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EC: Kathy, we found a huge jar of citric acid in an Asian grocery store for just a couple of dollars! Think it was in the spice section...
Sugar Shampoo
Chemicals in Commerical Shampoo
So, when I found this link and clicked on it and it talked about recipes and such and how there are so many dangerous chemicals a vast majority of the shampoos etc. on the market today and have been for a long time. I was shocked. I knew that there were alcohols in shampoos as well as some other stuff but I didn't realize it was this bad and I had no idea how hazardous some of those chemicals could be to one's health!
By accident I found this cosmetic database website called cosmeticdatabase.com and looked up some of the ingredients of the some of the shampoos and conditioners I have been using on my hair for years and what I found pissed me off royally. Did you know that some of chemicals that are used in our shampoos and conditioners etc. here in the United States have been banned in Canada and Japan? That right there is a BIG red flag.
Needless to say after finding all this out I went on a mission to find a company that made chemical free shampoo. In the past I have done business with a internet company (Emporiumnaturals.com) but at that time wasn't aware of the harmful chems in shampoo etc., well it turns out that they make their own shampoo and the ingredients are virtually chemical free they are: Coconut, Castor, Palm, Jojoba, Distilled Water, Soy Protein, Vegetable Glycerin, and Potassium Hydroxide.
So, I purchased some and I really like it the ONLY downside was that with me being African American I needed more moisture so I separated some shampoo into a 4oz bottle and added two small capfulls of castor oil and one capfull of jojoba oil and my hair felt wonderful! My goal is to eventually make my own shampoo but until then this shampoo is great!
I am going to try some of the washes on this website too and think that with time my hair will get better and better. I will update and let everyone know.
Thanks
Baking Soda
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Thank you also to Earth Clinic for creating a new thread for Natural Shampoo Recipes. I think it may prove invaluable for people wishing to turn to alternate solutions.
We all know that many of the common commercial personal care products in the U.S.A. contain synthetic chemicals but I was just not aware of how BAD the situation really might be. Some of our every day use products contain one chemical after the other that may be less than safe.
You can check the Material Safety Data Sheets on the ingredients in your shampoos and other personal care products. The Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are required by the manufacturers. Here is a site where you can enter the chemical and see if it is their database. It is Vermont Safety Information Resources, Inc. I am not affiliated with them, nor do I know anything about them other than that they are cited on the Libraries at the University of California, Santa Barbara website and a link is provided there.
For example, a search for Sodium Laureth Sulfate, also known as SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE, a chemical in many shampoos reveals that it CAUSES IRRITATION TO SKIN, EYES AND RESPIRATORY TRACT. MAY CAUSE ALLERGIC SKIN OR RESPIRATORY REACTION.
Or that the EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM OR REPEATED EXPOSURE (Repeated or prolonged contact) with skin may cause dermatitis.
SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE is in many products. I am not a chemist so I will leave you to do your own research on why this is used.
I was hoping that the more so-called organic or natural product lines would be better, but sadly, I have found they use harsh or synthetic chemicals, too. I just purchased a so called organic skin facial cleanser only to get it home and read that it, too contained SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE; something for your face - that is linked to skin problems!
MORE seriously, some of the chemicals being used in our cosmetics and personal products may have had one or more studies done that suggest that the chemicals may be linked to cancer or immune system issues.
It is far too vast for me to try to relay here. (I will also leave you to figure out for yourself why this use of these known hazards is permitted in the U.S.A.)
Since many of the people posting here are experiencing serious health problems, I wanted to add this to your arsenal of natural health remedies: Check up on what you are using on your body.
I wish I could say that I have found a reliable internet source with integrity that can offer guidance in this matter, but I have not. They seem to either offer incomplete information or are connected to commercial or other pursuits. The information they are presenting can%uFFFDt be trusted because they either are selling something outright, or they have links to where you can buy the products. (The way the internet is nowadays, if you have a link to a product you are probably getting a kickback.) In that case, you have to question their motivation and question the information; it may be biased. It is also possible that it may be distorted or just plain inaccurate. Also, some of them are accused of using scare tactics. But of course, that doesn%uFFFDt mean that we aren%uFFFDt facing a very real threat from too many toxic chemicals. Yes, a tricky spot to be in.
If you do your own research, I strongly encourage you to look at who it is that is providing the information. See if they are selling products, if not, what is their mission? Go to their "About us" page if they have one and form an educated judgment based on how they present themselves. Run separate searches to see how they are referred to elsewhere on the web. Most importantly, do they provide substantiation for their claims? You can't just take the statements on face value. If you can't see the source listed you have to ask them what their source is. If they can't give you a source, then you must question their real motives for publishing the information.
Your local university or public libraries might be able to provide information on the studies done on the chemicals as reported in scientific journals. It is up to the consumer to look at who conducted the study, to interpret the findings, and decide whether a product is right for themselves. But it is still tricky for the lay person to know how to interpret these studies. I know there is at least one book for the layperson out there on safety in cosmetics. You could probably find it easily by googling key search words. I don't know anything about whether it is well regarded, but I'm going to see if my library can obtain for me it through the interlibrary loan system.
Maybe if we all put our heads together we can figure this out. In the meanwhile, I for one am only using natural products on my body right now.
I wish everyone light and peace on their health journeys!
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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!
