It’s homemade Shampoo Day!
It’s never been easier to make your own shampoo
What day is it? It’s Shampoo Day, of course! And what better way to enjoy it than with a homemade shampoo?!
This recipe has it all: It’s quick and easy to make and can be customized to your liking! We felt that it was important to develop a shampoo recipe for even the most novice creators, since many people are scared off by complicated shampoo recipes. We wanted to prove there’s nothing to fear! Using your own homemade products is so satisfying; that’s why we try to make it accessible to everyone.
One thing’s for sure: You’ll now look forward to (homemade) Shampoo Day!
How to make liquid shampoo
Before you begin
To make this liquid shampoo, you’ll need to handle ingredients that have an extreme pH in their pure forms: lactic acid (pH 0.6) and coco glucoside (pH 11–12). You must wear safety gear throughout the whole process of making this shampoo. The pH of the final product is safe.
Ingredients
Phase A
- 69.3 g (49.5%) demineralized water
- 1.4 g (1%) lactic acid
- 11.2 g (8%) vegetable glycerin
- 0.7 g (0.5%) xanthan gum
Phase B
- 35 g (25%) coco glucoside
- 3.5 g (2.5%) jojoba oil
- 1.4 g (1%) elderberry extract
- 0.7 g (0.5%) rosemary oleoresin
Phase C
- 14 g (10%) coco betaine
- 1.4 g (1%) ylang ylang essential oil
- 1.4 g (1%) grapefruit essential oil (pink or white)
Tools
- 1 small stainless steel bowl
- 2 small measuring cups
- 1 mini silicone spatula
- 1 scale, accurate to 0.1 g
- 1 pipette
- Protective gear
- A few ramekins
- 1 mini mixer with frothing attachment (the small wheel)
- 1 tottle bottle
- 1 small funnel
Good to know!
- You can substitute a different vegetable oil for the jojoba oil or use a combination of vegetable oils. Here’s how to select one that’s suitable for your hair type:
- Coco glucoside is a gentle cleansing agent that, when combined with coco betaine, yields a foaming product. You can substitute decyl glucoside for the coco glucoside.
- Ylang ylang essential oil is a key ingredient in many hair care products. It’s suitable for all hair types, regulates sebum production, and adds shine to hair fibres. Grapefruit essential oil (pink or white) regulates sebum production and strengthens hair.
- Here are some suggested essential oils for different hair types:
- Normal hair: ylang ylang, true lavender
- Oily hair: Atlas cedar, petitgrain
- Hair loss: pink grapefruit
- Dandruff: tea tree
Video of the recipe
Steps to follow
- Prepare and disinfect your equipment and workspace.
- In a measuring cup, weigh the demineralized water and lactic acid.
- In a second measuring cup, weigh the glycerin and xanthan gum. Mix with the mini-mixer to disperse the gum.
- Pour the gum and glycerin into the water and lactic acid solution. Mix with the mini-mixer until a gel forms. Phase A is now ready.
- In a small bowl, weigh all of the Phase B ingredients and mix with a spatula.
- Add Phase B to Phase A. Gently stir with the spatula so that the product does not foam.
- Weigh the Phase C ingredients in a small bowl. Add to the remainder of the ingredients and mix well with the spatula.
- Fill the bottle using a funnel.
Use and conservation
The basic recipe yields a product formulated for normal hair. You can amend it to suit your hair type using the suggestions provided.
When made in optimal sanitary conditions, your DIY shampoo will keep for three months.
31 Comments
Joey C
Hi, I would like to know if coco glucoside can be substitute by polyglucose, and use sorbate de potassium as a preservative to replace elderberry extract?
Coop Coco
Hello Joey,
You can substitute coco glucoside by polyglucose, yes!
If you want to, you can use 0.1 to 0.3 % of sorbate de potassium instead of elderberry extract and you also have to add 1 % of willow bark extract. You have to use both because the potassium sorbate is antifungal and willow bark extract is antibacterial (and elderberry extract is both).
Have a nice day!
Anu Mayaki
Hi, do I have to use different surfactant or can I use just coco betaine?
Coop Coco
Hello Anu,
As explained in our “Good to know” section, you can substitute decyl glucoside for the coco glucoside.
Have a nice day.
Fadwa
It didnt work the recipe for me some white transparent pieces has been created when i added oil phace to water phase not clear solution at all like inside piece of orange
Coop Coco
Hello Fadwa,
First, please note that this shampoo isn’t clear. As you can see on the pictures, it’s yellow and that’s totally normal.
The transparent pieces you observed must be the gum. It happens when it’s not mix well, but you can still use your shampoo.
We don’t really understand the last part of your comment, but again, it’s normal that this product isn’t clear!
Have a great day.
Meenakshi
Hi
I have made this shampoo, thanks for the formula. I have Sodium Lactate, so I used it instead of Lactic Acid. But it is little runny. How can I thicken it?
Coop Coco
Hello Meenakshi;
The lactic acid is very important in this recipe to have a product with a safe pH. If you do not put it on, it could be dangerous for your skin! We strongly advise you to not use your shampoo without this ingredient.
You can thicken your shampoo by adding some gum, you can try to double it.
Have a nice day.
Jay
The end result of my formula has tiny bubbles like picture 2. How can I make it look smoother in the end without seeing tiny bubbles? I think it has to do with the surfactant…..not sure.
Coop Coco
Hello Jay,
If there is bubbles in your final product, like the ones we can see in step 4’s picture, it might be because you used the mini-mixer too much and it added some air in the texture. To avoid this, you can begin to use the mini-spatula instead of the mini-mixer at step 4.
Have a great day!
Leonor Javier
can I use phenonip if I dont have any of the antifungal or antibacterial ingredientes?
Coop Coco
Hello Leonor,
We don’t know this ingredient, but it looks like it can be used in this recipe, yes!
Have a great day!
Holiday
Is it absolutely necessary to use cocobetaine? Can I make this recipe only using coco glucoside?
COCOÉCO
Hello,
Yes, you have to use both.
Have a great day!
asmaa
can i add preservative like Optiphen / phenonip in this formula ?
Coop Coco
Hello,
We don’t know those preservatives and we never used them therefore it’s a bit difficult for us to give you any advice about them. If you want to use them, you would have to do your own tests. Please note that this recipe already contains preservatives.
Have a great day!
Julie
Hi there, for larger quantities would you recommend just doubling the ingredient amounts or ?
Coop Coco
Hello Julie,
Yes, you can do that :) That’s also why we add the % in all our recipes, so you can adjust the yield.
Have a great day!
Amba Pragnell
Hello,
I know that some suppliers call Coco Betaine when it is actually Cocamidopropyl Betaine. Can you clarify if this is the case for the coco betaine you sell?
Coop Coco
Hello,
One way to know if 2 products are the same is to look at the INCIs. If it’s similar, it means that it is the same molecule(s), otherwise they are different products.
Coco betaine and cocamidopropyl betaine have different INCIs.
Coco betaine is composed of a betaine and cocoyl function.
Cocamidopropyl betaine is made up of the same thing but has an additional amide function (-amido-).
They are therefore not the same molecules. The coco betaine that we sell is coco betaine, it isn’t another product (as you can see from the INCI).
Have a great day.
Ieina
Hi can I use Lemon juice instead of lactic acid? Thank you!
COCOÉCO
Hello Leina,
You’ll have to some tests to know how much to use. Please note that it’ll probably change the all recipe.
Have a great day!
Chelsea
Bonjour! Est-ce possible de remplacer une partie de l’eau par du jus d’aloes ? merci
COCOÉCO
Bonjour Chelsea,
Vous pouvez en effet remplacer une partie (ou la totalité) de l’eau par du jus d’aloès, ou par un hydrolat!
Passez une belle journée.
Shaday Cruz
Hello, I made the recipe for the shampoo but when I applied it, it made my hair too dry to the point that I felt it was going to split and it was impossible to comb it even after applying the conditioner.
Is there a way that it can be made smoother and more hydrating?
If more oil is added, would it be smoother?
COCOÉCO
Hello Shaday,
Given what you are describing, it is likely that you have a reaction to one of the ingredients in the recipe. Adding oil will not change this (on the contrary it may unbalance the recipe and make your hair greasy). Have you tried solid shampoos? They might suit you better.
Have a nice day!
Shaday Cruz
Hello, I did the shampoo test on my family and they had the same reaction as me, however I have used a similar recipe to make face soap and it has worked very well for me.
COCOÉCO
Hello Shaday,
It is possiblIt is possible that there was an error during the manufacture of your shampoo then (an incorrectly weighed ingredient for example).e that there was an error during the manufacture of your shampoo then (an incorrectly weighed ingredient for example).
Andrew
Hello. I am curious what ingredient acts as a solubiliser so that the oils (jojoba, ylang ylang, and grapefruit) do separate out from the liquid phase. Thank you, Andrew.
COCOÉCO
Hello Andrew,
Thank you for your question. Xanthan gum and coco betaine will ensure that your preparation does not separate.
Happy crafting!
Marie
Andrew
Merci beaucoup!