so, i made a choice. i stopped using shampoo and conditioner.
first, i tried just water - i found my hair full of build up and a grey gunk that turned out to be my own hair oils and whatever else my hair picked up in the urban city i live in...
what to do, i wondered.
after an astounding amount of research and hours of personal experimenting i found a natural way of cleansing my hair, without toxins.
i use a few simple ingredients:
- local eggs (for vegans substitute egg for flax seed blended with distilled water or herbal tea)
- vinegar (home brewed apple cider vinegar, made from local apples)
my hair is curly and tends to be dry, or at least it used to be dry. ever since i stopped stripping my hair with over the counter shampoo my hair is a lot healthier from root to tip.
i used to beat the egg then apply it in the shower to wet hair. then i tried experimenting with making a hole in the egg shell only letting egg white out gently massaging whites into my wet scalp. this technique thickens my new hair growth. then i break the shell open and massage the egg yolk into the ends of my hair. the fat in the yolk is a great conditioner. (remembering to wash in warm to tepid water, too hot and i could end up with scrambled eggs in my hair, again...)
to make a diluted vinegar hair rinse i measure a spoonful of infused vinegar to a cup of distilled water (or herbal tea). generally i leave the vinegar rinse in my hair for a few minutes. the vinegar softens my hair and helps soften dead skin cells from my scalp. letting the vinegar set on my hair a while makes it easier to massage unwanted impurities out of my hair.
i cleanse my hair with vinegar more frequently then i do with egg. i also use a homemade hair balm to shape my curls or style my hair into loose waves. the no shampoo experiment has been a success for me, i don't think i will ever go back to commercially made shampoo.
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for folks with oily hair try a spoonful of baking soda (aluminum free) in a cup of distilled water (or herbal tea) instead of an egg.