Homemade Coconut Milk Shampoo

Are you tired of the harsh chemicals in store-bought shampoos? It’s time to take control of your hair health! Discover the benefits of a natural, chemical-free shampoo by creating your own Homemade Coconut Milk Shampoo and say goodbye to dry, brittle hair. With just a few easy steps, your hair will thank you for the nourishment and moisture it craves!

I love making homemade beauty products, but it can be hard to find ones you love and will stick with. While most, like my homemade deodorant recipe, have come easy to me, learning how to make natural shampoo that loved my hair took some time.

I have very long and very curly hair so I needed a DIY shampoo that wasn’t going to leave me a greasy, frizz filled mess; and I needed something that would rinse clean. I’m going to be honest and tell you when I first heard the idea to wash hair with coconut milk, I was pretty skeptical.

In the end, I loved it though. What followed was taking the time to learn how to make natural shampoo from scratch and eventually, this homemade coconut milk shampoo.

What Does Coconut Milk Shampoo Do for Your Hair?

If you’re wondering what coconut milk shampoo can do for your hair, it can work wonders! Not only does it gently cleanse your hair while helping to retain its natural oils, but it can also help to repair damaged strands, promote hair growth, reduce frizz and enhance overall manageability.

Plus, because it has natural antibacterial properties, it also helps to soothe and balance the scalp – which can help to reduce dandruff – promoting a healthier environment for hair to thrive.

It doesn’t hurt that homemade coconut milk shampoo is free of toxic chemicals such as SLS too.

How to Transition to Natural Shampoo

Because our hair is used to the chemical concoctions that line store shelves. it can take a few days to weeks for it to truly adjust. Commercial shampoos strip hair of their natural oils drying the strands out and destroying the ph levels of our hair. Natural shampoo, especially coconut shampoo, does not.

Because of this, your hair will need time to adjust. This can range from days to weeks depending on what type of shampoo you are currently using. Your hair may feel heavier. It may seem greasier. It’s normal and perfectly okay.

To help with excess grease and oil, use something such as a natural baby powder, baking soda, or cornstarch to help manage things. Simply sprinkle a bit in your hair and use a boar bristle brush to brush through your hair. Before you shampoo next, give your hair a good rinse with water to remove any powder residue and shampoo as normal.

Using a step down routine can help as well. First change your conditioner to one that is silicone free. Next, switch to a “green” commercial option. Finally, move to using only organic apple cider vinegar as a conditioning agent. Using ACV as a rinse will help to tame some of the oil and grease and help your hair retain its softness and shine. Once you’ve done this step down, move to using the natural shampoo once a week for a couple weeks. Finally, replace your whole routine with the coconut shampoo.

How to Thicken Homemade Shampoo If It’s Too Thin

If after making this homemade coconut milk shampoo, you find that it is too thin, you can thicken it by making a salt water solution.

Add 0.5 oz fine ground sea salt (approx. 3 teaspoon) to 1.5 oz warm distilled water and stir until it is dissolved. Then, in very small amounts (1 ml or less), add to your soap and stir or shake.

Continue adding the salt water solution to your soap until you’ve got the consistency that you want. It’s easiest to control the amount of salt water solution you are adding if you use a plastic pipette instead of the pour method.

How to Store Natural Shampoo

Storing natural shampoo properly is essential to maintaining its freshness. To give it the longest shelf life possible, store your natural shampoo in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight and heat sources. It’s best to keep it in an airtight container or bottle to prevent exposure to air, which can degrade its quality. Additionally, avoid storing it in the bathroom, as the humidity and fluctuating temperatures can affect its shelf life.

Also, because this particular homemade shampoo has coconut milk in it, you should store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. This will help extend the shelf life by quite a bit. When you’re ready to use it, set it out and allow it to come to room temperature before using.

If I am making more than a single batch that I know will be used quickly, I store it in THESE amber colored shampoo bottles. Not only do they make using it easier, but the amber colored glass helps to block light better than a clear mason jar does.

Finally, adding a few drops of Vitamin E oil will help to preserve the mixture. Vitamin E acts as a natural preservative and can extend the life of your DIY coconut shampoo mixture by quite a bit.

Essential Oils for Hair

When you make this homemade shampoo with castile soap and coconut milk, you’ll also be using essential oils to help customize it to your hair type. Each oil that you add will lend it’s different properties to the shampoo mixture and will help to heal or improve your hair in some way.

Have a specific hair issue you need to solve? Use these essential oil combos in your DIY shampoo when you make it. As always, be careful with essential oils if you’re pregnant and please do not use this shampoo on children. Some are not safe for use by pregnant women or for children.

To mix these into your homemade coconut shampoo from scratch, you’ll take the 15-20 drops mentioned above and split them between each oil. I’ve listed the counts below but you can always mix it up if you would like.

Homemade Coconut Milk Shampoo for Dry Hair

• 6 drops Lavender Essential Oil
• 6 drops Rosemary Essential Oil
• 6 drops Geranium Essential Oil

Homemade Coconut Milk Shampoo for Oily Hair

• 5 drops Rosemary Essential Oil
• 5 drops Peppermint Oil
• 5 drops Cypress Essential Oil
• 5 drops Basil Essential Oil

Homemade Coconut Milk Shampoo for Dry Scalp

• 5 drops Rosemary Essential Oil
• 5 drops Clary Sage Essential Oil
• 5 drops Tea Tree Oil
• 5 drops Lemon Essential Oil
• 5 Drops Lavender Essential Oil

Homemade Coconut Milk Shampoo To Add Shine

• 10 drops Rosemary Essential Oil
• 10 drops Chamomile Essential Oil

How to Use Natural Shampoo

When you first use this natural shampoo recipe, don’t expect it to act the same way as the bottle of store bought stuff on your shelf. It won’t. Because it is SLS free, it won’t lather in the same manner. You may see some suds from the Castile soap that is in the recipe, but you won’t get a full tub full of bubbles so to speak.

If you’re ready to learn how to make natural shampoo at home, the recipe is below! It’s super simple and only takes a couple minutes! The recipe makes approximately 6 ounces of shampoo so if you want to fill a 16 oz jar or spray bottle, you’ll need to double or triple it.