~*~Green Tea: My Alternative to Regular Shampoo~*~

Many people, especially people who choose to grow their hair long, will often opt to shampoo less. For many, shampooing too often can lead to the scalp over-producing oils to compensate for the oils lost during regular shampooing. Many shampoos have very strong cleansers (Sodium Laureth Sulfate, for example) that can be too harsh for daily usage.

So what do you do when the hair needs cleansing, but you don't want to use shampoo? For me, personally, I like to use green tea.

Hooray for Green Tea!

Green tea makes a great cleanser for those times when you want your hair to be nice and clean, but don't want to use a strong shampoo to get there. Green tea has lots of great antioxidants and vitamins that can help you on your way to healthier, better-looking hair, and, it leaves your hair squeaky clean!

My favorite way to prepare green tea for hair rinsing is to fill a large container with near-boiling water. I then add several (usually three) of my favorite green tea bags to the water. I personally use Lipton's green tea since it's inexpensive and really easy to find (Every grocery store around here carries it!). I steep it and cover it with a towel until it is cool- you don't want to pour scorching hot tea on your scalp, after all!

In the shower, I usually start off by lightly conditioning my hair to detangle it- this is important for me because pure green tea without any other ingredients does not add slip to the hair, so it's imperative that I get the knots out of the way before I do a tea rinse. After working the conditioner through my hair and getting the tangles out, I take a small cup and pour the green tea through my hair, using the large container to catch any excess. I repeat this process- probably about 15 times, until my hair is saturated with green tea.

I gently work the green tea into my hair and carefully massage it into my scalp. Don't overdo it, because, as
I stated before, green tea doesn't have anything to give the hair slip, and being too rough can cause the hair to tangle.

After working it through my hair, I rinse with water and lightly condition again. Viola! Squeaky clean hair!

You can add other ingredients to your tea rinse to change the effects of it- some people add ingredients to give a more conditioning effect, or other herbs to give a strengthening effect. Whatever you choose to do, if you're looking for something that can cleanse the hair gently and effectively, give green tea a try!