10 Homemade Shampoo Recipe Ideas

From Sandra Kowalewski, Muncie, Indiana: “I’ve been reading more and more about the chemicals in drugstore shampoos and I’m honestly a little freaked out. I have fine, color-treated hair that gets oily at the roots but dry at the ends, and I feel like nothing I buy actually works for my specific situation. I saw someone mention homemade shampoo on a forum and I thought, is that actually a thing? Can you really wash your hair with stuff from your kitchen? I’d love to know where to even start.”

Sandra, yes. It is absolutely a thing, and honestly, you’re asking exactly the right question at exactly the right time.

Here’s what I’ll say upfront: I’ve dedicated more than 20 years to doing hair, and the conversation I have most often with clients right now, whether they’re in their fifties dealing with thinning, or in their forties with color-treated hair that’s slowly gone brittle, is about what’s actually in their products. Sulfates, silicones, synthetic fragrance, preservatives with names you can’t pronounce. It’s a lot. And for fine or color-treated hair especially, a lot of conventional shampoos are genuinely not helping. I had a client, Marlene, who had been using the same volumizing shampoo for years wondering why her hair felt worse every month. We stripped her routine back to basics and her hair changed noticeably in about three weeks. That kind of thing stays with you.

Now, I’m not here to tell you that homemade shampoo is a miracle or that you should throw out everything in your shower. What I will tell you is that there are some really solid DIY hair cleansing recipes out there, some of which I’ve tried myself, some I’ve made with clients in mind, and a few that I think are genuinely better than mid-range drugstore options for specific hair concerns. I put together this list of ten, going from the more basic recipes up to what I consider the most effective and versatile one. Stick with me through the whole list because the last one is the one I actually recommend most.

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10. Basic Castile Soap Shampoo

This is where most people start, and for good reason. A simple castile soap shampoo requires almost nothing, it works on most hair types right away, and it gives you a clear baseline if you want to experiment further. The recipe is about as simple as it gets: roughly one part Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap to three or four parts water, with maybe a few drops of an essential oil if you want a little fragrance. That’s it.

What I appreciate about this one is its honesty. It cleans well, it rinses clean, and there’s no buildup. The catch, and I want to be upfront about this because a lot of DIY blogs skip it, is that castile soap is alkaline, and your hair’s natural pH leans acidic. So if you use this long-term without following up with something acidic like an apple cider vinegar rinse, you might notice your hair feeling a little rough or looking a bit dull over time. That’s not the shampoo failing, that’s just chemistry.

For color-treated hair specifically, I’d say this is a decent short-term option, like if you’re in the middle of transitioning away from conventional products and need something gentle while your scalp recalibrates. Long-term, I’d layer in one of the more targeted recipes further down this list. But as a starting point, a basic castile shampoo is a perfectly reasonable place to land. Store it in a glass pump bottle and shake before each use since there are no emulsifiers holding everything together.

9. Apple Cider Vinegar Clarifying Shampoo

I know, I know. The smell. Everyone asks about the smell. But here’s the thing, once your hair dries, you genuinely cannot detect it, and I say this as someone who made a face the first time I tried it. The smell is a non-issue. What IS an issue is using too high a concentration, which some recipes call for and I think is a mistake.

An apple cider vinegar clarifying shampoo works best when you keep the ACV ratio low, around two tablespoons of raw, unfiltered Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar to about one cup of water. You can add a teaspoon of aloe vera gel if you want a tiny bit of slip, and a few drops of tea tree oil does a nice job addressing any scalp buildup or mild flaking. This isn’t really a shampoo in the traditional lathering sense, it’s more of a rinse-and-cleanse situation, and it works beautifully after a castile wash to balance pH.

Where this formula genuinely shines is for people dealing with product buildup, hard water residue, or that weird heavy feeling that creeps in after using too many silicone-heavy conditioners. I used to do a clarifying treatment on clients before a color service, and I’d reach for something like this over a commercial clarifying shampoo if the client had a sensitive scalp. The acids in ACV help close the hair cuticle too, which means more shine. For fine hair especially, that cuticle-closing effect makes a real visual difference and it costs almost nothing.

8. Oatmeal and Honey Soothing Shampoo

This one’s for the scalp first, hair second, and if you’ve been dealing with itchiness, dryness, or any kind of scalp sensitivity, you’ll want to pay attention here. Oatmeal has legitimate soothing properties, it’s not just a wellness buzzword, and colloidal oatmeal in particular has been studied for its anti-inflammatory effects on skin. Your scalp is skin. It responds the same way.

The base recipe is colloidal oatmeal (you can make your own by blending plain rolled oats into a fine powder, or buy pre-made colloidal oatmeal) combined with raw honey, a little liquid castile soap, and warm water. The honey is a humectant, meaning it draws moisture in, and it has some mild antimicrobial properties that are good for scalp health. Together with the oatmeal, you get a wash that genuinely calms things down.

The texture is different from what you’re used to, it won’t lather much and it’ll feel a little slippery going on, but don’t let that throw you. Rinse it thoroughly. I’ve recommended a version of this to clients who were reacting to fragrance or preservatives in commercial shampoos and just needed something completely stripped back while their scalp healed. A client of mine in her early sixties had been dealing with a chronically itchy scalp for years and within two weeks of switching to something close to this recipe, she said it was the longest stretch she’d gone without scratching. That kind of feedback is hard to dismiss. This shampoo also plays well with a follow-up of a light argan oil treatment on the ends.

7. Baking Soda Shampoo (with Important Caveats)

I’m including this one because it’s everywhere online and you’re going to come across it, but I want to be the voice of reason here for a second. Baking soda shampoo can work. For a short period. For certain scalp types. Used very occasionally. It is not, despite what a significant corner of the natural beauty internet would have you believe, a sustainable long-term hair washing method for most people.

Baking soda is highly alkaline, with a pH around 9, and repeated use strips the hair’s natural oils, roughens the cuticle, and over time can cause real breakage and dryness. I’ve seen it. I’ve had to help clients recover from it. That said, as an occasional scalp reset, maybe once a month if you have very oily roots and you’re between other methods, one tablespoon of baking soda dissolved in one cup of water, applied only to the scalp, not the lengths, and followed immediately by an ACV rinse to restore pH balance, that can work without causing damage.

If you do try this recipe, please use the Arm and Hammer pure baking soda, nothing with added ingredients, and keep it away from color-treated hair. It will lift color faster than you want. Think of this one as a tool you use sparingly, not a routine. It earns its spot on this list because, used correctly, it does a job nothing else quite does the same way. Used incorrectly, it’s the most damaging recipe here by a wide margin.

6. Aloe Vera and Green Tea Shampoo

Green tea doesn’t get nearly enough credit in the hair care space and I’ve been saying this for years. It’s loaded with antioxidants, it has a mild caffeine content that may support scalp circulation, and it makes a genuinely lovely shampoo base when combined with aloe vera gel. This is one of the prettier recipes too, in terms of the finished product. It looks and feels like something from a boutique salon.

Brew a strong cup of green tea and let it cool completely. Mix it with about three tablespoons of pure organic aloe vera gel, a tablespoon of liquid castile soap, and a few drops of peppermint essential oil if you like that tingly clean scalp feeling. Peppermint is more than just a sensory thing, some research suggests it supports hair follicle health, though I’ll leave the clinical claims to the dermatologists and just tell you it feels really nice.

What I love about this recipe practically is how lightweight it is. If you have fine hair like Sandra who asked the original question, heavy cleansers can weigh the hair down even while cleaning it, which seems counterproductive and kind of is. This one rinses incredibly clean and leaves nothing behind. The shelf life is short because there are no preservatives, so I’d suggest making it in small batches and keeping it in the fridge for up to a week. A little small glass spray bottle works great for application and keeps it feeling fresh.

5. Rhassoul Clay Scalp Cleansing Shampoo

If you haven’t heard of rhassoul clay, it’s been used in North African beauty rituals for centuries, and it has a genuinely impressive ability to absorb excess oil and impurities from both the scalp and hair shaft. I first tried it after a colleague mentioned it at a continuing education seminar and I went home and made a batch that same weekend. It’s one of those ingredients that does exactly what it says.

Mix two tablespoons of rhassoul clay powder with enough warm water or rose water to make a smooth paste, not too thick, not too runny. You can add a teaspoon of argan oil or jojoba oil if your ends are dry, and a few drops of lavender essential oil is a nice touch for scalp health and just smells lovely. Apply it to wet hair, work it through the scalp with your fingertips (you won’t get the same lather as conventional shampoo, that’s normal and fine), and rinse very thoroughly.

This is particularly good for women dealing with oily scalps paired with dry ends, which is such a common combination and one that commercial shampoos handle poorly because they’re usually formulated for one or the other. The clay absorbs at the roots without stripping the lengths. I’ve recommended this to clients going through hormonal shifts, perimenopause and postmenopause especially, when scalp oiliness patterns can change quite a bit. It’s also completely free of anything that might interact with sensitive skin. Real ingredients, real results, and no label reading required.

4. Coconut Milk and Lavender Moisturizing Shampoo

Coconut milk in shampoo is not the same thing as coconut oil in shampoo, and that distinction matters more than people realize. Coconut oil can be heavy and can actually block absorption in some hair types. Coconut milk is lighter, it contains proteins and fatty acids that genuinely penetrate the hair shaft, and it creates a creamy lather that feels luxurious without leaving that waxy residue.

The recipe I like is a quarter cup of full-fat canned organic coconut milk combined with a quarter cup of liquid castile soap, about ten drops of lavender essential oil, and a teaspoon of vitamin E oil. Vitamin E is doing real work here, it supports scalp circulation and has antioxidant properties that help protect the hair from environmental damage. Shake everything together in your bottle and you’ve got a shampoo that smells genuinely beautiful and works especially well on dry, coarse, or chemically treated hair.

I made this for my own hair during a winter a few years back when the combination of cold weather and indoor heating had my ends looking like straw, and it made a noticeable difference within a few washes. My hair felt softer and had more movement. The lavender essential oil is also one of the more well-researched oils for hair loss support, with some studies showing results comparable to certain topical treatments, which I find interesting even if I’m not making any medical claims here. Worth noting for anyone who’s noticed some thinning and wants a gentle, supportive option.

3. Egg and Olive Oil Protein Treatment Shampoo

This is the one people feel weird about until they try it, and then they become converts. Eggs are genuinely one of the best natural sources of protein and biotin for hair, and when used as a shampoo base, they coat the hair shaft in a way that temporarily repairs and strengthens it. It’s old-school. My grandmother did something like this. It works.

Beat two eggs, add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, a tablespoon of plain yogurt for its lactic acid content (which gently exfoliates the scalp and smooths the cuticle), and a teaspoon of honey. Whisk it together and apply to damp hair. The critical instruction here is to use cool or lukewarm water only, not warm or hot, because you will cook the egg in your hair and that is an experience you will not soon forget and will not enjoy. I learned that the hard way early in my experimenting with this recipe.

This isn’t something you’d do every wash day, it’s more of a once or twice a month treatment-shampoo hybrid for hair that needs a protein boost. Bleached hair, heat-damaged hair, hair that’s lost elasticity and snaps easily, this recipe is speaking directly to those situations. Follow with a lightweight, acidic rinse to close the cuticle after. It is a bit of a production, but the results for genuinely damaged hair are real and they’re not subtle.

2. Rosemary and Tea Tree Scalp Health Shampoo

Rosemary has had a real moment in the hair care world lately, and unlike most trends, this one is backed by some actual research. A study published a few years ago comparing rosemary oil to minoxidil for hair regrowth got a lot of attention, and while I’m not saying rosemary is a replacement for any medical treatment, I do think the evidence for it supporting scalp and follicle health is stronger than most botanical ingredients. Combined with tea tree oil, which is genuinely antimicrobial and excellent for scalp clarity, this shampoo does a lot.

Use a quarter cup of liquid castile soap as your base, add a quarter cup of water or cooled rosemary tea (brew a handful of fresh rosemary in hot water, strain it, let it cool), ten drops of rosemary essential oil, five drops of tea tree essential oil, and a teaspoon of jojoba oil. Jojoba is one of my all-time favorite hair ingredients because its molecular structure is so close to the scalp’s own sebum that it absorbs without buildup.

This is the recipe I’ve been recommending most consistently to clients over fifty who’ve noticed changes in their hair density or scalp health. Hormonal shifts affect the scalp environment significantly, and a shampoo that genuinely nourishes the scalp rather than just stripping it clean is worth a lot. One of my longest-running clients started using a version of this about eight months ago and the change in her hair texture and fullness has been genuinely visible. Use it two to three times a week for best results.

1. Customizable Ayurvedic Herb Shampoo

This is the one I’d put my name on, and the reason it sits at number one isn’t because it’s the most straightforward recipe on this list, it’s because it’s the most adaptable and the most deeply effective once you get it dialed in for your specific hair and scalp needs. Ayurvedic hair care has been around for thousands of years and there are a handful of herbs in that tradition that are backed by both history and a growing body of scientific literature.

The base of this shampoo starts with shikakai powder, which has been used as a natural hair cleanser in South Asia for centuries and has a naturally low pH, making it far more hair-friendly than most cleansers. To that you add amla powder, which is essentially a superfood for the hair, rich in vitamin C and antioxidants that support the follicle and add significant shine. Both shikakai powder and amla powder are available easily online and are reasonably priced.

Here’s a starting recipe: mix two tablespoons each of shikakai and amla powder with enough warm water to form a thin paste. Add a tablespoon of brahmi powder if you can find it, it’s particularly good for thinning hair and scalp nourishment. Then add a teaspoon of your chosen oil, rosemary oil for hair growth concerns, argan oil for dryness, jojoba for oilier scalps, and about five drops of whatever essential oil appeals to you. Apply to wet hair, work it through with your fingertips, let it sit for a couple of minutes, and rinse well.

The reason this recipe is so powerful is that it customizes based on your hair’s actual needs in a way no commercial shampoo can, because it’s been made for the general population’s hair, not your hair. Fine and oily at the roots? Lean heavier on the shikakai and add a little more water. Dry and color-treated? Add more amla and a richer oil. What I love most is that this shampoo cleans without stripping, conditions without weighing down, and over time, with consistent use, the change in scalp health is cumulative. It gets better the longer you use it because your scalp isn’t constantly fighting to recover from harsh surfactants.

One practical note: the color of amla and brahmi is dark, so if you have very light blonde or gray hair, do a small patch test first to make sure the tint rinses out completely. For everyone else, especially brunettes and those with color-treated hair in the darker ranges, it can actually add a very subtle richness to the tone, which is a nice bonus.

So, Where Should You Actually Start?

If I had to sit across from Sandra and give her a real answer for her specific hair situation, fine, color-treated, oily roots, dry ends, I’d probably say start with the rosemary and tea tree recipe at number two for a few weeks to get a sense of how your hair responds to a DIY cleanser, and then work your way toward the Ayurvedic recipe once you feel comfortable experimenting. The learning curve with homemade shampoo is mostly psychological, the letting go of the expectation of thick commercial lather and the patience to let your scalp recalibrate over a few weeks.

Most people’s scalps take about two to four weeks to stop overproducing oil when you remove the harsh stripping surfactants from their routine. That adjustment period is real, and it’s the reason a lot of people try natural shampoo once, decide it didn’t work, and go back to what they had. Don’t quit during the transition phase. Keep a dry shampoo handy for the days your roots feel heavy, a natural dry shampoo powder is ideal so you’re not undermining all your ingredient efforts, and give your scalp the time it needs to find its balance.

You have more control over what goes on your hair than the beauty industry wants you to believe. These recipes aren’t a compromise or a sacrifice of efficacy. Some of them are genuinely better for your hair than what you’d pick up at the drugstore. I wouldn’t put them on this list otherwise.