I’ve had quite a few people ask about the shampoo bars and the best way to use them. Today I thought I would explain how I use them, and some of the other things you can do to keep your hair looking beautiful and your scalp healthy. The hair on our heads is primarily dead keratin cells and is called the hair shaft, much of this is exposed at the skins surface, the rest is rooted deep in the dermis layer of our skin. It is important that we take care of the skin on the scalp, keeping it clean and hydrated, it is usually irritation to, or over stimulation of the skin on the scalp that causes a lot of issues.
Many of the liquid shampoos, conditioners and hair colourants available have ingredients which are irritants to the skin. I think that most of us think of cleaning and conditioning our hair, when really we should be thinking about looking after the skin of the scalp. I have people come and show me the dermatitis, or eczema, at the base of their skulls or around their temples, their scalps are often itchy, overheated and flaky. These problems can be caused by a number of things and I do not claim to be able to heal or cure them. But, I do suggest that they try to heal the skin of their scalp and most importantly start using natural products without all the colours, chemicals and fragrances.
When I get asked to suggest a body or facial bar for someone with sensitive skin, I always suggest trying something unscented and uncoloured, often it will contain other ingredients that have healing and soothing qualities, for example, colloidal oatmeal, or a milk based product, or honey. The same things apply if you have problems with your scalp, if you can get the skin on your scalp healthy, beautiful healthy hair is easy to achieve. I formulate my shampoo bars to cleanse and condition the scalp and they will often contain ingredients that will benefit the hair shaft as well.
The best way to use a shampoo bar is to wet your hands and get a good lather happening, while doing this wet the hair, then rub the bar and the lather other the head. Lather the bar in the hands again then massage the lather through the hair roots and scalp, rinse well, this can be repeated if the hair is particularly dirty, but not really necessary. You can also use a homemade rinse on your hair, but it is a personal choice, if your hair is colour treated it may feel very dry, and adding a bottled conditioner may make it feel nice, but may be adding chemicals that are not so nice for your scalp.
Here is a simple hair rinse recipe that is very easy to make and use.
Ingredients
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar (the types that still contain the Mother are the best)
1 Cup water, tap water is fine
Instructions
I find the best way is to mix in a clean squirt bottle, easy to find in most cheap stores or local supermarkets. Premix before jumping in the shower, then just shake and apply to hair and scalp, avoiding the face and eyes, massage for a minute or two then rinse. This conditioner works well and is safe for all hair types, it will smooth the hair and eliminate any build up that may occur with some shampoo bars, and I promise your hair will not smell like vinegar.
Please note that my shampoo bars do not contain SLS, SLES, OR SCS, all of which are surfactants (These chemicals make the abundance of bubbles and lather in a lot of commercial liquid shampoo and shampoo bars).
