No 'Poo

Since my last crunchy post, I've gone a lot more natural!

My daily regimen is now full of baking soda and activated charcoal instead of phthalates and carcinogens.

The switch that I thought was going to be the hardest for me (but actually turned out to be the easiest, and the best!) was to go No 'Poo. No, not the potty poo, shampoo poo. I have (ridiculously) long, thick hair that I treasure like no other. The thought of ditching shampoo wasn't scary (it sounded impossible, but not scary), but saying goodbye to my conditioner sounded like my hair's death sentence. To my surprise, my hair has never looked better and my scalp is in great condition.

There are quite a few reasons to consider ditching the 'poo. Shampoo messes with your scalp's natural pH levels. It washes away all the oils on your head. I know, that's what you "like" it to do. But when that oil gets washed away, your scalp is all like "oh CRAP. The oil is gone! I'm dry as the Sahara! PRODUCE PRODUCE PRODUCE". Then you end up with greasy and blah hair, because your scalp is over compensating. Like I said, there are many reasons to toss the Pantene, but this is the one that really rang true to me, because I learned this about the skin on my face when I was a teenager. If my face does it, why wouldn't my head?

So, here's what I use now: Baking soda and Apple Cider Vinegar. That's it. My hair is so soft and shiny, my scalp doesn't itch, and I even have less hair falling out than I used to. I only need to wash my hair every 4-5 days, it just doesn't get gross anymore! Its fantastic!

I'd recommend dissolving 1 tsp of baking soda in 1 cup of warm water as your shampoo. Pour that on your scalp, rub it around a little if you need to in order to feel like you're washing your hair, and leave it for a few minutes. Any more baking soda/any less water and you run the risk of frying your hair. Now, for the conditioner, 1 T of ACV in 1 cup of warm water. I put the ends of my hair as far into the mixture as I can, let my hair soak of some of the solution, and then pour a little bit over my scalp. I let that sit until I'm done with the rest of my shower and then I give a quick rinse. Yes, it stinks like vinegar in the shower, but your hair won't smell when you get out, I promise.

I make mine ahead of time and store in jars by the shower, so I don't have to rush to make shampoo and conditioner every time I need to wash my hair. If you do that, be prepared for the cold shock when you're standing in the warm water and you pour room temperature water on your head! I wasn't prepared.

It sounds crazy, but it's well worth it! You'll love your new do. No 'Poo!