Finally, a homemade DIY shampoo recipe that will leave your hair soft and luscious. Ready to get properly ph balanced and bring back the bounce to your hair? This is the recipe for you!

Moisturizing DIY PH Balanced Shampoo

I will admit that I happily hopped on the no-poo bandwagon last year. I wasn’t ready for a homemade DIY shampoo  just yet, and my husband was eager to try water washing, so I used him as my case study towards this shampoo-less lifestyle.

I wasn’t brave enough to try it on myself yet, but he didn’t mind me experimenting on him. I’ll frequently shove a spoonful of a new recipe in his mouth for a secondary opinion. Or approach him with a new body care product that I’ll just start applying on him without saying anything. The man is used to it.

Trying The No Poo Life

He started off by washing his hair thoroughly every day with water. After 5 weeks of “transition,” it was unbelievably greasy. He even got our neighbor to try it, but with the same failed results. We then switched to an apple cider vinegar and essential oils rinse. This was poured on and combed through. Finally he had results. His hair was soft, shiny, not greasy, and the dandruff from his psoriasis had been tamed.

Excited by his results, I decided it was time to ditch my bottle of shampoo. I tried the vinegar rinse and about 4 weeks later, I looked like a stringy, greasy mess! I had read that many fellow no-pooers would use baking soda as shampoo, before rinsing in vinegar, so I decided to give it a try. I instantly had perfect, non-greasy hair. I was hooked!

The Problem with Homemade DIY Shampoo

Three months later, I couldn’t stop itching at my scalp. The problem with this method, and many other DIY shampoos is that they drastically raise the ph value of the scalp, then shock it when it’s hit with the acidic vinegar. Over time this disrupts the scalps natural ph and causes itching and flaking.

Castile soap is often used as a base in homemade shampoos, but its ph value is 10-11, while the scalp’s natural ph is closer to 5.5. And…according to Lisa Bronner, if your hair is colored or treated, the castile soap can strip the color.

After failing at my no-poo experiment I caved and went back to my health food store brand, even though I wasn’t entirely impressed with the ingredients. Recently though, I discovered that not just soap or baking soda can be used to cleanse the hair.

It’s All About That PH

I don’t know the exact ph of this homemade DIY shampoo recipe, but I do know it’s not highly alkaline like baking soda. The ph levels of each ingredient are listed beside it so you can see for yourself how this works. Ideally you want the final ph to be between 4.5 and 5.5. All of the ingredients are in this range, except for the coconut milk which is between 6-7, so I added some apple cider vinegar to counteract the higher ph.

Many DIY shampoo recipes call for mixing coconut milk with castile soap, but I skipped the soap and added raw honey instead. This article does a good job explaining why raw honey is so good for the scalp and helps tame dandruff and frizz.

Many people have used castor oil to successfully grow hair, so I’ve included this in the recipe, but it can be skipped if your hair is naturally very greasy. I also use jojoba oil, which is technically a wax and closely mimics our hairs natural sebum. Learn more about carrier oils here.

So How Does it Work?

This recipe won’t lather like regular shampoos, but it will cleanse and moisturize. Don’t use too much though, or you’ll end up with leftover residue in your hair, making it feel gunky.

If you’ve been using a regular shampoo you may experience a detox period that can last for a few weeks while your hair adjusts. To minimize this you can slowly replace your regular shampoo with this DIY shampoo recipe. So for example, if you wash your hair three times a week, start off with using the store bought shampoo for two of those washes; then the next week, reduce it to one. After a week or two, start using this recipe only. Even if you’ve been “no-pooing” for awhile, it may still take a few times before your hair and scalp adjust to this recipe.

Storing Your DIY Shampoo

In theory this DIY ph balanced shampoo can be stored at room temperature for a short amount of time, but to be safe I keep it in the fridge (where it’ll keep for a week or so). If you want to make a big batch up, pour the mixture into ice cube trays and keep in the freezer for later. Thaw out a cube or two every week as needed. This is the best way to use this shampoo and always have some on hand! My hair is just past my shoulders and I use about 2 teaspoons of shampoo on mine.

Moisturizing PH Balanced DIY Shampoo Recipe

Supplies/Ingredients

  • Mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Container for finished product
  • 1 can full fat coconut milk (about 13.5 oz) – ph 6.1-7.0
  • 2 Tbsp liquid raw honey – ph 3.9
  • 1 tsp jojoba oil – ph 4.21
  • 1 tsp castor oil – ph 4.65
  • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar – ph 3.1
  • 1 tsp essential oils of choice (lavender, cedarwood, rosemary, peppermint, carrot, clary sage and tea tree are all good for hair; find some of our favorite organic, sustainable essential oils here)

Make Homemade DIY Shampoo

  • Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. This will separate some, so shake well before each use.
  • To use, massage a small amount on the scalp and use your fingers or a comb to spread through the hair. Leave on for a few minutes before rinsing off.
  • If your hair is naturally very oily, you can follow this up with an apple cider vinegar rinse made with ¼ cup apple cider vinegar and ¼ cup purified water.
  • If your hair is very thin you can decrease the amount of oil you use.
  • There will likely be a bit of a transition period, so keep that in mind.

xo,

Not feeling particularly DIYish?

Simply not enough hours in the day? Pinning more than you could ever tackle these days? No worries. I have got you covered.

Please, head on over to my Pronounce Skincare Shop where I sell my skincare creations. I love making them for my family and for you!

Comments 167

  1. Hi!
    I was wondering if I can leave the shampoo in the shower? Does it need to be refrigerated or in the freezer? It’s more convenient to have it in hand.

    Thanks,

    Amy

    1. Hi Amy,

      Yes, this should be kept in the fridge or freezer. Cubes in the freezer is a great way to store it for longevity. Just sit out a cube or two each week in the fridge to thaw as needed. Hope this helps. 🙂

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    1. Hey Andrew! We have not tried to substitute anything for the honey, unfortunately. I’m afraid if you replaced the honey you would lose some of the properties in the honey. I hope this helps you!

  5. Hi, I tried it and LOVE how my hair feels, super soft and tangled free! But concerned about the greasy look. Before trying your recipe, I was using another DIY recipe that included Castile soap but was leaving my hair “heavy,” very tangle, coarse-like and also greasy looking. I was hoping since I’ve gone through the transition of natural shampoo , my hair wouldn’t be greasy looking with your pH shampoo. I have dry, frizzy, undefined curls which your recipe made my hair super soft, wavy curls and no frizzy strands! BUT the greasy look is what I don’t like. I did the ACV rinse but not sure if I need to rinse it afterwards with plain water. Any advice? Than you!!!!

    1. Hi Leticia! I am so happy you are loving the shampoo. YAY! But even though you are no newbie to the DIY shampoo game there still can be a transition period when changing methods. First of all, yes, rinse with water after using the ACV rinse. Second, maybe you could create a DIY dry shampoo to help with the greasiness you’re experiencing. All you need is a little arrowroot and some cacao to match your hair color. Easy! I hope this helps!

      1. Thanks for your advice! I will definitely try the DIY dry shampoo. One more question, how often you recommend to wash my hair using your pH balance shampoo? By the way I used an ice cube tray to freeze it. What a great idea to preserve this shampoo naturally, by freezing it instead of adding “unnatural” ingredients.

        1. You’re welcome, Leticia! You will find that once you adjust to the shampoo you won’t need to wash as frequently. So, if you wash every other day you could try washing every two days and slowly adjust the frequency as you hair adjusts to the shampoo. Does that make sense?

      2. Hi again! Two more questions…do I need to do a ACV rinse ever time I shampoo my hair with this wonderful pH balance shampoo? Currently the store I go to is out of ACV, Can I use white distilled vinegar in place of ACV?

        1. Great questions! You could start out using the vinegar rinse twice a week and adjust as needed. Be sure you listen to what your hair is telling you. If your scalp feels good, without resorting to the vinegar, then continue with your shampoo regime until you feel the need for more vinegar. I hope this helps, Leticia!

  6. Why not just use egg, or shikakai herb?? Much easier than this nonsense. I rotate between the two. Follow with diluted white vinegar.

    1. Hmm, ever heard the saying Nothing nice to say, say NOTHING AT ALL?? Calling someone’s hard work “nonsense” only makes you look like a petulant, JEALOUS child. You really should be ashamed of yourself. SMH

    1. Great question! There is no preservative in this recipe. We suggest storing it in the fridge for that reason. Happy DIYing 😊

  7. Hi! I recently tried to make this recipe and I used almond oil and unfortunately my hair came out a greasy mess. Did I do something wrong? Or do I need to add castile soap. The rest of my hair is super soft feeling. I do have super thin hair so maybe I applied too much…I just felt like it was hard to work through my scalp

    1. Hey Angelica! There will be a transition period while using this shampoo. Since you have thin hair you may have applied too much. You haven’t done anything wrong! Just a heads up, if you do want to add the Castile it will change the pH of the shampoo. It also may strip color-treated hair. Hope this helps you!

  8. I for one very enjoy using castile soap as a shampoo, but am concerned about my hair pH. Could I make it less alkaline by adding aloe vera and citris juice to it? Would that balance the pH?

    1. Hi Rebecca! I’m glad you’ve found something that’s working for you. Unfortunately, we don’t know the pH levels of the aloe vera and the citrus juice you are using. We’d love for you to come back and let us know if you find out whether they do/don’t balance the pH of castile soap. Happy DIYing 😊

  9. Want to try this recipe though I have been reading coconut milk is not so good for DIY shampoos… 🤔
    I have a couple of doubts:
    – Can I add essential oils? Want to add some rosemary for hair strenghtening. Might take a pass on the Castor oil as I don’t have
    – When freezing it in cubes, how do you use it after?
    – Do you use normal Coconut milk from the supeemarket?
    Thanks!

    1. Hi Paula! Yes, you may use essential oils. We suggest using 1 tsp of essential oil in this recipe. If you choose to freeze the shampoo in cubes, just pop one out a few hours before you use so it has time to thaw. Depending on the cube size and how often you wash, you may use about a cube or two a week. You can use coconut milk from the supermarket just make sure you grab the full fat kind. Hope this helps you, Paula! Happy DIYing 🙂

    1. Megan, great question! This recipe does not require a conditioner but if you choose to use one we have a great DIY conditioner recipe here. Happy DIYing 😊

  10. I have been tested for allergies, and a lot of the common additives and preservatives in food and personal care products are some of my allergies, my issue is that I have really greasy hair. if I don’t wash it every day it is super oily, stringy, and matted down, will this help with that?

    1. Megan, this recipe should help with that! Keep in mind though this shampoo won’t lather but it will cleanse and moisturize your hair. There is also a detox period that can last a few weeks. Hope this helps you!

    1. Hi Linda! Great question. I don’t see anything in this recipe that would strip color treated hair. Hope that helps you!

    1. Hi Jean! There will be a mild coconut-y scent and you might catch some whiffs of vinegar. Jess says she finds the smell very clean. I hope this helps you! 😊

  11. Hi Jess, could i add some xantham gum (mixed properly to not make lumps) to thicken the mixture so its not as liquidy? Or would that change the ph too much? Thanks, Adele

    1. Hi Adele~ Great question, but difficult to answer. I did a bit of research and see that the Ph of xanthan gum varies pretty widely (anywhere between 2–12), but when it’s in a aqueous solution it appears to have a Ph of 7. All of that said, this is just a bit of research I did quickly and I didn’t look into how it would react with the other ingredients. You could probably get a better response in an online chemistry forum. Sorry I can’t be more help!

  12. I’m not sure this recipe is as acidic as you think it is. I would take the time to test the ph of the final product. I say this because it takes quite a lot of material to change the ph of a substance. Your recipe’s ratio of acidic substances to neutral is only 6/27, which according to my research, shouldn’t be nearly a high enough concentration to meaningfully change the ph of the coconut milk. I’d like to try this recipe but, if possible, could you take the time to test the final product’s ph? I’d love to hear the result!

    1. Thanks for your feedback! We do not have the proper tools and equipment to test the pH of the final product. We did list the pH level of each ingredient in the recipe for our readers. If you choose to make this recipe and test the final pH level we’d love to know!

  13. i have been trying diy shampoos for a couple years.. none have worked but i keep trying… one way or another they just mess up my dry frizzy hair & make it worse…. i tried this one this weekend and i really liked it. my hair actually felt better than it has in a couple years 🙂 really nice recipe for shampoo… i will continue to make this… . thank you for posting this shampoo recipe

    1. I think you’ll find that after transition you won’t need to wash daily! You certainly can give it a try, but I would start out slowly.

  14. Going to try this recipe. Wondering what can I add to make it last longer than a week without having to put it in the fridge/freezer

    1. Hey Jae! We really recommend using the shampoo within a week in the fridge or up to a year in the freezer. Happy DIYing 😊

  15. Can I use lemon/ lime to subtitute apple cider vinegar? To avoiding the smell and considering it has low pH too. Thank you

    1. The PH of lemons and ACV are the same, so that makes sense. You might be aware that lemon can lighten your hair, so just keep that in mind. If you give it a try please let us know how it works for you!

  16. I’ve been considering DIY shampoo and wanted to know if I can use unrefined coconut oil? It is organic. I don’t have caster oil can I leave that out?

    1. Hi Dixie! If the coconut oil is fractionated it would work. Regular coconut oil would solidify in your shampoo. You can leave the castor oil out, but it’s amazing for your hair. I offer small amounts of castor oil here in my herbal boutique. Happy DIYing!

  17. hello. just crossed your post. going to try this.. may i knpow the shelf life or fridge life of this DIY shampoo ? can i use coconut/ almond/castor oil instead of jajoba oil? awaiting for your reply

    1. Hello! If you store this in the refrigerator I would use it within a week. If you cube it in ice cube trays you won’t have worries about it going bad within a year. Happy DIYing!

    1. Hi Diane,
      As long as the only ingredient is honey, you’ll be okay. You just don’t want to use “fake” honey (aka corn syrup etc). Raw, real honey is best.

  18. Can i use this shampoo on my black hair? I have highlights and have heard that honey lightens hair colour

    1. Hi Fatema! I honestly wouldn’t have a concern using this on dark hair because the amount of honey is so small. Let us know how it goes…happy DIYing!

  19. So far I have really liked this recipe! I’ve had issues with itchy, red, and flaky scalp for a couple years. I’ve tried so many different things but I can tell my scalp likes this already. I have noticed that when I brush my hair it gets a bit staticy. I am using a brush with plastic bristles. Wondering if maybe because of the more natural stuff the plastic is causing a reaction? Or maybe I’ve dried out mu hair a bit by thinking I’m on the oily end by following the shampoo up with some honey? My hair is really thin and light.

    1. I’m so happy it’s helping! You might try some type of hair serum, or even sleeping with coconut oil on your scalp with a shower cap a night or two a week. You can see my hair serum in the shop here. It might help, too.

    1. Hi there. If you are using fractionated coconut oil (it’s liquid) that will work. Otherwise, that would not be a good substitute. You can learn more about carrier oils in this post. You’ll want to make sure you choose one that is in a liquid state. Happy DIYing!

  20. Hello! I have done some reading on diy shampoo and some articles say that honey will naturally dye or lighten my hair. Do you know if this is so, if it is do you know of something that could replace the honey? I do not want my hair to lighten, but this recipe looks like exactly what I am looking for otherwise. Thanks for your time!

    1. Hi Gracie. Great question! The amount of honey is so small that I wouldn’t put to much worry in it. If you give this a try, please let us know how you like it!

  21. Would it mess with the recipe too much if you added a bit of water so it could be used in a foaming pump dispenser?? I’d love to try more DIY shampoos, but with non-lathering options I never feel like it actually spreads across my entire head to really clean all my hair. I have fine oily hair.

    1. Hi Laura. So sorry for my delayed response. That would definitely change the recipe quite a bit (as well as the PH). This simply isn’t meant to be a DIY shampoo that lathers. I’m sorry. BUT…if you gave it a try, please let us know how it went!

  22. Hi Jess! I have been using this shampoo recipe for about a week now and I know you say that you need to go through the detox phase, but oh my goodness my hair looks wet from how oily it is. What are the tricks to help with this problem? I am around hundreds of people throughout the day for work and I am just horribly embarrassed to have my hair down so all week I have been wearing it up in hopes that people don’t think that I am not washing it. Haha. Thank you for any advice.

    1. Hi Jasmine! A few tricks we’ve found to help combat the transition are to try washing with this shampoo and your shampoo you used prior intermittently. After a week or so, try transitioning the prior shampoo out by washing with it once a week or once every two weeks. It may take a few weeks for your scalp to adjust to the new shampoo. I hope this helps you 😊

      1. Hi Kassidy and Jasmine. I use this hair cleanser and I found that I used too much at first and that left my hair greasy. So the next day I rinsed my hair with 1/4 cup each vinegar and filtered water. After that I’ve made sure to only use 1 1/2 teaspoons of hair cleanser.

  23. Hello, and THANK YOU! I’ve been struggling with Low and No Poo for years after discovering sensitivity to traditional shampoos. I tried Health store brands, John Masters, shampoo bars, baking soda, salt wash, rinses, you name it. I was feeling like I was destined to wear hats forever as my hair always felt and looked awful. I made your “shampoo” today and the relief for my scalp was incredible. Remember those awful Herbal Essences commercials? That was me. And so I sit here, my hair is still wet, and I can’t believe how it is feeling soft and not at all waxy as it dries. My scalp is relaxed and happy for the first time in a long time. ( I used sweet almond oil, and apricot kernel oil as I didn’t have the ones in your recipe. I did not add essential oils to this batch) This was amazing, can’t wait to try some of your other stuff.

    1. Hi Taryn! So sorry we missed this! We have never heard of this happening before with non-dairy milk. By whisking it more, were you able to get it to mix together? We’d love to know more!

    1. Hi there! Because this recipe has no preservatives we suggest using it up within a week stored in the fridge. If you wish to keep it longer, you can store it in the freezer for up to a year.i hope this helps you!

  24. I’m so eager to make this and try it! (Though I wish you made it and sold it so I could just buy it instead. :p) I’ve been using natural and DIY shampoos for years and have had an itchy scalp for like a year and a half. So when I read that castille soap and such did this for you i was like hooray! Maybe this is my answer! I sure hope so. I’ll try to remember to report back after I try it out for awhile.

  25. I love the idea of this, but holy man was my hair oil. Like disgusting looking! Maybe I’ll try agian and cut the oil like others have done, but I’m afraid that won’t be enough. Maybe I used too much since there are 0 suds???

    1. Hi there! Yes, yes…a little goes a long way. You might have used too much, trying to get a suds action, but you won’t get that (and you don’t need that). There is also a period of adjustment, since this is likely unlike any other shampoos that you have used. I hope this helps!

  26. Hi! I made this recipe exactly as is, and I was wondering how long it should last if I store all of it in a glass jar in the fridge

  27. I have been using this shampoo for about 2 weeks now (every 3-4 days, with my regular shampoo in between). Next time I will try with half the amount of oil because for the moment I still need to use my regular shampoo after 24-48h, my hair being naturally oily. I freezed half of the content, for the moment it still smells wonderful and the consistency seems a bit thicker than the first day? My hair feels a lot stronger and is shinier, 2 weeks ago it would break so easily. I am very happy with this recipe, thank you so much!

  28. Thanks a lot for this recipe, I just made it and will try on my hair in the next few days. I have tried so many shampoos (with or without sulfates, silicones…), but my hair (east asian straight hair) keeps becoming more and more fragile and also greasy. My partner tried a few baking soda, egg DIY recipes but was not convinced. So we are very excited to try your recipe! I will write an update after a few weeks 🙂
    What ingredients are acting as “preservatives”? Coconut milk alone goes bad after a few days in the fridge, are honey and vinegar keeping it good?

    1. Hi there! Yay! We can’t wait to hear your results 😊 since there are no preservatives in this recipe we do suggest using the recipe within a week if stored in the fridge. You can store it in ice cube trays in the freezer if you want to make it last longer! Happy DIYing 😊

  29. hello, thank you for this article! what is your experience with storing this shampoo. How long and at what temperature? ( safe stored in the shower or in fridge ) thank you so much!!

    1. Hi Marisa! You will want to store this recipe in the fridge and use it within a week. I hope this helps you! Happy DIYing 😊

  30. I think I found my holy grail product with this recipe I don’t need any conditioner after and now have perfect curls for the first time ever…

  31. I love your website and how much research youve done you sound alot like me my husband gets overwhelmed with all my thats not healthy or good for you/toxic lol but for the most part ive tried to replace everything with healthy honemade if possible. I grew up with a very herbs are amazing mother that made and sold castile soaps. I had kinda deviated from all that until me and my husband finally gave up on store bought shampoo/soap with sodium lauryl sulfate because our heads were always itchy and i read some very disturbing articles about it. I make my own soap now like my mother and bought equipment to make batches of bars 240 at a time and ive found so many ppl are starting realize how bad store bought soap can be! But anyway back on track ive read alot about soap ph and tested alot of batches of liquid shampoo and ive got one currently i really like but the down side of low ph is that the sudsing effect kinda gets lost which is sad for me because i love me some foamy shampoo but its still a work in progress and there still might be something i havent tried yet that will work! Im def gunna try this and the conditioner out tho to see how they work! Keep up the good work 🙂 -danielle

    1. <3 I love that you and your hubby are "getting back on track!" I think you'll really enjoy this DIY shampoo.

  32. Thanks so much for your recipe. This has made my hay hair feel so soft. I did reduce the jojoba, and castor oil to 1/2 t. because sometimes it makes my hair look oily, but that just becomes a ponytail day cause it’s worth it to have soft hair which I’ve never had before in my life. Thanks again.

  33. Lovely recipe!! It is easy and affordavblebleble. My hair smells wonderfully like coconut and is as soft as silk. I will never go back!

  34. Hello! I find your information on the ph of hair very interesting. I also have read elsewhere about the hairs ph being more acidic. My husband has always had a very acidic system. He repeatedly gets mouth ulcers (canker sores) but he has always had beautiful soft, silky hair with a slight tendency to be oily. I have an extremely alkaline system. In fact I found out with my first pregnancy that my body turns things most peoples body changes to acid to alkaline instead. I have always had dry, coarse hair. I could go weeks without washing and it still never get oily no matter how dirty it was. When I turned 18 my long hair (down past my knees) started breaking and in 2 years it was barely past my waist. My 2 older sisters had the same thing happen though they both had silkier very oily hair. Another interesting thing is our family has gotten lice twice over the 14 years we have been married. He has never gotten them even though we share the same bed, use each others combs and brushes on occasion. When we first heard about no-poo was after the first time we had lice. After using commercial lice treatment to get rid of them my hair started falling out and my scalp started having all kinds of problems. (I later found out what I was using on my head had been banned as a pesticide for use in farming.) I asked a friend of mine for natural help and she recommended baking soda or castile soap with an apple cider vinegar rinse. My husband and I both tried it. I mixed it up and kept a bottle of baking soda water (shampoo) and a bottle of apple cider vinegar water (conditioner) in the shower. He loved it. His naturally soft, silky hair became even softer and silkier. My hair felt ok but my scalp was gunky and itchy. I thought I just needed to go through the transition stage but it kept on. I finally bought some natural extremely expensive shampoo and used that. After awhile we went back to regular shampoos. A number of years later my husband out of the blue called me from the shows and asked me for baking soda and vinegar. He rubbed the dry baking soda into his dry hair and poured the vinegar over it letting it fizz and scrubbing his scalp then rinsing it out. He has never gone back except if the baking soda and vinegar got moved to the other bathroom and I am not around to get it for him. So, I decided to give his new method a try too. I gave it a month or so and my scalp was gunkier and itchier than before. I gave up and went to just washing with water but bought a boar bristle brush. That didn’t work so well either. Finally I just washed with apple cider vinegar and that seems to work well for me. He still has way nicer hair then me without any oil problems anymore but at least mine feels better. I am trying some other things right now, eggs etc. And I’m interested in making my own shampoos and trying them for my and the boys who all seem to have more my coarse hair though our girls seem to have inherited their daddy’s hair. Interestingly enough they all boys and girls alike seem to have more acidic systems but especially the girls.

  35. Hi. I make my shampoo with raw honey, lemon (or lime) juice, water and baking soda. It works great for my hair and I do not need to wash them often, but it can lighten your hair after while. I do not like adding soap to my “shampoo”. Lately I have tried to rinse my hair in strong coffee to keep them darker. Sometimes the mix works so well and my hair is so shiny and soft, I think it depends on the water I use, the lemon juice and type of honey. But I usually try to use distilled or purified water as it works much better. It worked the best with filtrated sea water whilst I was on a sailing boat! I haven’t used commercial shampoos since October 2017 and my hair are doing fine. Much better than before. And no need for any conditioners. Maybe sometimes I could do with some home made hair masks, but I haven’t done it so far in the last 7-8 months). These home made shampoos are worth a try!

  36. Thank you so much for providing these DIY recipes. It warms my heart to see someone who actually cares about the health of the world. I’m glad I found your website and I’m definitely going to try your pre-made deodorant too! ????

  37. I’d love to try this, but what’s the shelf life in the fridge please? Most recipes with coconut milk only say they last a week or two. Thanks!

    1. Hi Violet! We recommend using this recipe within a week in the fridge. To make it last longer you can try freezing it into ice cube trays and popping one or two out a week! Happy DIYing 😊

    1. Hi Cheryl! We have and incredibly, yummy nourishing hair oil over on our sister site, Scratch Mommy. I will drop the link here for you. I hope this helps you! Happy DIYing 😊

  38. This is probably the best DIY shampoo I’ve tried yet. It’s like a balm on my scalp. I still follow it up with a ACV rinse, though, to cut down on the residual bedhead look & feel afterward. Also noticed, my hair takes longer to dry but I don’t need to use a lot of product in my hair afterward. Thanks!!

  39. When the Baking Soda/ACV stoos working, increase the ACV-rinse strength. If you used straight, try again at 1 part acv to 5 parts water. Decrease to 4 parts if under performing. Poo free since ’02!

  40. Thank you so much for posting this! I have been making my own face creams and cleansers, but the shampoo arena has been largely like your not so funny experience. I tried conditioner washing instead of shampoo, and I am stringy and limp haired. As a former cosmetologist, I know all about how important ph is in any product, so yours is the most intelligent posting I have found online for DIY cosmetics. Kudos!

  41. Hello! Thanks for this recipe. Is it necessary to use conditioner after this shampoo since it contains oils to moisturize your hair?

    1. Hi Kelsey! It is not necessary to use a conditioner after using this shampoo. If you do wish to use a conditioner, we have a great DIY conditioner recipe! Happy DIYing 😊

  42. Not sure why a scale is included in the supplies needed. Weighing the ingredients isn’t mentioned or required, even if converting to metric. Odd. Interesting recipe, though. I’ve mixed up a batch and am looking forward to using something gentler on my aging hair.

    1. Hi Jenny! Yes, thank you for pointing that out to us. We are working on it now! We hope you love this recipe as much as we do! Happy DIYing 😊

    1. A mason jar will work. When Jess made it she froze them in cubes and then stored them in a mason jar in the freezer. Hope this helps you!

    1. Hi Amanda! We recommend using this recipe up within a week if stored in the fridge, but you can also store it for up to a year in the freezer. Hope this helps you!

    1. Hi Lisa! This recipe does not need a conditioner, but we do have a recipe for one if you still wish to use one. You can find the DIY conditioner recipe here. Happy DIYing 😊

  43. I agree with Fran – I was impressed to see that you’ve considered (and calculated, at length, it seems) how the pH of each product interacts and eventually affects the scalp and hair.

    I’m not sure if I’m ready to try a non-lather, and I just did buy some more Castille soap, so I may put a -wee bit- of Castille in and see how it goes (maybe not to replace the honey entirely, but just to get some lather going).

  44. I just tried this for the first time and my hair came out very oily. I will try the vinegar and water rinse next time

  45. Thanks for sharing this recipe! I made a batch with coconut cream rather than coconut milk, and I found it much too oily– more like a super-hydrating hair mask than a shampoo. I like the concept, so I may try again using coconut milk and leaving out the castor oil.

  46. Hey, I like you’re research on the PH balance of the scalp and what you would use to cleanse it. One thing I use to was my hair every week would be to use an egg or two, depending on how long your hair is, and mix in apple cider vinegar, honey and lemon to create a natural shampoo that does not make your hair greasy. Another mix that I have tried is by using chickpea flour and orange peel powder then mixing them with honey to create a paste and massage into your scalp while waiting for a couple minutes to rinse. Though, I am not sure if these are exactly “no-poo,” these are great concoctions that have worked for me. Hope this helps!

  47. When you say “don’t use too much” how much do you recommend “per serving” please? I made some today (my first diy natural / organic shampoo!) and my hair was sooo greasy afterwards. Greasier than it’s ever been when I havent washed it for days! I think I used too much…

    1. Hi Liz! Jess used about 2 tsp. when her hair was just past her shoulders. Keep in mind, there will be a “detox” period that can last for a few weeks! I hope this helps you 😊

  48. Can you use regular honey instead of raw? I can’t find raw locally at the moment and ordering online is not a viable option. But I would really like to go ahead and try this, for both myself and my sister, for whom we’ve been trying to find something to help her grow out her hair.

    1. Yes, you can use regular honey! You just want to make sure the only ingredient is honey. You don’t want to use “fake” honey (aka corn syrup). I hope this helps you!

  49. Going to try this recipe! Been trying (and failing) diy shampoo for years. Might be that I’m just not patient enough to wait out the transition period. But I have never considered the Ph levels. I do not have jojoba oil on hand currently, is there another carrier oil you can recommend with a similar Ph level? I have sweet almond, grapeseed, tamanu, hemp, apricot, and coconut oil….
    Also I tried your homemade deodorant recipe and it’s fabulous. Thoroughly impressed 🙂 thanks for sharing your talents!!

    1. Hi Simone! You could try replacing the jojoba oil with sweet almond oil. Keep in mind though, the pH levels are not the same but they are close. We are so glad you’re loving the deodorant! Come back and let us know how you like the shampoo 😊

  50. Hello! I have been looking for a dit shampoo like this, but I do have a question. How does it affect colored hair? Thank you!

  51. I found this shampoo to be really greasy. I have very thick balanced hair, I can often go 3 days without needing to wash it. This shampoo left my hair extremely greasy, I had to rinse 3 times with an apple cider vinegar rinse and there was still oil lingering on my hair.

    1. Hi Vicky! There will be a “detox” period when transitioning to a more natural shampoo. We suggest slowly introducing your new DIY shampoo to your current hair routine. For example, if you shampoo 3x a week try using your new shampoo for one of those washes, then using your new shampoo for two of those washes the following week, and so on. I hope this helps!

  52. I love the fact that you considered the ph. I don’t see others considering the science of this. I will definitely make this.

    1. How did this ever come out? I’m interested in making it too, but I’ll have to get some of the oils first so I’d love to hear your thoughts!

  53. Hi Jess,
    I’ve been looking to make my own shampoo for a long time but have found that many recipes used by others started out great but then had disasterous endings! Your recipe sounds wonderful and you are so kind to share it. However, as a vegan I’m wondering if you have any ideas as to what I could replace the raw honey with.
    Best wishes, Madeleine xo

    1. Hi Madeleine! Unfortunately, we have not tried playing with any honey alternatives. If you find one that works for you be sure to come back and let us know about it! Happy DIYing 😊

  54. I do not see where I can purchase the shampoo? Please let me know how to purchase it. What do you suggest for tangles?

    1. Hi Margaret! Unfortunately, we do not sell this product but we do sell some of the ingredients in the recipe. You can find them linked here. As for the tangles, we have a great detangler recipe that you can find here. I hope this has helped you 😊

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