Homemade Rosemary Peppermint Shampoo
Why Make Your Own Natural Shampoo?
If you are looking for a homemade shampoo recipe that isn’t quite no ‘poo but is still free of toxic chemicals, this Rosemary Peppermint shampoo recipe really delivers.
Everyone’s hair is different. I have fine hair but a I also have a LOT of hair! I needed something that can cut through the sheer volume of it all. I have been using this homemade shampoo for about a month now and so far so good.
A few months ago I wrote about how I was not having success with the no ‘poo method of natural hair care. I posed the question: Does the no ‘poo method actually work? I have been experimenting with various natural hair care recipes for over a year and I have to say that none of the no ‘poo methods seem to work with my hair! Detox masks haven’t worked and patience and time also did not work.
The Challenge with Natural Hair Care
Finding the right natural hair care routine is incredibly personal. What works for one person might be a disaster for another. Some key things I’ve learned through my experiments:
- Everyone’s hair has different needs
- Your water type matters (hard vs. soft water)
- Hair texture plays a huge role
- Transition periods vary greatly
- Some hair types never adjust to completely natural methods
The Perfect Middle Ground
This Rosemary Peppermint shampoo has become my sweet spot between commercial products and the ‘no poo’ method. It’s gentle enough to use regularly but effective enough to actually clean my hair. Plus, it offers some amazing benefits:
- The castile soap base cleanses without stripping
- Essential oils support scalp health
- No toxic chemicals or mysterious ingredients
- You control the concentration and ingredients
- The invigorating scent helps wake you up in the morning
Why Rosemary and Peppermint essential oils for this recipe?
The combination of Rosemary and Peppermint isn’t just about the amazing smell (though that’s definitely a bonus!). These oils were chosen specifically for their properties:
Rosemary is known for:
- Stimulating hair growth
- Supporting scalp health
- Improving circulation
- Enhancing mental clarity
Peppermint provides:
- Scalp stimulation
- Improved circulation
- Mental alertness
Homemade Rosemary Peppermint Shampoo
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup castile soap
- 1/2 cup distilled or filtered water
- 16 drops Rosemary essential oil
- 2 drops Peppermint essential oil
Instructions
- 1. Pour castile soap into the foamer bottle.
- 2. Add essential oils.
- 3. Add distilled or filtered water.
- 4. Cap bottle and gently swirl to combine ingredients. Do not shake vigorously as this will create excess bubbles.
Notes
– Get that scalp clean – start there first
– Follow with apple cider vinegar rinse if desired Customization:
– For dry hair: Add 1/4 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
– For oily hair: Increase Rosemary to 20 drops
– For thinning hair: Add 10 drops Cedarwood oil
– For scalp care: Add 5 drops Tea Tree oil
– For hair critter prevention: Add 5 drops Tea Tree, 10 drops Lavender Essential Oil Benefits:
– Rosemary: Promotes hair growth and scalp health
– Peppermint: Stimulates scalp and provides cooling sensation
Tips for Success
- Give your hair time to adjust – it might take a couple of weeks
- Start with less shampoo than you think you need
- Focus on your scalp when washing
- Consider following with an apple cider vinegar rinse
- If your hair feels too dry or oily, adjust the water to castile soap ratio
More Rosemary and Peppermint Essential Oil recipes here!
- Peppermint Muscle Balm
- Cooling Peppermint Toner
- Homemade Mouthwash Recipe for Whitening and Remineralizing
- Whipped Peppermint Tallow Body Butter
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Lindsey-I need a recommendation! We can’t use Castille due to an allergy to coconut oil! Have you come across another base we could use?
And what do you do for conditioner?
I would like to know how to make castille soap from scratch. Dr. Bonners Castille soap is pretty expensive so it is out of the question for me to use it in. I haven’t really found a lot of good information for making it myself. Do you have any suggestions?
Are the essential oils a necessary part of the recipe or can they be skipped? Will the shampoo work with just the Castile soap and water?
make castile soap using water, lye and olive oil.
Sorry my post was a reply to previous post.
I also have a coconut allergy, and so typical liquid castile soap is tricky. I finely grate Kiss My Face olive oil castile bar soap and melt it in water to create a coconut free liquid castile soap. There are a few people making olive oil castile on the web, but the shipping has stopped me from buying it. But, to tell you the truth, I just use the bar soap on my hair as a shampoo bar and skip grating it/melting it all together. I rinse with a white vinegar and water rinse. I have very thick and coarse hair and have been using this method for about 24 months now. I am excited to give this recipe a try though. I know it will yield similar results, but might be more enjoyable to use and with a great natural scent.
Thank you for this recipe. I have been wanting to learn how to make my own hair products after a lifetime of being unhappy with conventional products that only make things worse. I have a question… I have terrible dandruff and build up (sorry TMI), which essential oil would work for healing that? I’m just starting to learn about essential oils and I’m hoping one will heal my scalp.
Love you blog! It’s seriously guided me in so many areas of natural living.
Have a great night.
I also have very long hair and there is not a day I go out without having people telling me I have gorgeous hair. I wash my hair — for at least 25 years now — only with Castille soap. Depending of my mood and needs, I often put some essential oils in it… sometimes not.
It worth a try but… be aware that — for the first few times — you might have to wash your hair a bit more often as it will take off all the residues left by chemical shampoos. After that, welcome nice, squiky clean and shiny hair
I have been using just castile soap for a while now and I am very pleased. I get the Dr. Woods brand from botanist ans is the same thing on my face, hair and body. I think the one I like is lavender and maybe Shea butter. But it keeps things simple and easy and clean
I am going to be making this product this weekend. I am all about saving some money and using clean ingredients.
I was wondering if you have or when you will be posting your conditioner? For now I will stick to my natural store bought conditioner!
Thanks so much for this!
I just made a double dose yesterday, but I substituted the rosemary with lemon oil. I may add other oils later. I don’t quite feel the peppermint, so I may increase that too. I also used it on my face. To be honest, my hair feels significantly silkier. I washed with diluted organic apple cider vinegar with Manuka honey. Good stuff!
I would highly recommend using the rosemary oil. I have 7 children and with 5 of them, I lost my hair horribly at 3 months post partum. The two times I didn’t loose my hair was when using a shampoo (once store bought and once a home made version) with rosemary. I really think it helps invigorate that scalp and makes for some healthy hair. At this point it’s still a theory though…
My favorite shampoo now is a homemade bar of shampoo soap (recipe here: http://mommyknows.com/diy-homemade-castile-shampoo-bars-with-tea-tree-and-peppermint/) , dissolved in water with rosemary essential oil. I find it works best to add the oils after the soap is made, they are more effective that way. It sounds very similar to the recipe shared here. I hadn’t thought about mint – I think I’ll try adding that next time.
Please help! I was so excited to make a bottle of this shampoo because the baking soda/water I was using, was still leaving my scalp very dirty feeling. Well, I have been using this recipe (lavender instead of Rosemary) for the last 3 days and my scalp is still very greasy! I have been using ACV/water in a spray bottle as my conditioner. I have fine hair. Am I doing something wrong? Using too much?
Try using less ACV in your conditioner. This helped me.