Hello everyone!
What a time I have had since the last Hair Parlor post! So many things have happened, but despite our travels, odd schedules and what not, I have still been devoting a bit of my time every day to learning more about the many ways we can wash our hair. My how many there are! And so many interesting theories as to the best chemical makeup for the best shampoo, homemade or no. I won't say that each brand or recipe is the gold star, perfected one. Far from it! What I have learned though within the past month has been of much value to me, and I am going to share with you all what I have experimented with, and the results I found with the few different shampoo methods I have tried.
First we have the No Poo, baking soda, and apple cider vinegar (with essential oil for the flaky scalp). I really began to use this method of cleaning my hair after Charlotte had been using it for three weeks. This was back in the middle of Summer, and I used it consistently until a little voice in the back of my brain said to look up and see if there are any damaging affects in using these strange ingredients on my hair. So I did, and I found that there were several good reasons to stop using them!
Our hair has a natural ph number of either 4.5 to 5. The ph chart goes from 0 to 14. 0 being the most acidic (ex. battery acid), and 14 being the most alkali (drain cleaner). 7 is obviously the neutral number here, and believe it or not, our blood has a natural ph of 7. Now you can see that our hair is slightly acidic if it is 4.5 to 5 on the chart. Baking soda has a regular ph number of 9.5, while apple cider vinegar has a ph number of 3.5 to 4.0, only slightly more acidic than hair. This was a big red flag to me when I found this out! Basically you are subjecting your hair to two extremes – a very strong alkali wash, and then a pretty acidic rinse. Women who have been using this No Poo method for a couple of years have stated the catastrophes they have experienced from the use of this method, and the girls and I didn't want to be three more in that number! So we tried something else...
Yay! Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Soap! And what else? Coconut milk and oil? Yes! We got the recipe from a dear commenter on a previous Hair Parlor post regarding dandruff, and this young lady suggested we give it a try. We did. We even brought a small bottle of this concoction with us down to Orlando in case our hair got too dirty. Well, I don't know what happened, but after a week and a half of using this recipe, our hair began to get incredibly waxy, and even though Dr. Bronner's soap smells good, it didn't help our hair to not smell like... well, dirty hair! Mom really didn't like this, and eventually all three of us gave in on the last couple of days down there and used the hotel shampoo. *Gasp!* Yes, it was that bad. I hate using hotel shampoo! It is my last resort in any form of hygiene when abroad (we usually packed our own). But in this case, we needed to, and within the span of one shower, the bathroom filled with the smell of good, clean hair. Mom was thankful, to say the least. ;)
So after that we went back to...
This! The wonderful Nature's Gate Shampoo and Conditioner, found conveniently at our local grocery store. Natures gate is a sulfate free shampoo, with a lot of good plant extracts inside. This particular formula is for moisturizing, hence the aloe vera label. As the cold weather sets in for the oncoming Winter season, the moisture found in our Ohioan air evaporates with the frigid temperatures, and is replaced by a lot of static, making our skin dry, and scalps quite flaky. We have actually never tried the aloe vera formula during the Autumn and Winter, and knowing that we would need something to hydrate our skin I decided to give it a try. We have only been using it for a week, but so far our hair smells good, it's clean, and my dandruff has nearly gone away. This is a wonderful thing for me, and so I know that this shampoo is a keeper.
How has your hair been through the changing temperatures?
Have you tried any new shampoo recipes lately?
What do you like better, fragrant hair, or just a clean scalp?
Many blessings to you all my friends!
Jessica
The eldest sister & singer
CREDITS // Author: Jessica Boyer; Photography: Charlotte Boyer; Photos edited with VSCO Presets
This is so helpful! I might have to try it out! How often are you girls currently washing your hair? I know you mentioned something about trying to get up to two weeks without washing, would you be open to doing a post on why?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Hannah
Hello dear friend!
DeleteI think that would be an excellent idea! I will write down a note to do such a post in the future.
For now though, I will oblige you by saying that we three were inspired by our generation's grandmothers, who, back in their day, would only wash their hair every two weeks. They grew up this way, and so they never had the issue of a great amount of oil production in their scalps, and thus they could go every two weeks. And just think about this, their grandmothers washed their hair even less than that–only six times a year!!!
Fun facts for you to think about. :)
Love in Christ,
Jessica
The eldest sister & singer
I'm leaning that way, too. Although one of my sisters is of the opinion that when you live in a city with dirt in the air, you're not likely to manage that long without washes.
DeleteI'm still searching for the best solution for me. Egg, it turns out, is alkali, too... so for the time being, I'm at "small amount of the most basic nettle or birch shampoo diluted in water and then vinegar rinse for conditioner". So far, so good...
Hi Jessica!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear that the castille soap shampoo didn't work out for you. I'm terribly sorry to have sent you on such miserable experience :/ (I'm the girl who recommended the recipe to you) My hair type is quite odd, so i suppose that's why it worked so well for me. May I ask one thing though? Did you put coconut oil in the shampoo? If so, that might account for the waxiness. I only use it as a sort of conditioner, and then only a very tiny amount on the ends of my hair. And my hair is very dry, so if you have oily hair, you probably could just skip that altogether. Anyways, I'm so sorry :(
Joanna
Oh dear! No, Joanna! You didn't in any way send me or the girls through a miserable experiment! It wasn't really that bad! It was more or less the fact that Mom is just particular about the clean smell of hair, and the fact the we were trying not to wash it more than twice a week really didn't help the situation. I ought to have put a disclaimer in for that part of the post, especially for you! There are no hard feelings whatsoever! In fact it was still pretty fun to experiment! You just happened to be an aid in helping us realize that the shampoo we used to use was and is the right shampoo for us still. More than anything I think that the recipe you gave us just didn't have enough of a good smell to mask the "hair" smell, because Brigi and Charlotte are still working through waxy hair due to the fact that they don't wash it but two times a week, which I think will change pretty soon... ;)
DeleteThank you for commenting Joanna! We still love you, and don't blame you a bit. :)
Blessings of peace to you.
Jessica
The eldest sister & singer
Oh good. I'm glad it wasn't to terrible. :) And don't worry about putting a disclaimer.....It's totally okay.
DeleteJoanna
Good post, I've never done the no poo routine but I have tried Dr. Bronner's and I just couldn't stand it. It gives my hair and hands this horrible sour smell. It is very cost efficient as you only need a tiny bit to get squeaky clean hair but I just couldn't do the smell. Now I'm just using V05 and I'm not sure what the long term effects will be but I'm just glad to have a shampoo that keeps my hair from being greasy. Oy, fine hair. :P
ReplyDeleteIt's really good to hear your reviews of these different products! Other than the combination with coconut oil not working for you, would you recommend Castile soap as a basic cleanser, perhaps if it's one of their scented soaps (like peppermint or lavender)? I've been considering trying it out, but not with coconut oil.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite recent discovery is a foreign brand called Vatika, which I find at a local ethnic grocery store. They have great hair masks that cut the grease out of my hair really well without the standard mix of sulfates and silicone compounds, and it leaves my hair feeling very light and clean for 2-3 days after I use it.
I'd be interested to hear about what your experience is this winter with taking care of your hair -- one problem I have always had is static and dryness in winter. I'm hoping water-only (and mask) washing will alleviate that!
Hi Kira,
DeleteI haven't used the castile soap on its own, but I have heard other people have and they like it very much. On the flip side, our own hair dresser used the castile soap, and she said her hair got waxy, just like ours did. So if you are okay with your shampoo acting as a sort of styling product as well, then I would say go for it!
Hmmm. I have never tried hair masks before, so I don't know how to use them, but if you like the way they are working now, then I would stick with them.
Thanks for your question! I hope I could be of help.
Blessings,
Jessica
The eldest sister & singer
Have you tried weaning your hair from normal shampoos? It will take an adjusting period, but I can easily go with washing my hair 3 times a week. I work with animals on my farm though, so have to wash if for school, because of the barn smell. It may not be quite as healthy, but still works more or less! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteYes, we have been trying to wean our hair from shampoos, but we haven't used a "normal" (meaning, with sulfates), so in a way we have. The girls have and I have been trying for a month now to lengthen the time span between washings, but so far we have not overcome the transitional period in which our oil production has receded. We are thinking of given it up, so we might not ever get past that point.
DeleteI am glad that this has worked for you though! I am always intrigued when I hear that someone is able to not wash their hair for two or even three weeks! And it isn't less healthy, actually, I think that so long as you are eating a proper diet, and your hair looks good, that is the best healthy hair you can have. :)
Thanks for commenting!
Love,
Jessica
The eldest sister & singer
I just did a very similar post on my blog recently. I find my hair needs more conditioning in Winter,
ReplyDeleteOtherwise weather doesn't affect my hair too much.
I prefer a clean scalp to nice smelling, although essential oils help with that!
Natasha
A modest fashion blog: www.natashaatkerson.blogspot.com
I will have to check that post out! Thanks Natasha!
DeleteThankful,
Jessica
The eldest sister & singer
Thank you for sharing, Jessica! I've looked through an e-book and some articles on this topic and have tried some recipes, but have yet to find a homemade one that consistently works.:) But honestly, I haven't had a lot of time to experiment - sounds like a great project though + I appreciate you sharing your experiences! Right now I use Nature's Gate (henna) and Desert Essence (pomegranate). Here's the link to a recipe for homemade hairspray made from grapefruit or oranges, if you're interested. I haven't made it recently, but it worked well when I did try it a while back.:) Blessings!
ReplyDeleteYay for Nature's Gate! I am really loving their products! And I am glad to know you are too!
DeleteYes, a link to that recipe would be great. Thanks for offering!
Always glad to read your comments!
Love in Christ,
Jessica
The eldest sister & singer
Wow, I am sorry! Completely forgot to paste the link :P Here you go: http://joyfuljewels4jesus.blogspot.com/2011/12/healthy-hair.html
DeleteBlessings! :)
That's ok, Elizabeth. Thank you for putting it down! I have already looked at it since you left the link in your comment, and I know for sure I have seen a similar recipe somewhere before; probably Pinterest...;P
DeleteOnce my store bought spray runs out, I will most likely be trying this recipe out.
Thankful,
Jessica
The eldest sister & singer
Have you read the castille fine print if it is the same bottle I read and am thinking of you may not want to support that particular company anymore. I love your blog. :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like you three have had quite the adventure in hair washing! This summer I switched to L'Oreal Paris sulfate free shampoo; it has kept my hair clean, moisturized, and pleasantly-smelling.
ReplyDeleteWe all have our favorites. Thanks for sharing yours, Bethany!
DeleteCheers,
Jessica
The eldest sister & singer
I am going to have to try the shampoo which you guys buy! I had a similar experience with the baking soda acv method and the castille soap/coconut milk shampoo. Lately, I've just been using normal Tresemme (not sure if I spelled that correctly) shampoo once a week. It has sulfates in it though so I've wanted to switch it out for something more natural. I'm going to see if I can find the Nature's Gate shampoo in our local health food store and give that a try. :)
ReplyDeleteGod Bless,
Nuala
Wow! What a neat thing that we have all been on the same journey together. That is the best thing about blogging–learning that there are many journeys, whether great or small, and we can share them with each other. What a blessing.
DeleteMuch Love,
Jessica
The eldest sister & singer
Wow, you three have certainly been doing some experimentation! I myself, started going shampoo free in July and it's been over 16 weeks since I started. I have been using the BS and ACV method. I know that there are some bad stories about it, but by far, I would say there are more good stories than bad. I think there are a couple of factors that effect the results people get:
ReplyDelete1. Using a Baking soda paste. I tried this the first time I washed like this and immediately knew it was NOT going to work, so I did some research. The best way to use the baking soda is by mixing it with with water. I use a ratio of somewhere around 2 cups water to TBS soda. But I don't measure. Instead I'm looking for a "slippery" feeling in the water.
2. Using just straight ACV. I do the same thing as above but the proportions are a little bit more like 2 cups water - 4 TBS backing soda.
3. Hard water. We have VERY hard water because we are on well, and so when I initially started, my hair was disgusting! I did some research again though, and discovered that this is a reaction between the backing soda and hard water. Now, I boil the water I mix with the BS and ACV and have not had any problems since.
4. Frequency of wash. I could see the BS definitely causing problems if used everyday on someone's hair. It really isn't meant to be used that often though. Up until the last 2 weeks, I was only washing my hair with the BS and ACV about 1/ week. Recently though, I've decided to switch to 2/weekly because I run, and do various types of physical workouts that leave me sweaty and hair greasy.
5. Hair type. Everyone's hair is different so what works for me, might no work for you girls. My mom and 2 of my sisters have joined me in this experiment, and so far we have had wonderful results! That could change, but I'm kinda thinking not.
Overall, I would say it all comes down to finding what works best for you, your hair, and your lifestyle.The whole idea, I think is to experiment and gauge what you change off of how your hair is reacting. My hair (as well as my mom's and sister's) has never been healthier than it is now, but it is because I have found what works for me. By no means did I write this all out to "prove you wrong". Please don't think that! I just wouldn't want anyone who was thinking of doing it scared off from the idea, because I think for some people, it can work really well.
~Maria :-)
Thank you so much for posting this Maria! And no, I don't think you are trying to prove that this is the perfect solution for a natural way to take care of ones hair. Actually, I am relieved to know that this method does work for some people! What a neat thing, and best of all, it is so cheap! :)
DeleteThank you so much for sharing your own journey Maria! This was very helpful for me and the girls!
Love in Christ,
Jessica
The eldest sister & singer
Yes and no. And mostly a very emphatic NO. My reaction is late, but I know I can add more to this. Because what you describe is almost to a T my own experience. We have hard water (maybe just mid-hard, but definitely tending towards hard on the scale). I was dilluting the soda in boiled water, and large amounts of it. And I wasn't washing my hair frequently, far from it. (Sometimes, in fact, way too infrequently.)
DeleteAfter maybe three years of this, though, my sister still told me that she did not feel it was helping my hair. And she was right. My hair was (is) exactly the same way described by the people who comment on the baking soda method not being good for you. Lots and lots of split ends.
That's definitely not the result you want to get from three or four years of washing your hair with a supposedly harmless method.
Interesting. Sounds like you've done a lot of good research and come up with a good plan :) I've weaned myself off of frequent hair washings and having it down to every other day. I have found that I need to wash my hair more when I'm running frequently in the spring, summer and fall. But in the winter, I've noticed that my hair gets really split-endy (is that a word?) and dry-looking, so I really cut back on washings. Like you, I really like Nature's Gate. My favorite is Chamomile, I believe.
ReplyDeleteWe used to use Chamomile too! But now that winter is here, its moistening aloe for us. Thanks for sharing your experiences with me CGrace!
DeleteMuch love,
Jessica
The eldest sister & singer
How funny that you post this this week Jessica! I have been at my wits end in trying to get into a better washing method with my hair. I went back to BS and vinegar (I'd used this method before; months ago then quit for some reason) even though I knew the "side effects". I really don't think that the no-poo method has to be zero washing (with shampoo) persay, rather, finding a natural ingredient filled product. I'm going to have to try a few more DIY recipes, but I think that the wash and conditioner that you three are now using looks very promising from all vantage points. :)
ReplyDeletelove always,
Cassie
Well, no matter what you have struggled through, Cassie, I cant even tell from the pictures on your girl's blog. This alone tells me you are very particular about how your hair looks, and that in many ways can be such a blessing to others to see a well groomed lady. :)
DeleteBlessings to you two!
Jessica
The eldest sister & singer
Thank you so much for this! I've been struggling to find a good, natural solution to washing my hair and take care of the dandruff that has come from my school's not-so-good water that dries out my scalp. I'm going to hunt up some of that Nature's Gate shampoo now. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to try the last shampoo. I am on a continuous search for a good shampoo/conditioner set that is not either too drying or leaves hair too weighted down. There are many that sound good but are too expensive for an item that is used up so quickly! I like this post. Please continue to let us know about products you try.
ReplyDelete