Shampoo
I've used simple baking soda for over a year now.
Some people call it Bicarb Soda or Carb Soda - but whatever you want to call it, it works.
I use one tablespoon of baking soda mixed well with one cup of warm water for washing my hair. It's clean afterwards, and no residual smell.
One bonus of this is that I'm not getting any eczema on my scalp any more. Baking Soda has no effect on my skin at all - great! And I buy it in large boxes from the supermarket.
I will admit to missing that nice, fake, fruity smell from the Colgate Palmolive shampoo I was using, but I'm sure it wasn't doing me - or the planet - a whole lot of good.
Conditioner
Apple cider vinegar works beautifully. You can buy it at any supermarket in bulk.
Dilute one tablespoon of vinegar to a cup of water.
As someone with sensitive skin and dry hair, I'm really impressed with apple cider vinegar as a conditioner. My hair is so clean and tangle-free afterwards! And no rashes or allergies.
Toothpaste
I've been making my own toothpaste for over a year now. My dentist has made no comment about which toothpaste I'm using, so obviously it works!
Here is my recipe for homemade toothpaste:
Cluttercut's homemade toothpaste
- 3 tbs baking soda (bi-carb soda)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbs glycerine
- 15 drops peppermint extract or peppermint essence.
Method: Mix the baking soda and salt together, then add the glycerine and form a stiff paste. Finally, when all ingredients are well-mixed, add the peppermint essence and mix thoroughly. Store in an airtight container.
Be careful to buy bicarbonate of soda and not products sold as "baking powder" for the above recipes. Baking powder can contain 'fillers'.
If you're not certain, read the ingredients list - the pack should only contain bicarbonate of soda.
NOTE: This post is an update of an original Cluttercut post from May 2008.
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Cluttercut - Green simplicity
7 comments:
I did the switch to bi-carb and vinegar in March/April and I'm so glad I did. I was using paraben and sulphate free shampoo and conditioner and have found the bi-carb and vinegar to be as good, if not better. I can also go longer between washes. Not to mention the price difference.
The only difference is I use ACV with the mother vinegar, a bit more expensive but has all the good enzymes and properties that give ACV it's great reputation.
Hi Nevyn - Thanks for the tip.
I'll look out for the ACV with mother vinegar. I've seen it around, but will make a deliberate choice to get it next time I stock up.
I've got fairly fine hair. Do you know of any home based shampoo and conditioner which help boost volume? Without it, my hair goes limp, and even layered haircuts don't do much. I know it's a vanity thing, but I do appreciate looking nice.
I currently use natures organics shampoo and conditioner, which I suspect is neither natural nor organic, but it does do the job well, is very cheap, and I suspect a greener choice than the other brands.
Hi Asmodel - I don't know of any products that will volumise without chemicals. But I do know a few tips:
- keep your hair fairly clean, and devoid of products. The less product you have in your hair, the less weighted down it will be.
- if you've been using the same brand of products for a while, you can get product buildup. Try switching shampoo and conditioner brands for a couple of weeks to clear out any buildup, then return to what you were using before. Or switch to bicarb and ACV for a couple of weeks to clean the buildup - it will work well :-)
- style wise, try changing your part to away from where it naturally falls. By moving your part to a less natural position on your head, the hair will get more natural lift.
- you can use heat irons to give lift if you want to, but this is a pain in the rear. However, it will work well, even if you want to do it just for special occasions. Use the irons in an upwards motion, lifting the hair to encourage more lift and volume.
- you can always try teasing your hair for volume, but it will damage the hair structure if you tease regularly.
- style makes a big difference. Get the best cut you can find that works for you. I have the opposite problem to you - too much hair! - and finding a very layered cut that worked for me has made all the difference. I still have to straighten it if I want to look my best, but the cut really does make all the difference.
I hope this is useful.
Hi Asmodel - I've just turned my reply to you into a blog post: Natural Hair Volumizers.
Thanks for the post idea :-)
do you have to use ACV? and can you keep the baking soda after you used it or toss it out?
Hi Renee - Technically, you could probably use other types of vinegar as well, but the pH of vinegars does vary a little, and you may find that other vinegars don't work as effectively. I haven't tried other vinegars, and can't comment on them, but I have used ACV consistently for years, and it works brilliantly on my hair (long, dry-normal).
Re: throwing the baking soda out afterwards, because it is mixed with water, you're washing it out. It ends up down the drain. Technically you could collect it if you were washing your hair in a bowl rather than the shower or sink, and if you poured it into the toilet or similar, you could re-use it for cleaning the toilet.
Or scrub the sink after pouring it around the sink. Baking soda is, after all, an excellent cleaner ;-)
I hope this answers your questions.
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