Sunday, August 7, 2011

Extra Crunchy Beauty Care

This all started when I was surfing the 'net for curly hair products. I didn't do my annual shearing this spring and my hair is getting long and wild. I’ve been using products with silicon-based polymers to keep my hair looking good. This has begun a vicious cycle: the more I use, the more I need.

I ran across several references to DevaCurl products for curly hair and the no-poo method of haircare. I've ordered some DevaCurl products, but in the mean time I've done more research on no-poo.

I decided to experiment. I washed my hair thoroughly with Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo to remove the 'cone residue. Then I washed my hair with a mix of 1 tablespoon of baking soda with 1 cup of water and followed up with a rinse of 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with 1 cup of water. My hair and scalp felt cleaner than they have in years and my curls sprang up nicely once dry. This morning my hair looks a bit dry and frizzy, but from what I've read this is a normal reaction to going no-poo. There is a transition period of weeks to months depending on your hair. I'm going to stick with it and see how it goes.

I've located a DevaCurl stylist about a half hour from home. I've made an appointment for next month. I figure that gives my hair about six weeks to come out of shock and hopefully the stylist can do something with it.

While researching I came across a few other crunchy beauty care ideas.

First of all I made up a scrub of equal parts EVOO and sugar, about ¼ cup each, and used this as a body scrub. My skin is absolutely fabulous.

Next I did an evening facial cleansing with a mix of 1 part Castor oil and 4 parts EVOO. I rubbed about ½ teaspoon into my skin and then covered my face with a warm, wet microfiber washcloth until it cooled. I then used the washcloth to wipe the oil from my face. My skin was clean, soft and didn't need any moisturizer. That was the first time I went to bed without moisturizing my face in years. This is known as the oil cleansing method (OCM).

In the morning I took about ½ teaspoon of pure raw honey and rubbed it into my skin then rinsed my face with warm water and patted it dry. Again, my skin was clean, soft and didn't need any moisturizer.

Lastly, I made up a mix of 1 part baking soda and 6 parts corn starch. I used a powder puff to apply this to my underarms as a deodorant. To my complete and utter amazement I've used this all weekend with better results than any commerical deodorant. I'm so convinced that this is a superior product that I'm going to use it tomorrow when I go to work.

With this weekend of experimentation I'm feeling extra-crunchy!