In 1990, after reading Aubrey Hampton’s book, “Natural Organic Hair and Skin Care,” I decided not to use commercially made shampoos. In this book, Aubrey tells you how to read the label of any product you put on your skin or hair.
Manufacturers are constantly using toxic chemicals in their skin and hair products and neglecting their toxic effects on your body. This can be easily seen in the list of chemicals they use. Here are some of these chemicals found on many product labels:
* Propylene Glycol or Glycol- a petrochemical used because it is cheap
* Cetearyl alcohol – emulsifier that can be synthetic or natural
* Methylparaben or Propylparaben – Typical synthetic preservative
* Distearate – This is polyethylene glycol or polypropylene glycol which are petrochemicals
* Isopropyl Alcohol – Used as a cheap solvent for carrying synthetic oils.
Here is a natural shampoo that you can make yourself. This formulation is something that I have been using for many years. First, gather the following items:
4 oz Castile soap is available with any scent – plain, peppermint, eucalyptus.
½ ounce rosemary – stimulates hair follicles and helps prevent premature balding
½ ounce sage – contains antioxidants and helps prevent spoilage and is antibacterial
½ ounce of nettle – blood purifier, acts as a blood stimulant, a great source of nutrients for hair growth
Half lavender – Regulates oil production of sebaceous gland and reduces itchy and flaky scalp condition
2000 mg MSM – Provides organic sulfur to your scalp, which improves the health and strength of your hair. It also helps carry herbal nutrients to the skin and follicles where they can do best.
An empty 8 ounce plastic bottle, or any other empty shampoo or soap bottle.
Combine herbs in a lidded mason jar. Boil 2 cups distilled water. Add 3 tablespoons of the mixed herbs to the boiling water. Remove the boiling water and herbs from the stove. Let the herbal mixture sit for 30 – 40 minutes. After cooling for 30 minutes, add 2000 mg of MSM to the herb mixture. After 40 minutes and the MSM has melted, strain the herbal mixture into a bowl.
Pour 2 to 2 1/2 ounces of strained herbal tea into an 8-ounce plastic bottle. Now, pour 4 ounces of Castile soap into an 8-ounce plastic bottle. Shake the bottle with the cap on to mix the ingredients.
The shampoo is now finished and ready to use. Use this as a base for all the shampoos you make. You can add different herbs as you learn what these herbs do and how they help your hair. You can change the ingredients as per your taste. But now you have a shampoo that does not have any additives that can harm you.
Source by Rudy Silva
