Homemade Shampoo and Conditioner

[bellicosebroad]

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 think the key is to be absolutely aware of what you're doing and to make careful choices, as opposed to thoughtlessly consuming, creating loads of avoidable trash, etc. You probably can't live on just wheatgrass juice and sunshine, but you can cut back or go homemade whenever possible and still do a lot of good, minimizing your carbon footprint. DH and I are not perfect; we both have cars and drive, but we're really careful and don't drive unless we have to. DH eats meat a couple of times a week and likes his ice cream, and I've gone from completely vegan to eating fish a couple of times a week. But we still stick as close to whole foods cooking as we can, and don't do any packaged foods on a regular basis except for DH's ice cream. That's far from what most people do in the US, at least, from what I can see. Going to the grocery store and seeing aisle after aisle of microwave dinners is just disheartening. All that trash created and energy wasted, and for what? Convenience? If people gave it two seconds' thought, they'd realize they could have the convenience without the expense, trash and resource consumption, just by planning meals carefully and using leftovers.

What I do (and what I expect most "crunchies" on FJ do) accomplishes far more than saving a couple of dollars here and there. All that careful planning becomes second nature after awhile, but I know our expenses are probably a third of what similar couples we know spend -- and they don't live any better than we do. They just spend without thinking. They probably have more stress, because they worry about money and we don't. Just as importantly, though, a "crunchy" lifestyle creates far less waste and trash, and uses much less energy to maintain.

[bellicosebroad]

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.

When I made my own laundry detergent, I got a kick out of the fact that I could buy a box each of borax and washing soda and be set re: clean clothes for several years. :) The only other things I needed were the Ivory soap and vinegar I always had around anyway.

[fluttershies]

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.

Surely soapnuts/soapwort contain natural detergent? Also quinoa contains saponin as anyone who has eaten it without thoroughly rinsing it before cooking knows, but I don't think it has enough to use in cleaning.

[geniebelle6901]

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.

Thanks for the tip. I just might splurge and try WEN or some cheaper dupe (not much into the all natural stuff discussed here. But I'll have to put up with dry shampoos until my ear heals.

[Deleted03]

Thanks for the tip. I just might splurge and try WEN or some cheaper dupe (not much into the all natural stuff discussed here. But I'll have to put up with dry shampoos until my ear heals.

The natural shampoo are without sulfate and usually they foam much less than the cheapo ones...

[geniebelle6901]

Are you talking about "natrural" brands you can buy in a store (dollar stores, drug stores, Walmart, salons, Ulta, Sephora)? . If so which brands? I have to say, I'm not interested in "homemade" stuff. Anyway, for now, I'll have to stick to the spray on dry shampoo until my ear heals per doctors orders.

[Deleted03]

Are you talking about "natrural" brands you can buy in a store (dollar stores, drug stores, Walmart, salons, Ulta, Sephora)? . If so which brands? I have to say, I'm not interested in "homemade" stuff. Anyway, for now, I'll have to stick to the spray on dry shampoo until my ear heals per doctors orders.

I'd say go to a natural food store or something like that. But they do have Burt's Bees in Walgreens now.

I like Aubrey's organics, but there are tons of other brands like burt's bees and all. You have lots of time to research brands then :D

[Austin]

Sally Beauty (here) has a whole section of natural hair products.

[Kaylee]

I'd say go to a natural food store or something like that. But they do have Burt's Bees in Walgreens now.

I'd be careful with the BB shampoo bars though. Everyone's hair is different and YMMV, but their bars were absolutely horrible on my hair- made it sticky and almost matted and very hard to comb. The odd thing is most shampoo bars make my hair great, but I had to be talked into trying another after that experience.

[Deleted03]

I'd be careful with the BB shampoo bars though. Everyone's hair is different and YMMV, but their bars were absolutely horrible on my hair- made it sticky and almost matted and very hard to comb. The odd thing is most shampoo bars make my hair great, but I had to be talked into trying another after that experience.

yep I tried a sample too... in general their bars of soap suck. But the liquid forms are good enough IMO

[donks]

I use Aussie shampoo, but I dilute it with water. Put half of it into the empty bottle I just finished using, then top it up with water.

I use John Frieda Smoothing Conditioner full strength. I like my hair shiny and smooth, and this is how I get good results.

I'm the only one in the household with hair, so my products last a long time.

[Boltingmadonna]

fluttershies said:

Surely soapnuts/soapwort contain natural detergent?

You are absolutely correct. I googled it and found out that both have naturally occurring saponins in them, and have been used as cleansers for centuries. You learn something on FJ every day.

wolfie said:

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.

Lye, whether it is sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, is definitely a chemical. Sure, it's natural, but no more so than detergents. The technology to produce it is simpler, but it's still technology. And detergents are not so highly caustic that they'll eat through a metal pan, burn your skin, or blind you. That's probably why people started to prefer detergents once they could get them.

I agree that keeping our use of dangerous chemicals to a minimum is a good idea, but I don't think we're going to do that by having everyone and their 12 children making lye out in the back yard. I shudder to think of the gruesome accidents that would occur when hot lye and children stacked like cordwood got into close proximity.

Lots of people in the world live without soap, or clothing for that matter. But now that we have the densely packed population that came along with the ability to grow food crops intensively, we are prone to herd epidemics. We live in the same place all the time, and things get dirty. We can't just fold up the tent and move to another location, and let the bugs and bacteria clean up after us. So we do need cleansing agents. It's okay for fundies to make their own as a personal hobby, but it's nuts to preach to the world that it's morally superior to make your own soap. I don't know about the rest of you, but I do not want my doctors dipping their hands into a wooden tub of lye soap to wash up before examining me. Nor do I want them applying Mrs. Quiverfull's Homemade Pork Lard Soap to my skin before they perform a surgical procedure. I think we're kinda stuck with using high-tech solution to real problems, unless we want to kill off most of the population and go back to a world with only a few million people in it.

[B5SnowDog]

I'd be careful with the BB shampoo bars though. Everyone's hair is different and YMMV, but their bars were absolutely horrible on my hair- made it sticky and almost matted and very hard to comb. The odd thing is most shampoo bars make my hair great, but I had to be talked into trying another after that experience.

Sounds like what happened to me with their liquid shampoos. Even the moisturizing kind made my hair feel like straw.

[nomi]

fluttershies said:

You are absolutely correct. I googled it and found out that both have naturally occurring saponins in them, and have been used as cleansers for centuries. You learn something on FJ every day.

wolfie said:

Lye, whether it is sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, is definitely a chemical. Sure, it's natural, but no more so than detergents. The technology to produce it is simpler, but it's still technology. And detergents are not so highly caustic that they'll eat through a metal pan, burn your skin, or blind you. That's probably why people started to prefer detergents once they could get them.

I agree that keeping our use of dangerous chemicals to a minimum is a good idea, but I don't think we're going to do that by having everyone and their 12 children making lye out in the back yard. I shudder to think of the gruesome accidents that would occur when hot lye and children stacked like cordwood got into close proximity.

Lots of people in the world live without soap, or clothing for that matter. But now that we have the densely packed population that came along with the ability to grow food crops intensively, we are prone to herd epidemics. We live in the same place all the time, and things get dirty. We can't just fold up the tent and move to another location, and let the bugs and bacteria clean up after us. So we do need cleansing agents. It's okay for fundies to make their own as a personal hobby, but it's nuts to preach to the world that it's morally superior to make your own soap. I don't know about the rest of you, but I do not want my doctors dipping their hands into a wooden tub of lye soap to wash up before examining me. Nor do I want them applying Mrs. Quiverfull's Homemade Pork Lard Soap to my skin before they perform a surgical procedure. I think we're kinda stuck with using high-tech solution to real problems, unless we want to kill off most of the population and go back to a world with only a few million people in it.

I used to make soap as a hobby (and small scale business, very small scale) and it was crazy how the purists were about soapmaking. There were some people who swore they only made all natural, chemical free soaps by making their own potash solution instead of lye and charged a very pretty penny for them. (potash is what you get when you run water through ashes) There was this one soapmaker who decided to take on the challenge and tried to get potash repeatedly. She'd get a slightly caustic solution, but never one that was enough to bond properly to the fat molecules and create a firm bar of soap. At the best, she got a squishy bar that pretty much melted away in the shower. It was all kinds of crazy up in the soapmaking community when she posted that.

There were also soapmakers who declared that anyone who didn't use a spoon to stir up their soap was a cheater. I loved my stick blender, it would take well over 30+ minutes of stir stir stirring compared to the 5 or so minutes with my stick blender.

[Austin]

It never ceases to amaze me how many things over which people can become obsessed with ideological purity. :shock:

[tinuviel]

Slightly OT, but what's the deal with cloth toilet "paper"? I can kind of see why someone would do it (though I wouldn't myself), but the real killer for me is that so many bloggers refer to their reusable toilet wipes as The Family Cloth. Gah. Why?! Squickiest name ever. As if fundies don't have enough togetherness...

[geniebelle6901]

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll see if I can get some sample sizes of everybody' recs.

[Clementine]

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll see if I can get some sample sizes of everybody' recs.

I love products from Weleda. I use the soaps, body washes, bath and body ois, lotions and also the salt toothpaste. Weleda sells small samples/travel size tubes and the products lasts a long time.

[Sola]

Thanks for the tip. I just might splurge and try WEN or some cheaper dupe (not much into the all natural stuff discussed here. But I'll have to put up with dry shampoos until my ear heals.

Have you tried Lush solid shampoos? They are expensive for the bar, but it lasts forever so works out cheaper in the long run. I have oily hair and its the only that works on my hair. I love the stuff.

I tried the no poo method thinking that I might be over washing my hair, but I all ended up with was a head of hair that looked as though someone has poured a bottle of oil over me. I stuck it for about 9 weeks then caved.

[Deleted03]

I love products from Weleda. I use the soaps, body washes, bath and body ois, lotions and also the salt toothpaste. Weleda sells small samples/travel size tubes and the products lasts a long time.

hard to find in the US but they always look so great when I visit in France lol

[nomi]

Slightly OT, but what's the deal with cloth toilet "paper"? I can kind of see why someone would do it (though I wouldn't myself), but the real killer for me is that so many bloggers refer to their reusable toilet wipes as The Family Cloth. Gah. Why?! Squickiest name ever. As if fundies don't have enough togetherness...

I did family cloth at the peak of my crunchiness. It was pure bragging rights to be honest although I do admit I felt cleaner using cloth wipes (I would dampen them in the sink before using most of the time). I wasn't fundie though, just crunchy.