No Poo-ing Day One

Well, today is the day, the day I say good-bye to shampoo! I have been wanting to go no-poo since I first learned about it a few months ago at Natural Parenting Network. I held off partly because I didn't want to be wasteful and throw away my shampoo and partly because I didn't want my hair being nasty during the detox period at work. Finally, my shampoo is out and I am about to start a week long vacation. Those of you reading this who haven't heard of no-poo before might be thinking, 'what the heck!', 'yuck', or 'is she getting dreads now' lol! No dreads for me, my amigas, I am just working once again towards my goals. Going no-poo is frugal, sustainable, and safer for my baby and me. Yes, LO will be going no-poo with me.

What are the reasons to go no-poo?
1. Shampoo has many harmful chemicals in it. Why go through all the trouble to get chemical free foods and limit exposure with toys, cups, plates, etc just to scrub the stuff into your scalp?! What chemicals you ask? Well for one PHTHALATES! Yes, I said Phthalates. The very thing I had spent countless hours staring at toys on the internet and stores shelves to avoid I have been massaging into our hair. Phthalates are apparently in many cosmetic products including deodorant (my next homemade adventure). In case you aren't a phthalate stalker like me let me tell you, they are not good news. Among other things, they mess with LOs reproductive systems causing early puberty, fertility problems and cancer. They are used in PVC products like many toys to make them more flexy along with soaps, body sprays, D.O., and shampoo. Besides the phthalates the list of harmful chemicals go on-and-on which include sodium laureth sulfate which, get this, actually causes the issues you wash your hair for. SLS damages your hair and causes skin irritation.
2. It's cheap! While I am all about avoiding the chemicals I don't what to spend an arm and a leg on organic shampoo. It is definitely not the cheapest option. Besides, being minimalist I don't want to swap consuming one thing for consuming another when I can easily do without.

And thus, my no-poo adventure begins. The process is to try to wait out the detox without cleaning your hair with anything. Your hair is greasy because the chemicals cause it to be so. Eventually, through detox, your hair will get less greasy. This I believe as I know if you wash your hair more often your hair seems to start to need it more often and get yuck quicker. I assume this detox is just a more extreme version of that. For straight hair I have heard this only takes 2 weeks, but for curly hair it can take up to 6 weeks. After that, if you hair needs it, you can give it a conditioner of apple cider vinegar and if it needs it a scrub of baking soda. I know! Is there anything baking soda and vinegar can't do?!! It is only the first day of not washing, but I am excited. What are your thoughts on the subject? Anyone daring to join me on this part of my journey?

My Blog - the Beginning

Those of you who know me (which at this point will be anyone reading) know that I am always researching and trying new things. I find with my new mother-ness I am now doing this even more so. As I learn new things I am always eager to share it with everyone I know and teach others the same thing. Hopefully, I am right when I say that many of you are genuinely interested in at least some of the things that I learn. And so, I have decided to share my journey through these things virtually with you all. My goal is that some of you find this helpful and are inspired to join me in parts that suit your needs, sit out of parts that do not, and provide commentary and suggestions to help me along my way. In my life, I try to be many things. I strive to be a environmentally conscious person, an informed consumer, a frugal wife, an ethical, valuable employee, and an attached, knowledgeable mother to a little one who will grow up in a free thinking, nurturing environment without the forcing of stereotypes or commercialism.The items I may blog about may vary greatly, from seasonal recipes and gardening, to couponing and safe toy purchasing; from cake decorating, to solstice celebrating, the list goes on and on, but at the heart of them all will be these overarching life goals. Posts will be as I journey through them so I invite you to discover with me, learn with me, and try new things with me as together we become more conscious of how our actions affect ourselves and others.