My Body Care Regimen Part 1
There are a lot of cosmetic, hair, and skin companies telling you what to buy and what's the best thing for you. There's a new "All Natural" shampoo or that revitalizing face moisturizer that will make you look ten years younger. But when we look at all of those products they are FILLED with harsh chemicals or synthetic ingredients. Even in that "All Natural" shampoo like Herbal Essences' "Naked" line of shampoo and conditioner. First of all, Herbal Essence TESTS ON ANIMALS, which is a major no-no! Second of all, even when brands claim to be free of silicones, parabens, and dyes, there are still naughty ingredients:
Water , Sodium Laureth Sulfate , Sodium Lauryl Sulfate , Sodium Chloride , Fragrance , Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract , Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil , Mentha Arvensis Leaf OilField Mint , Menthol , Sodium Citrate , Sodium Xylenesulfonate , Cocamidopropyl Betaine , Sodium Benzoate , Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose , Citric Acid , Tetrasodium EDTA , Methylchloroisothiazolinone , Methylisothiazolinone
(Found from Walgreen's website here)
Well, when I found that even some cruelty free companies can have some naughty ingredients, I turned towards the actual all-natural path! Yes, that's right, I'm talking au naturale ;) Just kidding! But, instead of using commercial brand shampoo and conditioner, I tried the "no poo" method and that didn't turn out well for me at all..so I started doing research on herbal recipes. That led me to my first concoction of herbal shampoo here.
So, this first part of my Body Care Regimen is going to be my journey with different herbs for hair. 100% natural ingredients are the key to a healthy body. Here is where I first learned a lot about different herbs, their uses, and how to use them.
My first recipe is going to be:
Yucca Root-shampoo
Amla Berry-conditioner
Fenugreek-detangler
Yucca root is supposed to be very good for getting hair nice and clean because of the saponins in the root. When you mix yucca root with water, it creates a soapy texture that cleans hair from root to tip.
Amla berry is a very good conditioner for hair and has high amounts of Vitamin C.
Fenugreek is believed to prevent hair loss and treat dry scalp and dandruff.
So, after researching these herbs, I bought them off of Monterey Bay Spice Company and Mountain Rose Herbs (two sites that are great for buying essential oils, carrier oils, and herbs!). I buy these herbs in powder form, since I feel like it's easier.
Recipe:
Mix equal amounts of herbs and mix with hot water. Stir gently and put into bottle to use in the shower. Whatever you don't use needs to go into the fridge.
So here's what I thought of the herb mixture:
At first, I really wanted to like it-and I did, but with some minor setbacks. After the first use I noticed some residue and little grain particles from not washing out the herbs well. The grains left in my hair made my scalp very itchy-which is what I was trying to get rid of in the first place! The next time I washed my hair, I used my wide-toothed comb and that helped get the grainy particles out, but the residue was still there. Right after washing it, it would look really nice and clean, but a few hours later it would look very greasy!
I knew my hair would go through a detox period since comercial shampoos/conditioners dries out your hair, so I expected my hair to go through a period of mishap. But, after a few weeks, it didn't seem to get better. So, I started researching again.
I found two useful things:
1. I need to let the herbs soak overnight to really get the full benefits. Therefore, I need to grind up the herbs after letting them soak so I don't have those grains stuck in my hair and on my scalp. So, I just bought a mortar and pestle today at Cost Plus World Market for $5.99! I will write a post next week with my review on how it's going!
2. I might need buy a new set of herbs (from Monterey Bay Spice Company) that will help the greasy look and clean my hair better. I was doing more research and found this great website where it tells you what the benefits are of each herb.
So, for this week, I'm going to grind up the yucca root, amla berry, and fenugreek root with my new mortar and pestle (yay!) and let the herbs soak overnight and I will see if that makes a difference at all.
If not, I'm going to look into burdock root and lemon balm for oily hair.
So this was just Part 1 for my body care regimen! Next, I will talk about my complete hair care routine, my oil cleansing method, and more!
I hope you all have a beautiful week!
Do you use any herbs or clays or vinegar washes for your hair? Comment below!