Coconut oil has been used since ancient times for its remarkable effects on skin and hair. It is rich in carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, which is the reason coconut oil is used as a major ingredient in many cosmetic soaps and creams and even used in preparation of many dishes and salads in Asian countries.

Coconut oil is a natural and safe alternative to chemical-laden products.

Natural Homemade Hair Conditioner

Coconut oil is the best alternative to your chemical based conditioner. It will make your hair soft and shinier.

Ingredients

• 1 – 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 2 – 4 drops of essential oils (rosemary, sage, peppermint, vanilla, geranium, lavender, eucalyptus or grapefruit)
• Something to cover your hair

Instructions

• Heat a small amount of coconut oil until it liquefies and then add essential oils and mix the two.
• Apply the oil directly onto your scalp and gently massage.
• Comb the hair to make sure the oil is evenly distributed throughout the hair. Cover your hair for some time with a shower cap.

Chemical Free Face Moisturizer Recipe

Coconut oil has moisture-retention property and that’s why it can work as a natural moisturizer. Moreover, applying it will also keep your skin soft and smooth and well-hydrated.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
• 1 – 2 tablespoons of shea butter
• 1 teaspoon of vitamin E oil
• 2 – 4 drops of essential oils

Instructions

• Heat coconut oil.
• Add shea butter
• Add vitamin E oil and essential oil
• Mix

You can apply this mixture to your skin to enjoy the benefits of coconut oil.

Coconut Oil Lip Balm Recipe

Although applying unrefined coconut oil to your lips is good enough to keep the moisturized, the following is a simple way to make a lip balm using coconut oil.

Ingredients

• 1 – 2 teaspoons of coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon of beeswax
• 1 – 2 drops of essential oils

Instructions

• Warm your coconut oil till it turns liquid and then add beeswax to it. Allow the beeswax to melt and then add few drops of your favorite essential oil.
• You can store this on-the-go lip balm in small containers and carry them wherever you go.

Homemade Toothpaste with Coconut Oil

Coconut oil’s anti-microbial property makes it efficient enough to buzz off the bacteria and germs in your teeth.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of coconut oil
• 4 – 6 tablespoons of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of powdered stevia
• 15 – 20 drops of essential oils

Instructions

• Heat the coconut oil to make it soft but don’t allow it to turn into liquid.
• Now add baking soda, essential oil, and stevia.
• Mash all the ingredients together and then whip it till it turns light and creamy.
• You can store this mixture in a jar and use it as your daily toothpaste.

Coconut Oil Salt Scrub Recipe

For keeping skin soft and smooth, nothing quite compares to a warm bath and this coconut oil salt scrub!

Ingredients

• 1 cup of coconut oil
• 1/2 cup of Epsom salt
• 1/2 cup of dead sea salt
• 15 – 20 drops of essential oils

Instructions

• Heat the coconut oil till becomes liquid and the add salts and essential oils to it.
• Mix well all the ingredients and then store it in a glass jar.
• You can use this once a week and then soak yourself into warm water to make sure the body gets nourishment due to these ingredients.

Recommended Reading:

• 35 Things You Could Do With Coconut Oil – From Body Care to Health to Household
• Heal Cavities, Gum Disease, Naturally with Organic Oral Care
• Things You Should Know About Garlic – DIY, Recipes, Other Tips

Shampoo is the most common hair care product we buy, but the harsh chemical compounds present in commercial shampoos cause too much harm to our tresses and make them dull, dry, and unhealthy. Going organic can save your hair from this turmoil and DIY recipes can be easy on your wallet. So, here are 5 simple DIY organic shampoo recipes that can give you beautiful, attractive hair:

Organic Coconut and Lemon Shampoo Recipe

This simple, easy and inexpensive shampoo can nourish both your hair and scalp to give you gorgeous locks.

Ingredients:

• Liquid castile soap – 1 cup
• Organic coconut oil – 1 tablespoon
• Lemongrass essential oil – 20 drops

Directions:

1. Pour liquid castile soap into a mixing bowl.
2. Add organic coconut oil and stir well.
3. Add lemongrass essential oil to the opaque mixture.
4. Mix everything once again.

Organic Shea Butter Shampoo Recipe

If your hair is extremely dry and severely damaged, this shampoo can restore its natural moisture and put it into good health.

Ingredients:

• Liquid castile soap – 200 ml.
• Organic shea butter – 15 ml.
• Lavender essential oil – 8 to 10 drops
• Sodium bicarbonate – 1(1/2) teaspoons
• Distilled water – 50 ml.

Directions:

1. Melt solid shea butter by placing it over boiling water. Let it cool to room temperature.
2. Mix water with sodium bicarbonate to make a solution.
3. Pour this solution into liquid castile soap. Stir for a few seconds. Avoid forming too much foam.
4. Add melted shea butter.
5. Add lavender essential oil to the bowl.
6. Blend everything together.

Organic Chamomile Shampoo Recipe

You can opt for this organic chamomile shampoo to turn your curly, frizzy and dry locks into soft, smooth and manageable ones.

Ingredients:

• Solid castile soap – 2 tablespoons
• Organic chamomile tea – 1 cup
• Chamomile essential oil – 4 to 5 drops
• Pure glycerin – 1 tablespoon

Directions:

1. Grate a solid bar of castile soap from one side.
2. Brew a cup of strong chamomile tea and pour it into the grated castile soap.
3. Add glycerin.
4. Add chamomile essential oil.
5. Blend everything well.

Organic Vegetable Oil and ACV Shampoo Recipe

Say ‘bye bye’ to dandruff and improve the overall appearance of your hair significantly with this super effective organic shampoo.

Ingredients:

• Liquid castile soap – 4 tablespoons
• Organic vegetable oil – 2 teaspoons
• Organic apple cider vinegar (ACV) – 4 tablespoons
• Coconut flakes – 4 tablespoons
• Fresh thyme – 4 tablespoons
• Fresh rosemary – 4 tablespoons
• Distilled water – 2 cups

Directions:

1. Bring distilled water to a boil.
2. Add coconut flakes, fresh thyme and fresh rosemary to it. Stir well and boil for 30 more minutes.
3. Strain the mixture and add liquid castile soap to it.
4. Pour vegetable oil and ACV into it.
5. Mix everything well.

Organic Green Tea Shampoo Recipe

The antioxidant properties of green tea can make your tresses look healthy and beautiful by preventing grey hair and reducing hair fall.

Ingredients:

• Liquid castile soap – 1 cup
• Organic green tea leaves – a handful
• Organic olive oil – 1 tablespoon
• Organic raw honey – 1 teaspoon
• Distilled water – 1 cup

Directions:

1. Boil fresh green tea leaves in distilled water and brew for 30 minutes.
2. Add liquid castile soap.
3. Add olive oil and honey.
4. Combine everything well.

Further Reading:

• Morrocco Method Hair Care Review
• Four DIY Homemade Cosmetic Products For Healthy, Vibrant Skin
• The Soap and Shampoo Conspiracy
• How to make your own Natural Deodorant at Home – Recipe
• Fight Cavities and Gingivitis Naturally With Homemade DIY Oral Health
• Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula

References:

• Green Tea for great Health, Skin and Hair – Beauty Glimpse.com
• How to Make Natural Shampoo – Wellness Mama

If you’ve ever taken a look at the ingredients of a typical shampoo bottle, you’ve probably felt deep confusion, and even a bit of alarm.

Last year, I did something I’ve strangely never done before – I read the ingredients listed on my bottle of Pantene Pro-V shampoo and realized I understood only one ingredient: water. The rest was a mumbo jumbo of hard-to-pronounce chemicals that I spent my apres-shower hour googling.

Turns out several of these ingredients are skin irritants (sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate) and a few that are much more dangerous. The worst offender, methylisothiazolinone, was found in recent animal studies to be toxic to brain cells, even for brief exposures at low concentrations. And I was using this stuff every day!

Well, no more. I was determined to end my chemical shampoo slavery and find better, all-natural options for my hair, scalp, and body.

Here’s what I found during my journey into shampoo alternatives, in no particular order. If you’re also planning a break-up with shampoo, you’ll want to give this a read.

Baking Soda, aka Bicarbonate of Soda

Baking soda was the first shampoo alternative I tried, mainly because there was a big tub of it already lying around in the kitchen, waiting for a purpose.

To use it, you’ll want to dissolve a teaspoon of baking soda in a cup of water, slowly pour it over your hair, give yourself a little head massage to work the mixture through your strands and then wash it all out.

How does baking soda stack up? Honestly, it’ll leave your hair feeling squeaky clean but also a little dry, brittle and rough. This effect mostly has to do with the fact that baking soda is highly alkaline with a pH of 9.0 while wet hair is naturally a little more acidic with a pH of around 4.5 to 5.5. Since alkalines tend to open hair cuticles (while acids close them), the very alkaline baking soda opens up your cuticles and allows the hair to absorb too much water, resulting in raised and jagged cuticles that make your hair feel rough and brittle.

Overall, baking soda may be too harsh for most people since normal hair needs a shampoo (alternative) with a pH between 4.5 and 6.7. For those with oily hair, however, a more alkaline solution works great in balancing things out so if you’ve got oily locks – baking soda might be great shampoo alternative for you. Just make sure you don’t use it too often!

Apple Cider Vinegar

The above baking soda is very alkaline, and when used alone, it can leave your hair feeling dry and brittle. Add in acidic apple cider vinegar, however, and you’ve got a much better pH-balanced shampoo and rinse combo!

To use apple cider vinegar, mix it in a ratio of 2 tbsp of vinegar to 1 cup of water. After you’ve “shampoo-ed” with your baking soda mixture, apply your apple cider vinegar solution on the length of your hair. There’s no need to apply it near your roots. Wash out.

And don’t worry about smelling vinegar-y all day – the smell goes away as soon as your hair’s dry.

Castille Soap

Much like baking soda, Castille soap is very alkaline and will leave your hair looking brittle and dry if you use it alone. Also like baking soda, Castille soap is ridiculously good at multi-tasking. You can use the stuff as a shampoo, body wash, laundry detergent, and dishwashing soap. So if you’re looking to condense a lot of your soapy needs down to one product, Castille soap just might be your answer. Just make sure you use it with a balancing acidic rinse like apple cider vinegar and again, don’t use it too often!

Clay

Both Bentonite and Rhassoul are healing, detoxing clays that are used for everything from tightening pores to removing toxins from the body. But did you know they also make great shampoos?

Clays make the perfect shampoo alternative since they’re chock full of nourishing minerals, provide deep cleansing, and leave your hair both clean and conditioned. They’re also pH-balanced – a mixture of 1 tablespoon of Rhassoul clay and 8 ounces of water has a pH of around 6, which is pretty close to your hair’s natural pH.

To use, mix clay with water until you get a consistency resembling an egg yolk. Wet your hair and then wring it out. Slowly pour the mud mixture over your head and work it through to the tips. Give yourself a little mud shampoo pack for around 5 minutes and wash everything out.

If you want, feel free to add an apple cider vinegar rinse afterward!

Coconut Milk and Aloe Vera Gel

This coconut milk and aloe vera gel shampoo alternative is also pH-balanced and is perfect for those of us with dry, damaged hair.  Coconut milk is very soothing for dry, itchy scalps and the saturated fats in it help repair damaged hair.

The only downside to this shampoo alternative is that it goes bad. Fast. The best solution to make it last is to make a big batch and then freeze most of it into “shampoo cubes.”

To make this shampoo alternative, you’ll need a can of coconut milk and around 2 cups of pure aloe vera gel. Simply whisk the two ingredients together until they’re fully mixed and then pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze them. You can take a cube out the night before you plan to use it and leave it in a bowl in the fridge to thaw. If you don’t use the whole cube (you probably won’t), put the leftovers in the fridge.

The thing about swearing off shampoo is that it opens you up to a whole world of natural shampoo alternatives you might never have thought to try. And once your hair adjusts to the fact that it’s free of shampoo for good – you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that it doesn’t need store-bought shampoo to stay clean, hydrated, and gorgeous. Plus, you’ll get a kick out of telling strangers who compliment your hair that you actually haven’t shampooed for months!

Rumor has it that some people have found their fountain of youth. While one may easily think this is all thanks to modern cosmetic and beauty procedures, you can actually stay young and healthy naturally without the ridiculous cost. How? Let’s take it from the Queen Bee, shall we?

The use of honey bee products for beauty can be traced back as far as Cleopatra’s reign in Nile, Egypt.  Cleopatra was one of the earliest historical figures who used honey (and milk) in their baths to pamper their skin. Thanks to modern research, we now know that the famous Egyptian queen was onto something when she included honey in her beauty regimen.

Honey is known to have natural antibacterial properties, making it a popular chemical free skincare alternative for acne treatment and prevention. It’s also naturally rich in antioxidants, so it’s of little surprise to find honey in many anti-ageing beauty products today.

Honey is also used as a skin moisturizer to keep the skin well-soothed, glowing, and freshly hydrated. Honey is also great for improving complexion and unclogging pores because of its antimicrobial and clarifying properties.

Now that we know the basic skin care benefits of honey, let’s move on to different ways we can take advantage of it to achieve  youthful and better-looking skin. Here are several home treatments you can easily do to incorporate honey into your beauty regimen:

Moisturizing Facial Mask

Tired of having to deal with dry skin? With its natural humectant properties, you can bring honey to the rescue. Clean your face with your usual soap and cleanser, and pat it dry. Get a teaspoon of raw honey and spread it liberally onto your face. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes for long-lasting and more effective hydration. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. This beauty regimen also unclogs your pores.

Natural Exfoliator

While you can easily get your beauty treatment at your favorite spa or skin clinic, it’s still more relaxing and cost-effective if you do it at home. Exfoliating skin is highly recommended 1-3 times a week (depending on skin type and condition) to remove dead skin cells. You can make a gentle scrub with honey and baking soda (2 parts to 1 part, respectively). Baking soda powder has light exfoliation properties. Honey, as we already know, has moisturizing and clarifying properties, making this combo a simple and natural concoction to effectively soothe and exfoliate skin. And don’t just limit it to your face – it’s great for the whole body, too.

Acne Treatment 

One of the most common causes of acne is a build-up of bacteria and dirt on the skin. Honey’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties can help by preventing bacterial build-up and by soothing the skin irritation and redness caused by acne. Raw honey is recommended because of its unfiltered composition. For acne treatment, simply apply a thin layer of raw honey and let it sit on your skin for 10-30 minutes. Remember, do not rub your skin; rubbing will further irritate your acne. Rinse well with lukewarm water and pat your skin dry.

Hair Mask

Let’s have a quick rundown here as to why honey can be great for hair care and hair growth:

• Honey is a natural emollient, meaning it’s a great organic alternative for hair conditioning because of its softening and smoothening properties.
• Its antioxidant properties are great for scalp care and hair growth.
• As a humectant and with its high sugar content, honey can add and help retain moisture to the hair and scalp.
• Honey’s antimicrobial properties help prevent scalp problems and infections, such as common dandruff and itchiness.

To use honey for your hair mask, you’ll also need olive oil (extra virgin preferred) and lemon (alternative: whipped yogurt). Create a concoction out of 2 tablespoons honey and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Heat together with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Apply and leave the lukewarm mixture unto scalp and hair for 30 minutes or longer. Rinse and wash off.

While honey has some amazing benefits, some people are just naturally allergic to it, so it’s still recommended to do a skin test before you use it. The tips mentioned here are basic. You can experiment depending on your needs. Remember that there are a lot of natural products you can actually use; you just have to do some research and careful experimentation to develop the beauty regimen that is perfect for you.

Further Reading:

• Healthy Remedies for Acne
• Healthy Skin

Sources:

• Chemical free skin care alternative
• Manuka Honey Medicinal Uses