Whatever you type of hair – oily, dry coarse or fine – there are some key factors however you NEED to take into account in choosing the best natural shampoo.

For a start the best natural shampoo must be truly natural.  There are a lot of shampoo products on the market that purport to be natural but if you take even a quick look at the ingredients you will find that they contain a range of chemicals (SLS and the like) ahead of a small percentage of herbal ingredients that supposedly makes the shampoo natural!

Consumers of the best natural shampoos would therefore agree that the shampoo must not contain any synthetic chemicals, genetically modified ingredients or pesticides.  Most people would also insist that it must definitely not be tested on animals.

A lot of natural beauty product consumers also insist that their natural shampoo only uses organic ingredients.   It is worth bearing in mind that while a shampoo can be a natural product, that is all the ingredients are truly natural without being certified organic, many do want the security of knowing that the ingredients in their shampoo have been produced organically or are of organic purity.

In choosing the best natural shampoo for you it is crucial that you look very carefully at the ingredients.

The best natural shampoo for someone with thinning hair would likely include chamomile since this nourishes the hair and stimulates the scalp and rosemary which is thought to encourage hair growth. If you have a dry scalp your best natural shampoo choice would probably include lavender as an ingredient since this is a moisturiser for dry scalps. 

The best natural shampoo choice for you does need some thought.  Not only do you need to ensure that you select a product with appropriate ingredients for your hair type, but it is imperative that the natural shampoo you are about to purchase is a genuinely natural product with zero chemical ingredients. 

Popular natural shampoo choices include Burt’s Bees shampoos and Green People shampoos.  Both Burt’s Bees and Green People products are 100% natural and are recommended as good starting points for discovering the best natural shampoo for you.

The best natural shampoo contains only all natural ingredients

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Natural shampoo uses herbs and plant extracts to clean and nourish the hair.   Of course, one of the reasons that so many people choose natural shampoo is that it is gentle on the scalp and the skin. 

Sage is one of the most popular herbs to include as a raw ingredient in natural shampoo recipes.   It is used for the antioxidants that it contains that are so good for the skin.  Chamomile and peppermint are well known for their follicle nourishing and scalp stimulating properties and are therefore popular ingredients.  The vitamins and minerals contained in rosemary promote strong follicular growth. 

If you suffer from a dry scalp you should consider buying lavender.  Not only does it have an extremely pleasant scent but it also moisturizes the scalp. 

To prepare the herbs most recipes require you to steep the herbs in hot water for a period of time (often between thirty minutes and one hour).   This process will make your kitchen smell simply wonderful!

Many of the recipes need a natural sulphur compound called methylsulfonylmethane (MSM).  This is an organic ingredient which nourishes the scalp and when worked into the hair follicles nourishes the roots of the hair to promote healthy growth.  

Most recipes require the MSM to be added to the herbs only after the herbs have been steeped in hot water; this is so the MSM can properly dissolve into the herbal liquid.   Once the MSM has dissolved it is wise to sieve the liquid to remove any pieces of the herbs left behind from the steeping process. 

Apart from MSM and the herbal raw ingredients, castile soap can be included to help your homemade natural shampoo lather.  This is a very mild soap that combines really well with the herbal ingredients to make an effective homemade natural shampoo.  Castile soap is added to the MSM and herbal liquid before stirring thoroughly.  Please note that both the MSM and the castile soap may be available at your local herbal store but if not most drug stores stock these products. 

Once the liquid is fully cooled you can pour your natural shampoo into bottles.  The natural ingredients may separate out during longer periods of storage and for this reason it is wise to shake the bottle before using your shampoo. 

Making your own natural shampoo from its raw ingredients is an extremely fulfilling process that will repay you time and again when you wash your hair in your own beautifully scented and follicle stimulating natural shampoo.

Natural shampoo cleansed hair - so much more natural

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Many people choose sulfate free shampoo as it is gentler on your hair and skin than conventional shampoo that contains sulfates.   Sulfate free shampoo is now available from more and more stores including supermarkets, hair and beauty salons, organic stores and of course online (where the best deals on sulfate free shampoo are likely to be found). 

The common sulfates found in conventional shampoos are Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Ammonium Lareth Sulfate (ALS) and Myreth Sulfate. 

Sulfates being included as ingredients in conventional shampoos are quite controversial.  They are usually included to create lather in shampoos but research has found that  sulfates are irritants to the skin, scalp and eyes.  Many modern natural shampoos without sulfates do lather well although for best results users of natural shampoos say that their shampoos lather best after a sustained period of time having used natural, sulfate free shampoo.  This is because it does take a little while to remove the silicone residues left in the hair and in the scalp by conventional shampoos. 

So after using sulfate free shampoos for a little while new users of natural shampoos are likely to find that their new shampoo does lather and doesn’t cause the irritation and itchiness that they attributed to their conventional shampoo. 

Sulfate free shampoo is an ideal choice for people who have sensitive scalps.   Sulfate free shampoo is therefore particularly good for those people who have dandruff as it is less irritating on the scalp.  

Those with dry or damaged hair, be it from colouring or from heat treatments, often find that they benefit from using sulfate free shampoo because although it does deliver an intense clean, it does not strip the hair of its natural oils.

Many people with thinning hair or hair loss problems find that natural shampoo is highly beneficial for them (although no shampoo can be a “miracle-cure”).  There are so many naturally occurring plants rich in oils and moisture that increase the volume of their hair giving a fuller head of hair.  Natural ingredients such as rosemary and chamomile stimulate the scalp to increase hair follicle growth. 

There are a great number of sulfate free shampoos on the market and it is worth trying a few different brands until you find the one you love most – you may never go back to using conventional shampoos again!

girl who uses sulfate free shampoo

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Conventional shampoos very often contain a cocktail of synthetic ingredients and chemicals such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), , Sodium laureth sulfate, Sodium oleth, Sodium coceth sulfate and Ethylparaben to name a few. These chemicals are not really very good for you – sodium lauryl sulfate can cause scalp and skin allegies, itchiness and eczema, sodium laureth sulfate can cause dry skin and irritation and ethylparaben can cause scalp allergies (some scientists question whether it is even a cause for cancer). 

These reasons are why more and more parents are choosing natural shampoo for their children.  Natural baby shampoo contains ingredients such as fennel (for its preservative properties), coconut oil, soy protein, green tea and enzymes from sugar beet. Lavender is sometimes included to provide a gentle moisturiser for a dry scalp.  The vitamins and minerals included in rosemary promote healthy hair growth.  Chamomile is very calming and soothes baby’s bathtime but also gently stimulates scalp and nourishes the hair.

Natural shampoo - gentle and effective hair care for children

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If you don’t already have a list of your preferred online stores, why not simply use your favourite internet search engine.  Your search will generate a range of tailored results and you can search these results until you find the product at the price that suits you. Another option would be to use a search engine to look out the many forums and websites that focs on natural hair care and hair products.  The contributers and members of these sites have a great appreciation of where to shop online to get the best deals. Oh, and don’t forget the less high-tech route of a recommendation from a friend or co-worker!

Don’t forget to factor in the cost of shipping and packing when looking for the best deal.  It’s all very well getting a great price on your shampoo but if you lose that advantage in the shipping and handling cost then you could very well be worse off.

Using these ideas you should generate a number of solid options to find good deals on natural shampoo online.

Girl who uses natural shampoo she found online

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