Things You'll Need:
- Dried herbs
- 7 oz. of distilled or spring water
- Medium pot
- Strainer
- Spoon
- Container with lid
- 8-oz. bottle
- 4 tbsp. liquid Castile soap
- Bowl
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Step 1
To create a homemade herbal shampoo that satisfies your specific hair-care needs, choose herbs based on your hair type. Normal hair is neither overly dry nor overly oily. Dry hair is often brittle with split ends. Oily hair looks greasy. A flaky, itchy scalp indicates a dandruff problem. Some herbal shampoos contain ingredients to address hair loss, while others accommodate black, curly, coarse, gray and/or blond hair.
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Step 2
Make a list of suitable herbs. After assessing your hair care needs, research appropriate herbs. For starters, normal hair benefits from horsetail, red clover, chamomile and marigold. Rosemary leaves, peppermint leaves and lemongrass treat oily hair. Choose rosemary to strengthen hair, sage to treat oily curls, indigo root to keep hair dark and comfrey leaves to heal stressed scalps with curly hair. Red clover, crushed orange flowers, chamomile flowers and marigold enliven dry locks. Gray hair tends to respond to nettle, which slows the graying process and keeps hair healthy with vitamin A and C. For hair loss, consider sage, nettle, basil and tea tree leaves. Crushed lavender flowers and rosemary may enhance hair growth. Treat dandruff with comfrey leaves, birch and/or white willow barks, peppermint and lemongrass.
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Step 3
Purchase or gather ingredients. When shopping for herbs, concentrate on two or three selections to match your hair type and needs. Don't be afraid to combine herbs to treat multiple concerns, such as gray hair with dandruff. When purchasing ingredients for your homemade shampoo, choose dried herbs. While commercial shampoos often contain animal fat or synthetic substances, Castile soap is composed of vegetable oils--usually olive, jojoba and/or coconut.
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Step 4
Prepare herbs. Boil 7 oz. of distilled or spring water in a small pot. Crush your herbs, and add to the strainer. Position the strainer over an 8-oz. container with a lid. Pour boiling water over the herbs to release the natural properties and scents. Use the back of a spoon to squeeze the last of the herbal properties into your container. Add the wet herbs to the container, cover, and let the herbs steep for 10 to 30 minutes. The longer they steep, the stronger your shampoo.
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Step 5
Prepare your finished shampoo bottle. Pour 4 tbsp. of liquid Castile soap into an 8-oz. plastic bottle. Strain your herbal mixture into a clean bowl, and then add to the liquid Castile soap. Close the bottle, shake, and store for up to one year. The recipe makes an amount comparable to the smaller 8-oz. bottles found in salons.
