Poo-Free Post! Day #1

I'm gonna do it! No more chemical-laden, expensive, sometimes working commercials shampoos or conditioners for meeeeeee!!!!!!! Whoopee!!!!

So what do I plan to do? Well let me fill you in an awesome hair lifestyle.

In this modern day with all of our technological improvements, things have gotten a little...clinical. From birth to illness, it is a cultural belief that our bodies no longer know what is best for us. But then you witness your first breast crawl, and your life is changed! (If you haven't, stop reading for a moment and go watch! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9WtH4dq-cw) Anywho. I have learned that our hair and scalp is no different. Why is it that we strip our natural oils with shampoo, then wonder why we have to nourish hair with conditioner and a smorgasbord of products? So let's take a stage back toward the stone age and TRUST OUR BODIES. =D

Warning: There will be an adjustment period that typically shouldn't last more than a few weeks, so plan accordingly. Your hair will have some greasy time, so make sure updos are appropriate for any upcoming engagements. As a cashier, mama, and postpartum doula, this should be no problemo.

So how do you get started? Buy a box of baking soda (BS) and some apple cider vinegar (ACV) with the "mother" aka unfiltered. Also procure some bottles to keep your mixtures in. I got those picnic condiment bottles from Dollar General for only 50 cents each...yellow for BS and red for ACV. For your new "shampoo" mix one cup water with one tablespoon BS. For the "conditioner" mix one cup water with one and a half tablespoons ACV. If you notice a few washes in your hair is too dry, reduce the amount of BS and/or up your amount of ACV. If you notice your hair  is too oily, add more BS. One blog I read while researching used one quarter cup ACV, so if your hair is craving moisture, go for it! I used warm water when mixing. No clue if it helped, but I figured it would dissolve the BS better.

In the shower, I wet my head and then let the BS mixture drizzle into my hair, much like using a hair dye bottle. The bottles I use have a very narrow opening. After I felt my hair was saturated, I let it sit for a moment, then rinsed. Do the same thing for the ACV. As suggested by one blog, towards the end of my shower I put a little ACV on the ends without rinsing. We were going straight to a movie, so I put it up in some Goody's spin pins that I found at Dollar Tree. (I have always wanted some but could never justify the 3 or 4 bucks they cost. lol. So I got two packs....and I'm thinking about getting more.) Now I have two buns up on my head like mouse ears with one spin pin in each. I can already feel a difference in my hair and scalp. May need to add some more ACV, but I will reevaluate when this supply runs out. =)

And for a price break down....
1 box baking soda, cheap store brand: $0.54
1 bottle Heinz ACV with the mother: around $3 to $4
2 condiment bottles: $0.50 a piece

I used very little of the BS and ACV so far....for at least a year's worth of hair cleansing for $5!? Hell to the yes!

I will update every few days on my poo-free journey.

Viva la cheapo!