Remember our story about ”no ‘poo?”
(That’s as in shampoo.)
The no ‘poo movement to ditch shampoos is based on the idea that chemical-based shampoos strip our hair of oil and that our scalps compensate by producing more oil.
According to this theory, using no (or less stringent) shampoo gets our scalps back in balance, and they naturally become less greasy.
While not everyone is ready to completely jettison the rinse-and-repeat routine, some do like the idea of using fewer chemicals on their hair (and, ergo, on their skin). So what’s their solution? DIY shampoo.
Before you click out of this article, we’d like you to know this trend isn’t just for hippies.
LearnVest reader and Long Beach, Calif., native Christina Dameron, who makes her own shampoo and conditioner, defends her decision to go the all-natural route by brandishing her financial credentials: “I don’t look like a dirty hippie. I was a business major, am a manager in an office, own my own home and car, and am debt-free.”
That’s enough to make us say, “We’ll have some of what she’s having.”
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon baking soda
1 cup of water
Condiment squeeze bottle, such as used for ketchup and mustard in diners
Directions
The recipe is for at least one cleaning (definitely more if you have short hair).
Before washing your hair, put the baking soda in the squeeze bottle. Once the water has reached a warm temperature, add the water to the bottle as well and mix.
Apply to your scalp as you would regular shampoo. You don’t need to put it on the ends unless you have put product on the ends and specifically want to clean them.
It will be much more liquid-y than conventional shampoo (which might take some getting used to), but you don’t want it to get too paste-y. If it’s too thick, the baking soda will absorb more oil than necessary and dry out your hair, creating flyaways and staticky hair.
This simple shampoo is also economical: If you buy a large box of baking soda, it can work out to something like a penny per ‘poo.
To learn how to de-tangle your hair, tune in next week for the DIY conditioner recipe!
More From LearnVest
Now you’re all curious: Just what is this no ‘poo business?
If you’re happy with your beauty regimen but just want to stretch your dollar further, pick up some of these tips.
Want ten days’ worth of style and beauty tips? We’ve got them all in our Priceless Style Bootcamp.
