Nearly four weeks ago I stopped using shampoo and soap (except for hand washing). I have worked really hard not to simply replace my harsh and chemical ridden soap and shampoo with harsh for your skin home care products. However, there are a few things that I have added because I wanted just a little extra.
Solutions for No ‘Poo.
There are a lot of things out there that you can replace your shampoo with. There are organic shampoos that don’t have fragrances, dyes, or harsh chemicals (though you won’t get the traditional lather). There are shampoo bars as well that work in a similar fashion. Then there is a mix of baking soda and water (1 tablespoon of baking soda to 1 cup of water) for shampoo and a mix of vinegar water (1 tablespoon of vinegar to 1 cup of water) for shampoo.
I choose to make up some baking soda water and some vinegar water with a cinnamon stick added for a bit of fragrance. I have worked real hard not to just replace my normal shampooing methods with these alternatives. I have only used the baking soda and vinegar three times in four weeks. My husband used the vinegar water one time to help with his itchy flaking scalp and it worked wonders. All in all though we are sticking with mostly water and it will take ages to go through the baking soda and vinegar water mixes.
Solutions for No Soap.
Some people use soap in areas that smell worse than others such as the arm pits, the privates, and sometimes the feet. I really didn’t want to do that if we were getting rid of soap. So I mixed a tiny bit of baking soda, vinegar, tea tree oil (natural antibacterial), and mint (to cover the tea tree oil) and have been using this on my arm pits every few days. That’s it there. My feet get really dirty when I go outside without shoes so I sprinkle them with a bit of baking soda and then scrub them with a brush. Works great, keeps them clean, they smell better than ever before (I am one of the unfortunate women to have a smelly feet issue), and it feels good as well.
Solutions for Face Washing.
Face washing is something most people don’t talk about much, but it can be an issue for those with really oily skin. I never used a ton of products on my face and I went through a whole period where I only washed with baking soda on my face. I wanted something spa like the other day so I mixed a tiny bit of clay (purchased from The Soap Dish) and a tiny bit of baking soda with a dab of water. I used this as a clay mask and loved how it felt. It won’t be a regular part of my life, but it does feel luxurious.
All in all, I am pretty happy with how everything is working out and my hair feels more and more normal as the days go by. I can’t wait till it is completely normal again! I look forward to the post that says, “It worked and my hair is more beautiful than before!”. Today isn’t that day. I have also gotten a bit more extreme in the whole thing…but that will have to wait for another day.
Have you gotten rid of something unhealthy in your life and replaced it with something healthier? If so, I want to hear your story!
