While fishing around the web one day I came across a few recipes for homemade coconut milk shampoo. Most call for liquid castille soap which I don't use and won't buy so I experimented a bit and came up with the PERFECT shampoo for me.
I generally co-wash with a weekly shampoo but it never fails every 2-3 months or so I go back to a "normal" shampoo/ conditioner routine because I miss the feel of shampoo sudsing, then after a week I hate it, so I go back to co- wash, then back to shampoo, etc..
Finally I found the answer- Coconut milk shampoo.
The recipe is so so simple-
1/3 cup baby wash (not baby shampoo, I will explain why)
1/4 cup coconut milk (homemade- how-to to follow)
Stir gently together and pour in any old shampoo or squirt bottle. Shake before each use.
HOMEMADE COCONUT MILK-
1/2 cup shredded coconut
2-4 cup very hot water
Put coconut in blender, add 1 cup hot water, blend for 30 second to a minute ( I actually have a liquify button on my blender so thats the button I hit)
Strain through cheesecloth if you have it, if not a small holed strainer or even a coffee filter would work. I have flour sack towels so that is what I use.
Squeeze the pulp to get it to release more milk
Put the pulp back in the blender, add another cup water and repeat the process. Can repeat up to 4 times
I usually only do 2 "rounds" total because I blend the coconut so much by round 2 I'm left with basically coconut flour. If you blend gently, you can get 4 cups of coconut milk out of the original 1/2 cup coconut flakes.
Most recipes call for unsweetend coconut flakes but I only have sweetened coconut flakes at my local stores. Now they contain sugar (of course) but they also contain propylene glycol, which is a perservative in this case. Many regular shampoos and conditoiners contain propylene glycol as a humectant. So I have no problem using the sweetened coconut. I am hoping the propylene glycol actually will keep my milk fresher longer. This homemade coconut milk is thin, much like regular milk. I like it. You could use canned coconut milk (I have never) but I think that is probably much richer and thicker than the homemade so your results may be different. Plus the homemade is fun and cheaper.
Also, the reason I use baby wash instead of baby shampoo is that baby shampoo simply doesn't work for me. I have tried. It doesn't produce a lather I like and it seems hard to work through my hair. Plus I feel like I need to shampoo twice which is something I have long since gotten away from. Good baby shampoo (like Johnson's) only has very gentle cleansers which don't cut it for me. I want gentle but I still want clean.
Baby wash on the other hand, while still gentle, has more cleaning ability and produces a more bubbly lather. Most baby washes use sodium laureth sulfate somewhere on the ingredient list ( so do some cheap baby shampoos but if you don't want to scan all the labels just buy whatever baby wash you grab) If sodium laureth sulfate is first on the ingredient list its a stronger wash- I tend to purchase those that have it third on the list. Sodium laureth sulfate the only sulfate my hair likes. If you are anti-sulfate or sulfate free go ahead and try the baby shampoo but I feel the results are far, far (like 100 times) better with baby wash.
Using the shampoo my hair is soo soft, managable and moisturized. Plus its clean and I get my suds that I like so much. I use it along with my homemade coconut milk and honey conditioning rinse that I will post about later (I am still perfecting that recipie a bit) and my coconut oil as a leave in. This combo is giving me perfect hair, well, as perfect as my hair will get. Its soft, shiny, moisturized, feels thicker and looks better. The only downfall is my hair is very tangly after rinsing. There is no detangling agents in this homemade mix. So, I just take more time detangling. The results are worth it. I am on day four and I swear my hair keeps getting better daily which is something I can never ever say after day four. Usually by then I need a clarifier or I need to alternate my co-washing conditioner beacause my hair is greasy or flat or just plain "not right". Im sure I will need to clarify eventually (maybe a week maybe two) because the oils will eventually build up but so far I am one happy camper.
One last note- I have no idea how long this will stay fresh for. Coconut milk will eventually sour. This is why I make it such a small batch . I do double my recipie beacause it is watery and I use alot shampooing daily. I have no problem after four days but I don't know how far I can push it. Will update on that one later. So, your best bet is to do small batches more frequently. The homemade coconut milk itself will keep in the fridge at least a week . Since I use it both in my shampoo and conditioner I don't have much leftover anyway.
This recipe is just what works for me. I have normal to thin hair with oily roots and dry legnth and ends. My hair is long and has a slight wave. I do color it. There are many variations you could try. You could even use your own favorite shampoo and just use the coconut milk as an added moisturizing agent. You could lessen the shampoo, add more coconut milk, less coconut milk, mix 50/50 etc.
This may work great with Suave coconut shampoo as a double coconut whammy. Whatever, try it, have fun and your hair will thank you.
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