No Poo week 4

As I near the end of my first month of pooing my hair with baking soda and then following that with apple cider vinegar, I have a few more things I've noticed about my hair and the method I am using which still sounds crazy to say.

1. Sometimes my hair feels like it has baking soda in it when it's dry. I've noticed this texture difference happens if I apply coconut oil to my damp hair after a wash.

2. The apple cider vinegar is not like a commercial conditioner! It slightly softens your hair but doesn't do much for the tangles. You still have to brush, brush, brush! The major difference is that it makes all that brushing more manageable.

3. This may be a given but my hair doesn't smell fresh and clean like flowers like it did with commercial products. I think I may need to refresh it with some kind of spray. Maybe i can make one out of Distilled water and essential oils such as  lavender or lemon oil?  I did just buy some rose oil I could try. Hmm...

Have you tried the no - poo method? Follow me on Twitter or subscribe to my posts for more updates on my adventures into d.i.y. leave a comment,  I'd love to hear from you!  😊

No poo week 3

It's a beautiful new week and I'm sailing through week 3 of my personal no-poo challenge. I've learned a few things about my hair that I didn't know before. I've listed them because I'm a nerd and because lists are better to read than paragraphs. (I see you agreeing with me! ):
1. Brush, brush, brush. It's good to brush and it's nice seeing the natural shine come through from a thorough brushing.

2. I don't miss shampoo...or conditioner.  Well I did miss them in week 1 but once I got past that, I don't miss them anymore.

3. My hair feels thicker and looks a little healthier. I can't wait for a full head of healthy, shiny hair or the look on people's faces when I tell them what I use!

4. I stopped using commercial hair products. No more hairspray! No more leave in conditioners! No more chemically enhanced frizz control formulas! 

Did I just turn into a baking soda and apple cider vinegar advocate?  Haha, I think I did.  Stay tuned for week 4 and maybe some healthy close up hair pics too.

D.I.Y. all purpose cleaner

Last week while I was on a cleaning roll I decided to make an all natural household cleaner using some lemons I got from my mother in law. I've been wanting to put such a cleaner recipe to a big challenge. Lucky for me,  Mr hubby got the tub nice and dirty from work. So instead of using my regular cleaner to scrub the tub, I made a concoction of the following:

All purpose cleaner:
Equal parts water and vinegar  (1 cup each is fine)
2 large lemons squeezed and juice filtered (I use a mesh strainer )
10-20 drops lavender oil
Gently mix in a bottle  (I used plastic since the solution didn't last me more than 2 weeks )

Instructions for use:
Spray over area to be cleaned and use a brush to gently remove dirt and build up. If you use a sponge or a scrub pad then it will get caked with gunk and be difficult to remove. It's easier to clean a brush later so use a brush first. Rinse and redo if need. I cleaned our tub once,  rinsed, and then spot cleaned areas I missed. I used a sponge to wipe the crome fixtures and it got the hard water spots out. In all I am very happy with the results and I used it on the toilets, counters, kitchen stove, and kitchen sink - all with great results. In all this is a better cleaning agent then what is sold in the stores.  Not only did it work great and has antibacterial properties (courtesy of the lavender oil),  but it smells nice and is kid &pet friendly. Plus if your neighbor has a lemon tree, this is a great opportunity to meet them and ask for a few lemons.  Check out the before and after photos of the tub. Happy cleaning!

No Poo week 2

Week 1- done
Week 2 -in progress

Week one is done and I can't believe I made it out alive!  My hair is still on my head although I think it's suffered minor damages from pulling on it with a brush. I will say that I've learned a few things since starting this crazy little adventure:

1. Use a comb during the first few weeks to brush out all the tangles. Brushes will only pull your hair causing split ends.

2. Don't leave any apple cider vinegar in your hair. You must rinse it all out no matter what! I think that's why my hair was crispy.

3. There is no set recipe but find one you like.  I like to mix 1/3 cup of  baking soda with water  in a little plastic container until it is runny. I pour it over my head and then massage into my hair followed by a thorough rinse.

4. Hang in there and be prepared to have some very very very bad hair days. Quick and easy buns,  braids,  and twists are about all you'll be able to do.

Currently my hair is starting to feel softer but at the same time feels like I have a lot of build up.  It isn't oily but feels thicker. My ends still feel dry but I think I might go for a hair cut once the smoke settles on my new hair regimen. I can brush my hair better than last week but it's still a challenge. Here's how I do the no-poo:

1/3 cup baking soda & mix with water right before use.  I have long hair so I like the mixture to be runny. Massage into hair.  Rinse.

Apply apple cider vinegar using a spay bottle. I use a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar. I spray all over and let sit for a few minutes before rinsing.

The No Poo challenge

"No Poo!"
If you tell someone you don't "poo" they may look at you sideways, may think you're joking, or may be totally clueless yet interested in what the hell "no poo" is.

I wondered the same thing about a year ago when I first read about it off someone's all natural website. I wondered what kind of crazy person would just stop using shampoo?  I soon learned that these "poo-free" blogging mommas used baking soda as shampoo and apple cider vinegar as a conditioner (weird). Each one raved about having healthy, soft hair and how they got it. the natural way just so happens to be more cost efficient than buying into an expensive Wen haircare system or budget friendly Herbal Essences. I had to try it too!

My first attempt was a complete failure and I didn't like it. After a week I feel off the wagon and went back to my poo. Just recently after reading a post about no-pooing  on the site,  Keeper of the Home, I learned there's an awkward transition period you and your hair must go through before reaching poo-free bliss.

So here I am 3 days into my new no poo challenge! I have to say that my hair feels dry😂, my hair is unmanageable,  and no amount of brushing gets the knots out. But I hear there's light at the end of the tunnel and if I keep going towards that light I'll make it. Only then will I be able to strip away my dependence on the traditional haircare system. Only then will I be able to join the ranks of the no-pooers!

So join me in my no poo challenge, on this journey that I currently make on my own. And we'll see if I can make or over the hurdle of the awkward next few weeks.

How I use coconut oil

Coconut oil has many health benefits and has been used in beauty products, cooking, and over the counter pills. It's a versitle material that is solid when cold and becomes an oil when heated. I first started using coconut oil when I gave birth to my daughter and wanted to find all natural products to use instead of the chemically induced products in which we never really understand, trust, or can pronounce the names of such questionable ingredients anyway! So why put that in and on our bodies when there are alternatives that are more versitile, cheaper to buy,  and with a little time and a few good recipes, can become a great all purpose solution?

Storage
When the weather is cool I store my coconut oil in its original container under the sink in my bathroom. When the weather is hot, I store it in the back of my fridge. It may harden and become a little difficult to get out when I need to replenish what I have stocked around the house for daily use but the fridge keeps it from constantly going from solid to liquid as the summer days increase the heat in the house and the nights turn it back to a semi solid state.

What I use
Currently I use Nature's Way unrefined organic coconut oil and can be found on Amazon. While it doesn't really matter what brand of coconut oil you use, it does matter that it is unrefined and in its natural state with no added anything! This is especially important if you plan on ingesting coconut oil by using to cook food or oil pulling. In this case it should also be food grade or pharmaceutical grade. I have seen unrefined coconut oil at Costco and it is a little cheaper than Amazon was so next time I buy it, it will be kirkland brand.

How I use coconut oil
Lotion: I like to keep a small container in the bathrooms and use it as lotion on my children who are 18 months and 2 months old. The oil absorbs fast into the skin, especially right after a nice bath! From my experience, it hasn't stained any of her clothes so I'd say it's safe to use and then dress right after. I also use it in my own lotion recipe I use for myself but the recipe is still a work in progress but as soon as I fine tweek it I'll post it here.

Knot buster: For a all natural de-tangler I use a small pea sized amount on my 18-month old's hair (she has lots of it!), I spread it all around her hair (as if I was putting shampoo on her head), let it sit for a few minutes and then comb and style her hair. It works pretty good to loosen tangles but be warned, if you use too much then your hair will look oily and dirty even though it isn't. I like to apply it to my hair when its damp because it helps with frizz control and gives my hair a nice shine.

Cooking: while I don't use it much for cooking, you can use it in place of oil or butter. Coconut oil heats very hot and fast so if you're going to cook with it I recommend you not let it sit too long on a hot stove pan because it will burn quickly. Also, coconut oil leaves behind a slight coconut taste to your food so unless you want the taste or are making something you are going to add a lot of other flavored to, it might be good to use a different oil or butter.

Teeth whitening and health: using coconut oil to whiten teeth also is beneficial to your health. This method is
called oil pulling and is an ancient way to rid the body of toxins through the mouth. MyMerryMessyLife.com had a recent oil pulling challenge in which readers were encouraged to participate in oil pulling while the blogger, Sara, did it as well. She wrote about her daily experience and you can also read comments from readers who also took the challenge. I myself have also started oil pulling and I will warn you that it takes some getting used to. The first 2 days were the real challenge for me because there's nothing like the feeling of swishing oil around in your mouth. And then there's the taste of coconut! While I do enjoy coconut, I didn't enjoy the first 2 days of swishing it around my teeth and a few times I either wanted to swallow it or throw it up. But after that, I got used to it and can swish like a pro. You can use almost any kind of oil and oilpulling.com's instructions use sunflower oil.

Recipes List
If you're going to invest the time and a little bit of money on making your own all natural products there are 3 ingredients you will need to have on hand to make just about everything I have recipes for: coconut oil, lavender essential oil, and beeswax! My recipe list isn't complete at the moment but I'll get to that soon!

Recipes coming soon:

Baby Booty cream

Lotion