Going Au Naturale

Over the past few months I've been working towards using more and more natural products in my home and for personal care. I took an eye-opening Aroma Yoga training with Tracy Griffiths in February that not only made me realize how many practical applications there are for essential oils completely outside of aromatherapy, but also the incredible number of different chemicals I was exposing myself to on a daily basis. Did you know that any substance that your skin is exposed to will be absorbed into your bloodstream within 20 minutes? It will be even faster on the soles of your feet; try rubbing a clove of garlic on the bottom of your foot and see if you can taste it after a minute or two--it works! If the taste of garlic gets from your feet to your tastebuds within minutes, it really makes you wonder what else you are absorbing all day! One of my first changes after this seminar was to stop using shampoo and conditioner. It actually came about by accident after Tracy mentioned adding baking soda to a bath with Epsom salt and essential oils. I had sunburned the top of my head, so my scalp was in need of some TLC and baking soda combined with some nice cooling peppermint oil and some soothing lavender sounded like it would do the trick. When I was rinsing the mixture out, I noticed that my hair felt clean, like I didn't even need to shampoo afterward. This got me thinking, so I got out of the shower and Googled "baking soda shampoo," which was the beginning of the end of a lot of products in my house. Google "baking soda uses" and you'll see what I mean--it's cheap, cleans everything, deodorizes everything, is great for exfoliating body and face, and it's safe for kids, pets, AND grownups. After about two months of the baking soda shampoo routine, I think I've got it down (and my hair looks pretty great, if I do say so myself). So here it is:


Baking soda shampoo:

In a clean, empty shampoo bottle (~16 oz., the kind that sits right-side-up so the cap is on top), add 2 to 3 tablespoons of baking soda. Fill the bottle halfway with hot water, and shake until baking soda is dissolved (water must be hot or it will never dissolve). I add 5-6 drops of rosemary oil (good for dark hair, use chamomile for light hair), 2 drops of peppermint oil, 3-4 drops of tea tree oil, and 3-4 drops of lavender oil. Add some cool water to fill to the top, shake gently, and you are ready to go! Once in the shower, wet your hair and drizzle a little of the mixture at a time all over your scalp and gently massage in. Drizzle some over the rest of your hair to remove product buildup, and rinse.

Cider vinegar conditioning rinse:

In another clean, empty shampoo bottle, same size with the cap on top, add about 1/3 cup of unfiltered apple cider vinegar and fill the rest of the way with water. Apply this rinse from roots to tips after rinsing out the baking soda shampoo. Comb gently through with a wide-tooth comb. Yes, this does actually detangle your hair. I have long, curly hair that gets VERY tangly, especially on the bottom layer, and this detangles at least as well as my old conditioners, if not better. Rinse and style!

Tips and tricks:

I made a funnel out of a sheet of paper for the baking soda, but you can use a kitchen funnel if you actually have a stocked kitchen. The amount of baking soda will vary with your hair's preference. I would try starting with 2 tablespoons and going to 3 on the second bottle if, after using the same recipe for TWO weeks, your hair seems oily. You can decrease the amount of baking soda if your hair feels dry--again, after using the same recipe for two weeks. There is an adjustment period where your scalp will not know how much oil to produce since it has been used to overproducing to compensate for the way that most shampoos strip your hair of its natural moisture. If you still feel oily after reducing the baking soda, try reducing the apple cider vinegar in your rinse. Essentially:

more baking soda = sucks up more oil
less baking soda = leaves hair less dry
more vinegar = more moisture
less vinegar = less moisture deposited in hair

Make sure to use UNfiltered apple cider vinegar, it has a protein in it called the "mother of vinegar," or just "the mother" for short. This protein is part of the reason it is so fantastic for your hair, so it is well worth looking for it. I've been able to find it at Sprouts.

A note on essential oils:

Make sure you buy therapeutic grade essential oils. Perfume grade oils are not pure and may contain the types of chemicals you are trying to avoid here. Do not add oils to the vinegar rinse, they combine with the proteins in the vinegar and form little slimy bits that end up in your hair.

Rosemary: beneficial for scalp and hair; good for dark hair
Chamomile: beneficial for scalp and hair; good for light hair, may lighten slightly
Tea tree: beneficial for dry scalp or dandruff (or skin issues in general)
Peppermint: I like the cool, tingly feeling it gives my scalp, no actual benefit to my hair
Lavender: smells nice :)

You can add virtually any combination of essential oils you would like, whether it's for fragrance, aromatherapy, or actual benefit to your scalp and hair. Make sure you check for contraindications, allergies, or warnings before using--there are several oils that should not be used by pregnant women, some oils that cause photosensitivity (rash in sunlight), and some oils that are irritants to mucous membranes or broken skin (like peppermint--don't get it in your eyes!). Do your research, take care of yourself, and check with your doctor!

Love!

Day 1

Well. Well well. Where to begin? Since I was a kid, people in my life have been trying to get me to write. I've always been able to bang out an English paper, but I've never really found much to say on my own. As I'm writing this the reality of what I am doing is setting in: not only am I writing, but I am writing and posting it ONLINE. Where billions of people can see it, see what I have to say. Not that billions of people are really interested in this particular piece, but still the potential is there and it's TERRIFYING. But I'm making strides lately (pat on back) and I'm going to post this anyway. Some of you (who would read this?) may not understand where I'm coming from, but I've avoided being the center of attention since elementary school...and as I wrote that I realized I'm being a little egotistical about this. How could I possibly be the center of attention writing a blog with no followers and posting it in a medium with practically infinite competition for attention? Getting over myself and posting now. Next time maybe I'll talk about yoga nidra instead of my insecurities!