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Homemade Body on Tap Shampoo Recipe

May 1, 2009 By Sage 57 Comments

My grandmother has stockpiled enough health and beauty products to last decades. She’s never rotated them, and I’m pretty sure I could make a small fortune selling the discontinued stuff on Ebay ;)

In her stockpile, I discovered “Body On Tap”, the most amazing bodyfing shampoo ever! Unfortunately, like many awesome things—Vanilla Cookie Crisp, Marshmallow Krispies, and Pine Bros. cough drops (now available again) come to mind—it was discontinued in the 1980s.

So, after years of mourning the loss of my beloved Body on Tap shampoo, and of using way too many products to achieve a similar, but far too stiff full-bodied look, I decided to take matters into my own hands and create my own homemade Body on Tap shampoo recipe.

Really, how hard can it be to mix beer and shampoo?

Here’s my homemade Body on Tap shampoo recipe! I get more body and shine from this homemade Body on Tap shampoo than I ever have from the salon products I’ve tried.

Homemade Body on Tap Shampoo
1 cup beer
(use the classy stuff, I like leftovers, or Black Label 40’s; flat is OK)1 cup shampoo
(I like V05 because it’s cheap, and not tested on animals)an empty bottle
(I reused one from my Trader Joe’s conditioner)

Bring the beer to a boil in a small pan over medium heat. Boil it uncovered until it’s reduced to 1/4 cup.

Homemade Body on Tap Shampoo
Whisk the shampoo into the reduced beer.

Homemade Body on Tap Shampoo
Voila! Instant body :)

Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. I’ll earn a commission if you place an order after clicking through to Amazon. 

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Filed Under: Frugal Living, Recipes

Comments

  1. donnexia says

    May 2, 2009 at 1:23 AM

    I thought I was the only one that mourned the passing of vanilla cookie crisp cereal. I loved that stuff!

    Reply
  2. Willow says

    May 2, 2009 at 11:13 PM

    Beer shampoo, there’s a blast from the past! Or how about “Gee, your hair smells terrific!” :p

    Reply
    • Anonymous says

      July 20, 2014 at 2:13 AM

      Vermont country store sells gee your hair smells terrific $14.95 a bottle

      Reply
  3. Pomegranate says

    May 5, 2009 at 5:47 PM

    Good idea!

    Reply
  4. Lynn says

    May 5, 2009 at 11:51 PM

    Wow, what a great idea. I never knew that shampoo plus beer equalled body and shine! Must give this a try sometime. Thanks for the recipe :)

    Reply
  5. retroliving says

    May 13, 2009 at 11:26 PM

    I am going to have to try this, very interesting post!
    ♥Darla

    Reply
  6. Anonymous says

    May 14, 2010 at 3:53 AM

    Thanks a bunch for the Idea! I will give it a go!
    You seem like a interesting person. I will be sending your page to my daughter who is vegetarian too! blessings

    Reply
  7. Anonymous says

    October 31, 2010 at 4:48 PM

    loved body bonus shampoo by avon with beer .. no longer can find that either .. thanks for the recipe body on tap isn’t in vermont country store catalog anymore, but gee your hair smell terrific still is, but like you said at 14.95, gee that’s really pricey.

    Reply
  8. Anonymous says

    November 25, 2010 at 4:32 PM

    hummm, i landed on this site because i was mourning the loss of Body on Tap shampoo which I used when I lived in South Africa a year ago. Its easy to find over there. Needless to say, thanks for the recipe. I’d love to try it!

    Reply
  9. Anonymous says

    December 24, 2010 at 8:07 AM

    thank you so much! I used that shampoo only once in my life, when I was 19. I am now 35, and still searching for it!!! I remember it cuz it made my fine limp hair full of body and bounce. They should bring it back…

    Reply
  10. Anonymous says

    January 25, 2011 at 5:25 PM

    Could you make a beer conditioner as well? Or is using the beer shampoo enough?

    Reply
  11. Anonymous says

    January 26, 2011 at 9:43 PM

    I miss my “brew-doo”…going to have to try the recipe – thanks!

    Reply
  12. Anonymous says

    February 28, 2011 at 7:02 AM

    This was the most awesome shampoo. I used it in the early 80’s and it drove guys nuts! Everyone asked me what I used on my hair, not only did it look good but the smell really mad guys go crazy. I’d have strangers come up to me and ask what kind of shampoo I used. I’m going to try this… hope I get the same results!!

    Reply
  13. amy says

    April 19, 2011 at 7:18 AM

    THE SMELL, yes I will try the recipe for the body and shine and thank you for taking the time to finalize the a good recipe. BUT, does ANYBODY ever found a shampoo that put out an aroma like Body on Tap? Im with the one who had complete strangers who used to come up and ask what kind of shampoo I used. Could you imagine smelling that aroma again? It would bring us all back 30 years. I would just love to know what the single one ingrediant that made it such a strong,wonderful fragrant. I do know that 1/3 of it was beer, so if anyone just.had an old bottle?To the one who used to live in Africa, they no longer make it like the original with beer. The name was bought and a new formula was made. Does the new one have the very strong fragrance? If so, we could buy it from Africa by the case(maybe cheaper that way)and use it in the recipe above???what do you all think?

    Reply
    • Trish says

      November 17, 2015 at 5:07 PM

      Sure, Im in! I used it when I was a little girl. To smell that once again would be heaven! I would pay big bucks for an original bottle of that.

      Reply
  14. Anonymous says

    April 27, 2011 at 2:04 AM

    thanks,n won;t b $15.00 why does it cost so much,i did love it,it was like 99cents,

    Reply
  15. linda says

    August 7, 2011 at 12:59 AM

    BODY ON TAP BRING IT BACK ! IN MY OPINION IT WAS THE BEST SMELLING SHAMPOO EVER. IT MADE MY HAIR SHINE AND SMELL SOOOO GOOD. I OPEN EVERY SHAMPOO BOTTLE MADE HOPING FOR SOMETHING THAT SMELLS CLOSE. I TRIED THE SHAMPOO AND BEER MIXING THING IT WORKS , BUT I MISS THE FRAGRANCE !

    Reply
  16. Jack's Girl says

    August 19, 2011 at 6:19 AM

    I have done this with both shampoo and conditioner, and it works. I try to pick a shampoo without a strong scent to it, so that the scent of the beer comes through (Suave works well, and also cheap like V05. You can use a cheap shampoo, the beer makes up for it, conditioning wise). I tried many brands of beer, couldn’t find the right smell, until my dad suggested I try a malt liquor type of beer. I tried Mickeys, in the green bottle, and it came pretty close to the smell. Not perfect, but pretty good. I too loved that scent, used to drive boyfriends crazy with how good my hair smelled. Good luck, I hope someone has great success replicating this scent. It was one of a kind.

    Reply
    • Patricia Clark says

      March 4, 2015 at 11:08 PM

      Budweiser was the beer they used in the original shampoo. Try that . :)

      Reply
      • Sage says

        March 5, 2015 at 9:32 AM

        Thanks for the tip! Unfortunately, now that I live in Denmark, Bud isn’t easy to come by, but maybe one of my readers will try it and report back :)

        Reply
      • Sheelah Sodhi says

        December 17, 2016 at 7:08 PM

        There has to be a way to revive this shampoo. The scent was just incredible.

        Reply
  17. Rossy says

    November 30, 2011 at 5:15 AM

    THE BEST SHAMPOO ON THE WORLD, I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS 18 OLD YEARS, THE FRAGANCE I NEVER FORGOT THAT AROMA I WANT IT AGAIN.

    Reply
  18. tabbycat says

    December 14, 2011 at 4:37 PM

    I will have to try your recipe. As with yourself and your other commentators, I also miss Body On Tap. I guess us fine-haired gals who grew up in the late-70s got spoiled (and I see a few who are also from Pennsylvania/Pittsburgh – I have never been able to style my hair when I live in PA)! I looked it up on the internet and Wikipedia says that it is still sold through the Vermont Country Store. It is currently not in stock (it doesn’t say why, or if it is gone forever), but as you said, it’s $14.95. I find it highly interesting that one woman here says she has had it recently in South Africa! Thanks so much for creating it in your home/lab! Also, Vermont Country Store has “Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific,” Lemon Up,” and their own knock-off of Herbal Essences. Why is it that they take popular and successful products out of production? It is madness. Thanks again!

    Reply
  19. Anonymous says

    April 1, 2012 at 5:00 AM

    i do the beer and shampoo but i add perfume to it it helps give my hair a freat smell most of the time i use bath n body sprays they work the best goo luck all but i have search the world over in the usa that is and havent found it in 25 yrs we need it back badly ty n gb

    Reply
  20. Anonymous says

    May 25, 2012 at 7:37 PM

    Ahhh…Body on Tap. In this world, good things never remain.People always try to “improve” it.
    I remember the fragrance like it was yesterday…ahh to go back 30 years!

    Reply
  21. Anonymous says

    June 11, 2012 at 2:58 PM

    Still remember 35 years ago standing in the shower in college using my Body on Tap. It was the best and who couldnt relate to a shampoo in a beer bottle while in college

    Reply
  22. Anonymous says

    October 3, 2012 at 1:02 AM

    BTW, you can buy Pine Bros. cough drops again. I get mine at Woodman’s Grocery stores in Wisconsin. They now come in large bags vs. the small boxes, and are just like they always were–the BEST!

    Reply
  23. Sage says

    October 4, 2012 at 3:19 PM

    Anonymous,

    Thanks for the heads up re: Pine Bros. I’ve got a colleague coming over in late October and he’s bringing me 2 bags!!! I can’t wait to taste them again :)

    ~ Sage

    Reply
  24. Karen Worthington says

    October 7, 2012 at 11:03 PM

    Got here through the link provided to the nice man who used to make Body On Tap-great history!
    https://sites.google.com/site/ataplow/bodyontapshampoo

    Reminds me of a tip from Heloise’s Housekeeping Hints (my copy is copyrighted 1962)-she suggests using stale beer to dampen your hair before rolling it up in curlers.

    Don’t know if anyone uses curlers anymore….

    Reply
  25. Anonymous says

    November 2, 2012 at 5:55 AM

    I would LOVE to use BOT again–I’ve ALWAYS wondered why it was discontinued–it was a great shampoo, no other shampoo ever lived up to that scent!

    BRING BACK OUR B O T!!

    Reply
  26. Anonymous says

    February 1, 2013 at 12:07 AM

    Oh to be able to find Body On Tap shampoo again. It was the BEST shampoo ever made. It was the greatest smell. My hair is thick and it made it so healthy looking with volume. I absolutely have to try your recipe. Thank you!

    Reply
  27. Anonymous says

    March 1, 2013 at 2:35 PM

    I had to call Clairol today because I have been thinking about Body on Tap 30 years ago, I loved that smell, didn’t know about the beer, I would love to have that shampoo back, nothing ever smelled sooo good!!

    Reply
  28. Phyllis Rainbow Rolo says

    April 20, 2013 at 7:51 AM

    I made a batch using Burts Bees baby shampoo and Mickeys beer. Easy directions, smells great, gentle, and my hair is shiny.
    Thanks for a great recipe.

    I miss the original Herbal Essence green shampoo too!

    Reply
  29. Anonymous says

    May 27, 2013 at 6:42 AM

    If you miss Herbal Essence (green shampoo, the original), try Vanart Herbal Essence Shampoo (green), which is made in Mexico. We can find it here in Florida, but don’t know about getting it elsewhere in the U.S. You can order it online though. Another one to try is Mirta de Perales Herbal Fresh Shampoo (green also).

    Reply
  30. Anonymous says

    May 30, 2013 at 3:50 PM

    I feel the same as all of you. We need our Body on Tap back. I think we should all combine our voices and email Bristol Meyers and tell them how interested we are in purchasing the original recipe Body on Tap. I know I would gladly pay $10-15 per 16oz bottle. That would still be less than what I pay now to try to get the same beautiful body and strong beautiful scents for my very fine and down to my butt hair. COME ON LADIES, LET US ALL BOTHER BRISTOL MEYERS. I will send them an email today. Until it comes back I will try the home made recipe. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  31. Anonymous says

    September 22, 2013 at 12:14 AM

    I miss Body on Tap tremendously!! Have tried to find it for years. I found a new revised version of it online, but it didn’t have the great smell. I also remember people asking what shampoo I used. Really wish they’d bring it back!

    Reply
  32. Anonymous says

    December 22, 2013 at 1:42 PM

    Cathrine

    I miss that shampoo so much! Again the smell of that product… i never find it else were. I’m from Québec Canada and the last bottle a purchase was in the early ’90. Lets get together and force that cie to produce that product again.

    Reply
  33. Anonymous says

    February 7, 2014 at 12:59 AM

    Who the heck would have ruined this awesome shampoo by drinking it…Yuck…What a shame and a huge loss…I’m gonna try this recipie…Sounds awesome, but can we get that scent back?? They need to make a scratch and sniff sticker because I remember my grandma having it in her shower stall…and I still smell my grandma sometimes and she’s been gone a long long time…how sad!

    Reply
  34. Anonymous says

    April 4, 2014 at 8:08 PM

    I’ve been thinking about the Body On Tap conditioner for years, wondering why they discontinued it. I used to buy bottles and bottles every month (I’m South African), because I wash and condition my hair daily. That fragrance hung around me permanently, along with L’Eau D’Issey and Labello’s Matté Strawberry Lip Balm. I really want that conditioner back on the market. I switched to Pantene for the fragrance and the shine it gave my thick, coarse hair, but they changed THAT formula, too. Body On Tap is still available in South Africa, but it’s not the same formula anymore.

    Reply
  35. Anonymous says

    June 23, 2014 at 12:49 PM

    Hi everyone I have just come across this site because someone told me shampoo has a shelf life and I am trying to find out if this is so, because guess what I have about 18 bottles still of the old Body on Tap Shampoo, which was made with real beer in South Africa at Bristol Myers, where I once worked so have actually seen this being made, and coming back to the uk in 1995 could not find anything to compare to B.O.T so sent to S.Africa for about 30 bottles and I am still using it and it has not gone of in anyway think the stock I have will last me for ever still love it. Kath Sutcliffe UK

    Reply
  36. Jen Jones says

    October 12, 2015 at 4:19 AM

    I too have searched the world over for that amazing sent. I grew up with that shampoo and vividly remember that sent. I will make this shampoo in hopes for a slight resemblance. My hair was so shiny and thick, full of body. I miss that. I too wish Bristol Myers would bring back the original body on tap. Nothing else will do. Thank you so much for this post. It has humored me to no end. So glad I’m not alone in my silly quest for this shampoo. So reassuring!

    Reply
  37. Norma says

    February 11, 2016 at 6:42 AM

    Ladies, ladies I’ve cried myself to sleep many a times over BOT. During my youth (15 years old) I went through a very difficult time. My oldest sister bought me my very own bottle of BOT. I washed my hair daily and even fell asleep with it. I loved the smell and just couldn’t get enough. This BOT was my therapy and brought many smiles to my face. Although I now show my age with my smile, it gets bigger when I read all your beautiful comments. Good luck to everyone in helping to bring BOT back on the market, even if they just made the original one for one run of a month.

    Reply
  38. Janine Lalande says

    May 1, 2016 at 4:30 AM

    I think that if this company reads all the comments and realizes that there are many other women who did not comment who loved and miss this product- that they would bring back the original Body On Tap Shampoo and Conditioner.

    Reply
    • Sage says

      May 1, 2016 at 4:26 PM

      I’m forever perplexed by how so many inferior products remain on the market, but one like Body On Tap was discontinued.

      Reply
  39. Patricia says

    June 18, 2016 at 5:49 AM

    When I was 18 that was the only shampoo body on tap that I ever used I am 58 now would love to see it come back on the Shelf I miss body on tap one of the greatest smelling shampoo there was it made my hair seem way thicker because I have real fine hair if it did come back I would have to buy it by the case that’s how much I love it!!!!?

    Reply
    • Randy Morris says

      October 17, 2016 at 6:36 AM

      I am with you on this!!!!! I would buy a case myself!!! Come on Bristol – Myers, please find it in your heart and company to treat millions of people to what we loved and show the new generation what they missed back then!!
      ?

      Reply
  40. L. Bermudez-Hafer says

    August 24, 2016 at 6:13 PM

    I, too, used BOT. I will be 60 soon; still have naturally long blonde hair down to my waist; & can smell BOT as if I used it yesterday. I have very fine hair, & when I used it my hair was thick, luxurious, & very shiny. I agree with all of you said, it is ridiculous that they always take good products off the market!

    Reply
  41. Susan Treadaway says

    September 4, 2016 at 3:53 AM

    That shampoo was awesome, great, wonderful. I bought it all the time. I was so sad when it disappeared. I want it back, until then I will try to make something like it. Please if it was brought back it would be a great seller.

    Reply
  42. Meredith says

    November 28, 2016 at 5:31 AM

    I am thrilled to find this page! I loved that shampoo and have thought about it for years! I’m going to try to make it… I remember the smell of BOT too!! That would be awesome if it came back!!

    Reply
  43. Virginia says

    December 21, 2016 at 11:56 AM

    Loved Body on Tap AND Herbal Essence from the 70’s. I’m sure they still have the recipes…

    Reply
  44. Sharlene says

    May 10, 2017 at 3:18 PM

    Oh my goodness , yes, lets all get together in writing the company. This surly was THE BEST shampoo everyone loved the smell and the body and shine it gave your hair . I have to have it and would pay anything for just one bidder .
    I have gotten gee your hair smells terrific from The Vermont Country Store but thought the smell was just similar and I had to use a lot to get it to leather I wasn’t impressed and didn’t but it again .
    But back to B O T …
    We need to get this back .

    Reply
  45. hettaaussel says

    May 30, 2017 at 12:39 PM

    YES PLEASE BRING BACK BODY ON TAP! IT MAKES MY HAIR SOOOO MANAGEABLE.

    Reply
  46. Jill says

    June 26, 2017 at 4:59 AM

    Body On Tap, Lemon-Up and the REAL Original Herbal Essence….they were the best shampoos ever! I don’t know why they would ever d/c such great products. Wella Balsam was fabulous too.

    Reply
  47. Santa-Fe Navarre says

    November 15, 2017 at 3:37 AM

    Body on Tap Was the Only Shampoo I Bought For Years There is Nothing on the Market That Comes Close To How Your Hair Looks and Feels and Smells Like BOT Shampoo I would But it By The Case If it Was Available..PLEASE bring it Back.Bristle Myers.I am Going to Try The Recipe That Was Posted But I Loved The Smell As Well as It Made Your Hair
    Shine.Nothing Compares To BODY ON TAP.Thanks For the Tip.Hope I Can Find Out What was Also Put into The Shampoo That Made it Smell So AWESOME

    Reply
  48. Kristen says

    December 9, 2019 at 9:29 AM

    I am 67 Years old, and I used Body on Tap exclusively when I was a teenager. I also still miss Body on Tap. The sad thing is, I knew Vermont CountryStore carried Body on Tap, but I just put off buying it for some reason. I just figured they would sell it forever like they do most of their other “discontinued” products. Hindsight is 20/20, I guess. I am going to try this recipe with several shampoos until I find a delicious fragrance that drives my husband of 47 years wild !

    Reply
  49. Michelle says

    April 5, 2020 at 4:29 AM

    awesome idea cant wait to try this. thank you. I’m 54 yrs old and I used it from day 1 till they took it off the shelf I was so upset but I am definitely gonna try this.

    Reply
  50. Michelle says

    April 5, 2020 at 8:25 PM

    I said I was gonna try it and I did but I used a dark lager and oh my goodness it smelled so good and it made my hair so soft I love it thank you.

    Reply

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Once upon a time, I had the chance to move to the happiest country in the world!

My restless Aries spirit liked that idea, so I did what any girl in my position would do… I grabbed my cat, booked a one-way ticket to Denmark, and became an expat!

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