Since my unfortunate run-in with Macrodantin, my hair has been falling out quicker than ever. I can get a whole brush full in just two days. So I decided I would go 'no shampoo' to see if using fewer chemicals helped. There is also the concern about using chemicals on my body anyway, not to mention the impact on the environment of all those unnatural chemicals going into the water supply.
Yesterday was my first time. I decided to use the baking soda method, rather than buying a proprietary 'natural' shampoo. I must admit I was skeptical, especially when I saw how dilute the mixture was - 1 cup of water to 1 tablespoon bicarbonate of soda. But it did actually feel like something had been added to my hair once I had carefully poured it onto my wet hair. No lather of course, but I massaged the mixture into my scalp as recommended, then rinsed. To my surprise, the rinse water was dirty - so it did get rid of the dirt then! I also noticed that my hair was really 'squeaky' when I ran my fingers through it - much more so than when I use shampoo.
I then added 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar to a cup of water and poured that slowly over my hair too and left it on for about a minute. It smelled very vinegary; I was worried I would smell like a chip shop for the rest of the week! But I rinsed that off thoroughly, towel dreid my har gently and using a wide toothed brush, I combed it neatly. It was a lovely sunny day, so I let my hair dry naturally outside in the sunshine. By the time it was dry, the vinegary smell had disappeared.
At first, my hair felt kind of tacky, which wasnt a good sign. So I brushed it - and it was so soft and the curls were so bouncy (I have naturally curly hair). The tackiness went.
I had heard tales that using bicarb could make the hair very dry, so I was eager to see what it would be like the next day. Well, it is a little frizzy this morning, but it feels pretty clean and thicker than it has seemed for ages - that, I have been told, is because the chemical residues have been removed and my hair is no longer held down by them. It certainly feels different - it isnt dry, but it doesnt feel as smooth as it did with ordinary shampoo. Maybe that's a good thing? Anyway, for now, I am happy with it. Will I stay that way? Only time will tell.
