My Zero Waste Hair Care

My Zero Waste Hair Care

Ok, just because I am a natural mom does not mean I do not care about what I look like. I think there’s a misconception that we “granola moms” live a natural life and do not care about our appearance. Since going zero waste, I have tried no-poo as well as homemade shampoo — with disastrous results. Hats off to those women who use homemade hair shampoo and conditioners or who have stopped washing their hair with shampoo altogether. However, my problem is that I have long, naturally wavy hair, so whenever I have tried all the natural stuff, I have ended up looking like a troll — an ugly troll, may I add.

The problem with store bought hair care products is that most of it comes in plastic, which is big no-no when you’re trying to be zero waste. Then we have the second problem: most store-bought shampoos, conditioners and styling products contain lots of harmful chemicals.

 So, the question I ended up with was how do you take care of your hair zero waste style?

 I have adopted a different but still zero waste (or at least fairly zero waste) hair routine. Here it is:

 Shampoo & conditioner: Most of the time, I buy my shampoo and conditioner in bulk at my local Coop and implement reusable bottles for them. Sometimes I’m lucky that my hair stylist and friend finds me shampoo without nasty chemicals and in post recycled bottles. Yay!!!

 Package Free Shop, owned by Lauren Singer from the zero-waste blog Trash Is for Tossers, sells shampoo and conditioners in refillable non-plastic bottles. It’s Hypoallergenic. Baby safe. Color Safe. Biodegradable. Cruelty Free. Free ofanimal testing. The container is made with aluminum and is refillable so can be sent back to Plaine Products or returned to Package Free’s store.

Hair Shine: Because I have curls, sometimes I need something to “tame” my wild hair and make it look shiny, so I use coconut oil. It’s cheap, contains no chemicals, and a little goes a long way.

Hair Ties: Let’s face it, hair ties are bad for the environment for so many reasons: they usually are made of synthetic materials that contain chemicals; they are sold in plastic packaging; they don’t last very long; and they become rubbish as soon as they break. The problem is that, if you’re like me and have lots of hair and sometimes need a quick hairdo in the morning, hair ties might seem like a necessity. So, here is a link to some smart ways to fix your hair without hair ties, and here is a link to making your own eco-friendly hair ties. Still want hair ties? Ok, here are hair ties made with organic cotton and rubber, which are sold in 100% recycled and/or biodegradable packaging.

 Brush and Comb: I use a  brush and comb made from natural bamboo.

 Moisturizing Hair Mask:

If my hair feels tired and dry, I create a hair mask by making a paste. I use 3 heaping Tbsp. of Aztec Secret Healing Clay, 1 Tbsp. coconut oil, then add warm water and whisk it until it becomes a spreadable paste. I massage it into my hair and scalp, then leave it on for 20 minutes or so. After that, I wash it out with shampoo and then use conditioner.

 Hair spray:

I don’t use hair spray very often, but for those rare occasions I make my own from just waster, sea salt, oil and either some thyme or rosemary essential oils following this recipe.

Learn more about my zero waste and vegan skin care and my recipes for it here and read more about my beauty care here with my recipes for things like deodorant, lip balm and makeup remover.