Easy to rinse out with lemon or vinegar.

I also like some of the sensory pleasures of nice-smelling products. I think simple baking soda might wither my soul.

Lol. But I'm not entirely kidding.

it absorbs oils and lifts out the dirt so you can rinse clean. but it does smell like nothing.

but I almost always buy Sauve personal care products. They are usually cheaper than the name brands, and I have not had anything that did not do the job required.

I think the only times I use other products is when they are on sale at a really good price.

and they're not great.

St. Ives used to be good, but they're also now owned by Unilever. They say that "finished products" aren't animal tested, but that doesn't mean ingredients aren't.

I found a nice bottle of Banana shampoo at The Body Shop. A little $$ ($10 for 8 ounces) so not entirely frugal, but it smells great and they're totally for fair-trade, reducing their impact on the environment, cruelty-free, etc. I want to be frugal (and really, a small dollop of shampoo is all you need to clean) but I also don't want to compromise my beliefs.

and I try to do that too. But there have been so many disappointments over the years where I find out that this ethical company isn't really ethical, or that company doesn't animal test but does other unethical things. I don't make that the primary reason to buy or not anymore. I don't know that we can trust any of them anymore. I know, sad.

I like it. It comes in two *flavors* - one citrus, one minty. You can use it for everything - hair and body.

I'm not saying it's the best soap ever, but I am happy with it.

I hadn't paid much attention to Whole Foods (the closest one is something like 50 miles away) but now it seems their CEO is an asshat.

Lush has terrific products: http://www.lushusa.com/Emotional-Brilliance/emotional-brilliance,en_US,sc.html?gclid=CPST6IzW8rQCFcqY4Aod1A0Atg

I haven't used a product of theirs in ages and it's something I'd have to mail order, which is a bummer b/c I like to smell products before I buy them... but still, I like the solid shampoos, etc. -- makes traveling much easier.

If a soap bar lasts months, it might be worth it.

I was in St. Petersburg, Russia about 5 years ago and there was a really nice "Lush" store there - it looked like fun stuff (shampoo bars have always intrigued me, for some reason).

I've also considered using Dr. Bronner's stuff, but they recommend using one of their conditioners after using their 'all purpose' soap on your hair -- I might try their Almond soap just because I've heard so many good things about the versatility of Dr. Bronner's...

I have never used a solid shampoo and it doesn't really appeal to me.

Let me know if you get a chance to use the Africa Black soap and what you think of it.

Last edited Thu Mar 28, 2013, 02:18 PM - Edit history (1)

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"] And 1 tablespoon in half a gallon of water is an effective garden pesticide.

I love Dr. Bronner's. It's a little pricey, but I can refill my old bottles at the co-op and it's good for pretty much everything. The other fragrances are nice, too.

Gallons cost $53.99 and qualify for free shipping. That's $13.50 per quart, so it might be cheaper than your co-op, or not! They have some scents available in the quart size ($15.29) that I've never seen available in stores. If you've never bought from Vitacost, here's a $10 off $30 coupon. They have some other products like lip balm and an all purpose cleaner with fir and spruce oil that I'd like to try.

https://www.vitacostrewards.com/3H820Z

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]That's awesome! I do a lot of shopping on line and always love a good new source.

I'll check them out online.

Thanks for reminding me!

The prices are often twice what they are in the store.

I use Dr Woods Brand. The smell is different..but not unpleasant at all. It's a liquid which I prefer.

http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Woods-Vision-Organic-Butter/dp/B000WUD83E/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1358698875&sr=8-18&keywords=black+african+soap

Husband uses Dr Bronners or the Tea tree soap from Trader Joes

He uses Jason Tea tree on his hair because he has psoriasis and it helps.

I'm addicted to expensive hair products and use Wen on my hair. It's my one great splurge on myself

Wen is the only product that I have found that gives my hair some texture and body. I use to have to wash it every day now I can go as long as three days with it still looking clean and shiny. I think with Wen it's a you have to try it to see if it works for you. My sister didn't like it because you don't get a lather when you wash so she never felt her hair was getting clean. The trick with the wen is that you really do need to follow the instructions and wash it then rinse and repeat. Honestly, I don't find the smell of the product that extraordinary...well maybe the pumpkin ginger one. But I'm hooked and use his voluming hair spray, styling cream and revitalizer spray as well. I tried his body soaps but Meh...wasn't that impressed with those.

I watch Jeff Lewis and laughed when I saw Chaz on there. They seem like such different types of characters.

style every day. Maybe I'll give it a whirl if I have room to splurge one of these days.

I find Jeff Lewis funny sometimes and a total asshole the next. He's apparently suing Jenni because she has a book coming out and he's afraid she's telling personal secrets, or something like that. He's asked a judge for an injunction against publication.

It's fine in texture but I have a lot of it. I have given up the long hair years ago and have accepted that it just looks better kept short.

Try the Wen. I use the Lavender the most as I have found it gives me the most body. The best prices are on QVC and if you can buy it when it's on special you'll save even more. It is expensive though but for me it's my one big personal splurge.

Every June they sell Gallon Size jugs for about 160.00 I usually get one of those and then supplement with a bottle of a different "flavor" here and there. I do like the seasonal scents especially the pumpkin.

As far as Jeff Lewis and Jenni goes...I think that's a bit of a publicity stunt to be honest. I have liked them less and less over the years. He's a bully and it bothers me that people find his nasty ass treatment of others funny...(me included btw) I can't warm up to her that much either. Yet I continue to keep in on the DVR rotation. I did develop much respect for Chaz Dean though in his interactions with Jeff...He didn't put up with his schtick. In fairness, I do love Jeff's design esthetics's though. I'd love to live in one of his houses. They are simple, clean and well thought out.

I tried it last year because it was on sale in my grocery store, and it was free after coupons. The cheap price got me to try it, but I love it. My skin feels great, and the soap doesn't "melt" in the shower.

Here's the one I use - it has just three ingredients, and I can pronounce all of them!

http://www.kissmyface.com/natural-face-care/item/11/Pure-Olive-Oil-Bar-Soap

Thanks!

I use pert on my hair, and ivory soap bars. A bottle of pert about every 6 months, and a bar of soap about every month.

No idea what chemicals or testing are involved with them...

I have curly hair that's difficult to tame. For years, I had been using no shampoo but a ton of conditioner on my hair. I've recently switched to using the J.R. Liggett shampoo bar. I follow that up with a tiny amount of Alba leave-in conditioner. These are both available at Whole Foods. I'm planning to try replacing the conditioner with a dilute solution of apple-cider vinegar.

The cosmetics industry has brainwashed us to believe we need not only shampoo and conditioner, but also a face wash, a body wash, and body lotion. All come in plastic bottles, which are unlikely to be recycled even if they are marked with a recycling code of 1 or 2. Did you know that putting something recyclable in the recycling bin does not ensure that it will actually get recycled? I learned that by reading "Plastic Free" by Beth Terry. If you care about the environment, I can definitely recommend that book. It has changed my life.

a different product for each part of our body.

Soap is basically soap.

that I can to reduce my plastic consumption.

And I might try the baking soda "shampoo" / vinegar rinse ...

who probably has more hair than everyone in this thread put together - and each strand could work like dental floss (no joke, one of her friends tried that once as a joke and it worked). It grows super fast, too (from just above shoulders to the middle of her back in just a very few months. I know, seems impossible but it does. (Sometimes I think she's an alien. . . )

Anyway - she tried EVERYTHING. She used to work at a top end salon as a Business mgr in charge of product sales years ago - so she had the opportunity to try every expensive item - very expensive - in the book.

It used to take FOREVER for her hair to dry. And let's not even talk about combing it out! (YIKES!) Body depended on how long it was (shoulder length, some) any longer and is was straight. Roll it, whatever, and it would fall out in short hours.

Now she does the "baking soda wash" and the vinegar rinse.

Her hair combs out easily and drys in nothing flat. It's shiny and has body and lasts stays looking great for days.

She swears she'll NEVER go back to shampoos and conditioners. Maybe there's not that flowery smell you like, but there's always lotions for your body, perfume, or cologne.

is her hair oily at all? Mine is, quite a bit, so I hesitate to try the baking soda wash... though I imagine in the long run it would help balance out my hair/scalp.

It never really was before when she was a teen, so I doubt it is now.

But the baking soda/vinegar combination helps the PH balance of the scalp and hair (or something like that).

She DID say that it took a week or two to get your hair/head "used to it". So there were some negative results at first but she stuck with it and loves it.

The other best part? Vinegar and bkg soda are CHEAP!!!

not only for the reduced chemicals, but I get migraines from most anything scented.

Edited to add:
Now that I'm home I can see what I have in the bathroom...Earth Science Fragrance Free shampoo and conditioner.

or do your local stores have it?

but my local hippie food store has it for much more $$$. I contemplated ordering the big gallon-size jugs but haven't broken down to pay $60 for the duo!

You may be interested to know this. I'm a world famous migraine researcher and have recently found a link between the estrogen-like compounds in plastics and migraine.

Last edited Thu Mar 21, 2013, 08:53 PM - Edit history (1)

I have fine curly hair and decided to go the natural way - no parabens, silicones, etc. I only wash my hair 2x a week, so even though the stuff isn't as cheap as Suave, it lasts a long time. I've found Walgreens to be the cheapest.

I use Dr. Woods Black Soap on my face. I order it from Vitacost.

I use Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy shower gels. I usually get them as gifts and they're on sale a lot. They're highly scented, so a little goes a long way. They aren't tested on animals. I also use Shikai shower gels that I order from Vitacost.

I use generic Cetaphil bar soap and liquid hand soap (which is a great makeup remover that doesn't sting the eyes), and Trader Joe's Nourish shampoo. And even though Paul Mitchell Original leave-in conditioner is slightly scented, I'm able to tolerate it.

I have no idea if these are ethically sound, but I have little choice, since almost any other products make me itch, make my eyes puffy, and/or give me headaches.

I also use Trader Joe's powdered laundry detergent, and no fabric softener, because the fragrances and chemicals make me ill.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]I haven't bought a tube of toothpaste in a couple of years. Instead, I use 50-50 salt-baking soda with peppermint essential oil mixed in. Works just fine, also as a rinse, and the savings are substantial.

If you want fluoride, one of the commercial fluoride rinses will take care of the lack of it in the cleansing powder.

On edit: I've also seen a recipe for a paste version, mixing coconut oil and baking soda into an appropriate blend, and adding the essential oil as desired (maybe clove or cinnamon oil instead of mint?).

looking for a natural deodorant that isn't $$$$ ... might make my own.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Virtually all of them are based on a blend of cornstarch (for its drying and soothing properties) and baking soda (for its deodorant properties) and fragrance. If you do a search, you'll come up quickly with a few variations on that theme.

I've been using a commercial antiperspirant only when necessary (not daily, especially since I work at home) and a simple dusting of the 50-50 powder blend above the rest of the time.

let it dry, and then use the baking soda/cornstarch combo (with a scent mixed in if you'd like).

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Very interesting. I already use a diluted cider vinegar rinse on my hair, might as well include a squirt to the pits. lol

FWIW, I also tried the "paste" version of the salt/baking soda tooth cleaner by adding some coconut oil to the powder mix. It's much, much nicer -- better than brushing with the powder form and completely customizable in terms of consistency and flavoring. I'll never buy commercial toothpaste again.

Still using up the last of my huge bottle of shampoo, then will be trying the baking soda/castile approach, with the usual vinegar rinse.

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My body and breathing apparatus have a real problem with most chemicals, cleaning fluids and soap.

I use the mildest shampoo I can find, and then just use the residual shampoo to wash the rest of my body.

So I get clean, but I don't smell "pretty" - I just smell like me.

Have never had a girl complain about my body odor using this regimen.

I'm a mechanic, a clean one mind you, wearing gloves whenever possible.

But when I need soap, Ivory is the only one that gives me no problems.

Laundry-wise, unscented Tide gives me no problems.

Dats about it.

CC

My husband prefers ivory and tide also.

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At 62, looking at my hands you would never know I am a mechanic.

Most mechanics ruin their hands washing in scrubby unhealthy "hand cleaners" - kerosene or even gasoline. Most of these hand cleansers contain a high percentage of kerosene (I read labels) - yes I've used them, but rarely.

I've known mechanics where there hands were permanently stained, and partially crippled before the age of 30 because of their lack of attention to their hands, which, by the way - is the way they make their living.

I also used what is called a "barrier cream" to prevent the toxins, especially from used oil entering my pores.

And gloves whenever possible.

When I was working full-time - I would wash the grease/oil etc. off my hands many times in a work day.

43 years after I started in this trade - Me, and my hands, are happy I did so.

I can still play the piano beautifully - no stains on the keys.

CC

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There's many wise people in here -

just takes awhile to figure out which ones.

And if you peek around, you'll see my posts in gardening, frugal and energy efficient group and other such related groups like environment and energy -

but traffic/response is slow there in those groups, - not faulting them, just an observation.

If you have a question or comment that is not political - the Lounge is the place to be.

My ten years on DU helped me to learn this.

CC

for organic, homemade shampoo:

http://wellnessmama.com/3701/how-to-make-natural-shampoo-easy-recipe/

I'm sure there are others online.

for more than thirty years.
It's the ONLY soap that I will ever use!

And it's not that $$; it's unisex, unscented, and worked while I've planted flowers in 100+ degree / 70%+ humidity days, spent long days flying to and fro, almost every situation.

The brand is "Jungleman", and I found it on Amazon. I'd researched many, lots of the ones for women were heavily scented and quite $$$.

This one was $6 for 3 oz. of product. It arrived a little melty (they add a cooling thingy to the shipping, but I was gone for a few days and it sat in my mailbox for 72+ hours) but I smoothed the product back into the applicator and it firmed / shaped right up.

It seems there is significantly more product in the applicator, too -- everything you buy at the store now seems to have very little actual product - I think this will last me for quite a while. So while I'd never pay $6 for a drug store brand, and wouldn't pay upwards of $15-20 for the "beauty" brands, I have no problem buying this for $6 when I know I'm not poisoning myself.

These are the ingredients: Corn starch, sustainable palm oil from non-peatlands, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), and tea tree oil.

http://www.amazon.com/Jungleman-All-Natural-Deodorant-Unscented-Ounce/dp/B007FXZZWI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373581409&sr=8-1&keywords=jungleman+deodorant

I don't buy as much 'natural' stuff as I should. And I like strong smelling stuff. So for shampoo it's generally conventional stuff - usually Dove since that works best for my sensitive scalp. I tried a shampoo bar once (homemade by a small online soap business) and it did NOT work for my hair. LOL, it was awful. Put it this way - I know what to try when I decide to put dreads in my naturally straight and fine hair.

I used to buy homemade cold-processed soaps (from the same place that made the shampoo bar) and used them almost exclusively. However, they didn't work well for my kids so now I buy them Dove, and I use whatever - the homemade soaps are pricey and I am now a single parent so money is tight - so if I have a bit extra in my paypal account, then I'll splurge. There's a new brand I found in our local organic food store and it's very pricey, but one bar lasts a long time and it's very smelly - I LOVE smelly soaps (it's scented with essential oils and all ingredients are fair-trade). It's called the Sweet Leaf Bath Co (www.sweetleafbath.com). Again, really pricey but I love that it's fair trade (and smelly!) The patchouli bar is my favorite.

I like smelly body wash too, but I tend towards conventional stuff because of the stronger scents. I'm going to start trying some homemade ones off of Etsy and see if I can find some nice ones.

For perfume, I found a nice 'natural' perfume. It's called Ganesha's Garden Solid perfume and you can get it at www.betweenheavenandearth.ca. My current favorite is 'India' but I like patchouli too. They have a lot of scents I'd like to try. The cool thing about this perfume is it comes in a pretty container that you will want to reuse.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Finally used up the last of my giant bottle of shampoo last week. Time to try baking soda! I've read several different baking soda shampoo recipes -- from very basic (rub baking soda into wet hair) to elaborate preparations including oils, soaps, herbs, and fragrances.

My own concoction is quite simple. You'll need
(1) A suitable plastic bottle. Recommend an empty dish detergent bottle with a push-stop dispenser cap (i.e., Palmolive Dish Liquid) in a size comfortable to hold in one wet hand.
(2) Baking soda.
(3) Water.
(4) Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap in your choice of fragrance.

Blend baking soda and water into a thick but pourable consistency, and fill the bottle about 3/4 full with that. Then fill the bottle the rest of the way with the Dr. Bronner's liquid soap. Close and turn the bottle several times to blend the solution well.

Squirt some of your new shampoo on wet hair and massage in as usual. Rinse well, and finish off with a diluted apple cider vinegar rinse. Hair will dry clean and silky soft.

Dr. Bronner's now has a conditioning hair rinse made with organic South Asian shikakai that I'd love to try, but I haven't found it locally yet. Meanwhile, the apple cider vinegar rinse is doing a perfectly fine (and cheaper) job.

Inexpensive, natural, eco-friendly, and very, very effective!