I’ve been trying out this no shampoo alternative (baking soda and apple cider vinegar), my hair has (so far) shown promise because I seem to be losing less hair, and even BF has noticed that it has gotten extremely shiny, like black silk.
VERDICT
Numbers look great, and I promised I’d go until the end of March but I’ll tell ya, I don’t think I can make it.
In fact, I can’t.
It is not because I don’t like the feeling or think it feels weird when it doesn’t lather.
See, I have tried it for about 5 times now in a row, and I’m noticing a slight bit of dandruff starting which I am not a huge fan of.
It’s a couple of small flakes, nothing like what I’ve seen on others who are trying the same thing, but it’s enough to irritate me.
I could brush it out, it’s not a big deal but it’s a sign that my hair is not happy with what’s happening up there.
I don’t think this method is working because the baking soda is drying out my scalp and the apple cider vinegar is giving it a great shine but I want to keep its usage to once a month or so, not every 2 days since it is corrosive and hair is a fragile protein.
So, last night I tried washing with the normal chemical shampoos I’ve been using prior to switching and I literally gagged. (Physique if you are wondering what brand).
The smell is really, REALLY disconcerting and it made me dizzy.
I’d rather have the smell of the acrid apple cider vinegar ANY DAY.
I felt dizzy, sick and even though my hair felt soft, luxurious and healthy while drying, I don’t feel good at all.
I also lost a larger chunk of hair which scared me.
Maybe it was hair about to fall off (all hair is dead protein by the way) that was just sticking to my head for no reason, clogging up the drain, but it didn’t make me feel any better to scoop a chunk out when I am not used to it ever since switching to baking soda and ACV.
Maybe it’s all placebo, I’m turning into some weird urban hippie yuppie that you don’t recognize but I am literally done with chemicals and I am glad I went on this new change.
SO NOW WHAT?
I researched into what went into the shampoo and about 5 of the unpronounceable ingredients were potential carcinogens, hormone irritants and so on.
I just don’t feel comfortable using that shampoo or any other chemical shampoo for that matter, any longer.
I know you’ve all told me that Aveda, Lush and all of those other so-called vegan and eco-friendly companies are doing great things, but I’ve gotta tell ya, it’s a load of bullsh*t marketing crock to sell their “good for you and the world” goods.
I read their ingredients list, and Aveda and Lush both HAVE TO USE Sodium Laurel Sulfate (either in its pure form, or in some sort of variation that says “Sodium ____ Sulfate”), and they all use Dimethicone and all of the other kind of seriously nasty chemicals that are found in basic shampoos.
Short list of things that I am cutting out:
Sodium Laurel Sulfate or any of its incarnations listed here:
- Sodium Coco-Sulfate
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
- Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
- Ammonium Laureth Sulfate
- Ammonium Xylene Sulfonate
- TEA Lauryl Sulfate
- Sodium Dodecyl Sulfonate
- Magnesium Sulfate
- Sodium Thiosulfate
- Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
- Alkyl Sodium Sulfate
- Alkyl Benzene Sulfonate
- Sodium C12-15 Alkyl Sulfate
TEA-Dodecylbenzene (?)
Dyes
Fragrances
EDTA (eliminates soap scum but is carcinogenic.)
SD Alcohol (drying & is a small amount of poison)
Parabens (thought to be carcinogenic)
DMDM Hydantoin (Used to preserve dead people. Not a bad thing since it IS a preservative but it’s kind of creepy.)
Phthalates (thought to screw with your hormones)
The only possible alternatives for FB moving on:
Going back to regular shampoos but using VERY LITTLE
Doable? I don’t know. Maybe I could just use a very little bit, dilute it and it’ll be okay? Nah. Not very eco-friendly..
Buying from eco-friendly stores
I checked a site called NaturOli (because they sold soap nuts) their products, they don’t use any SLS or any of those nasty chemicals, but I don’t like how many natural oils and ingredients they are using even if they are “natural” or “organic” — are they really all that necessary?I don’t think so. So I’m not entirely sold on them yet.
I just want clean hair! That doesn’t make me gag. Or hurt fish in the oceans that I like to eat.
Figure out how to use these “SOAP NUTS”
They’re made by Maggie’s? Called “SOAP NUTS” that is “Nature’s natural saponin”, or soaping agent. So far, they look promising but they aren’t in any hand soaps or shampoos.If you are looking for a good detergent alternative for your dishwasher, general cleaner and washing machine, give ‘em a shot. I use baking soda for everything, and I just clean my clothes with warm to hot water, which seems to get the clothes perfectly clean without detergents (no feces = no need for soap, remember?!)
- Maggie’s Soap Nuts
- NaturOli (sells ‘em too)
Going back to Baking Soda & ACV
So what? It’s a bit of dandruff. I’ll brush it out, and remind myself to stop touching my head to cause more flakes.
Buying vegetable soaps and using that as shampoo or looking into environmentally and human friendly products
I did more research, and apparently there’s a non-profit site out there I am feeling the urge to donate to, called Cosmetics Database.com. It ranks all of your products (after you do a little search) and tells you about its toxicity.
I want to repeat that Lush is NOT a good brand if you are looking to cut out toxins and to help the environment, even though their marketing makes them seem as such.
I just recently bought a Kiss My Face Olive Oil & Honey bar, and the only thing that was toxic or a known irritant in there was the Fragrance, which isn’t bad at all.
And it has Saponified Olive Oil (which is a mix of Sodium Hydroxide or Lye and Olive Oil, which is not as harsh as the old predecessors of Lye Soaps that were mixed incorrectly), along with some honey, and fragrance.
In the end, I found a store that seems to have a great 0 rating on all of their products (0 being the best because it means NO toxicity), called Nurturemybody. They have a store in NYC, so I am heading there in April to drag BF along to check it out and maybe buy some samples to test before I order the whole hog.
It ain’t cheap though, it’s around $20 USD for a shampoo, but I figure if I use less of it, and if it makes me feel healthier, I am going to shell out for it. I have since thrown out my shampoo, old soap and conditioner.
My motto will be: The less ingredients the better. If I see a list being too long (even if it’s all organic stuff), I won’t be keen on trying it or buying it. I just want clean hair.
So I tried the organic soap thing to wash my hair and I hate it.
It really strips my hair, I hate the dry feeling and it is WORSE than using baking soda (is that possible?), but when I do a rinse with the ACV, it turns silky smooth in the shower, it’s only when I’m actually trying to wash my hair before the rinse that it feels weird and too dry like straw.
Going to only use WATER ONLY to wash my hair for 6 weeks with apple cider vinegar (very diluted, Rae), rinses…
I am going to do WATER ONLY next and if that fails, move to organic SHAMPOOS that are more liquid-y and don’t feel like they are stripping my hair.
So far, I’ve been doing the water only thing for about a week now, and it’s going good so far.
I weaned myself off shampoo about 3-4 weeks ago with that baking soda/ACV stuff, but now, I get into the shower, and I rub my scalp vigorously (not hurting it or tearing out hair of course). Then I flip my hair upside down and rub from the back and up.
I’ve noticed less hair falling out as well, as compared to when I did commercial shampoos.
When it dries, I brush it out with a 100% boar bristle brush, going from root to tip to spread the natural oils and sebum out to the ends and to brush out the daily dirt (I do it twice a day – morning & night)
They say that if you go straight from shampoo to no water, you are going to hate your hair for 5 weeks because your scalp will continue to pump out that oil like a mofo until it learns it doesn’t need that much.
But I haven’t hated it so far. It feels great!
SO WHAT NOW?
Going to keep on the water only thing until April, and then I am going to do a FULL post on all of my experiments.
I’m waiting until April because you need a month to really evaluate if a process, product or method is working (I had to quit baking soda + ACV half way through) and that’s how long, it will take (6 weeks) to get my hair to adjust to the lack of shampoo or baking soda that is stripping the natural oils out of my hair.
It’s going good so far but I will keep you all in suspense until April with no-holds barred lowdown on what worked and what didn’t for me.
- Eco-Friendly Shampoo: Using water only
- Eco-Friendly Hair Cleansing Experiment #1
- Frugality of hair
- In-a-pinch Beauty
- Frugal & Eco-Friendly Household Cleaners
j9
on Mar 13th, 2009
@ 9:13 AM:
Good luck, I hope you find something that works well for you! I settled on Burts Bees shampoo (from reviewing the safe cosmetics website), it works well for my hair, is sold in drug stores and is safe but the conditioner smells like a vinyl shower curtain.
I also found a handmade (don’t think organic though) soap maker on Etsy, who also has a shop in Montreal, you may want to try – it’s called Mooka. I can’t wait for my next trip to Montreal to check it out!
I’m no hippy but I have been told I have hippyish tendencies (meaning I recycle and use organic and more natural products). Someday someone will come up with a name for that for sure!
Miss M
on Mar 13th, 2009
@ 9:26 AM:
If/when your hair gets greasy you could try Dr Bronners castile soap, maybe dilute it a bunch. The stuff is powerful at cutting oil and uses the saponified coconut and olive oil. It has tons of uses.
Worthington
on Mar 13th, 2009
@ 10:01 AM:
How about this then – Vegetable Soap, Vegetable Glycerin, Rosemary Oil, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Oat Protein, Peppermint Oil, Nettle Leaf, Rosemary Leaf, Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, Panthenol (pro vitamin B5)
These are the listed ingredients in this product:
Burt's Bees Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar With Oat Protein and Pro Vitamin B5
It costs $6.49. Although if your hair is REALLY long I wouldn't do it. But I think yours is medium length…http://www.burtsbees.com/
http://www.burtsbees.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SubCategoryDisplay?catalogId=10051&storeId=10001&langId=-1&subCategoryId=-83
Tigerlily
on Mar 13th, 2009
@ 10:24 AM:
I use Aubrey organics. I can pronounce everything in the ingredients list and they even specify that the soy extract is from non-GMO soybeans. It doesn’t lather when you use it. It works well. I’m not sold on the conditioner that I’m using to go with, but I might try another formula next time. They cost about $12 a bottle.
Dissolved Girl
on Mar 13th, 2009
@ 10:53 AM:
I have not done the research on this product yet, I was planning on going to the mall this weekend and looking for it but I read from another blogger that the Phyto products are free of sodium laurel sulfate and it’s incarnations.
I just looked it up on that cosmetic data base website you listed and the PHYTO Phytoneutre Rebalancing Cream Shampoo, has a hazard score of 2 and the PHYTO Daily hydrating cream, has a hazard score of 3.
I started looking at some of the other produts from that line listed on the data base and all the other shampoos and conditioners have a higher hazard level.
When I go to Sephora this weekend I will look for the product and snap a picture of the ingredients and make sure it is the right one.
Kara
on Mar 13th, 2009
@ 11:29 AM:
Why not make your own shampoo. I make my own and my own bodywash as well. It’s super easy. Get a bar of Castile soap (it’s a pure, oil based soap). I get mine at Whole Foods for about $5. Cut the bar in chunks and put about 1/2 of it in a 1/2 gallon jar. Fill it with warm water and let it sit for 2 days. Once the soap is melted and gooey at the bottom of the liquid, I use my stick blender to mix it all together. If you keep the stick submerged it doesn’t froth and foam as much. You can add whatever essential oils for fragrance and/or herbal benefit that you want. I’ll make a 1/2 gallon and divide it into 2 jars – one for body wash that I scent with things like bergamot and lavendar, and one that I keep unscented for my hair.
Kara
on Mar 13th, 2009
@ 11:32 AM:
Btw, this is the brand of castile soap I use:
http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/OBBA05/BabyMildOrganicBarSoap.htm
Pebble
on Mar 13th, 2009
@ 1:17 PM:
Check out Sukin. http://sukinorganics.com.au/ It’s an Australian company though. My roommate just ordered from them last month and they seem to be lovely products.
Alex
on Mar 13th, 2009
@ 1:50 PM:
Now I’m afraid of my shampoo…
EthidiumBromide
on Mar 13th, 2009
@ 1:58 PM:
So, not to try to change YOUR mind, FB, because I think what you are doing is great for you, but in case anyone who is reading this is concerned, I just wanted to point out that often things which are labeled as “carcinogenic” are often not AT ALL things which we as humans need to worry about. Things like EDTA (a chelating agent) are not carcinogenic in the amount that you would deal with even if you used a giant mound of shampoo on your hair twice a day — but rather, when tested with grossly disproportionate amounts in rodents.
It’s like the same studies that show that Diet Coke is carcinogenic in animals… but you’d have to consume gallons upon gallons upon gallons for 15 years straight. And that doesn’t stop most people from drinking soda now and then when they want one.
Like I said, I’m definitely not trying to sway FB because I totally commend her for sticking to her guns, but just point out that other people shouldn’t feel the need to panic over anything. I’m a biochemist doing oncology research, surround myself with carcinogenic chemicals, and I would never think of giving up my shampoo!
Birdie!
on Mar 13th, 2009
@ 4:51 PM:
You are now a yippie. Congratulations!!!
Also… I can’t find ingredient lists for it, but Kevin Murphy products are supposed to be: “sulphate-free, paraben-free, biodegradable, and contain essential oils and moisturizers from sustainable sources.”
Vain Blog article on Kevin Murphy Products
I have the Angel wash/rinse stuff at home, and I’ll go make a note (later) of the ingredients and get back to you – if you want. My BFF (and stylist) recommended them as being better than Aveda and Lush because of the sulfate thing. She’s pretty conscious, as well, when it comes to how chemical-y shampoos smell. I WISH I could find their ingredient list online, but the Kevin Murphy.au site is down.
alotis2words
on Mar 13th, 2009
@ 5:06 PM:
yep, it’s called a yippie
Jama
on Mar 13th, 2009
@ 5:12 PM:
I’m doing the BS/ACV thing as well. I’ve always had a problem with dandruff, and going without the chemicals was not helping. I picked up some tea tree oil at the drug store and added that to my BS dilution, and so far it seems to be really helping.
Another possibility might be Dr. Bronners. You can use their soap (diluted) as shampoo, but they’re also making hair specific things now.
Mrs Money
on Mar 13th, 2009
@ 9:25 PM:
You are amazing.
Have you considered Aubrey organics shampoo, or a diluted Dr. Bronner’s? I’ve made my own shampoo bars… lol. 
Having to fool with hair is such a pain sometimes!
-Mrs. Money
http://www.ultimatemoneyblog.com
Meg
on Mar 13th, 2009
@ 10:50 PM:
Lol. I think I’m a bit of a yuppie hippie, too. I’d say yippie, but that name is already taken
Anyhow, I use Stinky Lewis tea tree oil shampoo and it is AWESOME! It’s got none of the crappy stuff in it and works great, especially for dandruff. I use it as my body wash, face wash, makeup remover (on brushes, too), shave gel — you name it. And I don’t use conditioner anymore. I’ve gotten so many compliments on my hair and people have noticed that it does look thicker (which is good since it’s rather thin to start with). It’s even priced reasonable — better than the super expensive salon stuff, at least.
Only problem is — it is locally made and not sold online
Really, I gotta talk to the maker sometime and see if I can set them up with a web site or something.
But… the email address on the bottle is StinkyLewisSoap@yahoo.com if you are interested. Maybe they can ship some your way.
Always Pretty in Pink
on Mar 14th, 2009
@ 12:11 AM:
This might sound gross…
But I only wash my hair like once a week and even my husband has noticed it looks way better now. I still take a shower everyday, but instead of actually washing my hair… I just let water run through it for a few minutes. Then I condition the lower half. My hair is pretty long so it would get nappy if I didn't condition it.
I go to school on Tues & Thursday. So I usually wash my hair on Tues morning. I don't use any products anymore, either. I used to have a whole cabinet full of stuff I used. I seriously used atleast six things a day just to blow dry and straighten my hair. But even though my hair looked great, it was falling out and felt like plastic. So now I just let my hair do its own thing kind of. Its not back to being really wavy yet. But its getting some wave back in it.
Also, if I haven't washed my hair in a few days and am paranoid about it… I just wear a cute headband. I'm really close to my girlfriends, and nobody has ever said my hair looked oily or anything.
Fabulously Broke
on Mar 14th, 2009
@ 7:49 AM:
Thanks for all the recommendations!
Ethium: I totally understand, but I just feel more comfortable not using those chemicals than being a guinea pig. I haven’t tried to sway anyone else.
Pretty in Pink: BF has said the same thing. Once a week hair washing is my goal unless I get sweaty lol
supergirl
on Mar 14th, 2009
@ 5:01 PM:
Cool this is very interesting!
I’m using regular shampoo but would love to go the vinegar/organic route and your posts are giving me that extra push to go ahead and do some research and try it out for myself.
Black silk hair sounds delicious to me
.
Auburn Kat
on Mar 15th, 2009
@ 9:15 PM:
I just read an article about this in Real Simple today…it made me think of you.
Mrs. Modern Tightwad
on Mar 18th, 2009
@ 3:36 AM:
Wow, I truly admire your eco-stand! From when I was a kid we used Dr. Bronner’s bar soap for hair, face, and body, but as I’ve gotten older I had to add a conditioner because I have baby fine hair that strips easy and gets oily easy. I use SLS and paraben free, usually organic products, but I’m also careful to use products that specifically label the essential oils they use and don’t put “fragrance.” When an American product lists the dreaded f-word, it can be essential oils, but it can also be a blend of any other synthetics or chemicals. Good luck and I’ll be looking forward to the follow-up!
Fabulously Broke
on Mar 18th, 2009
@ 6:19 PM:
supergirl: now it’s just water and an ACV rinse, but you CANNOT do if it there’s a lot of lime in the water. Seriously. It does NOT clean your hair as well. Ugh. Sister’s apt made me feel greasy all weekend.
Auburn: So sweet
Miss modern: I felt the same way about “Fragrance” as well. I don’t really like smells now (as much as I used to), so being super sensitive to smells has helped me cut out most chemicals.