Green Hair

I have recently been introduced to the idea of green hair. Not so much green in the sense of expensive dyes—or Kool-aid like we did in my high school—but green in terms of the environment, of course! I heard about this idea when a friend announced she had stopped washing her hair. My first reaction was somewhere between a grimace and “Get a hat.” I’ve always thought this particular friend particularly intelligent, so I thought I should at least hear her reasoning before I attempted to persuade her to lather up. Telling me instead about a carbon-footprint-reducing and natural-health-enhancing way to manage the perfect cut, I began to see her side. She reminded me of the body’s natural supply and demand. If the shampoo stopped washing away all the oil everyday, the body won’t produce so much. After about five days of no ’poo, the oil glands settle down. Simply rinsing her hair with warm water removes excess oil without kicking the glands back into overdrive. Also, to wash her hair, which she does every three days (a time frame that is synced with her body’s oil production, not necessarily the standard, though), she uses vinegar to remove any dirt or pollutants she picks up from walking around the ever-moving Iowa City metropolis. After further research, I learned some green-hair-goers also use baking soda every few days to stimulate the hair follicles, helping them grow! Benefits, my friend has said, have been no cost on expensive hair products, for one, no pollution with harsh chemicals running down the drain, no bottles to throw away or even recycle, and no gas spent running to the store to replace what you've literally just washed away. Personally, it’s the conditioner—my mother would say cream rinse-- that always leaves me wanting more. I need to use so much to get through my long hair, half the bottle is gone after a week. She says not only does she not need shampoo, but with her new regimen, her hair is now much softer and just as tangle-free. I thought, if nothing else, my roommates will be thrilled I’m not stealing their conditioner any more. Whether it’s a tight budget, a greener hair-do, or a healthier way of living that is the goal, this girl might actually be on to something.