To start my sustainable cleanliness project I began with my hair. First off, I have really thick, long, hair and I spend most of my time in the morning trying to wrangle it into some sort of professional looking do. Like most people I use shampoo and conditioner in the morning to get my hair clean and manageable. Being the cheap-o that I am, I buy the most inexpensive brand...it is not organic, all natural, or even close to being biodegradable. Each bottle has around 16 ingredients and most of it goes straight down the drain.
My shampoo and conditioner do not live up to The E Standard and so I search for an alternative. There are many all natural organic products out there. But nothing was as cheap as my less than $2 a bottle brand. However, one product proved to be both economically friendly and complete environmentally compatible…Baking Soda!
Here is what I do…..
1. Get hair wet
2. Sprinkle a small pile in hand
3. Work through hair
4. Wash out
It will not lather, it will not smell like a botanical garden, and you will not have a shower orgasm from using it, but it will clean your air. And, because it is not stripping your hair of natural oils and tangling it up with all that lather, I find that I don’t even need conditioner as much.
(For an equally sustainable conditioner, use a small amount of apple cider vinegar and work through hair, use sparingly, and wash out – the smell subsides)
In addition to making a great shampoo, I also found that I can use baking soda to brush my teeth (just put a little on the toothbrush) and wash my face (makes a great exfoliate and works well with mild acne such as mine).
It is also great at washing fruit, getting scum off of dishes, deodorizing laundry, and many more things…
Arm and Hammer breaks down all of Baking Sodas many uses on their website http://www.armhammer.com/myhome/. Be advised they suggest using baking soda with your shampoo, I say ditch the shampoo and stick with the good stuff.
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