Easy & Fast DIY Shampoo and Conditioner - Two Ingredients Each!

Ok, don't be grossed out. I know this isn't fitness related, but we are all striving for clean living, right? Ok, well, you might not be at this place yet, but when you are, this will be here! ;)

Regardless of your reason for searching for clean shampoo and conditioner recipes, it truly doesn't get any simpler than this!

My reasoning is a good one - my little guy is 3, and suffers with a rare food disorder. His condition is also affected by chemicals, as well as many of the ingredients in soaps, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, etc. So we have recently made the switch to all-natural everything - and the difference is already apparent!

I'll be honest, it was HARD, giving up my Caress body wash, and Redken shampoo and conditioner - but every time I looked at the ingredients, I winced. There are SO many chemicals in there, many of which are soy-derived, which is a HUGE problem for my son. And those chemicals were in our bathtub every single day. So while it was difficult to picture giving these things up, I just kept thinking about how good it would be for my little guy - and it didn't take me long to get over it ;)

I was worried about trying these - I figured my hair would break easily, I'd lose volume, but that is not the case at all! Each of these pictures is my natural hair AFTER washing with JUST these ingredients - no other product, mousse, hairspray - nothing added!

I found this website - she does an AMAZING job of explaining how shampoos/conditioners actually strip your hair of oils that actually benefit it!

So! What you need:

Shampoo Ingredients:

• Water
• Baking Soda
• Essential oils (optional - I didn't use them this time around)

Conditioner Ingredients:

• Water
• Apple Cider Vinegar

That's it.

For the shampoo, I used one of those ketchup type containers from Wal-Mart - very cheap, and it works! I use about 1/8 cup baking soda to 1 cup of warm water and shake until dissolved. Before each use, shake well, wet hair completely and separate into sections, and apply directly to scalp (I don't apply it to the ends, but lather it for a few minutes and allow it to sit before rinsing).

For the conditioner, a spray bottle was necessary, as I feel it goes farther. I used 1 cup of water to about 1/4 cup ACV - separate your hair into sections, shake bottle, and apply liberally all over. Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes, then rinse (without over-rinsing).

Now, the disclaimer: the first couple of times you try this, it may feel weird, especially if you're used to traditional shampoos like I was. As she says in the above website, you may need to tweak the recipes some (less baking soda for dry hair or less ACV for oily hair), but you will find what works for you if you just stick with it :)

 Do you have your own natural way of cleaning your hair? I'd love to hear about it, post as a comment below! :)