I tried it...

Some things sound crazy. Most things aren't so crazy that I won't try them at least once, just so I can at least say, "I tried it". The 'no-poo' method is pretty hippie (in my opinion) and the main-stream world was all-a-flutter when a woman came out and said she hadn't washed her hair in over 5 years. I thought it was funny how the "talking heads" thought it was so gross. Shampoo was one of the very last things I gave up.

I knew it was full of ingredients I hated but I was willing to sacrifice for decent hair. I finally started buying all natural and organic shampoo but I couldn't justify the price. Meanwhile, all I was using on my then 4 year old and infant was my soap that I had just started making and selling. Their hair was used to it and it was fine. I tried using castile soap for a very long time. I adjusted the water to soap ratio and finally got it to the point where I was pretty happy about it but it really took a lot of time to pre-make and measure and half the time I would forget until I was in the shower and soaking wet.... But I wasn't going back to the shampoo so I just lived with it.

Then over 18 months ago, my cousin Crystal sent me an article about using baking soda and apple cider vinegar. I think she prefaced the article with "sounds like something you would try". I read it and thought about whether it would be any better than what I was currently doing. A few weeks later I finally just tried it.

...and I'll never go back!

Now, everyone's hair is different (think about how many different brands and types of shampoos are down the aisle), but this really works for ME and I get compliments on my hair ALL THE TIME. It's super shiny, grows really fast, and I only have to wash it once every 5 days (sometimes 7!).

It's awesome.

And it's so cheap. SO so cheap.

There are lots of websites that go through the steps, but here are mine with pictures for you visual learners!

Pre-shower or bath, make your solutions. You need two containers that hold at least 8 ounces, it's easiest to reuse something you already have so I am using two 16 ounce MamaSuds Castile Soap bottles.

Step 1:  grab a small funnel (or make a paper one) and put 1 tablespoon per 8 ounces of water (so in my case 2 tablespoons or one ounce).

Step 2: fill the baking soda bottle with HOT water and shake it for a good 30 seconds or until the baking soda is dissolved.

Step 3: take your other bottle and fill it half way with hot water (you'll thank me later) and the other half with Apple Cider Vinegar. I use the cheap stuff for my hair. I am sure the expensive stuff with the "mother" has great properties for my hair but I use the cheap stuff.

Step 4: give it a shake. Now grab your bottles and head to the shower. If you have any bigger bottles, this is more convenient because it's less often you have to refill them. Wet your hair as usual.

Step 5: use your Baking Soda (BS) bottle on just the scalp section of your hair. My hair is pretty long and I use about a third of the solution. I then work it into my hair with my fingers with a little massage. I  go about with my shower routine to let it set for a bit and then rinse it. Try not to get it in your eyes. 

Step 6: Use the Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) on the hair from the nape of your neck down. Work it in just like you did for your scalp. Rinse hair thoroughly. Style as usual.  There is an adjustment period that your hair will go through. It feels really weird for about a week. But it's nothing compared to what my hair felt like with castile soap and the adjustment time is not nearly as long. 

The Cost

A gallon of ACV costs me $3.28 a gallon and sodium bicarbonate costs $2.06 for 64 ounces.  $0.21 (rounded up) for the ACV rinse (8 ounces ACV/8 ounces of tap water) $0.03 for the ounce of baking soda (with 16 ounces of tap water) $0.24 for the combo and this lasts me 3-4 washes So the range it costs me to wash my hair is 6-8 cents a wash.

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR. 

You might be saying, "Cool, but my Suave shampoo that's chock full of harmful chemicals costs me a whole $1 for 15 fluid ounces".

You might not be saying that middle part about the chemicals BUT, you are probably washing your hair everyday. MAYBE, every other day. And you are probably using conditioner too. Uh huh. Well, if you are, then your routine costs you at least $.12 a wash. Which is definitely comparable if you didn't care about the ingredient list.  In which case you probably would not be reading my blog to begin with.

Have any of you tried baking soda and ACV? Did it work? I'd love to hear!