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Homemade Shampoo and Conditioner


homeschoolmomma1

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I tried "no poo" too.....it worked beautifully for about 2 weeks. My hair was great and smelled like...nothing. Then my hair got kind of roof thatchy, and my hubby told me is was starting to smell a little off, so I went back to shampoo. I will do it every so often, for a week or so, but not long term ever again. I've been using Garnier Pure Clean ever since and my hair is a lot more managable, not frizzy most of the time.

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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).

Yep......

we cloth diaper over here. My son's eczema is exacerbated by disposables so.... we love our fluffy cloth butt!!! There are days though when he has an ESPECIALLY STANKY besmirchment RIGHT after we leave the house and of course i'm stuck carting around a stinky diaper for like 4 hours and I long for a package of huggies.....

We tried homemade laundry detergent but it was an epic fail. Our clothes were NOT getting clean. I switched to Arm and Hammer.

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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.

My roommate. I had tried it before and it didn't work for my super-fine hair at all. One of my roommate does it, and she's got hair I'd love to have.

I like more natural shampoos, but I'll stick with shampoo bars once the free stuff I have runs out.

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My son and daughter in law are very crunchy (though not fundie--they're Wiccan!) They cloth-diaper, and my DIL makes her own wipes that way, but using squares of soft cloth instead of paper towels. Then she just washes them with the diapers. She uses tea tree oil, and it's really nice.

White Rain! That's a blast from the past. When I lived in my little cult household, I used to buy that because it was the cheapest. That was back when they still put hexachlorophene in it, and it made my scalp break out in itchy scabs. Ugh. I switched to Herbal Essence, which was like heaven by comparison, though I got looked down on for being so worldly as to buy the fancy shampoo. Now I buy the nicest shampoo and soap I can find, and offer up a big fuck-you to frugality.

My mother told me a funny story about how, when she was a girl, they washed their hair with soap, and then had to rinse with vinegar or lemon juice or whatever to get the sticky residue out. When she was a teenager, she and her sister went to stay at a family friend's cottage, and the older lady bought a new product--laundry soap flakes. They washed their hair with the soap flakes, and were so excited by this new miracle product that left their hair smooth and clean! Times change--though I guess not in fundie-land, where women get to treat themselves with less care than a cast-iron skillet.

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I tried no-'poo before, and it didn't really work for me either - I got the weird, sticky-ish feeling too. My hair is SUPER thick and I suspect I'd have to use an entire tub of bicarb per wash to get it properly clean :( I am nearly at the end of my Aussie shampoo and since I plan on finding an sulfate-free alternative. I regularly use plain bicarb as deodorant though, and it works fine. I might start adding a dab of tea tree oil though.

As for laundry, this stuff looks awesome (if it works): http://store.naturoli.com/soap-nuts-soa ... eaner.html

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While recovering from my surgery, I can't wash my hair (strict orders from surgeon & can put anything in except cotton balls coated with Vaseline), so I have to use a shower cap when I shower, and I then I use the TRESemmé dry spray on stuff, and so far it's ok, but I"m use to to washing my hair everyday because it's so oily.

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Geniebelle, your hair might be oily *because* you are washing it everyday and stripping your scalp of the natural oil it needs to be healthy. Maybe try a moisturising shampoo (preferably a sulfate-free one). Also it's worth remembering that foam is a by-product only and does not clean your hair - lathering is not necessary for clean hair.

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Honestly, I can hear my hair frizz at cheap shampoo and even more at cheap conditioner. Granted, my hair is... difficult... sorta like Medusa threw up on my head. I need lots and lots of emollients. I don't see a vinegar wash cutting it. And then wouldn't you spend the rest of the day smelling like a vinaigrette? The baking soda "shampoo" probably works though.

However, the "all natural" things isn't just for fundies. My mom can get a bit carried away with the "all natural" cleaners, washes, toothpastes, etc. And she's a liberal Christian feminist. (And also a bit crunchy.)

Yes! my hair doesn`t tolerate cheap shampoo and conditioner. I need that expensive stuff!

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My son and daughter in law are very crunchy (though not fundie--they're Wiccan!) They cloth-diaper, and my DIL makes her own wipes that way, but using squares of soft cloth instead of paper towels. Then she just washes them with the diapers. She uses tea tree oil, and it's really nice.

White Rain! That's a blast from the past. When I lived in my little cult household, I used to buy that because it was the cheapest. That was back when they still put hexachlorophene in it, and it made my scalp break out in itchy scabs. Ugh. I switched to Herbal Essence, which was like heaven by comparison, though I got looked down on for being so worldly as to buy the fancy shampoo. Now I buy the nicest shampoo and soap I can find, and offer up a big fuck-you to frugality.

My mother told me a funny story about how, when she was a girl, they washed their hair with soap, and then had to rinse with vinegar or lemon juice or whatever to get the sticky residue out. When she was a teenager, she and her sister went to stay at a family friend's cottage, and the older lady bought a new product--laundry soap flakes. They washed their hair with the soap flakes, and were so excited by this new miracle product that left their hair smooth and clean! Times change--though I guess not in fundie-land, where women get to treat themselves with less care than a cast-iron skillet.

I *love* White Rain (coconut is my fave). I've tried others, but nothing compares for nice, basic shampoo that gets hair clean without drying (though I prefer Tresemme conditioner because it's not greasy and you need just a teeny bit per use, so it's actually cheaper than WR conditioner). I dilute a bottle of shampoo with water to make a quart; seems to get hair even cleaner with no residue, and makes a bottle last six weeks even with my long, fine, oily, thick hair and daily shampoos. We moved to an apartment with very hard water and no water softening on site, so now I put a tsp of baking soda in it, too.

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I'm just intrigued how 'crunchy' got co-opted into 'fundie'. Once upon a time, being 'crunchy' was a leftist/environmentalist choice and now it's prepping for Armageddon? I wonder how that shift happened.

Everyone is selectively something. I choose to limit (not abolish) my meat intake, for instance. And I don't have a car. But I am wondering how effective all this fundie-crunchy stuff actually is. So you save a couple of dollars on shampoo? I think people do it more than anything for the sense of relaxation and empowerment they get from it. We're all too completely embroiled in the global economy to be able to extract ourselves.

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I think things like homemade shampoo, laundry products etc might be useful for those fundies who choose to live off-grid/a very isolated agrarian lifestyle.

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I'm just intrigued how 'crunchy' got co-opted into 'fundie'. Once upon a time, being 'crunchy' was a leftist/environmentalist choice and now it's prepping for Armageddon? I wonder how that shift happened.

Everyone is selectively something. I choose to limit (not abolish) my meat intake, for instance. And I don't have a car. But I am wondering how effective all this fundie-crunchy stuff actually is. So you save a couple of dollars on shampoo? I think people do it more than anything for the sense of relaxation and empowerment they get from it. We're all too completely embroiled in the global economy to be able to extract ourselves.

I only have to look at the ingredients on the side of the bottle to wish that a natural approach worked for my hair. Some of the ingredients are suspected carcinogens. If I swapped to making my own it would be for health reasons.

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I have impossible hair that hates every shampoo I try, but I can't imagine doing no-poo... my scalp is oily, itchy, and smelly if I don't wash every other day. I envy anyone who can get good results from $1 shampoo, baking soda, or, uh, anything at all. I could wash my hair with unicorn tears and it would still look god-awful.

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Geniebelle, your hair might be oily *because* you are washing it everyday and stripping your scalp of the natural oil it needs to be healthy. Maybe try a moisturising shampoo (preferably a sulfate-free one). Also it's worth remembering that foam is a by-product only and does not clean your hair - lathering is not necessary for clean hair.

And try a natural bristle brush (trying saying that a few times fast!). They even make some for thicker hair that have a few plastic bristles mixed into the boar or porcupine bristles. It will distribute the oil through your hair.

My hair is long, so it really can handle having the oil distributed. If I wash it too much it gets dry, but too little and psoraisis acts up. It's a balance.

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I only have to look at the ingredients on the side of the bottle to wish that a natural approach worked for my hair. Some of the ingredients are suspected carcinogens. If I swapped to making my own it would be for health reasons.

Same here. I try to avoid chemicals in my household as much as possible. Baking powder, vinegar, lemon, salt and soap is all I need to clean the apartment and I only use organic oils on my skin. Works great, is good for the environment (and for my body) and a nice side effect is that I save a lot of money.

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I have impossible hair that hates every shampoo I try, but I can't imagine doing no-poo... my scalp is oily, itchy, and smelly if I don't wash every other day. I envy anyone who can get good results from $1 shampoo, baking soda, or, uh, anything at all. I could wash my hair with unicorn tears and it would still look god-awful.

This is how my hair was until I went 4 weeks without washing it (I was living in a tent in the middle of the outback, there was nothing but a natural spring a few kms away where we bathed). By the time I entered back in to civilisation my hair was terribly greasy. After washing it once, it bounced right back. After that I started washing it once a week at the most and my hair has never been more awesome. I used to be greasy and scraggly and now it is full, soft, and full of volume!

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Ha! These responses are fascinating.

I'm water only. I do not really have enough hair to shampoo. I have a strip down the middle but it is coloured and shampoo would take the colour out.

At first it was greasy and horrible but after a couple of weeks it got relaxed and shiny (middle part). Saves me a fortune.

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I have short hair and have to wash everyday. But, I buy the huge bottles of Paul Mitchell Shampoo 1 when they go on sale. One will last me and the kids almost a year.

We tried WEN shampoo and it made our hair greasy looking and limp. Ugh.

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I'm just intrigued how 'crunchy' got co-opted into 'fundie'. Once upon a time, being 'crunchy' was a leftist/environmentalist choice and now it's prepping for Armageddon? I wonder how that shift happened.

Everyone is selectively something. I choose to limit (not abolish) my meat intake, for instance. And I don't have a car. But I am wondering how effective all this fundie-crunchy stuff actually is. So you save a couple of dollars on shampoo? I think people do it more than anything for the sense of relaxation and empowerment they get from it. We're all too completely embroiled in the global economy to be able to extract ourselves.

I can tell you that it works for me. Menstrual cup, organic/natural shampoo and soap bar (need much less water to clean out), organic cleaning product and self made cleaning product work SO well it's amazing. Try a lemon rind to bleach your sink, stuff just get right off. My theory is that at the start of selling artificial cleaners, because of a lack of regulation they were much harsher than now and cleaning better. (and I still know women who just never switched to those products). As time went and regulations multiplied, the strength of the products lowered to reach a state where cleaning with natural stuff is just as effective (and actually more). But that's my theory, I never researched the subject at all.

We can get more outside of the global capitalist economy, it's possible, but like I said, I think it's a progressive move for most people, and that's ok.

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I think things like homemade shampoo, laundry products etc might be useful for those fundies who choose to live off-grid/a very isolated agrarian lifestyle.

It probably reinforces the feeling of being "of the world", but not "in the world", if that makes sense. They think they are being "self-sufficient", without realizing that what they're using to be so, are what I call "chemical niceties". If one really, really wants to go all "out of the modern world" on laundry detergent, one's recipe starts with "kill a pig". It's unsavory, but the old-fashioned way to make lye requires grease and ash. It's horrid, and may make one blind. "Chemical niceties" are the stuff we use that's safe to create composites. We don't really have to kill a pig anymore, to make soap, because of...science. The thing that fundies hate...

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I tried the no-poo thing a few times. After my longest experiment (about 4 weeks) my hair got so oily that it looked like I was going bald at the front. I have long, coarse curls, and now I just condition every other day and shampoo maybe twice a week. Unfortunately I have to use a harsh shampoo for my very bad dandruff, but I haven't found a natural remedy that works as well as T-Gel.

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I *love* White Rain (coconut is my fave).

Bellicosebroad, I'm pretty sure White Rain is better now than it was when I used it. I think it was the hexachlorophene that bothered me, and they stopped putting that in personal cleaning products. But I'll never try it again because just looking at it makes me feel as if I'm breaking out.

I agree that looking at all those chemicals is disconcerting. Soap just isn't natural, and there's no way around that. I guess we can blame it on the agricultural revolution, along with over-population and all those other things that happened when we quit living as hunters and gatherers. Diapers aren't natural either, whether cloth or disposable. The old way was to just hold the kid over a convenient patch of dirt while they did their business, then wipe their butt off with a leaf or something. I've read that Native Americans packed their babies with moss when they put them in the cradleboard, but I don't think that's an option, because there isn't enough moss to go around, especially when the whole world goes quiverfull.

I am intrigued by the notion of a composting toilet, but most municipalities don't allow them. I wonder why more fundies haven't tried that---saves on water, and you can use the compost on your garden, if you dare.

Praise dog for Free Jinger, which gives me the opportunity to consider such things on a Sunday morning, instead of prayerfully preparing myself for worship. :D

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I quit the Mothering.com forums before the end of my first trimester of pregnancy last year. I didn't have the energy to compete for most awesome crunchy goddess of the decade.

We do cloth diapers, and I have the fabric to cut cloth wipes (for baby only, I am NOT washing other people's poo once they're potty trained) but I've been too lazy to actually cut the wipes yet. I make my own powdered laundry detergent and it works really well. I use Dr. Bronner's soaps with tea tree oil and lavender, so the detergent smells amazing, too. I do a vinegar rinse on my laundry so I don't need fabric softener.

We live on a farm, so I guess I get some crunchy points there, but when I garden, I embrace the power of modern chemicals, so my points are wiped out. Also, we grow RoundUp Ready crops, which would probably get me barred for life from the Mothering forums. Maybe the no-till process for soil conservation would save me? Probably not.

I almost had an unassisted childbirth! Dang, that might have won me the crunchy prize, even if it was accidental. I just didn't think I was in labor *enough* to need to call the midwife until it was nearly too late. My son was born moments after we arrived at the birth center.

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Soap just isn't natural, and there's no way around that.

I would say detergent isn't natural, but if you go back to the roots of it, soap can be made from oils or fats, and lye. Lye can come from ashes. All are natural.

But generally most of what you buy in the store as "soap" are actually chemical detergents. If you know what you're looking for, you can find some soaps, like ivory, dr bronners and some natural soap companies.

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