I never dared to make my own shampoo because I had no idea how to get the consistency and lather of shampoo without chemicals. Well I'm on day 11 of Sarah Tran's 14-day hair challenge, and today we made shampoo. It was way easier than I thought it would be--you just need certain ingredients and I just needed someone to teach me the what, why and how.
Why would I sign up for a 14-day hair challenge you might ask? Well, I'm a part of the face yoga facebook group and someone asked about hair care. More than one person recommended Sarah Tran, a gorgeous little lady with hair down to her knees. HEALTHY, luxurious, silky, beautiful, voluminous hair. She claims it's not genetics, it's knowing what your body needs to produce healthy hair. In a nutshell, she covers everything from product ingredients to avoid, sulfates and silicones, nutrition, supplements, managing stress, making your own shampoo, to clipping off split ends. I totally recommend the course.
I fell for the marketing because the website said the course is normally $249 and I could get it for $37! So at that point I was just looking for where do I enter my credit card #. But deep down I knew that no matter how much internet research I do on hair care, there was an overarching strategy and science that my information pool was lacking. I would try things that didn't work and I wouldn't know why. So I just needed a guide to show me the way. Someone with proven results that her methods are effective (i.e. knee-length locks).
Anyways, here's what I used for my shampoo that didn't lather as much as store-bought shampoo, but it did give me a great cleanse, volume, softness and shine. So I'll be using it more often. It's gentle enough to use every day, but I'll probably use it 2x/week, and use a more clarifying sulfate shampoo 1-2x/month before I henna.
200 ml hot water
4 green tea bags (2T green tea leaves)
1/4 tsp xantham gum
1 Tbsp aloe vera gel (fresh from the plant or store-bought but make sure it's alcohol-free)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
1 Tbsp coco-glucoside
1 drop essential oil
Measure out 200 ml of hot water.
Steep 4 green tea bags in it until it gets to room temperature.
Sift in 1/4 tsp xantham gum (as a thickener), blend with handblender
Add 1 T aloe vera gel, blend with handblender
Add 1 Tbsp coco-glucoside (as a surfactant), mix in gently
Add 1.5 tsp olive oil, mix
Add 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, mix
Add ONE drop essential oil (I used ylang ylang for a light floral scent)
Test it with a pH strip. It should be at pH 4.5 - the same as your scalp. If it's too high, add a little more apple cider vinegar.
Store in a sterile, air tight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
