Earthsap Shampoo

I’ve been wanting to make my own shampoo for a while (been waiting for our current one to run out). I was keen to try out the baking soda and vinegar rinse everyone seems to be blogging about but was a bit put off when I read this article about how it can dry out your hair. I think I’ll have to research this a bit more, in the meantime though I did run out of shampoo and had to find an alternative quickly that I also found acceptable (i.e. no toxins). Once again PicknPay helped out there. They have a small selection of chemical free shampoos (admittedly on the bottom shelf and tucked away behind some other stuff).

I bought myself the Earthsap Lavender and Sugar beet shampoo and conditioner (R36.90 and R 37.90 respectively for 250ml). I used the shampoo that very night.

My first experience: It lathered up more than I expected (but less than most off the shelf shampoos) and had a good clean smell. It rinsed off easily but I felt that it did leave my hair fairly tangled afterward (maybe the conditioner will help as a detangling agent). Once dry my hair was soft and quite shiny so points scored there. The next morning though my scalp felt a little itchy. It normally feels like that when I haven’t washed my hair for 2-3 days. My hair still looked fluffy and non-oily so I waited another day before washing again. I had read that there is a transition period when you move from aggressive detergent like main-stream shampoos to more natural versions. Because they don’t strip as much oil off your scalp as shampoos it takes a while for your scalp to adjust and start producing fewer oils. However after 2 months the itchiness hadn’t gone away and DH was also complaining so I went to the Wellness Warehouse and found another shampoo by the same brand but with Tea Tree oil. This one was advertised as specifically against itchy skin.

After a couple of months of using the tea tree we are both happy. The results are about the same as the Lavender but without the itch that was driving us nuts or the super tangles. Another unexpected bonus is how long my hair is now clean for. I have found now that I only need to wash my hair every 5-6 days!

So happy with the shampoo we decided to try their Teatree and Peppermint Body Wash as well and this was a failure. It couldn’t get rid of sweaty armpit smell so DH nixed it. After all when you come out of the shower you don’t still want to reek. Sadly I tried another body wash Treemendus Tea tree Body Wash (produced in Durban) with slightly better results but still not optimal so I guess for body wash we might migrate back to less environmentally friendly options. Getting fresh and clean takes precedence after all. I will continue searching for alternatives.