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Are poo-free DIY shampoos affective?
  • HyspinHyspin
    I have heard growing number of people no longer using commercial shampoos do to the chemicals found in your average shampoo and skin absorption, or really hair absorption of these chemicals. One of the most recommended alternative is baking soda and apple cider vinegar to mix. But I think that baking soda coarse nature (which makes it good a cleaning teeth) would make it too harsh on hair. But I don't know, because maybe something changes when combined with vinegar since one is an acid and the other is alkaline. Another is Aloe Vera Gel (straight from the plant) combined with a little of Jojoba oil, they say it is a decades old practice. But I don't know how affective Aloe vera would be as a cleanser. But do any theses shampoo alternatives really clean your hair?
  • lindygirl1960
    Right now I cannot seem to find the link but the Brains did a blog on the topic of absorption into the hair of products put onto the hair....I know it is here somewhere, maybe I will happen upon it later. Basically it said you don't absorb things into the body through the hair....

    That being said, please, for goodness sake, DO NOT MIX together baking soda and vinegar to put on your hair. That makes an acid strong enough to clean drains with and you do not want that on your hair or scalp. I believe what you are talking about is something I have read about but never used. You mix baking soda in with warm water, stir to dissolve and then pour the mixture over your wet hair and scrub your scalp and massage gently down the length of your hair. Then you rinse and pour a mixture of vinegar and warm water through your hair. Then rinse that throughly. I am not sure about the amounts you use of each. I am sure you can find it easily if you google it though.

    Personally I use a cheap no silicone conditioner (VO5 Tea Therapy Vanilla Mint) to wash my hair with most days. Every third day I use a no sulfate shampoo (my favorite one, because it smells great, is Beauty Without Cruelty Daily Benefits. Smells like an orange grove!). My scalp doesn't like sulfates. That is the reason behind my doing my hair this way. For reference my hair is wavy/curly. I used to have an oily scalp and super dry ends. Since I began doing my hair this way my scalp is much more normal and my ends are no longer dry and damaged.

    Just because it works for me doesn't mean it will work for you. But it might not hurt matters to try that route. I hope you find what works for you.

    Maybe the Brains will chime in and be able to answer your question much better than me!
  • HyspinHyspin
    Thanks for the heads up on the baking soda and vinegar. Even though I thought that when vinegar and baking soda mix they create watery mixture or mixture close to pH 7.
  • Right BrainRight Brain
    @Hyspin: You're right about the baking soda-vinegar mixture. It is not dangerous for your hair and scalp. You basically end up with a neutral pH salty solution that bubbles with CO2. The baking soda neutralizes the acetic acid in vinegar. Lindy: maybe you heard that this mixture could clean drains because the CO2 gas that's generated can break apart clogs? In any case it certainly does not make a stronger acid. I hope this helps. 
  • lindygirl1960
    Good to know that it would not hurt you if you got it on your skin. And, yes, it will clean drains.  :)
  • HyspinHyspin
    Thanks you,both of you. I just realized that I never got clarification on my original question:
    Do any theses shampoo alternatives really clean your hair?  (and scalp?)

    I am talking about the combination of baking soda and vinegar.
    and the combination of Aloe vera gel and small amount of jojoba oil.
  • Right BrainRight Brain
    Baking soda, vinegar, aloe vera gel and jojoba oil are not detergents and will not efficiently clean your hair and scalp as well as a shampoo.
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