Mountain Rose Herbs Blog

Natural Shampoo Recipe With Herbs

Written by Jessicka | March 2, 2023

Many people want to get away from conventional hair and skin care products for two important reasons; they are full of unpronounceable synthetic ingredients that make it nearly impossible to know what we’re rubbing all over our bodies, and those over-the-counter products are packaged in materials that often can’t be reused or recycled. A lot of us first came to herbalism looking for natural, DIY alternatives. But in regard to skin and hair care formulations, it’s often not so simple.

Some of those mystery ingredients in conventional products are the preservatives that inhibit microbial growth and give your shampoo or body wash a long shelf life. Unless you have experience with natural emulsifiers and preservatives used in botanical skincare formulations, it can be dangerous to use a homemade product that hasn’t been properly stored or is too old. Fortunately, there is an excellent work-around for those of us who don’t yet have that skillset: make a shelf-stable concentrate that you can add water to as needed!

The issue with making pre-blended batches of water-based formulations like the body-care products we so often use on our skin and hair is that water breeds life, including the microbial life that causes spoilage. This is why salves or balms, which are made without water, have vastly longer shelf lives than water-based products like shampoos, cream rinses, lotions, linen and room sprays, etc. For water-based recipes, we recommend formulating in small batches as needed, but that’s sometimes inconvenient or—for instance, when we’re traveling—impossible. 

In those cases, having an easily portable concentrate available is a godsend, because body and haircare concentrates are a safe way to make water-based recipes without preservatives. This homemade liquid shampoo concentrate is a perfect example. It is shelf stable for a month, so you can make it ahead for summer camping and those life moments when you just won’t have the ability to formulate a more elaborate, use-right-away recipe. 

Lavender and rosemary are Mountain Rose Herbs’ go-to scents for this blend, and they have the added bonus of being extraordinarily good for both hair and scalp. But you can customize the aromatic oils to suit your mood with this list of best essential oils for hair care. Then, all you have to do is mix a portion of the concentrate with water whenever you’re ready to shampoo!

Herbal Shampoo Concentrate

Makes enough for 8 washes of medium-length hair.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a clean, dry bottle with an airtight lid.
  2. Cap the bottle and roll it between your hands to blend.
  3. Label and store in a cool dark place between uses. This concentrate is shelf stable for 1 month.

Pro Tips

  • Remember: there is no preservative in this mixture, so do not mix it with water ahead of time. 
  • Customize this recipe to your own preferences by changing the essential oil, herb-infused oil, or substitute an herbal infusion of choice for the water!
  • The oil and castile soap will separate, so give it a good shake before use. 
  • There are natural preservatives that can be used in hair and body care products, but they require knowledge of basic chemistry and those recipes are not as beginner friendly.  

To Use

  1. Mix 3 parts water and 1 part concentrate mixture in a container (1 teaspoon of the concentrate works well for medium-length hair).
  2. Gently mix or shake well and apply to your hair. Massage into the scalp and rinse thoroughly.
  3. Follow with conditioner if preferred.

 

Want Another Sustainable Shampoo Option?

Make DIY Shampoo Bars With Herbs!

 

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