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Eco123 Revista da Economia e Ecologia
Homemade Shampoo
Today we are going to talk about shampoo: a vegan alternative, without chemicals or plastics. I can’t imagine how many plastic shampoo bottles I’ve thrown away over the course of my life. Whether the bottle is 250 ml or 1000 ml, the flood of plastic never seems to end. Special soap for hair washing does exist, but it’s not always easy to find – and goodness knows where it’s been imported from, or rather, how much CO2 it has generated, even without counting my journey to buy it at the shop… plus, the never-ending list of ingredients makes me wonder if it is really that good to use on my head. And what about the micro-plastics that travel down the plug hole and into the sea?
However, there are much simpler ways of cleaning our hair: with rye flour, for example. When I heard about this alternative for the first time, I must confess that I was doubtful. But I was curious, so I decided to experiment. My first attempt was a disaster. To keep things simple, I had mixed all of the ingredients together in an empty jam jar and taken it into the shower.
However, the mixture of rye flour and water was slimy, causing the jar to slip out of my hands and break — so I was stuck in the bath surrounded by broken glass, unable to move. Despite this little accident, I was pleasantly surprised by the result: my hair was very smooth and shiny after washing it with the rye flour shampoo. So, I continued to use it.
What’s more, this shampoo has everything that you need to keep your hair healthy: minerals, amino acids, proteins, Vitamin E and Vitamin B5, which has anti-inflammatory properties and absorbs moisture. It is also good for sensitive skin. Wheat flour or spelt flour should definitely not be used. These flours contain gluten and create a very sticky paste, which gets stuck in your hair and is almost impossible to wash out!
If your water is very chalky, I’d recommend that, after washing, you should treat your hair with an acidic rinse, which will make it shiny. This will work on dry hair, and is even good for people with dandruff and oily scalps. This mixture also helps to rejuvenate hair which is bushy and brittle. Your hair will be soft, and the smell of vinegar disappears in no time. Furthermore, it will get rid of any remaining silicone particles in your hair, which are deposited after using synthetic shampoos.
Ingredients for rye flour shampoo
for short or shoulder-length hair:
4 tablespoons of rye flour;
230 ml of warm water.
for long hair:
5 tablespoons of rye flour;
300 ml of warm water.
A small bowl, a hand blender (or a closed container in which to shake the mixture), a shampoo bottle or another shatterproof container
Preparation:
Mix well until a gel-like substance starts to form. If you use wholegrain flour, let it soak for 1 to 2 hours — this softens the harder grains so that they will not stick to your hair. Personally, I prefer normal rye flour that can be used right away.
Application:
Apply this paste to the scalp and massage it in. Spread it over wet hair and then leave it for five minutes to take effect. Rinse well to get all the remaining flour out of your hair and out of your ears.
Acidic Rinse
Mix the following ingredients together:
500 ml water
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
Application:
After washing, place this mixture on your hair and leave it for a little while. Allow the excess liquid to drain, then wrap your hair in a towel and squeeze it gently, but do not rub. Dry your hair as usual, but avoid using a high temperature setting on your hair dryer.
