Recipes : Soap Making : Unshampoo - Page 3

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by mystic~mama

hey i'm gonna try that!

robert~i use Trader Joes brand and we have hard water.

Is Trader Joe's "natural dishsoap" actual soap, or is it "soap"? I'll try to look it up. If it is actual soap, then it's likely that the amount of water your dishwasher uses brings in enough "hardness" to completely inactivate the soap, which means it won't suds up the machine -- it won't do anything, really, but lay some lime soap film on the dishes.

Robert

P.S. - Over the past half hour or so this AM I did some WWW searching. Trader Joe is new in my area (I live in the Bronx), and I didn't feel like going to Larchmont or Union Sq. to look, although I think I might pay a visit some time. Unfortunately their own WWW site doesn't provide info about most individual products, so I did an Ask.com search for trader joe dish soap.

Some amusing returns. Seems there were a lot of negative comments (worst, or at least worst-mannered: "sucked ass"), but a positive recommend'n from New York City, where the water is "soft", which was suggestive. More definitive were returns related to use as insecticide, which do indicate that Trader Joe dish soap is actual soap soap. That would confirm my suspicion that you're getting away without a dishwasher full of suds just by having "hard" enough water that that amount of soap simply doesn't work.

I put "hard" and "soft" in quotes because the only truly hard water is ice.

[TxMominCT]

Hi I'm new to the whole non-chemical cleaning thing, and I think I'm going to try it out! I have a few questions:
For dishwashing by hand what do you use?

I always have used Cheer free, no fragrance dyes, and it really does keep clothes from fading, does the natural stuff keep clothes from fading?

I saw you can use simple green as a pre-treater, can/should you use this on diapers?

What are good soaps to grate up for this stuff? I like Dove, is that an okay one?

How do you cope with the yucky vinegar smell?

Where do you buy essential oils?

Can you buy buckets? I don't have anything that will work, and can't really think of where I've seen a place to buy a bucket with a lid? (I haven't really looked hard either!)

Thanks so much! Our income is going to become practically non-existant starting in May when I go back to nursing school! I think this will help financially and will help out our allergies!

[Ann-Marita]

Herbal Hair Conditioner Recipe

This is the "Flowers in Your Hair" conditioner. It was originally developed by noted herbalist Kathi Keville. I've noted below where I've changed the recipe. This is a leave-in conditioner, don't rinse it out.

You will need a large, covered, enamel or glass (Corningwear) pan. NOT plain metal.

ETA: All herbs are dried.

1 gallon mountain spring water, filtered rain water, or distilled water
1/2 oz dried burdock root
1/2 oz wild cherry bark
1/2 oz comfrey root
1/2 oz myrrh gum powder

Simmer the above ingredients, covered, over low heat for 45 minutes.

1 oz dried chamomile flowers
1 oz lavender flowers
1 oz rosemary
1 oz calendula flowers
1 oz lemon grass
1 oz nettles

Add these to the simmering pot. Turn it down as low as possible, cover and cook for another 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and let it steep for 20 minutes or more.

Have enough clean (sterilized) bottles with tight-fitting corks to hold the conditioner, usually a little less than 4 quarts. I prefer to have more smaller bottles, so it stays fresher after opening, rather than fewer larger bottles.

Strain the mixture into another clean bowl to remove the herbs. A large coffee strainer, lined with cheesecloth, has worked well for me.

Add 1 teaspoon agar-agar powder (or 1 tablespoon agar-agar flakes). The next time I make this recipe, I am going to leave this out. It makes the mixture thicker, more like a commercial conditioner. And it lends the hair a bit of style-holding ability. But, I prefer a thinner formula, and I don't need the style-holding.

Also add 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar for each quart of herbal tea. The next time I make it, I am going to use white vinegar, because the acv has solids that make the roots of my hair appear greasy.

If you have added the agar-agar, bring to a boil and cook for three minutes. (No need to do this if you are leaving the agar-agar out.)

Pour the finished hair rinse into the prepared bottles. A funnel can help with this part. Let it cool. If you used the agar-agar, it will sort of gel (like jello) as it cools.

Melt some parafin and dip the tightly corked bottles upside down, to make a really good seal. Once the seal is broken, it's best to store the conditioner in the refrigerator when not in use (since there are no preservatives).

I store unopened bottles in a cool, dark place.

This conditioner has a garden-y smell. Kind of flowery, kind of earthy. Certainly not unpleasant, but not like commercial conditioners, either. If you wanted to modify the fragrance some, add a bit of essential oil as you bottle it. You might try different EO's in different small bottles, to see which you like best. I've never tried to change the smell - I like it just the way it is.

One palmful is probably enough for shoulder-length or shorter hair. Use more on longer or thick hair. For maximum benefit, do not rinse out.

[Meksmama]

Subing Thanks...

[revizmomma]

no-poo help

I want to no-poo, but I am seeing a million tips, but no real recipes.... I just want a very basic recipe. I can take the tips & make it work for me, but can someone give me a starter recipe please?

TIA!
April

[mgilleran@earth-co]

Here is what I do. You'll find that everyone no-poos just a little differnent. A lot depends on your hair also. My brown hair is medium to fine texture & is about 6 inches below my shoulders. Before I get in the shower I put about 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a kids plastic cup from a restaurant. When I'm ready to wash my hair I hold the cup up into the shower stream & fill it almost full with water. Then I kind of jiggle the cup a little to get the BS to dissolve. I pour the mixture over my hair a tiny section at a time. As I pour it over the area I gently scrub my scalp in that area with my fingertips. You can't pour the whole cup at one time or it won't work (at least not for me). The last part of the cup will have some undissolved BS in it. I concentrate it on my part & temples because those areas get teh most greasy. When I first started to no-poo I would let he mixture sit on my hair for 1-2 minutes before I rinsed. I can't do that anymore or it will dry my hair out. Now I rinse as soon as I finish scrubbing (very gently or you'll break off your hair). You have to rinse really well. As soon as the BS is rinsed out (my hair will feel sqeaky clean now) I take a spray bottle with diluted Apple cider vinegar (one part vinegar to 7 parts water) and about 5 drops of tea tree oil. I saturate my hair from the earlobes down. I let this sit on my hair about 3 minutes while I am washing my body. Sometimes I'm in a hurry & don't have time to let it sit & rinse it immediately. It doesn't seem to make much difference. I rinse the ACV off with cool water because it helps close off the hair shaft & make hair appear shinier. About once a week I will also use a little avalon organics conditioner after I rinse the ACV off. I have been no-poo for almost 7 months. My hair feels great. I still wash it everyother day. But I can't stand any grease at all. It does get greasy less now that I no-poo. I used shampoo a couple of times while out of town. My hair felt like plastic barbie doll hair afterwards! At first I did have a hard time getting it not-greasy with the BS. I guess that was my adjustment period. It only took about a week, and letting it sit seemed to help. Just don't let it dry your hair out. Recently I tried something that Spastica mentioned on here. I dissolved the BS in suave conditioner with just a little of water. I found that I can only do that every 3-4 days. I can't do it every day or my hair gets limp & flat/greasy looking. But it is kind of like a deep-conditioning treatment. I let my hair air dry most of the time. I have grown to love the ACV smell, but it disspates as your hair dries. Good luck with your experimentation.

[cherrymary]

toothpaste

Hello everybody I'm new here, but I thought I'd add this since no-one seems to have mentioned it yet:

For toothpaste, recently I've been rinsing with 1/2 hydrogen peroxide 1/2 water before brushing, then brushing with plain baking soda. It's the only thing that leaves my mouth feeling really clean - all the other stuff on the market seems so sugary it always turns my breath nasty. I know I'm missing out on the fluoride for now while I look for a replacement, but there's some controversy over that anyway (and I DEFINITELY don't want it in my drinking water, but that's another post).

[deeklaver]

shampoo / toothpaste

I make my own soap so I use a shampoo bar. My hair is so nice now.. I do an ACV rinse as well.

For my toothpaste, I use bakingsoda, add some peroxide to it and go to town. My breath isn't bad either now, although the paranoia from bad breath still lingers.. I have my kids 'test me' every now and again.

I loke going more natural for things. I am looking now for a dishwashing soap, that I could make at home, if you all have any suggestions..
D'Ann

[marsmom]

No Poo for Curly Hair

If you have curly hair, you can "no-poo" with nothing and/or conditioner. I have quite curly hair and haven't used shampoo of any sort for over two years. My scalp had been getting itchy and flaky and the more I shampooed the worse it got. But curly hair is actually dry and benefits from no shampoo = less frizz.

Now I just get my hair wet, rub my scalp thoroughly but gently with my fingertips similar to the detailed description early in this thread, rinse well, then "comb" conditioner through my hair with my fingertips only, rinse lightly.

There is a book called "Curly Girl" by Lorraine Massey that goes into much more detail on the subject if you're interested. Works for me!

[utopia760]

baking soda instead of washing soda

can i really use baking soda insted of washing soda for laundry detergent? i do my laundry by hand and i cant find washing soda here i live in a very small town

[mgilleran@earth-co]

I make homemade toothpaste with 1:1 baking soda & glycerin. I bought the vegetable glycerin at my local health food store. I add a crop or two of mint EO to give it that toothpaste smell. I think next time I will try adding a little finely chopped fresh mint from my plant outside. It works great. I rinse with H2O2 afterwards. I bought a tube of Toms of Maine recently to try it. It looks & tastes almost exactly like my homemade stuff.

And to the previous poster's question about BS for laundry-- Yes you can wash with baking soda. However, we have hard water & the amount I would need to use makes it un-frugal for me. Was your question referring to substituting it in place of WS in the homemade recipe, or washing with BS alone? If it was in terms of substitution, then I would just add a little more BS than WS, since it is milder.

[mommajb]

I recently saw this thread:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...12#post7721212

and wonder if you saw this or what you think. I am trying to make more soaps and toiletries and go greener but it seems like I cannot keep up with all the information.

[WannabeaFarmer]

:

[Racecarma]

Originally Posted by Taedareth

# 1/4 cup washing soda (also known as sodium carbonate or soda ash. NOT the same as Baking Soda. Washing soda does not seem to have the odor-removing properties that baking soda does.

Washing Soda - Sodium Carbonate
Baking Soda - Sodium BiCarnonate

Washing soda is a little more caustic and caution should be used - do not use when washing delicates. Baking Soda is better for delicates.

Lots of Natural and Organic Recipes I've come across have Borax in them but I'm always amazed at this based on how toxic it is. (They use it to kill Roaches for goodness sakes!) I really don't see how using this could be good. Read the toxicity section.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax

[russianthistle]

Thanks Racecarma, I've been wondering about Borax. I was really wondering whether a company like Dial really made a "natural" product that was nontoxic.

Hmmmm...so, about the baking soda...if it can be used interchangeably with wash soda, why use wash soda?

Last week, I ran out of detergent and used a squirt or two of Dr. Bronner's instead and rinsed with vinegar with fine results. I'm going to experiment more with other natural items. Next time, I'm going to fine grate some plain soap and use that with baking soda and some essential oils (I'd use lemon or lavender or both, perhaps with a drop or two of patchouli for the anti-microbal/bacteria action) and put vinegar and see what I think.

[MommyErin]

Originally Posted by russianthistle

I've been wondering about Borax. I was really wondering whether a company like Dial really made a "natural" product that was nontoxic.

Remember, Momma, natural does NOT equal non-toxic. Things can be both natural and toxic, like Borax.

[J-Bean]

I've got a quick question since I'm very new to this...how do you all grate your soap when you mention that? Fine grater by hand? Food Processor? ??

[maxwill129]

Originally Posted by J-Bean

I've got a quick question since I'm very new to this...how do you all grate your soap when you mention that? Fine grater by hand? Food Processor? ??

Food Processor. Doing it by hand takes too long and your hand will HURT by the time you're done!

[utopia760]

gosh can u believe i do it with a hand grader never thought to use my food processer-lol

[Dillpicklechip]

Originally Posted by mgilleran@earth-co

Here is what I do. You'll find that everyone no-poos just a little differnent. A lot depends on your hair also. My brown hair is medium to fine texture & is about 6 inches below my shoulders. Before I get in the shower I put about 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a kids plastic cup from a restaurant. When I'm ready to wash my hair I hold the cup up into the shower stream & fill it almost full with water. Then I kind of jiggle the cup a little to get the BS to dissolve. I pour the mixture over my hair a tiny section at a time. As I pour it over the area I gently scrub my scalp in that area with my fingertips. You can't pour the whole cup at one time or it won't work (at least not for me). The last part of the cup will have some undissolved BS in it. I concentrate it on my part & temples because those areas get teh most greasy. When I first started to no-poo I would let he mixture sit on my hair for 1-2 minutes before I rinsed. I can't do that anymore or it will dry my hair out. Now I rinse as soon as I finish scrubbing (very gently or you'll break off your hair). You have to rinse really well. As soon as the BS is rinsed out (my hair will feel sqeaky clean now) I take a spray bottle with diluted Apple cider vinegar (one part vinegar to 7 parts water) and about 5 drops of tea tree oil. I saturate my hair from the earlobes down. I let this sit on my hair about 3 minutes while I am washing my body. Sometimes I'm in a hurry & don't have time to let it sit & rinse it immediately. It doesn't seem to make much difference. I rinse the ACV off with cool water because it helps close off the hair shaft & make hair appear shinier. About once a week I will also use a little avalon organics conditioner after I rinse the ACV off. I have been no-poo for almost 7 months. My hair feels great. I still wash it everyother day. But I can't stand any grease at all. It does get greasy less now that I no-poo. I used shampoo a couple of times while out of town. My hair felt like plastic barbie doll hair afterwards! At first I did have a hard time getting it not-greasy with the BS. I guess that was my adjustment period. It only took about a week, and letting it sit seemed to help. Just don't let it dry your hair out. Recently I tried something that Spastica mentioned on here. I dissolved the BS in suave conditioner with just a little of water. I found that I can only do that every 3-4 days. I can't do it every day or my hair gets limp & flat/greasy looking. But it is kind of like a deep-conditioning treatment. I let my hair air dry most of the time. I have grown to love the ACV smell, but it disspates as your hair dries. Good luck with your experimentation.

I want to try going to no-poo route, and this post is really informative for that...but what's this about breaking off your hair while rinsing out the baking soda? I'm a bit freaked out by that...does the baking soda really make your hair break? I don't have much hair to spare so I thought it wouldn't hurt to clarify this point before I give it a try!