Shampoo/face wash follow up

It's been about 7 weeks since I tried the un-shampoo and about 6 since I started using oil to clean my face. I know some people were inspired by my posts and tried them out, but didn't have the same results I did so I'm going to take a few minutes to do a follow up on how it's going, and potential changes that can help it work better.

Baking soda as shampoo

At first, this was fantastic. My hair was clean, shiny, but not greasy, the color looked so bright. When my bottle ran out of my first 'batch', I started just eye-balling the baking soda and I noticed that my hair started getting greasy faster. When I finally took a one tablespoon measure into the bathroom to mix my 'shampoo', it was an instant change. Back to super clean and non greasy hair.

So to those who tried this out but didn't have success, maybe your hair needs a more concentrated solution. If you want to try again, experiment with the amount of baking soda, and try using apple cider vinegar as a conditioner, if you normally use conditioner.

Oil cleaning method for my face

This method calls for castor oil mixed with olive oil, but since I didn't have olive oil, I used canola. I free poured a small amount of each oil into a small bowl and just dip my fingers into the mixture and massage onto my face before steaming off with a hot facecloth. After the first few weeks, I didn't have any breakouts and no dryness, which is important to note with our below freezing temperatures and wind. In the past 6 weeks, I have noticed a few pimples, but they are normally quite small, and are gone the next day. This has been surprising to me. I assumed that slathering my face with oil would create a teenaged-style zit-city. But it hasn't. I haven't used anything except for my oil mixture to clean my face and I also haven't worn make up over much of the past two months.

So to anyone who wants to try either of these two cleaning methods, or two wants to try again, be patient. You might need to tweak your combinations a few times before they work well for you. But I can say that I haven't used, or bought, shampoo or face cleanser for myself for two months now. A box of baking soda might last me a year, as would a container of castor oil, if not longer. So that means I can wash my hair and face for around $10/year. I don't think that's bad at all.

Norwex follow up and giveaway winner

It's been just over two weeks since I did the Norwex review and I'm still just as impressed, if not more. I cleaned the kids tub the other day with my bathroom antibac cloth. Normally, I use bleach and a scrub brush, and while the cleaning part is fine, it's the rinsing part that bugs me. I don't want my kids soaking in a tub with bleach left, so I go a bit crazy making sure I've rinsed it all. Then of course, I'm wasting water, and rinsing bleach down the drain, and that can't be good for the environment. When I used the Norwex cloth, I scrubbed, the same as I would with the brush, but without the bleach. The tub was just as sparkling when I was done, and I didn't have to worry about getting rid of all the harmful chemicals.

I've also used this cloth to clean my shower. When I had a tub/shower combination, it was relatively easy to clean. But now that we have a separate tub and shower, I've found it really difficult. I don't have the shower head to rinse the bleach out of my tub, and I don't want to be sitting in a bleach bath, so I have to get a pitcher from the kitchen and pour the water over the tub to rinse the bleach away. Then in the shower, it's a bit harder, since rinsing the shower is a bit awkward without getting in, and I don't want to be cleaning with bleach during my shower. But with the Norwex cloth, it's easy. I take my shower, and then wipe and rinse the glass enclosure before I get out. And there's no bleach or harmful chemicals to worry about. It's so easy,and convenient, and environmentally friendly.

So on that note, I would like to announce that the winner of our Norwex Antibac Microfiber Cleaning Cloth giveaway is SUSAN D!! Congratulations! I hope you enjoy your cloth as much as I enjoy mine! And thank you to Julie for sponsoring this giveaway. If you have any questions or are interested in Norwex, feel free to visit her facebook page HERE. While you're there, let her know I sent you, and thank you to everyone else who entered the giveaway!