Friend Friday: The Great Unwashed

Welcome to another Saturday version of Friend Friday. This week's topic is one that initially made me go eww...but the more I read into it, I could at least see some of the "logic" of some of the reasons why people are choosing to go this route.

This week we're veering more toward the beauty side of things and talking about the growing trend of going all natural by eliminating shampoos, soaps, deodorant, etc...In case you missed it the NYT over the weekend had an article entitled The Great Unwashed, which is all about this growing trend.


So here goes this week's questions:

1. The move to do away with soap, shampoo and deodorant has been growing in popularity in the last year. What are your thoughts on this trend?

I feel to each their own. While this is not a trend who's bandwagon I will ever jump on because I am a product whore and try as many as I can, I have recently started looking into more green and healthier options.

I recently purchased Do It Gorgeously: How to Make Less Toxic, Less Expensive, and More Beautiful Products by Sophie Uliano and it contains a lot of homemade recipes to get your beauty on.

So I am hoping to experiment with some of them but I don't think I will ever be completely natural.

2. Be honest how often do you wash your own hair?

It has varied depending on the length but I can not go without washing my hair at least once a week and in the summer when it's hot and I active, I have to wash it way more. I just recently cut off most of my hair which means I can wash it every day and slick it back and not have to worry about it, whereas before, it would require more work.

3. Have you tried to go the more natural route by forgoing shampoo? What happened? Or would you be tempted to try it?

I have never gone without shampoo. I can't stand smelly hair, or smelly anything for that matter. And naw, it is not something that would tempt me but as I said, I am looking for more natural, homemade ways to beautify but I repeat, that will not include abstaining from shampooing.

Here is a picture of the current shampoos and conditioners I have.

4. What products do you use and have you ever gone with more organic alternatives?

The list of products that I use is ever changing although I have a few favorites that I always keep in the arsenal (see side bar). But I like trying new things and I am really not loyal to any hair products. I do keep Organic root stimulator Olive Oil Moisturizing Hair Lotion on hand at all times and even still, I am always using other ones.

I also switch up my deodorant regularly and it was crazy coincidental that I was reading the current Uptown Magazine yesterday and came across and interview of Flex Alexander who was talking about the products that he uses to keep his swagger up.

He said "I'm very conscious of what they put in deodorant. I feel lemon juice does the trick" and I thought well hmmm...maybe I will give that a try, although I am a little hesitant to do so. I just can not take musty smells. I remember being in a class with a guy from France who did not wear deodorant and it used to drive me crazy. He would have on the most impeccable suits and fly shoes and he was smelling like a billy goat. Thankfully he started dating one of the girls in the class who turned him on to the "american way" of masking/controlling natural body odors!

Also, there has been a couple of times where I was rushing and just plain forgot to put deodorant on and thankfully I keep alcohol wipes on hand and they work well to keep the smells under control.

5. What about that daily shower? Would you forgo that opting to shower three times a week instead?

Besides showers, I am always in the bathtub, so basically no, I would not. But I have gone without showering daily and "ho bathing" it before, like recently when the hot water heater was on the fritz in my apartment but it is not something that I would do regularly.

Friend Friday Out!

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