Teach Me Tuesdays: DIY NO-POO Method "Shampoo" Recipes

I have been slowly going down the list of chemical free cleansers and household cleaners this year. I have heard of natural shampooing and the reasons for going El'naturel' for a few years, but nothing has been as compelling as the simple paragraph I recently read from MomsAWARE BLOG HEALTH'S JOURNEY:

Picture Credit

"Our hair is made up of fiber, much like wool that comes from sheep or Kashmir goats. With at least 100,000 hair fibers on our head, it makes sense to treat our hair much like we would a cashmere sweater. Most commercial shampoos contain chemicals like sodium lauryl sulfate, which strip much-needed moisture and amino acids. Why not switch from the "heavy-duty cycle" to "delicate" and try these natural alternatives?"

SO that being said, I have started down the natural "NO-Poo Method" of cleansing my hair on the "Natural Cycle". I have only tried #1 & #5, so far, the rest are some I have found on this site:

1. Baking Soda-- Dissolve about 1 tablespoon of baking soda in just enough water to make a paste. Apply this to your roots only; work it in and let it sit for a minute. (Having ready made in travels sized containers like pictured above is a great idea) I have used a picnic condiment bottle with a long nozzle to make sure the baking soda stays in the root area.
   
   (Next STEP IS IMPORTANT! YOU need to do this to lower PH- use only on ends) After you rinse the baking soda out, pour the apple cider vinegar over the ends of your hair, let it sit for a minute and then rinse it out. That’s all there is to it!  Pour about 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into a cup and add water. (Having ready made in travels sized containers like pictured above is a great idea or in a spray bottle. ) I also use a similar bottle for ACV rinse. This is the easiest and cheapest, I have a delicate scalp so this formula isn't one I use the most, only when I run out of rhassoul clay.
2. Castile Bar Soap.--Shampoo can be as simple as an all-natural, fragrance-free soap. Either grate the bar and make liquid soap, or moisten it and use the resulting lather to cleanse your hair. A little goes a long way! {Blogger "momsAWARE" offers a chemical-free, all-natural coconut castile bar soap, available at thier Online Store.}
   What seems to be most important is to be sure to use a pH-restoring conditioner such as apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or coffee grounds to bring the hair back to its natural pH level of approximately 5.6.
   
   Greta Breedlove, author of The Herbal Home Spa, offers these suggestions for shampooing your hair:
   • Wet hair thoroughly and use a small amount of shampoo, a dollop about the size of a quarter.
   • Put the shampoo on your hands. Rub together to form lather before applying to your hair.
   • Use your fingertips, not your fingernails, to massage the shampoo into your scalp.
   • Rinse hair thoroughly, then shampoo again.
   • Rinse again thoroughly, using the coolest water possible for the shiniest hair.
   • Pat hair dry; avoid rubbing.
   • Gently comb hair. (Consider a natural bamboo comb.)
3. Birch Shampoo.--Adapted from the book Better Basics for the Home by Annie Berthold-Bond. Birch was a major ingredient of nineteenth-century shampoos. Birch contains betulin, which is beneficial for hair loss. (See momsAWARE's article Five Ways to Stimulate Hair Growth for more help on hair loss.) The following recipe uses a birch herbal infusion.     To make an herbal infusion, pour 2 c. boiling water over 2 tbsp. birch bark or birch leaves. (Herb sources include  Mountain Rose Herbs.)
   • 1 c. birch water (directions above)
   • 4 oz. raw apple cider vinegar
   • 1 oz. liquid castile soap
   • 1 tsp. vegetable glycerin
   Combine ingredients in glass jar. Shake well. This formula can be stored at room temperature for up to 6 months. Note: The high salicylic acid content of birch makes it beneficial for dandruff. Add tea tree oil to the above recipe for added benefit.
4. Egg and Lemon Shampoo.--Adapted from the book Green Beauty Recipes by Julie Gabriel.
   • 1 egg yolk
   • 1/2 oz. olive oil
   • 1/2 oz. liquid castile soap
   • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
   • 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
   Combine egg yolk with olive oil. Add remaining ingredients and stir slowly. Wet your hair and massage well. Leave on for 30 seconds or more. Rinse with lukewarm water. (REALLY IMPORTANT TO USE COOLER WATER, UNLESS YOU WANT SCRAMBLED EGGS!!)For oily hair, use even less or no oil. Rinsing with straight beer is really nice will give you a bouncy rinse to curls and straight hair.
5. Rhassoul Clay. {This is my chosen shampoo I LOVE rhassoul clay, the benefits are amazing ck this link for more info as to why I believe so. NOW  after one week, I am not so thrilled w/my hair, after 20 years in the salon industry I am used to my hair feeling differently. I am going to try this, but not sure I can stand the withdrawal...} Rhassoul clay has been used for hundreds of years for skin and hair care. This shampoo method involves some trial and error, but may be worth it for those who desire a thorough cleansing of the scalp and hair.

To create your clay shampoo: 

• Combine 2 tbsp. rhassoul clay
• 1/2 c. filtered water.
•  Allow this to hydrate for several minutes until the mixture reaches a spreadable consistency. 
• Add more warm water if needed. 
• This should keep at room temperature for 1-2 weeks, or longer in the refrigerator.

 Directions for shampooing: 

• Apply liquid paste to hair and scalp.
• Comb through to distribute clay mixture. 
• Rinse thoroughly. 
• Comb through again and rinse one more time. 

I really prefer the Clay over the Baking Soda

For more information, see momsAWARE's helpful article on Rhassoul Clay.

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Teach Me Tuesdays: Rhassoul Clay

Rhassoul clay is truly an exquisite Spa quality clay from ancient deposits unearthed from the fertile Atlas mountains in Morocco where it has been used for over 1400 years. History sights this mineral rich, reddish/brown clay was also used in ancient Rome and Egypt by those of nobility.

I absolutely LOVE this clay! It is unparallelled with it's ability to absorb free radicals and toxins in the skin. 

Atlas Road

In clinical tests, Rhassoul has been shown to be effective on improving skin appearance, elasticity and clarity and:

• unclogging pores, removing dead skin layers, removing surface oil from skin, reduces flakiness and dryness of both the scalp and skin.  

Try using Rhassoul clay For a luxurious and decadent experience in:

• soap recipes, facial masks, body wraps, clay packs, shampoos, & conditioners 

It won't dry out the skin and leaves it in better condition than when you applied it in one treatment! This clay multiculturally cleanses the hair without stripping- perfect for both Caucasian and ethnic hair. Easy to use Rhassoul is 100% natural and ecological.

*Interesting factoid: Rassola comes from an 

Arabic word meaning "wash"

It is used in a lot of professional skin products it's most impressive properties in skin improvement are its capacity of absorption due to its high level of ion exchange. 

Basically it contains higher percentages of:

• silica, magnesium, potassium, calcium and other trace minerals than other clays. 

These minerals make the clay highly detoxifying as they can actually exchange themselves for toxic compounds like metals in the skin. The clay not only works to remove impurities from your skin, it also replaces them with nourishing trace minerals. The clay's high level of ions exchange makes it ideal for toning and enriching the skin.

Layman terms: IT absorbs all the "crudies"& "yuckies" on the surface of the skin causing it to appear older and giving the skin a dull lifeless appearance. And exchange the trace minerals found in the clay for the toxins in skin helping the skin look fresher, tighter and younger.

 As if you need more proof as to why I LOVE this clay,

 please  indulge me while 

I share one more factoid:

   
What sold me on using was the clinical studies that were conducted by two different research laboratories in the United States to evaluate Rhassoul use for skin conditions. 

The results of this single use Rhassoul study produced these findings….

• Reduces dryness (79%)
• Reduces flakiness (41%)
• Improves skin clarity (68%)
• Improves skin elasticity / firmness (24%)
• Improves skin texture (106%)
• Removes surface oil and oil from inside and around comedons (black heads)
• Removes dead skin layers, resulting in a general smoothing of the surface skin
• In addition to the oil removal characteristics

NOW how do I actually use this miracle clay???

I mix the rhassoul clay with *hydrosols, also known as:

• floral waters, hydroflorates, flower waters or distillates these days

*They are produced from steam-distilling plant materials & hydrosols have similar properties to essential oils but are much less concentrated. Unlike their "essential oil added to water" counterparts, true steam-distilled hydrosols contain all the beneficial components that whole plant materials have to offer.

I typically use these hydrososls as my toner and most times add them to my clay to make a mask:

• helichyrsum,lavender, & lemon balm 

This time I choose helichrysum bc it's well known for its unparalleled skin toning and healing properties & is excellent as a stand alone skin toner for all skin types, especially mature and/or very dry skin. 

In the winter I feel so dried up and oily, really unbalanced with my skin, so I am leaning a lot on my helichrysum, sadly MRH (Mountian Rose Herbs) where I typically purchase my clays, EO, hydrosols, are out of stock of the rhassoul clay and aren't even offering the helichrysum hydrosol anymore. So sad bc I use it a lot and has other uses besides facial products herbalists also use it in pain remedy formulas for bruises, sprains and sore muscles and mix with other hydrosols waters or worked into a lotion or healing salve recipe.

My Rhoussoul Mask with customized Oil Serum

• I used 1T part clay to 2/3-1/2 C helichrysum hydrosol to make a creamy semi-liquid-y Paste. 
• I add drops of hydrosol at a time and watch as it absorbs the clay to get the proportions just right. 
•  I made a  Jojoba(for added toning affects), tamanu, & rosehip seed oil & dropped an essential oil blend with lavender, helichrysum, rose and myrrh powder blend to lay directly onto my skin under the mask so it would ionize into my skin. 
• Then a layer of the clay mask directly over. 
• It gets really tight as is dries, so it really tones and pushes/ionizes the precious oil blend into my skin. 

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For the "no poo" Shampoo

Picture credit

1. Prepare ahead by hydrating your clay. 
2. Combine 2- T rhassoul clay with 1/2 c. filtered water (distilled water is optimal) in a glass jar. Using a non-metallic utensil (chopsticks work great), stir the mixture. 
3. Allow to sit to "hydrate the rhassoul clay". 
4. Stir again and add more water, if necessary, until you have a thick liquid paste. 

TO Use Hydrated Rhassoul Clay:

• Apply to hair  and scalp (I use a hair color brush) then comb through with a WIDE tooth comb to distribute clay mixture. 
• Rinse thoroughly.
• Comb through again and rinse again. 

It is unlikely that a conditioner is needed, but if desired, consider a natural alternative. 

Here's a couple I used, your hair will feel fuzzy, you need to raise PH, with something acidic:
 

 1.) Glycerin conditioner:

• 5 oz. herbal water (infuse nettle or lavender leaves in water) or use 5 oz. distilled water
• 2 oz. glycerin
• 1 oz. lemon juice

Combine ingredients in glass jar and shake well. Apply 1/4 - 1/2 c. after shampooing. Rinse with warm water. Stores in refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

2.) Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse.

• Apply after shampooing, I use a spray bottle to evenly distribute
  
• then rinse.
  

DEEP Conditioner: 
Rhassoul clay can also be used for deep conditioning of the hair. Feel free to adapt the following recipe to suit your unique hair needs. This what I adapted from here to suit my hair needs:

• 1/2 c. rhassoul clay
• 1/2 c. warm coconut milk
• 1/4 c. rose water or herbal water (make your own infusion by pouring 2 c. boiling water over 2 tbsp. herbs or flower petals. Allow to steep for 30 minutes and strain.)
• 1/4 c. distilled water (double this amount if no herbal or rose water is used)
• 1 T. extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, or jojoba oil
• 1T glycerine 
• 1 "Squirt" of honey 

Mix all ingredients except oil. Once you have a paste {Basically rehydrate the clay}, stir in the oil. You may add a tad of honey at this point for added conditioning treatment. Apply to hair and allow to sit with a warm, moist towel or plastic hair cap for 1 hour. Rinse and style as usual.

I mix up a batch and keep in fridge in a glass jar for about 4 weeks.
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In place of Soap:
Hydrated clay as described above can be used as soap. Apply as a thin paste over the skin and rinse. I like to add castor oil for a nice lather experience and added moisturizer plus essential oils of choice, up to 7 drops per ounce. You'll be amazed at how refreshed you'll feel!

My Formula:
2 T Rhassoul Clay
1/2 C distilled water or lavender/rose hydrosol
1-3t of Castor Oil
2- drops Patchouli Essential oil
5 drops  Lavender Essential Oil
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Teach me Tuesdays: BEAUTY DAY!!

Today I will focus my attention of my skin care regimen. 

I have heard about using oils for cleansers and I all ready use an olive oil based cleanser which my dry & sensitive skin loves. SO no real tweaking until I run out then I will be making my own version.

I have some recipes I will be trying out soon:

• olive oil 
• castor oil, 
• jojoba oil 
• in 1/3 proportions.

But today I focused on my facial scrub, mask and moisturizer.

Recipe mine, pic from this site

Facial Sugar Scrub:

• Castor Oil
• Tamanu Oil
• Rosehip Oil
• Sugar

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1. I use a castor oil base scrub bc it gives you the most cleansing & dissolving bang for your buck. It’s also highly antibacterial in nature, along with tamanu and rosehip seed oil (These both are quite pricey and I don't typically use them for a scrub since it doesn't rest on the skin for very long, but they both have limited shelf life and I need to use them up)  

Both tamanu and rosehip oils are healing and regenerative, they DO need a carrier oil so castor works as a carrier (base) oil for this as well.

1. I used oils 1/3 portions. 
2. NEXT I added sugar- 2 parts oil blend to 1 part sugar. 

I LOVE they way my skin feels, I might be using the rosehip and tamanu on a regular basis, as long as I have these oils at least.

There are other essential oils I can add like:

• lavender, 
• helicrysum, 
• myhrr, 
• rose 

All good for the regenerative qualities since I am nearly into my 40's I am into regenerating my skin as much as possible, especially in my sun damaged areas.

I am quite pleased with my scrub, so I turn my attentions to my mask. I am really into cleansing clays for my masks, I have tried the green french and Benoite clays, but I don't have oily or problematic skin so I opted to try Rhassoul clay from Morocco. Click this link to learn more about this amazing clay.

My Rhoussoul Mask with customized Oil Serum:

• I used 1T clay & 2/3- 1/2 C helichrysum/Lavender/Lemon Balm(Melissa) hydrosol or distilled water to make a creamy semi-liquidy paste. 
•  I add small drops of hydrosol at a time and watch as it absorbs the clay to get the proportions just right to properly hydrate the clay. 
•  I made a Jojoba(for added toning affects), tamanu, & rosehip seed oil serum that I added an essential oil blend with lavender, helichrysum, rose and myrrh powder blend to lay directly onto my skin under the mask so it would ionize into my skin. 
• Then a layer of the clay mask directly over. 
• It gets really tight as is dries, so it really tones and pushes/ionizes the precious oil blend into my skin.

For my night time moisturizer I have been using extra virgin coconut oil with added essential oils:  

• lavender, 
• helichrysum, 
• rose, 
• and patchouli
• the standard is 7-10 drops per tablespoon. 

My day moisturizer varies, sometimes I just use an oil blend bc my nighttime cream is so rich I barely need anything during the day, I mainly use oil to protect my skin from pollutants.

That is my skin care regimen right now and it works!

I love the customizing aspect of making it myself. 

There are times your skin needs more hydrating than other times or needs more balancing other times-so I only mix small batches at time, it keeps it fresh and allows me to customize as needed.

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8/22/12-Update on Rhossoul Clay mask:  

I have to say that within one use my skin feels velvety soft like when I have a micro-dermabrasion treatment. And within 2 weeks of use- The jaw line is more defined, the sun damaged areas on my cheeks look less pronounced as well. Amazing skin texture, I would say it knocks off 5 years in a manner of 10-15 minutes. LOVE my rhossoul clay!!

10/1/12-Update on the EVCO Moisturizer: The flakiness that I typically have on my forehead and around my nose, gone, the texture like I said velvety soft, the "marionette lines" on either side of my mouth are much less noticeable.