Jenbair, can you tell me how much Baking soda and vinegar you use in your laundry as I would like to try it. x

How do you use baking soda and vinegar in your laundry? Is it in addition to traditional laundry soap, or instead of? Do you have a link to refer me to?

use about 3/4 or 1/2 cup baking soda in the wash cycle. You can also use Borax or washing soda. In the RINSE cycle, use about 3/4 or 1 cup of white vinegar. I buy the cheap stuff in a gallon jug to use for cleaning everything. There will be no vinegar smell if you use it correctly...just a clean smell. Use your regular detergent or try a "green" brand which is not made from petroleum and has no optical brighteners, additives, scent, dyes etc. I like Method and Seventh Generation. You may find you don't need pre-rinse products, stain removers, fabric softeners, dryer sheets any longer! I have a front loader so i put the vinegar in the compartment for fabric softener to make sure it gets released int he rinse cycle.

Wait, what kind of hair loss are we talking about? How much are you losing?

I loose lots of hair when I shower usually, but it doesn't show, hair falls to leave place for newer ones if they fall at a normal rate. As long as you don't see chunks of hair falling down I think you'll be fine.

If the ratio is still too high for your hair, you might wanna adjust it. Try different quantities, find you own. I tweaked mine and I find it to work quite well. About half a cup of baking powder in a pitcher of water, pour that stuff over you head when you shower, leave it in as long as you want, longer the better according to me, rinse that out, there ya go.

I THINK the idea is to use the baking soda and vinegar only till your hair normalizes and then wean off those, too. Also you don't need to use the vinegar every time you use the baking soda. At least that is what I picked up from other instructables.

In addition you can make your own conditioner so much more cheaply than buying it. I like this one: http://www.instructables.com/id/Eco-friendly-low-cost-hair-conditioner-and-gel/

My hair is curly and, therefore, dry and this conditioner has done wonders for my hair this winter. My hair usually doesn't curl in the winter, it just dries out and frizzes no matter what I used. But with this home-made conditioner it has been soft and curly.

I am new to all the new home remedies. How do you get your hair clean if weaned off of shampoo and baking soda and vinegar? I sweat and also am sometimes in places where my hair will pick up the odor. How do I get these out w/o the above products? I also have dyed hair. Thanks in advance!

Actually, the Vinegar is a pretty crucial part of the process. I haven't tried this method yet, but it's essentially the same as why you're told to "condition" after you color your hair.

The outer layer of the hair, the cuticle, can be raised by heat and changes to elevate pH. The natural pH of your skin, hair, and nails is 4.5-5.5 on a scale of 0-14. Shampoos and soaps are more alkaline in nature, falling above the "neutral" 7 marker. This means that the sulfates (detergents) in these things, like that lovely smelling Pantene ProV shampoo in your shower, or your "antibacterial" soap (ALL soap is antibacterial) attach to the unwanted molecules so that the grease and dirt can all be pulled out of your hair and rinsed away. Sadly. these harsh chemicals don't discriminate. They strip your natural oils too. (I'm not going to go into health effects because I'm not qualified to do so, but I don't exactly think they're terribly healthy either.)

So your cuticle is raised, right? All the dirt is gone and you can just get your happy self out of the shower and everything will be okay? Wrong. You must CLOSE your cuticle, or your hair will be dry, probably very brittle, straw like, and break very easily. All because you chose to leave it's natural defense system open.

This is where the acidity of the ACV comes in. Or, you can use lemon juice, lime juice, or anything else nontoxic that is gentle enough to use, or that you can dilute to be so. Oh, hey, did you know that a lot of people rinse their hair in beer? (: I don't necessarily think it's the hops and barley that women (and even men) enjoy so much that makes their hair so soft and shiny. It's pH? 4.5 :D

So, my suggestion would be, (if you're 21 that is) buy yourself a 12 pack, and make yourself a deal. Before or after your shower (which, shouldn't involve cleansing your hair more than 3 times a week), take a mental health break and drink a beer, and use one more on your hair. And, notes to any other ladies out there reading this, I think it's a beer a week can help to prevent yeast infections. Win-win-win? I think so.

I hope this has helped. I'm an aspiring cosmetologist (which is why I have all this information. That, and I'm addicted to knowledge), so I thought knowing the ins and outs of the process might be useful. :)

Wow! THANKS for the info!!! My Mom and I both have pretty oily hair. Hers is more oily and more fine. I am glad you told me this so that I do not have to hear later down the road that I suggested for her to do something that "ruined" her hair!!!
Thank you for saving me alot of pain in my ear! :)

When I weaned myself from shampoo, I was already skipping days between shampoos, often only shampooing about 2-3 times a week, since washing my hair every day was really harsh on it.  Also, the feel of your hair is not going to be as squeaky clean as shampoo gets it, but rather a nice, silky feel instead.  Maybe switching to a milder shampoo (and only lathering once, if you're used to relathering to get everything squeaky clean) will help your hair and scalp transition, as they get used to not having to produce so much oil to make up for what is scoured away.  I like the smell of Avalon Organics, though it's pricier than I care for.  I also used a hemp-based shampoo that was really mild, but I forget the name of.  Health food stores often carry some mild brands.

Ones diet also has a big effect on hair, so if nothing seems to be working, maybe making a change in what you're eating could help out.  I notice that when I get all of my minerals and vitamins, my skin and hair and nails are much healthier than when I'm too tired to prepare food and eat processed stuff.

I like the products that are made by Jane Carter and by John Masters and by Devacurl (No-poo and Lo-poo). Also, if you have a Whole Foods store near you, their policy is for you to buy their products and if they don't work for you, you can return them for a full refund. Also, their staff can often be very helpful in determining products that are good for you.

its expensive, but the shampoos and conditioners from the body shop are pretty eco freindly and work so amazingly well you will never go back to anything else.

I went to the body shop, and asked for something to wash my hair. They looked at me funny, and pointed me to the bathroom, to something called GOJO. It works great! It has these little beads of pumice to really get that deep clean. It even has a clean citrus smell. Anyway, they sold me a tub of the stuff. They said that they were out of the conditioner, but they said the muffler shop down the street was supposed to get a shipment next week. I can't wait.

ROFL (in case anyone doesn't get it, GOJO is a brand of heavy duty cleaners for people who have dirty jobs like car mechanics and have to wash a lot of grease off their hands)

LOL! Probably the best solution in all seriousness though. MOST (not all) hand/ dish soaps have only the chemical that adheres to oils and washes away with water, without the extra ingredients. 

(removed by author or community request)

I've been using the conditioner only method for several weeks now and really love it. I use Suave Naturals, which is inexpensive and does not contain harsh chemicals or 'cones (silicon derivatives). I clean my hair about once every five to seven days and follow with an apple cider rinse. If my hair starts feeling a bit dirty in between washes, I can simply rinse with water and apple cider vinegar and it perks right up. I do not wash the vinegar rinse out, it doesn't smell once it's dry. My hair is very long and fine and now it's very shiny, as well! Just make sure any conditioner you use is 'cone free. You can google for an extensive list of cone free conditioners as well as the conditioner only washing method. Castile soap can work fine for any length hair, but it will make your hair dull if you have hard water. You can counter that by rinsing with apple cider vinegar and water. As for brushing, it's used to distribute natural oils through the hair. You use a boar bristle brush after you've combed and detangled. It's not brushing 100 times, it's 100 strokes, as far as the old standard goes. This isn't something you have to stick with, it's just a method for making sure you've thoroughly distributed the sebum along the hair length. Make sure, when using castile soap or shampoo, that you only wash your roots. Washing the length is unnecessary, as any soap/shampoo running down the length as you rinse is sufficient to clean it. Not only does this use less shampoo, it also helps keep your hair healthy.

In addition to using a brush to draw the oils thru your hail, it is import to use the brush to loosen the dead skin on your scalp. First brush down at your scalp to break off the dead skin, then draw the brush thru your hair to remove the loosened dead skin from your hair. Don't scrub your scalp with the brush, just start using light to medium force and over time your scalp will get healthier and you will find the right rhythm for your own hair.
Also, when starting out, you may want to do this before a gentle shampoo, depending on what condition your scalp is in when you start up and how much dander you break loose and how much oil gets freed into your hair.
After cleaning your hair with the brush, it's a good idea to clean the brush before doing the "100 strokes" (I used two brushes when I had long hair, stiffer for cleaning).
Once your scalp is healthy, from time to time when there is too much oil in your hair, instead of a shampoo, you can brush a little baby powder or talcum powder thru your hair during brush cleaning.
Factors that may alter your usual routine are how much your scalp was sweating and how much dust or floating debris from the environment got in your hair.
In effect, your healthy scalp and hair become a micro environment where conditions vary by days, activities, and seasons, and your grooming adapts to those conditions, including when it's time to wash it.
Don't confuse the above with detangling your hair for whatever reason (see next post) and do trim your split ends.

copycat, i've heard of it. but brushing your hair is one of the more damaging things you can do to it, especially brushing improperly. it contributes to hair breaking, splitting and creasing (which leads to breakage later on). i only brush my hair as much as needed and spend the time to work through knots from the bottom, rather than pulling through them. its an essential part of growing thin hair to any length at all without having it look ratty. i don't even want to begin to imagine how bad it would look if i brushed it 100 times a day, since i left this post i have found a solution to my issues, based on a recommendation here at instructables and it's rating as one of the best value based brands. that "austrailian" conditioner line definitely does the trick! best solution i've found so far.

ever try the "100 brushes" method? before you go to bed, run a brush through your hair 100 times. this distributes the scalp oils through your hair. when you see those 18th century period movies with the lady in her bed clothes brushing her hair, that's what she's doing.

instead of using a brush you could just use a washcloth so that your not tugging away at your hair too much. Not to say that the brushing probably wouldn't work either - those 18th century girls prob had some good D.I.Y knoweledge themselves! But to update their style, using a washcloth i think would appease anyone with concerns about brushing their hair too much, while still adhering to the commitment of not giving those beauty stores so much money!!!!!

Some health food stores (and regular supermarkets with bulk sections) allow you to purchase small quantities of their shampoos from a bulk bin. It might help your budget if all you have to buy is enough for one month at a time. Also, you really don't need much shampoo when you wash your hair. I cut it down to a teaspoon (for shoulder length hair) and it's more than enough.

I have been using a vegetable based shampoo (without conditioner) that I get at the health food store for a couple of years now. The only time I've used something else is when I've run out of it. To cover my gray, I have my hair colored and highlighted four to five times a year. When I was younger, this used to leave my hair dry and tangled, but since I've been using the vegetable based shampoo, I don't even have to use conditioners any more! My hair stylist and friends are amazed at how healthy my hair is. Here is what I discovered: try different brands of natural shampoos until you find the one that works best; use just enough to clean, not strip your hair- if you have a head full of suds, you've used too much (even though the brand I buy costs around $10, a bottle last me for months, and I don't have the additional expense of a conditioner, so I think I'm actually saving money); if you need a conditioner after washing, you washed your hair too well- leave a little of your own oil in- it's a free and natural conditioner. It'll take a few hits or misses before you find the perfect balance, but believe me, it's worth it!

Would you mind telling me the exact brand of shampoo you use? I'm not sure what you mean by "vegetable based". Thanks, Rebecca

Rebecca, The brand I finally settled on is called BWC. BWC makes different shampoos and conditioners but the one I use says "organic aromatherapy shampoo, moisture plus, benefits dry / treated hair; 100% vegetarian." The last time I got my hair colored caused it to dry out, but after using the shampoo for a month it was silky and soft again. I also have soft water so I don't know if that makes a difference.

Thanks for the tip, I'll give it a try.

I wonder if you are brushing your hair to distribute the natural oils produced by your scalp? Using a natural bristle brush is key. Old fashioned 100 strokes, being gentle too. Just a thought. Jean

It depends. Some people rub and massage their scalp before washing to get the dead skin cells loose, then massage (but not too hard) the scalp w/ the bs mixture. There is also a dandruff cure of applying white vinegar to scalp before doing bs and acv.

Yep, this happened to me. I tried no shampoo for a month last year and the itching started two weeks in; it only went away with a good shampooing. Nowadays, it comes back full strength if I leave my hair unwashed for only a day or two.

Any acid rinse will work, it depends on what works best for you. Some people even use tea rinses, though I think it may be certain types of tea, I'm not sure.
a good place I've found is no-poo.livejournal.com they are a good community.

I have been dying my hair bright cobalt blue for over 6 years and have (for me at least) found the perfect blend to keep my hair healthy and clean... and my color from fading. (I only touch up once ever month and a half) let me know if you are interested (sheltainfinitas@gmx.com - please put "HAIR TIPS in the subject line so i don't flag you as spam) good luck!!!