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| Baking soda can and diluted ACV rinse |
I'd been thinking for a while before that about ditching my Head & Shoulders--between the cocktail of yucky chemicals (sodium lauryl sulfate [SLS], sodium laureth sulfate [SLES], fragrance, blue 1, and red 33 to name a few) and not wanting to support P&G, it seemed like a good, principled stand to take. But I was pretty nervous about what might happen to my hair without my trusty blue shampoo.
I don't know about anyone else, but as someone with seriously oily hair, I really needed to wash my hair at least every other day, if not every single day. When I shampooed daily, my hair looked nice, wasn't too oily, and tangles were kept to a manageable minimum. (I didn't realize this was part of the vicious cycle of shampoo use, but more on that later.) I didn't want to look like an oil slick had taken up residence in my hair--this was in the thick of the job hunt, and in my experience, cavewoman hair doesn't tend to impress potential employers.
What finally convinced me was running out of shampoo. If I had to go out anyway, I reasoned, now was as good a time as any to switch. At Target, I found my old shampoo for $6.99, and left with a half gallon of apple cider vinegar ($3.27 with my 5% Cartwheel discount) and a pound of baking soda ($0.59 with that 5% off) for the princely sum of $3.86.
At home, I hopped in the shower, ready to give it a go. I plopped about a tablespoon of baking soda into my hand, mixed it with enough water to make a paste, and rubbed that on my head. It felt kind of grainy and weird, but I went with it. The baking soda paste also doesn't spread very well, especially when you're used to commercial shampoo with lathering agents. I left the baking soda to sit for a minute while I washed my body (yay goat's milk and oatmeal soap from the farmers' market!), then rinsed my hair thoroughly. I'd mixed up a diluted ACV rinse (somewhere between 2:1 and 4:1 seemed to be the consensus among no 'pooers, I think I used 3:1), and poured a couple tablespoons of that over my hair. The shower smelled like a salsa factory for a minute, but the rinse really did its job detangling and smoothing. When I rinsed the ACV out, there was no lingering vinegar smell, just clean hair.
I've made a few tweaks since that first wash. Initially, my hair was a little sticky once it dried, so I used a little less ACV rinse and started applying the rinse only to the "ponytail" section of my hair--not on the scalp. My hair is as close to tangle-free as I've ever had (fine hair + lots of hair + split ends from harsh commercial shampoos and no $$ for haircuts = rat's nest). It's much softer now than it used to be, and it looks blonder than it used to, I think because there's less gunk hanging out in there.
I also like knowing that this is another small way I'm minimizing my exposure to nasty chemicals. While I am not a doctor or any kind of health expert, I did some research, and what I found from a variety of sources worried me. SLS and SLES are used as foaming agents in shampoo, but they're also known skin and eye irritants--not ideal for a shampoo that is applied to the skin and often gets in one's eyes. SLS is also used rectally in enemas, and is approved as a pesticide for fleas and ticks by the USDA. While there is no clear link in the current medical literature between SLES itself and cancer, SLES is often contaminated during production by 1,4 dioxane and ethylene oxide. The EPA classifies 1,4 dioxane as a probable human carcinogen and a known irritant, and under Proposition 65, it is classified as a substance known to the state of California to cause cancer and other reproductive harm. Ethylene oxide is associated with problems with brain and nerve function, increased risk of miscarriages, and many types of cancers.
I've made a few tweaks since that first wash. Initially, my hair was a little sticky once it dried, so I used a little less ACV rinse and started applying the rinse only to the "ponytail" section of my hair--not on the scalp. My hair is as close to tangle-free as I've ever had (fine hair + lots of hair + split ends from harsh commercial shampoos and no $$ for haircuts = rat's nest). It's much softer now than it used to be, and it looks blonder than it used to, I think because there's less gunk hanging out in there.
I also like knowing that this is another small way I'm minimizing my exposure to nasty chemicals. While I am not a doctor or any kind of health expert, I did some research, and what I found from a variety of sources worried me. SLS and SLES are used as foaming agents in shampoo, but they're also known skin and eye irritants--not ideal for a shampoo that is applied to the skin and often gets in one's eyes. SLS is also used rectally in enemas, and is approved as a pesticide for fleas and ticks by the USDA. While there is no clear link in the current medical literature between SLES itself and cancer, SLES is often contaminated during production by 1,4 dioxane and ethylene oxide. The EPA classifies 1,4 dioxane as a probable human carcinogen and a known irritant, and under Proposition 65, it is classified as a substance known to the state of California to cause cancer and other reproductive harm. Ethylene oxide is associated with problems with brain and nerve function, increased risk of miscarriages, and many types of cancers.
The term "fragrance" is an industry catch-all any combination of some 3,000 chemicals with smelly properties. This is worrying because most of those chemicals have not been tested for toxicity, either alone or in combination, and can produce allergic reactions or worse. Diethyl phthalate is also lumped in under fragrance or parfum, not because it produces a scent of its own, but it gives other scents their staying power. The CDC says phthalates have "affected the reproductive systems of laboratory animals" but the human health effects are "unknown." However, they also say "measurable levels of many phthalate metabolites [have been found] in the general population," indicating that exposure is widespread. The Australian National and Industrial Chemicals Notification Assessment Scheme (what a mouthful!) says,"While human studies are limited, the adverse effects on fertility parameters and development are considered relevant to humans." Nasty stuff.
I hear many people say that it's not worth it to "live in fear" of this sort of stuff. I agree that living in fear is untenable, but I don't see this sort of digging as feeding fear, personally. I see it as getting informed and then taking concrete steps to avoid things my research or personal experience has suggested is unhealthy or not right for me. So for me (and only me! No claims about anyone else!), since it was relatively easy and very cheap, it made sense to avoid this sort of stuff where I could. Beauty products were an easy place to start in my own life.
Avoiding industrial chemicals in my hair products: check. Cheaper hair care: check. Hair looks good: check. I think it's super cool how those things often go together in natural living--healthy, safe, cost-effective, and functional don't have to be enemies. Pretty rad.
Sources:
CDC phthalate fact sheet: http://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/phthalates_factsheet.html
List of chemicals to avoid in personal care products: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2012/04/10/you-have-the-right-to-know-17-chemicals-to-avoid-in-cosmetic-and-personal-care-products/
NICNAS diethyl phthalate fact sheet: http://www.nicnas.gov.au/communications/publications/information-sheets/existing-chemical-info-sheets/diethyl-phthalate-dep
International chemical safety card for 1,4 dioxane: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ipcsneng/neng0041.html
EPA 1,4 dioxane fact sheet: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/dioxane.html
Wikipedia on SLES: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_laureth_sulfate
David Suzuki Foundation on SLES: http://davidsuzuki.org/issues/health/science/toxics/chemicals-in-your-cosmetics---sodium-laureth-sulfate/
Ethylene oxide toxicology profile with Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp137.pdf
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