Healthy, Shiny, Natural Locks

I've been meaning to start writing lifestyle posts on how to make living simpler, greener and more healthy naturally. The first post here is on how to get rid of your shampoo and conditioner. Imagine how much money you could save over a lifetime without having to rely on shampoo and conditioner to feel clean. What if your hair could take care of itself? Not relying on these products increases the health of your hair, reduces your dependency on chemicals to make you clean and puts a little extra cash in your pocket.



Okay okay, how can this be possible? Well your hair naturally regulates its own oils, usually. When you shampoo your hair with store-bought products you are stripping it of essential oils and sending your hair into imbalance. Your hair overcompensates for the oil loss and you get greasy hair. Thus the cycle of dependency rages on! I guarantee everyone is stuck in this cycle. However, I have been using normal kitchen products to clean my hair (and will eventually reduce their use to once or twice a week). I have noticed that my hair is shiny, clean, soft, bouncy and even starting to curl like it used to since starting this regimen! All I am using is baking soda and apple cider vinegar. Other things you can add are lemon juice, essential oils for scent and honey. Raspberry oil also has vitamin E and A plus is a natural SPF which is good for rehabilitating sun-abused hair. By using these natural products versus chemicals you are reducing the amount of chemicals and pollutants entering our water systems as well!!!

Here is what you gotta do. Step one acquire baking soda and apple cider vinegar in large quantities if you are committed to switching for good. Get any of the "extras" you want to put in: honey moisturizes, lemon for added cleaning, essential oils for scent and vitamins. Eventually you will ween yourself off of this mixture to once or twice a week and then to only when you are really filthy.

For baking soda the ratio is one tbsp to one cup. I've been using 2 tbsp in a full cup of water in the shower and that has been working fabulously. I put the baking soda in a cup before I get in a shower and then fill it up with warm water in the shower, stir to completely dissolve and then apply. The vinegar is also one to one. However I've been using 3 tbsp vinegar and then just filling the cup up completely. I keep the cup in my shower and the baking soda, vinegar and a tablespoon measure in the cabinet in my bathroom.

It might be beneficial to mix these in dye application bottles or a spray bottle for easier application. Using this method of cleaning is very different from traditional products. There won't be any lather or feelings of squeaky cleanness. This is because you're not using detergents which strip your hair of oils. However, once your hair dries the vinegar smell will dissipate and your hair will be soft and shiny. I even got Brad to try this and he likes it too.

I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to get rid of my old shampoo products. I may cut back to using them every other day until they're gone or once a week rotating with the baking soda.

I hope that you can all start saving some green, reducing your body maintenance rituals and getting healthy hair naturally!

P.S. Here are some instructables on how to do this. They are variations of each other and both have good information.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-get-Self-Cleaning-Hair-The-Survival-Guide-/
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Go-No-Poo/