Here’s a super simple recipe for a baby shampoo that’s 100% natural, organic, safe and easy to make with a free printable! No sodium lareuth or lauryl sulfate, parabens or other preservatives or anything unprounceable. To get a shampoo like this in the store, you’d have to pay a good $10 or $15 bucks for 12 ounces (see the cost breakdown below). It took me a few times to adjust the amount of oil in it, which was amusing because my kids’ hair was quite greasy and looked pretty gross! (Maybe one day my kids will start a blog about being a blogger’s kid!) Plus, the extra oil coated all their bathtub toys and the tub and made everything slippery. So, now you won’t have to go through the same process since this recipe has been tested and used in official family laboratories and won’t make your bathtub a mini ice-skating rink!
I am so happy with this recipe because it’s so safe and eliminates the need for lotion after baths because the oils and aloe vera stay on precious skin and keep it so soft. For more homemade skin care, check out my organic lotion, my all-natural beauty regimen, diaper rash cream, baking soda body scrub, natural deodorant, and my organic hair care regimen with baking soda and apple cider vinegar.
The Recipe
(for a 12 oz. bottle. For a larger bottle, like 16 oz. just increase the oils by a 1/2 teaspoon or so to your liking. For even larger, like 24 oz., double the recipe. For 32 oz., increase the recipe 2 1/2 times).
- 1/4 cup Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap – Aloe Vera Baby Mild (unscented) (Never heard of Dr. Bronner’s? Read my post about it here.)
- 2 tablespoons oil of your choice (I chose Sweet Almond Oil because I already have the organic kind, but olive oil right out of your pantry will work, so will jojoba, Calendula, etc.)
- Optional: 1 tablespoon aloe vera gel or Vitamin E Oil (for added moisture without the oiliness), and a few drops of your favorite essential oil for fragrance (but I would use very little to make it as gentle as possible)
Fill the bottle (I used an empty baby shampoo bottle) with all the ingredients, then fill the rest very slowly with water (the soap will really suds up if you fill it quickly). Or, you can fill it with 1 cup water first, then add the ingredients, then slowly fill the bottle with water as needed.
A note about tear-free: Dr. Bronner’s Baby Mild is very mild, but not tear free. So, that’s why this recipe is so diluted, which I have found makes it essentially tear-free and it still suds up on their hair and skin very well.We use this on our three-year-old and one-year-old and neither have complained about it burning their eyes (and it does get into their eyes sometimes). I would recommend being careful the first few times to not let it get in their eyes and see how it works for you.
Here is your free printable to smack on the front of the bottle so you never have to look up the recipe again! I use packing tape and cover the paper completely and it keeps it almost 100% dry.
Cost Breakdown:
- Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap - $0.48/an ounce and you need 2 ounces – $0.97
- Sweet Almond Oil - $0.88/an ounce you need 1 ounce – $0.88 or use olive oil from your pantry and it’s basically free!
- Aloe Vera Gel – $2/an ounce and you need .5 oz for a tablespoon – $1.00 OR Vitamin E Oil – $2.48/an ounce and you need .5 oz for a tablespoon $1.24
TOTAL: $2.82 for 12 ounces! Way cheaper than a $10 bottle at the store and it’s totally pure and organic.
This recipe is featured at Craftgossip.com, Tip Junkie, and Herbs and Oils World
This post is being shared at:
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Tip Me Tuesday at Tip Junkie
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I’ll have to try this! Thanks Sara!
Sure! Thanks for stopping by, friend!
I have been looking for a great baby shampoo receipe and this one is just what I had in mind! Thanks so much! Also, thank your little guinea-pigs too!
Haha, they are totally guinea pigs! Well, sometimes I use myself first, and then try it on them. Glad you like the recipe!
THANK YOU! This is great and I can’t wait to try it!
This is awesome, Sara!
Thank you for sharing! As obvious as this might seem, may I suggest that you add “liquid” to the Dr. Bronner’s description in the ingredients list? Someone who has seen the bar soap but not the liquid might get confused.
Great idea! I hadn’t thought of that. Thanks.
Can you use the original dr bronners? Or does it have to be baby mild?
When you say original, what do you mean? Is original unscented? If so, then that’s fine. Baby mild has the least amount of castile soap in it and contains more oils, so it is truly mild. I chose it so I could make it as tear free as possible.
I’m sorry! I should have looked at my bottle before typing! It is baby mild. For some reason I thought it was original unscented-which I don’t think even exists! Sorry!
I like to add a 3 drops of lavender EO, it makes it smell nice- keeps them smelling like a baby longer.
That is exactly what I wanted to ask about. Glad to hear that the lavender EO works well with this!
I just made the shampoo & tried it! I love it! I have had dermatitis for years & just found out that I am highly allergic to most beauty products & shampoos. I used Dr. Bonner’s lavender castile liquid soap & added Tea Tree EO & Peppermint EO. My scalp thanks you!!!
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Oh fantastic! Yes, I suppose it’s a good shampoo for adults, too! You might also try going poo-free – I swear by it! Here’s my post on it. A bunch of people have left comments that using baking soda as shampoo and apple cider vinegar as conditioner cured their psoriasis and dandruff.
I made this for my baby and it leaves her hair very oily….poo!
Hmm, sorry to hear that, Tasha. I worked and worked on the recipe until I got it to where it didn’t make my kids’ hair oily. I’ve used this recipe over and over and it doesn’t make my kids’ hair oily at all.
Quick modification:
1/4 c liquid castile soap
2 Tblspns Aloe Vera Gel
2 tsp Almond, Olive or Grape seed oil
2 Vitamin E capsules (poke a hole and squeeze out)
1 tsp baking soda ( Optional — use if you have hard water)
2/3 to 1 c warm water (use 2/3 c water, add more to get the consistency you would like.
Mix together well, pour into squeeze bottle.
Thanks for sharing, Angel! That’s the great thing about making your own natural products – everyone can customize recipes to make them exactly what they need and want. I have use Vitamin E capsules in other recipes for added skin protection and nutrition, so that’s a great idea.
It made mine and my my daughters hair oily also. Any Suggestions to help this? I used coconut oil because that helps to reduce friz.
Hi Becky! Yes, I would suggest not using coconut oil – did you use it in the shampoo recipe? Because it hardens when the temperature is under 72 degrees or so. It’s an excellent hair conditioner, but it is greasy if put on the scalp. Also, you might have to go through a 2-3 week transition phase as your hair gets used to not having all the oils stripped (like from the detergents in regular shampoos), so your hair will be oily in the process. I write more about that here, in my DIY Baking Soda Shampoo post.
Does anyone know what the recipe would look like if I used grated bar soap, as that’s what I have on hand?
Good question! You’d need to melt it down, I think. It would definitely change the consistency. The whole point of using Dr. Bronner’s is that it’s organic and extremely gentle, with all natural ingredients. Or maybe you’ve got the same kind of soap in a bar? I’d be curious to hear if melting it down works or not!
Yes, It will make the end solution a bit thicker, almost gel-like.
Here’s how to do it:
1/4 Cup Finely shred Castile bar soap
1 Cup boiling water –to dissolve shreds in.
– When soap is all melted, Add:
1 Tblsp Glycerin
2 Tblsp Aloe Vera Gel
2 tsp Almond, Olive or Grape seed oil
2 Vitamin E capsules (poke a hole and squeeze out)
Mix together well, stir periodically over 12 -24 hrs, as it may get thick.
If it gets too thick, add 1 oz (2 Tblsp boiling – or very hot water and stir well. . . add a little at a time to get the consistency you would like.)
Then pour into squeeze bottle.
Note: This may separate, so you will need to shake bottle back and forth to remix – with each use.
Thanks again, Angel! So, have you found that by using bar soap it makes the shampoo thicker than liquid castile soap? I need to try that.
I wanted you to know I tried your recipe and love it! I shared it here on my blog:
http://mishmashmama.blogspot.com/2013/01/my-first-linky-what-do-you-do-with-dr.html
Shannon@MishmashMama recently posted..My First Linky! What do you do with Dr. Bronner’s?
Wonderful! Glad the recipe worked for you. I love it for my kids. Thanks for linking back to me!
I am so excited about this. I’ve been looking for a DIY baby shampoo recipe for a long time. And I love that it uses Dr. Bronner’s castile soap. I’d love to feature this recipe on my blog with full attribution to you. Let me know.
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Hi Tracey! Sure, you can write about the recipe, just don’t copy and paste any of the instructions, but ingredients are allowed under copyright law to be copied. Thank you for attributing it to me!
Could I use actual aloe from my plant instead of buying aloe gel or vitamin E oil?
Sure! That’s the best! It will be a lot thicker than the aloe vera gel, so I’m curious to see how it will blend with the soap. You might have to shake it before every use, but I’d still try it.
I just made this today and I loved the way my baby’s skin felt! Obviously the oils are at the top. Do you shake every time before using? I dont mind shaking before my babys bath but I was going to also put this mixture in my foaming hand soap pumps. Having to shake before using might be annoying for that. Maybe I’ll just do a bronners/water mix for hand soaps?
Hi. I wondered if you could use vegetable glycerin in place of the aloe vera or vitamin E. I don’t have either right now, but I wanted to make somthing right away. Also, do you use this for a body wash for the kids as well?
Thanks so much.
Sure! Actually, you don’t have to have the Vitamin E or the Aloe Vera – they just enhance it. But I’ve made the recipe several times without those ingredients and still like it – it’s the oil in it that makes it really moisturizing, and the diluted castile soap. And I call it a baby shampoo because that’s what most products call it, but it’s used all over my kids’ bodies.
So glad I found this post. I just bought the ingredients and am so eager to try. My toddler’s skin is very sensitive (like mine) and was wondering the same…if it is also a body wash. Makes sense it would be. Thanks for all the great recipes! I can’t wait to make my way through them.
Hi Jennifer! Yes, I should clarify in the post. It is both a body wash and shampoo. I called it that because Johnson & Johnson’s soap was always called baby shampoo and I always assumed that meant it was to wash the entire body. Guess I shouldn’t assume!
i tried this recipe & did not care for it. i used calendula oil. even when shaken up & immediately putting it on my head, well, i have a head full of grease, body & shower. too greasy. too late to jump back in so tomorrow another head washing with a regular shampoo. sorry it didn’t work, it sounded great. one good thing i am soft from the calendula oil
Hi Eileen! I think the reason it didn’t work for you is the same concept I write about in my baking soda shampoo post (going no-poo) – your scalp is used to shampoos with detergents like sodium laureth sulfate in them so it overproduces oil. Detergents strip the hair of not just dirt, but natural oils your scalp and hair needs to be healthy, so the scalp overproduces oil to compensate. So, when you switch to a shampoo that is detergent-free like this one is, your hair has to go through a transition phase, which takes a couple of weeks.
I just made my first batch and was wondering about it separating also? Do you shake it everytime? Its also very watery, is that normal? I’m a novice!
Hi Grace! Yes, I usually do give it a light shake to disperse the oils. It is very watery, so I like to put it in a foaming hand soap bottle to get it to come out thicker. But it is normal for it to be watery. You could add Xantham gum to it to thicken it up, but you’d probably need to dissolve it in hot water or whip it up with an immersion blender or blender.
Awesome, thanks so much. I’ll go with the foaming dispenser!
OK! I read through your review and also the reviews written by your readers! I just want to make sure I understand everything so that I’m not disappointed when I make/use it for my 2 year old
After I make it, I should put it into a foaming pump dispenser instead of leaving it in the bottle and pouring it directly from there since it’s very watery? Her hair might be greasy for a couple of weeks while the natural restoration is occurring? And I can add just a couple of drops of essential oils (lavender?) to it for smell?
Thank you! I’m excited to try this as I just heard about Johnson and Johnson having carcinogens in their products, which disappointed me greatly!!
Hi Tracie! Yep, it sounds like you got it! It works best in a foaming pump dispenser, but will also work in one that isn’t, it’ll just be watery. Yes, her hair might be greasy – you could remove the oil while her hair gets used to the transition. I use it all over my kids’ bodies as well – as a baby soap.
I had the hardest time finding the products for this, because I was afraid of getting the “wrong” kind. If you know anything about these being unhealthy please let me know……..I got a rose essential oil (Rose Absolute) made my Aura Cacia brand, Vitamin E oil (50,000 iu) made by hobe naturals (ingredients-100% pure vit E oil, safflower oil and lemon oil), and Hobe Naturals cold pressed sweet almond oil (ingredients are both vit E and pure sweet almond oil)! It was hard to tell if something should be organic, or what is truly pure if it has other ingredients in it!
Thanks for your help
Hey Tracie! It is hard to find a lot of these products – that’s why I’ve linked to all of them in the post, so you can buy them with one click on Amazon! That’s where I buy all of my natural ingredients as they are hard to find in stores. The ones you bought sound great, but I don’t know of them personally.