a year and a half ago, youtube naptural85 posted a youtube video in which she washes her hair with a diy, homemade african black shampoo, and swore by its effectiveness in maintaining a healthy scalp, and moisturized locks. now, as a girl who had just done the big chop, I was a bit hesitant to compromise my precious 4c curls for a diy stint that I had found on a whim. however, after reading the comments, I decided to take a chance and dive into the diy world, especially since african black soap has previously worked wonders on my skin. the recipe used is as follows: 

ingredients/tools

1. half a jar of warm water (or any amount, dependent on the quantity of how much shampoo is preferred)
2. ⅓ to ½ bar of african black soap (dependent on the quantity of water)
3. 3 teaspoons of adwoa beauty baomint oil blend
4. 1 teaspoon each of 3 of your favorite oils
5. 1 butter knife

directions:

1. fill up half a jar of warm water, or any amount, dependent on the quantity of how much shampoo is preferred.
2. using the butter knife, cut off thin, dissolvable shavings of african black soap, and empty them into the jar full of water.
3. add the adwoa beauty baomint oil blend, along with the other preferred oils.
4. stir the jar to dissolve the african black soap shavings, and mix the solution.
5. let sit for 1-2 hours, or until the shavings are all dissolved.

after using the shampoo for weeks, to my surprise, I had actually found that the bulk of my hair’s behavior had changed. although african black soap is initially claimed to be drying, the oils placed in the solution end up offsetting the dryness and moisturizing the scalp. in fact, the african black soap serves as a clarifying agent to gently rid the scalp of dirt, while maintaining a natural ph. upon the discovery of this diy shampoo, I had initially thought that my hair wouldn’t make such a big difference. however, after three washes alone, I had found that my hair begun to thicken, as well as retain more moisture, due to the lack of overdrying that is in most advertised non-plant based shampoos.

now, to say that I was shook was an understatement. I was completely impressed by what african black soap could do, especially to my scalp! ultimately, if you try this at home, be sure to include the oils; the most key ingredients. without oils, the diy shampoo will leave you with dry, unhappy locks. in fact, the baomint oil blend was my most prized ingredient, as it added palpable stimulation to my scalp, as well as maximum hydration. not only was this a holy grail diy for me, but it was extremely easy to execute.

all in all, I was thoroughly satisfied and pleased with the results. in fact, if you try this at home, let us know your diy experience in the comments!

happy washing! - aj