(NaturalNews) Many of us look forward to shampooing our hair with visions of beautiful, shiny, bouncy hair as portrayed by those enticing shampoo commercials that we have become so familiar with. Little do we realize that the very shampoos that are giving us that lustrous look may at the same time be endangering our health. Fortunately, with just a bit of effort and liquid castile soap, we can easily make safe and natural shampoos at home that also give us wonderful results.
The most common chemical compounds in shampoos are the same ones that are commonly used in commercial detergents: straight-chain alkyl benzene sulfonates. Benzene is a chemical that is responsible for Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS), oftentimes the precursors to leukemia and many types of cancers.
Another dangerous ingredient found in shampoos is formaldehyde. Formaldehyde, which has also been linked to cancer, affects the eyes, nose, throat, lungs, skin, and reproductive system. Formaldehyde can cause rashes, hives and dermatitis and long term exposure can result in asthma and bronchitis. It can also cause permanent lung damage. Should shampoos containing formaldehyde come into contact with the eyes, the result can be corneal damage and, in extreme cases, even blindness.
Other common shampoo ingredients are citric acid, tetrasodium EDTA, cocamide, DEA, MEA, or TEA, Peg-5 cocamide, ammonium chloride, ammonium lauryl sulfate, glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate, and sodium laureth sulfate.
Even shampoos advertising herbs as ingredients contain these harmful ingredients. Sadly, baby
shampoo that has been trusted for generations also contains many of these harmful chemicals.
We can, however, take charge of our health and avoid these risky ingredients by making our own shampoos. Homemade shampoos are safe and easy to make. They are cost effective and do not pollute our
natural resources. Additionally, these shampoos can be customized for individual hair care needs such as dandruff, dry or oily skin, added sheen, luster, bounce, and highlights. All of the following recipes use castile
soap - a natural soap made from olive oil that dates back to the 16th century.
Basic ShampooIngredients:
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup liquid castile soap
1/2 teaspoon sunflower or other light vegetable oil
Directions:
Mix the
ingredients, store in a bottle and use as shampoo.
Shampoos for Dandruff and Dry, Itchy ScalpIngredients:
6 oz Liquid castile Soap
5 drops tea tree essential oil
1/2 teaspoon jojoba oil
Directions:
Same as above.
Shampoo for Oily ScalpIngredients:
6 ounces liquid Castile soap
5 drops lavender essential oil
Directions:
Same as above.
Shampoo for Dry, Color Treated HairIngredients:
6 ounces liquid Castile soap
1/2 teaspoon avocado oil
1 teaspoon coconut oil
Directions:
Same as above.
Shampoo for Enhancing Blonde HairIngredients:
3 ounces liquid Castile soap
4 chamomile tea bags
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
Directions:
Steep the tea and water in a covered pan for 30 minutes. Strain and allow to cool. Mix with remaining ingredients and then store in a bottle.
Shampoos to Enhance Dark HairIngredients:
3 oz liquid Castile soap
1 tablespoon sage
1 tablespoon rosemary
2 black tea bags
1/2 teaspoon Olive oil
Directions:
Same as above.
These are just a sample of what you can do when making your own shampoos. You can remain in charge of your health, while also enjoying healthy and beautiful hair.
Sources:
http://www.health-report.co.uk/formaldehyde.htmlhttp://sci-toys.com/ingredients/shampoo.htmlhttp://hmbeautyrecipes.homestead.com/HAIRshampoorecipes.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castile_soapAbout the author
Luella May is a natural health advocate helping people to heal naturally. Luella is in the midst of editing her ebook, "The 8 Invisible Stains of Our Souls" which will be available in the next few months. She partners with Tony Isaacs, who authors of books and articles about natural health including "
Cancer's Natural Enemy" and "
Collected Remedies" Luella contributes to
The Best Years in Life website for baby boomers and others wishing to avoid prescription drugs and mainstream managed illness and live longer, healthier and happier lives naturally. Luella co-moderates the CureZone "
Ask Tony Isaacs" forum as well as the Yahoo Health Group "
Oleander Soup" and hosts her own yahoo group focusing on the natural wellbeing of pets "
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