Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Poo? or No Poo? Which camp do you fall in?

I'm pretty sure almost all of you fall in the poo camp. Oh sorry-what am I talking about today? Why, shampoo, what were you thinking? ;-) Perhaps my title should be>The Crunchy Granola Hippie Chick's Guide to Clean Hair.

At the beginning of this year, I decided to give the no-poo method a try. Yes, there really is such a thing as the no-poo method -google it!
My reasons:
1. I want to be a good steward of the money God has blessed us with. With soaring food and gas prices, this is more important than ever.
2. I want to be a good steward of the earth. The more natural the product, the less impact on the environment.
3.I don't trust the government (FDA,USDA,ect.) to be concerned with my health and safety. These government agencies are all about big business, and in business, money talks. For instance, on the ingredient list of shampoos we may find-
- Parabens>synthetic preservatives that are endocrine disrupters that can mimic estrogen and
have been found in breast tissue.
- Sodium lauryl sulfate> cleaning agent that strips skin and hair.
- Petrolatum,mineral oil, and paraffin>byproducts of crude oil contaminated with endocrine
disruptors and carcinogens.
- Glycols> petroleum synthetics that draws other chemicals into the bloodstream.
-Phthalates>synthetic fragrances linked to developmental problems and birth defects.
-Sodium myreth sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, ethanolamines> all carcinogenic.

The no-poo method is easy! I take about 1 TB. of baking soda and mix it with about a cup of warm water. I pour a little on one side of my head, rub it in, the next side...you get the idea. I rinse well, then I condition my hair with 1 TB. vinegar mixed in 1 cup of water. Pour it through your hair, rub it in, and rinse. You do need the vinegar to neutralize the baking soda. Don't worry, you won't smell of vinegar all day-I promise!

Many claim that the no-poo method has made their hair beautiful, more manageable, less frizzy. To be honest, I can only claim that my hair is clean, soft and shiny-not really any difference from using a good shampoo.

The only downside I've read about is many claim a transition period-from a couple days to a couple weeks- that the hair goes through in adjusting to a new cleanser. I've not experienced this at all, but if you do, hang in there, your hair will adjust.

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