I am really getting into the whole natural, chemical-free, preservative-free lifestyle. Don’t call me a hippie with a condescending tone. I just don’t want to die of cancer before I get to retire. Is that too much to ask?
Anyway, while I know that many LUSH products are not necessarily chemical free. I want to talk to you about their dry shampoo product: No Drought. I. Love. It.
First of all, let me explain to you where this all came from. I am a compulsive shopper. I have issues. Not with hoarding of the products or clothing, just general issues. Anyway, I bought this dry shampoo a while ago and never touched it. Then, I started to notice that my hair was always pretty greasy or oily when I would go to bed. That is gross, who doesn’t hate that? So what was my natural inclination? To use more shampoo or shower more. I started to get more skin issues with having dry skin or breakouts and my hair was still dull and greasy at the end of the day. Mind you, I don’t work out that much so it wasn’t like I was going crazy on the weights at the gym. I should be, but that is another issue and another post.
So then, I got to thinking, what the heck did people do way back before shampoo was invented. I have a weird obsession with those questions. What did people do without Diet Coke? What did people do to clean their clothes? How could one live without brushing their teeth? Bottom line, people made it. They had other ways of cleaning, finding happiness, etc. Did you know that there is a giant community of people that do not wash their hair with shampoo, use conditioner or anything of the sort? I love them. They are the coolest people on the planet and their hair looks just as clean, maybe cleaner than those who load on the product. So. I started googling. My answer to everything. I learned that you can use a baking soda water dilution to clean your hair and a rinse with apple cider vinegar conditions your hair just as well as those dumb shampoos with four hundred ingredients, only three of which anyone can pronounce. Yes, admit it. Aren’t you nervous about the idea that up to 60% of anything you put onto your skin can be absorbed into your body? I am scared out of my mind.
I tried the baking soda and apple cider vinegar thing. Right now, it is not for me, because I am scared of what it might do to my new hair color. But if you have a natural hued head of hair, use baking soda. You will never go back. Please note: naysayers with respect to this routine will say that it does not work and that people’s hair will become even greasier. They are only partially correct. Think about it. You are addicted to shampoo, you just don’t know it. Everytime you put that mixture of checmicals on your head it causes your skin and hair shaft to free. Your scalp produces tons of oil to make up for all the natural oils you have stripped from your hair to get that “clean and fresh scent” which is terrible. So, yes, if you switch to something more natural, there will be an adjustment period. You will have relatively greasy hair for a few days and possibly weeks. But if you can get over that hump, you will have amazingly balanced, clean-looking hair. Because your natural oils will finally be in a neutral state.
While, the baking soda route was not for me at this point in my life. (I am so sad about my conclusion, so maybe I will change my mind soon) I am still determined to not shower as much. I used to shower every single day. Now, I am slowly transitioning. I shower every other day. I have more time. My hair looks better! My skin looks amazing! And my skin is much less dry. It is so simple. I actually may not wash my face anymore.
By not washing my hair every day, the oil production is evening out. On the days I do not shower, I get up and am super excited to put the LUSH dry shampoo in my hair. Nerdy, I know. I even have bangs and the dry shampoo makes them look amazingly perfectly clean. I have more volume, I can start with a base on which to build my hairstyle, if I want. My hair just looks much more healthy and people always comment on the second day’s hair more than the first. I eventually plan to wash my hair every third or fourth day! I can’t wait. Think of all the time I will save and how great my hair and skin will look.
There are apparently two generally accepted ways of using No Drought Dry Shampoo by LUSH. The salesperson recommended that I just squeeze the bottle and it will go onto my hair. This is dumb. It doesn’t apply it uniformly and for someone with darker hair, this may be a problem. I sprinkle some into the palm of my hand and swipe it over where I see the most oil. I do not use it all over my hair, only near the front of my head and at the roots. My bangs tend to get greasier, so I do swipe the powder throughout my bangs. I have rather blonde hair, so the baby powder colored formulation works well for me since it lightens the root area and doesn’t look like dandruff. I am told even raven-haired people can use the LUSH dry shampoo with success. But, since I have no experience in that regard, I would suggest you try a sample first. At $12.95 this bottle will last me at least a year. I have medium length hair, and I use the dry shampoo every other day.
For more information on my skincare routine, see my post on coconut oil as a natural face wash and lotion.
