washing with soap/shampoo

[littledevil1908]

i have recently been trying to avoid using soaps and shampoos when i shower, because i've heard they are unneccesary/unhealthy. is what i'm doing ok, or should i stop?

[sheffy4]

I admire that you are questioning the social norms and trying to get rid of unnecessary things.
However, I wouldn't stop using soap. Try to find organic soaps made with healthy/natural materials.
If you don't use any soap at all, I imagine you would have a hard time getting dirt, sweat, and oil off you. Especially with your hair. If you have hair longer than a buzz cut, it will get noticeably greasy and oily if you don't wash with some type of cleanser.
Also, have you stopped washing your hands with soap as well?
This is very important after you use the bathroom because intestinal bacteria will get on your hands and you can make yourself and others sick if you don't wash afterwards.

[Barcs]

Interesting topic! I'd definitely have to agree with Sheffy that washing with soap can be very important, especially for your hands. Actually I was looking to get into organic soap & shampoo myself. Does anyone have any good recommendations?

[bwb]

Check out the "no poo" thread on Goneraw.com. Shampoo is apparently a pretty recent development in human grooming, less than 100 years old, and it's just stripping the natural oils out of your hair, when you then replace with conditioner.

I was convinced to give it a try, and it's been 3 weeks or so since I've used shampoo. I just give it a good hot rinse every morning in the shower and massage my scalp a bit. My hair got a bit greasier for a couple of days, then settled down and now seems more or less normal. It looks the same, feels the same, doesn't smell or anything. Nobody else who sees me every day has even noticed. My hair is pretty short, but not buzz-cut short. Apparently it takes more time for longer hair to sort itself out after you stop shampooing.

One of the ingredients in popular shampoos is linked to the formation of cataracts. Yikes!

-Brian

[beautyscientist]

Soap and shampoo can both be slightly harmful. I have just written an article on my web page about this. I would say that the only serious risk is dry skin though, so it isn't really that big a deal. Organic products are better for the environment so I would say that is a good reason to use organic soap, but it won't be any better for your skin unfortunately. The chemistry that causes the damage is the same of organic and non-organic soaps.

[Dan.Linehan]

I highly recommend trying Dr Bronner's. Fair trade, organic, its soap, shampoo and conditioner all at once.

[SunnKali]

Hey Dan, I was going to suggest Dr. Bronner's also. Great stuff. Make sure to dilute it!! The peppermint is great for the summer, and the lavender and almond scents are also very nice. With my water, they're not too great for baths though. I also use them for household cleaning. I know some people who use them for their laundry, but I haven't tried that. They just use a couple of squirts into the laundry tub.

[Brien]

It's pretty amazing stuff. Link: Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps

[elastigirl]

I only use indian natural shampoo,cocunut oil based and natural soaps,you are doing a great thing,yey

[beautyscientist]

Hi Elastigirl, nearly all shampoos are derived from coconut oil one way or another. All the ones in my bathroom at the moment certainly are. If the main ingredient is sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate then it is still going to have a drying effect on your scalp. The problem is the sodium bit. The lauryl bit is the bit that comes from coconut oil. I am sure the US is the same, but here in the UK there are a few products making genuinely natural products that are better for your skin. There are also some people putting standard products in environmentally friendly looking packs and charging a premium. If you are interested in this sort of thing it pays to do your research.

[InterfaceLeader]

Most soap/shampoo has Sodium Lauryl Sulfate in, and that's (one of) the bad ingredients. I always loved Lush, but even their shampoo has that in

You can actually make your own shampoo by boiling a small amount of soapwort, and adding essential oils - tea tree oil for dandruff, rosemary oil for greasy hair, or I think adding some chamomile leaves is good for blond/fine hair.

Failing that, you can use bicarbonate of soda (I quit washing my hair for six months or so, hoping it would start 'cleaning itself' but it didn't - but bicarb of soda was absolutely FANTASTIC, easily as good as any commercial shampoo and I didn't need to wash my hair as often.

Chamomile tea makes for a good shampoo, and if you want conditioner, eggs work well.

None of this except the soapwort recipe will lather up though, so it can take some practice.

I have used Dr. Bronner's peppermint magic soap, and I can say that is pretty awesome. My partner finds it irritating unless it's very dilute though.

[beautyscientist]

@Interface Leader

I am interested to hear of someone using soapwort. That was the traditional cleansing agent in England up to the middle ages and I have often toyed with giving it a go. You must pick your own I guess as it isn't commercially available.


I really don't recommend sodium bicarbonate to wash the skin. Sure it will remove the grease, but it will also react with the fats in your skin. The sodium in the bicarbonate will be just as harmful as the sodium in the SLS, only there is even more of it.

[InterfaceLeader]

Originally Posted by beautyscientist

@Interface Leader

I am interested to hear of someone using soapwort. That was the traditional cleansing agent in England up to the middle ages and I have often toyed with giving it a go. You must pick your own I guess as it isn't commercially available.


I really don't recommend sodium bicarbonate to wash the skin. Sure it will remove the grease, but it will also react with the fats in your skin. The sodium in the bicarbonate will be just as harmful as the sodium in the SLS, only there is even more of it.

I got it from a friend who did pick their own. (I live in England, and they have a large garden allotment)

It can cause eye irritation if you use too much, but otherwise it works really well.

That's a shame about the bicarbonate of soda... I was under the impression it was one of the best things for deodorant / hair care.

[hatsoff2halford]

I only use organic shampoo. I've not washed my hair for about a month and it get's noticeably greasy. I wish there was a better method than shampoo. I haven't found one as of yet, though. I don't ever wash my body with soap though. I use a sponge with hot water in the shower and scrub my body.

[beautyscientist]

Originally Posted by hatsoff2halford

I only use organic shampoo. I've not washed my hair for about a month and it get's noticeably greasy. I wish there was a better method than shampoo. I haven't found one as of yet, though. I don't ever wash my body with soap though. I use a sponge with hot water in the shower and scrub my body.

I have a couple of suggestions. I haven't tried either of these but I have read or heard accounts of them.

In the far east coconut oil is sometimes used to wash the hair. Remember the way Jesus has his feet washed with oil in the Bible? You massage it into your hair and then wash it out, taking any grime with it. I imagine it will take some washing out in the bath or shower. How would this help with the greasiness? Well the sebum glands might well be surpressed by the presence of the oil on your skin and so would secrete less oil. Just an idea as I say.

The other option is to use kaolin. This is a natural clay. Rub it into your scalp dry and then rinse it off. Hopefully the grease will adhere to the clay and be carried off.

[hatsoff2halford]

I just happened to have bought some raw coconut oil, so I'll give this a go!

Thanks for the suggestion

[Jennihul]

Peep this amazing site:

EWG Home | Environmental Working Group

They rate all your products according to safety. The baby products are some of the worst!!

Jennifer

[beautyscientist]

I have just had a quick look at that EWG site listed by Jenihul. I found a factual error in less than 10 seconds on their database. I think it is intended as a promotional tool for expensive 'green' brands. I suggest you ignore it.