i have quit washing my hair. before you jump to conclusions and get all disgusted with me, let me clarify.
while i have never considered (nor do i now) myself an outdoorsy person, my interests (and b) have been steering me toward all things natural and sustainable in the last few years. i still don’t like dirt under my fingernails. and i would probably have an aneurysm if a tick ever got on me. but i am now a tentative geo-cacher, a proponent of the ‘let it mellow’ philosophy, a vegetarian, and an explorer of natural alternatives for chemical cleaners. the latter bringing me to this blog post.
recently, i read an article about phosphorous and its effect on wisconsin water ecosystems. anyone that had seen a bright green, stagnant body of water has witnessed the effects of an excess of phosphorous in water. algae blooms feed off the chemical pollution and overgrow, preventing much needed sunlight from reaching underwater plant life, destroying the oxygen content of the water and creating “dead zones” such as the one at the mouth of the mighty mississippi. the algae overgrowth can be remedied by aerating the water but the chemicals still need to be removed before to prevent water toxicity from harming animals or people that come in contact with the water. phosphates can be found in anything from dishwasher detergent to fertilizer.
while nothing in this article was wholly related to shampoo, it sparked my interest in pursuing natural cleansers for both my dishes and my body. i switched to natural dishsoap and bought arm & hammer laundry detergent. i began doing more research that led me to shampoo.
sodium lauryl sulfate, shampoo’s magic ingredient, is under increasing attack for its role in eliminating hair oil and creating the luxurious lather we so crave. while no one likes a greasy scalp, this chemical is also used to degrease engines and clean floors as well as lyse (read: destroy their membrane in order to extract DNA) cells. so, i got to thinking: i’m putting a chemical on my head daily that could be used to destroy my cells and then paying to clean that chemical from the very water that i will put back into my body in food and drink. i wouldn’t usually think of bathing in, or imbibing, any chemical from my dad’s garage, so i decided to go SLS-free. this brought b and i to j.r.liggetts, a biodegradable natural shampoo bar made entirely of natural oils.
despite its earth-friendliness, it left my hair dry. so i immediately began looking for a natural conditioner and found that apple cider vinegar works to close off the cuticle of the hair, naturally smoothing the shaft and adding shine. i, hesitantly, decided to try it but ,upon feeling the silky smooth effect, i am a convert. my naturally wavy hair is incredibly soft and shiny and i’ve only shampooed it twice this week. i also, fortunately, don’t smell like a pickle. while i’ll be sticking with the shampoo bar, b has been using baking soda as a replacement. i’ve listed her proportion below. enjoy!
baking soda shampoo
2 Tbsp to 2 cups of water, dissolve well, massage into scalp.
cider vinegar conditioner
1/4 cup of ACV to 2 cups water, pour over head after shampooing, rinse well.
