it has begun.
I love the ideas you guys filled the comments section with after my last post about the Low to No Cost Revolution.
You guys had ideas for low cost shampoo, tips for the laundry soap making experience, cheap wipes and low budget meal ideas.
I really wanted to try some this weekend.
(I probably should have been packing or cleaning, but I was not. Just ask Kevin – I usually start the biggest projects at the worst possible moments. It’s true.)
After reading your suggestions, I decided I would start with Stacy’s shampoo idea.
Stacy said she used baking soda to wash her hair.
At first I was hesitant because I really like my shampoo to smell a certain way. I think I might actually be a shampoo snob.
However, in the spirit of a new way of thinking and re-evaluating priorities, I decided I could give it a try at least.
First, because I hadn’t been able to afford (nor justify) the $17 price tag on the Aveda shampoo of my choice for many long months now anyway. (Does that ridiculous price confirm my hair product snobbery?)
Second, because I had every ingredient required for the task in our cupboards currently, which meant no grocery trip, no gas cost and no money spent whatsoever. (Could there be a more Low to No option?)
Third, because I had been using Kevin’s men-scented shampoo for over a week now and I absolutely do not care for it so what did I have to lose?
I took Stacy’s idea for the shampoo and just combined it in a way that is easier for me to control in the shower.
Two ingredients. my friends. Two ingredients.
Baking soda plus boiling water.
1/4 cup of baking soda to one quart of boiling water.
Cool first, obviously!
Next job – conditioner.
Stacy mentioned that she was using regular conditioner but I wanted to make that from scratch too so I hit up my favorite new place for ideas – Pinterest.
And, of course, I found what I was looking for. A recipe for conditioner. Which I altered a bit. (The link over there is a fantastic website and her directions are more detailed than mine.)
3/4 cup of water, 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of honey, as much aloe vera as I could squeeze out of our aloe vera plant (which was not very much) and as many drops of tea tree oil and peppermint oil as it took to make the potion not smell like apple cider vinegar.
I shook all that up and poured it in another container.
Which leads me to the one part of this project I am less than pleased with.
The containers.
I didn’t happen to have any empty shampoo bottles lying around, which you could always use instead. Except that wouldn’t be all that cute, you know.
And I like cute.
But instead of cute, I think I got something else.
Pretty much, instead of looking as if I am crafting homemade goodness, it looks as if I will be marinating our meat in the shower.
But I know that is not really the point.
The point is this – I spent exactly zero dollars. And I ended up with a bottle of shampoo and a bottle of conditioner.
Low to No.
And, not only that, but the products worked.
And, what’s more, I made Kevin smell my hair both the day of using the shampoo and conditioner and the day after using the shampoo and conditioner and he said it smelled great.
The conditioner was really tingly in the shower, but I think that’s a pleasant side effect.
The website where I got the recipes also featured a citrus hairspray concoction.
I’d love to hear if any of you guys try that or try this shampoo and conditioner idea.
I can’t wait to keep cutting trying out your ideas!
5 Comments
alli quebe
I make our shampoo out of a water/herb infusion and castile soap, a little oil and essential oils. It works really well for all of us! And I wanted to tell you about what I use for cleaning because it is so easy, but very effective for cleaning, especially as a disinfectant. You just spray white vinegar and then spray on top of that hydrogen peroxide. I use it in the bathrooms, on counters where I have just cut meat, etc. The method is from a book called Green Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck – it is a great book with a lot of tips for efficient, environmentally- friendly housekeeping.
LaceyKeigley
Sounds like a great cleaning idea. Thank you.
I'd love to hear the exact combinations for your shampoo too. Mine doesn't smell like anything at all currently so that would be nice.
alli quebe
sure – it is a few teaspoons of dried herbs (I use calendula, chamomille and marshmallow root, but you can use so many different others – rosemary, thyme, sage, etc.) to one cup of boiling water. let that steep for 4-6 hours. strain and then add 3 oz of castile soap, 15 drops grapefruit essential oil, 10 drops tea tree eo and 10 drops lemongrass eo and then 1/4 teaspoon of olive oil. obviously, a lot more ingredients than the baking soda and water:), but i think if you wanted you could just add your eo's to what you are doing. and the different eo's have different functions, so just be sure you are putting in what will give you the desired results – for example, i put orange and grapefruit in my last batch and it really dried my hair out! hope this helps!
Terry
I may try that shampoo idea when my current bottle of store bought runs out. Could you add something else to make it suit your sense of smell? I know that might up the price tag a smidge. But for those who are snobs a few drops of scent might make or break the project results. (I'm addicted to my rosemary mint shampoo. But it is a bit pricey.) Love the ideas here.
LaceyKeigley
I think you could definitely add scent. Rosemary mint is one of my favorites too – which is why I added tea tree and pepperminty – the scent is super similar!! Invigorating!