What is the real purpose of Shampoo?
To cleanse or to poison
It may seem like a shallow conversation about something cosmetic….
But after some careful consideration and internet research, I have come to realize that all my years of compulsive picking at my split ends - using foamy shampoo, detangler, mousse, hair gel, blow dryers and curling irons and getting a perm- have all been much more of a dis-service to my health than I originally thought.
I wanted to look into the spiritual significance of hair for several reasons…
I noticed that when I would pick at my split ends, it caused a mild pain or numb feeling emanating from my scalp.
After a while, I noticed I had a “numb” feeling, almost like a blockage, in my field above my head after using shampoo and conditioner and it would make my hair nice looking but brittle and breakable.
We are told that hair is just dead skin cells. But if hair is dead than why does it fall out when you get very sick? The sickest people should have the nicest hair if that’s the case.
One afternoon, while making a fire. I reached for some papers from the burn pile and found a wad of hair that I had picked off of my hairbrush. I threw it into the fire with everything else and let it burn. I swear I could feel it. Not pain, but something. I felt something as I watched it burn. It was a very strange feeling that I didn’t like at all, like it was still connected to me somehow.
The more research I did on the subject of hair, the more I became intrigued. Is hair just hair? Is it really just stuff that grows out of our skin to keep us warm? …I decided to try to care for my hair in a different way and see how it goes and I wanted to document my journey.
I am amazed and a little shocked at how the necessity of using store bought shampoo & conditioner has been so deeply ingrained in me! I mean I really thought that these were essential products that I simply could not go without. However, I am happy to announce that I have shiny, strong, healthy, long hair that has not been exposed to any store bought products in months (and yes it’s very clean and smells great!).
I’ve put together this brief summary of the purpose of hair from my research and my new hair protocol with a recipe at the end. I really hope you enjoy.
Ever wonder why hair is often called “locks” ?
Heat escapes from the body mostly through the hands, feet and head. Which is why it is so important to wear socks and a hat in winter. It is not just heat that we are losing, it is spiritual energy and vitality.
Locking the hair in braids, or covering the head is a way to encase and protect this energy and preserve the energy within the body.
Energy travels from the earth through the soles of our feet up into the crown of the head, and our hair “locks” the energy in to our bodies preventing it from escaping. This energy nourishes and revitalizes our bodies. Without hair, the energy dissipates and escapes from the body. Many men who shave their heads will end up wearing hats all the time because it just feels better to cover that area.
Hair Nourishes the body and prevents loss of energy & vitality
We are among the only creatures who can grow hair longer on our heads than other areas of the body. Hair contains silicon, a highly conductive material. The keratin of the hair has a crystalline similar structure to crystals and gemstones, our hair receives energy from the environment and transmits it to the brain stem, limbic system and neocortex leading to greater energy, stamina and heightened intuitive capabilities.
Hair absorbs vitamin D from the sun and transmits this vitamin as well as phosphorous, calcium and solar energy into the body through the 2 ducts on top of the head. This can lead to greater physical & mental energy, improved memory, stamina, patience and heightened intuitive capabilities.
Enhanced Intuition
Hair is an extension of the nervous system and can be considered externalized nerves. In some cultures, hair can be considered and extension of the soul and “the virtues and properties of a person are said to be concentrated in his hair and nails”.
When your hair stands on end, you know something is not right… Hair plays an important role in the intuitive process.
During the Vietnam war, an experiment was performed on recruits to see if the hair length had an influence on abilities. The findings concluded that recruits with long hair were able to navigate in stealth far more effectively and seemed to have access to a “sixth sense” and greater intuitive abilities than recruits with short hair.
When hair is left alone and allowed to grow, it will stop growing at a specific length right for that persons needs. This is why not everyone that grows out their hair will have the same length.
Symbolism of cut hair
In many cultures, cutting the hair short symbolized slavery, submission, punishment and humiliation. Genghis Khan considered the Chinese to be powerful people, and when he conquered China, he made everyone cut their hair and ordered the women to wear bangs covering their foreheads to inhibit their pineal gland and make them docile. It is said that when Africans were enslaved and shipped to America, their hair was cut short to erase their sense of home, community and culture.
Depending upon the intention, cutting hair can also be a positive symbol of change, rebirth or renewal. Hair holds energy, and many women will feel the urge to cut their hair after a breakup, or other significant life event, to erase the old energy and feel “like a new person”.
Many people will want to trim hair to get rid of their split ends, but cutting the tips of the hair actually is unnecessary and split ends can be treated with some almond oil - it may take up to three years to restore your antennas after a trim.
Toxic Hair product ingredients!
Take a moment to examine the back of your shampoo bottle, or cruise down the hair product isle at the store, look at some labels and you may find an unintelligible list of ingredients of chemical names that you have never heard. It may (or may not) shock you to find out that MANY of these products are toxic, carcinogenic, completely unnecessary, and even cause hair loss.
Here are a few examples….
Cocamidopropyl betaine
A synthetic fatty acid/ surfactant associated with allergic reactions and irritation. It is used as a foam booster in many shampoos, and has no other benefit apart from making the product feel thick and foamy. Since it is technically derived from coconuts, it can still be used in natural products and is often found in natural and/or organic products. This ingredient also has a negative impact on the environment and is especially toxic to aquatic life.
Retinyl Palminate
A form of vitamin A which can speed up the development of skin tumors and causes itching, burning and redness and reproductive toxicity. When Retinyl Palminate can contribute to vitamin A toxicity. An excess of vitamin A can cause liver damage, brittle nails, brittle bones & osteoporosis and birth defects. Frequent use of products that contain this ingredient can cause skin peeling and dryness and is especially harmful for those with dry & ageing hair. It can make your scalp so itchy that you scratch aggressively leading to damage and hair loss.
Dimethicone
A type of silicone which coats hair and makes it feel smooth and silky but it actually attracts dirt and makes hair feel dirty and greasy within a few days, prompting the need to use shampoo again. Dimethicone forms a watertight barrier on the hair, sealing in the moisture, but also not letting an moisture in, ultimately dehydrating the hair making it breakable and causing hair loss. Dimethicone is not water soluble, and so it builds up on hair, creating a nasty residue. This is what causes that greasy, dull, limp looking hair that you get when you haven’t shampooed in a while.
DMDM Hydantoin
Like other formaldehyde releasing ingredients such as 1,3-dimethylol-5, 5-dimethyl and quaternium-15, DMDM Hydantoin is extremely damaging to human health since it releases small amounts of formaldehyde into the product over time, to preserve it. Find an unofficial list of shampoos containing this ingredient here. Formaldehyde can enter our bodies through inhalation or directly through the skin and cause cancer, scalp irritation, allergic reactions and hair loss. Unilever was sued in 2021 for including this ingredient in Tresemme and Suave shampoos which was reported to cause severe hair loss, itching, burning and sores on the scalp.
Fragrance
This ingredient may sound innocent enough, but it is far from it. Almost without limits, any amount of chemical combinations can be listed under the vague description of “Fragrance” on the label including endocrine disrupting phthalates. The formulations are fully guarded from the public because this is considered trade secret information. Fragrances have been linked with life threatening allergies & asthma, violent coughing, headaches, etc. Exposure to fragrance can cause behavioral changes, depression, hyperactivity, irritability, hormone disruption, and DNA damage…… For more on fragrance, read
Your Nose knows
Sulfates
Sulfates, such as sodium lauryl sulfate, strip hair of natural oils causing dryness, itching, flaking, and irritation. This is an aggressive chemical used often in hair products especially volumizing shampoos. These give the product the lather and bubbles we expect from a shampoo, but they also strip the scalp and hair of natural oils and cause the hair to be brittle, which contributes to hair breakage, split ends and hair loss. Sulfates have the potential to be contaminated with ethylene oxide - a carcinogen and endocrine disruptor.
Artificial colors
The colors used in cosmetics, including hair products are made from petroleum tar and known to cause skin irritation, dermatitis, and potential blindness if in contact with the eye. Colors can appear on the label either as a 5 digit code such as “46000, 46550“ or “D&C Blue 1, D&C Green 3, D&C Red 4, and D&C Yellow 5”… These colors are frequently used in food products, where they are just as harmful if not more….For more on artificial colors read…
Who decided that my food needed to be colored?
Not to mention actual hair dye which contains ingredients linked to neurotoxicity, liver & kidney damage, organ toxicity, hormone disruption and cancer such as touline, lead acetate, and resorcinol.
So the purpose of shampoo is………
well, I guess it’s just another one of those money grab strategies.
Or, perhaps it is a more sinister deliberate move to dehydrate and toxify our spiritual antennas?
If the purpose is to clean & nourish hair (as advertised) I certainly wouldn’t be able to figure that out based on looking into some of these ingredients. I had no idea that there were natural alternatives that actually work better and my eyes have been opened!
Hair rinse recipe (Shampoo replacement)
I noticed a lot of videos about using some combination of clay and apple cider vinegar to cleanse & nourish the hair and decided to give it a try. I added some tea tree and rosemary oils to my recipe since I have already been using these in my hair and love them.
This recipe actually works but there is definitely an awkward phase that takes place when transitioning from store bought shampoo/ conditioner to this natural protocol.
My hair was sticky, stiff and impossible to brush out for about 2 weeks, but I just stayed consistent and now I’m thankful I did.
I used to have breakable hair with lots of split ends and a flaky dry scalp. I’m one month in with using this alternative protocol, and to my amazement, my scalp now has no flaking whatsoever and my hair is smoother, shinier, healthier and getting longer and thicker than ever before.
Here’s how to make it…
2 Tbs bentonite clay
1 cup water
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
5 drops rosemary essential oil
5 drops tea tree oil
Just mix all the ingredients in a container (because you’re using bentonite clay, use either plastic or glass - no metal).
Allow it to sit for a few hours to let the clay fully activate.
How to use…
While taking a shower or bath, pour the rinse slowly into the hair and allow to sit for a minute. Rinse out.
After washing, let hair dry slightly, then massage oil into your hair and scalp. (coconut oil, grapeseed oil or olive oil, etc. whichever one you prefer) Follow this hair treatment about once per week or more often.
This combination of ingredients can also be combined with aloe vera gel and olive oil to make a clay hair mask as seen in this wonderful video here by Sandra Burnett.
How it works…
Bentonite clay
This clay is a type of aged volcanic ash which draws out toxins and impurities out of the hair follicles. Can clean product buildup off of hair. Also has hydrating properties and is rich with minerals that nourish the hair and scalp. It is so nourishing and alkalizing that it can make the hair feel somewhat stiff - that is where the vinegar comes in.
Apple cider vinegar
The vinegar softens the hair and adds acidity to balance out the pH of the hair. ACV is antibacterial, anti fungal, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant. It smoothes the hair cuticle and creates a lustrous shine over time. It also detoxifies the hair and can eliminate the product buildup such as dimethicone residue. Healthy hair pH is slightly acidic, so the acidity of ACV can balance the pH level of the hair which causes the hair to become less porous, shinier and healthier.
Tea tree oil
Aka melaleuca alternifolia oil - this oil has powerful antioxidant and antifungal effects which can help combat hair loss, reduce inflammation or irritation of the scalp and eliminate dandruff, also unclogs pores and promotes hair growth.
Rosemary oil
Can help grow long thick hair by stimulating hair growth at the follicle. A 2015 study found that rosemary oil was as effective in regrowing hair as conventional treatment for men with alopecia. This oil has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, it helps with blood circulation of the scalp and can prevent hair breakage.
Oil Treatment
Adding oil after the hair rinse, when hair is still slightly moist after washing, it will seal in the moisture and prevent breakage. Unlike synthetic dimethicone, these more natural oils won’t clog your pores and gunk up your scalp.
Thank you for reading :) May your hair grow healthy & long.
~Julia