All I had to buy was a big 32oz. bottle of Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap, because I had the other ingredients on hand. It is tea tree scented (which my husband says smells like kerosene, but I think it smells earthy. Choose your poison. Dr. Bronner's has scents available in lavender, tea tree, peppermint, and. . .I forget the other one). It was about $12 at a regular grocery store (16 oz. bottles are around $6 or $7), but it will last me at least two years if not longer. Also, I will be able to use it for many other purposes besides just shampoo. Stay tuned!. . .Or just google other uses for Dr. Bronner's.
Recipes online exist for making your own liquid Castile soap from Kirk's Castile soap bars if you want an even cheaper option than Dr. Bronner's. (Unfortunately, I read those blogs after buying this bottle.)
Ingredients:
1. 1c boiling water with one green tea bag added to it.
2. 2T coconut oil (olive, jojoba, argan, or your favorite hair-loving oil)
3. a few ice cubes (or make the water amount 1 1/2c to start)
4. a few drops of essential oil (for scent)
5. 1/3c Dr. Bronner's
6. 1/3c aloe vera gel
7. An empty shampoo bottle (preferably with a pump)
Directions:
1. Bring your water to a boil. Add the green tea bag and let it steep about five minutes, and then squeeze the tea bag to get the most out of it.
2. Immediately, add the coconut oil and stir it till it melts.
3. I added several ice cubes to the mixture to cool it down, because I wanted to make sure that the coconut oil wouldn't harden into clumps at the surface of the liquid, and it never did. If you don't want to add ice cubes, you can just add a little more water.
4. Add the aloe.
5. Add a few drops of essential oil. I used lavender, just because it pairs nicely with tea tree.
6. I added 1/3c of Dr. Bronner's and the mixture fit perfectly into an old shampoo pump bottle.
Simplified directions: Make a cup of hot tea. Add the oil to the hot liquid and stir. Add water or ice cubes. Add a few drops of essential oil. Add the aloe gel. Add the castile soap. Stir and then pour the mixture into a bottle.
Tips:
1. If you add a bit more oil, you won't even need a conditioner afterwards. (Unless you have really dry hair like me, in which case, you can put a bit of coconut oil directly onto your towel-dried hair after your shower.)
2. To use the shampoo, tip the bottle upside down and back upright (don't shake, because it wastes the lather). Put just enough in your hand that it makes a puddle. Rub your hands together until it lathers. Then, rub your lathered hands into your scalp and then work through the length of your hair. Repeat if necessary. (Don't put it straight onto your head, because it won't lather well that way.) Wash it out.
3. NOTE: Your hair is going to be clean; however, it will not feel the same as when you shampoo with commercial cleansers. In fact, you may think your hair is not clean, because it will feel oily to you. It's not. This feeling comes from the fact that cheap chemicals in store-bought shampoos strip your hair, and you have become accustomed to the stripped feeling. You know how when you wash your hands in soft water, they feel like the soap isn't washing off, but actually you are just used to hard water? Same thing. Give your hair a little while to grow accustomed to this change; your oil glands have been working over time for decades to compensate for the drying chemicals in your commercial shampoo.
4. If your hair is extremely oily and/or very fine, I would back off the coconut oil. Play with different hair-loving ingredients to find your perfect formula. Just make sure to use diluted castile soap in there somewhere so you get a lather. Maybe use baking soda instead of aloe if your hair is really oily. . .Things like that.
5. If you want to lighten your hair, add lemon juice. If you want to redden your hair, use red tea instead of green. If you want to darken your hair, add coffee or black tea.
6. This soap will keep for up to 3 months if you put it into a dark bottle and keep it in a dark place away from excessive heat. It might keep longer if you add a preservative, but the point is to have it preservative free, in my book. If you don't use large amounts of shampoo, consider cutting the recipe in half. If it smells spoiled, throw it away.
7. This shampoo costs around $1.00 a bottle to make, and is far nicer than normal "natural" shampoos in the store that cost upwards of $15. If you make your own liquid castile soap, this shampoo will costs even less than $1.00! Plus, companies still put chemicals in "natural" shampoo to extend the shelf life.
8. This formula can also double as a body wash, shaving cream, and is mild enough for a face wash. If you are acne prone, however, stay tuned as I will be posting a recipe for acne-prone skin face wash soon!
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