Going green with No 'Poo!

Wow, well, I guess this is my new blog! I've had lots of inspiration and new projects lately, and I've really wanted to share all of my findings. For the last few weeks, I've been working very hard to become "greener." I've been finding new ideas every day, and I've very excited about it!







Today, I'm going to tell you about my favorite lifestlye change thus far: The "No 'Poo Method."







No, it's not what you're probably thinking! Basically, I've decided to give up shampoo and conditioner FOREVER! I'm only in my second week of it, so I can't say for sure how it will work out. But I'm definitely liking it so far! The chemicals they dump in shampoo strip all of the oils out of your hair, which makes your hair produce MORE oil. Then you have to wash it every day or every other day. Turns out if you clean it naturally, it doesn't produce oil nearly as quickly. Some people who are dedicated to the no 'poo method only have to wash their hair once or twice a week, or even as rarely as once a month! You will, of course, still need to rinse with warm water in the shower ever so often to get the debris out. When you forst begin, there may be a period often referred to as the "detox period." Basically, you're hair continues to over produce oil because it's not used to not being abused by the chemicals. Don't worry, though, this won't last forever. It's well worth it, too!







Here's what you'll need:

• Baking soda



• Vinegar (either kind will work, but apple cider smells better, I think)



• Honey (optional)

Here's what you do with it:

1. Mix baking the soda with water. You'll have to experiment with the ratio to find what best suits your hair. I started by using 1/4 cup of baking soda to about 1 cup of water. It feels pretty gritty. Now I use about 1/8 cup instead and it just feels like water. I think the more baking soda you use, the more it dries out your hair. So maybe use less if you have dry hair, and more if you have oily hair.



2. Apply the mixture to your hair. I originally started out by wetting my hair and dumping it on, working it through the roots. Now, I make the mixture in a spray bottle and spritz it into my roots, then comb it through.



3. Rinse.



4. Mix 1 part vinegar with 3 parts water



5. Pour or spray this all over your hair. Yes, it smells, but the smell rinses away. If there is a little bit of smell left after you rinse, it goes away as your hair dries. Also, some people say only to use it on the ends of your hair, but I find that it helps with my dandruff. It feels so good going on. :) Instant itch relief! WARNING: Do NOT pour the vinegar after you shave your legs!



6. Rinse.



7. (Optional) Coat your hair with honey. It is supposed to be a humectant, sealing moisture into your locks. The vinegar by itself is a wonderful conditioner, but my hair did seem a bit softer and shinier after using the honey. I will probably only use that occasionally, though.



8. Rinse.

I have thick wavy/curly hair, and I just cannot go out without using some sort of product in my hair. I did discover, though, that using a little bit of coconut oil did WONDERS for controlling frizz and flyaways.

I also found a recipe for hair gel that's fantastic! A combination of the two is perfect. I'll post the hair gel recipe another time, or if you need it now, just google "Homemade Hair Gel."

I hope you found this helpful!