Use Natural Liquid Castile Soap for Safe and Wonderful Homemade Shampoos

by Luella May

Many of us look forward to shampooing our hair with visions of beautiful, shiny, bouncy hair as portrayed by the shampoos commercials we have become so familiar with. Little do we realize that the very shampoos that are giving us that lustrous look may at the same time be endangering our health. Fortunately, with just a bit of effort and liquid castile soap, we can easily make safe and natural shampoos at home that also give us wonderful results.

The most common chemical compounds in shampoos are the same ones that are commonly used in commercial detergents: straight-chain alkyl benzene sulfonates. Benzene is a chemical that is responsible for Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS), oftentimes the precursors to leukemia and many types of cancers.

Another dangerous ingredient found in shampoos is formaldehyde. Formaldehyde, which has also been linked to cancer, affects the eyes, nose, throat, lungs, skin, and reproductive system. Formaldehyde can cause rashes, hives, and dermatitis and long term exposure can result in asthma and bronchitis. It can also cause permanent lung damage. Should shampoos containing formaldehyde come into contact with the eyes, the result can be corneal damage and, in extreme cases, even blindness.

Other common shampoo ingredients are citric acid, tetrasodium EDTA, cocamide, DEA, MEA, or TEA, Peg-5 cocamide, ammonium chloride, ammonium lauryl sulfate, glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate, and sodium laureth sulfate.

Even shampoos advertising herbs as ingredients contain these harmful ingredients. Sadly, baby shampoo that has been trusted for generations also contains many of these harmful chemicals.

However, we can take charge of our health and avoid the risky ingredients in commercial shampoos by making our own shampoos. Homemade shampoos are easy to make and safe. They also help the environment and they are cost effective. Additionally, these shampoos can be customized for individual hair care needs such as dandruff, dry or oily skin, added sheen, luster, bounce, and highlights. All of the following recipes use castile soap – a natural soap made from olive oil that dates back to the 16th century.

Basic Shampoo

Ingredients:

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup liquid castile soap
1/2 teaspoon sunflower or other light vegetable oil

Directions:

Mix the ingredients well, store in a bottle and then use as you would any shampoo. Be sure to rinse well after shampooing.

Shampoos for Dandruff and Dry, Itchy Scalp

Ingredients:

6 oz Liquid castile Soap
5 drops tea tree essential oil
1/2 teaspoon jojoba oil

Directions:

Same as above.

Shampoo for Oily Scalp

Ingredients:

6 ounces liquid Castile soap
5 drops lavender essential oil

Directions:

Same as above.

Shampoo for Dry, Color Treated Hair

Ingredients:

6 ounces liquid Castile soap
1/2 teaspoon avocado oil
1 teaspoon coconut oil

Directions:

Same as above.

Shampoo for Enhancing Blonde Hair

Ingredients:

3 ounces liquid Castile soap
4 chamomile tea bags
1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Directions:

Steep the tea and water in a covered pan for 30 minutes. Strain and allow to cool. Mix with remaining ingredients then bottle.

Shampoos to Enhance Dark Hair

Ingredients:

3 oz liquid Castile soap
1 tablespoon sage
1 tablespoon rosemary
2 black tea bags
1/2 teaspoon Olive oil

Directions:

Steep the tea and water in a covered pan for 30 minutes. Strain and allow to cool. Mix with remaining ingredients then bottle.

These are just a sample of what you can do making your own shampoos. You can remain in charge of your health, while enjoying healthy and beautiful hair.

Sources included:

http://www.health-report.co.uk/formaldehyde.html
http://sci-toys.com/ingredients/shampoo.html
http://hmbeautyrecipes.homestead.com/HAIRshampoorecipes.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castile_soap