Going "Poo-Less"

OK, if you are wondering what poo-less is that is the art of not using toxic expensive shampoos and conditioners.  Guess what? You don't need them!  It took me a while to get it down, but I have found a good combination.  Hard to write about a few years of testing, but here are the basics.

Basics - Acid and Alkaline balance -  the trick for me was both combinations. Alkaline is great to clean, but you need to follow with an acid rinse to close the hair shaft to make it soft and to tangle less.  I first started with the baking soda and wow did I have a frizz ball for a couple of weeks, it felt like straw, tons of knots...I couldn't take it, so I thought, well that doesn't work for me.  Then I switched to JR Liggetts hair soap (coconut and olive oil based) which was really good... Then I found some other articles about the acid alkaline balance with the hair and tried the baking soda with a vinegar rinse.  That worked great, and my hair does NOT smell like salad, unless I use too much vinegar. ha.  It just smells clean.  Our hair has so many chemicals on it, that was causes that funky smell when your hair is not at its freshest.

When you are first starting out, your hair will feel almost sticky (not really sticky but not sure what word to describe) because of the chemical residues left in your hair - every time you wash you can feel the band of old reside move down your hair couple inches at a time. ( I have long hair so it took about 2 weeks for my hair to feel really clean all the way down, this wont take as long with short hair).  It did not affect the way it looked, just felt odd when the water would hit it. 

Some people might want to start off with a non-toxic brand of shampoo like Aubrey Organics, it is a bit more expensive, but could help with your transition, especially if you feel you have to have all the bubbles to be clean.  JR Liggetts  hair soap is a great way also... because there is not a lot of toxic foamers added, so don't expect a lot of foam, that you really don't need anyway.  Just get the finger by the scale for a good rub.  Bubbles don't necessarily mean clean.

REMEMBER:  you might have to play with ratios and how often,  that work for your hair.
Comnination 1 for oilier hair and summer:
For cleansing:  1 part baking soda, and 4 parts water.  (TIP you can add the baking soda to a small container and fill with shower water, less shocking that way on the scalp.  I mix ahead of time the coolness on my scalp doesn't bother me.) 

For the rinse:  1 part vinegar,  4 parts water.  You might need to adjust for your hair type.  I start at the ends, where I need it most.  You can leave in or rinse.   I hold up my ends and rinse my scalp but leave it in the ends a bit longer.   You can finish your shower, then rinse.  The longer you leave it the softer it will be.  Sometimes I just don't have time to leave it in for 2 minutes, so i just rinse and go. Still works really good. 

Combination 2 for drier hair and winter time: 
Get a jar and add 8 to 10 oz of water, 6 teaspoons of vinegar, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon of coconut oil (melt if needed, place amount in plastic bag run under hot water, or use warm water -over 80 degrees when mixing this up.).  Shake up in a bottle. Set aside.  Wet your hair first and  scrub your scalp with fingers, then spray to the ends of your hair.  Keep away from scalp if you have oily hair.  Rinse quickly if near the scalp, leave the rest you hair.  That tiny bit (not to much, it will look like you need  a shower) of coconut oil made all the difference on the softness in my hair.  (When you shake this up it will bubble because of the acid and alkaline mixing together.)  Use all the mixture. I don't have to do this every day maybe everyother or every two in the winter.

For me these are really simple and inexpensive.  There are lots of foods (olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, eggs, etc...) and  recipes for your hair that work great as deep conditioners, treatments, etc....  but I am wash and go kinda gal so this is great for me.  For guys, it is super easy since there hair is so short. 

My friend Kim told me about adding a few drops of  lavender oil to water in a spray bottle to freshen up you hair with.  Or sometimes when I used my perfume essential oils I rub a tiny bit on my hand then run your fingers thru you hair. 


If you have questions post them below or shoot me an email, be glad to answer them.