Money, Money, Monday: Save it by going 'poo-free

If you're like me, there's nothing like waking up, hopping in the shower and coming out feeling sparkling fresh and clean. Showering recharges you, wakes you up and starts you off on the right foot. But did you know that you can make most of the products you use in the shower? It costs a lot less than you pay for them at the store and they work just as well! Today we'll start by talking about shampoo & conditioner. Chances are you use a commercialized shampoo product that is loaded with different chemicals and a ton of fragrance. Right? Shampoo is a hair care product that is designed to remove dirt, oils, pollutants and other contaminants from hair. Unfortunately, when you remove the oil, your scalp reacts by creating more of it since it has been stripped. You especially notice it after a couple of days, or if you have oily skin by nature, possibly by mid-day. However, there is a way to clean your hair, get rid of the contaminants without using shampoo, and eventually De-grease your hair. It's called the "'poo-free method."

Would it freak you out if I told you I haven't shampooed my hair since....Early November 2011? Please still be my friend even if it does and keep reading...

I haven't. And my hair hasn't looked this good in a long, long time. I don't use any hair product after showering either because my once crazy baby hair around my face has been tamed. And, my hair is super shiny without any tangles.

Here's the method:

My "shampoo" is a mixture of 1 tbsp. baking soda to 1 cup water.

I make this mixture fresh every time I clean my hair. (Some people that use this method make large batches of it and store it in containers in the shower, but for the amount that you go through you'd be mixing up a new container every few days.) I pour the entire solution onto the roots of my hair and really massage it in. Then I leave it in for a couple of minutes and then wash it out completely. This mixture does not lather and it will not feel at all like a traditional shampoo, but it does clean your hair. It does not strip the oil out of you hair though, so until your hair and scalp adjusts to it you may go through an oily period between 1-2 weeks. After that, your body will not over-produce oil and it will be much less greasy looking. 

My conditioner is just as easy. It's mixture of 1 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar to 1 cup water.

Like a traditional conditioner, it goes on the ends of your hair and not the scalp. Pour it on, let it sit, and rinse it out. Done. Like the shampoo, it will not feel like commercialized conditioner, but it works just as well. Once you rinse out the ACV and dry your hair it will not smell like vinegar. Your hair will smell like nothing (unless you add essential oils, then it can smell like whatever you want it to). You will have to use a wide toothed comb or a paddle brush to get the tangles out the first couple of times you use it, but after your hair adjusts to it it will brush out easily.

There's a lot more information on the web about this method of shampooing. Just google it and a whole lotta info will come up.

Here's the price breakdown:

Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (16 oz): ~$1

Apple Cider Vinegar (Store brand, 32 oz): $1.69

Note: I've been using the same container of ACV since November and I'm not anywhere near being done yet.

Questions? Please leave them in the comment box. Here's to our first Moolah Monday. Hope you enjoyed it and you consider trying this method!

-Kaitlin