Sustainable Alternatives To Shampoo

There is something of a movement going on right now against shampoo. It's unfortunately named "no-poo" but there are actually has some good reasons behind the idea. For many people commercial shampoo cleans too well and causes the scalp to produce excess oils, which of course requires more frequent washing.

Additionally, shampoo is made up from many ingredients. These ingredients are generally manufactured at their own factories and shipped to the final shampoo facility for assembly and packing into plastic bottle. A plus to all of this is that it provides a lot of jobs. A con is that the entire process requires a lot of resources, including fossil fuels.

Sometimes, it's just nice to simplify.

Baking Soda

This is the most popular alternative to shampoo. You can either mix a tablespoon of baking soda into a cup of warm water and dump it over your head while you shower, or you can sprinkle that same tablespoon over your wet hair. Either way: work the baking soda into your scalp thoroughly before rinsing it out. The soda is suppose to exfoliate, while lifting and dirt and excess oil away.

This is what I'm currently using, because it's as cheap as dirt and doesn't require any real effort. I've been doing it for a few months now, and it really does work. My hair get nice and clean, and I'm pretty happy with it.

Of course, you lovely eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed that Baking Soda is in fact a manufactured product. This is certainly true, but I prefer baking soda to shampoo for several reasons. Mainly, it comes in a cardboard box, so I'm not using plastic unnecessarily (a main component of our landfills, and a major use of fossil fuels). Secondly, the baking soda itself can be made in a single location. Additionally, it has neither preservatives nor fragrances, and I have yet to meet a fragrance I actually like.

Soapwort

Soapwort is a pretty pink flower that's rich in saponins, a foaming chemical that provides a gentle, mild, clean. It's super easy to grow and preserve. Simply, give it a place in sun and keep it well watered. It should even reseed itself for you every year. Occasionally, harvest some of your flower patch and dry the leaves and roots for later use. When you're ready boil some stems and leaves for about thirty minutes. I imagine that the exact recipe will require some experimentation. Then your allow the mixture to cool, and strain the little pieces of plant out of it. This soapy liquid is good for a week or so at a time, so it's something that can be made ahead of your shower, unlike baking soda water. To use: simply work a little of the mixture into your scalp during your shower and rinse it out.

Soap Nut

Soap nuts are a another popular alternative in the no-shampoo world. These are fruit from a certain genus of tropical tree with a hard shell. The shell is used as another natural source of saponin and can be used as a replacement for everything from laundry detergent to shampoo.

In my mind this alternative loses points because it can only come from tropical source. This of course means: questionable labor laws, and the expense in fossil fuels to bring them to my door. All for a soapy-compound that can be found in a flower that will grow in our temperate regions.

Although I suppose that you could grow a tree in a pot and then just bring it indoors for the winter season, much like you would for a lemon tree. Of course then you have to worry about day-length, and ripening periods during the winter. Still, probably-maybe worth a try if it catches your interest.

Clay

The fine particles in clay are suppose to act as a gentle exfoliant, while absorbing excess oils and leaving your hair cleaner than before. To use: simply make a slurry out of a bit of clay and work it into your scalp. Allow it to sit anywhere from two to five minutes (depending on your hair) then rinse it out.

The "best" clay comes from an ancient deposit in Morocco. It's supposed to have higher proportions of silica and other hair-friendly components. To me, that seems like going out of your way to make clay unsustainable. Particularly considering the fact that you can gather clay anywhere.

This option is what I'm going to try in my hair next. To get the clay I'm going to follow these instructions here. Of course, I have nearly pure clay only a few inches down in my garden and my yard, so it's probably a more worthwhile option for me, compared to someone in a rainy place.

I'll be sure to let you know how that works out. It could be disastrous, but it'll be fun to find out for myself.

A conditioner is much easier to finagle. Simply take some vinegar, apple cider is fan favorite, and dilute it with water. I use about a tablespoon of vinegar in a cup of warm water and work it through my hair. Then I let it sit for a few minutes and rinse it out.

Which alternative sounds the most appealing to you?

#SustainableAlternatives