The shampoos that we buy and use regularly contain numerous dangerous chemicals that can really seriously affect our health. They contain a lot of harmful ingredients, but some of the worst chemical-offenders are:
- Cocamidopropyl betain is a synthetic surfactant and is associated with irritation and skin rashes
- 1,4-Dioxane is a suspected human carcinogen
- Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) is a mixture of two organic compounds that is used as a preservative in shampoos. It has been linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, allergies and organ system toxicity
- Laureth sulfate can cause irritation of the skin and scalp
- Fragrance can indicate the presence of over 4,000 separate chemical ingredients.
Since shampoos strip our scalps of natural oils, this tend to increase oil production so as you stop using shampoo you might find that you hair seems oiler than normal for the first few weeks until your scalp adjusts. So if you use this method for awhile, you will find that your hair doesn’t get as oily as it did before.
The baking soda and vinegar method is cheap, effective, simple and chemical-free and it can help you maintain the good quality of your hair.
Here’s how you can get started: Baking Soda
Start by mixing 1 part baking soda with 3 parts water. I have shoulder length hair and mix about 2 to 3 tablespoon of baking soda with 3 times that amount of water in a small squeeze bottle. You can adjust this depending on your hair length.
Apply the baking soda and water mixture to dry or wet hair by starting at the roots and working to the ends.
Let it sit for 1 – 3 minutes then rinse with warm water.
After washing and rinsing with the baking soda mixture, you’ll want to apply a vinegar rinse.
Vinegar Rinse
Mix 1 part white or apple cider vinegar with 4 parts water. To minimize the vinegar smell, I also add lavender, peppermint, and/or rosemary essential oils to the vinegar mixture. I like to mix a big batch of this ahead of time and keep it in a squeeze bottle in the shower.
Tilt your head back, close your eyes (to avoid getting this mixture in your eyes), and distribute through your hair.
If you have longer hair like I do, I like to then (still keeping my eyes closed) tilt my head forward and distribute more rinse through the ends.
After a few seconds, rinse with cold water. The cold water helps to seal in moisture, smooth the hair, and add shine. I have straight hair and have noticed that this really made a difference with eliminating frizz and static. - source: www.familylifegoals.com
