Even More Kitchen In The Bathroom

I haven't posted an update on my crazy hygiene practices lately, so I thought I would. 

Baking-soda-as-shampoo experiment? Eh...okay. My hair gets reasonably clean, but it's sort of a pain to do, it takes awhile to get the baking soda worked in and then worked out; and, I don't like the way that the combination of baking soda and vinegar and scalp somehow smells, inexplicably, like beer. (A smell I don't care for.) On the trip, I've been shampooing with Trader Joe's Castile Soap (basically a slightly less tingly--go peppermint oil!--and less expensive version of Dr Bronner's), which works wonderfully on our counters and dishes (dilute with water in a spray bottle) and also does a pretty good number on hair. However--I'm also still the less-than-proud owner of a less-than-comfy scalp, and I'm still hoping to rectify that by natural means one of these days (since steroid creams other medications haven't helped either, in case you're wondering). 

My latest attempt? Right now I'm whipping up a (tiny) batch of this shampoo, which is as follows (I'm making a half batch and also adding lavender, because I have it and I love it; I'm omitting coconut flakes, which I don't have):

1 T fresh rosemary

1 T fresh thyme

Few sprigs fresh lavender

1/2 cup water

Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes; strain solids out and discard. Let come to room temperature, then add the following:

1 T castile soap (such as Dr Bronner's or Trader Joe's)

1 T apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp vegetable oil (using olive here)

Shake and store in a clean jar. I'll let you know how it works. Note: my half cup of water simmered down to about a tablespoon, so you probably wouldn't want to make any less than a half batch.

HOWEVER, lest you think my love affair with baking soda is over, fear not. I found on our camping trip that it is absolutely the bee's knees as far as a natural deodorant goes. One application before we left (I patted my armpits with rubbing alcohol to kill any germs and give the baking soda something to stick to, then patted on some BS; but doing it just damp from a shower works, too) lasted me a record 2-1/2 days without a shower, including some heavy hiking (and thus sweating), minimal clothing changes, and sleeping in the woods. If that isn't a test of mettle, I don't know what is. It also has the added benefit of being scent free (on account of bears, etc), aluminum free, extremely cheap, and--hey, we're already carrying it around anyway, to brush our teeth with.

Vinegar, on the other hand? No matter how tightly you think you sealed the bottle, you can still end up with it all over your suitcase, prompting your husband to wonder aloud if that strange...SOUR smell is from camping, or mildew (or a wife not wearing deodorant?) or what? So imagine our relief to figure out that it was "just" a bottle of apple cider vinegar spilled all over the place. So for travel, I think I'll stick to baking soda.

For more information on baking soda as deodorant, this (hilariously titled) post was waiting for me in the Google Reader when I got back--how timely! Including a link to this exploration of just how "green" baking soda really is--a question that's been on my mind, and I'm sure on yours, too.