A video went around facebook recently: “Sh*t Crunchy Mamas Say”…. I’ve said most of them. Nathan often teases me that I’m a hippy in disguise. I use family cloth, breastfeed, cloth diaper, practice elimination communication, baby-wear, am delaying vaccinations, use homeopathics & herbal medicine, & bed-share. I had a homebirth with a doula and midwives, and encapsulated my placenta. I’m studying the use of herbs and aromatherapy. I know how to make bread and soft cheeses at home, although I don’t do either as often as I’d like. We use coconut oil for all sorts of things. We have a “bug out kit” in the front porch so that if we needed to evacuate in a hurry we’d have the basics we need to survive on for a while. We eat about 2/3 vegetarian, and most of the meat we use is purchased locally from a farmer-friend we trust. We only use household & personal care products that are both planet and human friendly - I make as many of those products as I can.
Before I start sounding too virtuous though, I ate Chocolate Cheerios for breakfast, and polished off a couple hot dogs for lunch yesterday. I don’t eat enough fresh fruits and vegetables. I like the *idea* of exercise but more often than not I spend the time watching tv instead. I have a sweet tooth and would gladly eat sugary stuff at every meal of the day and snacks in between (ahem – I’m eating Chocolate Cheerios straight out of the box while I type). I have black thumbs so don’t garden – the only thing I’ve managed to keep alive is an aloe vera and a few potted tomatoes. Nathan & I both own cars which we drive regularly. I don’t rinse out my jars when I recycle. I really enjoy a long hot shower, and I still shave. I own a smartphone & can’t imagine giving up that piece of technology. I’m pretty much addicted to facebook. I know how to can/preserve things but am totally envious of how much food my friends Lesley & Suzanne put up each year. I’m kind of a hippy… kind of in disguise.
All that being said, there is a constant tug-of-war between my desire to live in a way that is human and planet friendly, our need to live frugally, and how much effort I want to put into these things. We’re certainly not poor, but if we had to purchase ready-made all the household & personal things that I make, we wouldn’t be able to afford to live as eco-consciously. When you make it yourself you have full control over the ingredients, and you save both money and plastic packaging. But sometimes I just feel lazy and so I don’t make the effort that I should. I mostly skip canning/preserving because it means I have to wash more dishes in the process. I hate dishes.
Anyhow - one of the products which has eluded me is Shampoo/Conditioner. I’ve tried a variety of recipes and never been happy with the results, so I buy either Prairie Naturals or Nature Clean Herbal. Both are good products IMO and are the most reasonably priced shampoo/conditioner I’ve been able to find. Still, $13.99 for a 500mL bottle (60¢ per use) rubs the wrong way when you know you can buy a bottle of cheap ordinary shampoo for less than $5 for 1000mL (10¢ per use) So about a month ago I started something I never thought I’d do…. I went shampoo free. Apparently we don’t really need shampoo, and we only need conditioner because we use shampoo. I made a mix of 15mL baking soda to 250mL water to wash with (I used about 1/3 of it on my shoulder length layered curly hair) and did the same ratio for an Apple Cider Vinegar rinse. I’ve been told that it can take a few weeks for your hair & scalp to adjust to this new regime but so far so good. I bought a boar bristle hair brush for $10, and that helps too as it distributes the oil from your scalp. My hair looks a little different, but I’m still comfortable going out of the house with it. The baking soda/ACV regime works out to a measly 6¢ per use, so I'm hopeful that the good results will continue.
Before I start sounding too virtuous though, I ate Chocolate Cheerios for breakfast, and polished off a couple hot dogs for lunch yesterday. I don’t eat enough fresh fruits and vegetables. I like the *idea* of exercise but more often than not I spend the time watching tv instead. I have a sweet tooth and would gladly eat sugary stuff at every meal of the day and snacks in between (ahem – I’m eating Chocolate Cheerios straight out of the box while I type). I have black thumbs so don’t garden – the only thing I’ve managed to keep alive is an aloe vera and a few potted tomatoes. Nathan & I both own cars which we drive regularly. I don’t rinse out my jars when I recycle. I really enjoy a long hot shower, and I still shave. I own a smartphone & can’t imagine giving up that piece of technology. I’m pretty much addicted to facebook. I know how to can/preserve things but am totally envious of how much food my friends Lesley & Suzanne put up each year. I’m kind of a hippy… kind of in disguise.
All that being said, there is a constant tug-of-war between my desire to live in a way that is human and planet friendly, our need to live frugally, and how much effort I want to put into these things. We’re certainly not poor, but if we had to purchase ready-made all the household & personal things that I make, we wouldn’t be able to afford to live as eco-consciously. When you make it yourself you have full control over the ingredients, and you save both money and plastic packaging. But sometimes I just feel lazy and so I don’t make the effort that I should. I mostly skip canning/preserving because it means I have to wash more dishes in the process. I hate dishes.
Anyhow - one of the products which has eluded me is Shampoo/Conditioner. I’ve tried a variety of recipes and never been happy with the results, so I buy either Prairie Naturals or Nature Clean Herbal. Both are good products IMO and are the most reasonably priced shampoo/conditioner I’ve been able to find. Still, $13.99 for a 500mL bottle (60¢ per use) rubs the wrong way when you know you can buy a bottle of cheap ordinary shampoo for less than $5 for 1000mL (10¢ per use) So about a month ago I started something I never thought I’d do…. I went shampoo free. Apparently we don’t really need shampoo, and we only need conditioner because we use shampoo. I made a mix of 15mL baking soda to 250mL water to wash with (I used about 1/3 of it on my shoulder length layered curly hair) and did the same ratio for an Apple Cider Vinegar rinse. I’ve been told that it can take a few weeks for your hair & scalp to adjust to this new regime but so far so good. I bought a boar bristle hair brush for $10, and that helps too as it distributes the oil from your scalp. My hair looks a little different, but I’m still comfortable going out of the house with it. The baking soda/ACV regime works out to a measly 6¢ per use, so I'm hopeful that the good results will continue.
Nice and honest Sarah. Glad to hear the no-poo thing is still working for you.
ReplyDeleteAre you making your own soap yet Sarah? As you know,I've been making soap for over 10 years. I use it instead of shampoo and even my hairdresser can't find fault with the condition of my hair. Lorne also uses it to shave with, and I use it to make laundry soap as well.
ReplyDeleteWell Naomi, people who know me in real life read this, so I have to be honest. ;) LOL
ReplyDeleteMary - no, I haven't ventured into soap yet, but my friend Naomi (who commented just above you) & I are planning to try this summer when we can do it outside. Although with this weather we might be able to try sooner. I think the only thing we still need to do is buy lye.