Changing Shampoos

In my recent kick to try more natural alternatives to household items, I decided to try a new shampoo. I'm not devoted to a particular brand. My hair's thick and pretty healthy, so they've all done the job. I suppose I might be singing a different tune if I had hair issues that were remedied by a particular brand, but since I don't, I don't feel the need to pay more for a designer label. In the end, if I like the smell, I'll take it.

So making the switch wasn't hard. I went to Trader Joe's and found Avalon Organic Botanicals Nourishing Shampoo in lavender. I had to finish up the end of the bottle I had, though. The anticipation of trying something new is always so exciting! Finally, the day came. I tried it. It had a pleasant smell and wasn't sudsy, but it doesn't need to be to work, so I was fine with that. I used it with my old conditioner because I still had a lot left. I don't know why, but I felt like I had a really hard time rinsing something out, though I don't know if it was the shampoo or the conditioner (which I've never had trouble with). I dried my hair, and it felt heavy, as if I had product in it. Once it was dry, it didn't feel much better, but it was passable. I washed my hair again the following day, careful to shampoo my scalp well and rinse as thoroughly as possible.

Now, I should say that my hair washing routine has never been a problem. I wash every other day. I use a small amount which doesn't vary despite the length of my hair because you're only meant to shampoo your scalp, not all of your hair. The conditioner only gets put on my hair, since I've read that applying it to my scalp would leave a residue.

I was very disappointed with the shampoo, but I tried a few more times. Yesterday, I washed and rinsed, and it just felt horrible...weird and unpleasant. Despite having partially dried my hair (no easy task if you know how heavy my hair is), I went back to the shower to try to re-rinse it. Only slightly better, if at all.

And that's it, I'm not going to use the shampoo again. There's no point in changing to a more natural shampoo if it means I have to wash my hair twice as often. I'm using more time, water, shampoo, and energy in washing my hair for mediocre results. That said, I'm still willing to try something else. I'll consult the EWG's shampoo list this time. Not because they list what works as a shampoo, but because if I'm going for something better for me and the environment, I might as well have some good research on my side.