50 Acts of Green: Day Twelve - Hair Products
As anyone who has ever met me or seen a picture of me knows, I have a lot of hair. Even french braided, my braid goes on for a while. I don't usually wear it down normally, and I can't even find a picture of me with it down in the last six months... mostly because it gets everywhere when it is down. Anyway, back to hair. Taking care of the hair on one's hair has created lots of passionate arguments about what is the best way or what are the best products or even in what way one should properly comb one's hair. Hair is not always easy to deal with. It doesn't always do what we want it to do, we can't seem to make it stay exactly where we want it to. We lose it far quicker than we want, and it doesn't even stay the same color!
There are a lot of shampoo and conditioner options, along with gels, treatments, and other products which say they can make your hair look its best. Unfortunately, pretty much all of them contain chemical that do not really need to be touching your hair or your skin. Some shampoos and conditioners can even cause dandruff, especially when they leave behind film on your hair and scalp which can keep your skin from breathing. Most shampoo companies also use a lot of water, plastic, and other environmentally detrimental processes.
Over the years, I tried a lot of different brands to try to help my own scalp and hair achieve a healthy and manageable life. I tried Suave's natural product line, Herbal Essences, Dr. Bronner's soap bar, Head and Shoulders, Dove, OGX, Fructis... and none of them were giving me what I really wanted, manageable hair and a non-itchy scalp. I was about ready to give up on normal shampoos and go to the doctor for some kind of medicated option.
Then, in seminary, a friend suggested I go very natural. Apple cider vinegar and baking soda. These two ingredients are touted as very natural ways of combating dandruff and itchy scalp. They are also both helpful in cleaning and resetting hair to its natural oil processes. It feels a little odd after using normal shampoos and conditioners, and it can take up to a month for your hair to figure itself out, but after your hair resets itself and all the chemicals are gone.... Amazing! It feels so clean and natural. I have been using a mixture of baking soda and water as shampoo and a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water as conditioner for almost eight years. I have some condiment containers that I reuse each week (you might not need to refill every week, remember, I have a lot of hair...). Side benefits: a much better option for the environment and very cost effective!
One small act of green, cutting down on your plastic use and making your hair healthier!
There are a lot of shampoo and conditioner options, along with gels, treatments, and other products which say they can make your hair look its best. Unfortunately, pretty much all of them contain chemical that do not really need to be touching your hair or your skin. Some shampoos and conditioners can even cause dandruff, especially when they leave behind film on your hair and scalp which can keep your skin from breathing. Most shampoo companies also use a lot of water, plastic, and other environmentally detrimental processes.
Over the years, I tried a lot of different brands to try to help my own scalp and hair achieve a healthy and manageable life. I tried Suave's natural product line, Herbal Essences, Dr. Bronner's soap bar, Head and Shoulders, Dove, OGX, Fructis... and none of them were giving me what I really wanted, manageable hair and a non-itchy scalp. I was about ready to give up on normal shampoos and go to the doctor for some kind of medicated option.
Then, in seminary, a friend suggested I go very natural. Apple cider vinegar and baking soda. These two ingredients are touted as very natural ways of combating dandruff and itchy scalp. They are also both helpful in cleaning and resetting hair to its natural oil processes. It feels a little odd after using normal shampoos and conditioners, and it can take up to a month for your hair to figure itself out, but after your hair resets itself and all the chemicals are gone.... Amazing! It feels so clean and natural. I have been using a mixture of baking soda and water as shampoo and a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water as conditioner for almost eight years. I have some condiment containers that I reuse each week (you might not need to refill every week, remember, I have a lot of hair...). Side benefits: a much better option for the environment and very cost effective!
One small act of green, cutting down on your plastic use and making your hair healthier!
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