Since undergrad I have been passionate about natural hair care, but it wasn't until 2006 that I finally worked up the courage to grow out my hair for a couple of months before chopping all of the chemically frazzled hair from my head. My hair dresser didn't even want to do it. The thing about me is that I usually don't make quick decisions that effect my life in a major way at the drop of the hat. If I make a major decision, I have usually done my research, weighed my options, and mulled over the possibilities. Natural hair care was no different.
Although I had mentally prepared myself for the journey, I didn't realize how difficult it would be in terms of finding products that weren't laced in suffacants, sulfates, parabens, petroleum based products, and other chemicals I couldn't pronounce. That's where my soapmaking and skin products-making adventure began. It has taken years of research and experimenting to develop quality products that are effective to use on natural hair. Back then there were only forums available: very few blog posts and other resources that are now readily available. Now the plethora of information available can be overwhelming at times. I am still learning more and more about how chemicals effect every aspect of our lives, and I am still in the process of switching over all of my household and beauty products as I find ones that are effective and safe. Thankfully I have the ability to make them from scratch and now I am sharing them with the world.
Before you embark on any natural journey, it is really important to know what you are getting into. If you are thinking about natural hair care, here are some useful tips on getting started.
1. Be fully committed.
I don't just mean mentally, I also mean product-wise. You have to be ready to say good-bye to all of your chemically laced products, especially those with silicone. Commercial shampoos, conditioners, and other products are loaded with silicone to make your hair "feel" nice. What they are actually doing is loading up your hair as a chemical layer of protection so that if you try switching to anything else you will end up with a gunky hot mess. Check for silicone by looking for anything with "one" under the ingredients (also dimenthiconol is one of them). Which brings me to tip number two.
2. Go through a detox transitional period.
As with any detox, there is always a period of transition where things don't feel right. You will be frustrated, you will be pushed to your wits end but stick with it. A simple detox is avoiding all silicone, using dry shampoo, washing your hair less frequently, and using an apple cider vinegar rinses (2-4 tablespoons to 16 ounces of water) coupled with baking soda masks to get all of the gunk out of your hair (be sure to use gloves!). Never use the rinse solo over long periods of time, as it can dry out your hair.
3. Enjoy your fuller, healthier hair.
People who fully transition into natural hair care find amazing results using shampoo bars. Often times with shampoo bars your don't have to follow them with a conditioner, just a simple apple cider vinegar rinse that will help balance out your pH, as natural shampoo bars are a higher pH than commercial shampoo. Often times they wash their hair less often because there is little to no build up from the silicone and other chemicals. Most people who truly stick with it have amazing results.
We are here to support your through your journey from our shampoo bars to answering any questions you might have.
Below we have a list of available shampoo bars, that all come in sample sizes. Click on any of the links to read more about them. Also we have a dog shampoo bar and so far what I've found is that they don't need to do a "detox" at all!
Large Beer Shampoo Bar (average hair)
Sample Beer Shampoo Bar (average hair)
Large Silk Shampoo Bar (dry hair, cruelty-free)
Sample Silk Shampoo Bar (dry hair, cruelty-free)
Large Babassu & Argan Shampoo Bar (vegan, oily hair)
Sample Babassu & Argan Shampoo Bar (vegan, oily hair)
Dog Shampoo Bar (one size, vegan)
Marquita Bell is soaper-in-chief and the owner of TheBodyBuffet where foodie meets beauty. Based out of Philadelphia, The Body Buffet aims to cultivate beauty inside and out from foodie adventures, self-care tips, and via handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap and more. They use local ingredients when possible and have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009.
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