Okay, it’s confession time: I don’t wash my hair everyday. I’ve got two young kids who keep me busy, and there usually isn't time to wash, dry, and style my hair everyday. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though. Many commercial shampoos can strip healthy oils from the hair. Those oils are needed to help keep hair from drying out.

I used to wash my hair everyday, so when I first started washing it less frequently, I’ll admit that it seemed kind of oily. But this is actually normal. Since most shampoos strip away the hair’s natural oils, washing it everyday can trigger greater oil production in order to compensate for the loss. The excess oil is not noticeable if it is being washed away each day. It only becomes apparent when you stop washing so frequently. However, the scalp can eventually balance itself out and stop producing excessive oil.

There’s a helpful hair care product that can be used to keep hair looking clean between washings: dry shampoo. Dry shampoo absorbs oil produced by your scalp. It is available commercially, but many store-bought dry shampoos contain toxic chemical ingredients such as artificial fragrances and propane (yes, propane!). This is why I prefer to make it myself.

There are DIY recipes that call for various combinations of arrowroot powder, rice flour, salt, cornstarch and baking soda. But I find that just arrowroot powder or cornstarch work well. I also add rosemary, tea tree, peppermint, and lavender essential oils. Rosemary oil may encourage hair growth by stimulating hair follicles (source). Tea tree oil helps prevent dry scalp. It can also help treat dandruff at a concentration of 5% (source). Peppermint oil helps get rid of excess oil. Lavender oil has a wonderful, calming scent and may also help reverse hair loss. Choose the essential oils (if any) that will work best for your hair.

DIY Dry Shampoo

Ingredients:

1/2 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch

4 drops rosemary essential oil

2 drops tea tree essential oil

4 drops peppermint essential oil

4 drops lavender essential oil

Directions:

1. Put all of the ingredients in a glass jar, put the lid on, and shake gently to mix the essential oils with the arrowroot powder or cornstarch.

2. Apply to the roots of your hair with a clean makeup brush. Massage into your scalp.

Note: If you have dark hair, you can use 1/4 cup each of arrowroot powder or cornstarch and cocoa powder, rather than the arrowroot or cornstarch by itself. 

Sources:

Falsetto, Sharon. "Rosemary Oil and Hair Growth." LiveStrong. 16 August 2013. Web. 5 May 2015.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/75577-rosemary-o...

"Is Rosemary Oil and Effective Treatment for Hair Loss?" Hair Loss Revolution. 20 June 2015. Web. 

https://www.hairlossrevolution.com/rosemary-oil/

Satchell A.C., Saurajen A., Bell C., Barnetson, R.S. "Treatment of Dandruff with 5% Tea Tree Oil Shampoo." PubMed. December 2002. Web. 5 May 2015.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12451368

Vien, Anya. "Top 5 Essential Oils for Hair Growth." LA Healthy Living. 22 March 2014. Web. 5 May 2015.

http://www.lahealthyliving.com/essential-oils/top-5-essential-oils-for-hair-growth/

Photo courtesy of Verefina

Katie Zapotoczny is a Verefina Affiliate and the creator of An Ever Green Life, a blog that seeks to empower readers to make changes that will improve their health and help protect our environment.