I’m now 18 months into my natural hair care routine, and I’ve learned a few more things since the 11 month mark.
Gratuitous pretty picture of me with hair. La la la.
The seasons matter
I’ve found that you can’t just force the length of your wash cycles. The seasons really do make a difference. I’d hit a week last winter, but as spring and summer rolled in, that just wasn’t feasible anymore. Maybe it’s because I’m less inclined to look disgusting during my favourite season, but I’m pretty sure it also had something to do with the warmer temperatures and the marginally higher humidity. So, I shortened my wash cycle down to four days for the summer, and I’ve found it’s creeping back up as the temperatures drop.
My ends are healthier
So… I haven’t had a hair cut since March. This is partly because I’m cheap, and partly because I really don’t like going to the salon anymore now that all their fancy, overly scented hair products are off the menu. And even though it’s been over 7 months since I’ve had a trim, my ends aren’t all dry and spindly like they would have been a year ago. It’s probably partly because I take better care of my ends with homemade hair balms and serums. After a few trims over the last 18 months to take off the deadest, oldest bits of my hair, what’s left seems to be much more resilient and healthy.
Continue to pay attention when you’re shampooing
You need to pay careful attention to all of your hair when you’re washing it, especially if it’s long like mine.
Clay is awesome
I tried a seaweed & clay mask a few months ago, though I wasn’t so taken with it that’s it’s become a regular thing. However, I’ve discovered that I absolutely love clay in my shampoo bars. I swear it boosts both cleansing power and my hair’s volume.
You don’t need to do oil treatments anywhere other than your ends
Homemade shampoo bars aren’t strong enough to pull out all that extra oil without some serious effort on your part, and since you aren’t stripping your hair dry all the time, your hair doesn’t really need it.
You don’t have to stick to your wash schedule religiously
No, really. Your hair won’t automatically revert to that shorter cycle. If you’ve got a job interview or a hot date and you’re looking a bit greebly, go ahead, wash your hair in the name of love and/or potential employment.
Hi! First of all, I want to say I love your page and blog! I just joined and I’m just recently in the past year or so been trying to go more green for my family. I have 4 little ones and I strive to do all I can do to keep them and myself healthy as can be. I have a couple of questions about how you went all natural with your hair care. First, how did you start? Did you begin with just using the shampoo bars and acv conditioner, or did you do something else? And is this method safe to use on my kiddos? The oldest is 7, then 5 and I have a set of 3 year old twins. Thank you for all of your wonderful posts!
Thanks for visiting, Jennifer! I started off with natural haircare by switching to shampoo bars and ACV hair rinses, and then just continued down that path. As I discovered certain issues that I used to solve with purchased products (like dry ends), I’d solve them with a bit of DIY craftiness (hence my hair balm, hair serum, and dry shampoo). As time passed, the silicone products started peeling off my hair (eeewwww), and I began to notice my hair had more texture. To stretch out the washes, I’d just add a day, wait until the last day wasn’t really gross (dry shampoo and hats are a major help here), and then add another day.
All of this should be super safe for your kiddos, especially with no parabens, sulfites, artificial fragrances, and other icky chemicals. The only thing to note is that since the shampoo is real soap, not just water with added surfactant (sodium lauryl sulfate etc., chemicals that imitate soap by creating lather), it will burn when if gets in the eyes—a potential concern for the 3-year-olds, for sure! For them, you might just try plain ‘ol baking soda, or the no-poo method.
Hi! I love your blog. I found you because a friend posted a link to your white tiger balm article on facebook.
I was wondering if you’ve ever done the baking soda hair wash with apple cider vinegar conditioner. I’ve been doing it a couple weeks and it’s working pretty well. I’m in the adjustment phase, so I really don’t know how it will be in the long run. I’ve noticed a few good things already and the only negative is that the bulk of my hair and the ends are dry and staticky. My scalp is getting better, but the hair itself is drying out.
I can’t afford a lot of essential oils, and to be honest whenever I’ve used them in body butters, whether with coconut oil or shea butter, or in the apple cider vinegar rinse, they seem to irritate my skin just the slightest bit, and I’m wondering if they’re the reason my hair is drying out. (The recipe I used for ACV rinse calls for peppermint and eucalyptus.)
Do you have any knowledge of this? I haven’t checked out all your posts on hair yet, but I was wondering what you think of my predicament.
Thank you!
Thanks for visiting & reading Keala! I’ve used baking soda for a lot of things, but I can’t remember ever washing my hair with it. I just use homemade shampoo bars—what can I say, I love the lather! I do use an apple cider vinegar hair rinse after every shampoo, though, and it’s brilliant. I wouldn’t be without it. I usually just rinse with ACV and water, so that might be worth trying for you if you think it’s the essential oils that could be a problem. I’d also recommend trying some of my hair serum or hair balm for your dry hair.
Also, what is your hair generally like? Is it greasy, dry, or somewhere in between? I’ve seen both peppermint and eucalyptus oils recommended as treatment for greasy/oily hair, so if your hair tends to the dry to normal side, they could be pushing you into the dry side of things.
I’m not sure where you’re getting your essential oils, but you might want to look into a cheaper source—online! My local health food store sells essential oils for 2–10x the price of my online supplier, which is just highway robbery. I’m pretty sure the ones I get online are higher quality, too—higher turnover, so they’re fresher, too. I shop at http://www.newdirectionsaromatics.ca/, and they have an American online store as well. (lower quality essential oils could also be part of the problem with irritation, or not diluting them enough).
I’ve also got a few posts on rinses and moisturizing hair mists coming soon, so stay tuned! They’ve been a total lifesaver for me this winter.
I love shampoo bars and homemade hair products, and I love your hair!
Thanks! Shampoo bars and natural hair care have really made my hair the healthiest it’s ever been 🙂 It’s great to get to know my hair the way it naturally is, without any silicone byproducts and other chemicals.
I just ran across your blog (from an Herbs & Oils World link) and I’m obsessing over all of these homemade items! Especially for hair. I have not been blessed with the best hair, very fine, and not much of it. My oldest daughter has the same exact hair, and my youngest was lucky enough to get the Italian hair genes from her dad – and has a full head of thick, long hair (jealous!!) I am hoping shampoo bars and cutting back on the daily washings will help. Thanks for your great info! I’m psyched.
I’m so thrilled you’ve found me, Kristin! I absolutely love devising natural hair care products and helping my hair to be as healthy as possible 🙂 My fave thing about natural hair care is that it’s so easy—it seems the less I do to my hair (less washing, straightening/curling, product, etc.), the healthier it is!
Feel free to get in touch with any extra questions, I’d love to help 🙂
After reading through your posts about your natural hair care routine, I am REALLY beginning to think this is something I am willing to try. I have been a faithful ( not to mention obsessive) user of natural cosmetics ( I am American, and the lady I purchase from is, too. http://www.theallnaturalface.com) and skincare for over 2 years, with GLOWING results. My skin is so healthy, so young looking that I am often mistaken for 10 years younger. I will be 34 this year, so this just totally boosts the ego.
Anyway, with everything I know about commercial shampoos, and what harm they do to hair, it seems that the natural progression of things is for me to give this a go.
My question to you is : What kinds of shampoo bars do you or would you recommend that are for sale? I am not able to invest in my own shampoo/soap making supplies just yet, and have found scores of sites devoted to soap selling, but I don’t know who to trust. 😉
I have beautiful hair that is growing long, and I want it to stay that way!
sorry for the lengthy post! 🙂
Do it! It’s awesome! You’ll never go back and you’ll never realize how much your hair products have been changing your hair until you stop using them. If you like your natural make-up, I’m guessing you’ll be fascinated/gross when the silicone byproducts start to peel out of your hair… ick!
Thanks for the natural cosmetics link! I’ve had a lot of fun creeping her ingredient lists… I’m feeling inspired to try mascara again! I’ve made a lot of black goop over the last few years but have never devised a recipe worth sharing with you 🙁
So! Natural shampoo bars. The big things you should be looking for are 1) all natural ingredients (no sodium lauryl sulfate or any of that crap) and 2) no artificial fragrances (which fits under #1, but can sneak by when just labeled as “fragrance” on labels). You should recognize all the oils/ingredients used (or be able to find them easily online). Also—make sure the person selling the soap actually made it from scratch—melt & pour soaps are like decorating store bought cookies! All you do is add colour and fragrance and pour them into a mould of your choice. That’s not soap making in my opinion, it’s decorating. And you can never be totally sure what was in that base (a good tip-off is the soap that’s sort of translucent). Etsy is a great pace to start. (Basically, if the ingredients look like my soap recipes, you’re on the right track! And with Etsy you should be able to easily message the maker and ask as many questions as you like!).
Thanks for reading! I love meeting other people who care about all natural products and want to invest time in caring for their hair and skin 🙂
I stumbled upon your blog through a diy link. I am so glad I did. I haven’t read much, yet. But plan on going through all of your recipes for balms, salves, you name it. I use a lot of natural non-toxic and green cleaning as it is and something for my hair that might actually work sounds fantastic. And your hair looks gorgeous!
I’m so glad you found my blog, Jenn! I really hope you find something your hair loves here—my hair sure likes my concoctions 😉 Enjoy! And thanks for reading!
Great post! I’m going to start down the all-natural shampoo path and this article has been a big help. I have long hair too, so it’s great to hear about your journey.
Glad to hear it 🙂 I am loving my natural hair care routine—it’s easier and cheaper, and I feel like I’m actually getting to know my real hair, and not the silicone coated mess masquerading as my hair a couple years ago. Have fun with it and feel free to reach out with any questions or requests, I am more than happy to help 😀
Thanks for this great info! I came across your blog on Pinterest and love all the great DIY ideas! I am venturing into the DIY beauty/household products realm and am taking it one thing at a time. I really want to try the more natural method of hair care since I want mine to grow longer and be healthy. I have already made the jump to washing every 3rd day, but have not used homemade products yet. I tried the baking sode and vinegar method once and did not like it at all, I think the baking soda lightened my colored hair and I cant stand the smell of vinegar. That being said, I am still trying to go a more natural route!
Yay, I’m so glad you stumbled upon my blog 🙂 I’d definitely recommend using a homemade shampoo bar and an apple cider vinegar rinse (not white vinegar) to clean your hair. I have so much hair that I don’t think I’d ever get all the baking soda out of it, and that doesn’t sound like any fun to me at all. I love my hair even more now that my hair care is all natural—it’s easier to care for and it actually has some texture and character! Enjoy your journey into natural hair care and feel free to reach out with any questions, I’d love to help 😀
I tried the no poo thing once before and it didn’t really work for me. The baking soda was too drying and the apple cider vinegar was harsh on my scalp. I do now use a clay based shampoo once a week and condition with a natural conditioner every other day, which is good for my scalp. I also use a dry shampoo most days too. I’ve never tried a shampoo bar. I feel like I coudl take my nautral hair to the next level, just not sure what. Maybe wshing only every 2 weeks or finding a better dry shampoo. I hear talc is bad for you but I keep using it. I will take a look at your dry shampoos. Corn starch unfortuantley doesn’t really work with my hair:(
I’ve just recently started making my own products, I’m about 2 wks into hair detox. I was actually at the point of giving in and going back to ‘pooing. But then I found a acv rinse idea tried it and it’s been helping with the soapy sticky feel. Apparently I had a bad build up of poo scum. :o) I love your recipe ideas, and would adore actually getting your products. Mine are still in need of tweeking! I am proud to say though that my 4 month old baby girl has never had any commercial soap wash her I’ve been making my own wipes and use an almond oil with lavender essential oil mix for a bum protector!
Your baby girl is lucky to have a mum like you who is getting her started out with all kinds of great, natural products! The scientist in me wants to track her hair over time and see how it develops and changes in comparison to a baby using shampoo, lol. I’m such a nerd, haha.
Something else you might try during your detox period is a hair mask. I found it to be fun, though fairly messy. I haven’t worked them into my regular hair care routine because I don’t need the cleansing boost anymore (I’m detoxed to the point of happiness), but I bet you’ll have fun with it, even if you don’t fall in love.
I have read that the baking soda/ACV thing can be very harsh, and even damaging to the hair. A recent article I read (where I read it I couldn’t say, sorry!) talked about how the alkaline nature of baking soda actually starts breaking down the proteins in your hair, making it brittle and more prone to breakage, which is kind of scary. It sounds like your clay based shampoo is a much better idea, especially since your scalp obviously likes it a lot more! If you’re planning on making your own dry shampoo but can’t use cornstarch, and plant starch will do—try wheat, arrowroot, or tapioca. Shampoo bars are also a lot of fun—I love that they really cut down on packaging, that they can double as soap and shaving cream, and that there are endless possibilities with the ingredients!
Thank you for your amazing blog – I’m excited to try so many things here!
You mention of the awesomeness of clay makes me want to add it to the shampoo bar recipe for the first time I make it. How much clay do you recommend that I add to the recipe??
A good rule of thumb is about 1 tbsp of clay per 500g of oils in the soap recipe 🙂 Have fun! And thanks for reading 🙂
So, your tips here about your ends and paying attention make me ask, is there a difference in how you shampoo with a bar?
Obviously there’s less lather – and the couple times I’ve used my bars on my hair I have to make a point of working the soap through my hair – but is this one of those times when it’s kind of important to focus on the scalp? Or do you soap the length of the hair?
… And my hair is relatively short, if that effects the answer…
-KM
Hi KM! Because natural soaps aren’t crazy strong like store bought detergent shampoos, you just need to be sure you actually wash all your hair. I used to only wash my scalp and the run-off kept the length of my hair clean, but that stopped working when I switched to homemade shampoo bars. That’s basically it 🙂 I still focus mainly on my scalp since that’s where the oils come from, but then more on the length than I did before. You’ll get the hang of it in no time, especially since you’ve got shorter hair than I do 😛
I want to know what you use for the (between washes)or after the jym??do you use dry shampoo or what??batiste was recommended for me so please tell me
I’ve written a blog on stretching out your washes 🙂 I’ve trained my hair so it doesn’t get as dirty between washes. After a hot yoga class I might rinse my hair, or I’ll try to time my washes so I’m going to the gym on a day when I was going to wash my hair anyways. I also have some great dry shampoo recipes on the blog 🙂