DO yOU KNOW WHERE yOUR SHAMPOO COMES FROM? - Edible ...

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If you have the time, a few bucks, and a bundle of common sense, you can follow my recipe for homemade shampoo and see if it works for you as well as it does for me. Since i discovered this formula, I stopped using conditioner very often. Sounds a bit crazy, but the liquid I boil down from a combination of herbs and flowers is what restores my outof-control frizz to shiny, manageable locks. I came up with the recipe after about a year of experimentation, and you may need to do some experimentation too, in order to find what works best for you. • Serena Bartlett is the author of the GrassRoutes Travel series of eco-travel guides. She writes about sustainability, food and travel and lives in Oakland. You can contact her directly at: sbartlett@grassroutestravel.com. how to make your own shampoo Start by gathering up some good bottles to hold your shampoo. I use plastic honey bears or repurposed product containers. You’ll find there are plenty of things that will work and you’ll soon make a habit of saving the best bottles from purchased products. The best base for what I call a “shampoo stew” is comfrey or echinacea leaves. The rough surface of the leaves melts away and the minerals and nutrients seep into the solution. Echinacea, commonly known as coneflower, is found in many California gardens. Comfrey, a blueish-flowered perennial is equally popular, but invasive. Both are considered medicinal plants. I dedicate an entire section of my garden to my shampoo ingredients, which might include sage, lemon verbena, rosemary, or the summer trimmings from my overgrown scented geraniums. Each addition has a considerable impact on the fragrance of the shampoo, even after essential oils are added. Rinse the herbs and put them in a large stockpot. Add water to cover and slowly bring the herbs to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer for 15–20 minutes. Strain this “shampoo stew” into a large pitcher. Gather your desired soap ingredients. I use two parts Omega Nutrition soap to one part each African black soap and castile soap. Fill half of each shampoo container with shampoo stew and the other half with the soap combination of your choice. Then add 10–12 drops of tea tree oil for every 8 ounces of shampoo, another 20 or so drops of your desired fragrance, and 20 or so drops of an essential oil, such as almond, grapeseed, or neem oil. If you’re mixing a number of bottles of shampoo at once, try using several different essential oils so you can trial different versions; just remember to label the bottles accordingly. Extra shampoo stew will keep in the fridge for up to two months. Shampoo that has been mixed need not be stored in the fridge, though it is best kept out of direct sunlight. Once your shampoo is made it can be used on both body and hair. If you have longer hair, run a wide comb through it after sudsing your scalp, to get out the tangles. Try skipping conditioner after a few showers, and you might be pleasantly surprised. This stuff is great to hand out to friends or as house gifts; it is something unique that everyone, and their hair, will enjoy. Note: Castile is a general term for any soap made from vegetable oils, such as olive, coconut, almond, hemp, and jojoba. It has a very high alkalinity level, which makes it inappropriate to use alone on your hair. Mexican sage (pictured on previous page) Comfrey, scented geranium, lemon verbena, fragrant lavender (top to bottom) 24 spring 2008 EDIBLE EAST BAY www.edibleeastbay.com
FINE, OILY, DRY, OR DAMAGED? As you formulate your shampoo, it’s important to examine the particular qualities of your own hair. The list below will help you choose the herbs and essential oils to add to your shampoo. Some of these grow well in East Bay gardens, so think about “growing your own shampoo”! • Sage: good for oily hair • Lemon: good for oily hair, or to lighten hair • Rosemary: (pictured here) deodorant and moisturizer; do not use if you are pregnant • Fragrant lavender: soothes nerves; good for blonde hair • Cinnamon: good for ultrastraight hair • Tea tree: good for itchy scalp, refreshing (I put it in all my shampoos) • Rosewood: expensive but nice on any type of hair, totally luxurious • Cedar: a symbol of strength, it’s great for fine hair • Eucalyptus: keeps bugs away while camping, also good for fighting dandruff • Almond: moisturizing, perfect for curly or damaged hair and smells great go FAIR TRADE for AFRICAN BEAUTY SECRETS Growing wild across the savannas of central and west Africa, is a certain tree that provides many things to the indigenous people. The bark of the shea tree is an ingredient in traditional medicines, and the shell of the nut can repel mosquitoes, but most importantly, the meat inside the shea nut, when crushed, yields an oil that is highly valued for cooking and body care. The crafting of shea butter is done by women, who also make a black soap by combining shea butter with oils from palm and cocoa, with the addition of a stew of burned leaves and bark of various trees and plants, such as banana, plantain, palm, cocoa, and shea. Each region and tribe has its own black soap recipe that has been handed down through generations. These products, along with another extraordinary oil from the neem tree, have become important exports of the region, but typically, the women who gather the raw ingredients and hand craft the products, receive only a tiny fraction of the final price we pay for them. Therefore, it is important to look for the Fair Trade label when buying shea butter products. You will be helping to empower the local communities that produce them. —CK RESOURCES Basic Ingredients and Recommended Products Berkeley Bowl 2020 Oregon St., Berkeley 510.843.6929 www.berkeleybowl.com Elephant Pharmacy 1607 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley 510.549.9200 www.elephantpharmacy.com Body Time 1942 Shattuck Ave. 510.841.5818 2911 College Ave. 510.845.2101 www.bodytime.com Kiehl’s 1848 4 th St., Berkeley 510.548.0130 www.kiehls.com Radiance Herbs Olympia, WA 360.357.5250 Alaffia www.alaffia.com Essential Oils Lhasa Karnak 2482 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley 510.548.0380 www.herb-inc.com Plants For Your East Bay Garden East Bay Nursery 2332 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley 510.845.6490 www.eastbaynursery.com Berkeley Horticultural Nursery 1310 McGee Ave., Berkeley 510.526.4704 www.berkeleyhort.com Mt. Diablo Nursery and Garden 3295 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette 925-283-3830 www.mtdiablenursery.com www.edibleeastbay.com EDIBLE EAST BAY spring winter 2008 25
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DO yOU KNOW WHERE yOUR SHAMPOO COMES FROM? - Edible ...

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