Homemade Shampoo and Conditioner

[Clementine]

The baking powder and vinegar worked fine for me... made my hair almost too squeaky clean. The downside is that it ruins the haircolour if you dye it so I quit and started washing my hair with raw eggs instead. Yes, I know, but it worked great and my hair was very full and shiny.

Now I am too lazy to make egg batter every time I want to wash my hair so I wash my hair with a very mild conditioner. I don't think that I will ever go back to schampoo again. My hair went from straight with frizzy ends to fluffy and curly. I love it.

[homeschoolmomma1]

Hey everyone- the lady I am talking about is a fundie- trust me- does the wisdom booklets too.

[Conuly]

That is painful to read. English isn't THAT hard, folks!

Also: She literally refers to her kids as The Blessings? That's... sweet?

[Witsec7]

I must use good shampoo and cream rinse for silver hair, if I don't I get ratted discolored ends. I'm lucky because my close out grocery store usually has Nexium or something equally good and I stock up on it. Castile soap would just dry my hair out.

edited to add: I was never so crunchy as to make soap, shampoo or detergent.

[Deleted03]

Hey everyone- the lady I am talking about is a fundie- trust me- does the wisdom booklets too.

yeah but aside from the Jesus provide, I don't find it funny to snark on crunchy people. Maybe because I could be one (I am still very lazy) but also because it is not over contestable interpretation of the Bible or other religious text that people get crunchy.

[nomi]

I tried that method of cleansing and it didn't work for me. Now a vinegar rinse at the end of my wash is a definite need (although if you have blond or light colored hair I recommend white vinegar, ACV can discolor hair over time from what i've heard) and it does make my hair soft. The baking soda...not so much.

I also tried water only.

I have really long hair, when I went water only, I could sit on my hair it was so long. Long hair tangles easily, especially mine. I tried water only for about a month, a month of pure frustration and tears where my hair came out in handfuls as I attempted to extract it from the knots after a shower (I don't pile my hair on my head, just massage my scalp with shampoo - or water in this case - and then squeeze conditioner - or nothing - through the length). It was god awful and my scalp never adjusted. I was told it would "take some time" and it just never worked out for me so I guiltily bought shampoo and conditioner, washed and conditioned my hair, and cried with relief.

[DistantStar]

I live in a high desert climate. It took me three years to find shampoo that didn't turn my hair to straw, and I have to order it online. Fortunately it's great stuff and lasts forever, though I go through conditioner faster. I only wash my hair two or three times a week, three the absolute max, unless I get unusually sweaty or dirty.

I've never tried making it but all the crunchy deodorants I've tried seemed to make me smell more, and what's worse, gave me awful rashes. Armpits are no place to have a rash. So much for that idea.

I am crunchy enough that I am seriously considering trying cloth pads once I move into a new place that has a washer and dryer, so I don't have to take them to the laundromat, but as far as shampoo and deodorant go I'll stick with the evil sorts. Soap, now, I love me some handmade natural soap. Especially if it's patchuli scented.

[Kaylee]

I tried no poo & it didn't work for me at all. It seems lie the baking soda strips too much or something, but it made my hair feel really dull and sticky. The ACV rinse is great, but I had to adjust the amount of vinegar in mine until I got it right - too much or too little makes it greasy looking.

My crunchy compromise is washing with a very diluted natural shampoo (bits of a few Chagrin Valley shampoo bars chopped up in water) and using a tiny bit of coconut oil on the ends and on top to combat frizz if I wear my hair down or uncovered, then using a conditioner with Argan Oil about once a week or so or if my hair needs it. I want to get back into soap making and try making a few shampoo/conditioner bars of my own with Argan and/or coconut oil.

I think one reason crunchiness is attractive to a lot of fundies is because it can save money and it can give you something to do if you are bored at home all day. There also is an element of competition with in in a lot of mom circles, both fundie and non-fundie.

[Kaylee]

The baking powder and vinegar worked fine for me... made my hair almost too squeaky clean. The downside is that it ruins the haircolour if you dye it so I quit and started washing my hair with raw eggs instead. Yes, I know, but it worked great and my hair was very full and shiny.

Recipe please? Or just straight up eggs? I know my hair loves honey/beer/egg shampoo, but never tried eggs alone.

[Wolfie]

I haven't seen anyone's hair (who does homemade poo or no-poo) that made me want to say, "Yeah, that looks great, let me go mix up some homemade-poo/no-poo solution right away".

Uh. . . no.

But to each their own.

Agreed.

I don't wash mine every day, but I'd go crazy if I never washed it. It NEEDS to be washed occasionally or my scalp gets really gross. I generally use suave too. I am rather fond of the strawberry and the coconut.

[snarkbillie]

I make my own soap/lotion/shampoo/conditioner but not for every day use. It's something the little ladies of the house and I do on a rainy Saturday for fun. You can't really use any of them every day (okay maybe the soap and lotion) because they're just not good, but they're fun to make and it's fun to take a shower with all your stuff you made.

[Jessica]

There also is an element of competition with in in a lot of mom circles, both fundie and non-fundie.

YES. "Oh, you had a homebirth with midwives? Well *I* did it 100% unassisted even though my previous labors involved a PROLAPSED UTERUS!" "You grind your own wheat when you bake bread? *I* sprout *MY* wheat!"

[adidas]

I haven't seen anyone's hair (who does homemade poo or no-poo) that made me want to say, "Yeah, that looks great, let me go mix up some homemade-poo/no-poo solution right away".

Uh. . . no.

But to each their own.

I do a different 'no poo' thing (not the same method as this woman - bicarb and vinegar is stinky and leaves hair looking dull and awful). I get compliments all the time and even my hairdresser has started recommending the method to his other clients. Lots of people ask me what I did different because the change is so dramatic.

This set of photos shows the before and after for a bunch of women who started using the method.

flickr.com/photos/workmanpublishing/sets/72157625830179129/

This link outlines how to do it (it uses a silicone free conditioner as a cleanser - rather than detergent - to wash your hair).

wikihow.com/Follow-the-Curly-Girl-Method-for-Curly-Hair

[snarkbillie]

YES. "Oh, you had a homebirth with midwives? Well *I* did it 100% unassisted even though my previous labors involved a PROLAPSED UTERUS!" "You grind your own wheat when you bake bread? *I* sprout *MY* wheat!"

Yes. Agreed.

[nomi]

YES. "Oh, you had a homebirth with midwives? Well *I* did it 100% unassisted even though my previous labors involved a PROLAPSED UTERUS!" "You grind your own wheat when you bake bread? *I* sprout *MY* wheat!"

Ah crunch credentials. I love when crazy crunchies get together and try to out crunch each other.

[Clementine]

Recipe please? Or just straight up eggs? I know my hair loves honey/beer/egg shampoo, but never tried eggs alone.

Just eggs... like making an omelette. I used two and mixed them with a little water and poured the batter in an old schampoo bottle that made it easier to apply it in the hair.

Just remember to rinse with cold water, or else you will have omelette in your hair. :) If you have dry hair, you can use just the yolk.

[Buba]

Just eggs... like making an omelette. I used two and mixed them with a little water and poured the batter in an old schampoo bottle that made it easier to apply it in the hair.

Just remember to rinse with cold water, or else you will have omelette in your hair. :) If you have dry hair, you can use just the yolk.

This reminds me of The 1900 House. They tried using eggs, but it didn't really work for them:

[Katiebug]

I think one reason crunchiness is attractive to a lot of fundies is because it can save money and it can give you something to do if you are bored at home all day. There also is an element of competition with in in a lot of mom circles, both fundie and non-fundie.

QFT. To see this competition, just go read at the Mothering.com forums, which is mostly internet-based competitive mothering and natural/green living. "You had a homebirth? Well I had an unassisted pregnancy and childbirth with no one but DOLPHINS in attendance!" "You use cloths instead of paper towels? We use cloth toilet paper!" It's sheer fappery intended to make women feel better about their own choices (which IMO are not always good, healthy, or safe) by putting down others or at least being crunchier-than-thou.

We use cloth diapers other than when DD is at daycare, and we use mostly cloth for cleaning. We recycle, we compost, we grow vegetables in our garden, and I knit and sew (though it's highly questionable whether we save money from it - probably not!). However, I have no time to mix up a vinegar mixture for cleaning when Seventh Generation and Method make nice-smelling cleaners, and I love my Redken shampoo. I can buy a big bottle and it lasts me for close to a year because I only need a little bit of it to get my hair clean. We have very hard well water and it took a lot of trial and error to find a shampoo that works best with my hair (it's highlighted) and body chemistry and water, so I'm not about to experiment again. I guess we're selectively crunchy.

[geniebelle6901]

I don't wash mine every day, but I'd go crazy if I never washed it. It NEEDS to be washed occasionally or my scalp gets really gross. I generally use suave too. I am rather fond of the strawberry and the coconut.

I have very oily hair and scalp so daily shampooing is necessary or my hair looks like it has been doused in oil, and my scalp is so itchy I'm scratching like a dog with fleas. Plus I do color my hair (at a salon not a bottle job), and it's still oily, but the color last quite a while before the roots start to show. Anyway, I wish I had your hair type!

[Deleted03]

QFT. To see this competition, just go read at the Mothering.com forums, which is mostly internet-based competitive mothering and natural/green living. "You had a homebirth? Well I had an unassisted pregnancy and childbirth with no one but DOLPHINS in attendance!" "You use cloths instead of paper towels? We use cloth toilet paper!" It's sheer fappery intended to make women feel better about their own choices (which IMO are not always good, healthy, or safe) by putting down others or at least being crunchier-than-thou.

We use cloth diapers other than when DD is at daycare, and we use mostly cloth for cleaning. We recycle, we compost, we grow vegetables in our garden, and I knit and sew (though it's highly questionable whether we save money from it - probably not!). However, I have no time to mix up a vinegar mixture for cleaning when Seventh Generation and Method make nice-smelling cleaners, and I love my Redken shampoo. I can buy a big bottle and it lasts me for close to a year because I only need a little bit of it to get my hair clean. We have very hard well water and it took a lot of trial and error to find a shampoo that works best with my hair (it's highlighted) and body chemistry and water, so I'm not about to experiment again. I guess we're selectively crunchy.

I used redken before too, but honestly the natural shampoo makes my hair look better...!

but Yeah In my frist years in college, I was involved in a crunchy group (but I was not crunchy then) and one person told me this: everyone do what they can for the environment at the level they can do it. I personnally strated with a diva cup (and then cloth pantyliners), and then started using green stuff for cleaning, and now all my cosmetics are organic or natural no paraben and stuff (except I still have some bottles of perfume, but I commited to finish those and never buy any other again), and now I buy organic fruits/veggies when I can, and try to cook from scratch the most possible. Everything is a process, and not everyone can become crunchy cold turkey!

[crassy]

I make my own soap (like a cottage industry soap making company), I make my own jam (same cottage industry), I 'wash' my hair once a week with apple cider vinegar and baking powder, I use lemon juice and baking soda to clean just about everything in my house (thank's to my friend's fertile lemon tree).

I am a feminist anti-theist who was raised as an atheist by atheist doing a Master's in counter-terrorism and security and about as far from a fundie as you can possibly get.

I do the above things because making soap and jam calms me down and I have a serious obsession with the smell of lemons.

[clarinetpower]

For the laundry detergent wannabe-- You can make your own at home, then fill a leftover detergent bottle to cart with you as you normally would. I make my own, and fill a bottle so it's easy to shake and pour. It works great. You may have to tinker with amounts to suit your area's water (I find I need a full cup per load), but my clothes are cleaner than before and most stains come out without pretreating (I may just dump the soap on that stain and thrown it in the wash to soap up everything). I use thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm for a recipe, and it works great. Fels Naptha as soap, and grate with a Microplane to make it melt fast. Tried Ivory, just didn't work as well. It's so cheap, and it really (IMO) works better than anything I can buy. Also safe for cloth diapers.

I have a friend who did the no-poo, and she quit after a while, too. I don't think it's a good long term solution. I have used many natural recipes, but often found that eventually they wouldn't work as well and I'd have to tinker again, or go buy the commercial stuff. I do love microfiber towels though--a big bag was 4 bucks at Walmart (automotive area) about 5 years ago, and they are still going strong.

I tried homemade wipes (with Bounty) but found they weren't as tough as store bought so tended to fall apart as I used them. I also stuff mine in the diaper and wash them, and they disintegrate in the wash. I'm too lazy to have a separate poopy wipe trash can, so I wash my bought wipes and then throw them away clean. I should buy cloth for that, but the youngest is 2 now, so I kind of feel like it's too late.

[Deleted03]

For the laundry detergent wannabe-- You can make your own at home, then fill a leftover detergent bottle to cart with you as you normally would. I make my own, and fill a bottle so it's easy to shake and pour. It works great. You may have to tinker with amounts to suit your area's water (I find I need a full cup per load), but my clothes are cleaner than before and most stains come out without pretreating (I may just dump the soap on that stain and thrown it in the wash to soap up everything). I use thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm for a recipe, and it works great. Fels Naptha as soap, and grate with a Microplane to make it melt fast. Tried Ivory, just didn't work as well. It's so cheap, and it really (IMO) works better than anything I can buy. Also safe for cloth diapers.

I have a friend who did the no-poo, and she quit after a while, too. I don't think it's a good long term solution. I have used many natural recipes, but often found that eventually they wouldn't work as well and I'd have to tinker again, or go buy the commercial stuff. I do love microfiber towels though--a big bag was 4 bucks at Walmart (automotive area) about 5 years ago, and they are still going strong.

I tried homemade wipes (with Bounty) but found they weren't as tough as store bought so tended to fall apart as I used them. I also stuff mine in the diaper and wash them, and they disintegrate in the wash. I'm too lazy to have a separate poopy wipe trash can, so I wash my bought wipes and then throw them away clean. I should buy cloth for that, but the youngest is 2 now, so I kind of feel like it's too late.

my friend who clothe diapers, uses clothe wipes too, so she can put everything in the diapers and wash them, they look great not stained or anything...

[crassy]

my friend who clothe diapers, uses clothe wipes too, so she can put everything in the diapers and wash them, they look great not stained or anything...

I used cloth with my daughter. I took really good care of her nappies and actually found it much easier than disposables. When they were dirty I would throw them in a wet bag and when that was full, the whole lot just got thrown in the wash.

What people don't realise is that you are meant to remove any solid waste from disposable nappies as well (it says so right on the packaging).

[clibbyjo]

I did make my own baby wipes when my children were babies and besides the sawing of the rolls of paper towels in half, it was very easy and cheap (I would have my husband saw about 10 rolls in half at a time which would give me 20 "recipes" of wipes). I'm not claiming they're "greener" than store bought baby wipes (I have no idea).

Half roll of Bounty* paper towels (sawed in half with cardboard center removed)

2 cups of water

3 tablespoons of baby oil

1 tablespoon of baby bath (whatever your preference)

Put the dry paper towels in an appropriately shaped container with a lid. Mix the water with the baby oil and baby bath and pour over paper towels. Pull up the first towel from the center of the roll. Cover tightly.

*Cheap towels don't work nearly as well.

Flashback! I made those for all 3 of my kids. I totally remember my husband sawing a ton of rolls ahead of time for me because I always had such trouble getting it straight and getting the core out. :dance:

I did curly girl/no poo for a year and yes my curls looked great but I started to get an itchy head and went back to reg.I was just reading a FB where the woman has great looking curls and I knew she was doing CG and had to ask. She said she uses Devacurl, I might try that next.