[and a bit of brand-naming consumerism]
Some things that are working for me at the moment:
Smoked Sea Salt. On everything.
I am still in love with my Kenmore Calypso washer & dryer. High Efficiency, large loads, cost a fortune ten years ago (like maybe $1400?) but still going strong. I can do a month's laundry in four loads: lights, darks, sheets/towels, and delicates on the "ultra handwash" setting. Love. It.
Washing my hair with baking soda. My hair is cleaner, stays clean longer, it's cheap, easy, no plastic bottles or weird chemicals going into the landfill/water stream.
Started using vinegar as fabric softener. The vinegar smell is gone by the time everything leaves the dryer. Works to soften towels and get grease out. Cheap and genius, and really just as easy as using the other smelly stuff.
The Field Negro poll.
2 weeks ago
Posts
3 comments:
I've been interested in using baking soda instead of shampoo but I'm a little apprehensive. I've added a small amount of baking soda to shampoo, and felt like it left my hair cleaner. My main concern is the possibility of feeling like I have a really dirty head for some time while my scalp adjusts. Did you experience adjustment issues?
As for vinegar, I do use that instead of conditioner. Most days I rinse it out, as I would conditioner, but about once a week I just leave it in. I do catch a certain acetic aroma wafting from my hair on those leave-in days, but I just tie my hair back and don't really care if I offend someone's delicate nostrils. No one cares about the effects of their perfume/cologne/body spray garbage on my olfactory system, so meh.
I really didn't have a transition period from shampoo to baking soda as far as feeling like my hair was looking or feeling dirty. It took me a week or two to figure out the best amount for my hair, and the best way to get it distributed, but now it's just as easy as shampoo. My hair is fine-textured, slightly wavy, medium thickness, and my scalp is prone to oiliness, especially in summer. Now that I use baking soda, it actually stays clean for 2-3 days in summer instead of just the one day. Obviously, YMMV.
How much vinegar do you use to condition? Straight or mixed with water? Does it prevent tangles/knots?
I use a spray bottle filled with a mixture of about half vinegar and half water. Although I do have friends that swear by straight vinegar. After wringing my hair out after shampooing, I just spray until my hair is saturated again, then re-wring before getting out of the shower. Of course, my hair goes midway down my back; shorter hair will need less. As far as knots and tangles are concerned, yes, it does seem to help prevent some. It makes my hair feel soft, and each strand smooth. The biggest factor for preventing tangles, though, for my hair, is making sure to trim the ends off every few weeks. Of course, I am absolutely terrible about remembering to do that. Even so, knots aren't really an issue, even with my fine yet frizzy hair.,
You have definitely eased my concerns about baking soda shampoo, as my scalp is quite prone to summer oiliness, too. I just need to replenish my supply, since I discovered what a great bathtub scrubbing agent it is. Baking soda purchasing and shampooing are on the agenda for tonight, for sure. Thank you for the info!
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