Selfsufficientish.com

well, the long names are all just chemicals... But don't throw it away just yet! A lot of these (could be) derived from plants and stuff... although the main thing is that nowadays petro-chemicals give most of the answers, it is far easier to make say the active ingredients in vanilla out of various minerals and stuff than to actually grow vanilla pods. That is what you've gotta watch out for.
Also even if it's natural, the plants in it may not be the most environmentally-friendly! Not many people think to look for an organic or rainforest alliance shampoo!

Ooops I started something...sorry!

I don't have much time right now and I can't remember it all from the top of my head, but I would look into the following (wikipedia might be a start, Pat Thomas of The Ecologist also wrote a book called What's in This Stuff)....

Amonium laureth sulphate - sounds like a foaming agent, alternative to SLES.

Cocamidopropyl betaine - coconut derived something or other, but I believe the sheer scale of use of these products has severe environmental impact, deforestation in order to monocrop coconut trees

polysorbate 20 - I believe that anything with a number must be synthetic, could be wrong about that

sodium citrate - no idea.

linalool, citronellol, geraniol - these 3 are components of the essential oils but have to be listed separately by EU regulation as they can be irritant (though it is possible that the problems only exist when they are used in isolation rather than as part of an whole EO which, the theory goes, may contain other components that "quench" their effects).

HTH Clara

This website looks helpful, doesn't appear to go into environmental concerns.

Polysorbate 20 is the stuff that make it foam

lavender
lavandin
geranium
melaleuca alternifolia - tea tree
- these should be essential oils

linalool
citronellol
geraniol
- are the potential allergens in the EOs - EU regs state you must list them if they're above a certain %.

grapeskin extract - I'm guessing it's pink?

Amonium laureth sulphate
Cocamidopropyl betaine
- these are the things that make it soap (shampoo). They may or may not be plant derived.

And I can't remember what sodium citrate does - emulsifier, or preservative or some such. Not plant derived.

There has been a lot of talk about ammonium Laureth Sufate and it's like cousins in shampoos. Here is a website actually from your side of the water that covers that ingrediate plus others in shampoos and cosmetics.

http://www.health-report.co.uk/ingredie ... ectory.htm

I use soap on my hair once a week (I make it myself with Rosemary etc so that I know there are no dodgy chemicals in it) and if you don't rinse your hair with something you do get the build up of minerals from the water on your hair. If you put a slug of Cider Vinegar into water and rinse with that then some water your hair comes out perfect,- healthy, clean and shiny.

I always think it depends on were you live when it comes to washing your hair, in the town the air is full of dirt, in the country you can leave things, including clothes, bodies and houses!

Sodium lauryl/laureth sulphate are used as industrial de-greasers for engines, factory floors and the like............and for your shampoo, liquid soap, fancy expensive facial wash etc. etc.

i still only use water

Has anyone tried the method of putting olive oil on your hair, then washing off with homemade shampoo (liquid castile soap, water and some sort of essential oil)? It's next on my list to try.

Well Well ... I colour my hair around every five weeks and I use a very small amount of the condidtioner that comes with it to seal the colour. Since my last colour and that was six weeks ago I have not washed my hair only wetting and massaging while in the shower and I am the fastest person in the world in a shower. Today I went to get my long hair cut back into it layers and the ends snipped of and the haidresser said that my hair is in lovely condidtion, shines and curls are nice. Told her what I had done and she said she wasn't surprised so ... heres to the next 6 weeks of wet washing only.

ive been using just water for about 4 months, granted i have dreads so dont get the shiny/curly/glossy look anymore,, but i dont feel the need to wash my hair as often, and my scalp feels better for it =]

i've been using just water for 7 months now. once past the transition period its been great, feel nice and looks good (apparently)

But how long is the transition period? I work in a fairly conservative office job and couldn't turn up for a month with greaswy hair. Is it likely to be somehting I could get into within say a two week holiday or similar? I'd love to be shampoo free. I did the bicarb thing but eventually my scalp itched terribly and the only thing I can find to ease it is T gel.

Thats my trouble Cassiepod. I tried using a shampoo from green people are after about 2 washed my head was so itchy I had to go back to head and sholders. It took my scalp and hair several months to recover!! I just can bear having an ichy scalp. I had danfduff as well which quite frankly is just not socially acceptable (or personaly acceptable!)

its tricky to say, i think it varies wildly from person to person.

I have short male hair and it probably took a month or so

I switched to using bicarb a couple of weeks ago and I wish I'd tried it sooner.
In the past I tried shampoo bars by L*SH but just ended up with a really itchy head and matted hair.

My hair has been super greasy for years (wash in the morning, greasy by the evening) and I tried to only wash it every other day -yuk!

However since making the switch I have washed my hair twice - after 2 days the 1st time and 3 days the 2nd. This is the least greasy my hair has ever been!
Only time will tell if it works for me long term but so far, so good!