Part of living simply is cleaning up the crap that’s going in + on my body.
Some of the choices we are making include:
- buying organic +/or local as much as possible;
- paying attention to labels;
- cleaning with a vinegar/water mix + using old cotton clothes as rags.
On Christmas Day 2014 I made the decision to stop using shampoo. The catalyst for this decision was that my hair would start to get really oily within a half-day of having washed it. It is really frustrating to feel that you’re getting gross on the same day that you’ve washed.
Over cleaning stimulates an excessive amount of oil because one’s body is trying to compensate for the fact that all its natural oils have been stripped away. So I quit shampoo cold turkey. Thank goodness I was basically unemployed at the time because I wouldn’t have been able to stick with it if I had to go into an office every day with a greasy head of hair (so gross). Instead of shampoo I use a baking soda [with tea tree + rosemary essential oils] cleansing rinse, + an apple cider vinegar [with lavender + geranium essential oils] conditioning rinse twice a week. Every so often I’ll do a natural/organic shampoo or get a wash when I get my hair cut. But overall, I’m shampoo free.
I bring this up, because the other day it occurred to me that it’s been over a year since I quit shampoo. In retrospect, it’s gone by quickly + it’s a habit now. It’s just how I do things. But there were times when I thought I would never get to the point where I could get my hair to two washes a week. I’m not kidding when I say my hair used to get mega greasy – if I left it for more than 2 or 3 days friends would think my hair was wet. Because grease. So gross.
I’ve also implemented other chem.free beauty items. My face “wash” is a combo of several different oils + it’s never looked better. I’m buying make-up products that have more natural ingredients or are made with stringent chemical regulations.
It’s been a slow build. Each day has led to a renewed decision to make these lifestyle choices. Some days have been harder than others. But then, seemingly all of a sudden, I’ve realised I’ve been doing this for over a year. The cleaner lifestyle that I’ve been working towards is a lifestyle I’m actually living.
So that’s how I’m feeling about our journey to simplify + minimize. Each day is another opportunity to make a little more progress, make choices that better serve our desire for a filtered lifestyle. + one day we’ll be doing our thing + it will hit us that we’re living the life we’ve once dreamed of living.