natural shampoo recipe?

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I need a cheap, natural shampoo recipe. The stuff in health food stores is too expensive and still has plenty of junk in it. I've tried some of the shampoo bars and liquid castile soap (Dr. Bronner's), and while I use the castile for everything else, it doesn't work for my hair. My husband and boys use it for their short hair, but mine is very long and it becomes tacky, dirty-feeling, and unmanageable, even with a conditioner. (And I rinse well.) What is in regular shampoos that makes my hair so silky? Some chemical? :( Does anyone else have this problem, or some advice or recipe? Thanks.

-- Tina (jtdurie@frontiernet.net), November 15, 2001

Answers

Your problem Tina, may just be your conditioner and not your shampoo. Try using a stringent cleansing conditioner and if need be always boil your water before rinsing.

-- C.A. Cagney (Puttingood@carolina.rr.com), November 15, 2001.

Part of the problem with using plain soap (any soap) is soap scum, which varies with how hard your water is. What you might try doing is rinsing with vinegar or lemon juice (for light hair) (spoonful per glass of water) and see if that helps. Detergents (from shampoo to laundry detergent) always work better and rinse cleaner in hard water. That's why you don't need to use as much.

Another alternative is using the cheapest baby shampoo or just dilute what you do like to use by about a third to make it last a bit longer. You could also try a drop or two of dish liquid (try the clear kind--I think Palmolive makes it) and scent it with a few drops of essential oil for fragrance if you wish. I know that sounds weird, but I know people who use it for bubble bath and no ring around the tub.

The conditioner also may be a problem, since it coats the hair after you've washed it. If you use it just to make your hair easier to comb, try using less (like a teaspoon mixed into a cup of water), or comb your hair after you've washed it, but while it still has shampoo in it.

The last thing to remember is that your hair can "get used" to a shampoo, and not look as well after a while, so you might want to change brands occasionally if you notice a problem.

Hope this helps.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), November 15, 2001.


Thanks for the ideas....We do have very hard water. I have tried different conditioners and also none at all...same problem. What is a stringent cleansing conditioner? I've tried a bit of citric acid in water as a rinse--that didn't help. But I can try vinegar or lemon juice too.(GT, when you say to use it for "light" hair, do you mean the color? I have very dark hair.) Also, I don't want to use any synthetic shampoos or detergents, which would include baby shampoo and most other "cheap" varieties. (Especially with Sodium Laurel Sulfate). I've done a lot of research on the harmful effects of these; hence my search for an alternative. I just wish I could find an alternative that had the same results as the "bad" stuff!

Could it be that I have too much soap build up when I use the castile? When I use the reg. stuff the next day, my hair feels great, not tacky at all. So the detergents are just rinsing cleaner?

-- Tina (jtdurie@frontiernet.net), November 15, 2001.


Sodium Laurel Sulfate (I think it is saponified coconut oil) is a common allergen, in fact so common that people who think they have dandruff or similar conditions find that the problem goes away if they use something without it. However, as you have noticed, it is in just about every shampoo out there, cheap or expensive. When some ingredient is in just about everything, it is easy to develop allergies over time- -same with wheat and dairy products for example--and be totally unaware of it because it causes just a general irritation, but is not life- threatening, so you just tend to think it is normal. The amount in each varies from brand to brand as well, so you may just have a long period of trial and error ahead of you :(

Yes, the lemon juice was in reference to your own hair color, it will gradually lighten it over time. Usually brunettes use cider vinegar instead. I think the other person posting meant "astringent" which usually refers to alcohol-based products which could sting a sensitive scalp.

Yes, detergents rinse cleaner, and even vegetable-based detergents/ shampoos use a coconut oil base for it's sudsing capabilities even in hard water. There used to be a soap called Kirk's Coconut Castile, which would even suds in saltwater.

So, your options might be to invest in a whole-house water softener (expensive), save rainwater (heat up and wash hair in the sink) or buy distilled by the gallon and do the same thing, or if oily hair is the problem, try dry shampoos such as cornmeal and wash less frequently, or dilute the least offensive commercial shampoo as much as you can. I still think that baby shampoos may be your best best here. You might try the healthfood stores and see the ingredient lists for their shampoos as well.

-- GT (nsopam@nospam.com), November 15, 2001.


This is just a thought, I certainly haven't tried it, but I wonder whether adding a little Borax (water-softening chemical) to the shampoo wouldn't help it rinse cleaner. I know many people add a little to their homemade soap so it will suds better and rinse cleaner in hard water.

-- Laura Jensen (lauraj@seedlaw.com), November 15, 2001.


Tina, this recipe might work, although you might still want to do the vinegar rinse. The article is quite interesting to read as well.

http://www.bellaonline.com/health_and_fitness/ health_care_and_medicines/alternative_medicine/articles/ art957215329785.htm

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), November 15, 2001.


Very interesting article, thanks! Exactly why I wanted to avoid SLES or SLS. I'm going to give that recipe a try--I already have all the ingredients.

-- Tina (jtdurie@frontiernet.net), November 15, 2001.

Tina, I use Basic-H (by Shaklee)this is not sold in stores. It is a natural cleaning solution. You have to dilute it with water. My father was allergic to something in shampoos, he broke out with sores. So I made him some shampoo and for the last year he hasn't had any problems. You can also use it to clean your house with a different dilution rate. If you want your hair to shine and be soft, purchase a bottle of almond oil. Grocery stores usually carry it. Use approximately a penny size of oil in your hands rub together and apply under the nape area first and then the back of the head and then the top. Comb or brush through. If you use to much your hair will look greasy. I have waist length hair and shampoo daily and my hair is in great condition!

-- Trina Abdelkader (atabdelkader@yahoo.com), December 09, 2001.

Trina,

I have used Basic H for the last 25 years for dishes and my body but I never thought of it as a shampoo. Thank you!!

-- Cordy (ckaylegian@aol.com), December 10, 2001.


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