Mixology || Lola Zabeth's Mud Wash Recipe

Are you interested in making your own mud wash?

Ingredients:
3 tbs bentonite clay powder
1 tbs organic powdered honey
1 tbs organic slippery elm powder
3 ozs aloe vera juice

Instructions:
1. Mix the bentonite clay, powdered honey and slippery elm powder in a bowl.
2. Funnel the mixture into a bottle. Pour the aloe vera juice into the bottle. Shake well. The consistency is perfect–loose enough the spread easily without being drippy and messy.

For the full tutorial and/or more details, check out Lola's blog.

Mixology || Coconut Milk Shampoo

Liquid castile soap is generally made from olive oil (and/or other oils) and water. Though some naturals have shied away from it with all the talk of pH, the reality is that other naturals have faired fine using it in their shampoo recipes. If you are interested in giving liquid castile soap a try, the following mixture involves the addition of organic coconut milk (for dilution and additional lathering), distilled water (for further dilution), and safflower oil (for moisture).

Ingredients: 
1/4 cup liquid castile soap
3 tbsp organic coconut milk
1 tsp distilled water
1 tsp safflower oil (add more if you desire)

Instructions:
1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bottle. Shake the bottle well before use.
2. Save the remainder in a closed bottle for future use (up to a few weeks).
3. Follow up with an apple cider vinegar rinse (if necessary) for pH balance.

Mixology || Baking Soda and Avocado Shampoo Recipe for Dry Hair

Looking for a simple, homemade natural shampoo that is cleansing but non-drying?  Check out this recipe:

Ingredients:
avocado
baking soda
distilled water

Directions:

1. Skin an avocado, remove the pit and mash it in a bowl;
2. Add 2 teaspoons of baking soda;
3. Add 1/4 cup of hot distilled water; and
4. Mix the ingredients into a paste and massage the homemade moisturizing shampoo into your hair and scalp.
5. (Optional) You may or may not want to follow up with an apple cider vinegar rinse for pH balance.

Remember to refrigerate the unused mixture. To customize this or any of the other recipes, add a few drops of essential oil for a pleasant scent. Popular oils include lavender, sandalwood, jasmine and rosemary.

For more moisturizing shampoos, check out Suite101: Shampoo Recipes for Dry Hair and Scalp.

Winterize Your Washes!

With winter weather practically around the corner, how does one minimize the dryness that can come with washing?  Here are a few tips:

1. Wash less often
Rather than washing 2x a week, try washing 1x a week.  Rather than washing weekly, try washing biweekly.  Opt for a dry shampoo in between washes.

2. Add oils to your shampoo
Some have minimized the drying effects of shampoo by adding a little oil.  Recommended oils: olive, jojoba, grapeseed, safflower, or castor oil.

3. Pre-poo with oils and/or conditioner
Before washing your hair, pre-poo (i.e., pretreat) with a concoction of oils and/or your favorite conditioner.  Allow the mix to sit on your hair for at least 20 minutes.  Then proceed to wash as usual.  Recommended oils: olive, coconut, castor, or soybean oil.

4. Focus on the roots and scalp rather than the strands
While cleansing the hair, apply shampoo to your roots only.  Massage your roots and scalp then rinse.  Allow the water (mixed with shampoo) to run through your strands.

5. And, of course, follow up with a good conditioner
A "good" conditioner is one that helps to retain the moisture in your hair.  (Optional: a "good" conditioner will also strengthen the hair.)

6. Speaking of winter - Dry hair completely before ...
Going outside.  Freezing cold weather + wet hair = not a good outcome.  Let your hair dry completely before opening the door.

Other tips: dilute your shampoo, perform your final rinse with cold water, use a shampoo created for dry hair

REVIEW #7: Desert Essence Lemon Tea Tree Shampoo

NOTE:  I am not paid to review this and other products.  All products are purchased out of my own pocket and curiosity.


Purpose: Thoroughly cleanse scalp and hair without stripping of all the natural oils.  (Recommended for oily scalp/hair.  Try other flavors for dry scalp/hair.)

Ingredients: Aqueous Infusion of Certified Organic Extract of Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit (2), Cocoamidopropyl Betaine*, Sodium Coco-Sulfate*, Coco-Glucoside**, Polyquaternium-7*, Panthenol, Certified Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil (1), Leptospermum Petersonii Oil, Certified Organic Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil (1), Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Gluconate.1 Certified Organic by QAI 2 Certified Organic by QCS * Derived from Coconut **Derived from Sugar

Number of trials: Endless

How I use it:
• Rinse my hair under lukewarm water for 1-2 minutes
• Apply diluted shampoo to scalp ONLY using a color applicator bottle
• Massage my scalp and roots for 5 minutes then rinse

THE REVIEW:
My favorite characteristics about this shampoo are the natural ingredients, thorough yet gentle cleansing, and lathering capacity. In my transition to more natural shampoos, I've had a difficult time finding one that lathers and cleanses well ... until I met Desert Essence Lemon Tea Tree Shampoo.  It works like a sulfate shampoo but without the harshness and dryness.   It also pH-balanced according to my home test with litmus paper - about 6-7.  Additionally, it leaves no residue and the scent is not overpowering.  Though the product is expensive, I find that a little goes a long way.

PROS: lathers, thorough yet gentle cleanse, contains no EDTA (for you environmentalists), no SLS (if you're a sulfate-free fanatic), a little goes a long way, pH 6-7
CONS: expensive ($8.99 for 8 oz; you may find it for half that if you really hunt online)

RATING: Overall, I give the Desert Essence Lemon Tea Tree Shampoo 3 out of 5 stars because of the price. If I can find it for cheaper, I'd give it a full 5 stars.