No poo. Wouldn't that be nice? No more poopy diapers.. ahhhh. A mama can dream. Or stop making babies. But, since the latter isn't likely to happen, dreaming it is.
This post isn't about poop. Or diapers. But about getting rid of shampoo. I had a frugal fit last year and began stocking up when there was a sale. Mostly on personal care items. So I now have a big box of shampoos, body wash, etc. Guess who's developed sensitivities to all of it? I've even tried some hypoallergenic snake oil type products, to no avail. I'll spare you the photos, but I broke out in a an oozing, gross rash from mid arm, down my arm pits, and onto my breasts and belly from a supposed hypoallergenic deodorant.
Lovely.
What fixed it? Coconut oil, a few drops of tea tree oil, and keeping my arms in the air for days. Though that last part is more due to the pain of lowering my arms. So, I stopped wearing deodorant entirely. Mostly of fear of the rash coming back. Since then, I've noticed something weird/good. I don't stink. Well, not right away. As long as I wash out my pits, apply a dab of coconut oil, and remember to do that daily, no smell. Sweat is how the body flushes toxins. So I don't mind a little sweatiness here and there. Coconut oil is anti fungal and anti microbial, among other things. So, no more buying deodorant. My plan for if I know I'll be getting sweaty and gross is to also use some baking soda.
The no 'poo method I'm using a simple. I filled a spare peri-bottle (basically a water bottle with a pop top) with 8oz of warm water, 1 tablespoon of baking soda, and shook. It's hanging out in the shower. Every few days, I "shampoo" my hair with that. Followed by a similar dilution of vinegar and water as a rinse. Conditioner is the tiniest amount of coconut oil applied to damp hair. Done and done.
My hair is in the "ewwww greeeeeeeasy" mode currently while it figures out what to do with its own oils. This phase is temporary. and given that my current hair style is 'pin my bangs out of my effin face', not noticeable at all to anyone but me.
So, there you have it. 4 more products gone (deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, leave in treatment), and replaced with things that cost pennies per month.
I am not a Deodorant user either. I have been using BS cut with Corn Starch and a couple of drops of essential oil (I use peppermint) and I am fine even on hot summer days. As long as pits are washed daily (I wash mine before bed and again in the am) they should be fine. I was no poo for a long time when I realized my hair was thinning noticeably at the peak. So I stopped and since then have not been happy with the organic and non-organic shampoo results. I have hard water so I boil 3 cups of water and add 1 TBSP of bs. Then when cool I pour it into an old shampoo bottle (this lasts 3 weeks with 1 shampoo per week) and I take 2 c of water and add 3 TBS Apple Cider vinegar or Lemon Juice (I alternate). I recently returned to this method and am just keeping the wash away from my hairline. Happy with the results.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought to add essential oil to the baking soda! That's such a great idea. :-)
DeleteI can't take credit I read it on the interwebs. When I was looking for a Deodorant option (since even the fancy organic ones caused severe burning) I saw several recipes that used essential oil. Some people like Tea Tree, other like Orange and some a combination. I was nervous about the peppermint oil burning but I love it. I use peppermint oil a ton.
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