Saturday, September 20, 2008

Washing My Hair with Kefir and Kombucha

Since I had started washing my hair with Kefir Whey and Kombucha my hair has become noticeably thicker and shinier. I am almost 50 years old now, and prior to using the kefir and kombucha my hair had been starting to turn grey. My hair is now coming in healthy, shiny and back to it's original blonde color for the most part.

When I noticed that my hair was going back to my original color I was a bit embarrassed to tell anyone what I had noticed; because I was sure that people would think I was imagining things, so I said nothing. Ironically, within a day or so of my noticing this, someone in my kombucha group had noticed the same thing. Their experience was more evident than mine, because that person and their spouse's hair had changed from grey back to brown. I replied and shared my experience and so did others. So, I am not the only 'crazy' that says my hair has gone back to it's original color. Since that time, which has been at least a year ago now. Several people have commented on my hair. The ones who knew that my hair had been thin my whole life ... and that my hair had become dry, brittle and dull as I had become older have been even more shocked.

So, now are you wondering what I do to wash my hair? First of all, I haven't been able to go totally soapless on the hair yet. Though, I use so very little shampoo, that one large bottle of shampoo with essential oils lasts me forever ... I mean, FOREVER! I tried the "no poo" method with Baking Soda and Apple Cider Vinegar. It was too drying for my hair. Though, I must mention that it does work very well for others.

Here is what I do: I soak my hair in the kombucha at least once a week. I also soak my hair in kefir at least once a week. When my hair needs washing between those times I use a pinch a good quality herbal shampoo with essential oils ONLY on my roots. As I rinse the shampoo out (rinsing it out very well!) the shampoo water runs down the remainder of my hair, though I don't intentionally 'wash' the rest of my hair or ends.

I used to pretty much just take a handful of shampoo and slap it on my wet hair/head and sort of scrub my hair around until it looked like a nest (which is the common practice of most), then rinse it out; followed by conditioner. My poor hair certainly needed the conditioner after that horrible abuse!

I no longer use conditioners or hair sprays. Thankfully, I don't need them anymore. Being that my hair used to be so thin, it used to quickly become oily. This is no longer the case. Now, I use a little bit of pure coconut oil in my hair after washing. It works great! Every once in a while I mix up some coconut oil and lanolin and use it on the tips of my hair.

Let me warn you! If you wash your hair too often in kombucha, your head will smell like vinegar when you sweat. That happened to me once. Not good! Which also reminds me, if you are a person who likes your hair to smell good you can do what I do. When you add the coconut oil to your hair add a drop of geranium oil, or any other essential oil that is safe for your skin. Your hair will smell great and look shiny. It also holds up well to humidity. I live in New Orleans, the capital of humidity, and my hair holds up great.

Friday, September 19, 2008

No More Soap?

I never dreamed that I would see the day that I would bathe without soap. Nor, could I imagine ever being proud to tell someone such a thing. Well, that is the truth. I don't use soap to bathe anymore... and it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made!



Ever since I have thrown out the soap, my skin is softer and more clear than it has ever been. I am sure you are wondering if I stink now. Nope, that has not been a problem either. I don't use soap, but I do use sea salt, Epsom salt, kefir and kombucha:



Sea Salt -- works as a natural neutralizer. It kills bacteria and germs that can cause infection and softens the water.



Epsom Salt -- provides magnesium and sulfur that the body needs, with all of the added benefits of salt. As a perk, Epsom salt baths are great for relief of muscle pain and sprains.



Kefir and Kombucha -- are great astringents for fungus and any kind of skin condition. They are packed with probiotics (friendly bacteria). They are not only great for soaking in, but also can be used instead of shampoo.



I am sure that at first glance of this list most people would assume that this is too expensive of a venture to even think of trying. Let me tell you, since I have started doing this I have saved lots of money. I buy the salts by the bulk and make my own kombucha and kefir. I will be going into more detail in my next few blogs as to how to make kefir and kombucha. I will also add all of the links to the cool websites and to my mentors, so you can learn to make them for yourself.



The reason I started making kefir and kombucha is because I had stomach problems and I was looking for a way to straighten up my stomach's flora. It worked! My stomach problems are gone and the lagniappe perk is now I have found that there are more uses for them than I ever knew, including bathing in them. In fact, the kefir I use to wash my hair is made from my leftover whey. The kombucha I use is made from the kombucha that I make to drink that becomes over fermented. I could go on forever about using them to wash my hair ... but that is another blog too!



Why did I stop using soap? I know you were wondering. I was reading an article from Dr. Mercola and he had mentioned that we should not be using anything on our skin that we would not be willing to eat. It sounds bizarre, but think about it: our skin is our largest organ. Our skin absorbs everything that we put on it. If you think about all the junk we put on our skin; all the chemicals and toxins we take in on an average day with our soaps, lotions, colognes, laundry soaps and softeners ... then add in all the chemicals we come into contact with in the environment on a daily basis, it's too much to even begin to wrap our minds around. Maybe after reading this you might consider going soapless too!