Eschewing the 'Poo

I have officially gone a week-and-a-half without using shampoo.

My hair looks and feels amazing!

Weekend before last, my older daughter and I were browsing Pinterest for inspiration on stretch loop creations.  Somehow, we stumbled across a blog talking about the "No Poo Method" of hair washing.  I thought, Hmmm.  That looks interesting and worth trying.  In our house, what the mommy does, the girls have to do, so we got serious about learning more about this method.

Shampoos, for the most part, contains sulfates (usually sodium laurel sulfate or ammonia laurel sulfate).  These sulfates are actually pretty strong detergents which strip hair of oils and styling products, as well as produce lather.  When we use these products, yes, our hair gets clean, but then our hair has to work overtime producing its natural oils.  It tends to go overboard, producing an abundance of oils, which makes us dive for that shampoo again.  Conditioner helps some, but not permanently.

With no-poo, we're washing with a tablespoon of baking soda, followed by rinsing with a dilution of apple cider vinegar (2 tablespoons diluted in a cup of water).  We do that twice a week and water only in between times.  I used conditioner last week to wash mousse out of my hair, and I swore I'd never do that again!  My hair felt so waxy, and I'm not sure if it felt yucky because of its transition or because of the conditioner.  Overall, though, my natural waves and curls are soft, springy and tangle-free.  I'd like to say that this method is saving me lots of time in the shower and a good bit of water, but it's been bitterly cold this week, so my showers are lasting just as long as they had been.

Nice and inexpensive ingredients here. Generic is absolutely fine!
From another no-poo'er: http://ohwhimsicalme.blogspot.com/2013/04/baking-soda-and-vinegar-hair-care.html

I still like my styling products and I like using my mousse and hairspray.  I can't go from Wednesday to Saturday (my second wash day of the week) with gunk on my hair, though.  So what's a girl to do?  I think I'm going to content myself with going lo-poo in those situations.  Surely I can use my own soap on my hair for one or two washings a week when I'm using the apple cider vinegar to condition it.  I was vacillating about this when I got this awesome message from a friend/customer last night:

I asked [my husband], who has a LOT of scalp issues, we're talking raised, itchy lesions on his scalp what he's been using for shampoo, hoping to get him on board. Turns out he hasn't had a lesion or an itchy scalp for a while now. Wanna guess what he's been using? Your soap.

So, it looks like my own handmade soap will do the trick for keeping my hair clean naturally between washings.  This is also good to know for our upcoming summer excursions to the beach.

Do you have natural solutions for taking care of your hair, body or home?  Let's hear about them!

Related articles

• Trying to reduce consumption of hair products: no 'poo hair maintenance
• Going No 'Poo: Yea Or Nay?
• No Poo (its not as bad as it sounds)
• Why I Don't "No-Poo" with Baking Soda or Castile Soap Anymore

Sun On The Go Sets

If you haven't heard by now, IT'S HERE!!!  It's bright!  It's sunny!  And it's made especially for little girls on the go.  What is it?  It's Sun On The Go, my daughter's fabulous new set of girly essentials.

This set is made for little girls on vacation.  My daughter said that little girls needed their own products when they're traveling, and that was the catalyst for this epiphany.  She doesn't really like the soaps and shampoos available at most commercial hotel chains, and who can blame her?  Usually what they are passing off as soap is a very drying detergent bar, and the shampoo has no conditioning properties at all, making hair brushing after a day in the wind and water a truly miserable experience.  Sun On The Go ensures little girls have their own moisturizing soap and conditioning shampoo, as well as a yummy after sun lotion.

This set contains four fabulous products.  As the girl enjoying this set comes back from hiking in the mountains or riding the waves at the beach, she starts her bathing experience with cheery yellow conditioning shampoo.  Not only does this product clean all the dirt and sweat out of her hair, but it'll also help reduce tangles.  Next, she'll wash with our homemade body wash, a fabulous castille liquid soap.  After bathing, she'll moisturize her sun-kissed arms and legs with Sun On The Go After Sun Soother, a premium lotion made with organic aloe vera juice to make her skin feel cool and softer.  As she's running out to the afternoon's and evening's fun with her family, a swipe of Sun On The Go Lip Balm will please her pucker with its juicy tropical fruit flavor and very moisturizing balm.  Each product has a scrumptious, robust tropical fruit fragrance or flavor (as applicable) that will make your senses dance.

Sun On The Go is available for an introductory price of $12.00.  That's 20% off the regular price.  I'm sure you know a girl who'd love one of these.  Surrounded by boys?  We're currently developing a similar product just for boys.

P.S. - Please don't forget that Flipping For The Flops and Running For the Son is still going on through the end of the month, with net proceeds going to support Christian Motorcyclist Association.