Good Seed: Sellwood Soap

It’s been way too long since my last post, and even longer since my last “good seed.” But what can I say – when you work with kids, you get sick! Thankfully, things are starting to get back to normal now, except for the massive catching up I have to do. New blog post: Check!

Copyright: Sellwood Soap

When I was at a seminar in Portland this summer, I had the privilege to meet Rachel, the owner of Sellwood Soap, who sells her products alongside mine at Tangible Gifts, in addition to other Portland locations. She is an actual chemist, which I find fascinating. You know her soaps have to be great, since she really knows what she’s doing!

Many people, including the awesome EcoGrrl, have been asking me about my experience with shampoo bars, assuming that I’ve tried most natural shampoos. And I’ve always had to confess that I had never tried them before. So when I saw Sellwood’s shampoo bars at Tangible Gifts, I didn’t think twice before purchasing one. The funny thing is, I grabbed a product that I later found out was regular soap – and yet it worked great! Later, I was able to try the actual shampoo bar and I loved that just as much. Before I continue with the review, here’s what Rachel has to say about herself and her business:

My journey toward a career in soap-making started in chemistry. Twelve years as an analytical chemist, I was always acutely aware of chemicals in household products.  I was “that” shopper at the grocery store reading all of the labels, even more annoying to shop owners because I understood what I was reading.  A laundry list of allergies and a family riddled with skin problems gave me the final push to go for it and start Sellwood Soap Company, dedicated to creating gentle and natural handmade soap and specializing in solid products such as bar shampoo (for dogs and humans), lotion bars, shaving soap and more.  No water means no preservatives necessary so those products have been our mainstay.

Teaching has also been a cornerstone of our business – we teach soap making classes at Portland Homestead Supply Company, a local Portland store in Sellwood that also carries our products.  These classes usually fill and are incredibly fun to teach – while not all go on to make their own products, they all know more about what is in the products they choose to buy, a little chemistry lesson comes with every class.  We also teach now through our blog, which has replaced our monthly newsletter.

I really admire Rachel and her business model. I think passing on the tradition of soap making is a wonderful way to inspire others and keep that art alive.

Rachel, mixing up some magic (Photo copyright Sellwood Soap)

As for me and my hair, I can honestly say it has never looked or felt better. Many readers here know that I have been using my own shampoo recipe for many years now, which I was plenty happy with. However, the down side was that my homemade shampoo tended to leave my hair quite static-y and a little heavy. My solution was to use baking soda and a vinegar rinse once a week or so, but it honestly had started to wear on me after so many years.

To my absolute surprise and delight, the shampoo bar (even the regular soap bar!) left my hair much, much smoother, with far less of a feeling of residue on my hair. The static is under control, as well! And my hair is smoother and easier to comb out. I know some people have felt that their hair is more oily with shampoo bars but I haven’t found that to be the case. My hair is on the oily side, anyway, and it seems to respond the same to this bar as to my former shampoo. I have been using a vinegar rinse far more often than I used to, but even when I don’t use it, the shampoo bar is far superior to my own little concoction.

I’d say that the only negative is that I tend to use a LOT of the bar each time I wash my hair. I like a lot of lather. So I’m going through my bar pretty quickly. I’d say it will last me 4-6 weeks – and I only shampoo my hair every other day. However, I used the same amount of my former shampoo in the same amount of time. The only difference is that the shampoo bar will end up costing more. But I am totally and completely fine with that because I think it’s 100% worth it. It “costs” less in other ways – it’s already made, so I don’t have to do any work and it cuts back on my plastic use (castile soap comes in plastic jugs and my shampoo bottle is a spray top with lots of not-so-eco-friendly plastic pieces that will one day have to be thrown away). I would also add that my own use of the bar may not reflect that of others’ – it really depends on how much lather you like! According to Sellwood Soap, a bar should last as long as three bottles of shampoo – so obviously, I overuse mine a little. But I can’t help it!

All in all, I am so incredibly pleased with this product and will definitely be coming back for more! I highly recommend trying a shampoo bar if you haven’t, already. If you are interested in trying some Sellwood Soap, you will find the links to the shop above. You can check out the blog here and visit Rachel on Facebook here.

If you’ve tried shampoo bars before, how did you like them?

DIY Shampoo, Version 2 (and a hair update)

I have been further experimenting with my haircare routine over the past two weeks, and wanted to share a few things.

First, if you have already experimented with washing your hair every other day, for a long period of time, as I have, then it is quite easy to extend that one more day without the hair becoming too scary! I am now successfully washing every third day, and it feels great. I probably will go back to every other day in the summer, but in the winter, it’s not usually necessary. (If you feel a little too oily, try the dry shampoo.)

Second, I have experimented with the DIY shampoo recipe. When you mix vinegar and castile soap, the results can be a bit sticky or tacky, depending on the user. I noticed a very slight tackiness to my hair when I first started using this recipe, but it never bothered me, so I didn’t think much about it. Several readers who have tried this recipe recently, however, have told me that they definitely don’t like that aspect of the shampoo. So I omitted the vinegar and reduced the castile soap considerably.

Five Seed’s Favorite Shampoo
aka: DIY Shampoo, Version 2

2 cups filtered water
1/2 cup liquid castile soap
10 drops lavender essential oil

So far, I have found this shampoo to be even better than the previous recipe and can’t believe I didn’t try it before. There is no tacky/gummy residue, and it washes cleanly. Here is my hair the day I first used this recipe.

I have not yet tried a vinegar rinse after using this, but will do so in the coming weeks. Give this one a try – I like it even better than the previous recipe!!

UPDATE: August 11, 2011

I am currently using a 1:1 ratio of castile soap to water. I often change this this, however, just to see how my hair responds. It seems to thrive when I change the routine every few months. I would recommend never using more castile soap than water, however, as it tends to weigh the hair down.

Dry Shampoo

I still have a few more hair posts coming up next week, but if you are in the process of trying no-poo or the DIY shampoo, or are just experimenting with less hair washing this weekend, I thought I would offer you a little back-up plan: dry shampoo.

Image: Mountain Rose Herbs

Dry shampoo is a bit of a misnomer, as it’s not really shampoo, at all. It’s a mixture of oil-absorbing substances that you rub into the hair and then brush out. In other words, if you only shampoo every second or third day, as I do, and if you are getting a little oily, but not enough to wash, then this is the perfect product for you.

Simply mix about 3/4 cup of cornstarch or arrowroot powder, and 1 tsp. of kaolin clay (also known as white cosmetic clay). Mix them together and put it into a powder container for easy application. I find cornstarch works slightly better, however, I almost always use arrowroot because cornstarch is typically made from genetically modified corn. I’m sure there are enough GMOs that I’m unwittingly ingesting and/or applying, so the fewer, the better!

You can also add a few drops of essential oils during mixing. (Just a few!) Rosemary is great for oily hair, and has such a beautiful, strong aroma. I would also recommend lavender.

Now you don’t NEED dry shampoo. I try not to use it too often because I don’t want it to absorb so much oil that my hair starts over-producing again! So if you really feel you need it, go for it, but use it sparingly. Start by sprinkling a bit into your hands, rubbing your hands together, then brushing them through your hair. Add more as needed. It’s like seasoning a soup – you can always add MORE spices, but you can’t take them out once added. You don’t want to end up with powdery, white hair, so add it slowly.

You can find these items at most health food stores, or at Mountain Rose Herbs (of which 5 Seed is an affiliate), or other online health food and beauty suppliers.

DIY Shampoo

Forget this stuff! (Image: Procter & Gamble)

If you weren’t too keen on the whole no-poo idea, then try this homemade shampoo. I found the original recipe here, on Passionate Homemaking, and have altered it to fit my hair’s needs. The beauty of this shampoo is that you can change any part of it to make it work for your hair. Use different measurements, different essential oils – the possibilities are endless.

1 cup organic liquid castile soap (You can get this from Dr. Bronner’s or from Mountain Rose Herbs*.)
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 ¼ cup water
10-20 drops of your favorite essential oils (lavender is my current favorite)

I use a spray bottle (as suggested by Passionate Homemaking blogger, Lindsay Edmonds) to apply this shampoo. It works really well. The only drawback is that it is plastic, which I try to avoid. Many people have dozens of plastic water bottles lying around the house (so often given away as promotional material at summer street fairs, so they tend to pile up) – you can easily use one of these, as well. The nozzle would make a great applicator.

Make sure to shake this mixture before using it. The castile soap makes a great lather, for those of you who need some lather in your shampoo! I like to use a low castile soap to water ratio, whereas the original recipe calls for the opposite. Castile soap has a very different feeling than traditional shampoos, as it is made from oils. Your hair will feel thicker and it will probably take some time to get used to. But your hair WILL be clean.

This is the shampoo I have used for a year and a half. I absolutely love it. This is a great shampoo to use as a transition to no-poo, if you are interested in taking that route. Or as a substitute for traditional shampoo. As I mentioned before, I use baking soda every fourth or fifth shampoo to get my hair super clean, then return to this shampoo.

There is one drawback to this (and some other) homemade shampoos: static electricity. There are chemicals in commercial shampoos and conditioners that bind to the hair for a number of reasons, including the prevention of static electricity. However, I’ve never found this to be a huge problem – just a minor annoyance.

So…if you aren’t sold on this shampoo’s ability to get the job done, or its eco-friendly ingredients, then just imagine how much money you will save by using this, rather than buying shampoo and conditioner every few months!

*5 Seed is an affiliate of Mountain Rose Herbs. We fully stand behind their ethical and eco-friendly business practices.

No Poo

Image from Arm & Hammer

Sounds gross, I know. But for those of you who have never heard of this movement, it basically means ditching your shampoo and only washing your hair with baking soda and water. If you think it can’t be done, think again.

Previously, I talked about the harsh chemicals in shampoos, the environmental impact of shampooing, and the fact that we have been groomed (pun intended) by the beauty industry to overwash our hair. If you are interested in breaking this cycle, I’ll be offering tips, recipes, and resources this week to help you do so. To begin, I thought I’d start with perhaps the most extreme method (for some), which is also, incidentally, the easiest.

The no-poo method typically requires 1 tablespoon of baking soda mixed with water. Some people prefer to make a paste out of these ingredients, while others use a cup of warm water and let the baking soda dissolve. Either way, both mixtures can be worked into the hair during your shower. Let it sit while you soap up your body, then rinse. Viola. Clean hair.

It can be an adjustment for many, as there is no lather. Lather doesn’t equal cleanliness, but we have been conditioned to associate the two. However, try this method just once, and you will see how deeply cleansing it really is.

Many people worry about getting really oily hair after transitioning to no-poo. I won’t sugar coat it for you – this may happen. Typically, it only lasts for a few days up to two weeks. Take the opportunity to wear hats and scarves. Your hair WILL balance out again. That I can assure you. You just have to hang on long enough.

This method isn’t for everyone. Some people develop scalp irritation from the strong alkaline properties of baking soda. This can mostly be avoided by using a vinegar rinse on the hair after you rinse out the baking soda. (I will post on that tomorrow.) If you do try this method, and find your scalp irritated despite the vinegar rinse, I’ll also be posting on homemade shampoo in a couple days. If nothing else, this is a fabulous method for a “clarifying” shampoo once a week or once a month. It gets rid of all the buildup from shampoos, dirt, oil, etc.

As for me, I am not a “no-pooer.” (Yeah, I know – could that name get any sillier?) I call the method I use “so-so-no-poo.” I primarily use a homemade shampoo. Every fourth or fifth shampoo, I use baking soda. This has worked extremely well for me.

You can read more about no-poo by Googling it – there is a huge “underground” movement of no-pooers who will be able to offer you tons of resources. If you are really interested in going no-poo, remember that you can change it to make it work for you. Change the ratio of baking soda to water, change how often you wash your hair. Going off commercial shampoo is always an experimental process, and I promise, a rewarding one.

Give it a try this week, just once, as a clarifying treatment. It’s a good way to open your eyes to the world of alternative, eco-friendly hair care.

Stay tuned for the vinegar rinse. And if you aren’t ready to ditch shampoo entirely, don’t worry – you’ll love the upcoming DIY shampoo.

Happy hair washing!

For more resources, check out Fake Plastic Fish, the No Impact Project, and One Green Generation. You’ll be inspired.

Shampooing with Rosemary Gladstar

Rosemary Gladstar, from her book Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health

One of the biggest influences on my decision to cut back on shampooing was herbalist, Rosemary Gladstar. In her amazing book Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health, she describes a summer she spent backpacking in the Pacific Northwest. The rivers were clear and beautiful, the water coming straight from the glaciers above, and Gladstar was worried that using shampoo in this pristine water would contaminate it. Therefore, she decided that swimming would be the only washing her hair would get for the entire time span of her trip (which she describes as “several months”). Here are her observations about her hair:

[After about a week]…my hair would begin to feel oily and dirty, always a signal in the past that it was time to wash again. But I waited, and I noticed that my hair would reabsorb its own oils. Instead of getting dirtier and greasier, it would “self-clean.” The less I washed it, the less dirty and oily it became.

If any of you have oily hair like mine, then I’m sure you can imagine my reaction to reading this. “Can it be true?!” Instinctively, I knew there was some truth to this, as I have always believed that our bodies can operate best when we get out of the way. However, it took me a few years to take the leap of faith.

As for Gladstar, you can tell she knows what she’s talking about – she has quite a head of hair. She says, “the biggest mistake that people make with their locks is overwashing them… Even the best shampoo, if used too often, will tend to dry your hair and wash away important natural oils, no matter how much conditioner you apply afterward.”

I highly recommend getting your hands on Gladstar’s book, as it is full of invaluable information, from beauty to all aspects of health. Among other things, Gladstar recommends washing the hair no more than twice a week (I’m not there yet – three times a week is as low as I can go at this point), brushing it and massaging the scalp every day in order to evenly distribute the hair’s natural oils, using only super gentle, natural shampoos, and a vinegar rinse to condition the hair and restore its natural pH.

The book includes recipes for shampoos and vinegar rinses, as well as a list of essential oils and what they can do for your hair depending on its type and color.

I will be posting on homemade shampoo and vinegar rinses next week, so stay tuned!

 

My Shampoo Story

This picture was taken six months after I gave up shampoo. Not bad, huh?

What if I told you I haven’t used store-bought shampoo in my hair since August 2008? Or that I haven’t shampooed my hair every day since then, either? If you assume my hair looks like greasy rodent fur, here’s a picture to prove it looks just as good as the average shampoo user.

Despite the fact that my mother never shampooed every day, I grew up feeling that it would be absolutely disgusting not to shampoo at least once a day. (I’ve been guilty of shampooing twice a day on more than one occasion, as well.) All the commercials and ads in magazines seemed to imply that beautiful, healthy women always shampoo at least once a day.

When I was about 28, and getting my hair cut at a fancy salon, I overheard two of the young, fashionable stylists talking behind me. One said to the other, “Can you wash my hair this afternoon, after my last client leaves? I haven’t washed it in two days and it’s starting to get a little grimy.”

I looked up at my stylist in shock and said, “Why did she go so long between shampoos?” My stylist replied, “No one should wash their hair every day. It is so bad for your hair.”

I decided her advice would only work on young, gorgeous women who didn’t have oily hair like mine, and went on with my daily routine.

In the spring of 2008, however, I started reading more about the dangers of chemicals in bath and body products. These are not only harmful to the user, but to the marine life that ends up swimming in the chemicals that leach into the water systems. According to EcoFriendOnline, our water systems are being polluted with a number of chemicals, including “parabens and other suspected endocrine disruptors often found in laundry soap and shampoo — chemicals that seem to be turning male frogs and fish into females.”

I was also hearing more and more that it simply isn’t good for your hair to wash it every day. I even heard that over-washing leads to oily hair.

[The] trend toward everyday cleansing might have triggered a vicious cycle, some experts say — shampoo cleanses by stripping the hair of its natural, necessary oils, causing the scalp to produce more oil in response, making it impossible for some to skip shampoo for even one day without sprouting a gigantic greaseball. – Melissa Dahl, MSNBC

Not to sound like Carrie Bradshaw here, but “I couldn’t help but wonder” if dialing back on the shampoo would help counter the oily hair problem.

I started to cut back to showering/shampooing every other day, rather than every day (even in the summer). I researched different eco-friendly shampoos, and ended up making my own, as well as experimenting with no-poo. I don’t dye my hair, I don’t use any styling products on it, and I try not to use a hair dryer whenever possible.

Yes, I have my bad hair days (maybe more than most, without having hairspray and a straightening iron), but I am generally very happy with my hair. My current stylist always comments on how healthy it is.

If you have been considering giving your hair the chance to re-balance itself, stay tuned. I’ll be sharing more information as the week goes on – a shampoo recipe, the no-poo movement, and more.

Imagine not fighting your hair anymore and still looking good…it is possible.