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Herbal Dry Shampoo Recipe with Natural Ingredients

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March 29, 2018 By Rebecca D. Dillon

You’re going to love this herbal dry shampoo recipe! Made with natural botanicals, clay and essential oils, this dry shampoo not only keeps your hair looking great, but it smells amazing!

A modern day beauty cult favorite, dry shampoo is a must for summer. Not only does it absorb the excess oil that can leave hair looking dirty and greasy, but it’s also great for styling and volumizing fine, limp hair. My favorite way to use dry shampoo is for a boost of volume. However, it is also an absolute must for when I go camping or hit weekend festivals where a shower is probably not an option.

A lot of commercial dry shampoos unfortunately contain talc powder. As talc has recently been linked to cancer, you should look for dry shampoos that use arrowroot or rice powder instead. Or you can simply make your own!

Following you’ll find my favorite herbal dry shampoo recipe. It’s made using only natural ingredients. I first tested out this herbal dry shampoo recipe over a four-day festival. Not only did it keep my hair from looking like a limp, greasy mess it also helped deter insects. Additionally I only got a lot of compliments on the fragrance. So much so that I was “shampooing” the hair of others throughout my stay.

Another big plus? Because this dry shampoo doesn’t come in a can with propellant, there’s no need to worry about the heat possibly causing the can to burst. And it’s a more eco-friendly option than spray cans. Because you can use the same container for every new batch of my herbal dry shampoo recipe you make, there’s less packaging and therefore less waste.

If you’re not quite ready to jump into making our own herbal dry shampoo, then I recommend Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve Dry Shampoo for Dark and Light Hair. Available from Mountain Rose Herbs, this herbal dry shampoo is perfect for all hair types and textures. This dry shampoo powder helps to restore shine and body to your hair between washes and comes packaged in an environmentally friendly cardboard paper tube.

Herbal Dry Shampoo Recipe

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons Bob’s Red Mill Rice Flour White
1 Tablespoon baking soda
2 Tablespoons colloidal oatmeal
3 Tablespoons arrowroot powder
1 Tablespoon Rhassoul (Red Moroccan) Clay
1 Tablespoon lavender flower powder
1 ml lavender essential oil
1/2 ml patchouli essential oil
1/2 ml rosemary extract

Instructions:

Not everyone’s hair is the same color obviously. To account for this, you can easily swap out the red Rhassoul clay called for in my herbal dry shampoo recipe with another type of cosmetic clay that better suits your hair color.

For lighter hair you may prefer white cosmetic (kaolin) clay or even Fuller’s earth clay. Or for darker hair consider adding 1/4 teaspoon of hardwood activated charcoal.

Using a Tablespoon measuring spoon, measure out the rice flour, baking soda, colloidal oatmeal, arrowroot powder, clay and lavender flower powder. Combine in a glass measuring cup.

Next, using a different graduated plastic transfer pipette for each of the essential oils and rosemary extract, measure out and add these to the dry ingredients. Mix with a spoon, then slowly pour into a coffee bean grinder and mix well. Once mixed, simply pour into two 4 oz. containers of your choice.

To use simply apply to hair and lightly massage into your hair and scalp with your hands. (A makeup brush actually works great for applying your herbal dry shampoo!) Then brush your hair as usual to remove the excess and evenly distribute throughout your hair.

If you like my herbal dry shampoo recipe, then also be sure to check out my natural flea repelling dry dog shampoo recipe! My flea repelling dry dog shampoo recipe is made with natural ingredients that deodorize your dog’s coat while also helping to repel fleas.

Much like my herbal dry shampoo recipe, my dog shampoo contains natural clays and botanicals that gently deodorize dog’s coat while absorbing excess oil and dirt. The addition of neem oil then also helps to repel fleas. You can find my herbal dry shampoo recipe for dogs here.

For more natural beauty and skin care recipes, be sure to follow Soap Deli News across all of your favorite social media platforms! You can find me on Pinterest, G+, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin’, and Instagram as well as subscribe to Soap Deli News via email for future updates, DIY projects and recipes.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Lifestyle Tagged With: beauty, botanicals, diy, dry shampoo, eco-friendly, essential oils, green, hair care, herbal, herbal shampoo recipe

Natural Shaving Soap Recipe with Lanolin for a Smooth, Skin Hydrating Eco-friendly Shave

February 25, 2018 By Rebecca D. Dillon

Learn how to make a skin hydrating natural shaving soap for a smooth, eco-friendly shave — even if you have sensitive skin! A wonderful addition to your natural skin care routine, this homemade shaving soap recipe is made with skin conditioning shea butter and lanolin, a humectant, to help lock in moisture and aid in glide. Keep reading to learn how to craft your own lanolin shaving soap recipe, plus discover more ways to get a green friendly shave!

Many modern day shaving creams don’t deliver a close shave like traditional shaving soaps. Even worse, their aerosol based packaging is bad for the environment. Making the switch to a homemade shaving soap is a more environmentally friendly choice. My natural shaving soap recipe is not only a great green alternative, but it’s also budget conscience so you save money in the long run over purchasing a commercial product.

Shaving soaps have been around since the 1800’s and, of course, were exclusively used by men. However, as conventions changed and women began shaving as well, we were eventually introduced to shaving creams.

Why Use a Natural Shaving Soap with Lanolin?

While traditional shaving soaps are still used by a smaller part of the population, they are making a comeback. And with good reason. Not only do shaving soaps allow for increased hydration and a closer shave, they are also more environmentally friendly than shaving cream. So if you’re ready to start making greener changes to your lifestyle, homemade shaving soaps are an easy adjustment and a great way to make a small, but cumulative difference.

In addition to reducing packaging and aerosols, my natural shaving soap recipe is eco-friendly in another way. Because this natural shaving soap recipe is palm free, it doesn’t contribute to the deforestation of the rainforests. In addition to the environmental effects this has on the earth, it also threatens the habitats of endangered animals like orangutans and Sumatran tigers.

Learn more about the use of palm oil in soapmaking.

Ingredients that I do include in my homemade shaving soap recipe are lanolin and neem oil. I use lanolin for its moisturizing properties. Not only does lanolin prevent skin from drying out with repeated shavings, it also lends to a rich, creamy lather that helps prevent knicks and razor burn.

Learn more about the benefits of lanolin in skin care.

Neem oil on the other hand helps to promote skin health and speed up healing times should irritation or knicks occur.

Learn about the skin care benefits of neem oil.

Ready to give my natural shaving soap a try to see the difference it can make for your skin? Find my cold process soap recipe and instructions below!

Natural Lanolin Shaving Soap Recipe

Ingredients:

.8 oz. castor oil (5%)
4.8 oz. refined coconut oil (30%)
.8 oz. lanolin (5%)
6.4 oz. pomace olive oil (40%)
1.6 oz. shea butter (10%)
1.6 oz. neem oil (10%)

4.8 fl. oz. distilled water
2.15 oz. lye/sodium hydroxide

1 oz. patchouli essential oil
.5 oz. lavender essential oil

Instructions:

You’ll need to take safety precautions when making my natural shaving soap recipe. This includes wearing proper eye protection and gloves as well as long sleeves. Additionally, you should use only heat safe containers. None of your containers or your utensils used for soapmaking should be aluminum as when aluminum comes into contact with lye it produces a toxic gas.

My natural shaving soap recipe is made using the cold process soapmaking method. If you’ve never made cold process soap, be sure to check out my tutorial on how to make cold process soap. If this recipe then seems a little daunting to you, then I encourage you to start with a beginner’s cold process soap recipe.

Begin by preparing your lye solution. To do this, measure out the distilled water in fluid ounces into a heat safe, non-aluminum container. Then, in a separate container, use a digital scale to weigh out the lye. Pour the lye into the container of water then mix until all of the lye has dissolved. Set aside.

Next, weigh out the carrier oils, lanolin and shea butter and combine in a separate heat safe container or stainless steel pot. Heat either in the microwave (for non-metal containers) at 50% power or over medium-low to medium heat on the stove top. Alternately you may also use a crockpot. Once melted remove the soapmaking oils from heat and set aside to cool.

While you are waiting for the lye-water and the soapmaking oils for this natural shaving soap recipe to cool, weigh out the (optional) essential oils and set aside.

When both the aloe-lye mixture and the soapmaking oils have cooled to around 90°-95°F, you’re ready to make soap!

Pour the lye-water into the soapmaking oils then mix with an immersion blender until the soap reaches a light trace. Add the essential oils, then continue mixing until the essential oils are fully incorporated into the soap batter.

Then, once the soap has again reached a light to medium trace, pour the soap into a round silicone soap mold of your choice. Cover the mold with plastic cling wrap or parchment paper if desired, then set aside in a safe location where it won’t be disturbed.

Your natural shaving soap should be ready to unmold 24-48 hours later. Once removed from the mold, allow your shaving soaps to cure for 4-6 weeks prior to use.

More Natural Soap Recipes

If you like my natural shaving soap recipe, then be sure to try some of my other natural soap recipes.

More Shaving Soap Recipes

Palm Free Cold Process Soap Recipes

You may also enjoy some of my other natural – and palm free! – cold process soap recipes that focus on promoting skin health. Here are some of my favorites.

Natural Shaving Cream Recipe with Aloe Vera

Alternately, you may also want try my DIY shaving cream with skin soothing aloe vera. This easy recipe for homemade shaving cream is also made with other natural ingredients like vegetable glycerin, grapeseed oil and shea butter to hydrate skin and lock in moisture. It’s perfect for sensitive skin too. You can learn how to make this moisturizing homemade shaving cream recipe here.

Discover more from Soap Deli News!

To be informed of future soapmaking recipes and projects, be sure to follow Soap Deli News across all of your favorite social media platforms! You can find me on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin’, and Instagram as well as subscribe to Soap Deli News via email for future updates, DIY projects and recipes.

Also, don’t forget. If you make homemade soaps or bath & body products I’d love to see them! Simply add the hashtag #soapdelishowoff to your instagram posts!

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Soapmaking Tagged With: cold process soap recipe, cold process soapmaking, crafts, diy, eco-friendly, green, lanolin, moisturizing, neem oil, palm free soap, shaving soap, skin care, soap tutorial, soapmaking

Vinegar Free All Purpose Cleaner That Works Like Magic (An Easy 3-Ingredient DIY All Purpose Cleaner Without Vinegar)

November 20, 2017 By Rebecca D. Dillon

Need a DIY all purpose cleaner without vinegar to naturally clean your home? I have the absolute perfect 3-ingredient recipe! This vinegar free all purpose cleaner works magic on your family’s muck and mayhem. It’s also non-toxic and eco-friendly. So you can feel good about using it around kids, family and pets. Keep reading to learn how to make your own non-toxic homemade cleaners, including my wonderful DIY all purpose cleaner without vinegar!

Can I Make a DIY All Purpose Cleaner Without Vinegar?

If your husband is like my husband, he can’t stand the smell of cleaning vinegar. And he most definitely lets you know he HATES it. In my case the complaints were almost as bad as when men get sick. You know those complaints. They get a cold and you’d think they were dying.

While the smell of cleaning vinegar does dissipate, there’s absolutely no relief from a complaint about the smell regardless of the essential oils I use to freshen the scent. On the flip side of that, you want to use non-toxic cleaning products in your home. And in an effort to use more natural cleaning products, vinegar has always been your go to thing.

So what do you do when you A.) want save money by making your own natural cleaning products and B.) your husband threatens you with divorce if you use vinegar just one more time? The good news is, you can keep your husband. The better news is, you can make a homemade vinegar free all purpose cleaner that works like magic with my easy recipe for a DIY all purpose cleaner without vinegar.

I’m talking this stuff took wine stains off my laminate countertop that were two weeks old kind of magic. Not only that, but it smells simply AMAZING. And the fragrance, just a single to-die-for essential oil, was personally approved by my husband. He actually came home and COMMENTED on how great the house smelled. I mean wow, right?

Not only does my vinegar free all purpose cleaner require the purchase of just TWO products, you’ll find that these products last a long time and have so many more uses than just cleaning countertops! Plus they’re eco-friendly! Get the recipe to make my DIY all purpose cleaner without vinegar below.

Vinegar Free All Purpose Cleaner Recipe

Ingredients:

800 mL/27 oz. distilled water
20 mL/.67 oz. Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner
20 mL/.67 oz. 5-fold lemon essential oil

Instructions:

Measuring all ingredients by volume, add the water to a 28 oz. spray bottle then follow with Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner and the essential oil. Gently turn the bottle to mix.

If you don’t like strong scents you can halve the amount of essential oil used. (The usage rate of both the essential oil and Sal Suds is approximately 2.4%.) The amount called for in the recipe was enough to get a strong lemon fragrance that made the whole house smell fantastic.

If desired you can print out labels for your vinegar free all purpose cleaner here.

(For the BEST price on Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds, I purchase my Sal Suds from Thrive Market. Thrive Market offers wholesale prices on tons of natural, organic and eco-friendly products including food, vitamins, essential oils and household cleaning supplies. You can save 25% off your first purchase when you join risk free. Learn more here.)

How to Use Your Vinegar Free All Purpose Cleaner:

I used this specific vinegar free all purpose cleaner recipe to clean my bathroom and mirrors (without streaking,) to wipe down countertops and appliances as well as to mop my floor Swiffer style with an eco-friendly mop with reusable pads.

As this is a surfactant based cleaner, however, you’ll want to only use it on hard, sealed surfaces, painted or sealed (not waxed) wood or fabrics. For furniture and the like where you want to protect the finish, try this recipe using Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap in place of the Sal Suds. You can also use Sal Suds on fabrics to wash clothing as well as to spot treat stains.

Use Your Vinegar Free All Purpose Cleaner to Zap Red Wine Stains on Rugs + Countertops!

I’ve use this recipe to successfully clean red wine out of an outdoor rug as well as to remove wine stains from my laminate kitchen countertops. To clean my rug, I sparingly sprayed my vinegar free all purpose cleaner onto the stain and then rubbed it in with a rag dipped in hot water until the stain disappeared. (However, it is important to mention you do need to make sure you get all of the suds out of your rug or carpet when spot cleaning so that it doesn’t attract more dirt. You can learn more about cleaning your carpets using Sal Suds here.)

For the countertop, I heavily sprayed my vinegar free all purpose cleaner onto the wine stain and let it set. I then wiped the countertop down an hour or so later to find that the stain had magically disappeared. For tougher stains, you can repeat this step or simply let the cleaner sit on the stain longer. (You’ll want to spray enough cleaner on your countertop stain so that it forms a small puddle for best results.)

For lighter everyday cleaning, Dr Bronner’s recommends one tablespoon of Sal Suds per quart of water. You can then add lemon or other citrus based essential oils as desired for scent. (Pssst. A combination of lemon and peppermint essential oils will also deter spiders.)

You should find that my vinegar free all purpose cleaner also works better than a combination of vinegar, water and essential oils. As vinegar is primarily a degreaser, it just doesn’t have a lot of actual cleaning power.

What Else Can You Use Sal Suds For?

Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner is actually super versatile. And because most household cleaning uses call for so little of it, you’ll not only be surprised by how long it lasts, but also the savings from the products it replaces.

Wash + Spot Treat Laundry

To wash clothes in a top loading washer, use 2-3 Tablespoons of Sal Suds for a large load in place of your usual laundry detergent. For whites or extra funky smelling clothing, you can also add 1/2 cup baking soda to the wash cycle followed by one cup of vinegar during the rinse cycle. (Don’t add them both during the wash cycle or they cancel each other out.) For front loading HE washers, simply halve these amounts.

Wash Dishes + Veggies

To make a veggie wash add one drop of Sal Suds to a bowl of water. Then dunk your produce into the bowl, swish and rinse.

Or, to wash dishes, use a half teaspoon of Sal Suds in a sink of water. You can also use one drop of Sal Suds to wash a single pot.

Alternately you can create your own dish soap by combining 1/2 cup Sal Suds with 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup warm distilled water, 1 tsp. citric acid (or lemon juice,) 2 tsp. kosher salt and 20 drops of essential oil.

Combine Sal Suds, vinegar and citric acid in a bowl and mix. In a separate bowl, combine the salt and warm water.

Once the bowl with the salt dissolves, stir in the mixture from the bowl with the Sal Suds. Add essentials oils then continuing stirring until the dish soap thickens. Then pour into a reusable dish soap container and use as you would regular dish soap.

Mop Floors + Clean Your Car

For mopping floors (using a mop and water bucket) as well as for washing cars, combine a half Tablespoon of Sal Suds to 3 gallons of hot water. Just be sure to add the Sal Suds to your bucket after you fill it with water.

Got it? Maybe? Don’t worry about trying to remember all of this. While I’d love you to bookmark this page for reference later on, the truth is, most of these recipes are on the back of the Sal Suds bottle for quick and easy reference. How nice is that?

Now not only can you enjoy a cleaner, healthier home, but you can also enjoy a happier husband!

More Natural Cleaning Recipes Without Vinegar

If you love my easy 3-ingredient, DIY all purpose cleaner without vinegar, then try one of these other natural cleaning recipes.

For more eco-friendly household cleaning recipes and tips, be sure to check out my Pinterest boards for an eco-friendly lifestyle and homemade cleaner recipes. You can also follow me via all of your favorite social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin’, and Instagram. Or subscribe to Soap Deli News via email for future updates, DIY projects and recipes.

Filed Under: Handmade Home, Lifestyle Tagged With: bathroom cleaner, cleaners, cleaning recipe, cleaning solutions, diy, eco-friendly, frugal, green, handmade home, homemade, homemaking, household, shower cleaner, window cleaner

DIY Air Freshener with Essential Oils: A Natural Deodorizing Air Freshener for Your Home

June 29, 2014 By Rebecca D. Dillon

Get a clean, fresh natural fragrance in your home with this natural DIY air freshener with essential oils. This DIY air freshener works like a natural deodorizing spray recipe to neutralize and eliminate even the toughest odors without chemicals. So you get a healthy, non-toxic clean scent in your home.

Tackle Home Odors with A Natural Air Freshener

If you’re wanting to use more all natural products in your home but are still in search of an effective alternative to Febreeze that will neutralize tough odors then you’ll definitely want to try my natural DIY air freshener with essential oils! This natural DIY air freshener recipe knocks out tough odors and leaves behind a fresh, clean scent that comes from natural essential oils. While white distilled vinegar neutralizes even the toughest odors without that vinegar smell. Plus it’s super concentrated so a little goes a long way. Use it wherever you need to kick nasty odors or simply freshen up a room.

To make your own natural DIY air freshener with essential oils you’ll need a 4 oz. glass bottle with a fingertip mister, a 100ml glass beaker, a small funnel and the ingredients for the linen spray below. I also created free printable labels for this natural DIY air freshener with eucalyptus and lavender essential oils that you can download below.

Natural DIY Air Freshener with Lavender & Eucalyptus Essential Oils

Ingredients:

4 fluid oz. (100 ml) white distilled vinegar (or witch hazel)
3 fluid ml eucalyptus essential oil
3 fluid ml lavender essential oil
1 fluid ml white fir essential oil

Instructions:

Measure out the vinegar for your DIY air freshener into a glass beaker. Then use the funnel to pour into your glass bottle.

Repeat with each of the essential oils then screw on the lid and shake to mix.

Spray your natural air freshener onto clothing, furniture, fabrics and those stinky shoes to neutralize and eliminate tough odors. Just be sure to shake before each use.

To label your natural air freshener simply print out my Natural Deodorizing Lavender & Eucalyptus Linen Spray labels here. They’re free for personal use.

More Natural Ways to Scent Your Home

Looking for more natural ways to scent and freshen your home? Try some of these other easy DIY ideas.

For more natural and green alternatives to everyday products you use in your home be sure to follow my Eco-friendly Lifestyle board as well as my Natural Cleaning Products & Homemade Cleaner Recipes board on Pinterest.

Also don’t forget to pin these natural ways to scent your home for later.

You can also follow me on facebook, twitter, pinterest and instagram. Or find me on Blog Lovin’. To receive an email whenever I share a new post, sign up via feedburner here.

Filed Under: Handmade Home, Lifestyle Tagged With: air freshener recipe, cleaning, cleaning solutions, crafts, diy, easy, green, handmade home, homemaking, lavender, linen spray, natural, natural alternative, organic

How to Use Neem Oil for Plants as a Natural Pesticide

May 27, 2014 By Rebecca D. Dillon

Do you need a non-toxic natural pesticide alternative for your home and garden? Learn how to use neem oil for plants as a natural non-toxic pesticide!

In addition to neem oil’s many medicinal uses – for which I’ve already created multiple recipes for soap, shampoo, salves and lip balm – you can also use neem oil for plants in your garden as a natural broad spectrum pesticide. Neem oil is extracted from the seed of the tropical neem tree and contains thee active ingredient, azadirachtin, which acts as an insecticide, fungicide, and miticide.

You can use neem oil for plants in the garden as a natural, non-toxic pesticide to help control slugs, snails, fruit flies, white flies, squash bugs, Colorado potato beetles, Mexican bean beetles, Japanese beetles, aphids small leaf eating caterpillars and other harmful insects.

In your home it works against fleas, ticks, ants, bed bugs, dust mites and cockroaches as well as scabies mites.

Simply combine between .5% and 2% of neem oil to warm water depending on severity of infestation. (So for every 16 oz. of water by weight, you’d want to use between .08 oz. and .32 oz. neem oil.) For the garden you can also include insecticidal soap or detergent at .01% – .02% of the water amount. Use the solution within a day or two and then make up a new solution to use as needed. If you have an existing infestation drench soil and leaves and apply once a week until infestation clears. As a preventative measure, use the neem oil at .5% dilution with warm water once a month.

Also be sure to check my natural homemade skin care recipes that contain neem oil: Natural Neem Oil & Rosemary Salve Recipe, Natural Homemade Neem Oil Cold Process Soap Recipe, Homemade Neem Cream Recipe, Natural Topical Anti-Fungal Toenail Treatment, Homemade Cold Sore Therapy Lip Balm Recipe, Natural Homemade Dog Shampoo and my Lanolin & Neem Salve Recipe.

For more home and garden tips and recipes like this one, follow my DIY Lifestyle Tips board on Pinterest. Or keep up with all of my new projects and recipes by following me on Blog Lovin, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Google + and Instagram!

Filed Under: Gardening, Handmade Home, Lifestyle Tagged With: crafts, diy, eco-friendly, garden, gardening, green, green living, home remedies, home remedy, natural alternative, neem oil, organic, planting, tips