Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Natural Homemade Hair Products


It is interesting how the journey you start to take can then be the journey that seems to consume you.
In my very early 'teen years' I was so completely into natural health products and healthy eating. I thought that the best way to look after your body and the functions within was to eat a lot of health type food and to use natural products on your skin.

However this was not a very popular choice at that time and age, and frankly unless you were into the 'hippie' group I think access to products even to make simple things was not easily accessible either.

As time went on though and even though I pursued a Diploma in Sports Science and was around the 'hippie' element, gradually I was mainstreamed back into the buy the products off the shelf and of course they are good for you.

Over the last year with our foray into Grain n Sugar FREE and Cultured and Fermented foods I have been looking again at making our own health and beauty products.
I have made a few things (as yet not documented here although I am trying to catch up) and of course one of  the first things I started with was Laundry Soap.

I am very pleased with the products we have made or used that are totally natural and for this post I would like to share the hair care products we are using with great success.

We have used 'natural products' from Health food shops and reputable natural shampoo/conditioners with noSodium Lauryl Sulphate and other 'nasties' in it for many years now. However I really wanted to make our own along with quite a few other products.
My research led me to these two very simple and inexpensive 'Shampoo and Conditioner' options that we have been using for over a month now with great success.

How do we do this and what are the results?
First off for the shampoo we use Bicarb Soda and water.
For the conditioner we use Apple Cider Vinegar, water and essential oils
The results!
Soft and silky hair that is shiny and so easy to brush.
To make the shampoo simply  buy a packet of Bicarb soda (any size you like) place all the bicarb in a container, we use plastic as it does not break if dropped.  Then add water and make a thick paste.
Put the lid on top and you are ready to use.

To use: When in the shower or bath wet hair as usual then apply a small scoop with your fingers and rub through the hair. Use a brush and brush through the hair.
Wash out and apply the conditioner.

A few notes: Interestingly I have used this with our babies since Autumn was one for cradle cap. I never thought to use it for anything else! With the above mixture I rub it in to the baby scalp leave on for a few minutes and rinse off and it removes cradle cap.

In some other reading on using bicarb I found that it was recommended to dissolve the bicarb in with hot water. I am not sure that this will have the same effect as the more gritty effect removes dead skin and dandruff too.
For the conditioner: I half filled or a bit more a plastic bottle again with Apple Cider Vinegar and then added water to the top. To help with the strong smell we add some essential oils. In the past we have used orange, lavender and today I used peppermint.
That's it!
To use:
Simply pour this mixture over your hair after rinsing the bicarb out and leave on for a few minutes.
Rinse off again like regular conditioner and you are done.

RESULTS-
We honestly found our hair  was softer and had more shine. It was easier to brush and it was easy to use and quick to make up.
Despite the fact that all our girls have long hair as well as me we found that it was easy to use and the aroma was quite pleasant. The improvements are noticeable almost immediately.

If you decide to try this I would love to hear how you find it works for you!

Blessings to you and your homes,
 

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I have used this method for a few years now and noticed that it is easier to comb through my curly hair when the apple cider vinegar is on than it is when using conditioner.
I have never bothered with essential oils as I found the smell disappears as the hair dries.

Andrea said...

I tried this today and it was superb! I was a little nervous at first because I'm so used to suds and bubbles. Nevertheless, the results were just as good if not better than regular shampoo and conditioner. I will definitely try this for my 2 hound daughters too! Thanks for this.

Andrea said...

I tried this today and it was superb! I was a little nervous at first because I'm so used to suds and bubbles. Nevertheless, the results were just as good if not better than regular shampoo and conditioner. I will definitely try this for my 2 hound daughters too! Thanks for this.

Kelly Casanova said...

How interesting! I have wanted to try bicarb in my hair but thought it would be no good for long hair, but now I hear otherwise.
Last year I started making my own soap, deodorant and powder - all of which are going exceedingly well, although I would like to use a soap recipe that makes a harder and longer lasting bar.

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