No 'poo

I've been thinking of trying this whole no 'poo (i.e., no shampoo) method for quite some time, but I've been too chicken to actually try it.  I'm afraid of the transition period and what it will do to my curly hair!  So I told myself I'd give it a try if my shampoo and conditioner ever ran out at the same time.  Since this pretty much never happens, I thought I had given myself an indefinite "out".  However, yesterday the inevitable happened.  I'm thinking about getting my hair cut on Thursday (can you tell I'm still procrastinating?) and then it will be experiment time!  Here's the plan:

1. Have a jar of baking soda in the shower.  Combine baking soda with water to make a paste and massage into scalp.
2. Rinse well.
3. Make a 1:4 solution of apple cider vinegar : water in a spray bottle.  Spray on hair.
4. Rinse with cold water.

We'll see how it goes.  Anyone else out there have any tips for me?

Facial Cleansers

Right before heading off to grad school, I signed up to be a Mary Kay consultant.  I don't know what I was thinking, but it was a huge waste of money (for me).  I promised myself I would at least use all of the stock I could if I wasn't going to sell it, and after nearly six years, I'm on my last bottle of facial cleanser.  Time to look for something new!

Since beginning my quest to be From Scratch, I've learned a lot about the questionable ingredients that are used in skin care products and cosmetics.  Unfortunately, this industry is not properly regulated by the Federal government.  Fortunately, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has created the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database, which provides safety ratings on over 68,000 products!

From what I can tell from the database, the Splash Facial Oat Flour Face Wash from Coastal Classic Creations is the highest rated facial cleanser rated by EWG.  You know why?  Because it's only ingredient is "finely ground colloidal oatmeal".

So my question is, why can't I just grind us oatmeal in my blender/food processor/coffee grinder and use that instead of paying $10 + S&H for 75 grams?  I might just give it a try!

What facial cleansers do you use on a regular basis?