This homemade shampoo provides Care 4 Curls

This DIY shampoo does wonders for type 4 hair (and types 2 and 3, too!)

Each and every hair type has its own specific needs… and kinky hair is no exception! Afro-type hair is often very dry and requires specific products to nourish and hydrate it. Enter Care 4 Curls, a solid shampoo for kinky hair, commonly known as coily hair or type 4 in Andre Walker’s hair typing system. We specifically formulated this shampoo recipe for type 4, but it also works great for types 2 (wavy) and 3 (curly).

We used one of our new products, moringa oil, in this homemade shampoo recipe. Moringa oil does marvels for kinky hair: it strengthens, protects, and softens it, leaving it shiny and helping it curl. Can you believe a single ingredient does all that? We also added a wealth of hydrating ingredients, including honey, colloidal oatmeal, and aloe powder, and rounded it off with shea butter—your best friend if you have type 4 or type 3 hair. This DIY solid shampoo contains everything you need for happy, beautiful locks.

We hope you love Care 4 Curls! It’s even better paired with BeLeave-In, our leave-in conditioner recipe for curly and kinky hair. Now you can have complete homemade hair care for your curls!

How to make shampoo for kinky hair

Before you begin

• If you haven’t tried solid shampoo before, keep in mind that it may take your hair some time to adapt. Solid and liquid shampoos are very different, so give yourself at least three weeks of regular use before reaching a final opinion of this product. That’s about how long it will take for your scalp to adjust to your homemade solid shampoo!
• SCI (sodium cocoyl isethionate) can irritate your respiratory tract and must be handled with caution. Work in a well-ventilated space or wear a dust mask.

Ingredients

• 61 g (50%) SCI
• 15.8 g (13%) demineralized water
• 6.1 g (5%) shea butter
• 12.2 g (10%) moringa oil
• 3.6 g (3%) honey
• 6.1 g (5%) marshmallow root powder
• 12.2 g (10%) colloidal oatmeal
• 1.2 g (1%) 100X aloe vera powder
• 3.6 g (3%) ylang-ylang essential oil

Tools

• Three small stainless steel bowls
• Components to make a double boiler
• Small silicone spatula
• Scale, accurate to 0.1 g
• Pipette
• Ramekin
• A few spoons
• Mold of your choosing (if you use this one, the recipe will fill one cavity)
• A dust mask or stove hood
• Personal protective gear

Good to know!

• Honey hydrates your hair.
• Shea butter nourishes your mane and is great for dry hair, leaving it shiny. This makes it perfect for kinky, curly, and wavy hair.
• Moringa oil sheathes and strengthens the hair fibre, while nourishing and softening your locks. On top of all that, it also helps curls form. It’s truly a wonder oil and a key ingredient in this solid shampoo for kinky and curly hair!
• Marshmallow root powder helps detangle your hair. It’s also softening.
• Colloidal oatmeal hydrates and softens your locks.
• Aloe vera 100X powder is rich in vitamins and minerals. It’s a hydrating, nourishing, comforting, and revitalizing ingredient. 
• Ylang-ylang essential oil is suitable for all hair types. It has toning, purifying, and sebum-balancing properties. You can replace some or all of it with a different essential oil that’s exactly right for your hair type:
  • Normal hair: true lavender
  • Oily hair: Atlas cedar, petitgrain
  • Hair loss: pink grapefruit
  • Dandruff: tea tree
  • Dry hair: true lavender, rose geranium

Steps to follow

1. Prepare and disinfect your equipment and workspace.
2. Weigh the honey and water in the first bowl and mix with the spatula until the honey is dissolved.
3. For the two following steps, work under an oven hood or wear a dust mask, or both. Weigh the SCI in the bowl. Using a pestle, break up the pieces of SCI as best you can.
4. Add the honey and water to the bowl containing the SCI. Place the bowl back on the double boiler and heat until the mixture is homogeneous.
5. Weigh the marshmallow root and aloe vera powders with colloidal oatmeal in the second bowl.
6. Weigh the moringa oil and essential oil in the third bowl.
7. Weigh the shea butter in a ramekin.
8. Add the shea butter to the bowl containing the SCI. Mix well with the spatula to incorporate the butter. When the mixture is homogeneous, remove the bowl from the heat.
9. Add the moringa oil and the essential oil. Mix well using the spatula.
10. Add the powders and mix well with the spatula.
11. When the mixture has formed an even paste, transfer it to the mold, wearing gloves. Pack it down well.
12. Leave your DIY solid shampoo to dry until it is hard enough to unmold. This should take about 24 hours.

Use and conservation

This solid shampoo recipe is formulated for kinky, curly, and wavy hair. 

It’s very easy to use. Just moisten the bar, rub it between your hands to form a lather, then apply the lather to your hair. You can also directly rub your scalp with this solid shampoo. Rinse it off well.

We recommend doing a vinegar rinse after using any solid shampoo in order to balance the pH of your hair. This will also leave it extra shiny!

Here’s how to do an apple cider vinegar rinse:

1. Mix 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar in 1 litre of water.
2. When you’ve finished with your usual shower hair care, pour the full litre of vinegar-water over your hair, with your head pointed downwards. Do not rinse off. 
3. Dry and style your hair as usual. The vinegar smell will disappear as soon as your hair is dry. 

When made in optimal sanitary conditions, your homemade solid shampoo will keep for three to six months. It’s important to allow it to dry out between each use.