Vinegar is an acid. Is a chemical. So is baking soda. Now, they may be better for you (and your hair) in the long run than SLS, but the cider vinegar works partly because it strips the excess sebum from your hair and scalp, and the baking soda is an abrasive as well as a base that achieves much the same ends.
I tried this method for about three or four months, and my scalp never settled, although I do know lots of people who have had really good results with it. For me, what I also noticed is that I got gunky sebum buildup at the base of all my brushes and combs, which was gross and also leaving gross stuff in my hair when I brushed it. [My hair also is just curly enough that it looks better if I comb it, then wash it, and leave it to dry without combing or brushing, so I might not have been brushing it enough to move everything through... but the more I brushed the more gross hair gunk i got on my brushes :(]
The other thing I had issues with since my hair is sooo looong (which I think is partly why I had so much extra crap to deal with? I don't know) is that the ends would get really dry. However I have had really good luck with just using a little bit of coconut oil on the ends, and I know other people have tried other light natural oils (grapeseed, jojoba (which is a wax but close enough), etc) for that as well.
I've gone back to only washing it about once a week with a natural soap, and my hair and head seem happier with that so far.
As far as non-soap body cleaning, I like a nice olive oil(extra olive) and brown sugar scrub, with a bit of pepper or nutmeg for grit/scent. It feels sooo nice! But I've never tried using anything like that on the regular, just once in a while as a treat. I should make some of that up tonight, hmmm :D
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Vinegar is an acid. Is a chemical. So is baking soda. Now, they may be better for you (and your hair) in the long run than SLS, but the cider vinegar works partly because it strips the excess sebum from your hair and scalp, and the baking soda is an abrasive as well as a base that achieves much the same ends.
I tried this method for about three or four months, and my scalp never settled, although I do know lots of people who have had really good results with it. For me, what I also noticed is that I got gunky sebum buildup at the base of all my brushes and combs, which was gross and also leaving gross stuff in my hair when I brushed it. [My hair also is just curly enough that it looks better if I comb it, then wash it, and leave it to dry without combing or brushing, so I might not have been brushing it enough to move everything through... but the more I brushed the more gross hair gunk i got on my brushes :(]
The other thing I had issues with since my hair is sooo looong (which I think is partly why I had so much extra crap to deal with? I don't know) is that the ends would get really dry. However I have had really good luck with just using a little bit of coconut oil on the ends, and I know other people have tried other light natural oils (grapeseed, jojoba (which is a wax but close enough), etc) for that as well.
I've gone back to only washing it about once a week with a natural soap, and my hair and head seem happier with that so far.
As far as non-soap body cleaning, I like a nice olive oil(extra olive) and brown sugar scrub, with a bit of pepper or nutmeg for grit/scent. It feels sooo nice! But I've never tried using anything like that on the regular, just once in a while as a treat. I should make some of that up tonight, hmmm :D