Thursday, August 25, 2011

Hair Care Revisted

I had to stop my castile soap & ACV shampoo method a while back when the smell got to my ultra-sensitive first trimester nose. But now I'm happy to report that today I have gone back to the clean way and it smells wonderful! So I thought I'd revisit my method with a step-by-step.

1. Shampoo hair with a 1:1 ratio of castile soap (I use Dr. Bronner's) and water.

2. Rinse thoroughly with water. Your hair will feel tangly and messy, but don't worry.

3. Condition your hair with a mixture of 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar and 1 cup of water. Make sure you get the rinse all throughout your hair to get rid of any soap buildup.

4. Rinse thoroughly with water.

5. If you feel it's necessary (and I do), do the ACV rinse again.

6. Rinse thoroughly with water one final time. Use cool water if you can stand it, as this will help prevent split ends. Your hair should now feel softer and you should be able to run your fingers through it pretty easily.

What you do after you get out of the shower all depends on your daily routine, but I usually just comb any tangles out and let it air dry. I feel like brushes tend to spread any oils throughout my hair and make it feel gross. I could just be imagining it, though.

If you're just starting out, it may take a few days for your hair to adjust. However, I don't think it takes as long to get used to as other no 'poo methods, like baking soda. Normal shampoo strips your hair of all its natural oils, so your body produces more oil to replace what's been lost. Due to this, when using commercial shampoos my hair will get greasy and gross within 24 hours. Last time I used my clean shampoo method, I could go 36-48 hours with great-looking and feeling hair, and I actually had more volume as well, without losing any of the softness or shine.

I hope this method works for you! Just remember to stick with it; everyone's different and it will take some time to get used to. If you have any questions, just let me know!