what homemade hair products do you use?

Soapmaking Forum

Help Support Soapmaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

reflection

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2016
Messages
109
Reaction score
70
Location
los angeles
i've been doing low poo but am wanting to stop buying hair care products and wondered what you all are using who make some of your own hair products.

what homemade products do you use for shampoo? shampoo (lye) bars, syndet bars, liquid castile recipes, baking soda? how well are they working?

conditioner? ACV rinse or a homemade conditioner?

any great styling recipes?

how well are the products working? any special hair specifics we should know regarding the products like oily hair, curly hair, colored hair, etc?

i have superthick curly/frizzy long hair (think andie macdowell) and i'd really like to replace my liquid styling gel (aveda) as it is rather expensive. it works great on my very challenging hair, but i'm experimenting with pomade & hair butter recipes currently. i had no idea people use butter recipes for their hair until this week. i also just started using an ACV rinse and absolutely love it as i suddenly have much softer hair.

it's definitely an adventure!
 
Last edited:
I'm not really into trying to make my own shampoos or conditioners. I don't want to go through all that work and to be honest, I have had a heck of a time finding products that don't irritate my scalp that also won't break my bank. However, as far as hair treatments go, I like the occasional henna and if I feel like doing it again, I might make that hair caramel that was popular some years back (it originated in Philly). The hair caramel doesn't have a long shelf life (you have to freeze it since you'd make quite a bit) but it is really conditioning. If you want a recipe, I can try and find it but.

Other than that, I don't think I can help much since my hair is on the coily spectrum of curly and I keep my weekly regimen as simple as possible. I also won't shy away from cheaper costing products if they don't irritate me and help hold my styles. And for the record, be careful with the butter hair recipes. I stopped using them a while back since they made my hair very greasy. Coconut oil is better for that purpose and can be used as a hot oil treatment as well.
 
I use an earl gray hair tonic but am also looking at pomades - thing is, pomade recipes tend to be similar to my leather salve/wood treatment/emergency lip balm recipe and I really can't imagine one product having 4 uses like that [emoji23]
hah. :) i had to respond to this as i just made a wood polish balm but it's pretty much used up. maybe i'll try the dregs on my hair, lol. i made a pomade awhile back and it was strange: hard in container & yet oily. i tried it out again the other day and probably used waaay too much and got oily/waxy hair that i'm trying to get rid of.

i used a commercial pomade many years ago and it was more of a paste which was nice. it seemed to work iirc but it was shiny/oily-looking which i didn't like at all. the one i made is more matte with jojoba oil but i have no idea if it is any good for holding curl at this point.
 
I can't find where on the internet I originally found this recipe for hairspray, but I love it! Lasts for weeks in the fridge.

HAIRSPRAY
2 teaspoons refined sugar
1/2 cup hot purified water
2 tablespoons vodka
3-5 drops essential oil for scent (optional)

Heat water to just under the boiling point
Spoon in sugar and stir until dissolved
Allow to cool, then add vodka and optional essential oil
Pour into a spray bottle and store in the fridge until needed
Pump a few sprays onto the area you want hold and allow to dry for 30 seconds. Continue process until your hair reaches the desired amount of hold.
 
I had wavy hair growing up, but it has gotten progressively frizzy as I've gotten older, I'm now 66. For most of my life, I washed my hair every day, but now I'm down to every two or three days. I've been very low poo for quite a while now, (about a nickle sized dab of shampoo, mixed into a quart of warm water, is my "shampoo water") because that's all it really takes, since I'm not a teenager with oily hair anymore. I also use ACV rinse. My ends tend to be dry, since I color my hair, so I like to use avocado oil on the ends the night before I wash it. I use a keratin shampoo in the summer, because the humidity makes my hair positively wild, and the keratin helps a bit. For a long time, I believed there was some magic product out there, and that if I only tried enough of them, I'd be able to conquer the frizz, but I've finally come to the realization, that it's just something I'll have to live with, and that keeping my hair as healthy and moisturized as possible is the best defense against the frizz bomb. My hair strangely seems to have gotten thicker as I've gotten older, but that could just be that it seems thicker because of the increased frizz. If I believed that I could formulate something that would really help with the frizz, I'd probably give it a try, but I've given up hope that there's anything that will help.
 
I use an earl gray hair tonic but am also looking at pomades - thing is, pomade recipes tend to be similar to my leather salve/wood treatment/emergency lip balm recipe and I really can't imagine one product having 4 uses like that [emoji23]

Oh, but I disagree! You know how some people look for 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioners? Well, here you could be marketing a 4-in-1 product (and maybe more, if DeeAnna's bow string wax and lotion bar could be incorporated)! I can just see the infomercial now... it would be chock-full of 'but wait, there's MORE'! It moisturizes! It conditions! It softens! It greases! It saturates! It dissolves! It cushions! It relaxes! It tenderizes! All for the low, low price of...

Sorry, got carried away there. Anyhow, back to hair, I have dry-ish, thick, medium-length hair that blow dries straight, or air dries into crummy, non-presentable quasi-curl-waves. However, recently I discovered if I work a scant little (2-3 drops) of my homemade facial moisturizer into my hair, it comes out softer and less dry-feeling. I have not noticed any greasy build-up, but I also wash my hair daily. The moisturizer is comprised of 2/3 Argan Oil, 1/3 Rosehip Seed Oil, and a few drops of Lavender EO.
 
I had wavy hair growing up, but it has gotten progressively frizzy as I've gotten older, I'm now 66. For most of my life, I washed my hair every day, but now I'm down to every two or three days. I've been very low poo for quite a while now, (about a nickle sized dab of shampoo, mixed into a quart of warm water, is my "shampoo water") because that's all it really takes, since I'm not a teenager with oily hair anymore. I also use ACV rinse. My ends tend to be dry, since I color my hair, so I like to use avocado oil on the ends the night before I wash it. I use a keratin shampoo in the summer, because the humidity makes my hair positively wild, and the keratin helps a bit. For a long time, I believed there was some magic product out there, and that if I only tried enough of them, I'd be able to conquer the frizz, but I've finally come to the realization, that it's just something I'll have to live with, and that keeping my hair as healthy and moisturized as possible is the best defense against the frizz bomb. My hair strangely seems to have gotten thicker as I've gotten older, but that could just be that it seems thicker because of the increased frizz. If I believed that I could formulate something that would really help with the frizz, I'd probably give it a try, but I've given up hope that there's anything that will help.

I suppose a few large braids and some aloe vera gel won't help? :(
 
I suppose a few large braids and some aloe vera gel won't help? :(

My hair's on the short side to braid. I've never tried aloe vera gel. Is it a leave-in type of thing, or put it on, wash it out? I'm kind of doubtful that it would work, because I don't think my frizziness is as much a factor of damage to the hair as it is a factor of...age. Wahhhhh! Not much that can be done about that. I'm mostly concentrating on keeping it as healthy as possible to prevent the frizz caused by age from getting even worse due to damage. It's much more manageable in the winter, when the air is dry, but boy, in the summer we have some wicked humidity around here, and it's really out of control. :crazy: I always let it air dry, and I don't use a flat iron, but I do color it, and I know that doesn't help, but I'm just not ready to be gray yet!
 
I'm not really into trying to make my own shampoos or conditioners. I don't want to go through all that work and to be honest, I have had a heck of a time finding products that don't irritate my scalp that also won't break my bank. However, as far as hair treatments go, I like the occasional henna and if I feel like doing it again, I might make that hair caramel that was popular some years back (it originated in Philly). The hair caramel doesn't have a long shelf life (you have to freeze it since you'd make quite a bit) but it is really conditioning. If you want a recipe, I can try and find it but.
i'm trying to replace all my store-bought products both for body and cleaning but it does take time. i don't know if i just like the challenge or saving all the money or it being healthier but i find it all rather fascinating and fun.

i do color my grays so will have to forgo the henna but i've read henna is good for hair too. hair caramel sounds cool whatever it is. i've just started reading over at the naturally curly site recently. they do have some great info and i'm realizing there is probably much to learn about hair care. i didn't know there is a difference between moisturizing and protein and all this

Other than that, I don't think I can help much since my hair is on the coily spectrum of curly and I keep my weekly regimen as simple as possible. I also won't shy away from cheaper costing products if they don't irritate me and help hold my styles. And for the record, be careful with the butter hair recipes. I stopped using them a while back since they made my hair very greasy. Coconut oil is better for that purpose and can be used as a hot oil treatment as well.
my hair is probably much more like your coily hair than the a person's with straight hair. my hair is like wrestling an alligator! oh, wish i'd known about not putting too much oil/butter in my hair before i made a greasy/waxy mess. first time i've ever had oily hair, lol.

the only expensive skin or hair product i use is the aveda so i hear you on not wanting to spend a lot on these things. homemade is probably the cheapest and healthiest, at least for skin. hair is a little tricky i'm finding right now.

I use an earl gray hair tonic but am also looking at pomades
i forgot to ask what is the earl gray tonic for? tell us more. :)

I can't find where on the internet I originally found this recipe for hairspray, but I love it! Lasts for weeks in the fridge.

HAIRSPRAY
2 teaspoons refined sugar
1/2 cup hot purified water
2 tablespoons vodka
3-5 drops essential oil for scent (optional)

Heat water to just under the boiling point
Spoon in sugar and stir until dissolved
Allow to cool, then add vodka and optional essential oil
Pour into a spray bottle and store in the fridge until needed
Pump a few sprays onto the area you want hold and allow to dry for 30 seconds. Continue process until your hair reaches the desired amount of hold.
i make my own hair spray too but have been making small batches i keep in the frige and throw out after 2 weeks once i realized it'd go bad. i think i'll add some vodka like you do to preserve it. i just need to figure out how much i need to use. thanks!

My hair's on the short side to braid. I've never tried aloe vera gel. Is it a leave-in type of thing, or put it on, wash it out? I'm kind of doubtful that it would work, because I don't think my frizziness is as much a factor of damage to the hair as it is a factor of...age. Wahhhhh! Not much that can be done about that. I'm mostly concentrating on keeping it as healthy as possible to prevent the frizz caused by age from getting even worse due to damage. It's much more manageable in the winter, when the air is dry, but boy, in the summer we have some wicked humidity around here, and it's really out of control. :crazy: I always let it air dry, and I don't use a flat iron, but I do color it, and I know that doesn't help, but I'm just not ready to be gray yet!
i think my aveda confixor was my miracle product but i'm experimenting with replacing it. i tried both homemade body butter & pomade in the last few days but obviously used way too much. i was trying to smooth out fly aways so kept adding more. oops!

i did try aloe vera gel this morning as a leave-in styling product. i didn't use too much because i didn't want crunchy curls. it was weird. my hair dried in 5 minutes. i don't know if the air pulled moisture out of my hair or what happened. so, i put a little of my regular conditioner in my hair on top of the aloe and that seemed to help. tomorrow i will try mixing the aloe with the conditioner and then putting it on. baby steps until i find something i can make and not look like a walking chia pet in the meantime. ;)

Oh, but I disagree! You know how some people look for 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioners? Well, here you could be marketing a 4-in-1 product (and maybe more, if DeeAnna's bow string wax and lotion bar could be incorporated)! I can just see the infomercial now... it would be chock-full of 'but wait, there's MORE'! It moisturizes! It conditions! It softens! It greases! It saturates! It dissolves! It cushions! It relaxes! It tenderizes! All for the low, low price of...

exactly! i love the 25 in 1 product. it will work on your car as well i think. ;)

Anyhow, back to hair, I have dry-ish, thick, medium-length hair that blow dries straight, or air dries into crummy, non-presentable quasi-curl-waves. However, recently I discovered if I work a scant little (2-3 drops) of my homemade facial moisturizer into my hair, it comes out softer and less dry-feeling. I have not noticed any greasy build-up, but I also wash my hair daily. The moisturizer is comprised of 2/3 Argan Oil, 1/3 Rosehip Seed Oil, and a few drops of Lavender EO.
your facial oil sounds lovely. i've recently been experimenting with them and a spot treatment that has worked well to clear some skin problems. it really is amazing to me how homemade products work as well if not better than the store bought ones. maybe i'll try using oil the night before i wash so i don't get all greased up again. i thought a pomade would work but no luck yet.

I make my own shampoo and conditioner. The Swiftcraftymonkey blog is a good place for info on hair care products.
that's cool. i did make a sample of a conditioner using oil, distilled water & guar gum to emulsify it. it totally worked, looked like real conditioner and my hair liked it, but i have some scalp irritation and it aggravated that. i was all set to buy a preservative and mix up a batch but no go. if anyone wants the recipe i can dig it up. super easy.

Syndet bar from Swiftmonkey, and leave on conditioner, also from her blog

i do read over on her blog but am hoping to use less processed ingredients. we'll see. it sounds like the syndet bars are quite popular here though.

The only one I do is an ACV rinse. 1tsp ACV, 1/3 cup water, sometimes a scent. My hair can't handle conditioners, but when I use the rinse, I don't feel like I need a conditioner.
the ACV rinse is brilliant. works better than any conditioner i've ever used. i just put undiluted ACV in a plastic spay bottle and keep it in the shower. spray, comb through my hair and rinse it off. i'd like to try infusing some dried herbs or maybe i'll add some essential oil to mine.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
My hair's on the short side to braid. I've never tried aloe vera gel. Is it a leave-in type of thing, or put it on, wash it out? I'm kind of doubtful that it would work, because I don't think my frizziness is as much a factor of damage to the hair as it is a factor of...age. Wahhhhh! Not much that can be done about that. I'm mostly concentrating on keeping it as healthy as possible to prevent the frizz caused by age from getting even worse due to damage. It's much more manageable in the winter, when the air is dry, but boy, in the summer we have some wicked humidity around here, and it's really out of control. :crazy: I always let it air dry, and I don't use a flat iron, but I do color it, and I know that doesn't help, but I'm just not ready to be gray yet!

Conditioners, especially leave-ins have been said to help with frizzies. Silicones as well. I haven't used aloe vera gel yet myself but I did have a gel based with black seed (no idea what those seeds are called elsewhere). That gel did a stellar job helping my hair retain moisture and my twist outs were much nicer.

Reflection, I'm aware of curly types having similar hair needs and all. It's just that I don't have to shampoo nearly as much as I would have to condition my hair so I can't really offer my say as far as shampoo and conditioning recipes. I can use a conditioner a couple of times a week and my hair would do fine. Going back to what I said before- I just prefer to buy my products since I am fairly certain I would have ingredients sitting around. I also want to minimize my child's exposure to products or ingredients that I can't control how her skin takes it. That could mean cleaning the tub a couple of times over and over again until I feel she'd be safe. I know that I could have more control over what goes into my conditioners but paying $10 (or less) for a bottle is more cost efficient than paying for ALL of the ingredients I'd want plus some extras and shipping. :)

I'm glad you like the site. It helped me quite a bit learning about my hair. It's bad enough it's still a little hard to find info for curly hair types but my ethnic group takes the cake with hair misinformation. *sigh*:mrgreen:
 
Reflection I was trying everything, My hair is extra fine and nothing worked on me.... I am also allergic to most of commercial shampoos and conditioners. No itchy irritated scalp when i use my products. My friend who have pretty long hair is washing her hair with my bars and she loves it, The hair is shiny and beautiful. When you look closely at the surfacants you will avoid the ones you do not like it. A lot of them are derived from CO:))
if you do not like processed ingredients you must stick to water :) it is processed too through the filters and with adding chemicals ; chlorine, fluoride ................
 
Reflection, I'm aware of curly types having similar hair needs and all. It's just that I don't have to shampoo nearly as much as I would have to condition my hair so I can't really offer my say as far as shampoo and conditioning recipes. I can use a conditioner a couple of times a week and my hair would do fine. Going back to what I said before- I just prefer to buy my products since I am fairly certain I would have ingredients sitting around. I also want to minimize my child's exposure to products or ingredients that I can't control how her skin takes it. That could mean cleaning the tub a couple of times over and over again until I feel she'd be safe. I know that I could have more control over what goes into my conditioners but paying $10 (or less) for a bottle is more cost efficient than paying for ALL of the ingredients I'd want plus some extras and shipping. :)

I'm glad you like the site. It helped me quite a bit learning about my hair. It's bad enough it's still a little hard to find info for curly hair types but my ethnic group takes the cake with hair misinformation. *sigh*:mrgreen:
you're still giving me some of the best advice here so i appreciate what you've posted. :) the websites that have helped me the most are from people with natural hair or that naturally curly site. but, this thread isn't for curlies only by any means. it's interesting to hear what everyone uses.
 
I make my own shampoo bars and use apple cider vinegar as my liquid. I do an 8% sf for my Tina Turner/Don King love child hair lol. It helps SO much with my frizzies. I also made a extra light lotion that I'm trying as a conditioner. So far my hair is LOVING it. I did 78% water, 1% preservative, 2% fragrance, 5% ewax, and 14% oils.
 
Reflection I was trying everything, My hair is extra fine and nothing worked on me.... I am also allergic to most of commercial shampoos and conditioners. No itchy irritated scalp when i use my products. My friend who have pretty long hair is washing her hair with my bars and she loves it, The hair is shiny and beautiful. When you look closely at the surfacants you will avoid the ones you do not like it. A lot of them are derived from CO:))
that's great that it is working so well for you & friends. you never know, i may break down and try one some day…probably not...but you never know. haha, i can't decide on shampooing options so i won't for now & keep using my low poo.

if you do not like processed ingredients you must stick to water :) it is processed too through the filters and with adding chemicals ; chlorine, fluoride ................
i do understand about processing. :) i said "less processed" as i just read susan of swiftcraftmonkey say she says something like that. oh, i think she uses "minimally processed".
 

Latest posts

Back
Top