Dandruff. Yucky flakes. Itchy scalp. It's not fun, it's not fashionable and it's disheartening. You buy creams and shampoos and gels and and bottle after bottle of chemical SLS laden or lye based detergents and soaps to try to combat this troublemaker.
I finally found something that finally works for me. I went to beauty school. I know the things that we are trained about using Shampoo, Conditioner and hair masques. I bought into it. The more expensive the product, the better it was, right? Wrong.
In my bathroom, there are two bottles that you wouldn't expect. One is a shaker with baking soda in it. It looks like the ones at Pizza parlors filled with red pepper flakes and cheese. I bought it at the dollar tree for a buck. Also, a repurposed honey bottle filled with 1/4 apple cider or white distilled vinegar and 3/4's water.
2 times a week, I hop in my shower without the water running and sprinkle baking soda in my hair, focusing on the roots. I massage it in with my fingers into make sure it is coating my scalp and wait a few minutes. I run a wide toothed comb through my hair gently massaging my scalp with the teeth. (A pick would do this well) I then start my shower, and do my routine (shaving, sugar scrub, rinsing). I then use my vinegar rinse, focusing on the scalp. It will start to bubble, and fizz. This is a good thing. It isn't harming your hair, the effervesence is bubbling the flakes away. I keep rinsing with it the vinegar until the bottle is gone. Sometimes I use a cool water rinse. Sometimes I use a warm water rinse. Sometimes I only use the vinegar rinse.
Using both of the products is essential. Baking soda is alkaline and drying by it's self. And Vinegar is acidic. Using the vinegar in conjunction with the baking soda is ph balanced, and makes your hair soft and manageable. I even have colored and permed hair and this works fantastic on me. Once your hair is dry, there is NO vinegar smell. I have much less hair breakage and split ends since I started using this hair care routine.
Apple Cider Vinegar enhances Warm tones in your hair, and White Distilled Vinegar is better for Cool or Ashen hair tones. Not sure which you have? Hold up your hair to a piece of white paper. If it is reddish then it is warm. If it isn't than it is neutral or cool :)
Give it a week or two. See if you like it. I am hooked. I haven't washed my hair in the 'traditional' way in over 3 months. My color hasn't faded like it usually does with regular shampooing and my curl hasn't 'fallen out' like it has in the past.
UPDATE:
I found my hair was getting a bit dry, after nearly a month of just baking soda and vinegar. My scalp was doing terrific, but my ends were getting a bit crinkly.
So, I did what any self respecting frugal, do it yourself'er would do. I headed to the kitchen to find some protein for my hair, and then decided to make a moisturizing sugar scrub for my skin!
I know that Coconut oil is really awesome. It regulates your bowels, it lowers your bad cholesterol, and tastes YUMMY! It is also a nice antiviral, anti bacterial, anti fungal, it fights the bugs that give you ulcers, fights giardia infections from bad water, improves your vitamin absorption, dissolves kidney stones, helps control blood sugar, and tons more (seeCoconut Oil Health Benefits )
Ingredients for sugar scrub:
1 cup of Sugar
1/4 of a cup of coconut oil.
Ingredients for protein pack for hair
1/4 cup of Coconut oil
Regular Shampoo ( I use a tea tree oil, clarifying shampoo mix)
Regular Conditioner ( I had some garnier fructus leftover from before the no shampoo adventure)
Preparation:
Get 2 non breakable bowls, and in one, put 1/4 of a cup of Coconut oil. In the other mix the Sugar and oil. It should be grainy and not liquid. If it is soupy, add more sugar. (Alternate scrub: Use Epsom Salt, but be careful if you have any cuts on your skin, or abrasions or something like eczema or psoriasis. The Epsom salts burn on wounds)
Add the coconut oil to your hair, and leave it in for about 10 minutes. I put it in my hair, and put on a shower cap (or just a hair towel if I don't have one). I hop in the shower and use the sugar scrub focusing on my elbows, ankles and knees. The sugar scrub is very invigorating! I even use it on my face (but GENTLY!) I don't use a body wash afterwards, I like the glowy skin! Coconut oil is very light, and if I used a different oil I would use a body wash.Then I rinse my hair under the shower, and after getting most of the oil out (CAREFUL! Your shower will be slippery!) I add the shampoo, and wash out, and follow up with the conditioner.
I only suggest using these treatments once a week for the hair, and 2 times a week for the sugar scrub. Your skin and hair will feel amazing!
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