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Commercial shampoos and conditioners are available for every type of hair in a wide variety of fragrances, colors, qualities and in a huge span of prices. Selecting the right one can be overwhelming! Most commercial shampoos use derivatives of petrochemicals, alcohols, and glycols, which can damage your hair as well as the environment.

I have found that homemade shampoos and conditioners are easy to make and leave my hair in great shape, with plenty of shine, and healthy body. Moreover, I do not feel so bad about the environment! The basis for most homemade shampoo recipes is castile soap. This is a vegetable oil based soap made from almond, jojoba, olive, or coconut oils and comes in several fragrances. Most soap commercially manufactured is made from an animal-based fat. You can find the anchor for the recipes at health food stores and on-line at such places as drugstore.com.

Shampoo Base
4 ounces castile soap, choose the fragrance of your choice
ounce fresh rosemary (stimulates hair follicles to grow and clears dandruff)
ounce sage (used to darken hair and has antibacterial qualities)
ounce nettles (makes hair shine and prevents hair fallout)
ounce lavender (controls oil production and minimized dandruff)
2000 milligrams methylsulfonylmethane MSM (improves hair health)

In a sauce pan add 2 cups distilled water and boil. Add the herbal mixture to the pan and allow to steep off the heat for 45 minutes. Add the MSM after 30 minutes while the mixture is still warm. Allow this to sit for an additional 40 minutes then strain into a separate bowl. To an 8-ounce plastic bottle, add two ounces of this mixture and four ounces of the castile soap. Mix and get ready to use. You can add other ingredients to this basic mix depending on what goals you are looking to achieve.

Dandruff Shampoo
3 teaspoons dried rosemary
3 teaspoons dried thyme
1 cup boiling water
1 cup white or apple cider vinegar

Pour the boiling water over the herbs in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Allow this to steep for 20-30 minutes. The aroma is wonderful! Nevertheless, I digress; strain the herbs out of the liquid and mix the liquor with the vinegar into a 16 ounce plastic bottle. Use this after you have shampooed your hair with the homemade elixir described above. Use this mix in between shampoos to remove any dandruff buildup.

Dandruff is a form of mild seborrheic dermatitis caused from yeast called Pityrosporum ovale. The vinegar will get rid of the yeast and the itchy, flaking skin on the scalp.

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