DIY: Rhassoul Hair Wash

i began mixing my own hair wash for the sole reason of finding the right mix that would salvage my sensitive and upset scalp. throughout the years i have used numerous of natural shampoos and while they were certainly better than the commercial cheap and high end brands, then something was still missing. i then found out about Rhassoul clay: a Moroccan clay used to clean skin and hair. i realize that the idea of washing your hair with clay seems a bit odd. so does it work? oh yes! you might think it'll make your hair dry and straw like, but quite contrary. it leaves your hair soft and shiny and your scalp in tip top condition (but give it some time to work). i will not use anything else now, and trust me, my scalp has been one angry scalp for a very long time and it takes no crap, but Rhassoul has beat it, or rather washed it, into submission. no more itches, no more dry or oily scalp (works wonders on dandruff too), and with continued use you'll be able to wash your hair less frequently.

now, this clay/mud based hair wash is one you can buy online, a brand named Terressentials makes these hair washes. however, you can also make one yourself. the very basic you need is just Rhassoul clay (it comes in a powder or little chips). there are various ways of mixing you own Rhassoul based hair wash...

1) Rhassoul mixed with water... this works just fine. of course it doesn't really have any fragrant smell. Rhassoul has an earthy smell so it's not foul at all, at least not to my nose. one thing though... it will not foam. this is as pure and natural as it gets hence it contains no surfactants (which is what makes your shampoo and body wash foam). however it's not the foam that cleans, yet if you're expecting a rich creamy lather, then forget it. this is like rubbing mud through your hair, and this mud is packed with minerals and goodies that your hair and scalp will love, and your hair will come out feeling luxuriously soft and silky... just so we got that straight. so if you can get used to that, then keep on mixing. you can mix Rhassoul and water into a creamy mud like consistency or you can make it runnier... whichever suits you.

2) Rhassoul mixed with water and organic aloe vera juice. adding organic aloe vera juice to the mix will add healing nutrients.

3) Rhassoul mixed with organic floral water and organic aloe vera juice. using a floral water instead of plain water will add some lovely natural fragrance and additional benefits all depending on the floral water you choose. i like rose water and neroli (orange blossom) water. they both smell wonderful and are great for sensitive and demanding skin.

and lastly... adding a few drops of organic essential oils will make the fragrance stronger and longer lasting, but be careful not to add too many, just a couple of drops. lavender and chamomile are both very soothing and healing, and then they smell lovely as well. i don't use any essential oils though.

now, i'm sure there are many other herbs and flowers you can add to the Rhassoul hair wash, and you can always experiment with different ingredients (if you don't have any floral waters available, then you can always brew some tea and use that).

mixing your own Rhassoul hair wash is cheaper than buying Terressentials' hair washes. also the Terressentials' hair washes come in bottles and getting the last bit out of the bottles is a hassle. you can buy Rhassoul clay fairly cheap and floral waters aren't too expensive either. i usually have aloe vera juice and some kind of floral water in the house, so i don't have to go out and invest in a lot to make this hair wash. i store my mud in a jar, it's much easier to scoop it out than to squeeze it out from a bottle. don't try to mix a batch that'll last for several months, it's better to keep it fresh and mix a little less at the time. i make a mix that'll last for a couple of weeks, and mixing a new batch only takes a couple of minutes.

i just thought i'd share this with you. there might be someone out there who'd find this helpful and if that'll be the case, then i'd be very happy :-)