Every single day, we are exposed to chemicals and toxins that can negatively impact our health. With little to no government oversight, many of our cosmetics and beauty products include chemicals that can impact our hormones, increase inflammation, and unknowingly, cause us to prematurely age and gain weight. Not surprisingly, preservatives, fragrance, sulfates (known to be carcinogens), phthalates (linked to reproductive issues), parabens (linked to breast cancer), DMDM hydantoin (known to cause the release of formaldehyde) and surfactants in our shampoos can keep us from having optimal health.
So what’s a girl to do?
Will there are really three options.
- You can look for more natural shampoos and conditioners. I have found several brands that I love but they tend to be pricey.
- You can choose the “No Poo” lifestyle.
- Make your own non-toxic shampoo.
I like all of these options and alternate between them. I’m also a big fan of using rosemary oil to reduce hair thinning (Panahi, Taghaizadeh, Marony, Sahebkar, 2015) and frankincense oil to strengthen hair roots so I include them in my shampoo.
This takes only minutes to make, smells yummy, and costs pennies per ounce.
Ingredients:
6 ounces Aloe Vera Gel
1/2 ounce Dr. Bronners 18-1 Hemp Baby Unscented Pure Castille Soap
4 TB Baking Soda
3 TB organic, unfiltered olive oil
10-15 drops pure rosemary essential oil
10 drops pure frankincense essential oil
Directions:
With a whisk, mix the ingredients in a glass container.
Pour into a BPA or glass container. I like mine to have a pump for easy use in the shower. Use every 2-4 days. Try to skip shampooing in between days but rinse and massage scalp as often as you like.
Reference
Panahi, Y., Taghizadeh, M., Marzony, E. T., & Sahebkar, A. (2015). Rosemary oil vs minoxidil 2% for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia: a randomized comparative trial. Skinmed, 13(1), 15-21.