leaves my hair feeling soft and silky!
DIY Shampoo
I wanted to get away from store-bought shampoos that were full of unhealthy preservatives, synthetic chemicals, and artificial fragrances. Many commercial shampoos just aren’t that great for your hair and scalp.
I tried the “no-poo” method, which has great results for some, but did not work on me at all (and I have some terrible Christmas pictures to prove it!). If you have coarse hair that’s normal to dry, this method may be great for you! I have baby-fine more oily hair and it didn’t work for me.
If you’re not familiar with no-poo, it usually involves rubbing baking soda water onto the scalp as a shampoo alternative. Many people follow it up with an acv rinse (apple cider vinegar rinse) and maybe some coconut oil on hair ends as a conditioner. Some people find it works great, while others report an itchy scalp, hair loss, and gunky build-up in the hair follicles. Over time it can also strip the natural oils from hair.
Don’t Want to Make It?
When I’m traveling or don’t have time to make my own, I’ve used a few organic shampoos that worked really well. My faves are:
- Wellnesse Shampoo – I co-founded this company and helped formulate the recipes. It uses ingredients that are not only non-toxic but have proven health benefits. There’s even an option for curly hair!
- Morrocco Method Raw and Natural Organic Shampoo – this doesn’t lather like normal shampoo but it’s been amazing on my hair and has helped strengthen it over time.
A Different Homemade Shampoo
I missed the foaming aspect of shampoo (I know… the “foam” in regular shampoo is made from synthetic chemicals and detergents…).
My first time making homemade shampoo I tried plain liquid castile soap, which left me with frizzy hair and a mess of tangles. Then I tried a bunch of homemade recipes that didn’t work well at all. Finally, with the inspiration of a natural coconut milk (scented) shampoo that I love, I finally found a recipe I’m happy with and that doesn’t leave my hair tangled, oily, or both.
It works on kid’s hair too. That’s a picture of my daughter’s newly washed hair (though it isn’t tear-free, so watch the eyes!). It suds somewhat like conventional shampoo and you can customize it to your needs.
It’s such an easy natural shampoo recipe that I can’t believe it took me this long to think of it…
The secret ingredient: Coconut Milk!
What You’ll Need for Homemade Shampoo
- Coconut milk – The coconut milk helps soften and adds natural oils. (UPDATE: a couple of readers mentioned that the canned stuff did not work well for them, but homemade coconut milk worked great… Depending on your hair type, homemade may be better for you).
- Liquid castile Soap (like Dr. Bronners)
- Essential Oils of choice (I’ve used peppermint, lavender, rosemary, and orange or combinations of those). Or you can skip them for an unscented version.
- Carrier oil – If your hair is more dry you can add a hair nourishing oil. I usually use olive oil, but castor oil, avocado oil, or jojoba oil also work well. Castor oil also helps with hair growth.
Other homemade shampoos call for ingredients like raw honey, vitamin E, aloe vera gel, or glycerin. Feel free to experiment until you find what works for your hair! Another wonderful and cost-effective option is to make shampoo bars (like bar soap for your hair).
Essential Oils for Hair
Adding a few drops of essential oils adds more than just a nice scent. They can also improve scalp and hair health to help thicken hair, prevent breakage, and combat dandruff. Here are a few different options and what they do. I’ve written more extensively on essential oils for hair here.
- Tea tree oil – Useful for dandruff and itchy scalp. Also treats head lice!
- Rosemary – Reduces scalp itchiness and flakes, restores hair’s natural oil balance, and can help prevent split ends.
- Lavender – Studies show it increases the number of hair follicles for better hair growth.
- Peppermint – Increases hair growth, thickness, and length and deepens hair follicles for stronger hair.
Natural Homemade Shampoo
Yield
Equipment
- Silicone squeeze bottle (or reused shampoo bottle)
Materials
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- ¼ cup castile soap
- 20 drops essential oils (such as peppermint, lavender, rosemary, or orange)
- ½ tsp almond or olive oil (for dry hair, optional)
Notes
- If you use a foaming dispenser, it also makes a great shaving cream.
- The shelf life of this shampoo is about one week when stored in the fridge.
Troubleshooting Tips
How well this shampoo works depends on your hair type and also your water. Some people with really hard water find it doesn’t combat the extra minerals in their water very well.
Which coconut milk you use can make a difference too. Some have noted that canned coconut milk did not work for them, but homemade did. Keep in mind that homemade coconut milk has a shorter shelf life than canned though.
If you find your hair is really greasy and unmanageable after using this, try doubling the castile soap so it’s 2 parts soap to 1 part coconut milk.
Natural Hair Conditioner
Now that you have a natural shampoo, what about conditioner? Since the coconut oil (and optional carrier oil) are already moisturizing you may not need to use any conditioner. Here are a few different options if you want to try them though!
- A chamomile tea rinse at the end of each shower (leave in hair!) will produce smooth, silky hair and naturally lighter hair over time.
- Some people find a 50:50 mixture of apple cider vinegar and water used as a rinse helps get hair cleaner and increases shine. You could also put it in a spray bottle for easier application.
- This homemade conditioner recipe features hair-nourishing oils, glycerin, and essential oils.
But… Don’t Wash Your Hair Every Day!
I can’t leave out one of my biggest healthy hair discoveries. Hair is happiest when you don’t wash it every day! Read this post to find out why the experts say how you wash your hair matters just as much as what you wash it with!
Ever made your own shampoo? Gone “no-poo?” How’d it go? Share below!
Teresa
I have been reading that rice water has some great benefits for the hair. I haven’t tried it yet, but maybe adding this instead of the coconut milk might be better.
Jamie Larrison
Both have hair benefits, but rice water wouldn’t add any moisture like the coconut milk. Here’s a rice water recipe, let us know if you try it! https://wellnessmama.com/beauty/rice-water-for-hair/
Brigitte Hickey
I use 1 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar (with mother in it) with 1 up of filtered water for shampoo and I use 1 Tablespoon of baking soda with 1 cup of of filtered water for a rinse. Have been using it for 10 years. I works really good. I am a 10 year cancer survivor. My hair is shiny and easy to manage. I don’t use dye on my hair anymore.
Megan
I just made this today and used it for the first time!
First impressions:
– it is very runny, so hard to apply/not waste
– felt slightly greasy when in the shower
– lathered nicely
What I used: coconut milk from a can, Dr. B’s soap with tea tree oil, almond oil, additional tea tree, and lavender EOs. To “condition” I used a 1:1 ratio of ACV (with the mother) and water in a spray bottle and sprayed my whole head. I did rinse this out.
So far, my hair does not smell like anything (husband says “it smells like water” lol). This was a bit surprising considering tea tree oil is so strong, but I will take this over the smell of vinegar! Also, my hair does not seem to be greasy now that it has mostly dried. I have dense wavy/curly hair (thin/thick strands idk) and this is my first time ever not using a drug store shampoo or conditioner. Very excited to see what happens next. Considering adding corn starch and/or aloe vera and/or whipping this shampoo in my blender to try and thicken it up a bit. Also curious about the shelf life of the shampoo, as I have read several comments saying it will last anywhere from 3 days to a month, so I will be checking on it frequently.
Andrea
Just no. I tried with coconut milk (greasy, waxy) and then subbed water for coconut milk (greasy, waxy). Could hardly get a wide comb pick through my hair. Frizzy, heavy, waxy mess. I love soooo many of wellness mama recipes, but this was disastrous.
Robin
I kind of tried this recipe, but I used Dr. Bronners Peppermint Bar soap because it’s all I could afford.
Also, I used filtered water steeped in chamomile tea, some avocado oil and some vegetable glycerin.
I peeled the soap with a potato peeler into a crockpot and melted it combined with the water and other ingredients.
Later on, when I could afford to buy it, I added some unsweetened canned coconut milk… which I think would benefit from being mixed in the crockpot too.
I like how my hair and skin feel (I used it as a body wash too) … quit soft and my hair isn’t weighed down … however I don’t think it’s washing out all of the way, because after I added the coconut milk my scalp itches and has a bit of “gunk” under my finger nails. I used an apple cider vinegar rinse after ward, but it only helps a little. Maybe I’m not using enough apple cider vinegar? I use a table spoon diluted in a cup of water…
Anyway, thank you for the recipe, it’s been very helpful. 😀
Angela
Hi I wonder if anyone has tried thickening this with guar gum, so it is thicker? And what were your results? Thank you xx
Jamie Larrison
Guar gum works best in products that have a pH level between 5-8. Castile soap has a pH of over 9 so it might not work here. You could try a little bit in the recipe though and see what happens!
September
Hey, I am new to natural shampoos. I just came across an article that gave reasons for why a lot of natural shampoos don’t work. I am not sure if it is correct, but they listed your shampoo recipe as an example of one that is wrong. Please check it out and let me know if they are right or not. I want to use your recipe, but they give some pretty strong arguments. Thanks!
Mylene Caballero
Coconut milk will spoil after 1 day. Will it not affect the recipe?
Sue Yost
I am intersted in making my own so that I can cut down on plastic by reusing the same container. Unfortunately the ingredients come in plastic containers! Bummer!
Alexandria
So I made this last night and woke up to my hair feeling and looking super greasy like there is residue all over my hair??? How can I fix this?
Gina
I’ve read that Castile soap used for shampoo can be a problem for people with hard water because it does something with the minerals in the water to cause build. Could that be it? I’ve also found it’s difficult for me to spread around Castile soap on my hair and I often have to use a lot or up my lather technique to disperse it well
Claire
Hi! Do you have to use a foaming nozzle for this or would it work in a regular bottle?
Dorothy Jerome-Foster
I need help! I’ve been using yours and others. My hair, which is naturally a tad oily, and grey, will not let go of an oily feel. What am I doing wrong?????
Jennifer
I’ve just finished making a batch of this shampoo and am excited to try it tomorrow morning! Smells great too!
Theresa
Any idea where to find a shampoo recipe for gray hair? I am growing out my henna and going natural gray.
Thank you,
Theresa
Katie Wells
This one should be fine for gray hair. Our pre-made formula is also great https://wellnesse.com/products/curly-shampoo-conditioner
Annie
How long can you store the shampoo made with homemade coconut milk?
Rebecca
Can you freeze the coconut milk. I want to use it later for shampoo.
Whitney
Everyone definitely has to find what works well for their hair. For some reason, just water and baking soda works great for me. I mix 1 cup of water with 1 Tbsp. of baking soda in a bottle. Then I pour it all over my head after wetting my hair in the shower. It doesn’t suds up, but it’s kind of slippery and I massage it into my scalp. I use conditioner for the ends of my hair, otherwise it’s too dry. I need to find a good conditioner. But I love the simplicity of this shampoo, and it cleans my scalp and hair very well, and I find I don’t need to wash my hair as often. Maybe it’ll help someone else here too. 🙂
Sharon
Could you use carton coconut milk, like you’d use as a lactose free alternative?
Marilynn
I have been using this shampoo recipe for about 2 months. After a couple of weeks of transition, I, and my husband, absolutely LOVE this shampoo!!
I have lots of very fine long hair so shampoo and conditioner has been important for me. This recipe leaves my hair in excellent condition. Not greasy or waxy, nor striped.
I did make a couple of modifications to the original recipe after trying it for a week:
I put in 1/2 cup of Castille soap and 1/4 cup coconut milk. Oh, and I was using Dr. Bonner’s baby shampoo but switched to regular castille soap. The above alterations were done because the shampoo did not foam as much as I needed to clean all my long hair.
Then to finish, I rinse with the ACV mixture. Then after showering I put in a bit (~10 drops) of argan oil on the ends and then through my damp hair.
Excellent Recipe! Thank you for sharing.