Natural Hair Care + Dry Shampoo Recipe

As women, there is just something about taking care of your hair that most of us really relate to. I don’t know many women who can just roll out of bed and go. Even if it’s very minimal, most girls give their hair at least some attention at the beginning of the day before letting anyone dare lay eyes on them. I’ve always been really interested in hair and makeup, and even though I’ve never considered myself a hair expert, I definitely tried to take care of it the best I could. So when I started trying to use more natural products in my life I of course took a good, hard look at the hair care products I was using. Unfortunately this caused me to give up many of my favorite products because as I soon realized, nearly every popular hair product on the market is practically made up of harsh and potentially harmful chemicals.

At first I was rather at a loss for what to do and there were times I used very basic, natural products to try and wash my hair like baking soda or castile soap. I know many people who have used these with no problems, but for me they either just didn’t make my hair feel clean, or they made it feel like straw… So I started searching for the best, most natural, yet actually effective shampoo and conditioner I could find. It took a few tries, but I eventually found one that I absolutely love and I haven’t turned back since. It’s called Shea Moisture. I use the Coconut and Hibiscus Curl and Shine, but there are tons of different options for different hair types. It really makes my hair feel totally clean, silky and not weighed down. And the best part is that the ingredients are amazing… all totally real, pronounceable ingredients with nothing harsh added. Win!!

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There are also a few other products by Shea Moisture like curl enhancing creams and hair masks. Nearly all of them are perfectly pure, so I really haven’t had to look much further for most of my every day hair needs! However, I still haven’t found a totally natural hairspray that I love, so if any of you have any suggestions definitely leave a comment! 🙂

One of the only downsides to this natural shampoo is the price. It’s not even insanely expensive compared to many “higher quality” typical shampoos , but compared to the inexpensive shampoos I used to use, it’s definitely not as cost effective! But thankfully a little of this shampoo goes a long way. I’ve also started washing my hair less often not only to save more money, but because it truly is healthier for your hair! It’s great to let your hair breathe a little and allow the natural oils to balance out without being stripped away. This will allow your hair to become naturally shiny and healthy without trying to overproduce oil in order to make up for them being stripped off.

I’ve also learned to make it through the no-shampoo days by using homemade, totally natural dry shampoo! When I first heard the ingredients I thought it was very strange, but now it’s become a total life saver when my hair starts to get that dreaded “greasy” look. Plus it is made of two incredibly simple ingredients- Arrowroot powder and cocoa powder! The arrowroot powder is wonderful for absorbing the extra oils and giving your roots a little bit of lift. Then you simply add cocoa powder until the dry shampoo is the color you need! For light, blonde hair you can either use the arrowroot powder by itself or with a tiny bit of cocoa powder, and for very dark hair you may want to use half arrowroot powder, half cocoa powder. You may just want to mess with it until you get the perfect amount for your hair. For my auburn colored hair I typically use about 2/3 arrowroot and 1/3 cocoa.

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You can also add a few drops of your favorite essential oils to the mixture to add fragrance. Geranium, Ylang ylang, and Cedarwood are some of my favorites for hair, and they all smell great! Geranium gives a great floral fragrance and is great for nourishing hair, Ylang ylang is also floral but much more subtle and rich with an almost smokey scent, and Cedarwood is a very woodsy, warm smell. Cedarwood and Ylang Ylang both encourage hair growth and I’ve used them quite a bit for helping with post partum hair loss. Ylang ylang is my absolute favorite which I use in my everyday perfume and has such a lovely, sensual smell. Definitely the perfect addition to your new dry shampoo! To read more about why I love these essential oils so much, see this post!

The main point I want to get across is that we really need to figure out what all is lurking in the hair products we’re using. It’s debated whether all of these chemicals are really all that bad, but there are studies that show that parabens, a preservative in many hair products, can mimic estrogen and potentially really wreak havoc on your hormones. There are plenty of other questionable ingredients like sulfates, fragrances and phthalates that are worrisome as well. With the insane rise in hormonal and endocrine disorders in our society, it definitely makes you wonder… So if you’re at all concerned about these potentially serious consequences, why not start digging a little deeper and figuring out exactly what you’re putting in your hair. There are so many amazing alternatives, you might as well try them out! There is nothing like the peace of knowing you’re doing everything you can to keep yourself and your family as safe as possible.

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If you’re interested in studies or links showing the harmful effects of these porducts, check out the information below, and definitely do your own research as well!!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3572204/

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890623810000158

https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/wp-content/uploads/advpub/2014/3/ehp.1307261.pdf

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2 Comment

  1. Jeanne Boling says: Reply

    Where can you buy this shampoo?

    1. KelseyHodge says: Reply

      You can get it at Kroger, Walgreens, and a few other drugstores as well I believe! Or you can also order it online 🙂

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