homemade shampoo

some may call me nuts but in light of my efforts on simplifying my life, and minimizing my carbon footprint I decided to make my own homemade shampoo last weekend.  it was so easy to make and it turned out, the shampoo works better than i expected.  

i lost count on how many bottles of shampoos and conditioners i have tried over the years.  my hair is thick, coarse, wavy, dry, frizzy and some dandruff here and there.  it has a mind of it's own.  most days is a bad hair day for me.  i have tried so many products, and sorting through the vast selection of shampoos and conditioners out there is overwhelming.  while in the process of spring cleaning last week i tossed at least eight different kinds of hair products, barely used.  

my hair is a big fail. when i was about age 7 i remember it being straight, smooth and soft.  then i got ambitious and had it permed too as i was envious of my mom having a perm.  that's when my hair texture went South.  i'm not sure what happened to it.

source:  plumprettysugar via lovesweatandtears

anyhoo, this shampoo didn't reverse the quality of my hair but it's less dry and less frizzy now. and my scalp, it's not itchy anymore. it's worth a try and i will stick with it for while to see how it works in the long run.  besides it's a small investment of my time and money.

i followed this basic recipe i found on pinterest.  it is so simple to make. 

the cast of characters:

1/4 cup distilled water

1/4 cup dr. bronner's pure-castile soap (peppermint)

1/2 teaspoon jojoba oil.

- mix it all up in a spray bottle and kablammo! you have a shampoo.

my experience,

1) this mixture is very watery which is why i store it in a spray bottle so i don't pour too much on my head.

2) it lathers very well which makes me feel like it is doing it's thing - cleaning my hair.

3) the peppermint smell is invigorating and gives that cool tingly feel on the scalp.  it's perfect for the summertime.

4) i still need to use my conditioner to detangle and soften my hair, but it does a good job at cleaning my hair without the use of irritants  (i'm in the process of finding a good homemade conditioner.  any suggestion?)

5) no more itch on the scalp. and i have not seen dandruff since.
6) it's all natural! sulfate-free, and you can customize it to smell however you like, just add 1/8 teaspoon of the essential oil of your choice.
7) it's a money saver

post script : one of these days, i will tell you how jojoba oil changed my life.