After my husband and I moved to our 80-acre homestead I slowly started on a journey of making everything in our house from scratch. That includes how I trained my hair with homemade shampoo!
I had already made the switch from conventional grocery store products to natural, toxic-free ones a few years ago when I discovered essential oils and specifically Young Living. I loved that I could purchase more natural options for everyday household things like shampoo, laundry soap, dish soap, toothpaste, veggie wash, and more!
But then I soon discovered that an even healthier option was to just make all these items myself! Plus, I discovered how much cheaper it was too. I slowly began learning how to make our own toothpaste, laundry soap, deodorant, sunscreen, etc.
I now love to make everything from scratch and simply keep a few ingredients on hand to do it! One thing that took much longer for my body to adjust to was my hair. I have long, straight, medium thin/ thick, fine, blonde hair and it definitely took quite a few months to train my hair and nail down my process.
I want to share all the details with you! Here is the process I went through as I trained my hair to last longer between washes as I made the switch to homemade shampoo and rinses.
Let’s check it out…
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Diet Changes Become Lifestyle Changes
Before I dive into the exact process I took when I trained my hair, I first need to acknowledge our diet and lifestyle. I have always been aware of the food I consume and choose healthier options. But, when we moved to our homestead was when we started to make even bigger changes.
We began raising all of our own meat (meat chickens, eggs, meat rabbits, fish, venison), growing our own fruits and vegetables, and foraging for other needs. For the rest of our grocery needs, we would often purchase in bulk locally.
When your diet consists of high-quality whole foods, especially garden-fresh and home-raised, your body odors naturally reduce. Your body does not need to produce as much oil from the chemical ingredients and it will naturally dwindle to a manageable level.
In order to train your hair to only be washed once a month, or even every few days or weeks, you first have to begin with a lifestyle and diet change. What you put on your skin each day affects you just as much as what you put in your mouth each day!
Source local ingredients, avoid packaged foods, buy organic, learn to cook from scratch, and even start growing some of your own food at home! Then start making some of your household products. Anyone can do it!
Related Post: 11 Natural Household Items To Make Yourself And Save Money
Switch To Homemade Products
The next thing is to cut out chemical products because they strip your hair of oil. When you stop using these chemicals in store-bought hair care products on your hair, your hair will naturally stop overproducing the oil that was needed to compensate.
You may have heard of the “no poo” method where you don’t shampoo your hair at all and just rinse with water. I still preferred using some sort of soap on my hair to help the pH balance and avoid greasy sections.
When my Young Living shampoo ran out, I switched to castile soap. For about six months I only washed my hair with some castile soap mixed in water. After reading Little House Living, my favorite book for household DIY recipes, I decided to add vitamin E oil to keep a better pH balance.
My homemade shampoo recipe (from the book) is mixing a half cup of castile soap with a half teaspoon of vitamin E oil and a half cup of filtered water. I put these all in a small mason jar and give it a shake. I leave it in the shower like you would any other shampoo bottle.
Over those six months of only using castile soap, it definitely took my hair a long time to adjust. I did it over winter, when we don’t leave the house as much, and would slowly lengthen the time between hair washes.
My hair would still feel greasy after washing it sometimes, but I just had to slowly let it adjust. Wear a hat, head scarf, or your hair up during this time. You do have to tough it out a bit, but in the end, it will be worth it.
Related Post: 11 Easy First-Year Homesteading Goals To Make And Achieve As A Newbie
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Homemade Hair Cleanse And Rinse
One thing I wish I had known sooner was to do a simple hair cleanse and rinse in between washes. This prevents build-up in your hair and keeps it conditioned. My hair feels incredible after I do this process about once a week or every two weeks, in between when I wash my hair. It is a key process in how I trained my hair to last this long.
My simple hair cleanse is 1 part baking soda to 3 parts water and massage in your hair. For example, I mix a half cup of baking soda with 1.5 cups of water. I then work the mixture into my hair. You could also use a spray bottle or just pour it slowly over your head, depending on your hair length. After it sits for only a couple of minutes, rinse it out.
Then, follow with an apple cider vinegar rinse. I mix 2 tablespoons of ACV with 1 cup of water and slowly pour it over my scalp and hair. You could also use a spray bottle and you could also leave it in your hair to dry. The vinegar brings the scalp back to a naturally acidic pH level. Your hair will feel so smooth and shiny! And no, your hair won’t smell like vinegar after it dries.
I’ve also heard of people making homemade lye by mixing 2 tablespoons of wood ash with 2 cups of water. They then massage it into their scalp to loosen oil and grime and rinse. This is an alternative to the baking soda method I use and is also followed with a vinegar rinse. You want to be careful when using or making lye because it burns at high concentrations. This is a very weak mixture you can feel safe using.
Another recipe that I might use from time to time is 1 raw egg, 1 raw egg yolk, and 1 teaspoon of honey mixed very well. Then add the juice of a lemon. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then rinse.
What about conditioner? There are lots of DIY and homemade hair conditioner recipes. For me personally, I don’t find them necessary. They add more oil back into your hair, so if your hair still feels incredibly dry, it may be a good option for you.
Other Helpful Options
If towards the end of the month, your hair starts to feel greasy you can start to use a homemade dry shampoo. Little House Living has a great recipe or you can find simple ones online as well.
I like to use a shower cap in the shower when I am not washing or rinsing my hair throughout the month. It keeps your hair dry and also keeps showers quick!
Also, avoid touching your hair to keep the oil levels down. And don’t use other conventional hair care products on your hair and expect this to be effective. I almost never use heat on my hair and I don’t use any other products, especially things like hairspray.
I love that I can maintain low-maintenance hair that is extremely healthy and also avoid toxic chemicals coming into my body through conventional products. It is my hope that my story of how I trained my hair was helpful to you. And I hope you will begin your own journey of making your own household products, including shampoo for a healthier life!
If you have questions about how I trained my hair, please leave a comment below and I will reply!
Kelsey at GoodPointGrandma
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