In the past few months I have been weeding out all of our standard hair and body products in order to simplify and replace with more natural and safe alternatives. I just love having one product for most of our basic needs! This has been the main purpose…to simplify! I honestly got tired of purchasing five or more different products for our needs (shaving cream for me, hair gel for him, etc). Now I just buy two products that together supply most of our needs.
Most body products have an unending list of ingredients which are impossible to pronounce. This alone makes me wonder what they really put in all of them. Skin Deep is a good resource to refer to in evaluating the contents of your favorite products.
So we have finally nailed down what works for us in simplifying our body care products! I formally tried the no-poo approach, and although that would be the ultimate frugal option (using baking soda & apple cider vinegar alone), it didn’t fly too well with the hubby. I also didn’t enjoy the lack of soapiness which I find necessary to really make my hair feel clean. I wanted to have a system that worked well for all of us, including the littles!
Here is our list:
- Shampoo (recipe below) – A combination of Dr. Bronner’s soap and other mainly edible ingredients this recipe not only works great as a shampoo but also has apple cider vinegar in it, which is a natural detangler, thus serving the purpose of a conditioner. We use a spray bottle to apply it and it also can be used in replacement of a traditional bar of soap to clean the rest of your body as well as a shaving cream (My husband Aaron still uses a men’s cream as he has been a little nervous to shave with it himself, but I know that other men have done so successfully). One spray bottle serves all those needs!
Homemade Shampoo
1 c. Dr. Bronner’s organic castile liquid soap (we use Baby Mild for its versatility -works for baby and us!)
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
3/4 Tbs. tea tree & Vit. E oil (or just one oil only, etc.)
1/4 c. water
1 (16 oz) spray bottle or other container for application
Combine together and store in a spray bottle. You can also add various fragrances to your desire, such as lavender, euycaliptus, etc. This shampoo will be more liquidy than your standard shampoo, but sprays on really well. Rubbing through your hair first works well to activate the suds and than scrubbing into scalp. Your hair will feel slightly more greasy than normal, but that is actually more natural anyway. Most modern shampoos actually dry out your hair, removing the natural oils. Plus it is two in one – shampoo & conditioner!
- Conditioner/Hair Gel – Coconut oil works splendidly as a natural gel/defrizzer in small quantities as well as a great leave in conditioner. I use it to scrunch my curly hair to hold and manage the curls. Aaron uses it as basic hair gel as well.
We use coconut oil also as a body lotion, and in combination with other ingredients for deodorant.
Read more tips for simplifying in the bathroom & the wonderful health benefits of coconut oil!
That’s my frugal tip for the day – simplify and make it yourself!
Find the best price on coconut oil here at Mountain Rose Herbs!
Just letting you know that tea tree oil is a xenoestrogen so it is harmful to anybody’s hormonal balance.
Yes. In quantities so large that you would have to literally soak in it for hours everyday for the rest of your life in order to BEGIN to have any effect! Too much fear and not enough research.
Tremendous things here. I’m very happy to peer your post. Thank you a lot and I’m looking ahead to contact you. Will you please drop me a mail?
Thank you!!!!! Thank you a million times!!!!!! This is the best formula ever for shampoo and body wash and conditioner. My hair was so easy to comb out today and for my whole life I have had to use a separate conditioner to get my hair untangled. My face had always been dry getting out of the shower but not now, it felt so moisturized like the rest of my body. I will be using this forever.
I’m going to bookmark your site for future reference. Keep up the great work!
you may so use for a shampoo the yellow part of an egg added with a little part of baking soda
rinse with a tea spoon of vinegar in a cup of water
if you want brightly hair, add to your shampoo equal quantity of alcohol
caution: if you use soap as a shampoo, your water doesn’t contain any calc
rinse, rinse, rinse before applying vinegar, or you risk aving greasy hair
I am curious to Chamane suggestion. Have ideas for measurements to include the egg yolk? I would like to opt out yolks from breakfast but I don’t want to just throw them out! This may let me find a use for them.
Instead of Dr. Bronner’s, I steep soapnut berries & rosemary in water for 30 minutes then strain & measure one cup to use in the recipe.
Hi! I started using this recipe about two months ago with great results. Now, all of the sudden, I’m getting the gumminess that everyone else is discussing on this board. My hair used to feel good when I used the shampoo. Now it feels gross. Any suggestions? I would think that the adjustment period should have passed already… Thanks!
Did you read this article? Dr. Bronner specifically warns against mixing vinegar and Castile soap.
http://lisa.drbronner.com/?p=292
Thanks for giving this link. I did read it. You really aren’t supposed to use them together- I really want her to reply to this to give us a suggestion!
Leave out the vinegar from the recipe, & wash your hair with the rest of the ingredients. THEN use the apple cider vinegar mixed with a little water as a conditioner AFTER you rinse out the shampoo. That is the fix right there. They both work great, but not together at the same time. I do this for laundry also. If you use a castile (saponified) soap, you must must must use vinegar as the rinse only & separately from the soap. Otherwise, it will un-saponify the soap & do exactly the opposite of clean. It will make it dirty & grimy. Unfortunately, I found this out the hard way with my clothes. Not fun! Hope that helps! If you use them separately, it should work GREAT!!!
I made it! We’ll test it out tonight! Thanks for posting!!
I have been using a 50/50 mixture of Dr. Bonners liquid and water as a shampoo and body wash for several months. I use a 50/50 mixture of water and Apple cider vinegar as a conditioning rinse. Tea tree oil is drying and shouldn’t be used daily. I use the Dr. Bonners with Almond oil, I love the smell. It did take my hair a week to get rid of all the build up before it seemed like it was feeling clean. Now I swear by this stuff! I have accidentally mixed the shampoo with more than %50 Dr. Bonners and my hair seems to appear more greasy and tacky feeling. If mixed correctly I swear by this stuff. The vinegar also works as a good toner for your skin. I have also been using Coconut oil as a moisturizer for a few weeks, so far I am happy with it. I have psoriasis and sensitive skin and have no problems with any of these products. Good luck to all!
Jenelle- Thanks for commenting. I have psoriasis/eczema mix patches and I am always very cautious about what I put on my skin. Glad to know what is helping you!
many people on the primal diet find that their psoriasis/eczema disappear….you might want to check it out on http://www.marksdailyapple.com
Thank you! I am going to try this- maybe add some coconut milk. Definitely not almond oil- my hair is super greasy after using the above recipe. I’ve been dealing with it for a few weeks and people keep asking me what’s wrong with my hair!! I have long and thick and although this recipe makes it so I can brush right through my hair- it is so slick- I used to go once a week now I feel like I need to wash my hair every day.
I tried making this today but when I added the vinegar to the soap it got clumpy and looked curdled. Am I doing something wrong?
Mine did the same thing?
I fixed the clumpiness by mixing 1cup of water with 1/3-1/2 cup of soap then adding everything else. That works well as a 2 in 1! Otherwise you can just mix the soap and water with the oils then make a separate conditioner with 2 cups water, 1/3 cup ACV and a couple tbsp of lemon juice.
Leave out the vinegar! Use it separately as a conditioner/rinse, but NOT with the shampoo at the same time. It un-saponifies the soap & makes everything grimy. This is the same for laundry, dishes, cleaning, etc… They HAVE to be used separately!
P
I tried this recipe a couple of times this week and both times my hair turned out “gummy” and tangled. I used commercial shampoo this morning after using your recipe and still my hair is gummy. After reading everyone’s comments, are you sure the recipe is listed correctly??
Hi Lindsay,
I tried this method of shampoo: 1/4 cup distilled water, 1/4 cup liquid Castile Soap and 1/2 teaspoon grapeseed oil. My hair gets greasy. So I switched back to no-poo…it gets dry. Could you help me figure out what I can do to remedy this issue? I am going into my 2nd week of commerical-free shampoo and only using natural ingredients shampoo.
Since researching your no-poo back in Jan ’11, I have been freed of shampoo. It was tough at first month. Now I love it. My hair is mid length and blonde. I couldn’t find the right natural shampoo that would make my hair feel good for more than a week (unless I used chemicals). My husband is now no-poo for 1 month. His hair is short and feels great. I use 1/6 baking soda to 5/6 water. Then vinegar let sit for about 30 sec and rinse. Sometimes I will put an herbal tea with the baking soda mix. I don’t care for Bronners on my hair. Thanks for bringing me to no-poo!
Think about milk and orange juice — one’s a base, the other is an acid. They cancel each other out. Castile soap is a base and vinegar is an acid. While they both work wonderfully, they do not work together. The vinegar turns the soap back into oil (it unsaponifies it). You’ll just get a greasy mess rather than cleaner hair. Try using diluted vinegar as a rinse AFTER washing — not during. Good luck!
I going to try a coconut milk an almond milk
Shampoo an see how it works.
U need to add more higher water ratio to soap. And then the oil will b about right. Or cut back ur oil a little. That should do it. Or even try a different organic raw oil.
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I just bought a jar of coconut oil for my homemade deodorant, and was looking for other ways to use coconut oil. I’ll try it out for hair too! Thanks!
Homemade shampoo is definitely the best for our hair. Many conventional shampoos simply have way too much harmful chemicals. Organic shampoo is also a good alternative.
Thank you!!!! I can’t wait to experiment with it a little more. I put quite a bit of Apple Cider Vinegar in my last batch and that was much better. After a few days the shampoo in the bottle did not smell strong at all.
The reason everyone is having so much buildup in their hair is because the castile soap water ratio is way off. It should be two to three parts water to one part castile soap. If you are having a lot of build up in your hair you should use baking soda and water and that should help a lot.
That may be part of it, but the MAIN problem is that apple cider vinegar (or anything acidic) CANNOT be mixed with saponified / castile soap! It will reverse the affects & do its opposite job. Naaaaaaaaaasty! Use them separately.
I’ve been using this for a month & like others said, my hair was very stiff & tangly. It felt very waxy. It’s gotten better over the month, but still very waxy. I noticed too that my brush has gotten really dirty – like disgusting. So it seems that everything isn’t rinsing out. Do you have any suggestions?
Try the ‘no poo do’ method (do a Google search). No bubbles in the hair takes a little getting use to but my scalp and hair are definitely healthier. My stylist asked me what I was doing as my hair has more body and is easier to manage.
For the past year I have not used any shampoo/anything that bubbles in my hair. I use a Apple Cider Vinegar with water (approx 1/8 cup for 2 cups water), rinse well prior to using a solution of 1-2 tablespoons of baking soda per 10 oz water. Occasionally I make a slurry-like solution if my hair feels waxy by decreasing the amount of water added to 4oz and massage longer. Play with the ratios until you find what works for you. I like to use a squeeze bottle to control application.
I have short hair so I do no need anything for tangles. A friend with long, wavy hair created a rinse of fresh rosemary simmered in water to help remove tangles.
I use the ACV and baking soda every 3 to 4 days. I massage my scalp and brush well prior to this process to distribute the natural oils. I do not use any other products. For many, there is a transition period while the scalp adjusts to producing less oil. In general, the shampoo process actually promotes oiliness by stripping the natural oils which makes the scalp produce even more oil. If you are using any products after washing with silicone/dimethicone, this process will not work well. The silicone seals the hair from the good and the bad.
Hey Lindsay, I really enjoy you blog. Thank you for your ministry! I have tried this shampoo for about 2 weeks, without the oil as I didn’t have any on hand. I CAN NOT get a brush through my long hair! Finally on Sat pm I had to use reg shampoo so I could fix it for church the next morning. I don’t know what to do! I tried using a little coconut oil after but it seems to make it even more sticky. It’s just sort of….nappy, lol. Maybe I am doing something wrong. It works fine on my girls (4 and 3) and for my son (8) but it does leave a build up in our longer hair and even in our brushes. Can you help??? Thanks
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Ok, so I tried this recipe for shampoo with the tea tree castille soap and I’m not sure if I’m doing something wrong or what but my hair seems very stiff and coarse. I can’t tell if it’s drier or if there’s too much oil left coating it. So, the second time I washed then did a 1 part cider vinegar to 2 parts water rinse I had read about elsewhere and this did seem to help a little but I’m still not liking how my hair feels. Is there an adjustment phase and this will get better?
Yes, it usually takes time to adjust.
My hair has not been the same the last few years. My hair is dry & hard to manage…nothing like it use to before I was in my 30s. I don’t know if it has something to do getting older (closer to 40)…more gray hair, or having 6 c-sections. I look forward to trying the recipe you shared but first I must get some of the Dr. Bronner’s organic castile liquid soap.
Can i just leave the oil out if I make this? I don’t want greasy hair. It gets oily enough between shampoos as it is.
Sure!
Try a different oil there are several to choose from avocado, argon, jojoba oil and just vitamin E will help with friz,