Nourishing Coconut Shampoo Recipe

Commercial shampoo can be damaging to your hair and your scalp due to the chemicals that are in them. Have you read the ingredients in the back? I bet you can't even pronounce most of the names. I know I can't!  The silicone that coats your hair makes your hair soft and shiny gives you a false feeling of healthy hair. You can't trust shampoos that say they are natural either because that's only partially true. It might contain one or two ingredients that are but then all the same toxic chemicals are formulated in conventional shampoo. So this is where you end up trying to find a natural solution to this problem. I bet you anything you are in the right place. You can make your own shampoo at home easily that's simple, affordable, and fun to make! You can do this with your family and friends. This is by far my favorite shampoo recipe to make and use. So let's get started!

You'll need a few things:

• Castile Soap - I use my Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild Castile Soap which I get from Wholefoods or Natural Grocers. You can also get this online like Amazon or ebay for a good price. 
• Coconut milk -  ultra moisturizing agent - Try to get BPA free. There are two brands that are pretty good which are Native Forest (Organic and BPA free) and Aroy-D (product of Thailand and also is BPA free).  Click here for on a interesting link on why BPA can be bad for you. I usually pick up Aroy-D at a local asian market close to my house. If you're not fortunate enough to have one click here for the link to the Amazon website. They have both brands! Aroy-D is a good quality product from Thailand and have been around for a long time. One 14 ounce can is like 1.77 US dollars.  It's worth the buck!
• Honey - natural antiseptic and preservative - I use an organic, raw, and unfiltered honey from Sprouts.
• Vitamin E Oil - antioxidant and natural preservative - I use Now Solutions Vitamin E Oil 32,000 IUs that I got from Natural Grocers. I got mine for about 13 US dollars. Make sure it's not synthetic and the one that is the only naturally sourced d-alpha tocopherol. See my blog "Not All Vitamin E Are Created Equal."
  
• Mixing bowl and spoons
• Container or bottle with lid

I make small portions at a time like a week's worth since I like things to be fresh. You can put this shampoo in the fridge to last a lot longer. This formula is ultra moisturizing for me and I used to put a teaspoon of olive or grapeseed oil but that was much too heavy for me! My hair and scalp felt greasy all the time. That doesn't mean you can't try putting your favorite oil in it. I was fine without it as the coconut milk has high fat content and acts like an oil which is ultra moisturizing for my own hair. Please be advised: play around with the ingredients and see what works for you. This works well with my hair and it's never been better. Initially it was a month of hell before my hair was used to the natural ingredients. (After all, synthetic shampoos contain silicone which temporarily coats the hair giving the illusion of shiny. In reality, the chemicals in conventional shampoos are really damaging and can make your hair fall out!!) My hair is now shinier, smoother, softer, and less of it falls out. I used to shed hair like a cat but now it's not as bad. YAY!

1 part coconut milk
1 part Dr. Bronner's Soap
1/2 teaspoon of honey
Few drops of Vitamin E Oil
**Update 5/28/13 I do put a teaspoon of jojoba oil that is a very thin oil and works perfectly for me and it doesn't feel heavy at all. I highly recommend jojoba oil. This oil is great for everything. I use the Desert Essence brand organic jojoba oil. I got mine from amazon.com for like 13 US dollars.

Mix these all in a small container. Do not shake. Pour into a cute bottle of choice. :) Voila! Enjoy your very own homemade shampoo~ You can also use this as a body wash!

Check out my other blogs on a "gentle oatmeal bodywash recipe" and "Clarifying Green Tea shampoo"

Keep in mind that you'll have to wash your hair for at least a couple weeks to a month to get the soft and silky hair. Your hair is coated with the conventional shampoo and so it will be a crazy month because your hair and scalp is not used to the natural stuff but trust me it works! My hair is softer, silkier, and stronger than before. My hair doesn't fall out as much and I have tons of hair! I used to shed like a cat and now it's occasional.


What are your favorite natural shampoos and recipes? Comment and share below. Can't wait to hear about them!