Shampoo alternatives include co-washing (cleansing conditioner), apple cider vinegar rinses, baking soda pastes, clay masks (like rhassoul or bentonite), and herbal rinses, offering natural ways to clean and condition hair without traditional suds, with many DIY recipes using pantry staples for buildup removal or nourishment. These methods often require an ACV rinse afterward to balance pH and remove residue, but it's crucial to avoid harsh ingredients like straight lemon juice or dish soap, which can damage the scalp.
If your hair is only mildly oily or dry, some good alternatives to shampoo are lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or tea. All of these provide a nice mild cleanse for your hair and scalp. They have to be diluted with lots of water of course!
In place of shampoo, use only conditioner. Take a large amount of conditioner into your hands and starting from your roots, massage into your scalp and through the rest of your hair. Conditioner will clean your hair gently through these massaging motions. This will loosen any dirt or products from your hair and scalp.
In prehistoric times, people cleaned themselves with just plain water, clay, sand, pumice and ashes. This is the way ancestors did it; pour water over a barrel filled with ashes and then collect the liquid which drips out of holes bored into the bottom.
Baking Soda A popular way to do no 'poo is with homemade shampoo recipes using a baking soda/water mixture. Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda in 1 cup of hot water. Stir or swish to mix and dissolve and pour over your hair after getting it wet. Massage your scalp, then rinse out the mixture.
Washing your hair with just water might sound too simple to work, but it's an effective method for many people. By using warm water and massaging your scalp thoroughly, you can help loosen dirt, sweat, and excess oil while distributing your scalp's natural oils down the hair shaft.
If yours is short to medium length, use one teaspoon of baking soda and vinegar in one cup of water. If your hair doesn't seem clean enough once it's dried, use more soda next time. You can also use white vinegar; its smell dissipates quicker than ACV, but neither lingers after rinsing and drying.
1/4 cup Castile soap (we used Dr. Bronner's Peppermint) 1/4 cup coconut milk, (from a carton) 1/2 tsp jojoba oil (can use olive oil if you don't have on hand, but may create a more oily feel)
Ancient people used natural ingredients like elm bark, willow root, and goat milk tea to cleanse their hair. Different cultures relied on what was available; some used lye soaps, while others preferred egg-based treatments during the Victorian era to keep their hair clean and healthy.
Yarrow. Native Americans used an infusion of the leaves from this strong-scented perennial plant as a hair wash. The Okanagan Indians of British Columbia mixed the leaves and stems with white clematis (a perennial with bright yellow flowers) and witch's broom branches to make shampoo.
But before you give it a try, some warnings: Although it didn't happen to me, forgoing cleansing can cause some side effects like dandruff, an overly-sensitive scalp, and even hair loss (things that are reversible and often related to the hair's need to regain balance after giving up shampoo).
If you have dry or damaged hair, look for hydrating formulas with ingredients like argan oil or shea butter to restore moisture and strengthen strands. For oily hair, a lightweight, clarifying shampoo with tea tree oil or charcoal can help balance excess oil without stripping your scalp.
Dawn can amplify dryness, dullness, and uncontrolled frizz in these cases. Low Porosity Hair might seem unaffected at first, but even one dish soap wash can disrupt your hair's ability to lock in moisture or develop strange buildup patterns. Color-Treated Hair is especially at risk.
At its core, natural shampoo is formulated with ingredients derived from nature. These shampoos contain ingredients derived from natural sources and has undergone minimal processing.
Another option is to use a spray bottle to spritz your hair with water or a mixture of water and aloe vera or water and a light oil. If you choose to use only water, seal that hydration into your hair by applying a natural oil, like jojoba oil, afterward.
Because it usually contains sodium lauryl sulfate, dishwashing liquid can exacerbate dry scalp, leaving it flaky and irritated. And if you have an oily scalp, your sebaceous glands may start to overcompensate for the huge loss of sebum - and give you even more oiliness to deal with.
Research demonstrates that water-only hair washing can work effectively for individuals with normal scalp health and minimal oil production, but those with specific health conditions or excessive sebum may require traditional cleansing products.
During the early stages of shampoo in Europe, English hair stylists boiled shaved soap in water and added herbs to give the hair shine and fragrance. Commercially made shampoo was available from the turn of the 20th century.
There is a general consensus on how long is too long to go without shampooing. According to Fernández, it is not advisable to go for more than a week without washing hair, as “follicles become clogged and do not get oxygenated,” she explains. But other than that, it really depends.
Stick with scalp-safe options: apple cider vinegar rinse (1 tbsp : 1 cup water), silicone-free co-wash, or gentle clay cleansers. Skip the hacks: dish soap, DIY hair care products, hand sanitizer, straight lemon juice, or undiluted ACV wreck your scalp's natural pH (≈4.5–5.5).
They'd use fats & oils mixed with alkali salts of some kind or another. Most widely used was probably wood ash soap. They'd leach potassium hydroxide from wood ash & mix it with plant based oils, animal fat, or butter. Not that different to how soap is made today.
The "healthiest" natural shampoo depends on your hair needs, but top contenders focus on plant-based ingredients like aloe vera, argan oil, tea tree oil, and coconut oil, avoiding sulfates, parabens, and synthetic fragrances for gentle cleansing and scalp health. Brands like Ethique, Pure Earth, The Australian Natural Soap Company, Dr. Bronner's, and Biome offer sustainable, effective formulas, while those with specific ingredients like lemon myrtle (oily hair) or emu apple (dry/normal hair) cater to different concerns.
Healthy hair care tips from dermatologists