Hair Care Snares and Scares

I've been experimenting with shampoo for quite some time now. It all started when I heard that there were bad chemicals in most commercial shampoos, which enter your body through your scalp and our water supply when they go down your shower drain. Also, most of our shampoos could not legally be sold in any country but the U.S. because of the high levels of petroleum they contain. This concerned me. The hot terms right now are "parabens" and "SLS"--things to be avoided. These disrupt your endocrine system, mess with hormones/reproduction, and cause cancer.

Luckily, there is a plethora of information on the internet ready to help you wash your hair without compromising your health/environmental conscience. Here's what I've tried:

1. Baking Soda

Method: Frequently called the "no-poo" method (not by me, of course, because that sounds silly)--you just make a paste of baking soda, scrub it into your scalp, and rinse. To avoid turning your hair to hay, you should make a conditioning rinse out of 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar diluted in 1 cup of water and use it.

Results: This works wonderfully if you have soft water. I do not. It makes your hair very, very clean. With my hard Chicago water I can only do it about once a week or my hair turns into a dry nest. On the East Coast, it works like a charm. About as safe & natural as you can get.

2. Tea-Based Spray

Method: I got this recipe from Frugal Granola and it is the gentler of the two home-made shampoos I've mixed myself.

• 1 Chamomile tea bag
• 
  
  3 Tbsp. Dr. Bronner's liquid castile soap (I used almond-scented, because almond flavor is associated with Dutch treats in my mind :))
  
  
  
• 
  
  1 Cup boiling water.
  
  
  

Steep tea bag for one hour in the hot water. Then put it in a spray bottle and add the castile soap. Shake a little before each use. I follow the shampoo with the apple cider vinegar conditioning rinse mentioned above.

Results: This shampoo worked okay if you're willing to wash your hair everyday. (I prefer every-other). It cleans your hair, but not that squeaky clean that will hold for more than a day. The slight presence of natural oils felt more...natural--but I really like squeaky clean myself.

3. Castile Soap-based Spray

Method: This is the second mix-it-yourself spray shampoo I made, recipe courtesy of Passionate Homemaking.

• 
  
  1 cup of Dr. Bronners Organic Castile Soap
  
  
  
• 
  
  2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  
  
  
• 
  
  1/4 cup water
  
  
  

Mix, and put in spray bottle. Follow with apple cider vinegar conditioning rinse.

Results: This shampoo is harsher than #2, probably because of the much higher concentration of castile soap (which is an all-purpose, very virtuous soap). This version makes my hair frizzy even after ACV conditioning rinse. I wouldn't try it again.

4. Whole Foods' 365 Brand Shampoo

About: Most chemical or paraben/SLS free shampoos are notably expensive, so I decided I'd try the Whole Foods "365" brand shampoo because I only paid about $5 for both the shampoo and conditioner. Quite a deal.

Results: I don't like this shampoo. It has the same drawback as my mix-it-yourself kind in that it doesn't get you squeaky clean so you feel kind of dirty again by bedtime. It just doesn't do the trick. It feels filmy on my hands, and I don't like the smell (I have mint--the other options are citrus, lavender, or unscented).

In conclusion, I now vary between these methods, and sometimes "cheat" and use the tiny bit of Herbal Essences I have left. Some days I feel on the brink of giving in and just buying more Herbal Essences even if it means dousing my noggin in bad chemicals. I haven't done it yet, but a girl can only take so many consecutive bad hair months. Sometimes I just pine for the soft water of New England where you can use the greenest shampoo out there and still have lustrous, silky locks anyway.

I continue my search for a safe shampoo. Perhaps this will involve paying unreasonable amounts of money for higher-end chem-free shampoos, although the reviews I've read online make that sounds like quite a gamble. Why is it so difficult just to find SAFE shampoo?

If you're interested in researching your hair care products, or any makeup/toiletry item, please check out the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database, which rates the toxicity of products and explains what the risks are.