Going no-shampoo!! - Page 10

[spyiispy]

mamamoo....you might try "exfoliating" your scalp before you shower with a nice natural boar bristle brush. If you're getting flakes....try using some tea tree oil in your baking soda wash.

SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE.....girls, this is *the* worst one of the bunch. Here's a little bit about it, judge for yourself:

In its final report on the safety of sodium lauryl sulfate, the Journal of the American College of Toxicology notes that this ingredient has a "degenerative effect on the cell membranes because of its protein denaturing properties." What's more, the journal adds, "high levels of skin penetration may occur at even low use concentration."

Interestingly, sodium lauryl sulfate "is used around the world in clinical studies as a skin irritant," notes the journal. The publication expressed additional concerns:

Carcinogenic nitrosamines can form in the manufacturing of sodium lauryl sulfate or by its inter-reaction with other nitrogen-bearing ingredients within a formulation utilizing this ingredient.
Other studies have indicated that sodium lauryl sulfate enters and maintains residual levels in the heart, liver, lungs and brain from skin contact. This poses the question whether it could be a serious potential health threat from its use in shampoos, cleansers, and toothpastes.

Still other research has indicated sodium lauryl sulfate may be damaging to the immune system, especially within the skin. Skin layers may separate and inflame due to its protein denaturing properties.

Although sodium lauryl sulfate is not carcinogenic in experimental studies, it has been shown that it causes severe epidermal changes in the area it is applied, indicating a need for tumor-enhancing assays.

Additional studies have found that sodium lauryl sulfate is heavily deposited on the skin surface and in the hair follicles. Damage to the hair follicle could result from such deposition; ie, hair loss.

Damaging effects of sodium lauryl sulfate on eye health are also of concern. In experimental, acute eye tests, a solution of 10 percent sodium lauryl sulfate "caused corneal damage to the . . . eyes if not irrigated or irrigation was delayed."

Further, according to the Journal of the American College of Toxicology, "Tests show permanent eye damage in young animals from skin contact in non-eye areas. Studies indicated sodium lauryl sulfate kept young eyes from developing properly by possibly denaturing the proteins and not allowing for proper structural formation. This damage was permanent."

Another couple ingredients to steer clear of are sodium laureth sulfate, cocamide DEA or lauramide DEA. These substances are actually added, in alot of shampoos, to anesthetize the eyeball from the irritants in the SLS. (Read...tear-free shampoos)

Soooo, is SLS gonna kill you.....nahh, probably not....but why add more toxins into your body when its totally unnecessary. More importantly...why risk damage to your little one's eyes by rinsing them with this substance.

The whole thing just spooks me. I forget what day I'm on now....I'm heading towards one month shampoo free!!

Lisa

To read more about SLS and like compounds:

http://www.holistichealthtools.com/sls.html

[pilesoflaundry]

and I thought SLS just stung the eyes for a minute! Well I will make sure I never use stuff with sls in it again. I'm trying no poo but it will take some getting used to! I will try the bs tomorrow. I'm on day 2 of no poo, just a rinse and a brush. It smells better without shampoo go figure! But my scalp is a bit more greasy, I think bs or acv will help that though.

I have gone no poo with the kids also, if I feel they need it again I will never use tear free or sls stuff again.

[ChildoftheMoon]

wow Lisa thank you for posting that! Dh may be going no poo too after reading that! The hair loss thing is interesting to me, since I became an every day pooer I have had a problem with hair loss. hmmm.

Anyway, day 8 for me and doing well. I have never been a greasy head person, perhaps because I have always used boar bristle brush, but my hair has been very straw like the last few days. I sprinkled a little tto and lavender oil on my scalp yesterday, brushed it through my hair and then massaged my head and rinsed in the shower. No more straw like feeling! I may do this every week or two, as my hair seems to get dry. Too often though and I could see a greasy head happening!
Brandi

[MiaPia]

I've been following this thread from the beginning, and have finally decided to join in as well! My last shampoo was Friday 1/30. However, I usually just wash 1-2 times a week anyway, so my hair still looks fine.
I bought some ACV to use, but when I got home looked more closely at the label and realized it was apple cider flavored OOPS!

Anyway, I'm excited to join in with y'all. I've never used shampoo on my daughter (well - she's only 6 months old and doesn't have much hair!) and my 2 year old only rarely gets his hair washed. Anyway, I've decided they'll grow up 'poo-free too! DH doesn't wash his hair - he doesn't have any! So, I've thrown out all the shampoo in the house, and we'll see what happens!

[chiromama]

I have been following this thread, and find it quite interesting. Here is my question.
I have a problem with dry scalp and dandruff and very sensitive skin. My current deal is that I shampoo with (gasp) selsun blue twice a week, and rinse and condition (with a moisturizing conditioner) daily. Do you think you ladies could help me? I am terrified by the chemicals, but hate the flaky scalp. What to do?
TIA

[mamamoo]

Just a FYI I believe baking soda(what it starts out as anyway) is a mined product. I think the sodium bicarbonate is a product of processing the original mined product.
Someone please correct me if i'm wrong. Debi

[BrooklynDoula]

Originally posted by chiromama
I have been following this thread, and find it quite interesting. Here is my question.
I have a problem with dry scalp and dandruff and very sensitive skin. My current deal is that I shampoo with (gasp) selsun blue twice a week, and rinse and condition (with a moisturizing conditioner) daily. Do you think you ladies could help me? I am terrified by the chemicals, but hate the flaky scalp. What to do?
TIA

I have very sensitve skin also and had dandruff/dry scalp really badly also. I found that washing everyday with Healthy Scalp shampoo helped for a while and then even that seemed not to really be that great. My head would get really itchy and flaky after one day without washing. Basically it suck.

I have gone 2 weeks no poo and my scalp is AMAZING! It is totally clear, no itching, no flaking, not greasy! I am sold! The woman who started this thread is my new hero!

Try it - what do you have to lose but the nasty bottle of shampoo and your worries about dandruff!

[chiromama]

Megan, Thanks for your support! Did you do the baking soda/ apple cider vinegar, or did you do the rosemary rinse? I have tried ACV before, and it made me smell like salad dressing
I'm going to try something new tomorrow!

[BrooklynDoula]

My first time I just did a BS scrub and rinsed it out. The next time I did BS and a rosemary rinse (water and EO). It wasn't until I had been no poo for over a week that I did a vin rinse (and I didn't have ACV at the time, and hadn't read how bad regular is ...) So, I used regular vin. twice last week and then bought some ACV which I will use tonight for the first time.

I think the shampoos where causing the dandruff became I have very sensitive skin. The BS seems to be so much nicer on my scalp.

PS. Everyone says my hair looks great.

[momto l&a]

I have been poo free for about 4 weeks. Wash my hair every other day. My hair looks best after a baking soda scrub.


chiromama,

A friend told me to rub honey into my scalp at the beginning of a shower and rinse out at the end to help with dandruff dry scalp issues.

Havent tried it yet, but really need to as I 'snow' everywhere I go

[SMPH]

2+weeks for me. my hair seems to get better each day. i did get the boar bristle brush...the thin one and it seems to be alright. my hair is a medium thickness i'd say. i just didn't feel like giong to sally's to check the other one out.

dh says "do we have any non-hippie conditioner?".:LOL

no dear. i told him to try the ACV and he said ok. not sure if he did or not.

[Peppamint]

Originally posted by madrone
Apple cider vinegar has been getting shortened to ACV in this thread. It's made from apples, while distilled white vinegar is made from something else. Don't know what though.

White vinegar is made from either corn or petroleum products. It varies from brand to brand. Heinz is made from corn, NOT petroleum products so I only buy Heinz. It does not stink quite as bad as the no name brand I was buying before.

I have not poo'd in 5 days. Up to this point, my hair has looked great, but today it looks greasy. I bought a boar hair bristle brush last week, but couldn't get it in my hair. Then I realized it was a *soft* bristle brush so I'm going to have to exchange it for a brush with stiffer bristles. It is "Bass" brand and I bought it at my hfs. I have fine, thick hair. Maybe my hair will have some texture after awhile of not 'pooing.

The bs and acv ideas sound neat... I might have some acv way up in my cabinet. I have white vinegar because I clean with it.

For body soap, I use Tami's Soaps and other handmade soaps. Yum! For lotion, I use Burt's Bees Milk and Honey Soap and for my cuticles I use BB Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream.

For makeup I use Clinique because even the Burt's Bees is too oily and makes my skin crazy.

eta: for deoderant I use Earth Science Liken Plant Deodorant. It comes in herbal scented and unscented. It works (I work out 3x/week) and I can pronounce the ingredients!

[madrone]

I looked on my bottle of white vinegar and it is made from grain alcohol. Trouble is, I don't know what grain alcohol is. Our vinegars here are generally better (and cheaper) than the vinegars in the states, so I'm hoping it's okay.

Looloo - I have heard that they only sell little packets of baking soda in Switzerland. They do have small boxes in France if you can make it over the boarder sometime or know someone who goes to France often. It's still more expensive than a small box in the states, but it's better a price than the little single packets that I've heard is the way it's sold there. And I wouldn't use Weleda shampoo. Do you know of a health food store that carries Dr. Hauska? It's more expensive than Weleda, but there products are good. It's a bio-coop that sells Hauska here. Weleda is much easier to find.

[ja mama]

Okay. I'm on day six of no shampoo or conditioner and I think I'm about to quit. I do want to find a different conditioner at the very least. ACV smell is driving me nuts. I've tried masking it with tto but still, yuck. However my current bottle of conditioned is water, alcohol, alcohol, more chemicals. I won't fall back into using that I don't think. I have really fine thin blonde hair. The bs certainly gets it clean, but by the afternoon it feels so heavy (though it doesn't necessarily look greasy) and hangs heavy. I've been doing my bs wash, acv rinse every other day. Give me ideas.
As well as, what are you mommas that dye your hair planning on doing about that chemical invasion? I'm due for more blonde and am toying with the idea of trying my natural dark blonde (mudpuddle blonde) again, but hated it when I was pregnant with ds1 and I'm not sure I could embrace it now.
The one thing that's keeping me going right now is the fact I hate eating chemicals, and don't want to be rubbing them on my hair or body either, now that I think of it.

[mamamoo]

I think the bs/acv thing is only supposed to be used once or twice a week...someone lmk if this is right, please.

[BrooklynDoula]

I am doing it 2 times per week.

[abbylotus]

Day 4

My hair was looking ultra-grease-ola today so I gave it a bs mix with tto and a acv rinse.....so far, so good!! It is hanging a little heavy right now....but not too bad. I also bought a boar hair brush, as I needed a new brush anyway, and I'm not sure I like it so much. Hmmmmm.....it seems to make my hair have the "fly aways"....maybe I will put some lavendar oil on it and brush it through. This is so much fun.

[FreeRangeMama]

About the "dandruff" questions/comments:

(forgive me, in my former life I was a hairstylist LOL)

Most people mistake dry scalp for dandruff (which is a fungal infection) and run out to buy some drugstore brand "dandruff" shampoo. What many of those brands do is basically paste the "flakes" (often just dry scalp) to your scalp. As soon as you stop using their product all that stuff starts to come loose and you see flakes again and assume the dandruff has returned. This makes you come back to their product again and again. I actually had a cliet that was loosing her hair from such a product. The dandruff shampoo made the pores on her scalp so clogged that the hair could not easily grow through. Eventually the hair roots (inside the scalp) die off and they do not come back. Those products are evil!!

For the itchy dry scalp, try rosemary. That was what was recommended to me when I had dreads If you have really dry scalp it may just take a while for the natural oils of your scalp to balance out once you stop the shampoo. I think it is kind of like when you constantly use lip gloss or chapstick. Once you stop using it your lips are really dry (its like you develop a dependence on it). After a while they go back to normal.

If my former colleagues knew I have given up shampoo they would be horrified (although not terribly surprised LOL).

Laurie

[MamaMonica]

Laurie, that makes sense. My scalp is not flaky or itchy since I washed with BS a few days ago. I think I was getting a reaction to shampoo as well as it drying out my hair. I tried Head and Shoulders years ago when I was a teen and it made me itch worse.

[jayayenay]

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