Shampoo making!

Excited? I am!! :) I can talk a lot about natural beauty, what goes into each product and why it's good... But what can be better than actually seeing the process?

Shampoo making technology is the same as soap making. But there are few extra steps and add-ons, recipe formulation is also different - no "hair heavy" oils, extra conditioning, hair therapy, and so on.. Here are some of the steps of shampoo-making process:

About solid shampoo

I have been receiving lots of questions about the solid shampoos lately. And I totally understand where the questions are coming from!...So... I thought of writing a brief overview.   

* It's natural product, there is no need to preserve it (since there is no water present in the final product), it doesn't contain harsh chemicals like SLS (that strips natural hair oils) nor silicones. It has vegetable oils (coconut oi, castor, safflower, grapeseed, sweet almond to name a few), herbal infusions and essential oils so you can enjoy the full benefits of natural care.  

* "Shampoo = liquid" idea is quite strong so it takes time to get used to the look of a "hair bar". But did you know that up to 80% of liquid commercial shampoo is water?... Think of it this way - just on the "how it looks" factor alone you can get rid of 2 plastic bottles each time you purchase your regular hair products - one for the shampoo and another one for the conditioner (with solid shampoo you don't need to use hair conditioner most of the times, but if you do there are ingredients readily available at your home, just read on for the tips). It is environmentally friendly from many aspects. 

* You might need to give shampoo bar a chance. You hair needs time to get used to all-natural treatment, at first it just washes off the residues of your old shampoo, then you will feel the difference. Adjustment usually takes between one to four weeks depending on your hair type. Also solid shampoo can be quite individual - you need to keep in mind your hair type when choosing the right one. 

* When I feel the need I do a home-made hair conditioner - dissolve 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in 1 litre of water and do one rinse with this solution. It totally depends on your hair type, length and conditions weather you need this rinse or not. I do it once or twice a week. I also like to experiment with various hair treatments - mix some hair oils, do clay masks, etc. But that will be the topic for another post:) 

Hope I could answer some of the most common questions, please let me know if you are interested in finding out more!

Anya

P.S. Don't miss the next post on what's going on behind the scenes of shampoo making! 

Petroleum on my skin? No, thank you!

How often do you read these vague names on your labels: Mineral Oil, Liquid Paraffin, Paraffinum Liquidum, White Oil, Liquid Petroleum... Let me answer for you - too often!! And these are the names of the same product - liquid by-product of the distillation of petroleum to produce gasoline and other petroleum-based products from crude oil. Wait a minute! From what? Yes, liquid that is used as a main ingredient in baby products (oils, lotions), body oils and Vaseline (to name few) is actually made of crude oil!!

When applied mineral oil creates a thin layer on your skin and blocks the pores, so ultimately it doesn't allow skin to breath and eliminate toxins (normal healthy "exchange" process). So it leads to skin dryness and premature aging. It's used so unbelievably widely because of its cheap price and availability (it's just a by-product). Most of the baby oils are 100% mineral oil or mineral oil is listed as the first ingredient - meaning that mineral oil is its main component (just pick up any baby oil or baby lotion bottle and see for yourself).

Skin is our largest organ and let's treat is nicely. Explore the beauty of natural creations - those wonderful apricot, avocado, sweet almond, olive oils (mostly available in pharmacies and supermarkets)... There are so many to choose from - they are great for the skin, safe for humans (most importantly for our little ones!) and environment, they are packed with vitamins and antioxidants. What's not to love? 

See, it's really easy to make the switch towards the healthier lifestyle, just need to be aware :)

Love as always,

Anya