Want to know how to prepare hair shampoo with Soap Nuts? With ingredients that do wonders for your hair and scalp, you can prepare a natural and effective shampoo in your kitchen.
This is a very simple and easy recipe, so we will take a look at that first and then move on to the ingredients and their benefits.
Ingredients
Distilled Water – 250 Ml
Soap Nut – 10 Gms.
Hair Fruit – 10 Gms. (Acacia Concinna)
Essential Oil – 25 Drops
Hibiscus Leaves – 10
Aloe Vera – 10 Gms.
Neem Leaves – a handful.
Instructions
In about 250 Ml of water, soak the Soap Nut and Hair Fruit overnight.
In the morning, set it for boiling.
Along with the soaked Soap Nut and Hair Fruit, add the Aloe Vera Gel, Neem and HIsbiscus Leaves too.
Let it boil. Simmer for about 10 – 15 minutes.
When the mixture cool down, filter and add the Essential Oil you have chosen.
Shake to combine and transfer to a sterilized bottle.
Tips to Tweak the Recipe
This will have a runny consistency, once you filter. It won’t be the creamy consistency like commercial shampoos, but will get the job done – clean hair and scalp! If you want a slightly thicker consistency, add a pinch or two of China Grass powder to this mixture – I add it when the mixture is simmering.
You can use any Essential Oil of your choice – Lavender, Spikenard, Chamomile, Peppermint, Clary Sage, Rosemary are a few good options.
You can add Hibiscus Flowers too, besides Hibiscus Leaves.
I also add a few drops of Argan Oil to this recipe, when adding Essential Oil.
You can also use other hair strengthening herbs like Holy Basil, False Daisy, Cape weed, etc. Or feel free to swap between different herbs every batch depending on the requirement or preference, when you prepare each!
Shelf Life
When using distilled water, this lasts for a few days even without refrigeration. I have heard many of friends saying this lasted for 2 – 4 weeks, without refrigeration. I haven’t really tried doing that though! I usually prepare a new batch every two weeks, or once a month and keep it refrigerated.
You can prepare larger or smaller batches, depending on your preference. This is a fairly small batch that lasts for a few washes, depending on your hair length and thickness.
How to Use it?
Just use it like your normal shampoo, no conditioning needed after using this. Don’t remove the entire contents from the fridge, just take what you need for a wash in a bowl and leave the rest in the fridge.
Remember: This would not be foamy like a regular shampoo, but foams fairly well. Even with less foam, your hair and scalp with feel clean and fresh.
Why These Ingredients?
Soap Nuts and Hair Fruit have been used for cleansing hair and scalp in countries like India, where many follow Alternative Medicine methods for their health, hair and skin care requirements. These two ingredients are mild, don’t rip your hair and scalp off vital nutrients or oils, cleanse thoroughly and don’t leave your hair dry. The best part – they also strengthen and nourish your hair and scalp.
Hibiscus tends to make your hair smooth, so you won’t need a conditioner after. Besides, it also strengthens and nourishes your hair, promoting better hair growth.
Aloe Vera is a hydrating and moisturizing ingredient that can do wonders for your hair and scalp. It is also a conditioning agent and used to treat hair loss, dandruff, dry hair, etc.
Neem or Margosa Leaves are well known and used in treating scalp problems like dandruff, itching, etc. Besides, they also strengthen hair and reduce hair loss.
Like mentioned earlier, play around with the ingredients and pick and choose what works for you best. I would usually switch around the ingredients depending on my requirements at that time.
Don’t have time for DIY Shampoo recipe given above? Try HY Vitamins Argan Shampoo for healthy hair and scalp.
