Shampoo bottles for instance...

[loripo]

Do you remember the TV program Doomwatch and the presenter who said hair didnt need washing, it was self cleaning. Mind you he did die very young.
I think I'll stick to keeping an eye out for bogoffs of my favourite shampoo.

[Jez]

Originally Posted by loripo

Mind you he did die very young.

Is this why loripo suggested I took a look at this page . Oh well since i haven't used shampoo for about 18 years now I don't think I'm going to start bothering now (His final last words lol)!

[loripo]

Healthy animals seem to be able to keep their fur in pristine condition without shampoo - perhaps we need to organise some group grooming

[Hedera]

As for going green, in the war we used rainwater with a bit of Sunlight soap, rinsed with vinegar and water to remove grease and then a bit of egg if you were lucky for conditioner!

[Amoeba]

I've abstained from shampoo for the past 6 months and I can safely say I'm in perfect physical health, my hair looks clean, it doesn't smell.

At first it did get very greasy, especially when the warmer weather came in. But after a few months it did start to go back to normal, then beyond normal - even better than before I stopped using shampoo.

Of course, I do rinse and scrub my hair every day with hot water, and if it does get a little greasy or if I know it's got dirty I give it a lather with baking soda and a rinse with lemon juice. Unlike shampoo, it doesn't play havoc with your scalp's oil production. One of the reasons why our hair gets so greasy without shampoo is because your scalp is trying to get rid of all that shampoo residue that gets left on your scalp and hair after a wash. Another is that your shampoo washes away too much oil so your scalp over-produces to compensate.

Best thing anyone can do is just stop using shampoo, that will be sure to reduce bottle waste, right?

[loripo]

I can remember using dry shampoo - maybe that was made from baking soda.
I'm not sure I'm brave enough to try though

[Meta menardi]

Go as bald as me and buy some polish and a nice duster.

[Monkey Orchid]

How about using natural cleansers, e.g. horse chestnut leaf juice, soapwort et al?

When I had dreadlocks for six years I stopped shampooing them for a while, just rinsed them thoroughly in hot water every few days and added essential oils (e.g. patchouli, rosemary, sandalwood) to the final rinse water. This worked fine until I visited Bolivia, where the humidity started up a bit of an ecosystem in my dreads, so I had to resort to lathering them up again.

Currently I use Aussie Mega shampoo, it's very concentrated so I tend to only get through one or two bottles a year. As I don't buy other products (conditioner, shower gel, make-up remover, hairspray, etc etc) my purchase of plastic bottles is therefore minimal.

I'm sure the Bodyshop once used to let you bring in empty bottles for refills of things like shampoo... But as far as I'm aware, they don't do this any more. Not that I can afford the stupendous prices they charge for stuff, anyway. It does bug me how few shops/companies don't provide this 'container refill' option - our local health food shop does do it for some Ecover and other cleaning products.

[loripo]

Neals Yard take back their blue glass empties & give you 10p. But it is quite expensive. Have a look at this reply to a letter about shampoo in the current New Scientist..
Shampoo pooh-pooh - 02 September 2009 - New Scientist

Oh dear

[And]

That article was really interesting, thank you for posting the link. I've never believed in expensive shampoos as logic dictates that what makes them expensive can't be that vital for healthy hair, as every shampoo would have to have it. As a Seventies teenager I used dry shampoo between twice weekly washes, using talcum powder when necessary. I used it again fairly recently, being in an experimental mood and it was every bit as unpleasant as I expected....