Shampoo: Ever wondered how you can wash your hair without all the chemicals in normal shampoo? It's so easy! Store bought shampoos even use silicone to prevent flyaways, and to give you thicker feeling hair. Over time these products accumulate on your hair, making it split, brittle, and dull.
Home shampoo is dead easy and you have the ingredient in the kitchen! Bicarb of soda. That's it, that's all you need. (Adding a vinegar /water rinse will rebalance the ph of your hair, and is recommended for fine hair - if your hair is short - and always, if your hair is long.)
If you have short hair you can use the bicarb dry, simply take a palm of bicarb, rub it in well over wet hair, then rinse it off with warm water (I do this in the shower). This is the most natural and earth friendly way to wash your hair. We've been washing our hair with bicarb for months, and are in love with the squeaky cleanness of our hair.
If you have long hair, dissolve a tablespoon of bicarb in a liter of warm water. Use this to pour over already wet hair, rub in well, and rinse it off. Follow with the vinegar rinse (below).
* for some reason we found this bicarb shampoo doesn't work with hair dyed black
Conditioner: For a natural conditioner for long hair, mix a tablespoon of naturally fermented vinegar in a mug of warm water, (about 250 mls), and pour over your hair, work it in all the way to the ends, then rinse off. The first time I did this I expected to stink of vinegar - and I didn't. If you smell of vinegar you didn't rinse it out properly. I even started making my own scented vinegar for this (recipes to follow soon in this section.)
Another way to condition long hair is with coconut oil. Soak your hair with coconut oil once a month for a deep condition, and wash out with bicarb (it may take 2 or 3 washes to become squeaky). Leave the coconut oil in for at least 2 hours for a deep condition. For daily protection against dry ends just rub coconut oil on your palms and briskly rub the bottom 2 inches of your hair for a light coating of protection. Coconut oil binds to the proteins in your hair shaft, sealing it up and making it thick and lustrous.
You can also use a light palm coating of coconut oil to smooth down static hair. It's safe for your body, the planet, and our home, so use this instead of expensive chemical sprays.
To prevent split ends: After washing your hair, rinse your hair in cold cold cold water. This seals up the hair shaft, making it tight. This seals in the natural oils, smooths the hair cuticle (when the hair cuticle is flat, your hair is shiny - when it's open, hair knots and looks dull), and gives you amazing shine and hair flexibility. Towel dry - never blow dry your hair. Heat just reopens the cuticle again, making your hair brittle and prone to splitting. I washed my long hair with only cold water for years and years, and it was so silky and supple I couldn't even tie a knot in a single strand - it simply unwound itself. This gives your hair great shine which is all natural. 'healthy looking hair' is commonly cited in hair product commercials - we don't care for 'healthy looking', we care about it REALLY being healthy!
** Alternatively you can wash your hair with pure Castile liquid soap (you can get yours from Faithful-to-Nature), or peruse their website for a multitude of organic and natural shampoos. They have hair care for you and baby, simply choose the one which suits your needs best.