Where to Start?

I first began questioning my health and beauty products in the spring of 2015. I was using an over the counter scalp treatment a few times a week. It was a cream-like substance that came in a squirt bottle and was to be applied all over the scalp. I would massage it into my scalp and then shampoo and condition my hair as usual. After I had been using this product for a while, I started to notice that even after I had washed and conditioned my hair, if I touched my scalp and then had my hands anywhere near my eyes, they would start to burn. I remember thinking, “If this is supposed to be helping my skin, why would it have ingredients in it that are causing my eyes to burn?” In addition, the product didn’t really do what it was meant to, which was to help with my scalp psoriasis symptoms. I continued to have a lot of plaques forming on my scalp, along with a lot of irritation and dryness. This led me to start investigating the ingredients in my beauty and skin products.

One of the first websites I found that seemed to be reputable was the Environmental Working Group (EWG) site. I had found their Skin Deep Cosmetics Database through some Google searching and began looking up various companies that I had been using to see what rating they were given. EWG examines the ingredients used by various skin care and beauty companies and rates the company and its products on a 1-10 scale. Products with a lower score are considered safer because they contain less ingredients that pose health hazards to consumers. I was surprised to find that most of the companies whose products I had been using on a daily basis scored above a 5-many of them contained carcinogens and other harmful chemicals that I had been totally unaware of.

My initial investigation shocked me enough that I decided I needed to begin an overhaul of my skin and beauty routines to eliminate as many harmful chemicals as possible. After some more research, I decided to begin with a scalp detox routine to help minimize my psoriasis symptoms. The websites and blogs I visited all had different scalp detox recipes, as well as varying amounts of time to use them for. Some people switched to a “cleaner” shampoo and used a detox routine in addition, while others went all-out and used the detoxifying “shampoo” mixture in place of traditional shampoo. I realized I had been putting a LOT of chemicals into my body for a very long time, so I decided to go with the more extreme route. However, I do think that a scalp detox can be used along with a traditional shampoo and still have a positive effect on the health of the scalp. For example, you could apply the detox shampoo mixture before using your usual shampoo, or alternate using a detox shampoo and your usual shampoo.

Here are the recipes I ended up using for my conditioner, detox shampoo, and after-shower hair rinse. There are many other options out there-these are just the ones that worked well with my skin and were cost-effective and convenient for me to make. I used this routine for about two months before switching to a “clean” shampoo and conditioner.

Scalp and Hair Conditioner

Ingredients:

Organic cold pressed aloe

Directions:

1. Squirt aloe directly onto scalp and gently massage.
2. Squirt aloe onto hands and then coat your hair with it. You could also squirt the aloe directly onto your hair and then spread it with your hands.
3. Leave on for 15-45 minutes before showering. Rinse with water and then apply shampoo.

Although I don’t use aloe as a hair conditioner anymore, I do use it in multiple ways as part of my daily skin care routine. My current favorite is Amara Organics Cold Pressed Aloe Gel, which I get on Amazon. It’s more of a liquid than a gel because there is very little added to the natural aloe in the product, but it’s much more nourishing than thicker gels that you find in most stores.

Detoxifying Shampoo

Ingredients:

1 cup water

¼ cup lemon juice

⅛ teaspoon tea tree oil

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle and shake up to mix.
2. Spray onto hair, focusing on the area closest to the scalp (this tends to be the oiliest area).
3. Gently massage into scalp in small circles.
4. Rinse and repeat.

Tea Rinse for Soft and Shiny Hair

Ingredients:

Green or chamomile tea (steep one tea bag in 8 oz. of water for 15 minutes and let cool before using)

Directions:

Pour over hair after shower. Do not rinse.

Note: Due to the acidity of the tea, you may need to adjust the steeping time or dilute it with some water. I’ve noticed that when I use stronger tea, I sometimes get a bit of itchiness on my scalp.