my hair beats your hair at hair

this post proves i'm super susceptible to suggestion, thanks for asking about my hair(s).

it all started about 2 years ago when i changed my toothpaste. you know those little stress ulcers i used to get all the time in my mouth since i was a little kid? i hate those things! i did some research and found out they can be exacerbated by using a sodium lauryl sulfate based toothpaste. so, as these things often go, i did more internet based research and stopped using sls in my shampoo as well. i'd heard tell of people just using baking soda and vinegar but it seemed a little out on a limby, so i stuck with my kinder, gentle shampoo and we were happy.

and then i added baking soda. and then i added vinegar because you can't use baking soda without vinegar. but i could not find the courage to drop my precious, precious shampoo and conditioner. i'd maybe do it here and there and then decide to go back to the good ol' s and c. until one day, i just made the switch and i haven't looked back. let me introduce you to.... baking soda! and vinegar! my best friends.

in my hair related research, that's the one thing i learned over and over, you do not have to go all or nothing. you do not have to go from normal shampoo to baking soda and vinegar if that feels uncomfortable to you.  you do not have to go from normal shampoo and washing your hair once a day to not washing your hair for three weeks in a row. i find a more slow progression is easier and less stressful for everyone involved (i'm including your hair as a separate entity in this sentence). you should be prepared that your hair will feel different when wet and after washing. you will not get that slippery, slick feeling you might be used to but your hair will be clean and it will look nice.

you might also have to work a little more on your scalp. my biggest suggestion for doing this regime is aggressive scalp massage. once you start the v&b (and i also found this true if using only condish in betweenies with the sls-free shampoo, and also with the sls-free shampoo), you're gonna have to work a little harder because you don't have a harsh shampoo to strip everything from your hair. so, apply your baking soda and water mixture (usually 1T baking soda to 1c water), massssssaaaaaaage your scalp with your fingers until your forearms are all hurty, rinse, then apply your vinegar solution (usually the same ratio) to the bulk of the hair. the baking soda is concentrated on the roots and the vinegar is concentrated on the rest but it does have to hit it all to counteract the baking soda.

the other thing you might find when researching this method of hair cleanage are silly, outrageously mislead people who probably should spend more time with their cats and less time writing silly things on the internet. niiiiice kitty, pet the kitty ::pets too hard:: ::sniffs hand:: you do not need to have curly hair to do this method and if you do have curly hair YOU CAN BRUSH/COMB YOUR HAIR AND YOU CAN STRAIGHTEN YOUR HAIR WITHOUT THE WORLD COMING TO AN ABRUPT END. i know, i've done it.

i typically wash my hair on fridays because then it's at it's most fabulous on the weekend, which is what it's all about. i used to use waterless shampoo as well but i've found that most of them have aluminum in them and i try to limit my aluminum exposure. see also, my aluminum free armpits. i'm now using only extra baking soda when i need a little pick me up on thursday morning. works rather well. i just put a little on my finger and then onto my hair as needed. not even a sprinkle/pinch just whatever sticks to my dry finger. now, baking soda can have aluminum in it too, so i use the bob's red mill baking soda.

as far as vinegar, i just gets whatever i sees. i've used apple cider vinegar and i've used white vinegar. i'm going to try to switch to a vinegar in a glass bottle next time because i try to stay away from plastics. good lord, don't you just want to punch me square in the vagina? so, in the shower, i like to do the baking soda and then let the vinegar sit on while i'm soaping/shaving. after the showering, i'll sometimes use argan oil, just depending if i feel like it or if there's a frizz in the air. also, i use only a microfiber towel or t-shirt material to dry my hair. i bought a microfiber towel on ebay, it was cheap because it was being sold as a car dryer-offer. then i saw something about drying with t-shirt material. i have unlimited access to chuck t-shirts because he's always like, "aaa! i think i need new white t-shirts!" if you use these instead of terry cloth, you will get less frizz as well. less frizz, yaaaay.

and that's the time. becky told you the story. of the time. she forsook any and all modern forms of hair cleaning. you're picturing me naked, aren't you?

UPDATE: once your hair is dry, the vinegar smell is gone. (for jen o)

UPDATE2: i forgot, you can wash your hair every. single. day. with vinegar and baking soda if you'd like. you can also wash your hair with conditioner (massage, massage, massage) as frequently as needed if you feel like your ends are dry and your roots are greasy, sometimes you have excess oil production when using the harsh shampoo all the time. you can also wash your hair with sls free shampoo every day if you get the notion. what i'm saying is, you may not want to jump from the typical american way of washing your hair with harsh shampoo once a day to washing it with baking soda and vinegar once a week. i certainly didn't. stop picturing me naked.

UPDATE3: i keep a glass jar of baking soda in the bathroom cupboard, before a shower i put a tablespoon into a smaller container (i have a poly propylene tupperware container that's 1.25c), then add water in the shower; and i keep a jug of vinegar in the shower area and use my neti pot to mix that in, rinse thoroughly. bonus? cleans the neti pot. extra bonus? really super easy. (disclaimer: do not put vinegar in your nose.)