DIY Soapnut Shampoo: A Natural Guide to Healthy Hair

Are you suffering from hair fall? Is your mane looking dull and limp? If you can relate to the above situations, and want to avoid expensive salon treatments, reading this post is definitely a good idea!

Lustrous locks can add oodles of beauty, style and confidence to your personality. But, do you know you can pamper your tresses naturally at home? Well, we are talking about soapnut shampoo here! Would you like to know how to prepare it at home? Go ahead and give this post a read!

What Are Soapnuts?

Soapnuts are cousins of the Lychee fruit and are native to warm and tropical climates. They are an eco-friendly and safer alternative to chemical detergents. It is a mild option for people who are allergic to regular detergents. Soapnut is rich in Saponin, which is a naturally occurring detergent. They mirror the hydrophilic tendencies of detergent. The shell absorbs water and frees the Saponin, which eliminates the dirt, oil and grime from the clothes. Soapnut was a popular expectorant earlier. It also helps treat skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Its natural compounds ensure that it plays a big role in the manufacture of soap.

Uses Of Soapnuts:

Here is an interesting list of the various uses of soapnuts:

• Liquid form of soapnuts makes a wonderful and natural shampoo.
• Paste forms of soapnuts help in industrial cleaning.
• Boil soapnuts and churn in a blender to make a shaving cream at home.
• Grind the soapnut shells to a fine powder. You can use the powder for cleaning the laundry or can even add it to the dishwasher soap.

A Word Of Caution:

Here’s a list of things you should remember if you want to start using soapnuts:

• Using soapnuts can cause irritation in the eyes. So, if you are cleaning your face with the soapnut, keep your eyes shut.
• Soapnut does not taste good and ingesting it can cause stomach-ache, nausea, and even food poisoning.
• The liquid form of soapnuts does get spoilt, even if you use a preservative or store it in an airtight can. You can consider adding a teaspoonful of citric acid to four cups of soapnut liquid. It can help you preserve and use it for long.

Homemade Soapnut Shampoo:

You can also use soapnuts to make a homemade shampoo, which is extremely inexpensive to make and has no side effects. Let’s look at how to make soapnut shampoo here.

You Will Need:

• 5 soapnuts
• 5 drops of lavender essential oil
• 3 cups of water
• Small muslin bag

How To Make:

To make the soapnut shampoo:

1. Add the soapnuts to a muslin bag.
2. Place the muslin bag in a saucepan.
3. Add two cups of water to the saucepan and boil it.
4. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20 more minutes.
5. Add one more cup of water and allow it to simmer for another 10 minutes.
6. Take the pan off the heat and keep it aside.
7. Once the liquid cools down, you can squeeze the muslin bag until it suds.
8. Rinse the muslin bag with cool water and squeeze it into the pan again.
9. Add the essential oils to the liquid.
10. Your exotic and natural shampoo is ready.
11. Store it in an airtight glass jar and keep it in the fridge for future use.
12. Alternatively, you can store the liquid in an ice tray and use it whenever you want.

Now that you know how to make soap nut shampoo at home, let us know if you’ll give this a try. So, go ahead and use the soapnut shampoo. Tell us how it helped you solve your mane menace. Leave a comment below!