Using an expensive shampoo filled with toxins that isn’t just right for your hair? Give this homemade coconut milk shampoo a try! Easy to make, this DIY shampoo can be customized for just about any type.
I love making homemade beauty products, but it can be hard to find ones you love and will stick with. While most have come easy to me, finding a homemade herbal shampoo that I loved 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. 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 shampoo from scratch and eventually, this homemade coconut milk shampoo.
How to Switch to Homemade Shampoo
Using a homemade herbal shampoo is a bit different than using the shampoo you pick up at the store. For one, even though this is a homemade shampoo with castile soap, it won’t create a suds when you use it. You can use any castile soap on it, but I personally prefer to use my own homemade liquid castile soap since it cuts the cost so much.
But, using this homemade coconut milk shampoo is a bit different than using a conventional store bought shampoo. For instance, regular shampoos have SLS in them and this coconut milk shampoo does not.
SLS is what creates those suds you’re so used to, but they do not help clean your hair and are really unnecessary in DIY shampoo. So this shampoo will not give you the suds you’re used to.
How to Customize DIY Shampoo for Any Hair Type
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.
Why Wash Hair with Coconut Milk?
If you are looking for healthy hair, getting into the habit of washing it with coconut milk is a great idea since coconut milk is full of the nutrients your hair needs to be healthy. This can promote growth, fewer split ends, shine and more.
When you make a DIY shampoo with coconut milk, you make it easy to wash hair with coconut milk and to “feed” your hair without making a huge mess.
DIY Shampoo with Essential Oils
For those that are learning how to make shampoo from scratch to address a specific hair issue, this homemade shampoo with castile soap and coconut milk can address those issues.
I often change the essential oil combinations I am using based on what my hair currently is doing. As you’ll see at the end of this post, each EO combo helps to address a specific issue.
If I am having a dull hair kind of month, I make a batch of homemade shine boosting shampoo. If I am dealing with oily hair, I make up an oil reducing batch and so on.
That is the main reason I adore my coconut milk shampoo recipe so much; it’s so easy to customize!
Is There an Adjustment Period for Hair When Switching to Homemade Shampoo?
I have had people ask whether there is an adjustment period for your hair when you start to use a homemade herbal shampoo over a commercial shampoo.
The best answer I can give to that question is this; I did not personally have any issues switching, however everyone has different hair. I have naturally curly and very dry and frizzy hair normally.
What I would suggest is if you’re concerned about an adjustment period to use it the first time over the weekend. That will give your hair a bit of time to calm down if needed.
Also, if you find that your hair is needing some adjustment, doing a baking soda wash with an apple cider vinegar rinse can often help.
You will Need:
- ½ cup coconut milk
- ⅔ cup unscented Castile soap
- 2 tsp. vegetable glycerin
- 1 tsp. Jojoba oil
- 15-20 drops essential oil of your choice
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 regular table salt 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.
How to rinse your hair with apple cider vinegar
To use, apply a generous amount to your hair beginning at the ends and work your way up to the roots. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes then rinse away completely. For an added shine and extra conditioning boost, rinse with apple cider vinegar after shampooing. There are quite a few different ways to use apple cider vinegar and conditioning and adding shine to hair is one of them.
Coconut Milk Shampoo with Essential Oils
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 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 Essential 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 Essential 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
- (or make our homemade shine boosting shampoo recipe)
Coconut Milk Shampoo
Equipment
- Empty Amber Shampoo Bottle or Pint mason jar with lid and ring
Ingredients
- ½ c. coconut milk
- ⅔ c liquid castile soap unscented
- 2 tsp. vegetable glycerin
- 1 tsp Jojoba oil
- 15-20 drops essential oil
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except the essential oils.
- Add essential oils and shake to combine very well.
- Store in fridge until ready to use. Allow to come to room temperature before using. Shake very well to combine before use.
Maybe try adding a little vitamin e to shampoo, may extend shelf life because it is naturally a perservitive. What do you think? Adding some kosher salt may help as well?
Adding salt will thicken the shampoo, but vitamin E should be okay as a preservative.
I may have missed this, but what is the shelf life of the shampoo/how often do I have to replenish?? I usually only wash my hair once every 3-4 days!
Erika, I apologize for taking so long to reply to your comment. We were on vacation. If you are only washing every 3-4 days, I would cut the recipe by 1/4 and make it as you need to maintain freshness.
Do you have to keep this in the fridge between uses?
You do not have to although doing so will stretch its shelf life. If you do leave it in the fridge, let it come to room temp before using and be sure to shake it very well before using.
Where are some places to find Castile soap? I’m in Florida and I have very thick curly frizzy hair in this humidity. I’m also Italian and I’ve tried so many things to calm the frizz and so far nothing helps. Any suggestions?
Maria, most grocery stores and pharmacies sell it. If not, there is a link in the post above to buy it on Amazon. HTH!