I apologize that it’s taken me so long…but the fact is, I am not completely sold out to the baking soda &vinegar hair wash theory.

For any newbies to the blog, here’s the link to my first post on the subject. It outlines the basic how-to’s and whys of going “no poo”. If you check it out, don’t miss the great comments from others who gave it a try. And read on here, because I haven’t completely given up on the idea!

I gave it a go for almost a month, and one night I just went berserk. We’d been invited over to play cards with friends and a quick glance in the mirror at my hair left me feeling sick. I grabbed a small mirror and looked at the back of my head, and my hair just looked lank and iron gray. Ugh. In a frenzy I bent over the tub and sold out to bubbly shampoo. Within minutes my baking soda & vinegar experiment was washing down the drain.

But! I discovered that giving my hair a long rest from shampoo really restored it! My hair, after the quick shampoo, dried so soft and silky–it was amazing. So I left the soda and vinegar in the bathroom and still use it twice a week with great results. I’m also experimenting with natural shampoos, unwilling to go back to typical Wal-Mart brands that leave my scalp itchy and are full of chemicals.

My oldest daughter loves the baking soda and vinegar wash. Her waist-length hair is thick and unmanageable, and as long as we brush it out before washing, it combs out as if it had a coat of conditioner on it. Best of all, it’s so gentle on her flake-prone scalp. She’s the real reason I realized going cheap on shampoo isn’t smart. (Unless you’re talking baking soda & vinegar–b/c nothing is cheaper!)

Right now we’re trying out a brand called Naked Naturals. I happened to see it in Walgreens for a buy one get one free special. It smells of citrus and boasts of the following:

• No Lauryl or Laureth Sulfates
• No DEA or TEA
• No animal by-products
• No artificial colors
• No synthetic fragrance
• No harsh chemicals
• PH-balanced
• Not tested on animals

We like it!

Have any of the rest of you been more faithful to the “no poo” experiment than I have? Would love to hear about it in comments, and also if you’ve found a favorite alternative to take the place of the typical shampoos and conditioners.

And what’s the big deal anyway? Well, check out the ingredients in your toothpaste and baby wipes (and shampoo) among other things. See anything called “Propylene Glycol”? It happens to be the main ingredient in antifreeze and hydraulic fluids and is commonly used as solvent! It’s a toxic chemical, and so is Sodium Laureth Sulfate. Want to know more? Here’s an article that tells exactly what these two toxins are in, what health problems they cause, and why we should avoid them.