Green DIY: Chocolate Shampoo (With Vanilla Version For Blondies!)

Remember when bath time used to be fun for the kiddos? When they delighted in bubbles and bath toys, and getting clean was a joy? Somewhere along the way bath and/or shower time can lose its lustre, and become just another chore. So let’s bring back the giggles with a fun, DIY chocolate shampoo recipe! The kids will have a blast making it, and the ingredients are natural and safe for kiddos and the environment. An added bonus is the reduction in plastics used by buying ingredients in bulk and re-using shampoo or hand soap bottles.

(And the delicious scents of chocolate or vanilla make this a perfect unique craft to try out for Valentine’s Day!)

DIY Chocolate Shampoo

Here's what you'll need:

• peppermint tea (bags are fine) — organic if possible
• unscented castile soap — I recommend Dr. Bronner’s unscented baby formula, it has added jojoba oil and it’s good to be scent-free so that the cocoa notes shine through
• cocoa
• aloe vera gel or liquid vegetable glycerine
• a reusable pump container (an old shampoo bottle works well) or a mason jar
• funnel

Note: If you’re not familiar with castile soap, it’s basically a miracle compound (and biodegradable, too). It’s a liquid soap made with vegetable oils including olive, jojoba, hemp and coconut. A gentle cleanser, it’s blissfully free from artificial foaming agents, triclosan (a chemical anti-bacterial agent) and petrochemicals.

What To Do

1. Boil the water for the mint tea, allow to steep for three minutes and then cool without the leaves or bags.
2. Measure ¼ cup of the cooled peppermint tea and, using the funnel, pour it into your bottle.
3. Add ¼ cup unscented castile soap.
4. Add 2 tsp aloe vera.
5. Add 1 tsp cocoa.
6. Shake well!

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Directions For Use

1. Be careful when pumping or pouring the chocolate shampoo — it will be watery but will lather up nicely. And yes, it will look a bit like chocolate syrup!
2. Using a favourite organic conditioner or apple cider vinegar rinse will help with any tangles. When you first start to use castile soap there will be an adjustment period as the hair won’t feel as slippery as with regular shampoo, but hair will be clean and bouncy, and curls and waves are often enhanced.
3. Like many DIY shampoos, these concoctions are not meant to be stored for weeks on end. But it’s so easy to whip up, we make small batches at a time and enjoy the art of making the shampoo as much as we do using it.

Vanilla Version For The Blondies

Cocoa is great for brown, black and even sandy blonde hair. My daughter has blonde hair in the summer and sandy blonde hair in the winter, and she uses this shampoo without any noticeable darkening. Brunettes will find that the cocoa helps bring out richness and gloss to their hair colour. But those with light blonde hair might want to try the special vanilla version of this DIY shampoo. Follow the same directions as above, but use the following ingredients:

• ¼ cup brewed and cooled chamomile tea
• ¼ cup liquid castile soap
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp aloe vera gel or liquid vegetable glycerine

Whether cocoa or vanilla, bringing the scents of desserts to bath-time is fun. And remember — we’re helping to keep toxins out of our bodies and the earth, all while smelling like a cupcake shop!