Shunning Store-Bought Shampoo!
- Olivia Madrid
- Jan 7, 2019
- 4 min read
If plastic were currency, everyone would be rich, especially the poorest countries. My interest in the zero-waste movement has been growing over the latter half of 2018 and since I began educating myself on it, I've wanted to make it a part of my lifestyle as well. Today, I strive to find small ways to incorporate zero-waste strategies into my daily routines that save both my wallet and the environment.
The first step I took was switching to homemade products and since the first thing I started to run out of was shampoo, I immediately hunkered down and started looking up DIY shampoos to avoid buying another manufactured plastic bottle. After a lot of website searches and videos later, I had a suitable mesh of various ingredients that I felt would best suit my hair type.
1 can full fat coconut milk
2 tbsp ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar)
2 tbsp liquid raw honey
1 tsp jojoba oil
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp essential oils (20 drops max)
It definitely wasn't as thick of a consistency as I believed it would be and without essential oils it smelled like ACV-infused dog food, but I thought, "maybe that's okay." It all comes down to whether or not it actually works.
The first time I used it, I didn't feel like my head was getting clean at all. I wasn't getting that foamy shampoo experience that I'm used to. It had the consistency of Oliver Twist's soup and my hair kept saying, "please sir, can I have som'more?" So basically I didn't really hold back.
Because I have naturally oily hair, I used an apple cider vinegar rinse of 1/4 cup ACV with 1/4 cup water after the shower and I ended up wearing bandanas a lot of the time as the detox adjustment (the period where your hair is ridding itself of plastics and other toxicity that shampoo infuses into your scalp) was expected to take anywhere from two weeks to two months!
Going without store-bought shampoo, I realized just how much horror I put my hair through. The longer it takes to detoxify, the more chemicals there are in your hair. Therefore, I had to accept pretty early on that my hair was going to take it's own sweet time getting all the chemicals and extra oil production out of its system before it got better.
When I read that the more frequent you rinse your hair during a detox, the quicker the process will go, you can bet I was shampooing every day. This also made me realize that I didn't like taking showers previously because the more frequent I took them, the quicker my hair would get oily. But that was different now!
After I finished my first mason jar of this shampoo, I decided to simplify it even more and ended up using two egg yolks with lemon juice as a shampoo and dipped the ends of my hair into a bowl of honey, ACV, and warm water (from the shower). Both worked super well!
On Thanksgiving day, I began to believe that my hair was finally detoxed. My hair looked FAR less greasy than it had been and I tested this theory by not washing my hair for about 3 days. It was fine! My hair has never felt lighter and I'm also obsessed with how soft it is now.
Egg yolks, lemon juice, honey, and ACV has become my twice a week fix, but I'm still on the search for a more sustainable shampoo. I'll close by saying, if you're going to go through with this, you've gotta commit. I was ready to give up on day three because my hair going through a detox looks absolutely disgusting. But I'm glad this was something I was able to start with shampoo as a more eco-friendly switch.
Other switches I've made!
(It even came wrapped in old newspaper! Talk about being eco-friendly!)
A great website that has helped and inspired me to go more zero waste!
A couple of shampoo and conditioner recipes
- Jojoba Oil Shelf Life Info
UPDATES!
(1/9/19) Here's another shampoo recipe I tried!
One teaspoon of each.
> Baking soda
> Dish soap (Dawn)
> Vodka (any cheap kind)
> Apple Cider Vinegar
> Water (just a little bit)
I added the ACV last and it made the baking soda bubble and fizz, but I loved the smooth soapy feeling it provided.
(1/16/19) Dry Shampoo recipe (Most dry shampoo recipes are quite similar to these ingredients.)
> 2 tbsp cornstarch
> 2 tbsp cocoa powder (for dark hair)
> 5 drops essential oils for scent (optional)
> a brush to apply
(8/29/20) It has shifted yet again! I eliminated dish soap from the previous recipe and I still keep it handy. I don't use the dry shampoo mentioned above, but I'm working on creating a new (and somewhat scalp-safer) option. Stay tuned!
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