Not Ready For No ‘Poo? Try Sorta ‘Poo With Coconut Milk and Castille

crunched by Crunchy Betty on June 30, 2011
filed under Hair

It seems like no ‘poo comes and goes in waves. Suddenly, 20 women will show up out of nowhere saying they’re about to try it. With every wave comes a small, but vocal, backlash.

“Backlash” may be a strong word. A better word may be “fear.” There are always several people who say, “Never. I could never, ever try that.”

It’s scary to go no ‘poo. Even more, it doesn’t work for everyone. No matter how hard you try, how badly you wish to be a no ‘poo goddess, your hair has other plans. I’m not sure the reason why it’s so difficult for some people, but the fact remains … it is.

In one small, silly way, I was one of those people. I decided NOT to go back to no ‘poo, simply because my hair looked annoyingly icky whenever I’d try to dry it with the blow dryer. And the longer it gets, the longer it takes to air dry.

For about three months, I’ve been using castille soap to wash my hair. It’s not really no ‘poo, but it’s not really shampoo. It’s sort of sorta ‘poo.

The only downside was that it didn’t lather, and there were occasions where my hair didn’t feel completely clean.

Then … coconut milk happened.

Homemade coconut milk happened.

And the world of sorta ‘poo was blown wide open into a thriving, gorgeous utopia.

How to Make Sorta ‘Poo With Coconut Milk and Castille

You’ll probably want to know why you should make your sorta ‘poo with coconut milk and castille.

It’s all about the lather, baby.

Coconut contains natural, extremely gentle surfactants that create lather when mixed with pure castille, just like we’re all accustomed to in our shampoo. In fact, many cosmetic companies use a compound called cocamidopropyl betaine, which is derived from coconut, in their products for just this reason. (Whether or not it’s truly natural or safe is questionable, so if you’d like to know more, read The Chemical of the Day entry on it.)

So when you mix the castille and the coconut milk together, you get amazing, breathtaking, bubbly magic that gets all up in your hairs and squeaks them clean. It is neither drying nor oily. It is like store-bought shampoo with benefits and without synthetics. (And, fyi, you don’t need to condition afterwards, but you will probably want to use a very dilute apple cider vinegar rinse – we’ll talk about that at the end.)

So here’s how you do it, and it takes about 5 seconds total to mix each batch.

Coconut milk and castille shampoo ingredients

Coconut milk and castille soap: The perfect sorta 'poo solution.

Ready? This is tough. Pay attention.

Mix together 1 tsp coconut milk and 1 Tbsp castille soap in a small jar.

(I like Dr. Bronner’s or Mountain Rose Herbs castille soaps, personally.)

Castille soap goes on top of coconut milk

Pour the castille over the coconut milk, or vice versa. It makes no nevermind.

This is all a “single-serving” batch (although if you have short hair, it’s a double serving batch). If you want to make it in larger batches, that’s cool. Just store it in your refrigerator (should keep up to a week or so).

So after you’ve poured the castille and the coconut milk into a small container, just swish it around.

Very gently.

Or you’ll have lots and lots of bubbles.

Swirl the coconut milk and castille shampoo

Swirly, swirly, like a top. Not too long, not too hard. (That's what she said.)

Again, see what a tiny amount that is? Using all of it at once produces TONS of cleaning, softening results.

And a multitude of lather.

Lather that looks like this:

These ARE the lathers you've been looking for.

Try to keep it out of your eyes, though, ’cause it burns.

It may only burn, though, when you’re keeping your eyes open for 15 minutes while suds are dripping down your face and you’re trying to take a picture of lather on your head to show all your bloggy friends how awesome sorta ‘poo is. That may be the only time it burns.

It’s the only time it’s burned me.

You have no idea how excruciating it was not to rub my eyes right now.

So there you have it.

How to go sorta ‘poo, which is sorta awesome. It’s lacking anything synthetic. It’s lacking anything contaminated. It’s lacking anything but castille and coconut milk.

Oh, and as for how to condition: For your conditioner, use a diluted mixture of 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar to 3 cups of water. Rinse your hair with it, after rinsing out the shampoo (with water). Concentrate on the ends. Leave the ACV rinse in your hair or wash it out with water – whichever you prefer.

Your hair will (if it’s anything like mine) be shiny, bouncy, and soft.

Just like you sashayed out of the salon.

I kid you not.
–

If you want to read more about going no ‘poo, start with these posts and threads:

And I have to give a shout out to Jessica H. on Pinterest for this hair-saving idea. Jessica, you’re a crunchy pioneer if there ever was one.

WHAT’S FRESH AT CRUNCHY BETTY’S NATURAL MARKET

See something you like on Crunchy Betty, but you don't want to make it yourself? Check out Crunchy Betty's Natural Market on Etsy to find all sorts of fresh and natural handmade skincare items.

Take a look at the popular LUCID Moisturizing Facial Oil - Blended with acneic and oily skin in mind! (Soaks into your skin and nourishes from the outside in)!

Crunchy Betty Natural Market's BEST seller!: Kokomo Cream Handmade Deodorant - a light, lime-and-coconut cream deodorant packed full of ingredients to keep you fresh and oh-so-soft.

And for a VERY limited time only, we've brought the Whipped Nutty Butt Butter back - the perfect helper to get your cellulite-prone areas in shape for the summer!

pat

I have been happy with my baking soda/water poo and apple cider vinegar but I have a question that I’ve never seen addressed. I have thick curly hair that above my chin. I also color my hair. I do crossfit at least 5x a week and I sweat A LOT. Drippin like a peasant woman in the field. My hair normally does not have to be washed a lot but I am assuming that in between shampoos during workout days, I should just rinse with water Would that be correct?
Knowledge is power

I like this recipe and all the comments about how well it works. I wanted to know about adding essential oils to the shampoo, something like carrot seed oil which is great for moisture among other things. Any ideas? Suggestions? or emotional outbursts?
- Tammy
  
  I make a similar sorta-’poo with 1/3 cup coconut milk (store bought, sorry – Goya) mixed with teaspoons of honey (preservative and good for hair), glycerine, aloe vera gel, and a few high-vitamin-E and/or good-for-hair oils like jojoba and sunflower (or straight vitamin E), mix those, then add 1/2 cup Dr. Bronner’s liquid baby castille. My fiance and I love it, and I use it as body wash and to shave with too. I’ll look into the carrot seed oil – my thinnish, long, curly hair is always thirsty! And if you want fragrance (my fiance and I do not), you can probably add an essential oil for fragrance and/or one of the fragranced Dr. Bronner’s (as long as it’s not artificial fragrance!).
Hellcat

THANK YOU for restoring my faith in finding a natural shampoo recipe!! No poo was a no-go for me even after a year of trying all kinds of variations. Then I tried this recipe and I feel like its 90% perfect. I made it with the homemade coconut milk to avoid any unnecessary preservatives but when I was shampooing I felt my roots were becoming stiff and tangling. I had to use a lot of vinegar rinse to be able to comb through my hair. Do you think adding a little oil (argan or jojoba) would help? And has anyone made a larger batch to keep in the shower? I’d hate to have to mix single servings every time =P
jac2848

I would like to try this shampoo recipe; is it safe to use on a daily basis?
- rwalk
  
  Yes!
erica

looks gret. is this color safe?
- rwalk
  
  I would think so! Castile soap is just oils (olive oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil).
rwalk

I LOOOVE THIS. I have very long, fine, straight hair that shows oils extremely easily. I was worried that this wouldn’t get my hair clean and it’d look greasy, but it doesn’t at all! It’s amazing! It looks so clean. Even if my hair is smothered in coconut oil I only need to wash it once with this to get it all out. That’s a huge step up from normal “clarifying” shampoo! Which is never being used again. I only need half the amount of this that I’d need of chemical shampoo to cover my hair with suds.
http://www.facebook.com/moriah.brockman Moriah Brockman

I tried the sorta-poo….and wasn’t a fan. I’ve started mixing a few tablespoons of applesauce, some baking soda, a tablespoon or so of natural conditioner, some chamomile and lavender oils, and some water together and using that insted of plain baking soda, and it gets my hair so much cleaner than plain baking soda and water! I was having a really difficult time adjusting to plain baking soda–hating the greasy roots! But this makes my hair feel much cleaner without the guilt of shampoo.
Lady Howard

I am so GLAD I found your website! I tried the sorta ‘poo last night (just in case my hair was crappy in the morning I could wash it before I went to work!). My hair is AWESOME this morning! Thank you so much!! I am trying the chia face wash and the activated charcoal whitening. Another thing you can do with the hard coconut oil is melt it and fry eggs in it. I have done that for years and the eggs taste so…clean is the only word I can think of. Again, thank you so much and I will definitely be checkign other things out.
Julia

Can I use store-bought coconut milk????
Alicia

I just tried this for the first time, I have very long hair, down to my butt, and I am liking it so far in a sense that it’s so pure. However, I’m thinking next time I will rinse with the ACV. I am hoping that will solve the issues I’m having right now (kind of dry/sticky feeling, can’t run my fingers through it, not fluttery-lol). But I was already using dr bronners for shampoo, so thanks for the twist!
Krista

I don’t know what I did wrong but this sorta poo sorta didn’t work very well for me. My hair felt coated and greasy after sorta pooing. Even with the acv conditioner. Maybe I’ll try the no poo and see if that works.
Magen

Thank you so much for this!!! My hair has never been so soft and manageable! My hair was always frizzy and hard to style…this is a life saver!!!
Jessica

I used sorta ‘poo tonight for the first time. All I had was canned coconut milk, and after reading some of the comments here about that, I decided to add some baking soda to prevent my hair from becoming way too greasy. It foamed up so nicely, but left my hair dry and brittle feeling. Even now that it has air-dried, my hair feels a little more dry than normal. I’m wondering if next time I should leave out the baking soda and/or add a little coconut oil to the mix, or if I should just stick it out for a little while longer?
tavtavtav

I tried this with dr. bronners tea tree castille and homemade coconut milk, which i may have made too thin and watery. since the area i live in has hard water, i added a few pinches of baking soda. I’m just curious to see if i did it properly. did anyone else notice your hair feeling stringy like barbie doll hair and have trouble running your fingers through your hair? i followed up with an apple cider rinse of 1/2 TBS of vinegar for 3 cups of water. were any of my ratios or ingredients off? does my hair just need some time to adjust? any suggestions would be great! :)
- http://www.facebook.com/Jenty56 Jennifer Tracy
  
  I’m glad to see someone else is having the same issue as I am. I also have hard water and was left with unfortunate Barbie hair after trying the sorta poo/ACV rinse. Had to rewash but still feel the funkiness. Let me know if you had any revelations since your post!
  - http://www.facebook.com/Jenty56 Jennifer Tracy
    
    Update: Attempts #2 (original recipe with 1 tbsp BS) and #3 (original recipe with 3 tbsp BS) were less funky but still not great. Hair seems almost…slick. Not lovin’ it. Anyone else with hard water issues feel free to chime in with a super-awesome solution.
KS

I tried this today with a ACV rinse. I can’t believe how shiny and manageable my hair is. I’ve got volume and I didn’t have to put tons of product in. My hair’s fine and tends to go limp. I’m definitely going to keep this up and then maybe switch to the no ‘poo and see how that helps my scalp. I can’t believe how much money I’ve spent on hair products only to find that they don’t make my hair look like it does after this inexpensive treatment!
zenobia

holy hanna.

I started to use this a few days ago and I SERIOUSLY love it. I have dyed, super oily on top, dry on the bottom, fine hair, but TONS of hair. Normally, I use a volumizing shampoo, a moisturizing conditioner, and a load of product to give my hair any kind of volume. I bought the Dr. B’s almond castile soap and organic coconut milk. First, I was not expecting to get that much soap out of such of a little amount. Second, holy lather, batman! this stuff is great! It does leave my hair a bit funky feeling after I rinse it (along with my hands), but I find that the ACV cuts right through it all. I just rinse with it after i rinse out the “sorta ‘poo”, leave it on for a minute, then comb it wet and rinse. I now use absolutely no product to give my hair volume. It is insane! it comes out all soft and big after i blow dry it. It’s really amazing. the only downside is that it smells pretty gross with the ACV. I really have to get the soap out to the point where i can’t smell it anymore before i do the AVC rinse (which is a bummer because the almond and coconut smells delish!). But man, this stuff is crazy amazing for my hair so far! I LOVE IT!
Rali

I tried the “no poo” but my face dries up from the ba
king soda. I have dermatitis and extremely dry skin so when I was “washing” my hair with baking soda my skin would feel dry and irritated. The baking soda exfoliate your skin and if you use it to wash you hair at least 3 times a week that means you exfoliate your face 3 times a week and that’s way too often for my dry and sensitive skin. I tried the coconut milk and really works, the only thing is you have to keep it in the fridge and goes bad after a week. So one day I ran out of coconut milk and I used some aloe vera juice mixed with castile soap and it does the same work. Initially I wanted to try the aloe vera juice as a conditioner, then kind of got lazy and mixed it with the castile soap to create. something like two-in-one shampoo and I love it. I mix one part soap and one part aloe vera juice. After that I use more juice as a conditioner and my hair feels like being washed with commercial shampoo. Best part is that aloe vera juice costs $8 for a gallon in trader joes and doesn’t go bad as quickly as the coconut milk.
Rachel

This didn’t really work for me, after a few weeks I realized it just didn’t spread through my hair well enough or lather well enough. I tried all sorts of concoctions, but nothing really worked. And then, after getting some shampoo bars from Chagrin Valley and getting nothing but gunky, sticky hair, I finally thought to get a bar of Dr. Bronner’s castille soap, and wouldn’t you know? It works!!! I just rub it on my head, lather up, and rinse it out! I don’t even need a vinegar rinse! Although I often do one anyway and I usually put a tiny amount of coconut oil in my hair after I shower. My hair is soft, shiny, and clean! Without any gross chemicals!
- Raquel
  
  Since my hair is very picky I don’t think this coconut milk concoction will work but I think I’ll give Dr. Bronner’s bar castille soap a try. On average how much do you go between washes?
Melody

Did we ever find out if this is color safe? I color my hair with a more natural-ish coloring system (Aveda)…and it’s the only chemicals I really allow on my body, and I’d like to try this…but I don’t want to literally wash my money down the drain. Any suggestions? I was thinking of doing this with a black tea and rosemary herbal infusion in both the shampoo and ACV/water rinse with a hot oil treatment once every two weeks or so…help! Thanks :)
Natalie

This sounds awesome, but I’m a little skeptical because I have masses of really thick hair that I’ve been dying bright red for a few months (forgive me my chemical sins), and I was wondering whether there’s anything that I should maybe add to the mix to keep the colour? I would like to postpone my return to dirty blonde a little longer!
doc

Mix castile soap and water about half and half and use t that way, it sudses for me.
Anna

Hey! Here’s what happened.
First, I got a PACK of coconut milk in a tetra pak, and I know people said that store bought coconut milk is less likely to work, and for some reason I assumed people meant canned coconut milk, and that a tetrapak coconut milk would be better. haha. It wasn’t, my hair was all grimy and nasty and just gross, like some people commented!

And then I made my own coconut milk the day after, and it worked like GREAT. So it does matter! The guar gum really does gunk your hair up! The shredded coconut had SO2 bleach in it, so hopefully next time I’ll be able to get pure coconut shreds. Anyway, then I tried the vinegar rinse for the first time (white vinegar) and yeah, my hair turned very soft, and it cut down the slight griminess from the shampoo!

The only issue I found was that I still found that it was hard to run my fingers through my hair even after the rinse, but it could just be my hair still getting used to this natural process. And my hair smells slighhhhhhtly of vinegar still, but hopefully once it fully dries it’ll leave. And next time I’ll try ACV.

HERES MY MAIN POINT!

for people who experienced griminess like I did:

.. homemade coconut milk really does make a difference, a. because it doesn’t have guar gum in it, and b. possibly because its not as rich and thick!

.. I THINK, at least I FELT like even with the homemade coconut milk my hair absorbed the shampoo, not immediately, but after a short while. I think it helps to lather up quick, make sure you’re focusing on the roots, and rinse the mixture off as soon as you can (but don’t rush haha).

Anyway, thanks for this recipe! I’m going to recommend it to people (:
- Anna
  
  Just btw, I have soft water.
- Tammy
  
  Anna and anyone else who had problems using canned coconut milk: I use Goya and it does not contain guar gum – only coconut milk, water, and a preservative (potassium metabisulfite). And the sorta-’poo works great with it.
Erin

Thanks for the post! I’m not ready for no ‘poo yet, but I like this solution. I do have to say, however, I don’t think I’d call it even sort of ‘poo. Dr. Bronner’s is concentrated castille soap and right on the bottle it says it can be used as shampoo. Even the most basic connotation most of us use when talking about shampoo–sudsy, soap-like thing used to clean hair–makes this shampoo. All that said, I did this today and though it’s still wet, my hair feels clean and great. I’d been having problems with hairline breakouts from my regular shampoo (Head & Shoulders) and my skin does not feel irritated with this. Win!
Calilium

Hi! I’ve recently started “going crunchy” and I love it so far! I’ve made lotions, body butters, deodorant, and homemade cleaners, and I want to try so much more! I love your site! I was wondering if this recipe would be good to use for a bubble bath for my 2 year old? I read your post about having to give up bubbles, and then I came across this one. Would the water in the bath just dissolve all the bubbly goodness? I’m not sure what is safe for babies and toddlers yet, but I’m sure most of it is better than the store-bought stuff! I am pregnant right now and would love to find some posts about baby’s skin care and such!
Teresa

I have been trying the no poo method with my dad’s homemade castile soap bar. And genuine castile soap because my dad makes it with olive oil from our own andalusian olive farm. My dad has been using only that soap for years to wash his body, hair and shaving… also to wash the dishes, so he has been a pioneer on this. I tried to follow his example but as castile soap does no lather and as I have super long hair I used several amounts of soap, and it caused me a dandruff problem. I quit it, but now I am back with diluted soap and ACV. But I MISS THE LATHER!! So I am off to the supermarket to buy shreded coconut right now! Thank you very much!!!
Kerri

I have been doing sorta ‘poo for about a week now and the ACV wash doesn’t make my hair silky or smooth, it doesn’t really do anything at all. Any suggestions? Before this, I have been using cheap shampoo, like Pantene Pro V.
Sara Russell

How long does this keep if you make it in larger quantities and keep it in a bottle? Would it need to be refridgerated?
ŚhampooLover

This is absolutely the most amazing shampoo I’ve tried yet. A suggestion: if you have hard water add just a little bit of baking soda to the mix. The shampoo will not leave a residue if you do this.
:)

Hey! I really really wanna try this! :)
How long does it take for your hair to get used to this shampoo replacement?-I don’t want to try it and then go to school with horrible looking hair…And how often should you wash your hair with this per week?
http://www.facebook.com/corirayannmiller Cori Miller

I have been no ‘poo for a couple weeks and my hair was looking awful. Like truely awful-do you ever shower awful. Even just after washing with BS and ACV. Today I made a mask with two beaten eggs, a few drops of Castile soap, and a pinch of baking soda. I let it sit on my hair for several minutes. I used chamomile tea with a squirting of lemon juice and a splash of ACV in a big mason jar for my rinse. I just poured it over the ends, let it sit for a couple minutes, and rinsed out. My hair looks AMAZING! It looks even better than it did when I used to shampoo and use the 3 minute miracle conditioner.