6-Ingredient Natural Shampoo for Hair Fall, Stronger Roots & Healthier Hair

Hair fall, excessive oiliness, product buildup and dry, lifeless strands can sometimes make you feel as though your regular shampoo simply isn’t doing enough. And while changing shampoos every few weeks may be tempting, traditional Indian herbs offer another interesting way to care for your scalp and hair.

This simple 6-ingredient herbal shampoo combines some of the most popular ingredients traditionally used in Indian hair care—amla, reetha, shikakai, bhringraj, hibiscus and multani mitti.

Unlike a regular liquid shampoo, this DIY is prepared as a fresh herbal paste before your hair wash. Reetha acts as the primary cleansing ingredient, while the remaining herbs help leave the scalp feeling fresh and the hair softer, cleaner and healthier-looking.

Ingredients You Will Need

• 2 tablespoons reetha powder
• 1 tablespoon amla powder
• 1 tablespoon shikakai powder
• 1 tablespoon bhringraj powder
• 1 tablespoon hibiscus powder
• 1 tablespoon multani mitti
• Enough lukewarm water to make a smooth paste

Why These Ingredients?

Reetha: Also known as soapnut, reetha naturally contains saponins and has traditionally been used as a cleansing ingredient for the hair and scalp. It helps remove excess oil and dirt without creating the heavy foam associated with conventional shampoos.

Amla: Amla is one of the best-known Ayurvedic hair-care ingredients. It is rich in naturally occurring antioxidant compounds and is traditionally used to support stronger, shinier-looking hair.

Shikakai: Often called a natural hair cleanser, shikakai helps clean the scalp while leaving hair feeling softer and more manageable.

Bhringraj: Bhringraj has a long history of use in traditional hair oils and masks. It is commonly used in routines designed for weak, thinning or breakage-prone hair.

Hibiscus: Hibiscus powder gives this mixture an extra conditioning boost and can help hair feel smoother and look more lustrous after washing.

Multani Mitti: Multani mitti, or Fuller’s earth, absorbs excess oil and buildup from the scalp, making it especially useful for people with an oily scalp.

How to Prepare the Herbal Shampoo

Take a clean mixing bowl and add 1 tablespoon each of amla, bhringraj, shikakai, hibiscus powder and multani mitti.

Now add 2 tablespoons of reetha powder.

Mix all the dry powders thoroughly.

Slowly pour in lukewarm water while stirring. Do not add too much water at once. You want a consistency similar to a smooth yogurt or hair mask—not a watery liquid.

Allow the mixture to sit for around 5–10 minutes so the herbs become properly hydrated.

Your natural herbal shampoo is now ready to use.

How to Use It

First, thoroughly wet your scalp and hair.

Divide your hair into sections and apply the herbal mixture mainly to your scalp and roots. Spread whatever remains gently through the lengths.

Using your fingertips, massage your scalp very gently for around 1–2 minutes. Avoid scratching with your nails.

Leave the herbal mixture on for another 2–5 minutes.

Rinse thoroughly with plenty of water until all traces of the herbal powders have been removed.

Because this recipe contains reetha and multani mitti, your hair may feel slightly different from hair washed with a silicone-rich commercial shampoo. If your lengths are naturally dry, apply a small amount of conditioner only to the mid-lengths and ends afterward.

How Often Should You Use It?

For most people, once or twice a week is enough.

If you have an oily scalp, you may find this herbal cleanser particularly useful. However, people with very dry, curly, chemically treated or color-treated hair should start with once a week and consider reducing or omitting the multani mitti if it feels too drying.

Always make the wet mixture fresh rather than storing it for several days.