Tough Love Thursdays

Guys, if you don’t know me in real life, you’ve at least seen pictures, right?

Here’s a refresher, I look like this:

and this:

and this:

I think we can agree that I’m not a greasy, filthy, hippie troll person, yes?

WAIT. I swear I’m not using my Internet Blog to fish for compliments (although now that you mention it, I just so happen to have a handy dandy comment feature and WOW! what a coincidence! There’s no limit to how much you can write!).

This lead up, and the pictures of me, are a necessary segue into me telling you that I haven’t used shampoo or conditioner in three years.

Whaaaaaaaaaat?

Hear me out.

Since I moved out and was forced to purchase my own shit, I’ve spent up to $40 at a time on shampoo and conditioner – everything from Pantene to Aveda and Pureology, every time getting suckered in by their promises of silky, sex-goddess hair.

And witrhout fail, every time I finished shampooing and drying and styling I was like, “Meh”.

Then when I got into making my own cleaning products and not using chemical cleaners anymore, I stumbled across this movement called “Un-Pooing”, which replaces store-bought shampoos and conditioners with baking soda and vinegar.

Believe me when I say that whatever you are thinking right now, I thought it too.

AND THEN I TRIED IT.

Guys, I am begging you, JUST TRY IT. The risk is so small – guaranteed you already have baking soda in your house and a small bottle of Apple Cider Vinegar costs like $5. What do you have to lose?

Here’s what you do:

Mix 1 cup warm water with 1 Tbsp baking soda, you can double or triple the recipe if you have insanely thick or long hair, but keep the proportions the same. This is your “shampoo” rinse. Pour it over your hair and massage it into your scalp with your fingertips, then rinse thoroughly.

Mix 1 cup warm water with 1-2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar (1 if you have oily hair, 2 if you have dry hair) Pour it over your hair, massage it into your scalp and let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing it out.

And you’re done. No shampoo bottles, no sodium laurel sulfate, no artificial fragrances giving you the big O in the shower. Boom.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is this shit for real?

A: Yes! Guys, I swear I’m not messing with you.

 

Q: Does it work?

A: Yes, my hair is clean and healthy and my hairdresser always remarks on how little damage there is and how smooth my hair shafts are (that’s what …she..said?)

 

Q: Do you stink like vinegar?

A: Okay, here’s the thing. When you’re rinsing, yeah it smells like vinegar, it’s VINEGAR. But vinegar doesn’t smell when its dry, so no, I don’t stink. Not of vinegar anyway. I mean if you were pervily sniffing my hair after a gentle spring rainfall, you might be able to smell it, but otherwise, no.

 

Q: Do you have tangles?

A: NO. None. If I wanted to I could brush my hair straight through right after getting out of the shower (WOAH- come on guys. I know you’re not supposed to brush your hair when its wet, I said I COULD. You know. If I wanted to or whatever)

Q: Why are you being such a self-righteous enviro-nag?

A: BECAUSE WE ARE KILLING THE PLANET TO HAVE SHINY HAIR WHEN WE COULD GET THAT SAME SHINY HAIR WITH INGREDIENTS FROM YOUR PANTRY, FOOL!

Seriously I know it sounds weird, but its amazing, tons of people are doing it and it works. I don’t care why you do it, if you’d rather spend that shampoo-money on top shelf vodka, if you adore having less clutter in the shower, or if you do genuinely care about the harmful chemical compounds being lathered into your scalp and down the drain each morning.

Guys, JUST TRY IT. Read more about it here.