Before you dig into the recipes, I would like you to understand why I started off on this journey of making my own stuff and here is why .. (I know its a long read but I would request you to read it when you have some time)

By now you know that I want to get rid of possibly all chemicals at my home. I want my family to be as far away as possible from the chemicals. When I started searching on natural shampoos , I came across some articles which opened my eyes. I was surprised to know that all this while I was using pretty dangerous shampoos and conditioners.No wonder I hear about cancer so much more now and within my family members. Its quite scary 😦

As I researched more, i heard about the concept on ‘no-poo’ – no shampoo. Here is the wikipedia link in case you want to know more about this.

I can give you my reasonings on why I went route of homemade organic shampoo:

• Shampoos remove natural oils from the scalp making it dry , so our scalp starts producing more oil thus making a vicious cycle of having to wash our hair with shampoo more frequently
• Most of the shampoos contain chemicals like SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate) – These sulfates act as foaming agents in the shampoo. However prelonged use of sulfates weaken the hair and is also causes skin irritation or itchiness in scalp. If you dye your hair, then its advisable to use sls free product as well as it shortens the time the dye stays on, since it strips the dye faster. It dries the hair. Studies found that sulfates can be absorbed by our liver. When this happens it mimics estrogen found in the body which could cause hormonal issues in people. Even if you do not want to make your own shampoo at home, I would recommend getting SLS free shampoo.
• Truth about SLS causing cancer? Sodium laureth sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate are not known carcinogens, according to the American Cancer Society. However, some studies show the harsher sodium lauryl sulfate may cause mutations that could lead to cancer.The American College of Toxicology found that SLS easily penetrates the skin and can circulate in the body for up to five days, leaving residues in the heart, liver, lungs, and brain. I surely would like my family to be away from it 🙂
• Many shampoos use Cocamide DEA . was added to the California list of harmful chemicals in 2012 after the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) published its review of the chemical’s safety, which was based upon skin exposure tests in animals. It clearly identifies this chemical as possibly carcinogenic(having the potential to cause cancer) to humans. Here are the personal care companies which use cocomide DEA.
• CEH (Center for Environmental Health) filed a lawsuits against 4 companies and sent legal notice to more than 100. (You can read about it here) What was disheartening and surprising to me ‘CEH testing found cocamide DEA in store-brand products purchased at Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Pharmaca, and Kohl’s. A store brand children’s bubble bath from Kmart and a children’s shampoo/conditioner from Babies R Us were also found with cocamide DEA. Falsely labeled organic products from Organic by Africa’s Best also tested for high levels of the cancer-causing chemical; CEH previously won a legal settlement with this company requiring it to end its use of phony organic labels.’. I would have never expected Trader Joes to sell something thats not safe or any bottle with ‘organic’ label to contain any cancer causing chemical.
• Shampoos contain Parabens. These are a group of chemical preservatives used in shampoo and other personal care products. Even at very low doses, parabens have been linked to reproductive damage and organ toxicity.
• Fragrance:  Fragnance in shampoo and other products come from 3100 chemicals.These are highly toxic and can result in liver toxicity, damage to the central nervous system, allergies, brain fog, obesity, asthma, headache, contact dermatitis, organ toxicity, and cancer. They are made from petrochemicals and phthalates, and have been linked to learning disabilities and other developmental abnormalities in children whose mothers had high levels in their bodies during gestation. These don’t have to be disclosed because they are considered trade secrets.
• Polyethylene Glycol : This is also known and listed as PEG. It is petroleum-based and widely used to create creamy texture. PEG may be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide, another known carcinogen. California has classified polyethylene glycol as a developmental toxicant that may interfere with human development.

Yes I have done extensive research on shampoos and its sad that the above mentioned chemicals are not only found in adult shampoos and conditioners but also in infants and kids products 😦

If above doesn’t scare you , its scary! The more i read about this the more i feel we as consumers have to be very careful about what we use as a product on our skin.

The rule of thumb “If its not safe to eat, its not safe to apply on skin” Many experts agree that absorption through the skin is more dangerous than through the mouth. Substances absorbed into the digestive system go through the kidneys and the liver where enzymes break them down and often detoxify them, whereas substances absorbed through the skin go through no such process.

And hence started my journey to look for healthier options , preferably homemade so I know what goes into it. Yes the smell may not be as good as branded shampoo and yes it may or may not lather that much but atleast i know my family is safer.

Hope this post helps some of you start questioning the products you use at your home.

Here are my tried and tested recipes:

• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Lotion
• Lip Balm
• Soap
• Bath Bombs

 

**Image courtesy: Google: http://superstore.wnd.com/department/bath-and-body