Share your story?

[guilty_biscuit]

Hey folks,

My favorite things to read about on this section of the site are people's stories about how/why they decided to start using natural products, or make there own products, or just generally eschew the received wisdom of conventional hair care. So I thought I would start a thread so that people could tell their stories.

[restourceful]

Cancer scare. My sister. We both went through our pantries and cosmetics and did a huge clean out. She buys commercially produced organic products now, but I started creating my own. It has been fun learning and searching out recipes for various things I never knew much about. It's more economical too. And the best thing is finding out that my body chemistry was being affected negatively to sell more product. Since I stopped using commercial deodorant and started making my own, I don't have an offensive odor at all anymore. :happydance:

[Alvrodul]

Worries about allergies. I have allergies, and tend to worry about developing more. Which was why I stopped using chemical dyes, and always have been careful about the products I use.
And that is also why I am not enthusiastically jumping in at the deep end with natural products. Natural does not mean allergen-free!

[Viechen]

I recently developed allergies to stuff... I am still not sure exactly to what so I just stopped using EVERYTHING and one by one introduce natural products to my regime. That way if I break out I know what caused the reaction... So far so good :) I am impatiently waiting for my Shea butter to arrive in the mail so I can try my next product! :cheese:

[alittle722]

a combination of allergy concern as well as personal preference. typically i dont like the scent or feel of products that arent natural. when i was young i took a soap making class with my mother at a local herb shop which is probably where i first developed an interest in natural products. and i have very sensitive skin as well.. even to some natural ingredients (highly allergic to chamomile! :( ) so it is very easy to weed out sensitivity causing ingredients when using natural products. PLUS-- its better for the environment!

[Antipodienne]

Babies. :)
My hubby and I want to be totally chemical-free and organic before I even get pregnant, so that it's already habit by the time we have kids. I figure I don't have the right to make the choice for them to saturate them with chemicals starting from conception. If they want to make that choice down the road, fine with me!
We're also vegetarian, as a result of the film Food, Inc.

[HikerTrash]

Got worried about plastic in the ocean. (See Fake Plastic Fish (http://fakeplasticfish.com/)). First thing I tried was using baking soda instead of deodorant. When I learned it actually worked and was cheaper, I started wondering what else I could replace. Started buying things from the farmers market like soap and oils. Developed some kind of allergy so I started using baking soda to clean my skin and hair and vinegar for a rinse. Baking soda cleans my tub, too. I just keep trying things that are cheaper, simpler and with any luck, don't come with a lot of plastic packaging and keep being pleasantly surprised.

[Daniella123]

It all started with acne actually... I did not realize I was basically self-sabotaging myself like most people.I died my hair every month, straightened and curled it everyday without heat protect ant, I bleached it once and my sister ironed it flat with a clothing iron..... (bad i know)I basically burnt the crap out of my hair the point of it being straw and having white ends. .. everywhere because I refused to cut it. It was damaged and prickly all the way to the roots and there was no way of knowing where my hair actually had layers because there was so much breakage it looked like someone razor ed my hair from root to end. no cone product could really fix it.. it was that bad and it took me years to realise what I needed to do was stop what I was already doing. Same for my skin, I caked make up on my face to cover my acne, and then realised it was the make up itself that was causing it.. aswell as using proactive which started aging my skin so I started using anti aging creams at 19.Reading back on this.. sounds like a nightmare.... heh heh....


Anyways, the good part of my story is I actually realised that natural beauty is much more beautiful and I needed to accept the flaws that were self-induced in order for them to go away. Now I wash my hair with a biodegradable earth safe shampoo, use coconut oil for a pre-conditioner and apple cider vinegar rinse as a finish. my hair has never looked betterI use the OCM (oil cleansing method) on my skin and EVOO under my eyes and I can't remember when my skin looked this nice..not congested at all! I wear little make up and actually feel confident :) I use baking soda as a deodorant and rose water to smell pretty for my boyfriend, he loves it. Now I am going to school to get my bachelors in science so I can go to the boucher institute of natural medicine and become an N.D! people need to realize that we have been working against our bodies for so long.. it is time to work with them. it took me long enough

[bumblebums]

My hair got really dull and dry, and I was shedding like crazy. Since I was a big product junkie, I just kept looking for more and more "serums"--not even realizing that some of them might be the cause of the problem. Then I stumbled upon a few sites that mentioned no 'poo, and I was on my way. Since I am fond of experimentation and a know-it-all, I started trying out new things and reading everything I could about natural haircare... Then I stumbled upon OCM, and the baking soda deodorant, and WO showers. And now it's a major hobby. I like that I have this secret from the rest of the world.

My BF, one of the few people who know, makes fun of me, but I always tell him that if we ever end up on a desert island, I am the gal you want to be with. Who else can make body care products out of random herbs and spices? :)

[JenniferNoel]

I made the transition/decision slowly after deciding to grow out healthy hair, and the more I tried natural alternatives the more I got hooked. I started off with simple oiling and quitting 'cones, and then began using natural moisture treatments, quit chemical dye and replaced it with henna, and continued from there.
It wasn't so much a chemical scare for me as it was a general improvement for better overall appearance of my skin and hair.

[Danaus plexippu]

I think it's so fun to experiment with all those wonderful natural products. My kitchen has become my labatory...cocoa butter, apricot oil, beeswax, yummy EOs. I love Bergamont. Some things work, some don't...but I love the process. Plus, even with buying the bulk items to make product, I'm still saving money compared to the salon and designer cosmetics I used to use.

Interesting side note...I have never used deo. When I was a teen, I just didn't smell and my mom was happy not to have to buy it for me. I still don't need it, and I'm not really a daily bather...usually 2-3x per week.

[TinaDenali]

It was just a natural progressing as we changed our diet. We became more health conscious after reading Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and other aspects of our life just followed suit. Now, we use zero commercial cleaning products, I don't wear make-up anymore, and we limit the amount of trash items we accumulate - as in we use reusable grocery bags, reusable food storage, and cloth for 'paper towels' in the kitchen.

Only, since joining LHC have I gone back to commercial hair care things - cones and SLS 'poo because some people have success with that. However, in the last few weeks I've started reconsidering and have gone back to my natural hair care routine!

I really like this way of life - I feel it gives me and DH peace of mind with regards to the amount of chemicals and toxins in our daily life.

I really liked that Fake Plastic Fish blog posted up there, it's inspired me! I have some areas to work on where plastic is concerned!

[guilty_biscuit]

Danaus plexippu--That's funny, I never used deodorant either. I just never needed it. It's funny how you can go through life accepting some things, even though many other things just don't apply to you. I never wore deodorant, and never needed it, and I never wore make-up or ever needed to wash my face with some harsh cleanser, and I never washed religiously. But for some reason, I always always thought that I needed shampoo, as if there was something magical about it that made it so much better for my hair than anything else.

[Bene]

I don't have any big reason for trying natural products. For me it's about keeping everything simple. I like to read ingredients, not for any fears or health concerns, just that I like to read them, and the labels just look neater and less cluttered if there are fewer ingredients. It's a minor preference, if there's less, it's better. If it could have been made and used successfully by earlier generations, then it should work for me. Also, my lifestyle doesn't require anything elaborate, I never wore makeup or used hair spray, or ever had any need for the non-natural stuff.


I do have a passing interest in the environment, no major concerns, but if there's a product that doesn't kill baby seals or destroy habitats, or whatever, and if it fits in with my needs, I'll opt for that one. No major soul searching or climactic viewpoint changes, just "Hey, that would be cool to try"

[Danaus plexippu]

Danaus plexippu--That's funny, I never used deodorant either. I just never needed it. It's funny how you can go through life accepting some things, even though many other things just don't apply to you. I never wore deodorant, and never needed it, and I never wore make-up or ever needed to wash my face with some harsh cleanser, and I never washed religiously. But for some reason, I always always thought that I needed shampoo, as if there was something magical about it that made it so much better for my hair than anything else.

I do think part of not "needing" products it is not using them in the first place, however I think body chemistry must have much to do with it. Some people tend to have oilier skin and hair. I've read here how a lot of people get rid of their products and they really struggle with over-production until their body adjusts. It's pretty interesting...advertising is so powerful. How can you be beautiful, smart, sucessful, or even clean or moral if you don't use "________?" I guess it's makes the economy-go-round. I remember reading about how Jessica Simpson doesn't wash her hair very often. Big deal, right? Well the comment section was unbelievable. People really ran her through the wringer. I've found bathing 2-3x per week has really helped with my dry skin and hair. No one has ever accused me of being unclean or smelling bad...and trust me, my friends and family would let me know.

[JulietCapulet]

I guess I just figure a lot of companies don't truly care about their consumer...so I go for lesser known brands I find in health food stores because I trust them more.

[CrisDee]

For me, it's been a gradual process, that started with me watching an infomercial for Wen. That gave me the idea to try CO washing (didn't know about it before that!). Told my daughter about it, and she then told me about henna. I found this board through the H4H board, and I've soaked up information like a sponge through both :)

[New Choppy Cut]

I'll try to reply (but I often get a message saying I'm not authorised to reply). I also wanted to post questions about my plans to use henna/indigo but I can't work out how to do so on here!
This summer I became very concerned about my grey hairs. I also started going to the baths more (long story, but I think I've managed the swimming/hair issues as best I can now). My first plan was to use semi-permanent colours for as long as I could, then go greyer and shorter. Next thing I'm using a demi-permanent (which I have used as a one off in the past), and loving the colour. Then it's washing out and I'm so sick of my hair I'm buying wigs - now have six. And thinking about the mega-chop for my 50th birthday ( but partly cos I now know you can grow hair long at any age so it would be a change and certainly not the end of long hair for me).
Current situation is that I've realised my hair has been growing only 1/4inch per month over summer, and I can't make up my mind about the "50th birthday haircut" (many months to go, by the way).
I still believe too many chemicals will damage my hair (and hence I would lose the choice of long hair). I don't feel ready to wear wigs at work ( mainly because it might seem frivolous and a bit insensitive for my job). My hair is fine and thin and boring, particularly my fringe, so it needs something! I think I would find it so hard to re-do my roots safely with a demi-colour and I feel using henna would be less of a worry.
I have used henna over the years, but never with indigo. Planned to use it yesterday but lost my nerve. Will use it on my leave this week, at least I have my wigs to fall back on!

[SilvraShadows]

I've been using natural products for decades it seems. I feel so much better knowing goodness is on my skin and hair rather than a bunch of who knows what. I just can't get past the thought of chemicals on my person... it's all about natural wholesome ingredients and making things a bit simpler. Although in the end I love browsing and using commercial products at my local Co-op that are organic and natural. I also love to create blends of my own at home with butters and balms and oils.

And I do admit, I am not 100% natural! I use a couple of products that are faking it.