Budget Herbal Organic Shampoos

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Budget Herbal Organic Shampoos

by Lisa Maliga

 

Making your own shampoo can be done in a matter of minutes. Especially

when you're in a hurry to find someone that 'perfect' gift, keep in mind

that you can make a bottle of organic, homemade shampoo. Putting it into

a gift bag or basket with other bath products will make it even more

special. If you're searching for a shampoo that will shine your hair or

clean the excess oil, dandruff, falling hair, or just make it smell like

a pure herbal essence then read on! In fact, by making your own 'brand'

of shampoo you'll be able to help others who might have a similar hair

type and are still using those fake commercial shampoos.

 

COMMERCIAL SHAMPOO WARNING:

Most commercial cosmetic companies want to sell you a product that's

falsely labeled as 'natural.' In reality, the only natural ingredient in

a bottle of the 'herbal' shampoos you find in discount stores and

supermarkets is the water! And it's pretty much a given that they all

contain one very unwholesome ingredient: sodium lauryl sulfate. This is

a synthetic foaming agent that admittedly does its job in the lathering

department, but has also been known to cause cataract-forming protein,

along with a host of skin allergies, dandruff, and hair loss! If you use

a shampoo with this ingredient once or twice a year, it won't harm you,

but most people use it as often as everyday. The 'perfumes' and

'fragrances' you see listed on the bottles of shampoo don't give you a

clue as to WHAT type they are. Is it an expensive perfume containing a

host of inviting floral and woodsy ingredients? Probably not. Those

fragrances--there can be over 100 of them--usually come from a lab, not

an organically grown and dried herb.

 

ONLY DRIED HERBS NEEDED:

Before we begin, it's a good idea to match your hair type with the herbs

that will benefit you the most. No essential oils are needed! Herbs sold

in bulk are far less expensive and just as effective. So budgeteers,

rejoice! Most herbs are priced on average of $3 for 4 ounces and you

only need a few tablespoons to put in your shampoo.

 

HAIR TYPES:

 

Normal - Lucky you! No excess oil or dryness means that you can use most

products and your hair still looks good. But now it'll be just as easy

to manage and you'll prevent it from changing to another type as can

happen to 'normal' people! Recommended herbs: Horsetail, red clover,

chamomile and marigold if you're blonde, crushed lavender flowers,

rosemary for growth.

 

Dry - Well, at least you don't have to wash your hair everyday!

Recommended herbs: Comfrey root or leaf, red clover, crushed orange

flowers, crushed lavender flowers, elder flowers, chamomile flowers and

marigold if you're blonde and jojoba oil added to the shampoo base.

 

Oily - Often times the oil is caused by environmental pollutants and/or

poor diet. Sometimes it's hereditary. Recommended herbs: Nettle leaves,

rosemary leaves, peppermint leaves, burdock leaves, tea tree leaves,

orris root and lemongrass. You have a wide range of choices at least!

 

Black or Very Coarse/Curly - Special care for curly hair. Recommended

herbs: Nettle leaves, rosemary leaves, sage, crushed lavender flowers,

indigo root, comfrey leaves, jojoba oil added to the shampoo base.

 

Gray - Sage, rosemary, nettle. Also, check with herbs suited for your

recommended type.

 

Hair loss - Whether it's environmental, hereditary, or illness-related,

there's a good chance that herbs will help. Of course you'll consult

with your physician or homeopathic practitioner first!

Recommended herbs: Rosemary leaves, crushed lavender flowers, tea tree

leaves, sage, nettle and basil.

 

Dandruff - It is a problem, but one that can hopefully be solved

herbally. Recommended herbs: Nettle, comfrey leaves, birch and/or white

willow barks, peppermint and lemongrass.

 

If you want to make shampoo yourself using pure castile soap made from

up to 50% olive oil, herbs that correspond to your hair type that will

make your hair smell terrific, then read on, the recipes are here!

 

Recipe #1 -- SO EASY!

All this involves is for you to purchase a bottle of Dr. Bronner's olive

oil castile soap from any health food store. The variety of scents

includes: almond, aloe vera baby-mild, eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint,

and rosemary extract and tea tree. Just select the one that pleases your

nose and/or hair type and there you are! Bottle sizes range from a

travel-size 4 ounces to a hefty 5-gallon jug. Made from vegetable oils,

the saponified coconut oil produces enough suds to please even the most

finicky fan of lather! This brand is fairly easy to find but if you need

to order from the company, here's the website address:

http://www.drbronner.com.

 

For the rest of you who prefer to make your own herbal shampoo you'll

need the following items:

EQUIPMENT:

Plastic or glass bottles [8 ounces]

Glass jar [12 ounces or more] OR glass bowl

Tea kettle or saucepan [non-aluminum]

Strainer [stainless steel or bamboo]

Distilled or spring water

Spoon

 

Recipe #2 - PRIVATE LABEL HERBAL SHAMPOO:

Select two or three herbs for your hair type. When purchasing herbs, you

don't need to get them powdered, just cut. All herbs used for these

recipes are dried. However, if you're fortunate enough to have an herb

garden, use double to triple the amount of FRESH herbs.

For people who have blonde hair and want to keep it that way, stay with

lighter colored herbs. Many herbs are used as colorants so consult with

professional herbal practitioners.

The shampoo you make will not be a visually pleasing bright blue or lime

green, but it will smell better and most important of all, it will only

enhance the health of your hair.

 

INGREDIENTS:

7 ounces distilled or spring water

4 Tablespoons liquid castile soap [1 oz.]

5 - 6 Tablespoons of herbs [choose at least 2 for your hair type]

Note: If using whole flowers such as marigold or red clover, it's a good

idea to crush them first. While lavender flowers are small, crushing

them invokes even more of their aroma.

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Boil water.

2. Put herbs in strainer.

3. Add the liquid castile soap to the bottle that you'll be using for

the finished shampoo.

4. Pour boiling water over the herbs, squeezing the last bits with the

back of a spoon. Cover the container and allow the herbs to steep for

10-30 minutes, depending upon how strong you want the mixture. Make sure

none of the leaves have fallen into the herbal water.

5. Transfer the herbal mixture into the liquid castile soap and you've

got your shampoo.

 

LABELING:

If you're making this is a gift, you can be creative and call it a

private label shampoo naming it after yourself or personalizing it for

the recipient. Be sure to list the ingredients. You might also want to

enclose the recipe if you're giving it to someone who enjoys making bath

products.For your own use it's wise to write down the herbs you've used

and the amount. Date the product as it has a shelf life of about 1 year.

 

 

Side Note: Herb Products Co. - http://www.herbproducts.com

A large variety of bulk herbs sold at reasonable prices. Dr. Bronner's

liquid soap is also sold here as are bamboo strainers and glass bottles.

 

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