Last month I shared how to make your own herbal shampoo bars and wow – they were a hit! I am so amazed at the interest in simple, natural hair care!
However, some of you were leery on using lye, and hesitant on the soap making process as a whole.
I totally understand!
It took me quite a while to be confident in my skills of making soap and shampoo bars before I was ready to share with others. Even now I am very particular with my measurements and handling of raw soap.
So for those who still want a simple, natural hair care solution, but aren’t quite ready to dive into soap-making, I have the perfect solution: Herbal Homemade Shampoo!
I will state up front that this particular homemade shampoo does not work very well for my hair type, nor did the previous liquid shampoo I tried.
You see, I have very oily hair and have gone through quite a process to figure out what works for me. When it was all said and done, my hair needed a slightly more aggressive soap like these Herbal Shampoo Bars.
But I’m sure you’ve gone through a similar process too with commercial shampoos, right? You try one out, it may or may not do the job, so you try another?
Homemade shampoo isn’t any different. There are formulas for “normal” hair, “oily” hair and “dry” hair. We are all created differently with a variety of skin and hair types, and that is a beautiful thing!
So regardless of your hair type, it doesn’t hurt to give this recipe a try if you’re trying to go a more natural route. You never know – this shampoo may work really well for you!
For this recipe, your cleansing agent is simply a liquid Castile soap and your nourishing agent is herbal water. That’s it!
The whole process of making your own herbal shampoo takes just a few minutes of hands-on, plus a few minutes of rest in between steps. You’ll have your own homemade shampoo ready in no time!
Note from Tiffany: I quit using store-bought shampoo as well and found that simply using Goat Milk Soap works best for my hair. Check out my method here and avoid these mistakes when washing without traditional shampoo!
Simple Liquid Herbal Homemade Shampoo
Supplies
- 2 Tbsp dried herbs (see additional recipe tips below)
- 1 cup hot water
- 1/8 cup liquid Castile soap
- 5 drops vitamin e oil or jojoba oil
Method
Pour gently simmering water over the dried herbs in a jar and cover. Let steep for about an hour.
Strain the herbs out and pour the water into a bottle (an old shampoo bottle would be perfect.) Add the liquid Castile soap and drops of oil.
Note: when you add the Castile soap to the herbal water it will change colors! I used lavender and my water was a beautiful purple color. When I added in the Castile soap it turned green! I’m not sure what the chemical reaction that occurred is all about but it was pretty neat to see the change.
Gently swish to mix.
To use, pour straight on your hair and massage into your scalp. Rinse and you’re done!
Additional Recipe Tips
There are quite a variety of herbs that will benefit your hair. Most of them have vitamins and minerals that help to strengthen the hair and nourish the scalp. Here are some of my favorites that would be perfect to use in this Liquid Herbal Homemade Shampoo:
Calendula
The calendula flower contains many minerals and anti-oxidants promoting strong healthy hair by increasing the production of collagen and circulation around the hair follicles.
Hibiscus
Full of vitamins and anti-oxidants, hibiscus will increase scalp and hair health. It may even prevent premature graying and dandruff.
Lavender
Lavender is a powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-septic, and anti-microbial flower that’s great for all skin and hair types. It is soothing and nourishing to the scalp which helps balance the natural oils and increase the circulation around the follicles.
Peppermint
This leafy herb will help stimulate follicles, and may heal chemical and environmental damage. It is anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory promoting growth and scalp health.
Rosemary
Rich in vitamins and anti-oxidants, Rosemary is one of the most popular herbs for promoting hair health and growth. It is especially helpful in re-growing prematurely thinned hair and may help with prevent graying.
Sage
The anti-septic and antibiotic properties of sage may help heal skin issues that stunt hair growth. There are many vitamins and minerals contained in the healing herb.
There are a whole lot of other herbs for more specific issues, but these cover basic hair needs. You could also add in essential oils for additional benefits, especially if you have more severe problems than oily or dry hair.
Note: I really like Young Living essential oils and this is why however, I understand not everyone needs a subscription. Plant Therapy are a great runner up. You can find their shop here.
If you are already taking good care of your body with whole real foods and drinking plenty of water on a regular basis, then your hair should reflect the positive impact of those choices. Our bodies are intricate systems that link together from top to bottom!
Although natural hair care can be frustrating at times, it really is better for you and can be more economic. Reducing toxins and saving money? Win!
What steps have you taken towards natural hair care? Are you more of a liquid shampoo person, or a shampoo bar?
More Ways to Heal & Care for Your Body Naturally, at Home
- Reset high blood pressure with a 10 day water fast
- Remove a Mole with Apple Cider Vinegar
- How to Heal a Spider Bite with a Potato
- Homemade face lotion bar
- Homemade clay-based toothpaste (just like Earthpaste)
- DIY Homemade Facial Cleanser
- Heal acne naturally
- Homemade Powdered Foundation
- Heal gum disease naturally
- Homemade shampoo bar
- Homemade lip balm and lip scrub
- Secret to healthy teeth & gums
This post was written by Heather Robertson at Neverlackingzeal.com
Hello!
I recently made tea out of fresh sage leaves. Could I use this, since it is already made, as the herb ingredient? If you think yes, how much should I use? two tbs?
Thank you so much, this is exactly the recipe I was searching for. 🙂
I really want to try this! It definitely sounds like it could be amazing for my hair, and I have no doubt that it will save me money. Does it smell okay? I imagine that it has a light, earthy scent, which is fine by me, but it could also be less than pleasant, and scent is important to me. Thanks!
Would this shampoo work on color treated hair? Yes, it is definitely bad for you to color your hair so I’m looking in to options like herbal coloring like you get at the health food store. And yes, I’m just a little too vain to go completely gray yet! Any suggestions ? Thanks so much!
Thank you for this post- I am going to try it- I have been having a really hard time finding a recipe for shampoo that works for my hair. It either makes it too oily or feels unclean. Can’t wait to try this one!
I hope this works out for you Gina!
love your blog. i would love to follow, BUT, as im reading a post it jumps back up to the top. why?????
Susan – it’s some conflict with the browser and a particular ad in the sidebar. I’m working with my ad network to get it fixed! 🙂
I made this with dried sage and lavender. I found my hair to be a bit dry with it so I decided to add some honey to it. My ratio was about 1/4th cup honey to 1 cup shampoo. I have been finding that works great for my hair. I was only using a glycerin spray-on conditioner after showers, but I’m going to continue with the shampoo and try a lecithin-based conditioner in the shower. Fun to play around with ! Never quite as good as those chemical products, it seems, but very acceptable and I’ll keep refining the process. Thanks so much for sharing your information!
Hi and thanks for the recipe. Is there a substitute for the castile soap? This soap works nicely on my children’s hair, but makes my hair really waxy and unpleasant feeling. Do you know of a liquid soap other than castile? Thank you.
Hi, I was wondering if you thought I could get away with using herbal teas from a trusted source. I can’t afford to buy herbs at the moment, but I have some nice Traditional Medicinals teas, like their chamomile with lavender. I have been itching to make my own shampoo for my extra long hair, as buying shampoo and conditioner I trust adds up. Thanks for any feedback and for this great site!
Hi,
Can you use essential oils in place of dried herbs? For instance, adding lavender oil and water in place of brewing the dried lavendar in water?
What part of the hibiscus would you use in this? Just the petals?
Hi Torre! When I’ve used Hibiscus it’s parts of the whole flower. Dried of course!
I saw some of you make your own castile soap. Can you share a preferred recipe/technique? I’ve never made it and am intrigued. If it’s not too complicated, I’d love to make my own. Thanks!
Thank you for the info. I did see where I could order it but I will look at Target and done of the other local stores. I am looking forward to making my own shampoo. I love all the great DIY ideas!
Thanks for the feedback Patty!! I hope you can find it locally! 🙂
Where do you buy liquid castile soap?
One of the best brands to use is Dr. Bronners. You can find it in the beauty aisle of several grocery stores and even Target. OR you can click on the link in the recipe and get it from Amazon. It’s good stuff that you’ll find lots of uses for!
I just bought a gallon of castile liquid soap from Amazon called Seven Minerals. This soap actually already has jojoba oil included in its ingredients, along with the other following ALL ORGANIC ingredients: purified water, coconut oil, potassium hydroxide, olive oil, castor seed oil, argan kernel oil, hemp seed oil, and vegetable glycerin. It contains no palm oil, no scent, is non-GMO and vegan, and all ingredients are biodegradable. And it’s less costly than Dr. Bronner’s! I recently bought a large bag of dried hibiscus flowers and want to try them in my shampoo. The label on the soap does recommend using an acidic rinse afterwards to restore the pH. So excited to begin using this. I’ve been washing my hair with plain water for months and love how my hair is responding to no products on it; however, I seem to need to shampoo it every month or so, but then that leaves my naturally curly hair in a dry frizzy state. Hoping to see an improvement now! Thank you for sharing your recipe with us.
About the mixture turning green: I read on another website where they were making toilet bowl cleaner using castile soap and baking soda. She said her mixture turned white. Just thought it was interesting to see these apparent chemical reactions from different people.
Hi Patty! I have some that I found at Costco, but to be honest, I’m not 100% sold on the Dr. Bronners brand. I’d like to find one that didn’t have anti-Christian beliefs, but I haven’t found one yet. 🙂
oh my, isn’t life funny. I don’t like Dr Bronner’s castile soap packaging because it has Christian stuff on it. Anyway, you can get it at almost any health food store, or you can make your own. I now do that, it’s cheaper and I know exactly what I’m getting 🙂
LOL, I think I’ll make my own too. I’d love to discuss this issue on Christian vs. non-Christina on the bottle with you further Cecily, but definitely offline. I’m not seeing the pro-Christian view, and want to be sure I’m not jumping to conclusions one way or the other. Can I email you directly? I have your email address, but just want your permission.
How do you make your own?
That’s interesting about Dr. Bonner’s. I d know that…will make me think twice for sure!
I love this recipe. It seems so easy and with a 2 year old is hard to get so much done.
Can’t wait to try it. Can you please tell me where you get your dried herbs and essential oils?
Thank you
Hi Claudia, I have lavender from my garden, however I have also seen the flowers for sale in my health food store. The rosemary is just my cooking supply which I buy organic, again from the health food store.
Hey Claudia! I use Mountain Rose Herbs for my herb supplies and some of their essential oils for body products. I know Tiffany has an affiliate link above for the various herbs suggested.
Just want to tell you that I’m always so thrilled when I see a “print” button on recipes!! Am in the process of steeping the lavender flowers and rosemary I have on hand. Will try your shampoo in an hour or so. 🙂
Woo hoo! We’re glad you like it! 🙂
How long does it last?
It really depends on how much you use or how long or thick your hair is. I go through a bottle pretty fast since my hair is fairly long. As far as shelf life goes, there’s no expiration.
thanks for the recipe! it worked great on my hair!
great recipe! Thanks for the inspiration. I might try some essential oils added in too. Cedar wood or maybe just simple lavender.
Thanks for the recipe! I made this with dried lavender, because that was the only herb I had on hand. I also used Tropical Traditions coconut oil soap instead of castile soap (have to use what’s available!). But then I added a couple drops each of raspberry seed oil & carrot seed oil for their hair helping benefits (as well as acting as a bit of a preservative), and a few drops of essential oils of peppermint, rosemary, clary sage, bergamot and lemon. I read up beforehand and these oils are supposed to also be beneficial for the hair and scalp. Just finished up making this so I’ll let you know how it turns out!
That sounds great Allison! I love that you use things you have on hand. That’s half the reason to DIY! Let us know how it works out for you!
How did you know I’ve been wanting an eeeeasy DIY shampoo recipe? I’ve gradually tried to replace more of our health and skin products with natural DIY versions over the past couple of years, but I’m having to accept that I just can’t make everything and still keep up with my efforts to feed us well too!
I’ve been so disappointed with all the ingredients in “cleaner” storebought shampoos. But mixing together 4 ingredients in 1 easy step? THAT I can do! Thank you!! 🙂
You are welcome! I understand the struggle! Simplicity and sustainability are key.
Heather, I love your DIY’s and emphasis on soap making!
Thanks! I love making things and we gotta stay clean. 😉
So I haven’t seen any recent comments so I hope someone comes 2 my rescue!!! Sooo I used 10 herbs!… I got a lil excited! 😁 so do I need to increase everything else by 10 as well or no???
I would increase it but you will have to do it by eye.