Eco-Chick · The modern girl's guide to living green & fabulous.

Give Your Shampoo a Lift with a Little Baking Soda

by Stephanie Rogers · 06/29/08

Baking soda is most often used for deodorizing refrigerators and, of course, baking. This multi-tasker also has medicinal uses, can scrub your tub and – surprise! – can be used to green up your beauty routine.

While some people swear by ditching the shampoo all together and using baking soda instead, my trial of that last year didn’t go so well. I so wanted it to work, so I could really simplify my routine and pare down the number of products I use. Unfortunately, my scalp’s just plain too oily for that.

My favorite use for baking soda is to give my shampoo a little extra oomph on those days when my hair’s gotten so dirty, it needs some super-strong cleansing. Instead of reaching for a clarifying shampoo – which is more than likely loaded with toxins – just pour about a teaspoon of baking soda into your hand, add your usual amount of shampoo and lather up. You’ll find that the lather is extra rich, and helps your shampoo go a little further. Work it into your scalp with your fingers for a soothing massage and extra oil-fighting power.

You can also mix baking soda with your face wash for an exfoliating scrub that will eliminate oil and leave your skin feeling extra clean. Simple, natural, and oh-so-cheap.

Photo credit: Flickr user s-a-m

Tags Beauty, Shampoo

Stephanie Rogers is a freelance writer and graphic designer living in the eco-mecca of the South, Asheville, North Carolina.

RELATED POSTS

  • Pine & Calendula: Two Magical Herbal Oils for Beauty & Health
  • Summer Skin: Smooth and Gorgeous, Naturally
  • Eco Chick’s Best Natural and Organic Products for Dry, Curly Hair
  • Tres Belle Petite Medi Spa: Brooklyn’s Best (All Natural) Facial
  • Eco Chick Giveaway: Target Earth Day Giftbag

10 Comments on “Give Your Shampoo a Lift with a Little Baking Soda”

  • Tammi

    I never thought of that! I’ve been hesitant to switch to only baking soda because my hair gets greasy super fast but this I’ll do. :)

    06/30/08 » 9:51 am »

  • The Vegan Snorkeler

    Great tip! I like to use a little bit of baking soda mixed in with my facial cleanser for light exfoliation.

    06/30/08 » 1:34 pm »

  • Kick your shampoo up a notch! « Beauty Blog - Beautyschool.com

    [...] clean your kitchen, carpets, bathrooms and now – your hair. After reading one of my fav blogs, Eco Chick , I found a post on using baking soda as your shampoo or adding baking soda your shampoo to add an [...]

    07/08/08 » 9:58 am »

  • Condo Blues

    Wow, is there nothing that baking soda can’t do?! I use baking soda more for cleaning, it adds a little extra oomph when mixed with powdered dishwasher soap. I also use it to clean baked on crud off of my stove, I sprinkled baking soda over it and added a splash of vinegar to make a green version of scrubbing bubbles (it worked a lot better than any other cleaner I used.)

    07/08/08 » 12:41 pm »

  • Starre

    Yeah, I use it for EVERYthing too! Don’t forget deodorizing cat litter boxes and also you can make toothpowder with it (i used straight baking soda growing up for about 5 years and I’ve never had a cavity!)

    07/08/08 » 1:14 pm »

  • Amanda

    It really does work adding baking soda to shampoo. When you have used a shampoo for a while it does not work as good as it did the first time. The baking soda helps keep you shampoo working great and leaving you hair clean and fresh.

    07/12/08 » 12:08 am »

  • My Natural Furniture » Blog Archive » Green Blog Tour

    [...] use for baking soda We’ve all heard about the wonders of baking soda. Eco-Chick tells us how to add it to our shampoo for some extra cleaning boost power. And yes, you still get to use your shampoo, not like going [...]

    10/26/08 » 11:09 pm »

  • imawitch

    Thank you for the great tip of baking soda in shampoo…

    aka the good witch

    02/19/09 » 1:57 pm »

  • Mld

    I started making a baking soda paste (3 parts baking soda to 1 part water) to use after washing my face. I love the results! I still need to use lotion but my face looks amazing. I’m trying the shampoo one next shower!

    11/30/09 » 4:53 am »

  • britt

    Just tried this. I feel soooo clean! :)

    03/25/10 » 3:00 am »

Leave a Comment

best_of_green_winner_badge2010_02
GET ECO-CHICK'S WEEKLY EMAIL

ON ECO-CHICK

  • About the Header Artist
  • Advertising on Eco Chick
  • Ecofashion and Beauty Resource Guide: by City
  • Online Resources for Ecofashion, Beauty and Green Goodness
  • Submission Guidelines for Products
  • The Book! The Eco Chick Guide to Life: How to Be Fabulously Green
  • Who We Are
  • Press
  • Contact

FOLLOW US

RSS Twitter Facebook YouTube StumbleUpon Digg Reddit

Facebook

Eco Chick

Promote Your Page Too

LATEST TWEET

  • @GreenistaGirls Sure, I'm always down for green lady partnerships! DM me or email me - svartan (at) gmail (dot) com :) in reply to GreenistaGirls 6 days ago
  • More updates...

RECENTLY

  • Repurpose or Reuse Common Household Items in Your Home Decor
  • Two Beautifully Useful Whole Foods Cookbooks
  • NaturevsFuture’s Autumn, 2010 Collection: Sustainable Modern Classics
  • Video: Princeton’s Student Eco Fashion Competition
  • Mi-Bra Organic Cotton Sports Bra: Running with A Great Idea

MOST READ

  • Profits Before People: 7 of the World’s Most Irresponsible Companies - 109,764 views
  • 3 Ultra-Satisfying Vegetarian Fall Soup Recipes - 26,775 views
  • Amazing Art Sculptures Made From Recycled Clothing - 17,706 views
  • Into the Hermitage: Low-Impact Gypsy Life on the Road - 7,991 views
  • Are Aveda Products as Safe and Natural as They Claim? - 5,985 views

ARCHIVE

TAGS

book business car carbon community cotton design designer eating Eco-Chick ecofashion Energy epa farm Fashion Food fur gas Global Warming health Home kids local magazine media News oil Organic organic cotton paper produce recycle recycled Recycling reduce Shopping spa style summer sustainable Tea video waste water women

  • Advertising on Eco Chick
  • Submission Guidelines for Products
  • Online Resources for Ecofashion, Beauty and Green Goodness
  • Ecofashion and Beauty Resource Guide: by City
  • The Book! The Eco Chick Guide to Life: How to Be Fabulously Green
  • About the Header Artist
  • Who We Are
  • Press
  • Contact

©Gardenia Media. All rights reserved.