On my quest to eat "cleaner", I've also been keenly interested in the other stuff I put in and on my body.. Why should I limit it to homemade soap? I'd heard of something called going "no poo".. I promise it's not a disgusting as it sounds! Let me tell you, I haven't shampooed my hair since late September, and I LOVE it! I know you're probably thinking "ick", but let me explain the joys of baking soda and apple cider vinegar. My hair has never been bouncier or easier to work with. I keep a bottle of baking soda in my shower that I add water to, shake up, and pour liberally over my scalp. I work it in really well, Then I rinse well. To condition, I spray my hair down with diluted vinegar, and then rinse with cooler water to polish it off. Guess what? I can actually pull a brush through my hair now, sopping wet, and within a minute! No small feat for my usual rats nest. And another awesome side effect, presumably from the ACV? My mole and my age spots have faded to practically invisible! :0)
Luci went "no poo" shortly after, and uses a little coconut oil as a deep conditioner, and has bouncy curls and rave reviews as well. My friend Sophorn has used it to lighten her luxurious black hair and a mole too, so if you want to try something new this year, you definitely should put this on your to-do list.
This method will require tweaking dependent on your hair and water hardness, but it's worth a little experimentation. I started off with 1-2 tsp baking soda per 1/2 pint of water, and I do 1:4 ratio of ACV to water. If you google it, you'll get different recipes. You may experience a transitional period also.. I got a waxy buildup on my hair after the first couple washes, which went away with a very thorough scrub of baking soda water. Now, I only have to wash my hair twice a week, and it's squeaky clean and happy!
