7 Herbal Ingredients To Wash Your Hair Without A Shampoo

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Washing hair without shampoo - sounds like an alien concept, right? However, our grandmother and great grandmothers before that used herbal ingredients to wash their hair, and they did just fine. In fact, their hair was much more healthier, darker and heavier!

Shampoo came only after 1930, before that humans had no option but to rely on natural alternatives to keep their scalp clean. So, technically, it is POSSIBLE to lead a life without shampoos.

Also Read: 7 Shocking Causes For Hair Fall That You Did Not Know!

Beautiful hair does not mean getting latest streaks, chopping off huge chunks of your hair, or for hours burning your hair strands under styling tools to give the "impression" of volume!

Beautiful hair is the natural shine without serum, volume that comes without blow drying and thickness due to good health, even if it means dealing with greasy scalp at times, nipping off split ends at others.

No hair is perfect, but with little work, we can definitely make it healthy!

Also Read: DIY : Egg And Olive Oil Recipe For Long And Strong Hair

Shampoos are packed with synthetic derivatives, artificial fragrance with chemicals, etc., that can strip hair of its natural oils, leaving it limp and dry.

Here are some natural ways to clean hair without using a shampoo, have a look.

Reetha + Amla
Reetha has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, which help cleanse the scalp of dead skin cells, strengthening hair roots and soothing inflammation. Amla has a chock-full of antioxidants, which stimulate hair follicles to boost hair growth.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons of reetha powder
1 tablespoon of amla powder
Water

How It Works:

• Take a bowl, combine all the ingredients into a smooth paste.
• Wet hair and apply it evenly through your scalp and hair length.
• Massage it for five minutes, until you feel some lather form.
• Rinse it with cold water and towel dry your hair.
• This homemade shampoo recipe is pH balanced, so you don't need to use a conditioner.

Baking Soda + Almond Oil
Baking soda clarifies the scalp of the chemical buildup, whereas almond oil works as a conditioner.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon of baking soda
1 cup of water
5 drops of almond oil

How It Works:

• Dilute baking soda into a cup of distilled water, add in the almond oil.
• Apply it evenly through your scalp and length of your hair.
• Massage it for a couple of minutes and then rinse it.

Caution: Baking soda has alkaline in it, which can make your hair turn dry and brittle, so use it sparingly!

Lemon Juice + Cucumber Juice
Citric acid in lemon juice breaks down the sebum buildup, adding shine to the hair, whereas cucumber has a cooling effect, which soothes the scalp and rough hair strands.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of cucumber juice

How It Works:

• Mix both the ingredients together.
• Using a cotton ball, apply it through your scalp and hair ends.
• Let it sit for 15 minutes, and then rinse it clean.
• Use this natural way twice a week to clean hair without a shampoo.

Aloe Vera
Antibacterial, antiseptic, emollient and healing properties of aloe vera help cleanse the scalp, control excess oil production, nourish hair strands and stimulate hair growth.

Ingredients
½ a cup of aloe vera gel
2 tablespoons of shikakai powder
5 drops of essential oils

How It Works:
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
Wet your hair and massage the mixture, until you feel the lather forming.
Rinse and pat dry.
Tweak the ingredients of this Ayurvedic alternative to a shampoo, as per the thickness of your hair.

Marshmellow Roots + Licorice Root + Oats
Marshmellow roots work like a conditioner to soften and smoothen the hair, licorice roots stimulate growth and oats help kill the dandruff-causing bacteria.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon of shikakai powder
1 teaspoon of marshmellow root powder
1 teaspoon of licorice root powder
1 teaspoon of ground oats

How It Works:
Mix all the ingredients into a smooth paste using water.
Wet you hair, and massage the paste through your hair and scalp.
Let the herbal ingredients to wash hair stay for 15 minutes.
Rinse thoroughly and pat dry.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is mildly acidic in nature, which cleanses the scalp of oil, seals the hair cuticles and restores its pH balance.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
1 cup of water

How It Works:
Dilute vinegar in a cup of water.
Use the solution to rinse your hair.
Let the herbal ingredients to wash hair stay for 10 minutes and then rinse it with cold water.

Note: This is more like a hair spray to instantly volumize the hair, so go easy on the amount you use.

Clay
Clay tends to be full of minerals, which cleanse the scalp off excess oil, nourish hair strands and stimulate blood flow.

Ingredients
¼th cup of clay
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1 cup of water
5 drops of lavender oil

How It Works:
Make a thick paste by combining the ingredients together.
Apply it evenly through your hair and scalp.
Let it sit for 20 minutes and then, rinse it clean.

Note: Avoid this homemade shampoo recipe if you have dry and brittle hair.

If you have any more tips on how to wash hair without a shampoo, do share them with us at the comment section below.