Bad Hair Day

Who am I kidding?! Anyone who knows me also knows I have notoriously bad hair. Then there are the rest of you who are now fully informed.

Every once in a while my tree-hugger ADD sets in and I come up with some random ridiculous solution to a minimally important problem. Wow, this is a lot like therapy. Some of these “solutions” really stick (joining a co-op and using reusable grocery bags) and some are just a fleeting moment of stoopid. This time I was dead set on giving up shampoo. Now, wait just a dang minute! Keep your snarky remarks on hold for a sec, I did not say I was not washing my hair.

I got the idea when I came across this lovely lady and her wonderful blog. I was actually looking for a recipe for making my own deodorant after reading yet another article about antiperspirant and it’s links to breast cancer. Then I started researching making my own essential oils, spring planting, alternative cleaning solutions, homemade bath products, and sheesh are ya still with me?! In a nutshell: homemade deodorant=no shampoo?

Anyhoo… The adorable and utterly convincing Kendra (same as above link) had me believing that her hair (BTW looks great poo-free) and mine are even remotely the same. Which they are not. I have very fine, very thin, frizzy hair. Sounds like a dream right?! In my quest for healthier living I had talked myself into trying this no-poo lifestyle, hoping for the best. Everything I have read on the idea says that over shampooing leads to damage because the hair follicle is not allowed to make the right amount of natural oils necessary to protect it. By giving up the chemical process of shampooing, therefore stripping the oils, your hair will adjust its oil production. So all you have to do is remove the dirt without stripping the oils. Sounds great. Lets go!

I was warned it does get bad before it gets better. Call this the adjustment period. I was warned that there would probably be a “ponytail/hat” transition time. How is that any different from my regular style? Ok. So I made a solution of baking soda and water and used it to cleanse the dirt from my locks. A couple washes in it was not going so bad. My adoring husband even made a comment about how my hair looked fuller and “kinda nice”. So I thought hey, it only gets better from here, right? Wrong. I am two weeks in and about twenty seconds away from dreadlocks! Grrr…

I quit. I am giving up as soon as I finish this post. I will be taking my horrible doo to the shower and applying liberal amounts of poo. I tried and it is obvious I do not have the type of hair that can save the planet. Without embarrassment anyway.

I am sure I will be off on another organic task in no time and am trying not to beat myself up about it too much. Notice there are no pictures to go with this post?! Why beat a dead horse?