★★★★★
Borax
Baking Soda
Baking Soda
We, humans, are more acidic than not. Our hair and skin registers on the pH scale as more acidic so... Using baking soda as a shampoo acts like a softener. You'd think this is a good thing but... Let me put it this way:
Think of a strand of hair like a snake. The cuticle of the hair (it's protective layer), looks like scales when micro'd. It's more acidic so when you put an alkaline like baking soda on those scales (causing a chemical reaction), it's going to blow them open and make them stand up. A snake wouldn't want it's scales doing anything but lying nice and flat because, then, what's the point? The scales are supposed to protect the inner layers of the strand of hair. If they are not lying flat against the shaft you will be more prone to tangles, the hair will look more dull, and after time your hair will weaken and break.
Also, in school, we used baking soda as a primer to strip those clients that came in with box color (NASTY STUFF! ) from hair before we used the chemical lighteners (bleach). The baking soda works, somewhat, to strip some of those larger color molecules out of the scales of the cuticle. Hair color? Alkaline! Needs to get in there and make the color molecules stick! Perms work off the pH scale, also. The perming solution is very alkaline and blows the cuticle WIDE open so that the very structure of the protein bonds found inside the layers under the cuticle can be broken (softened), and when the neutralizer (acidic), is put on it reforms (hardens), those bonds back into the shape that you have forced it into (rods).
If you use this science and logic, it makes sense to use an apple cider vinegar solution, as a shampoo, instead (which we all know from grade school science projects), is an acid. Hair loves it. It does strip the nasty product buildup and brings the (beneficial) natural oils down to a manageable level. Plus, because it is acidic it helps make those scales seal down tight.
Baking Soda
While I respect your profession the statement you made about baking soda does not operate in the manner you are explaining. For one baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is an amphoteric (reacts as an acid or base). It is not like the chemical alkaline/acid that you use in your hair care products which are of a different alkaline/acid and/or strength. Your average household baking soda does not compare. When added to water the sodium separates from the bicarbonate. Both performing their jobs. Now as to opening up the cuticles no it will not do such a thing. But yes it will help to strip and/or remove acidic/alkaline impurities. The key word is impurities. Things that are not natural to the hair. If your hair is highly acidic or highly alkaline the baking soda only works in a natural way to bring your pH down to a normal range. It will not in any way make it more acidic or increase the alkaline.
If that is too hard for you to grasp look at it this way. If you have an upset stomach (highly acidic) and take baking soda it will not make it worse it will only neutralize the acids because it acts as a mediator. If you spill battery acid and add baking soda it will not make it worse. It will even neutralize battery acid. If your hair has a high alkaline measurement baking soda will only neutralize it. Even though it is more of an alkaline base. Just like Apple Cider Vinegar is acidic, it will not make your hair more acidic, but it helps to maintain a neutral balance. These products are not harmful because they are natural neutralizers. And I am sure you are aware that pH is EVERYTHING!
As a cosmetologist you are dealing with processed chemicals. Many may have started out natural but if one molecule is changed it will make a big difference. Just keep in mind when advising clients on a product that can possibly help them in a situation when you are not available. If a client does a home perm/relaxer and does not wash it out properly the chemical is still working on the scalp. It begins to itch or burn. A quick wash with baking soda can help to neutralize and bring the pH level back down and wash out the impurities.
Now if that is still too hard to grasp. Let me let you in on a secret. Your body is made up of sodium bicarbonate. That is why it is so natural to you. Sodium Bicarbonate are widely used throughout the hospital. Don't believe it. Ever know of someone who went into cardiac arrest, diabetic shock, metabolic acidosis, certain drug overdose or severe dehydration. Well, sodium bicarbonate is what is given IV because as stated earlier it neutralizes a bad situation. (this is only for medical usage only may I add, do not try this at home the strength is entirely different)
Well, after all that I hope the info clears up any further questions about baking soda. Just my professional medical opinion. From one professional to another. And all others who just wanted to know.
Tiff
Rain Water
★★★★★
★★★★★
You catch your urine and if you desire you can use your shampoo and then rinse and then pour urine on your head and wait as long as you can and then rinse out. It leaves a lovely oil and thickens the strands and hair drop stops, except the normal amount. Urine also has hormones in it and hair and hormones are a happy team. Urine is sterile and very healing of bacteria and fungus on the skin. Most animals pee on their feet.
I have a lot of comfrey and use it daily as a foot soak. I fill a stockpot ( gallon?) with water and wait an hour while chlorine dissipates then I heat it with 7 big leaves 10-12 inches long, and a sprig of mint and then pour it in a foot soak pan with Tablespoon apple cider vinegar. I dump this out on the drip line of trees in my yard, we have over 200 of those.
I decided to try the mint and comfrey mixture when it got a nice dark color on my hair, a cup of it. I used no shampoo and put it on my hair when it is wet and let it sit and then rinse. My hair usually tangles but not now. It is full and combs easy and feels like it has oil in it as cream rinse would leave.
I drink comfrey and mint tea and eat the leaves. 5 small leaves 6" long and a sprig of mint. I make tea out of it until the water doesn't turn dark anymore, then I eat the remains.
I also add the flowers to my tea drinks
Comfrey has been known to heal bone problems 20 yrs old and heal skin wounds so quickly you have to be careful the infection is healed before using it. In history people ate comfrey salads in season like lettuce.
Baking Soda
If you want free weekly tips for keeping your hair shipshape on the cheap let me know and I'll send you a link to my website.
Cheers! Rob
Baking Soda
★☆☆☆☆
WARNING!
Hi, After using baking soda as my shampoo and apply cider vinegar as my conditioner for 4 months, my hair is severly damaged!
The highly alkaline baking soda had damaged my hair, making it dry and frizzy with heaps of split ends. I googed to find out why and found that pH balanced shampoo is very important!
Your hair has a pH of between 4 - 5. Baking Soda has a pH of 8-9!
...Diluting/Mixing it with water to try to balance the pH doesn't work! (I googled it) Research has shown that DILUTING baking soda with water or other liquids DOES NOT LOWER THE pH, so even when its mixed with water it still has a very alkaline pH of 8 or so.
Baking Soda
★★★★★
Borax
I keep a bar of castille soap, an old shampoo bottle filled with borax and water, and a water bottle filled with lemon juice and water in my shower. That's it.
I tried the borax formula with baking soda and didn't like it as much as straight borax. Also, the combo seemed to create more crystals in the bottle which were annoying. I still get crystals from the borax though. I were less lazy, I'd strain the crystals from the cooled water/borax mix through a mesh screen before pouring into the bottle.
I rinse with lemon juice mixed with water. Pretty much in the same proportions - an inch or two in the bottom of a water bottle, the rest is water.
I just buy some organic bottled lemon juice from Costco. It's not the best tasting (prefer fresh for food) but it's 100% lemon, and works well as a rinse.
Apple cider vinegar works better as a rinse, although both lemon and ACV work as totally awesome conditioners. Like most people, however, I don't want to smell like a pickle. Lemon is a very acceptable alternative because I want my hair to have lighter highlights.
I only partly, very, very quickly, rinse the lemon out of my hair before turning the shower off. Again, if I weren't so lazy, or if I were recommending this to a friend, I'd say "run the lemon juice through a mesh strainer" but I haven't noticed any pulp bits in my hair. It provides the added bonus of highlights.
Another bonus, perhaps, is that I seem to have less acne issues on my face and back since using this on my hair. I tend to let both the boron and lemon juice dribble onto then stay on my skin for a while (lazy person's toner) while I shave my legs and soap up other areas.
I'd be interested to know if anyone else has noticed improved skin with this "shampoo" formula.
My hair tends to be oily - as does my skin and needs to be washed daily. On particularly oily-hair days, I use a little of my coconut/castille bar soap on the areas of my head/hair that seem oiliest (near my ears and forehead), lather it up, then proceed to add the borax.
Someone else mentioned that the hair feels waxy while wet (with the borax solution). That is true. It's very weird feeling -- for me, it feels as though I doused gobs of oil onto the ends of my hair when I've finished massaging into my hair and am ringing out the borax while rinsing it (my hair is long). But when dry, it's just looks and feels soft and luxurious; and it ends up less oily than when I used regular shampoo.
Also, even if you want to continue using your shampoo, I highly recommend you at least try lemon juice (if your hair is light, or if you intend to rinse well) because it's just the best conditioner I've ever used other than the stinky apple cider vinegar. No more tangled rat's nests after the shower and all day long. It's amazing.
My hair is completely straight and is of average thickness. I'm not sure how well this would work on other hair types but other reviewers with curly hair seem to agree it's great.
This formula isn't a science - maybe someone else out there has it perfectly proportioed for maximum benefit but I agree with other reviewers who say to relax on the meassurements.
I like this much better than shampoo and it's so cheap! Would like to work out how to add in some chammomile to help with the highlights. Not sure whether to mix that with borax or lemon juice. If anyone has ideas, would appreciate them.
Last thought: I read somewhere that for the first week or so, the hair can seem more oily than usual using this formula. I wasn't really able to tell for sure but I think that is true. (Just remember to use soap or other shampoo as needed while going through this transition.)
Borax
★★★★★
I see everyone here asking for exact ratios and frequency of use but please relax. I have found borax to be very gentle, you can't make a mistake. I put a very imprecise amount, anywhere from a couple teaspoons to maybe a quarter cup in a plastic one-cup measuring cup and fill the rest with water. The amount doesn't depend on anything except what fell out of the box! Then just tilt your head back and let it pour through. Usually I will massage the scalp a little to make sure I get out any hair spray or conditioner build up. Pretty simple.
Although I don't have oily hair, I also don't have dry hair. I would classify it as normal, maybe a little on the fine side and I only need to wash it once or twice a week. I love this because it's natural, it really does leave my hair in great condition and it's so very cheap!
Baking Soda, Apple Cider Vinegar
★★★★★
I've been commercial-product-free for nearly 6 months & it's AMAZING! A few things I'd like to add:
STEP 1: Baking soda/water shampoo (1:5 ratio) should be mixed in cold water, Shake before & during application) applied to a DRY scalp (so you can maintain control over solution) via condiment or hair-coloring bottle) and massaged lightly. Extending this mixture to the ends of the hair *after the first use* will strip the hair and make it dry/frizzy. If this mixture gets in your eyes, it will feel like when you're swimming in the ocean with your eyes open. :) You can let this sit on your scalp if you're inclined. The conditioner sitting makes more difference. With the Baking Soda 'poo, for longer hair, I put up in pigtails to keep ends from getting scrubbed. Try it once- you have nothing to lose & I hope you are as happy as I am!
STEP 2: *RINSE WELL* with your regular shower temp/water before proceeding or your scalp will exfoliate & you will look like you have the worst case of dandruff in your life.
STEP 3: Conditioner: Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) (also 1:5 ratio with water) can be either poured or sprayed into the hair. I got a large spray bottle from a dollar store that has markings for mix-ratios & holds a liter; this lasts a looooong time. :)
Step 3 and 1/4: While this sits on my hair, I usually scrub body down with Baking Soda (I make a thick water-paste to control it better, then *before rinsing body*, spray down with ACV conditioner mixture (spraying over my hair again, too) and sort of scrub down with it.
STEP 4: Rinse well from head to toe all at once. Wrap hair in towel until shower complete.
STEP 5: Usually, the dead skin will start to come off the body during the rinse process, so I often scrub down with Baking Soda again. I just got Borax today, so I am going to see how the second sloughing goes with that. Incidentally, if my heels have gotten thick, the mixture literally makes the skin on my feet come off with my fingernails by the wrap-up of the shower as opposed to soaking forever!
I have very long hair and I have zero problem getting a comb through *after* towel drying!! PLUS, it only seems to take about 15 minutes for my hair to dry! I would not have believed it if I hadn't tried this myself!
Also, natural-bristle brushes will do wonders distributing the natural oils.
To test my experience, I used the commercial shampoo/conditioner & my hair ended up, well- crappy! No body, no luster, thin and "hay-wire"! 'Took about 20 min to dry with hair dryer)
I only have to shampoo once every 4 days. Immediately following my first wash/condition (where the Baking Soda went the length of my hair), my hair felt thicker, was a LOVELY shade of brown with red highlights and WAVY! Honestly, I feel and look like a movie starlet!! And I will be 40 years old Oct, 2009!
WHAT I HAVE LEARNED:
* Don't use white vinegar- it doesn't have the same effect and stripped my hair down to a dry mess.
* You can vary the ratios, if you want to try it, but I came back to this ratio for my hair.
* I tried adding Tea Tree Oil, Cinnamon Stick, Vanilla Bean to shampoo & conditioner & found that I didn't "need" any of these, but they were better when added to ACV mix & shaken before spraying. I personally found the basic 2 ingredients, separately, were the most effective for me.
* I found that the daily Baking Soda/ACV body washing actually made me feel more content.
* I only use Pure Cocoa Butter in stick for as a moisturizer now.
* When mixing with castille (sp?) soap, the soap left a film that I disliked; I tried this on the hair & body only because of my "addiction" to the sudsing effect of commercial products.
I hope some of you enjoy this!
Baking Soda
EC: Please check out https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/hair_loss.html
Baking Soda
Sugar Shampoo
★★★★★
I went to a well known health shop recently and found some boron supplements. On checking the back list for the ingredients it said the capsules contained Sodium Tetraborate -- or Borax. Anyone can verify this for themselves in any health shop like I did. Personally, I really can't understand the fear about borax -- I use it internally and externally quite often in water mainly as an anti-fungal, but if people prefer to pay more for "Boron Tablets" than for something as cheap as 20 Mule Team Borax, then this is simply up to them.
Some also complain about the purity of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda or 20 Mule Team Borax and seem to implicitly trust the purity of the compounded tablet. I made the mistake of buying European made Magnesium Citrate tablets the other day. They were huge -- nearly an inch long -- but only contained 400 mgs of Mag Citrate. When I checked the back list it had several additives -- Mag Stearate, Stearic Acid, Calcium Diphosphate, Cellulose starch(??), Silica, Titanium Dioxide and Vegetable Glycerin. So I crunched one of the pills to powder and put it on a teaspoon -- I know what 1000 mgs looks like on a teaspoon and lo and behold it was over 1000 mgs.
So my question is this -- if that huge pill contained only 400 mgs of mag citrate then what did the other 600 mgs contain ? Hint: Think Codex Alimentarius.
Secondly, I have mentioned several times on EC that sodium tetraborate is less toxic than common table salt. What is advised as a borax dosage by Ted from Bangkok represents a micronutrient dosage -- nowhere near a dangerous dose.
You can also easily verify this by checking the MSDS(Material Safety Data Sheet) for sodium tetraborate and sodium chloride(table salt) online and compare the LD50 dosages (lethal median dose) for yourself. MSDS is the absolute bible for usage, toxicity and disposal of all chemicals and is the main standard used in the world today.
Borax
You say it states that borax is toxic especially to infants, I could only find that Boric Acid solutions used as an eye wash or on abraded skin are known to be particularly toxic to infants, especially after repeated use, because of the slow elimination rate. (21) This is taken from: Goodman and Gillman's: The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 6th edition, chapter on Antiseptics and Disinfectants, page 971. I find it interesting that a few sites (who talk about borax being toxic) quote this as a reference but there is never a reference where this came from. I would still err on the side of caution in regards to infants.
There is NO WHERE on EC that borax is recommended at these levels, not even close. Nor is boric acid recommended to be taken orally. Plus it is only recommended to be taken 4 days on and 3 days off.
Baking Soda
It can also be very drying if used too frequently and, conversely, can also exacerbate oily scalp conditions.
Personally, I avoid using baking soda/bicarb, preferring to wet my hair, then apply Aloe Vera gel to my scalp and hair, 'scrub', and then rinse.
Borax
★★★★★
When you are low on the borax water I add water and/or borax to keep the level right in the jug.
I hope this helps.
Baking Soda
I do the 'vodka/bicarb skin clean' regularly and have been soap free for ages. It's awesome when I use that Australian Brand.
After spending some months in Fiji and now New Zealand I've discovered that all brands of sodium bicarbonate are not equal. Every other I have tried has been comparatively nasty.. only partially dissolves.. remains grey coloured instead of pure white, is abrasive on my skin.. smells slightly of urea. I question it's purity and how it might affect my health.
My point is not to judge the bicarb skin cleaner as bad if the product you buy is gritty and won't fully dissolve. An ultra pure version of the stuff may not be available in your country. This being the case, try one of the alternatives.
Baking Soda
Baking Soda
★★★★★
Your delight has made us all ecstatic. You have made our day. Too bad this knowledge gets lost over time. Thank you for resurrecting .
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Borax
★★★★★
Baking Soda
Baking Soda, Apple Cider Vinegar
★★★★★
Here are some medical and U. S. government fact sheets about its toxicity:
SD Fincher
Borax
Borax
Borax
Egg Yolk and Lime Juice Shampoo
★★★★★
★★★★★
Your hair will feel dry or cottony when its wet, but once dry it will be soft. You can use conditioner after use, but not needed. I used this on my oily hair without washing my hair with shampoo first, actually i didnt use shampoo at all, and my hair was swqueeky clean!
Baking Soda
Baking Soda
Egg Yolk and Apple Cider Vinegar
★★★★★
The next method I did was much much cleaner, I would cut a slice of the plant , squeeze and apply the fresh gel directly to scalp in sections, message the gel into my scalp until it disappeared. The best part was that the gel can be left in and I experienced NO build up! No joke, I experienced instant results that was just me though, everyones condition is different. Talk about a miracle in a plant GOODNESS! Google Melissa's produce or you may be able to obtain the whole aloe plant locally, the bitterness in the plant does make a difference from experience. Hope it gets better for you.
Borax
★☆☆☆☆
WARNING!
Borax
1.Yes it hydrolyses (is split up when in water) into boric acid and a salt. But it is actually quite a complex situation. Some of it will also form a borate anion (charged particle) which acts as an alkali. This means that overall it acts as a buffer (pushes mixtures back to neutral when they become too acidic or too alkaline, either of which would be undesirable on your hair or skin). So you need to read information about borax, not boron or boric acid, to find out safety data - as it will be describing the overall situation, not just part of it.
2. Most materials are toxic or dangerous if used to an extreme. For example, Warfarin is used as a heart medication, but is also a rat poison. Vitamin A is toxic in excess. Drinking alcohol can also be toxic if you consume enough in one go. Just because something is toxic if you consume enough, doesn't make it dangerous in small quantities. Borax is used in food, health supplements and eye washes. So it is probably reasonable to assume its is safe diluted on your hair.
3. If you are going to read information like safety data sheets, or pharmaceutical information, make sure you read it all, and check what it means if you don't understand it. The 15 to 20 grams quoted as being toxic, is as already pointed out by Maria, is 15 to 20grams PER KILOGRAM OF YOUR BODY WEIGHT. That is a lot (especially if you weigh what I do)!
4. I am not a cockroach or ant. The method that borax uses to kill insects is not a mechanism that works on humans. It may sound dramatic to say it is a poison, but it's not relevant to human use.
5. Be aware when reading Material Safety Data Sheets that different countries have different rules about what is included and how it is said. They are intended as guides for professional or laboratory use not really for consumers. Its a good idea to read them to look for dangers but it is necessary to put them in context.
For example, some will say to wear gloves when using all materials in a laboratory. For example the UK version for table salt says this. The requirements to wear gloves can sound sinister, as if you need to do it to avoid terrible skin problems, but in fact it is a standard comment for most things.
Try looking up the US MSDS for acetic acid (the main ingredient that along with water makes up kitchen vinegar) http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9922769. It lists all kinds of dangers of skin exposure and toxicities.... it's even corrosive to metals (Borax data looks like no problem at all by comparison), but knowing that these are referring to extreme circumstances, and that in vinegar it is greatly diluted, I am happy to use it (diluted even further) to rinse my hair.
Baking Soda
★★★★★
★★★★★
She asked for an audience member who would volunteer not to wash their hair for 2 years. After ages and no one seeming willing she asked a girl with extremely long hair she noticed debating it with her friend if she would try it, and she agreed. The following year she returned and said her hair was amazing and you could see a huge difference as well.
She said for 2 or three months her hair smelled musty, which was probably all the toxic shampoo and conditioner coming out. Then it became so healthy thick and shiny it was like her hair was reborn. Two years later, a national newspaper tracked her down to see if she had stayed off washing it. She said it was even better again and she would never ever put soap and water or anything on it as it was fabulous and getting better all the time.
Her friend's who were laughing at her for the first few month's walking around with dull lank smelly hair. All admitted they were NOT laughing now and were all envious of her beautiful tresses.
Borax
Borax
Borax
Borax
good morning I am french which type of borax can I use for hair shampoo thanks JPS
Borax
Baking Soda, Apple Cider Vinegar
Baking Soda, Apple Cider Vinegar
Baking Soda, Apple Cider Vinegar
Baking Soda, Apple Cider Vinegar
Baking Soda, Apple Cider Vinegar
Baking Soda, Apple Cider Vinegar
Baking Soda, Apple Cider Vinegar
Baking Soda, Apple Cider Vinegar
Also I would deeply recommend argan oil as conditioner, especially since henna and baking soda both can dry out the hair. Argan oil, try and get it pure is the BEST oil I've ever tried on my scin and hair. It is made from argan tree, which is only to be found in morocco, and it is one of the most nutritious oils we have, much more than coconut and olive.
Also, I used to pluck my eyebrows really thin ever since my teenagers, a year ago I stopped and tried making it grow back out, and it was just so thin :( I've been rubbing argan oil in it every night for a month, and I can already see it is much much fuller. So I have started rubbing my lashes as well :) good luck ladies, and thank you for the tips you shared :)
Baking Soda, Apple Cider Vinegar
Baking Soda, Apple Cider Vinegar
Baking Soda, Apple Cider Vinegar
