Natural hair care

For many years I have been interested in natural haircare, and concerned with all the chemicals in shampoo.

Thirteen years ago I was in the UK and it was easy to choose from many natural product shampoos, but still I was concerned about all the ingredients - the main ones seem the same as regular shampoos.

Edward has always used soap on his hair, but I was too afraid to try it, as I've always been told soap is really alkaline and will ruin hair, and he cuts his hair before any damage could be noticed.

Then about six years ago I became aware of the 'no poo' no shampoo movement, and just read about using bicarbonate of soda on hair followed by vinagre to flatten the cuticles, but never tried it.

When we moved here, four years ago I thought I'd try it. I liked the tingle on my scalp, and I could hear the squeek, but my hair didn't seem too stripped of oil, and then after using the vinagre I though my hair looked a bit unwashed still, but anyway...

I have continued this for the past four years thinking I was being really good for my hair, and the planet etc.

Then a month ago I went to the hair dressers for a trim, and I can't believe she did it, but she chopped off eight inches from the back, and twelve from the front. My hair used to be above my elbow in length, but now I have an awful mullet.

What a shock!!! All the time she was going on about how damaged and dry and ruined my hair was!

It is true actually now I think back, that my hair was a bit like straw, but I liked the way it changed colour to a  lighter shade - thanks to the dreadful damage.

Now, a month later, I have admitted the truth to myself that I might have actually ruined my hair using such strong alkali for so long.

So I looked up in the internet about how shampoos and other products clean hair.

There is a wonderful scientific lady in the UK somewhere, who has done lots of experiments on her own hair, and her husband's hair.

She has taken strands of unwashed hair, and then looked at them under a microscope having washed them with different products.

Her results were so interesting!

The bicarbonate of soda wash left as much oil on the hair as just water.

The vinagre left as much oil on the hair too.

Soap also left lots of oil.

Shampoo left it the cleanest, and conditioner-only left the hair very clean.

It turns out the bicarbonate has been doing nothing for my hair all this time, apart from degrading it due to the strong alkali which has lifted the hair follicle, and caused it to become damaged.

If I think about it, my hair was always a bit greasy, but I thought it was all good and natural.

I'm using shampoo now, and conditioner again. I don't wash my hair every day, and all the ingredients are safe for septic tanks and degradable.

I'm growing my hair back, and I see how foolish I have been. I knew the science behind alkali and hair proteins. I just wanted to believe the cool people!

I just want anyone else with lovely long hair to think twice about using bicarb or soap, and to look for real research into this craze, not just someone saying its 'really good man!'.

It is very sad, but I have certainly learned a lot from having my hair chopped off!!

My hair feels lovely and silky again now.