"A little bit goes a long way."
"A little dab'll do ya."
You've heard all those sayings, I'm sure, and there are many others that convey the same idea. I've recently rediscovered the philosophy behind these colloquialisms. Ever since we switched to cloth diapers, for some reason, I've become increasingly aware of how much we waste. We waste so much in every area of our lives—personal care products, food, money, etc. You name it!
This may seem unrelated, but bear with me. I have frizzy hair. My hair was straight, until I started getting perms in 3rd grade. Hey—don't judge. It was the thing to do back then. Then, I stopped getting perms in junior high, cut my hair so the perm would grow out, but I've had naturally curly/wavy (I call it "bent") hair ever since. It's healthy, but frizzy . . . perpetually frizzy. Drives me nuts! Don't get me started on humidity! Ugh! And what drive me even crazier is that once I find a product that works and that I like, they stop making it! Aaarrrggghhh! Anyway . . . when I wash my hair, I tend to use a LOT of conditioner. I mean, A LOT, just to try an keep my hair moisturized and less frizzy, which means I go through it quickly. And, I don't use expensive stuff. It's debatable whether this is a
waste or not. . . .
As I was looking through my copy of
Super Baby Food
, and ran across this little piece of advice about my conditioner. There's an invaluable section in this book, Appendix B, "Homemade Baby Products." It's actually the only section I've read, so far. The author talks about everything from making your own baby wipes, home remedies for diaper rash, money-saving tips for deoderant, and much more. But, there's a teeny little paragraph on hair detanglers. I had to see what she said.
"The commercial spray detanglers and conditioners that you buy for your baby's hair are nothing more than very dilute solutions of hair conditioner. Make your own by adding one or two tablespoons of baby-safe hair conditioner into a pump or spray bottle and fill with water. Shake well before each use. I sometimes use this for my own hair after shampooing and towel drying. But most times, while I'm still in the shower and after shampooing, I take a tiny dollup (about 1/2 teaspoon) of regular hair conditioner, spread it on the palms of my hands, and massage it through my hair. I don't rinse and this 'leave-in conditoner' makes my hair as soft and tangle free as when I use a lot of conditioner and rinse it out." (Taken from Super Baby Food)
Really?!?!? I had to try it. She also mentions that you can make a bottle of conditioner last for years, this way, and you save time and water by not rinsing. Sold! It seemed like an easy way to conserve. So, I've been doing this for a couple of weeks now, and I'm a believer! I think my hair is actually
less frizzy than it's ever been!
I don't have the guts to go completely chemical-free, yet, like
the Simple Mom, but this is one more easy way to conserve both time and water, but also take a load off your wallet!
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on audiobook.
or 
). The entire project only cost me around $27—the cost of developing the prints (I had several done at the same time). 
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