"Johnson & Johnson Gently Poisons Babies With Its Shampoo"

^ Click to read more about this important issue!!

I’ve posted about this a while ago, but this is an updated article with newer information.

PS: If you read some of the comments below the article, people give alternative shampoos to use for babies (rather than the more expensive Johnson & Johnson Naturals shampoo product).  In my opinion, you actually don’t need to wash a baby’s hair at all.  Check out my post on going Shampoo Free and the same applies to babies.  Actually, you technically don’t ever need to begin washing a baby’s hair from the infant stages.  A gentle “no ‘poo” rinse (see previous blog post, linked above) will do.  Hair is naturally self-cleansing and self-controlling if you never mess with it’s cycle to begin with.  Artificial cleansers and detergents (which is what commercial shampoos are with all those chemicals involved) only cause damage to hair follicles and eliminate our hair’s naturally ability to control oil production.  In other words, baby shampoo is unnecessary to begin with. Especially if using an all natural (REALLY all natural) shampoo is out of the question (due to either availability or cost).

Back to Basics: "Why you should choose Sodium Lauryl Sulfate free hair and body care"

SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) is a chemical found in the majority of our store-bought personal care products today (unless, of course, you a buying a truly all natural product).  SLS is added toothpaste, facial cleansers, body wash, soap, shampoo, and laundry detergent as a inexpensive foaming agent.  Basically, without this toxic chemical, your personal care products would not have those lathery bubbles that make you think your teeth, hair, skin, and clothes are getting an extreme clean.

In reality, tooth, hair, skin, and laundry cleansing products CAN be made (and actually DO exist) without the toxic chemical that forms the bubbles and lather that we’ve grown to relate to “clean”.  And although SLS-Free products may not lather as much (or at all) when they are used, they absolutely still clean the same (probably BETTER) than the chemical laden products we are used to.

SLS was a chemical that was originally used for industrial cleansing purposes and was never meant to be used in such close contact with our delicate skin.

SLS is a major skin-irritant and actually strips your skins natural moisture, drying out skin in the long run, and destroys the skins natural barrier to outside elements (it also dries out hair follicles and will eventually make your hair lose it’s natural shine).  Without the skin’s protective barrier, toxins from outside the body can easily enter the body.  The toxic chemical SLS itself can also penetrate the skin (and scalp), and enter the bloodstream, accumulating it’s toxic properties internally, as well.

Because of it’s ability to penetrate the skin and enter the body, SLS is often used as a way to allow the “vitamins”, “minerals” and “moisturizers” of the product to enter be absorbed into the deepest layers of the skin.  The problem is that SLS itself is a toxic chemical that is being absorbed into the skin and the body, and it is also allowing all of those chemical laden ingredients of the product that you use into your skin and body as well (and believe me, the ingredients list is FILLED with chemicals…check it out for yourself!).

SLS accumulates in your body over time and is often found in the brain, heart, liver, and other organs.  So even if every product you use has SLS in it as a LAST ingredient (which means it is used in the product the least…although there are no measurements/specifics listed on labels), just think of how many products you use on a daily basis (some multiple times a day) that have even the smallest amount of SLS in it.  — SIDENOTE: SLS is often a first or middle ingredient! — Not to mention all of the other chemicals and preservatives that product is filled with in addition to the SLS (which helps those other toxins be absorbed into your body!)

Avoid these chemical laden products WHENEVER POSSIBLE  (especially if you see SLS on the list!!) and stick with your truly ALL NATURAL products (or make your own cleansing products when possible…recipes for homemade laundry detergent, toothpaste, and others, coming soon as future Back to Basic posts!). 

PS:  For clean hair, don’t forget that going “no ‘poo” is always a healthy and inexpensive alternative to expensive all natural shampoos, and chemical-filled conventional shampoos.  Click here to read my post about why you should go no ‘poo and how to do it, and here to see the pictures that go with it.

Back to Basics: Shampoo-free!

As a continuation of today’s previous post, regarding my 1 year anniversary of being shampoo & conditioner free, here are the pictures I promised!

I don’t have pictures of the detox period.  But as you can imagine, it was pretty bad (extreme greasiness) — and like I said before, this greasiness lasts only a week or two before your hair becomes completely normal & naturally clean!  I specifically went 3 days without washing or wetting my hair to “detox” and right after those 3 days, I began using the BS/ACV mixtures about every other day or so. 

Exactly one month from when I stopped using shampoo & conditioner completely, I took these pictures:

At exactly a month & a half after going no ‘poo, I took the following pictures to document the outcome:

^ This silly picture is after I blow dried, but BEFORE I brushed it. haha

And with just one stroke of the brush, this is the outcome! ^  (No straightener needed!)

Tried to make sure you could really see how my hair turned out, haha

Not bad for not using shampoo or conditioner for a month & a half, right?!

It’s now been a year since I’ve used shampoo & conditioner & I love it.  If you’d like to try going no ‘poo and have any questions or would like more details, feel free to ask!

Check out my explanation of why going no ‘poo is better for you & your hair, and how to clean your hair without using shampoo, here!

It has been 1 year since I’ve used shampoo & conditioner to wash my hair!  (This Monday, Sept. 5th, to be exact). Now, before you judge me (I know it sounds gross), let me explain what I’ve been using to clean my hair instead of shampoo, and why going “no ‘poo” is better than using commercial shampoos to clean your hair.  HOW I CLEAN MY HAIR WITHOUT SHAMPOO (THE NO ‘POO METHOD):  To replace shampoo - Use 1 tablespoon of baking soda mixed into 1 cup of warm water.  I put this in a small reusable bottle with a sports bottle top (pictured above, on left).  This makes it easy to open the top and squeeze a bunch over the top of my head in the shower.  This recipe can be multiplied to fill a larger bottle, if you’d prefer.  Baking soda is used to cleanse and deodorize.  Applying a little baking soda to your hair will clean your hair and remove build up from use of products and chemical shampoos.  To replace conditioner - Make a hair rinse by combining 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 1 cup of water.  Apply to hair (after cleaning hair with baking soda mixture), and rinse out with cold water.  I double or triple this recipe to fill a large spray bottle (which I bought empty, at a dollar store; pictured above on the right).  That way, I don’t have to make this mixture very often since it lasts me a while.  The apple cider vinegar rinse does not have to be used with every wash.  If you have thinner or more oily hair, you probably won’t need to use the ACV rinse very often, maybe once a week, or every few washes.  If your hair is thicker, or tends to be dry, you may have to use the ACV rinse more often, or even after every baking soda cleanse. Experiment to see what’s best for you.  And don’t worry, it’ll only smell like apple cider vinegar while your applying it.  As soon as it’s rinsed out, you won’t smell it at all!  ACV helps to balance the pH level of your hair, as well as clarifies and detangles hair, while sealing the hair’s cuticle.   After trying the ACV/water mixture alone for a few months, I decided to enhance this step by boiling my water portion and steeping tea bags in the water before mixing the ACV.  You can use whatever herbs or tea you’d like to get extra nutrients into your hair.  I use black tea — black tea is recommended for brunette hair, and it also provides anti-oxidants & additional nutrients to the cleansing process.  Cleaning your hair with BS and ACV allows your hair to take control over itself, naturally.  Once your hair is allowed to fully function on it’s own, and it’s oil glands are under control, you will most likely not need to use hair products anymore since your hair can do what’s right.  People who have gone no ‘poo claim that their hair is less frizzy, has nicer curls (for curly hair), and is more flat/straight (for straight hair) — and it’s true.  My hair has probably never been healthier. It’s not dry or brittle, I don’t use a straightener anymore, and especially don’t use any hair products anymore.  It’s just not necessary now that my hair is able to take care of itself!  It takes my hair about 3-4 days of no BS/ACV cleanse to get as greasy as it used to by going just 1 day without shampoo.  It’s really amazing. WHY GO SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER FREE: 1.  It’s healthier for you and your hair:  Commercial shampoos and conditioners are filled with toxic chemicals.  Everything from the synthetic foaming agent that causes the bubbles that we’ve learned to associate with “clean”, to the artificial fragrances that gives our hair that freshly cleaned scent, to the preservatives that allow the bottle of shampoo to sit on a shelf for months at a time before it even enters our homes, are ALL chemicals that were developed in a lab — and there’s absolutely nothing natural about them.   These chemicals have been shown to cause neurological diseases (including Alzheimer’s), liver damage, and cancer.  These toxins are absorbed through the skin and scalp, and are also found in basically all of our commercial personal care products (including soap, lotion, toothpaste, deodorant, make up, etc). With use of these products, toxic chemicals can get into our bloodstream, and accumulate over time.  Therefore, it is important to eliminate toxic products whenever possible, or switch to an all natural alternative. — Shampoo and conditioner are two products that I have learned are completely unnecessary.  2.  It’s cheaper:  Switching to a completely all natural shampoo and conditioner is expensive (especially if you use shampoo and conditioner every single day, like I used to), and is really not necessary once you realize the baking soda and vinegar mixtures clean your hair just as well, for only a small fraction of the price.  I’ve been using a 5 lb. bag of baking soda for the past year and still haven’t finished the bag yet (that’s including using the baking soda for cleaning my hair, cleaning my house, baking, and for making other all natural skin care products over the last year), and I still have a good amount left!  Actually, the amount that I use to clean my hair is the least amount that I use that bag of baking soda for!  So aside from the fact that you probably already have baking soda & apple cider vinegar in your kitchen for other uses — BS & ACV are cheap!  This is THE absolute only way to save so much money on hair products, while still keeping your hair clean.  I just bought a huge 4 lb. box of BS for only $2.18!  And this will last me at least a year (that’s including all of the other things I use BS for..if I were to just use the BS for my hair, it would last me a few years, I’m sure).  And ACV is almost just as cheap.  For a 16oz bottle of ACV (found at the grocery store), I paid just a dollar or two, and this lasted me about half of the year — considering I bought just 2 of these ACV bottles over the 1 year I’ve been using ACV as a hair rinse.  So if you think about it, I’m spending about $6 over a 1 year span, and still having clean hair! Compare that to the cost of using all natural shampoo & conditioner!  3.  Aside from toxins, shampoo does us more harm than good:  All of us naturally have oils that come from our scalp and go to our strands of hair to provide protection and nourishment to our hair.  When we wash our hair with harsh shampoos (which are really detergents that we use in our hair), our natural oils get stripped away.  Most of us are led to believe that when shampoo washes away the oil in our hair, that it’s a good thing.  But it’s not!  Oily hair is NOT “dirty” hair.  When we use shampoo, our natural oils are stripped away and our hair feels “clean” and “soft” — but these are just the shampoo’s chemicals at work, giving us that instant gratification that we seek.  Overtime, these harsh chemicals cause our hair to become damaged and weak.  And because these are the same chemicals that strip our hair of it’s natural oils, our hair loses it’s ability to protect itself.  Also, by eliminating the natural oils in our hair and scalp as often as we do with use of shampoo, our scalp is fooled into producing more and more oil to protect and nourish our hair — often causing our hair to become greasy/excessively oily whenever we attempt to skip a few days of washing with shampoo.  It’s a very vicious cycle!   *TIP:  Going no ‘poo is a commitment!  Within days of going no ‘poo, your hair will go through a detox period where your scalp will produce excessive amounts of oil since that’s what it was used to the entire time you’ve been using shampoo (which, for most people, is our entire lives).  Since everyone is different, this detox period can last from a week or two to a month.  It completely depends on your hair type and what your hair is used to.  In my situation, I’ve washed my hair with shampoo and conditioner EVERY day for my entire life when I decided to go no ‘poo.  Because of that, my oil glands were out of control and produced excessive amounts of oil whenever I didn’t have shampoo to wash the oils away.  On top of that, my hair is rather thin and oily to begin with, so it gets that “greasy” look VERY easily.  With just a day of not washing my hair with shampoo, my hair would look absolutely disgusting.  So my detox period was pretty rough and lasted a week or two.  During that time, I wore my hair up to cope with the greasiness.  And that’s really the best advice I can give to get through the detox period — headbands and ponytails!   (I’ll post a picture of my hair after a month of going no ‘poo in my next post, to prove that once you get through the detox period, no ‘poo really does work!)

It has been 1 year since I’ve used shampoo & conditioner to wash my hair!  (This Monday, Sept. 5th, to be exact). Now, before you judge me (I know it sounds gross), let me explain what I’ve been using to clean my hair instead of shampoo, and why going “no ‘poo” is better than using commercial shampoos to clean your hair. 

HOW I CLEAN MY HAIR WITHOUT SHAMPOO (THE NO ‘POO METHOD): 

To replace shampoo - Use 1 tablespoon of baking soda mixed into 1 cup of warm water.  I put this in a small reusable bottle with a sports bottle top (pictured above, on left).  This makes it easy to open the top and squeeze a bunch over the top of my head in the shower.  This recipe can be multiplied to fill a larger bottle, if you’d prefer.  Baking soda is used to cleanse and deodorize.  Applying a little baking soda to your hair will clean your hair and remove build up from use of products and chemical shampoos. 

To replace conditioner - Make a hair rinse by combining 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 1 cup of water.  Apply to hair (after cleaning hair with baking soda mixture), and rinse out with cold water.  I double or triple this recipe to fill a large spray bottle (which I bought empty, at a dollar store; pictured above on the right).  That way, I don’t have to make this mixture very often since it lasts me a while.  The apple cider vinegar rinse does not have to be used with every wash.  If you have thinner or more oily hair, you probably won’t need to use the ACV rinse very often, maybe once a week, or every few washes.  If your hair is thicker, or tends to be dry, you may have to use the ACV rinse more often, or even after every baking soda cleanse. Experiment to see what’s best for you.  And don’t worry, it’ll only smell like apple cider vinegar while your applying it.  As soon as it’s rinsed out, you won’t smell it at all!  ACV helps to balance the pH level of your hair, as well as clarifies and detangles hair, while sealing the hair’s cuticle.  

After trying the ACV/water mixture alone for a few months, I decided to enhance this step by boiling my water portion and steeping tea bags in the water before mixing the ACV.  You can use whatever herbs or tea you’d like to get extra nutrients into your hair.  I use black tea — black tea is recommended for brunette hair, and it also provides anti-oxidants & additional nutrients to the cleansing process. 

Cleaning your hair with BS and ACV allows your hair to take control over itself, naturally.  Once your hair is allowed to fully function on it’s own, and it’s oil glands are under control, you will most likely not need to use hair products anymore since your hair can do what’s right.  People who have gone no ‘poo claim that their hair is less frizzy, has nicer curls (for curly hair), and is more flat/straight (for straight hair) — and it’s true.  My hair has probably never been healthier. It’s not dry or brittle, I don’t use a straightener anymore, and especially don’t use any hair products anymore.  It’s just not necessary now that my hair is able to take care of itself!  It takes my hair about 3-4 days of no BS/ACV cleanse to get as greasy as it used to by going just 1 day without shampoo.  It’s really amazing.

WHY GO SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER FREE:

1.  It’s healthier for you and your hair:  Commercial shampoos and conditioners are filled with toxic chemicals.  Everything from the synthetic foaming agent that causes the bubbles that we’ve learned to associate with “clean”, to the artificial fragrances that gives our hair that freshly cleaned scent, to the preservatives that allow the bottle of shampoo to sit on a shelf for months at a time before it even enters our homes, are ALL chemicals that were developed in a lab — and there’s absolutely nothing natural about them.   These chemicals have been shown to cause neurological diseases (including Alzheimer’s), liver damage, and cancer.  These toxins are absorbed through the skin and scalp, and are also found in basically all of our commercial personal care products (including soap, lotion, toothpaste, deodorant, make up, etc). With use of these products, toxic chemicals can get into our bloodstream, and accumulate over time.  Therefore, it is important to eliminate toxic products whenever possible, or switch to an all natural alternative. — Shampoo and conditioner are two products that I have learned are completely unnecessary. 

2.  It’s cheaper:  Switching to a completely all natural shampoo and conditioner is expensive (especially if you use shampoo and conditioner every single day, like I used to), and is really not necessary once you realize the baking soda and vinegar mixtures clean your hair just as well, for only a small fraction of the price.  I’ve been using a 5 lb. bag of baking soda for the past year and still haven’t finished the bag yet (that’s including using the baking soda for cleaning my hair, cleaning my house, baking, and for making other all natural skin care products over the last year), and I still have a good amount left!  Actually, the amount that I use to clean my hair is the least amount that I use that bag of baking soda for!  So aside from the fact that you probably already have baking soda & apple cider vinegar in your kitchen for other uses — BS & ACV are cheap!  This is THE absolute only way to save so much money on hair products, while still keeping your hair clean.  I just bought a huge 4 lb. box of BS for only $2.18!  And this will last me at least a year (that’s including all of the other things I use BS for..if I were to just use the BS for my hair, it would last me a few years, I’m sure).  And ACV is almost just as cheap.  For a 16oz bottle of ACV (found at the grocery store), I paid just a dollar or two, and this lasted me about half of the year — considering I bought just 2 of these ACV bottles over the 1 year I’ve been using ACV as a hair rinse.  So if you think about it, I’m spending about $6 over a 1 year span, and still having clean hair! Compare that to the cost of using all natural shampoo & conditioner! 

3.  Aside from toxins, shampoo does us more harm than good:  All of us naturally have oils that come from our scalp and go to our strands of hair to provide protection and nourishment to our hair.  When we wash our hair with harsh shampoos (which are really detergents that we use in our hair), our natural oils get stripped away.  Most of us are led to believe that when shampoo washes away the oil in our hair, that it’s a good thing.  But it’s not!  Oily hair is NOT “dirty” hair.  When we use shampoo, our natural oils are stripped away and our hair feels “clean” and “soft” — but these are just the shampoo’s chemicals at work, giving us that instant gratification that we seek.  Overtime, these harsh chemicals cause our hair to become damaged and weak.  And because these are the same chemicals that strip our hair of it’s natural oils, our hair loses it’s ability to protect itself.  Also, by eliminating the natural oils in our hair and scalp as often as we do with use of shampoo, our scalp is fooled into producing more and more oil to protect and nourish our hair — often causing our hair to become greasy/excessively oily whenever we attempt to skip a few days of washing with shampoo.  It’s a very vicious cycle! 
 

*TIP:  Going no ‘poo is a commitment!  Within days of going no ‘poo, your hair will go through a detox period where your scalp will produce excessive amounts of oil since that’s what it was used to the entire time you’ve been using shampoo (which, for most people, is our entire lives).  Since everyone is different, this detox period can last from a week or two to a month.  It completely depends on your hair type and what your hair is used to.  In my situation, I’ve washed my hair with shampoo and conditioner EVERY day for my entire life when I decided to go no ‘poo.  Because of that, my oil glands were out of control and produced excessive amounts of oil whenever I didn’t have shampoo to wash the oils away.  On top of that, my hair is rather thin and oily to begin with, so it gets that “greasy” look VERY easily.  With just a day of not washing my hair with shampoo, my hair would look absolutely disgusting.  So my detox period was pretty rough and lasted a week or two.  During that time, I wore my hair up to cope with the greasiness.  And that’s really the best advice I can give to get through the detox period — headbands and ponytails!   (I’ll post a picture of my hair after a month of going no ‘poo in my next post, to prove that once you get through the detox period, no ‘poo really does work!)