Baking Soda Beauty #1: Shampoo Alternative

I used to love shampooing my hair, all the suds made me feel like I was really getting it clean, & I typically used Bumble & Bumble Creme de Coco Shampoo, which is luxe & smells delicious.  However, I had one problem every time I shampooed my hair (no matter what shampoo I used) & even after I dried it, my head was always itchy.  I never really related this to my shampoo or thought much about it, except when I was (or trying to avoid) scratching my head.  I was skimming my Facebook Newsfeed, & Lauren Conrad posted the question How Often Do You Shampoo Your Hair?, I have read her beauty book & loved her advice so I was curious to read her answer to this question.  I read her take on shampooing hair every couple of days, & then I decided to read the comments.  

In the comments I noticed a lot of people were commenting that they do not use shampoo, but they use a baking soda mixture instead.  I also noticed that these people were explaining that shampoo & the chemicals in it are not good for you.  All of this prompted me to try this shampoo alternative for myself.  I mixed about 6 tablespoons of baking soda into 16 ounces of water (this needs to be adjusted depending on your hair length & thickness), poured it on my roots (I recommend getting a condiment bottle so you have some control & it doesn't go all over you), scrubbed for about a minute, & rinsed my hair out really well, then I went on my way, conditioned my hair & finished my shower.  When I got out of the shower I noticed my hair had never felt so clean & healthy, I was sold.  After a few washes with the baking soda I decided that I needed to use shampoo every couple of times because I still had some of my Creme de Coco left that I did not want to waste.  When I got out of the shower after I had used shampoo in my hair for the first time in a week, my head began to itch & that's when I realized that when I was washing my hair with baking soda there was no itch.  I liked the baking soda wash before this discovery, but I loved it afterwards.  Using baking soda in place of shampoo has been great for my hair, is so healthy & most importantly my head is not itchy!  Since the baking soda cleans my hair so well (& absorbs oil) I only have to wash it every couple of days, which I definitely believe is helping to make it healthier.  My mom has very dry hair & insists on washing it every day, she started using the baking soda wash, & it dried out her hair because she uses it every day, so I would not recommend doing this.  I have done countless research on the topic & it is not healthy to wash your hair everyday so if you can avoid it you should, & the baking soda will not dry out your hair if used a few times a week.  To keep my hair from getting dry, I use deep conditioning masks, & I rub oil (olive, avocado, or coconut) on the ends of my hair the night before I wash it & let it soak in over night.  I really recommend washing your hair with this shampoo alternative as it will make your hair look so much better & is much better for you since it doesn't contain all the reaction causing chemicals & sulfates that shampoos do.  Another great thing about using baking soda instead of shampoo is that it is so cheap, I used to spend like $57.00 on a big bottle of Creme de Coco, while you can get a twelve pound bag of baking soda for under $5.00!  This method is safe for all types of hair -- fine, thick, virgin, dyed, gray, etcetera.  I have even read that it will promote hair growth, which really excites me.  My feelings about this shampoo alternative are what's not to love?  Have you ever tried this?