Why make your own shampoo? Well, for starters, if you currently make and use your natural beauty products, then you probably already have the ingredients to make it in your cupboard. Secondly, commercial shampoos have tons of chemicals and detergents in them that cause more damage than good to your lovely locks. Add the power of tea tree oil and you have a lovely shampoo that will not only clean your hair, but nourish it as well.
Benefits of Tea Tree Oil for Hair:
Tea tree oil is an amazing natural beauty product that should be a staple in everyone’s beauty arsenal. It is a wonderful natural choice for cleansing hair because it won’t cause damage or dryness. Tea tree oil can also help to reduce the effects of hair loss and promote hair growth. It also acts as an anti-fungal that kills the bacteria causing the over production of the skin cells which creates white flakes called dandruff. Both rosemary and lavender oil can also promote hair growth and stimulate the scalp – they are perfect when used with tea tree oil.
Supplies You Will Need:
- 2/3 cup coconut milk (canned or see recipe below)
- 1/4 cup baking soda (buy here)
- 1/4 cup Castile soap (buy here)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional, omit if your hair is naturally oily)
- 20 drops tea tree oil (buy here)
- 10 drops rosemary oil (buy here)
- 10 drops lavender oil (buy here)
Note: Most of these ingredients can be purchased from Thrive Market – an online marketplace selling the best in healthy foods and natural health, beauty and home products, typically at 25-50% off retail price. Take a look here.
How to Make Coconut Milk
I make my own coconut milk by adding a cup of hot water to a cup of unsweetened shredded coconut. I let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes, then use an immersion blender to incorporate the mixture better. After it’s been blended, filter the milk through a fine sieve to get the most of the shredded coconut bits out. Ta-da—homemade coconut milk at a fraction of the cost of the canned stuff. This version is lighter and will help your hair grow and condition it as well.
Making Homemade Shampoo:
Add the Castile soap, olive oil and baking soda to the coconut milk.
Stir until most of the baking soda is dissolved.
Add in the essential oils. I’m not a huge fan of the way tea tree oil smells, but I love the combination of tea tree, rosemary and lavender. It’s a sweet earthy scent with a hint of floral. At this point, I like to use an immersion blender to incorporate the ingredients really well. It makes the mixture creamier.
Pour into a recycled bottle with a pump.
How to Use Homemade Shampoo:
Homemade shampoo isn’t as thick as commercially made shampoos. Make sure you cup your hands before you pump so it doesn’t all run onto the floor.
Homemade shampoo also doesn’t make a large amount of suds. Trust me, the Castile soap and baking soda will cleanse your hair without the need of those harsh chemicals.
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