Tag: baking soda

Baking soda and vinegar shampoo part two

Of all my posts about everything from unschooling to food allergies this one gets more hits than anything else combined.  I find it kind of shocking and unbelieveable but it is true.  And more people find my site through that post than through anything else.  Go figure.

Since we are still doing it (in fact, my husband has joined the ranks and has found that his dandruff is gone and the trouble he has with acne in his hair is greatly diminished) I thought I would update you on how it is going and what changes we have made.

We now keep the the baking soda more watered down and in a Propel bottle (the kind with the squirty lid.)  This way you can shake it up and spray it on your head., which is much easier to deal with than the paste.  We have also added some vanilla extract or whatever scent the family wants (using extracts from the health food store, not oils or imitation ones).  My kids are more likely to use it if it doesn’t smell like baking soda.

I still keep the vinegar in a squirt bottle as well (I have a small vinegar bottle with a squirt lid that works perfectly.  The kids don’t like using the vinegar so seldom do, my husband and I both do however and I find that with my now shorter hair a quick vinegar rinse (making sure to rinse well after) makes it so it doesn’t get oily after a few days.   If you have dandruff rubbing a bit of rosemary oil mixed with olive oil or castor oil into the scalp before the vinegar rinse helps as well.

We now keep a jar of coconut oil in the bath instead of mineral oil (thanks Rachel for the idea). I have added some peppermint oil and lavender oil to it and use that both for my skin and rub the little left on my hands through my hair.   I use lavender and peppermint because I like the smell and I find the lavender helps both my rheumatoid and with headaches, as does the peppermint. If you prefer something more feminie you can add a few drops of rose oil or for a fresh smell add some citrus oil.  Coconut oil is great because it melts at 74 degrees (I believe) but is solid lower than that.  This makes it easy to add other scented oils to and makes it easy to use in the shower.

Random Stuff and Coming Soon

  • The kids are eating homemade peanut/almond/coconut butter with homemade jam on homemade bread for breakfast.  They are going on about how this is THE. Best. Peanut Butter. And. Jelly. Sandwhich. Ever!
  • Today is a day to go out.  I have packages to mail, library books to return, computers to fix.
  • Due to my weird whatever it is sleeping sickness I have been reading.  A lot.  I have a pile of books to tell you all about and to pass on to my kids to read.
  • My husband has been sucked into the vortex that is WOW.  It will be a while before he emerges, hopefully unscathed.  The good thing is that he has extra work to do which has brought this on plus he is getting irritated at it more often–a sure sign that the game is not long for our house.  Otherwise I would be applying for a WOW Widows support group.
  • Issac got a new bike which we are still trying to replace the tires on.  Sigh.

  • I am finally starting to get back into the posting mode–which is good because lots of stuff has happened that I want to eventually write about.
  • Speaking of things that happened–I learned a lot about myself and my little world last night.  I went to a not Amway party (I don’t remember the name of the company but it is very similar.)  I went because my bosses daughter was having it and I am friends with her and my kids are friends withher kids.  It was eye opening and my husband is very proud of me because I managed to KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT.  (It made me aware of the totally other lifestyle that most people seem to live–in fact my trip south was also eye opening in this way.  But that is a post for another day.)
  • I still have an upcoming post about VBS in the works, as well as some thoughts on good summer reads and other natural household items that are very frugal and much healthier than the alternatives.
  • I am thinking of writing about the natural alternatives to normal household cleansers and beauty products.  My brain is full of all sorts of alternatives–I have been collecting them since I was a kid reading my mom’s Woman’s Day and Family Circle magazines and later when I got a hold of several old Household Hints books from the early 1900’s.  Some of them are great, some, well, not so great.:)
  • Related to the previous note–I am still getting hits on the Baking Soda and Vinegar shampoo thing.  250 to date.  Weird.
  • Also, more day-in-the-life of Christian Unschoolers style posts.  I really think that is the best way to clear up the whole “are they learning” issue, not to mention showing how God is growing them.  I am so thrilled at the Christian unschooling community I have found here online.  God is so GOOD!