One of the most commonly used items for taking care of the hair is shampoo. However, many people have become more conscious of the number of chemicals that appear in commonly used substances, with shampoo being one of them. Have you ever read the ingredients list on a bottle of shampoo? It reads like an inventory list at a chemical plant. Because of the possibility that some of these chemicals could lead to health problems down the road, many people want to know how to make your own shampoo.

There are several different recipes for homemade shampoo available. Many call the use of castile soap as a base. Some use dry soap flakes (laundry detergent) as a base. A few even suggest using baby shampoo as a base, though that one seems to defeat the purpose of making your own.

Regardless of whether you choose to use Castile soap as a base or go with dry soap flakes, or even try using old fashioned lye soap, you will need to mix water with the soap base and heat until the mixture begins to thicken. You do not want to create a paste, but you also do not want the shampoo to be free running like water.

While heating the soap base, it is possible to add different things to help take better care of the hair. One ingredient that is strongly recommended is glycerin. This substance comes from the petals of roses and is one of the best natural moisturizers available. It and other essential oils are generally available at stores that offer health foods and aromatherapy materials.

Essential oils from an assortment of herbs can be added to provide a pleasant fragrance for the homemade shampoo and to provide different types of care for the hair. Some work to control the amount of sebum (natural oil produced by the skin and hair follicles) that is created on the head for those who have oily hair. Others work to help the hair hold on to more moisture so that it does not dry out and fly away.

Once you have chosen the base for your shampoo and mixed in the water and any oils that you feel would help it to work best for your hair type, all you have to do is put the mixture into an airtight bottle or jar for storage until used. Because there are no preservatives in homemade shampoo, it is probably best to discard any unused portion after a couple of weeks and make a fresh batch.