Does anyone use castile soap to wash their hair

I used to, but "very" sparingly though. You have to be careful, a little goes a long way and it can be very drying, very easily.

yes,if you mean the liquid Bonners soap, lemon juice is good too.

elnatural

I've heard of raw foodists who've also stopped using chemical applications like soap, shampoo, toothpaste, hair products, cologne/perfume, etc., How common is this?

Funny, the castile soap makes my hair greasy, it looks like I didn't wash it. I like the simplicity though.

Probably most raw foodists try and avoid dangerous chemicals and only use natural versions of those things if they use them. When I went on a water-only fast, it really made me think about what I might be absorbing through my skin, because I didn't want to disturb my fast. But it made me realize I should always think about that.

Also you smell better eating healthy so not as much need to cover it up

if you over clean your scalp it can react by producing more oil, that's why the castile may be causing that reaction for you. same with any shampoo, to different degrees based on the formula i suppose. i tried that not washing my hair thing and while i can get away with it for quite a long time i do have to use some natural shampoo eventually or i end up looking flakey and greasy (hard to do with curly hair).

i use castile for bathing and for cleaning the house. i use a natural shampoo and conditioner sparingly, no deodorant (don't need it), mostly wash my face with water using a ph balanced non-soap cleanser or the Oil Cleansing Method on occasion. i don't wear makeup very often and when it do it's very little. i do use a regular toothpaste because my teeth are soft and i get cavities when i use natural stuff. i don't use any fragranced anything, i don't like the fake smells, they give me headaches. and especially with the baby, i don't even use any essential oils anymore so that she can smell her true mama. i have read that that is a very important thing for babies. we use an unscented laundry soap too so that we aren't wearing and breathing in chemicals all day and night long.

there's lots you can do to keep your home natural. you can make so much of your own stuff so easily with what you have right there in the kitchen. i generally won't clean with anything that isn't safe to put into my mouth (salt, lemon, vinegar, castile, baking soda, oatmeal, etc).

"i generally won't clean with anything that isn't safe
to put into my mouth (salt, lemon, vinegar, castile,
baking soda, oatmeal, etc)." - posted by coco

Ditto that!

I tried castile (sparingly) a couple of times and it made my hair feel awful. I use a "no-poo" kind of regimen with baking soda as a cleansing base (about 1 tsp or less baking soda to 1 cup warm water - and use on the scalp only), and apple cider vinegar (1 Tbsp in a cup of water) as a rinse, and sometimes a little aloe gel + essential oil (lavender or rosemary) in water as a conditioning rinse. When I have time I like to steep a strong batch of nettle tea to use as the base for washing/rinsing. And once in awhile I'll use a little oil (coconut, olive, avocado) on my long hair to soften the ends. It's more of an art than a science!

I find I only need to "wash" my scalp about every week or two (although I rinse my hair everyday and thoroughly massage my scalp under the water for a minute or two). And since going raw, have found I'm even comfortable going without a shower now and then (an impossibility when I was eating dairy and cooked foods).

For the first few months I was doing this I was regularly pestering my husband to tell me if my head smelled! LOL! For awhile he said it had a "head" smell, but not bad, but now he says my head just smells clean. And my waves have turned into curls.

I think we've only used any kind of cleanser about 2x on my son's hair, and he's 5 now! We just wash really well with water, brush gently with soft bristles, and he has the softest, sweetest smelling hair (I love that he hasn't wanted it cut for about a year - he has long soft curls). I know he doesn't have adult hormones affecting the oil secreting glands on his scalp yet, but I'm hoping his body can stay in balance this way.

Water alone is a really, really good and very versatile cleanser. For a fun experiment try washing your laundry with only water sometime and see how it turns out - if you have a good washer your clothes should come out quite clean and good smelling.

Oh, and definitely make sure you are using a dechlorinating filter on your showerhead! Not only is imperative for your total health (chlorinated steam reallly gets into your lungs and whole body) but hair is much softer.

- Emily

if you would have told me 6 months ago that i would be parted from my shampoo, conditioner, styling wax and shine spritz i would have told you to bugger off. but one day i was in the bathroom, and i just spontaneously picked up my basket full of hair and body products, went through each item and read the back label, and if it had anything in it that i didn't know what it was i threw it in the garbage. i ended up needing a much bigger garbage can then the one in my bathroom -- i must have thrown away $200+ worth of hair care products, lotions, creams, makeup, bath gels, soaps, toothpaste, mouthwash etc. then i bought a big ol' bottle of bronners and put it in all the soap dispensers in the house (kitchen and bath), and i use it for everything -- hand washing, hair washing (about 2x/week, down from 1-2x/day), tooth brushing, you name it. my wavy hair is now really curly and super soft. (i also stopped using deodorant. i don't think i smell, but i live with a five year old who probably wouldn't notice...)

i think what prompted my big product cull was something i read months prior, on a post on this board or another one, where someone said something to the effect of... at least your digestive system has a process that attempts to protect you from poisons/toxins, etc. -- things are checked, double checked, and filtered throughout. but your skin has no such filters, everything that gets absorbed through your skin does not undergo such rigorous testing/filtering. we were not designed to be able to put toxins on our skin with impunity. i guess that really made sense to me, and i filed that information away until i was ready to act, and then one day, i did.

maui_butterfly Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i think what prompted my big product cull was
> something i read months prior, on a post on this
> board or another one, where someone said something
> to the effect of... at least your digestive system
> has a process that attempts to protect you from
> poisons/toxins, etc. -- things are checked, double
> checked, and filtered throughout. but your skin
> has no such filters, everything that gets absorbed
> through your skin does not undergo such rigorous
> testing/filtering. we were not designed to be able
> to put toxins on our skin with impunity. i guess
> that really made sense to me, and i filed that
> information away until i was ready to act, and
> then one day, i did.

Thats a good thought. I like that.

i used that dr. bonner's soap once for my hair

i think it was peppermint

well, all i can say is that.. i ain't using it any more

nothing wrong with it

but i'd rather use that for other stuff

it was harsh on my hair

i have very long straight hair

and it made it hard for me to brush

it got all tangly and i never used it again

i like ORGANICA

anyone else use ORGANICA for their hair?

its one of the few shampoos that have no parabens and other nasty stuff

Simple Living Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've heard of raw foodists who've also stopped
> using chemical applications like soap, shampoo,
> toothpaste, hair products, cologne/perfume, etc.,
> How common is this?

Yes, I've given up all the above. Toothpaste was the last to go a month or so ago, now I'm using green clay with peppermint and tea tree essential oils to brush with. I wash my hair with lemon juice. I've not used soap for 7 or 8 years now.

Rob

--
Rob Hull - Funky Raw
My blog: [www.rawrob.com]

I don't use anything! It was hard to begin with - just washing my hair with water, but I'm getting used to it now. I learnt that water is heavier than oil, so water SHOULD wash through the grease on your hair and disperse it throught out your locks giving you a shiny head of hair - also the dirt particles in the grease get budged and wash out of your hair too.

Here is a picture of me being surprised that even with no shampoo my hair is just the same as it would have been with shampoo! hehe ( and I like that even the tips of my hair are shiny because the grease is all over, not just concentrated at the top)



--------------------------------------------------

[www.azurastorch.blogspot.com]

So catile can be too harsh... but I don't put the castile on my scalp though, I just run it through my hair to try and clean it. And what happens with castile while I'm in the shower running my fingers through my hair, is that my hair clumps up and feels really coarse. And then I rinse it all out and dry it and it's still dirty-feeling. When I use regular shampoo I can start to separate it and it gets to feel real soft.

Maybe I should try diluting it with a bunch of water and using that? How much, like a teaspoon or tablespoon?

Quote

Posted by: Funky Rob (IP Logged)
Date: February 29, 2008 07:44AM


Simple Living Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've heard of raw foodists who've also stopped
> using chemical applications like soap, shampoo,
> toothpaste, hair products, cologne/perfume, etc.,
> How common is this?

Yes, I've given up all the above. Toothpaste was the last to go a month or so ago, now I'm using green clay with peppermint and tea tree essential oils to brush with. I wash my hair with lemon juice. I've not used soap for 7 or 8 years now.

Rob

This thread has been incredibly educational. The green clay thing freaks me out a little, but I'll learn. And doesn't the lemon juice lighten your hair color? I'm definitely intrigued and impressed by all of you. You've inspired me to examine my health care and cleaning products.

I've tried castille soap as shampoo and handsoap. I'm sure I was using too much because my hair felt like straw and it stripped every ounce of oil and moisture from my hands. It was awful. I was about to throw it out, but now I won't. I'll just learn how to correctly use it for things.

Being that I'm still very new to the raw life, I think I'd better keep using soap for awhile!

castile is meant to be used Very diluted! read the label.
i still would never use it for my hair though, there are way better suggestions in this thread.
an all over (diluted) rinse of apple cider vinegar for hair and skin balances ph and closes pores as well, it's terrific at the end of a bath or shower.

eta: oh, and i can go for days and days without a shower (cottage tested, neighbour approved!) without any noticable difference at all. i don't look or feel dirty or smell like anything at all. it's weird, i smell like nothing practically all over, feet included.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/29/2008 02:53PM by coco.

ok, thanks, coco! maybe you're right about it stripping the oil. funny, because I thought it looked oily!

Quote

Posted by: coco (IP Logged)
Date: February 29, 2008 08:51AM


castile is meant to be used Very diluted! read the label.

I'm an idiot.

THE SECOND I USE SOAP MY SKIN DRIES, I ONLY USE IT TO SHAVE AND THEN I HAVE HIS E3 SOAP FOR THAT. I USE ALOE VERA GEL TO TAKE OFF EYE MAKEUP, WITH A NAPKIN I WIPE IT OFF AFTER PUTTING IT ALL OVER.

Simple Living Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Posted by: coco (IP Logged)
> Date: February 29, 2008 08:51AM
>
>
> castile is meant to be used Very diluted! read the
> label.
>
> I'm an idiot.

no you're not, there is a LOT of writing on that bottle! it can be sort of hard to even Find the directions, ha ha.

I saw that it was supposed to be diluted, I just ignored it! Sometimes you have to make your own mistakes...

I read on a hair care site a few months back about using only conditioner to clean your hair. I've used it quite successfully. Although I am sure it's just wax I am putting on my head and probably not good.. But wonder now if this would work to use say olive oil... or something natural. The procedure is simple... When I get in the shower I wet my hair, and I have very long hair, it's past my bra strap. Then I use as much conditioner as I can possibly get on my hair. Huge handfuls one each, on the top, sides and back. The idea is that oil is an emulsifier and will actually lift away the dirt and oil in your hair if enough is used and it's left on long enough. I leave this stuff on during my entire shower time and only rinse at the very end. I 've found for the most part this works very well and my hair is very soft and not tangly and looks rich. Although if I've not gotten enough on or not left it in long enough my hair will look heavy. I have very tangly hair and have to use something to soften it in order to even get a brush through it when wet or dry. One other trick I use is to condition first and then shampoo only the ends and not the scalp, and then condition again and rinse.... But again we are talking about natural and I suppose i need to look at ways to be more natural in cleansing my hair.

Elayne

that's backwards though, it's shampoo the scalp but not the ends and condition the ends but not the scalp. while there might be dust in the rest of your hair, it's generally a build up of oils and the dirt that sticks to it near the scalp that you're aiming to clean away and the dry ends that you want to condition.

i have "washed" my hair with only conditioner many times but i don't use that much, just enough to lightly detangle when i brush it through with a paddle brush. i have very tangley hair as well, very curly and i generally keep it long (not after babies though, it's chopped right off now) and i still don't need huge handfuls of conditioner. i'm even using a natural one that's less slippery than store brand, i still only need a bit! have you tried it with less and it doesn't work? matbe it's the brands we're using or something.

coco..

yes less conditioner does not work... It seems the larger amounts of conditioner is what is needed to lift the oil and dirt from the hair. At least that has been my experience... I use very cheap conditioner, the kind you can buy at the store for a $1.00 a bottle.

I know the process I use is reverse, when I shampoo.. I only use the shampoo lightly to get rid of excess conditioner build up and probably oils too. and then I always follow up with a conditioner rinse again. My hair is very fine and easily weighted down by any product left in my hair and easily dried out if I only use shampoo.. I use no other products on my hair, such as gels or sprays. I just know, for now this has worked for me and my hair feels so much thicker, looks so much healthier.. but then again that possibly could be from my almost raw diet, which I added about the time I started changing my hair regime..

But then hair is only alive at the roots. and I've always had dry brittle hair, especially around the back where a person would rub their head when they are sleeping. That brittleness is totally gone. And I also most often put my hair up at night and sleep with it in a bun. it's gotten long enough that I can't stand to get wrapped up in it during the middle of the night

Elayne

I tried this a few weeks ago and it didn't work as I hoped. I had been not shampooing my hair for a little more than a week and I thought this might be a better solution I guess it it not a highly recommended use for the dr. bronner's product as their website states. So I tried the baking soda wash and vinegar rinse a few times with out too much luck, I still have a tone of oily build up and some flakes, so much I have to boil my brushes. I am back to just hot water and am just going to have to wait it out for another month to see if this is possible to do on a not completly raw diet.

interesting Elayne. i don't like that feeling of being wrapped up in my hair either. it's the worst when you're sitting back on the couch and you go to get up but can't 'cause you're totally trapped by your locks! very funny that.

marianne, hot water can cause flakes too. have you tried just lukewarm water? you can add a little rosemary oil to a handful of shampoo for clean flakes from the scalp too.

Elayne, yes me too! I love conditioner wash.

I do the exact same process as the one you described above. I've been washing my hair with conditioner-only for about 7 months now, and my hair has never looked better. I have fine, highlighted hair and the conditioner wash method keeps my roots & ends looking uniform (with shampoo, my scalp would look oilier and the rest of my hair dry).

I do think it's important to use lots of conditioner for this process, because I initially tried it with a normal amount and my hair turned out greasy so I declared conditioner wash a failure until I saw how great my sister's hair was looking, so I gave it another try.

The cheaper and lighter weight the conditioner is, the better this works. Suave is a decent, easy to find option (although they seem to have discontinued their clarifying conditioner, which was particulary good for this). If you can find Revlon Aquamarine conditioner, that is the best one I've found and is my current favorite. It's really light & smells lovely. I get it at the 1.00 stores. Hotel conditioners are really excellent, too - they tend to be lighter weight than Suave. I usually request a few extra bottles from housekeeping.

I also keep an aerosol dry shampoo on hand (baby powder or corn starch works too) because in my experimentations with many different conditioners, somedays I ended up with ones that were too heavy or didn't cleanse so well, and the dry shampoo evens things out so the scalp looks fresh & not greasy. Sephora has lots of these - Oscar Blandi's is excellent, although I generally use "Psst" because I can get it at drugstores & it's only $6. Also when my roots start to grow out a dry shampoo makes them less apparent.

Also, for the ends of my hair I use a proper, heavyweight conditioner.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/2008 06:42AM by sunshine79.

I know some people who don't use shampoo, just work water into their scalp to rins.

I like to use Aveda products and especially conditioner because I get tangles. I don't use soap on my face, just a washcloth normally, but I think I'm going to start using an exfoliator once a week (I like Talulah products for this, the vanilla bean cleanser). I use natural soaps for my body. They're easy enough to find at health food stores. Usually my first order of business, so to speak, is, is the product non-non-human animal tested, does it smell good, is it reasonably priced, can i tell what the ingredients are, is it plant and not chemical based. I accidentally bought a product about a year ago becaus I thought the company didn't test on non-human animals, and I was wrong. That to me is worse than buying a "chemical" and then putting it on your skin; at least I have a choice in the matter and am not subjected to constant torture and then untimely death.

[utopiankitchen.wordpress.com]

the best exfoliant i have ever used is plain old baking soda and water. it's super gentle but really cleanses your skin.

Hi all,
thanks for all the thoughts and ideas. I bought a bottle of Vermont castile soap fro a health food store in mint aroma. I have brushed my teeth with a few drops afew times with good results. I does not contain glycerine like Bonner's does. So, I wanted to try it , diluted in my hair. My hair is fine, and I get a semi perm coloring to color the white/grey's at the salon. I wanted to see if any one who colors their hair found castile to be too harsh and remove color faster? Thanks to all. Janice