A Discovery

Then, somewhere along my internet travels, I came across a blog with a post on making your own hair conditioner. Homemade hair conditioner, I thought. Is it going to be as bad as the baking soda? I read the post, which basically summed up what most posts on the subject say, that apple cider vinegar is slightly acidic like human hair and that it works wonders on hair’s shine and manageability. At the time of reading this, I had waist-length hair that seriously needed some manageability and shine, so I was intrigued.

Unexpected Results

It took me months to try the concoction the writer recommended. But when I finally did, I was pleasantly surprised. My hair was softer, silkier, shinier and did not have fly-aways. My homemade hair rinse worked!

I did have to play around with it a bit, though. The strong smell of the apple cider vinegar needed to be subdued for my tastes since it was so strong in a hot shower. After a few months of altering the recipe, I can now heartily recommend my version of the apple cider vinegar hair rinse to you.

The Recipe

1 cup apple cider vinegar (I prefer organic if you can get it)
15-20 drops of your favorite essential oil (I’ve been using lavender, but you can easily substitute rosemary, orange, eucalyptus, rose, whatever floats your boat)
1/2 – 1 tsp of vanilla extract (to ease the harshness of the vinegar smell)

I pour the apple cider vinegar into an old glass maple syrup jug I’m reusing, then add the vanilla and the essential oil. Close the jar or container and shake thoroughly.

In the shower, I gather my hair into a loose bun at the nape of my neck. I shake the jug of apple cider vinegar hair rinse well then slowly pour little by little onto the top of the bun until I feel it in my hand which is holding the bottom of the bun. I close the jug (it has a plastic flip lid, one of the reasons I chose it)  and let the apple cider vinegar rinse sit in my hair for 30 to 60 seconds. Then I rinse thoroughly.

Important note: your hair will smell like the apple cider vinegar somewhat until it fully dries. Once dry, it just smells clean and like the essential oil you added.

This recipe gives me about a month’s worth of rinse as each time I probably only use a few tablespoons of the concoction in my hair. I’m sure it helps that I only wash and condition my hair twice a week, but I have no problems managing my now mid-back length hair. In fact, it works better than any commercial hair conditioner I’ve ever used. As you can see in the picture, my hair is shiny and healthy-looking!

So, is a homemade hair rinse something you’d be willing to try?

Cover image courtesy of ralphunden.

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So what are parabens, exactly?

Parabens are antibacterial and antifungal agents used as preservatives in foods and pharmaceuticals (thank you Merriam-Webster.com). They are pretty ubiquitous in modern life, found in everything from tanning lotions to toothpaste and are even used as food additives.

What’s the problem?

Good question. Parabens have similar chemical structures to some of our own hormones, mostly estrogen. While some naturally occur in various plants like blueberries, it is their “esters” or alcohol-derived forms that are more potent “pseudo-estrogen”. A certain amount of estrogen is the body is clearly a good thing though healthy levels are dependent upon sex, age, and individual. However, constantly slathering oneself with lotions containing 0.01-0.3% with up to or consuming a “pseudo-estrogen” in their food can raise those levels and cause problems. Breast cancer, for example, is encouraged by high levels of estrogen. In fact, they have found parabens in breast cancer cells which led to the early 2000s email declaring everyone should swear off antiperspirants.

But does this mean parabens cause breast cancer?

Not quite, which is why the jury is still out. The FDA’s website says:

A study published in 2004 (Darbre, in the Journal of Applied Toxicology) detected parabens in breast tumors. The study also discussed this information in the context of the weak estrogen-like properties of parabens and the influence of estrogen on breast cancer. However, the study left several questions unanswered. For example, the study did not show that parabens cause cancer, or that they are harmful in any way, and the study did not look at possible paraben levels in normal tissue.

So this is a cause versus correlation issue. Do the parabens cause cancer? Or are parabens and cancer co-related through some other factor?

The answer: We don’t know.

Should I avoid parabens?

The FDA’s verdict: No.

The EPA’s verdict: Maybe.

Green Your Apartment’s verdict: Would you eat it?

Up to 70% of what you put on your skin can be absorbed into your dermis and blood stream. That ratio is more efficient than even consumption – that’s why we have a birth control patch and a nicotine patch.

So I ask again, would you eat your face cream? Your shampoo? Aside from the fact it may not taste so good, would you be more worried about poisoning or allergic reactions?

I believe you have your answer.

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Image courtesy of djcodrin at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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But have you ever thought about what you are washing with? What exactly is in that mascara that gets in your eyes?

Skin Deep (http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/), a website run by the Environmental Working Group, lists various cosmetics and rates their toxicity hazard on a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high). They are very clear that their research is not the be all and end all of toxic hazards in cosmetics, but I say it’s an excellent place to start.

Some personal examples:

I thought I was eliminating my hazard risk by going with Burt’s Bees Carrot Nutritive Night Cream until I saw the 4/10 moderate risk hazard rating. But why moderate? Turns out allergies to many of the ingredients are common, which can cause toxicity and irritation. But hey! I’m not allergic to any of the ingredients, so I still feel great using this product that works and is plant-based.

Turns out my toothpaste is a total winner! I use Tom’s of Maine Natural Antiplaque plus Whitening Gel Toothpaste in Peppermint, which rates at a 1/10 hazard! Makes me feel good that only 4% of toothpastes in their database have lower concerns. Brush away, I say!

However, my Pantene Pro-V Color Revival Conditioner didn’t fare so well at 6/10 hazard rating. Why so high? Ingredients in the conditioner are linked to developmental and reproductivity toxicity, allergies and immunotoxicity, including “Other concerns for ingredients used in this product: Neurotoxicity, Persistence and bioaccumulation, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Miscellaneous, Multiple, additive exposure sources, Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Enhanced skin absorption, Contamination concerns, Occupational hazards, Biochemical or cellular level changes” and “Violations, Restrictions & Warnings”.

Now my shampoo is a generic Trader Joe’s Essential brand, which Skin Deep doesn’t list. But you can also look up ingredients! The top ingredients in this shampoo are “aqueous extracts of calendula officinalis folower and hydrastis canadensis {Golden seal}, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, cocamidopropyl betaine” and “cocamide dea”. They have 0/10,  2/10, 4/10, 5/10 and 6/10 hazard ratings respectively. Hm… maybe Burt’s Bees Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar would be a better choice with a 1/10 rating.

So today’s tip is to check your cosmetic routine out on Skin Deep and see how toxic (or clean!) your hygiene routine really is.

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Like the tips but have an even better one? Leave it in a comment!

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