Yucca root Shampoo

[CurlyOne]

I am very excited about this one. I think I found something really truly natural that my hair likes. For those of you who don't know Yucca is a plant that grows all over the western US. It is a really spiky plant with a very thick, fibrous root.

I still don't know how I came across this but I found an article on line about the Navajo tribe and shampoo. I thought, "humm, we have that all over the yard." So this morning I went out and dug my own shampoo! It is a really interesting feeling seeing it go from the ground to your hair. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/mystery/amer...and/yucca.html

I cleaned the root and with a knife peeled the outer bark off it. ( It's pretty tough) After my hair was wet in the shower I took a stainless steel bowl with some warm water in it and rubbed the root like a bar of soap. Your hands and the bowl have to literally be squeaky clean or it won't work at all. It foams pretty well but I couldn't get it to look like they show in the article. Then I poured the liquid over my scalp and massaged it in. So since my hair was pretty oily I decided to do multiple washes. Eventually I figured out that when you pull the root apart you can rapidly swish the bits of root (about and inch long, maybe a centimeter thick) in the water to get better foam, it doesn't take a lot of water.

I think I could have rinsed a little better, feels a tad bit gunky, but I'm learning . I didn't use conditioner and I don't really think I needed it. My hair is drying and it is really very soft and brushed out really easily.

I have always wanted to make my own shampoo but everything had to be special ordered so I never did it. I am impressed at how well it cleans, my scalp isn't oily and yet it didn't squeak when I touched it.

Con- you get little bits of yucca in your hair if you don't pour slowly
I don't think I rinsed well enough but I did do about three washing, a bit of overkill methinks
If you don't have yucca where you are you would have to order it.

Pro- Clean scalp, I have seen articles that say it is good for dandruff so we will see about that
No funny smell
Soft hair
I didn't seem to need conditioner

Normally I don't jump the gun with this kind of stuff but I was so happy with it I had to share

[ktani]

I tried dried yucca as a shampoo - 2 species - several times a while ago. I could not get fresh yucca root where I am - Toronto, Canada - I ordered it online.

I infused it with boiled water, simmered water, used a hand blender to get it to foam and hand swishing before straining. I also tried it with warm water.

I found that both species left my hair with a residue that left it stringy/gunky after 2 consecutive washes several days apart, although they left my hair clean and soft right after washing. I tried both again after using shampoo to remove the residue - same thing - after 2 more tries in a row - the residue effect.

Yucca may have just needed a vinegar rinse to follow - I never tried that. I followed the yucca shampoo with catnip.

One species was more drying than the other. The more drying one was Yucca shidigera. I did research it - Shidigera has more saponins that the other species I used, which I believe was Yucca filimentosa - it did not get my hair as clean as the shidigera.

I did not keep my research records but I still have yucca in my cupboard, one bag just says yucca root - it is powdered and I think it is shidigera - the other is cut and sifted - it is shidigera - I do know that.

The first yucca I tried was the filimentosa but I threw that one out after buying the shidigera. If nothing else, taken internally, yucca is supposed to be good for arthritis - which thankfully, I do not have.

Cassava - the plant you can buy at the grocery store, that can be referred to as yucca is not a true yucca - that is just a common name for it. Cassava is used as a food and is high in starch.

I think that the fresh yucca root may be different in terms of the results I had with the dried root. I will be reading this thread with interest.

The colour of the liquid I got that I used as shampoo was a light golden yellow - it did not affect my hair colour or stain my grey/white. I did not leave in on my hair for long. It was easy to wash my hair with - it had a slip to it. I tested the liquid - yucca is acidic - I do not remember the approximate pH but is was not below 4.5 or very acidic.

I had no permanent problems or damage from trying dried yucca root as a shampoo. The residue washed out easily enough with conventional shampoo. Neither yucca species irritated my scalp or stung my eyes but I do not remember either getting in my eyes particularly.

I was just disappointed that it did not work out for me.

[Catladyintown]

Curlyone congratulations on the Yucca wash. I have used Yucca before and it was okay. But it did try out my hair a little. It does clean very well through.

[Shell]

I recommend mixing it with conditioning herbs, and following up with a vinegar rinse. Herbs you could add are: marshmallow, red clover, elder flower, and horsetail. I have often used these together and gotten good results.

[ktani]

Thanks Shell

I was wondering about that.

[CurlyOne]

I recommend mixing it with conditioning herbs, and following up with a vinegar rinse. Herbs you could add are: marshmallow, red clover, elder flower, and horsetail. I have often used these together and gotten good results.

Have you done yucca with this before? I don't claim to be an expert by any means but I seemed to get pretty good results with just the yucca. How would I go about adding other herbs to it? Would you do EO or the actual plant?

[Shell]

Have you done yucca with this before? I don't claim to be an expert by any means but I seemed to get pretty good results with just the yucca. How would I go about adding other herbs to it? Would you do EO or the actual plant?

Yep. I've added all of those herbs, and others, to my mix. I don't really use many EOs, I just used the dry herbs. Recipes will be forthcoming in the Western herb article, but generally 1/2 cup of yucca and 1/4 cup of the other herbs should do it.

Have fun!

[CurlyOne]

Thank you a bunch!

Recipes will be forthcoming in the Western herb article

Now, when you say 'western' do you mean western US or something else? I would love stuff about plants here!

[Shell]

Thank you a bunch!


Now, when you say 'western' do you mean western US or something else? I would love stuff about plants here!

Western as opposed to Indian. We did an Indian herb article last year--you can read it in the articles section.

[Um Enis]

hibiscus and fenugreek are also good conditioning rinses. Hibiscus less than the fenugreek, but if you didn't need a conditioner, it might be all you need.