How to Detox Your Hair with Healing Clays & Mud

A reader emailed me and asked if I’d ever heard of using clay to wash or detox your hair. I hadn’t, but was intrigued.

Mud in Your Hair?

Turns out, clay can be very beneficial for hair in the same way it can be beneficial in the rest of the body: it removes toxins to leave hair super-clean and with a lot of shiny volume.


I still like my coconut milk shampoo, but from the comments, it definitely doesn’t work for everyone. This recipe is another great option that could be used regularly. It seems especially good for those with fine or naturally oily hair as it leaves the hair very clean, but I also found sites recommending it for those with coarse or frizzy hair for its ability to tame the hair (I can’t speak personally on this one as my hair is very fine.

If no-poo hasn’t worked for you, and homemade shampoo hasn’t worked for you, I’d encourage you to try this option. It can be customized for your hair type and lasts up to a week in the shower.

Sound strange to wash your hair with mud? Give it a try…

How to Detox Your Hair

As I mentioned in my herbal hair colors post, different herbs can have darkening or lightening effects on hair. Nettle is said to be great for hair, so I would use this on any hair color. I used chamomile flowers on my hair since it is blonde, but rosemary would be a better choice for dark hair (and it is also supposed to be good for dandruff).

These are the mixtures I’ve tried:

For blonde hair: 1/4 cup chamomile flowers + 2 tablespoons nettle leaf in 2 cups boiling water
For dark hair: 1/4 cup Rosemary leaf + 2 tablespoons nettle leaf in 2 cups of boiling water
After the mixture cools, I strained out the herbs and used 1 cup for the clay recipe and 1 cup for the final rinse with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar added.


Hair Detox Ingredients

1. 1 cup brewed herbal tea or water (see above for herb suggestions for your hair type)

2. 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

3. approximately 3/4 cup bentonite clay or redmond clay

4. 10 drops of essential oil of choice (optional- I used Lavender and Rosemary for hair growth)


Hair Detox Instructions

1. Note: Bentonite clay is most effective if it doesn’t come in contact with metal before use. Mix with wood, plastic or glass for best results, though I haven’t found that this makes much of a difference for hair products. I use an old mini-food processor with a plastic dough blade that I found at a thrift shop.

2. Brew the herbal tea and let cool slightly, make sure all herbs are strained out.

3. Pour tea and apple cider vinegar in a blender, food processor or non-metal bowl.

4. Start adding clay a tablespoon at a time while blending or whisking to incorporate it.

5. Keep adding clay until mixture is smooth and about the consistency of yogurt.

6. Add essential oils if using and mix in.

7. Store in an air-tight container in the shower for up to a week.

8. To Use: Wet hair. Starting at roots, massage a handful of the clay mixture into hair and work down to the roots. Repeat until all hair is coated. Leave 5 minutes or up to 20 minutes (do not let dry!) and rinse out with warm water.
optional: Rinse with a cup of herbal tea with 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar added.


source:- wellnessmama.com