Most shampoos are combinations of several chemicals. Common ones include things like sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, and propylene glycol. Though these chemicals continue to be considered safe for human use, there are people who have difficulty with them or who may have skin reactions to them. Others believe they are inherently unsafe and shouldn’t be used on the scalp. Those who want to avoid chemicals may turn to homemade products like baking soda shampoo to clean the hair.
There are now numerous websites, especially eco-friendly ones that advocate the use of baking soda shampoo. Each recipe for it differs, though. Some recipes combine about a cup (.24 liters) or more of water with a few heaping spoons of baking soda. Other recipes use much more baking soda and add a little water to turn into a paste to apply to the hair, and a few recipes call for baking soda and vinegar (which should be mixed carefully, as these two begin to bubble and react when combined). Finally some sites suggest simply covering dry hair with baking soda and then combing or brushing it out.
Comments from those who advocate the use of baking soda shampoo are generally favorable. They believe it cleans the hair, though getting used to shampooing without suds can be difficult. Some people find that over time their hair becomes oilier because baking soda doesn’t necessarily strip all oils from the hair. A few people complain that the hair ends up with greasy buildup over time, but others have used their homemade “no poo” solution for years with great success.
Not everyone uses baking soda shampoo exclusively. There are many people that use the dry shampoo method in between hair washings with dry baking soda to reduce grease in the hair. This can be effective, albeit a little messy. When folks are concerned about water use from too many showers, they might be able to lengthen time in between showers and still have fresh looking hair by applying dry baking soda to dry hair, which will remove some of the oil and some odor.
A few reasons cited for using baking soda shampoo include the following:
- It avoids the use of chemicals that may not be good for the body and that can pollute water supply.
- It can help reduce frizz in curly hair.
- It isn’t necessary to keep buying plastic bottles full of shampoo because the same bottle or cup can be reused to mix the shampoo each time.
- It can help keep tub and sink drains clean and fresh smelling.
Those who’ve tried the shampoo and don’t care for it have numerous objections to it. No poo doesn’t lather, which feels odd. Any baking soda with vinegar mix needs to be rinsed thoroughly so the hair doesn’t retain a vinegar smell. Over time the hair can have build up that isn’t adequately cleaned by baking soda.
