Ideal Bite

You trying to scare me? Don't use the words "prison" and "shower" in the same sentence, please!

While I like the idea of a multi-tasking product, something that I use on my face that can be used for the laundry or car just doesn't cut it. Drying? Ya think? LOL! "Hey Dear, when you get out of the shower can you hand me the soap so I can go wash the car?"

Dr. B is great but definitely is drying. Any natural bar soap can be used as a shampoo, but with some (many?) you will have a film left on your hair after. It can also make the pH of your hair a bit alkaline. Ditto some other non-shampoo cleaners. Some are also drying. If drying, consider doing a warm oil treatment before you shampoo. Plain olive oil is great. Warm a few tablespoonfuls and massage them into scalp and hair. let sit 15-30 minutes and then shampoo. To remove soap film and acidulate your hair, consider the following: When I was a little girl my mother used to rinse my hair, after shampooing, with a cider vinegar solution. It was much later that I learned this added shine and prevented tangles. When we began making soap and shampoo bars we were reintroduced to vinegar or lemon juice in acidulated rinses. At that time we began making herbal rinse formulas with special properties. By itself a cider vinegar rinse leaves hair soft and shiny, helps de-tangle, and can aid in preventng dandruff. It, as do all acidulated rinses, helps remove oils and soap residue and restores a healthy acidic pH to the hair. You can add the benefits of herbs to these rinses by making a strong infusion with them. The traditional properties of herbs particularly helpful to hair are: Nettle (urtica dioica)- nourishing and stimulating to the scalp. Rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis)- conditioning, darkening at larger quantities. Thyme (Thymus Vulgaris)- stimulating to the scalp and equalizing to oily skin, helps prevent dandruff. Sage (salvia officinalis)- purifying, cleansing and conditioning, enhances brunette hair. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)- to brighten and enhace shine, especially in blonde hair. To make a herbal hair rinse, use at least 1/2 c. herbs for 2 cups of vinegar. Steep together in a jar without heating for at least 2 weeks, then strain and store in a dark glass bottle or dark place. Use by adding 2 Tablespoons of the vinegar rinse in 1 cup of warm water and massaging into scalp after shampooing. For best effect do not rinse out. Bar soap made especially for washing hair contain a large proportion of Castor Oil. They are less apt to leave a film. Dottie - also known as the soap lady at simmonsnaturals.com

Every motion creates energy... so why aren't there more practical ways to harness human produced energy? I would be much more motivated to utilize exercise equipment if I were also producing usable energy for my efforts. And what about the HYmini? Why can't it use the human power created by the cyclist? I am just a "dabbler" in eco-friendly stuff at this point, and not an expert on any aspect of it, but I sure would like more information. And I am just amazed at the amount of energy that is lost through our day to day physical activities. There has to be a way to use it! Thanks for any help you "eco-pros" can provide!

"I text while driving." OMIGOD! How dangerous is THAT!!!??? It's illegal in the UK. (supposing you were stupid enough to do it in the first place).

I'm very impressed with this blog. My first comment, blogging, ever! I think that Heather and BSR should collaborate to write a book! Great insight and humor can go a long way! You could get Simon's two cents for fillers and utilize Dottie's knowledge as a consultant. So now that I have figured this all out, how can I help? Anyway, the concept of using one thing for multiple applications is a real time-saver. I often wonder, why someone hasn't invented a shampoo that desolves ear wax? Your article reminded me of a Saturday Night Live skit I saw many years ago that was one of those fake TV ads. I think the ad was for a product named "Shimmer... a floor cleaner and it tastes great too!" Thanks for shining your light my way! Tom

"I think that Heather and BSR should collaborate to write a book!" That's assuming Heather's a) Alive and b) hasn't killed someone whilst texting and driving at the same time!!!

Any idea where I can find a site to download, how to make eco-friendly shampoo's, soap etc.

In our family we only use two kinds of products in the shower/bath, miessence and Dr Bronners. Dr Bronner's is great, but we don't use it on our faces or our baby as it can be a bit drying. miessence makes an organic sunflower body wash that can do double duty as shampoo, facial cleanser, shave gel, and bubble bath (I guess that's quadruple duty). It also comes in a handy 50ml travel size: https://anniesorganics.mionegroup.com:443/category/3/2