Greenify Your Hair

So as some of you know, awhile ago I officially jumped on the green bandwagon. I want to become more eco-conscious by looking critically at the things I own: those that I need, those that I like, and those that are inevitably wasted. What I don't want is to contribute to the idea that in order to be green you need to toss out all your old stuff and buy new, super-expensive "green" things (that may or may not be all that "green").

That said, as I have been trying to greenify my beauty routine by cutting back on the number of products I own (because, ahem, I own a lot), and picking more natural alternatives for ones that I keep around. And since I know you all will keep me accountable, I thought I'd share my new (much simpler) hair-care routine with you.

Image: drugstore.com

When it comes to shampoo, my stance is that it all gets washed out of my hair anyway, so I'm not terribly picky. I just need something that get my hair clean without drying it out to straw. Shi Kai shampoos do the trick for me- they clean my hair without the use of SLS or other harsh chemicals, and they don't strip it of its moisture. The Color Care Shampoo is my favorite for being pretty gentle and non-drying. The Everyday Shampoo does dry my hair out a little bit, but nothing conditioner can't fix. Better yet, both can be found at Whole Foods or just about any online drugstore, and they're pretty inexpensive ($5-7 for 12oz, depending on where you get it).

Image: iherb.com

My hair is thick and tends to be dry, so when it comes to conditioner I tend to be more picky. The hardest part of switching to green products was finding a conditioner that would moisturize without the use of dimenthicone, which is found is just about every drugstore moisturizing conditioner. I finally found a friend in Desert Essence Red Raspberry Conditioner, which moisturizes using jojoba oil and contains vitamins A and C plus calcium, magnesium, and almond amino acids for healthy, shiny hair. It keeps my puffy hair relatively non-puffy, without making it flat or greasy looking. It also doesn't hurt that it smells amazing, like sweet raspberries on a summer day. And like the ShiKai shampoo, it's relatively easy to find both in stores and online, and it won't break the bank ($6-9 for 8oz, and a little goes a long way).

Image: vitacost.com

As far as styling products go, my hair is admittedly non-picky. It's straight and thick, so I typically look for something that will will add shine and keep it from puffing up mid-day, plus protect it from any heat styling I might do. For me, Giovanni Direct Leave-In Conditioner has worked wonders. Just a dime-sized amount keeps all of my hair under control without being greasy-looking. Plus it does it with natural oils instead of silicone, so I don't have as many issues with build-up. And, as you might suspect, it's also relatively easy to find and inexpensive ($5-8 for 8.5oz).

What do you think of my new hair routine? Does anyone have other natural products I should test out? If so, I'd love to hear them :)