How to wash your hair using natural products is the focus of this guide. Washing your hair with natural hair-cleaning products is a healthy alternative to the countless commercial brand shampoos and conditioners that are composed of synthetic compounds. Many of these over-the-counter hair cleaning products contain petroleum-based and other artificial substanceshttp://www.naturemoms.com/no-shampoo-alternative.html http://www.healthy-communications.com/harmfulingredients1.html that would do some serious damage if one ingested the product into their body, but yet scores of people think nothing of putting the same such chemical concoctions onto their body.

The human skin provides a level of protection from certain substances entering the body, however, as is demonstrated by various medical patch products, chemicals can indeed be absorbed into the bloodstream through the skin. Even substances that ordinarily would not penetrate the skin can do so where there is a break or tear.

The method of washing one's hair itself, such as rubbing or scratching of the scalp and the pulling of hairs from their root by stroking the hair can serve to agitate the skin creating minor abrasions on the scalp that could serve as a conduit for delivery of toxic elements into the body.

Other reasons to consider using natural products to wash your hair include:

Such natural alternatives tend to be more economical as many of the products can be purchased at a lower price or may already be available in the user's household and can serve a multiple purpose use for them.

Natural hair-care products are also friendlier to the environment outside one's body as they are rinsed away.

The psychological effect of using natural hair cleaning products can also make for an uplifting personal feeling in realization of being cleansed by wholesome solutions.

Water may be the most ubiquitous of the natural hair-cleaning substances, however, keeping in mind the old adage "water and oil don't mix": other natural products are recommended to address issues of greasy hair and to give an enhanced healthier look to one's hair.

Numerous natural solutions are possible, here are a few of them:

Flour: Using a moderate amount flour and massaging it throughout our hair will aid in the absorption of the grease,. The flour can be formed into a paste or dissolved in water for a less viscous solution.

Baking Soda: Like flour, baking soda can aid in the absorption of excessive amounts of oil in the hair and on the scalp; and likewise to flour, it can be made into a paste of a liquid solution.

Vinegar: Vinegar aids in removing grease, grime, residue from previous shampooing and other unwanted soil from the hair. Apple-Cider Vinegar is recommended as it contains a less-pungent odor than the traditional white-vinegar variety.

Vitamin E Gel: Blending in some Vitamin E with any of your other natural methods is a good supplement. Squeezing out the gel from one or two of the vitamin caplets would provide a sufficient quantity.

Coconut Oil: Coconut Oil is good for giving the hair a shiny look and a good source for conditioning.

Olive Oil: Olive oil, though one of the messiest natural hair-cleaning products, will serve well in lubricating the scalp to handle issues of dandruff, and well as giving the hair a shiny, silky look.

Tea: Tea, used by itself or mixed with a citrus fruit juice is an option as a post-shampoo rinse to provide extra shine and nourishment to the the hair.

If you're looking for your natural product already pre-packaged, some stores may sell them as such, however, be sure to read the labels carefully to assure that the product is not just partially "natural": containing some herbal, organic, or otherwise natural ingredients, but only in addition to other synthetic substances.

Massage your scalp to loosen up and remove dead skin that can be removed during the washing and rinsing of your hair.

Wet your hair with warm water before applying your natural hair-washing product. The water will aide in the lathering and dispersion of your product throughout your hair.

Whichever natural product you choose, use a moderate amount of the product. Do not saturate your hair with the product, use only an amount sufficient to evenly spread throughout the full volume of your hair. This can be accomplished by beginning with a small quantity of your natural product then adjusting the amount as needed to accommodate the length and thickness of your hair. Start out with an amount about the size of a quarter, and add smaller portions as needed.

Some of you may want to mix more than one of the natural products together, like combining baking soda and vinegar. In these methods as well, use only portions of the products that are adequate for thoroughly cleaning your hair.

Once your product is suitably applied, work your fingers through your hair from the roots outward toward the end of your hair. Gently work the product against your scalp with the pads of your fingers. Avoid scratching or tapping with your fingernails.

Rinse the hair thoroughly to remove any of the natural-product used as well as any accompanying odor. For the stronger odors that may not completely disappear with just a water rinse, natural juices such as lemon juice or orange juice can aid in removing their scent. Follow any juice rinse with a traditional water rinse.

Letting the hair air dry is preferred of using blow-dryers or rubbing with a towel. The hot air from blow dryers can be harsh on the scalp as well as the hair. The traditional toweling of the hair can cause damage to the hair by pulling and tearing it. You can use your finger to gently squeeze excessive amounts of water after rinsing. This will help speed up the air-drying method.

After the natural hair-cleaning experience, one should wait a moderate amount of time before doing a wash again. Go by the look and feel of your hair, if it doesn't look or feel oily and dirty, then it doesn't need to be washed. The general purpose of washing one's hair is to clean soiled or excessively oily hair. Washing the hair too frequently can remove too much of the natural oils that keep one's hair healthy.

Keep in mind that most tap-water may contain certain chemicals http://www.articlealley.com/article_685676_17.html http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/1220-05.htm that may seem to contradict the whole "natural" hair cleaning concept. Distilled or purified water are options, but unless one possesses their own water filtering and purification system, this can be a relatively expensive alternative.

Prior to purchasing such cleaner-water products outright: one may wish to consider the production and distribution methods of these products, that are not necessarily economically nor environmentally friendly, against those concerns of the tap water; as well as other factors such as: the quantity of unwanted chemicals in the tap water per a given volume as compared to that in the commercial brand shampoos.