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A natural organics shampoo you can make at home needs five things: a plant-derived cleansing system (for example coco-glucoside at 20% plus caprylyl/capryl glucoside at 5%), a water phase, a thickener, a broad-spectrum preservative such as Leucidal SF Complete at 4%, and a final pH of about 5.0 to 5.5. Get those right and the shampoo cleans well, rinses clean, and stays stable in the bottle. This guide gives a complete 100 g recipe with weights, the mixing order, temperatures, pH adjustment, and a troubleshooting table, written the way I teach formulation.
Why Shampoo Is Not Just Soap and Water
Many online "natural shampoo" recipes use liquid castile soap. True soap is alkaline, and that is the main reason those washes can leave hair feeling rough. Formulated shampoos use surfactants, cleansing molecules that can be adjusted to a mildly acidic pH.
The pH point is backed by measurement. Gavazzoni Dias and colleagues (International Journal of Trichology, 2014) note that the scalp sits at about pH 5.5 and the hair shaft at about pH 3.67. They explain that an alkaline pH can increase the negative electrical charge on the hair fiber surface, which increases friction between fibers and can lead to cuticle damage and breakage. When they measured 123 shampoos, 61.78% had a pH above 5.5. Formulating your own lets you land below that line on purpose.
Choosing a Natural Cleansing System
Glucosides are plant-derived (sugar plus fatty alcohol from coconut or palm) nonionic surfactants that are popular in natural formulating because they are mild and sulfate-free. Spec-Chem's 2026 ingredient catalogue (supplier data) gives these rinse-off usage ranges for its glucoside range:
| Surfactant (INCI) | Role | Supplier rinse-off range | Used in this recipe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coco-Glucoside | Primary surfactant | 8.0 to 20.0% | 20% |
| Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside | Co-surfactant | 1.0 to 5.0% | 5% |
| Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate (30% solution) | Optional mild anionic for more foam | 0.1 to 30.0% | Not used here |
Percentages are of the supplied material as purchased. This recipe uses the top of each glucoside range.
The Recipe: Natural Glucoside Shampoo (100 g)
| Phase | Ingredient | Purpose | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Distilled water | Solvent | q.s. to 100 g (about 67 g) |
| A | Vegetable glycerin | Humectant; disperses the gum | 3.0 g |
| A | Xanthan gum | Thickener | 0.8 g (starting point; see notes) |
| B | Coco-glucoside (as supplied) | Primary surfactant | 20.0 g |
| B | Caprylyl/capryl glucoside (as supplied) | Co-surfactant | 5.0 g |
| C | Leucidal SF Complete | Broad-spectrum preservative | 4.0 g |
| C | Citric acid, 50% solution in water | pH adjuster | q.s. to pH 5.0 to 5.5 |
Rate notes: Leucidal SF Complete is used at 4%, the top of its 2 to 4% range. The Leucidal supplier Q&A confirms it works in rinse-off hair products and in formulas between pH 3 and 8. Xanthan is a thickener, not an active, and the right amount depends on your glucosides; 0.8 g is where I start.
Optional water swap: replace up to 20 g of the distilled water with Aloe Vera Gel Serum Base for a softer feel. Reduce the water so the total stays 100 g.
Equipment
- Scale reading to 0.01 g
- Two glass beakers, a silicone spatula, a small whisk or stick blender used on low
- pH meter or narrow-range pH strips (4 to 7)
- Thermometer, if you warm the water phase
- Sanitized pump or disc-cap bottle (70% isopropyl alcohol, air-dried)
Step-by-Step Method
- Disperse the gum. In a small beaker, stir 0.8 g of xanthan gum into 3.0 g of glycerin until it forms a smooth slurry with no dry powder.
- Build the water phase. Weigh the water into the main beaker at room temperature (68 to 77°F). Pour in the slurry while stirring steadily. Keep stirring for 2 to 3 minutes, then let it stand 15 to 20 minutes to hydrate into a smooth gel.
- Add the surfactants slowly. Add the 20.0 g of coco-glucoside and 5.0 g of caprylyl/capryl glucoside a little at a time, stirring gently. Fast mixing whips in foam, and trapped foam makes it impossible to judge thickness.
- Check temperature. If you warmed anything, let the batch cool to 104°F or below before the next step. The Leucidal supplier Q&A says to add it during cool-down.
- Preserve. Add 4.0 g of Leucidal SF Complete and stir for 30 to 60 seconds.
- Adjust the pH. Glucoside surfactants are supplied at an alkaline pH, so the batch will read high. Add the 50% citric acid solution a few drops at a time, stir, wait one minute, and measure. Stop at pH 5.0 to 5.5.
- Rest and judge. Cover and let the shampoo sit overnight. Air bubbles rise out, and the thickness you see the next day is the real one.
- Fill and label. Bottle it and record the date, final pH and batch weight.
Getting the pH Right
- Measure at room temperature. A warm batch gives a misleading reading.
- Go slowly. Citric acid lowers pH quickly once you are near the target. Small additions are easier to control than one big one.
- Why 5.0 to 5.5: this sits at or just below the scalp's pH of about 5.5 reported by Gavazzoni Dias, and comfortably inside Leucidal's pH 3 to 8 working window.
- Strips vs a meter: strips are fine for a first batch. Once you make shampoo regularly, a calibrated meter gives far better control.
Preservation and Shelf Life
A shampoo lives in a wet shower and gets touched by wet hands every day, so preservation is not optional. Anything containing water, aloe, hydrosols or herbal infusions needs a broad-spectrum preservative. Habits that reduce contamination:
- Sanitize bottles, tools and the work surface before you start.
- Use a pump or disc cap, never a wide-mouth jar.
- Make small batches (100 to 200 g) until you know how your formula behaves.
- Watch for changes in smell, color, separation or thickness, and discard if any appear.
- Commercial products are challenge-tested by a lab. A home batch has not been, so use it within 3 months.
For a deeper comparison of preservative options, see our guide to natural skin care preservatives.
Customizing for Your Hair
| Hair need | Adjustment | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Dry or colored hair | Swap 20 g of water for aloe base; keep pH at 5.0 | Slightly less foam |
| Oily scalp | Keep the recipe as written; shampoo more often rather than adding stronger surfactants | None |
| Want more foam | Add sodium lauroyl sarcosinate and reduce water to match | Feels slightly less mild |
| Want it thicker | Increase xanthan by 0.1 g at a time | Too much feels slimy |
| Want fragrance | Use an essential oil at the supplier's stated rinse-off maximum, added at cool-down | Some oils thin glucoside shampoos |
Keep the language honest: a shampoo cleans hair and scalp and can leave hair looking and feeling softer and shinier. For care habits beyond shampoo, read how to keep your hair healthy and vibrant.
Sensitive scalp
Patch test the finished shampoo on the inner arm for 24 hours before first use. If you are adding any optional ingredient with a usage range, start at the lowest rate in that range and increase only after a few comfortable washes. Skip fragrance in your first batch.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Thin and watery | Glucosides do not thicken much on their own | Add xanthan in 0.1 g steps, pre-dispersed in glycerin |
| Stringy or lumpy | Xanthan added straight to water | Always disperse it in glycerin first; give it 15 to 20 minutes |
| Hair feels rough or tangly | pH too high | Re-check and adjust to 5.0 to 5.5 |
| Cloudy or hazy | Normal for some glucosides and Leucidal | Not a fault if it stays uniform |
| Separates in the bottle | Too much oil or extract for the system | Remove the extra; add oils only in small amounts |
| Off smell after a week | Contamination or preservative outside its range | Discard; sanitize everything; confirm 4% Leucidal and final pH |
New to making your own products? Our cosmetic formulation library walks through the basics of weighing, phases and preservation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best natural surfactant for homemade shampoo?
Coco-glucoside is a widely used plant-derived primary surfactant. Spec-Chem lists a rinse-off range of 8 to 20% for its glucosides as primary surfactants, and this recipe uses 20%.
What pH should homemade shampoo be?
Aim for 5.0 to 5.5. The scalp is about pH 5.5 and the hair shaft about 3.67, and in a test of 123 shampoos, 61.78% were above 5.5.
Do I need a preservative in homemade shampoo?
Yes. Any water-based shampoo needs a broad-spectrum preservative. This recipe uses Leucidal SF Complete at 4%.
Can I use castile soap instead?
You can, but true soap is alkaline and cannot be brought down to pH 5 to 5.5 and still stay soap. That is why this recipe uses glucoside surfactants.
How long does homemade shampoo last?
Use a home batch within 3 months and discard it sooner if the smell, color or texture changes. Home batches have not been through lab challenge testing.
Sources
- Gavazzoni Dias MFR, Almeida AM, Cecato PMR, Adriano AR, Pichler J. The Shampoo pH can Affect the Hair: Myth or Reality? International Journal of Trichology. 2014;6(3):95-99. 123 shampoos measured; scalp about pH 5.5, hair shaft about pH 3.67; 61.78% above pH 5.5. PMC4158629
- Spec-Chem, Personal Care Ingredients Catalogue 2026 V1: glucoside and sarcosinate rinse-off usage ranges (supplier data).
- Leucidal preservative Q&A (supplier information): 2 to 4% usage, rinse-off hair products, pH 3 to 8, cool-down addition.
- Skin Perfection product pages for Leucidal SF Complete and Aloe Vera Gel Serum Base.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
About the Author
Written by Kari Thomas, cosmetic formulator and founder of Skin Perfection.
Last reviewed: October 25, 2026