Having dyed my hair for the last few years, back to the colour it was as a child (though it's a shame I can't get those ringlets back), I have finally decided to ditch the bottle and go au naturale. There were two main reasons for this: one, it took a lot of upkeep; two, it was ruining my hair. Now, I have long thick hair which has become dry and limp from the layers of chemicals. So I got to thinking - how about ditching hair products all together? This may seem a bit radical, but .............
One summer I spent a month hiking in the middle of nowhere, with no shampoo. And apart from the first few self-conscious days, my hair was glowing naturally simply from ducking my head under gushing waterfalls of fresh mountain water. Although I am not going to revert back to that elementary way of life, I have been trying out an alternative to the 'poo. And apparently leaves your hair in better condition than ever!
The best tip to give would be: ponytails are your friend. Not only does it hide any 'in between' stages, but it protects your skin from oil and is an easy way to show off pretty earrings.
Washing your hair: I have found that Bicarbonate of Soda and Apple Cider Vinegar are readily available and work well. So here goes -
1. Mix the Bicarb with water roughly until it has stopped dissolving and apply to your hair.
(Hint: a hole in the top of a water bottle makes application easier)
2. Separate the hair into sections and comb through
(Hint: massage your scalp to help break down all the oil and dirt, and will stimulate the blood flow)
3. Rinse out as much Bicarb as possible
4. Dilute the apple cider vinegar with water
(Hint: I only guesstimate the measurements, but about an inch of vinegar in an old shampoo bottle works)
(Hint: add a couple of drops of an essential oil, such as Lavender or Ylang Ylang, to avoid stinking of vinegar
5. Pour through and cover all your hair
6. Massage, leave for a couple of minutes, and rinse thoroughly
Who knows, maybe one day we will be able to even stop using anything!
I tried this for about a week last year and couldn't deal with it being so greasy! My friend tried it for about 3-4 months and whilst hers got a lot less greasy than it had been at first it still wasn't in normal condition so she went back to using shampoo. It was a fun experiment to do though and there are many success stories out there :)
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