Frugal Hair
I recently made the final switch from shampoo to baking soda for my hair. But I did it gradually. I started by adding some baking soda to my shampoo (I have done this every once in a while for years, usually when switching shampoos or when getting back from a camping trip). But this time I gradually increased the amount of baking soda and decreased the amount of shampoo until I quit the shampoo altogether. I do have incredibly soft water, so I can add the baking soda right to my hair- no boiling, mixing with water, or pre-prep.
Be sure to wash your brushes and combs about once a week, too. I mostly swish mine in the bathroom sink with some baking soda. You can also run them through the dishwasher.
When I was a little girl my mother never used conditioner in my hair- she used vinegar instead. It works, too. Try putting some in a spray bottle and squirting your hair with it. I rinse, you may prefer not to.
When my own daughters were small I let their hair grow. When they wanted bangs, I combed the hair for bangs (or a fringe) down in front of their faces, spread a piece of scotch tape over the hair about where I thought the hair line should be, and cut along the edge of the tape so that I would have a straight line. This also makes clean up easy- no whisps of hair tickling the nose or falling down a shirt or scattered on the ground. here's a tutorial. I never tried anything more adventurous than that, but learnign to cut hair is one of the best things you can do to save money- my daughter Jenny cuts the hair of all the men in the family and trims split ends for the girls. There are now all kinds of video tutorials on doing this online.
Vinegar is also an excellent way to eliminate dandruff. Spray your head all over with apple cider vinegar- get your scalp especially pretty wet with it. Then wrap your head in a towel and let the vinegar set for a few minutes (or thirty- it doesn't hurt to go longer, which I have done when I got busy with other things). Then wash as usual. Do this regularly and dandruff will vanish.
Ever given your hair a hot oil treatment? I once did this by accident. I had just had a baby, and there was a peri bottle of olive oil in the shower and one of vinegar, which I used for condition. I accidentally put the oil in my hair instead of the vinegar. At first I was kind of upset, and then I decided to make lemon-ade- so I rubbed it in, left it in a few minutes while showering, and then shampooed it out. My hair was smooth, glossy, and shiny and felt very healthy.
Speaking of hair- in our family the gals just let our hair grow. And grow. I haven't been to a hair salon in probably fifteen years or more (my hair isn't that long, it doesn't grow that fast), and most of my daughters have never been to one (the eldest went to a salon when she got gum really mangled in her hair when she was about 5 or 6). The one who has been the most often has cut her hair two or three times and donated it to Locks of Love, a charity that makes wigs from human hair for underprivileged children 21 and under. Some of the reasons the children may need wigs include:
a condition called alopecia areata, radiation therapy/chemotherapy, severe burns or trauma, as well as other genetic or skin conditions.
My 13 year old wants to do this, too. This is hard for her mama- she's my youngest girl and her beautiful, long, thick hair is down to her waist, but I'm trying not to be selfish. For us this is kind of fun and an act of charity. The frugal part of this comes in for those of you who like professional cuts and styles- we discovered that two hair stylists in our itty bitty town will cut and style your hair for free if you have ten inches or more to donate to Locks of Love. Something to think about if money is really tight and you're embarrassed to let your hair grow out- let it grow and tell people you're donating to Locks of Love- that will save you a few cuts and perhaps spare you some embarrassment. Use that saved money to pay down a bill or cover groceries, and get your hair styled and cut when you have ten inches to donate.
My hair is thin and limp, not much body to it no matter what cleanser I use. I have discovered, thanks to my daughters, that it looks like it has more body when I don't comb or brush it after washing it. I let it air dry (thus saving more money since I haven't used a blow dryer in a couple decades or more). Then, instead of combing it or brushing it I use my fingers. I open my hand and run my fingers through my hair, slowly disentangling any knots. This method is gentler on the hair, doesn't cause as much breakage.
Different hair requires different approaches to keep it clean and neat, of course. What are some of your frugal hair care tips.
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8 Responses to “Frugal Hair”
February 12th, 2010 at 8:56 am
I’m still loving the baking soda & vinegar routine after a year. My hair is happy and healthy, and I can go 3 days between shampoos, something I haven’t been able to do since I was a very small child.
Although my dandruff isn’t entirely gone, it’s greatly reduced. I’ll have to try your tip for treating dandruff. Maybe I’m being too stingy with the vinegar.
February 12th, 2010 at 9:30 am
Kim, I think the vinegar treatment works even better if you soak your head in vinegar (doesn’t that sound funny?) and wrap it in a *damp*, preferably warm, towel so it can really penetrate.
February 12th, 2010 at 11:26 am
I’ve never had a hair cut at a salon. My hair is 100% straight, thanks to my Chinese grandmother, and my favorite cut for it is a straight cut at chin length. No layers, no bangs, no nothing. It’s extremely easy to do at home.
February 12th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
DHM and Kim,
For a while now I’ve been wondering what you all do about your girls’ long hair and vacuuming? My hair is long, but so fine that if I brush or comb it it just turns into a fluffy, static-y cloud. So I finger comb it and put the loose strands in the rubbish. However it seems like there are always strands of hair in the carpet, and it’s starting to be a strain on the vacuum cleaner. Any suggestions?
LRO
February 12th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
LRO, we don’t have carpeting on purpose, because of that very issue. Well, that and dog hair, dust, dirt, and allergies.
When I lived in a house with carpeting I took a razor to the hair tangled in teh vacuum about once a week. Recently I’ve heard of a friend who takes a match to it, which is a solution that stinks, but I think is much less frustrating than the match (hair burns *really* fast).
February 13th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
I recently invested in a left handed professional pair of hair cutting scissors. I have 3 little boys so getting them still and cut quickly is a must. The scissors will be paid for in a month by not taking them to a salon. I learned how to do a boy cut on YouTube. It works great.
I am very interested in the vinegar treatment for dandruff. Right now I am allergic to most dandruff shampoos and use pine tar shampoo which is the only thing that is working. Thanks for the tips.
February 13th, 2010 at 10:40 pm
We’ve done Locks of Love a few times, once via a salon, and a couple more times by cutting the hair at home (our normal MO) and sending it ourselves.
It always kind of chokes me up — my one daughter who’s done it has gorgeous curly thick red hair. Last time we cut it for LoL, it was maybe a little shorter than shoulder-length, which was a shock to us both. But boy, did it curl up! It was beautiful, and she’s only just now growing it long again.
I’ve been cutting my own hair for about 5 years, and back in the fall I really went for it: I cut it just a little longer than chin-length, with layers around the bottom. I would not say that the result was exactly like what you’d get at a pricey salon, just as the designer knock-off perfume doesn’t smell exactly like that designer perfume you supposedly love, but I got an amazing number of compliments. My hair is thick, coarse, and wavy, so it’s fairly forgiving if things aren’t precisely even. Still, now I feel all gonzo!
February 14th, 2010 at 1:49 am
I have never attempted to wash my hair with baking soda!! Here in Cairo the water is quite full of Chlorine, would I need to pre-prep the baking soda or is it worth trying straight on my head?
Thanks,
Forest.
http://frugalzeitgeist.com
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