Make A Natural Shampoo That Is Perfect For You

June 20, 2008 | Written by: Cary Ann Flank

Make Your Own Natural Shampoo!Making your own salon quality shampoo is fun, easy, and in the long run, it will save a lot of money.

If you have been paying attention to what you’re spending when you buy expensive salon shampoos, you’re probably less than thrilled.

Have you ever thought of how much money you spend on shampoo a year? Add it up, and watch the numbers rise.

When you decide to make your shampoo at home you can eliminate the preservatives and unnecessary ingredients found in store-bought shampoos, and you can create a customized product that works perfectly for your family - for far less that you are paying now.

Prepare yourself for a treat because it only takes about 20 minutes to whip up a batch!

The basics you’ll need are:

  1. Pure shampoo or non-antibacterial clear liquid soap (I use liquid soap)
  2. Water
  3. Glycerin
  4. Borax
  5. A container for your new shampoo


Other ingredients you may wish to purchase are essential oils such as Peppermint, or Tea Tree, as well as vitamins that will enrich your hair. These products are relatively easy to find. Organic stores sometimes carry pure shampoo as well as beauty supply stores. However, the easiest way to buy this product is on the Internet.

One of the websites I looked at for pure shampoo is EmporiumNaturals.com. However, clear liquid soap is a cheaper alternative that works just as well and it’s much easier to find. It can be bought at the grocery store or any store that carries soap items.

Glycerin, a thick liquid that is colorless and sweet tasting is used for making soaps, shampoo, lotions and cake frosting and can be found at the grocery store and craft stores like Hobby Lobby and Michael’s in the baking aisle. One good place to shop for glycerin is at CQ Concepts. They sell it by the gallon. And the more you buy, the more you save. However, shipping can up the price so, take that into consideration.

Borax, a powdery white substance with white crystals can be used as a detergent, to clean your house, on dishes to remove build up and also in cosmetics. It can be found in the laundry aisle at the grocery store. You can buy clear a clear plastic container at the grocery store as well. Any of these products can be purchased on the Internet. And with the price of gas these days, you may want to give the Internet a go.

Adding scented oils will make your shampoo smell good and many of them have certain benefits for hair. The most common places to find them are in the grocery store where the vitamins are stocked and craft stores in the soap making aisle. The Internet offers some great deals. Sites like Puritans Pride, and Amazon.com offer large discounts.

Picking specific oils, depending on your hair type will improve the condition of your hair. For example, Tea Tree oil helps stop dandruff and an itchy scalp; Rosemary stimulates the scalp and improves hair growth; Chamomile brings out blonde tones and keeps hair shiny and Vitamin E is a great moisturizer. For more information on the benefits of essential oils, visit DeanColeman.com.

Once you’ve gathered all your ingredients, it’s time to make your shampoo. For every cup of liquid soap shampoo base you use, add one cup of water and two cups of glycerin. Then add oils. You should add one teaspoon of each oil to each cup of shampoo base. Stir in a half a cup of borax and let it sit overnight.

In the morning, it will be ready to use. After a few bottles, I was able to adjust some of the essential oils and vitamins to make the perfect potion for my hair. Remember, practice makes perfect!

When I took into consideration how much I spend a year on salon quality shampoo, this is what I came up with: I go through about 32 ounces of Biolage shampoo every month. A bottle costs $15.99 for 16.9 oz. My yearly cost for salon shampoo is $383.76.

After that, I added up how much I will need to spend on supplies throughout the year. Take a look at my shopping list to see the break down of the cost.

  • Clear Liquid Soap - $5.44 for 64 oz. – cost per oz., $.09
  • Liquid Glycerin – $38.76 for one gallon – cost per oz., $.30
  • Borax – $3.99 for four pounds – cost per oz., $.06
  • Water – Free!
  • Vitamin E oil - $12.90 for 7.5 ounces – cost per oz. $1.72
  • Rosemary oil - $14.38 for four ounces – cost per oz., $3.60

The cost for 28 ounces of homemade shampoo is $8.04. The yearly total for 14 bottles is $112.56.

My yearly savings comes out to $271.20.

The prices on the shopping list for each ingredient were purchased in moderate quantities for a moderate savings. If you would like to save more you can purchase ingredients in larger quantities. Keep in mind that your immediate costs will increase. If you’re making shampoo for a family of five, it’s probably better to invest more now.

Here are some great reasons you should make your own shampoo:

  1. The obvious is that you’ll save money for your family!
  2. You will know exactly what’s in your product because you’ll be the one mixing the ingredients. You will never have to worry about exposing your family to harsh chemicals or preservatives.
  3. You will be helping to make the Earth a greener place since you won’t be throwing away as many plastic bottles.
  4. Your kids might even think it’s a pretty cool idea - and what they learn they will pass along to others.

So, invite the girls over and have them get in on the fun! Everyone has different hair types so get together will all your different oils and everyone can make a batch that suits them best. After you’ve all lathered up, share what you like about your shampoo or dislike. You may decide you’d like to try a different oil or add a little more of what you’ve already used. Share this with everyone you know and let them get in on the savings too!

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    Written by Cary Ann Flank | Filed Under Cary Ann Flank, Featured Family Matters Articles, The Natural Choice 

    Comments

    2 Responses to “Make A Natural Shampoo That Is Perfect For You”

    1. MariaNo Gravatar on June 25th, 2008 12:09 pm

      I’m SO not crafty, but I’ve been thinking about trying this. Especially since the products I usually use from Lush aren’t THAT all-natural anyway. I see a lot of ingredients I don’t recognize.

      I’ve never heard of using Borax in shampoo! Wow.

      My friend makes her own products and sells the materials she uses on her website:

      http://www.aromaticsinternational.com/search-results.php?nav=other&cat=4

      And:

      http://www.aromaticsinternational.com/aromatherapy-other-products/castile-soap

      Marias last blog post..Sometimes Motherhood Maternity sends me pr0n in my email…

      • StephanieNo Gravatar on June 26th, 2008 12:59 pm

        I thought this article was so cool, you never really think about making your own products!! I would love to try this on a weekend with my girlfriends. I may even try to make shampoo for my dog, because his shampoo is more expensive than mine!! I think this article was great- and even though I am not a mother myself, I can see how this could save a family a lot of money!!

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