Shampoo
For anyone with a Salicylate Sensitivity or chemical sensitivity finding a safe shampoo can be quite a challenge. I used a fragrance free brand produced by Suma for years but when they rebranded the product they changed the ingredients. Their “Suma Clear & Simple Shampoo” may work for some people but the citric acid is a problem for me. The list of ingredients is: Aqua (water), Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulphate (from Coconut Oil), Cocodiethanolamide (from Coconut Oil), Cirtic Acid (from Maize), Sodium Chloride (Sea Salt). It is generally available from health food shops and online stores.
If you can tolerate herbal essences in shampoos (I can’t) there are shampoos produced by Faith in Nature, Green People and Urketram that you might find okay to use. Again, these are generally available from health food shops and online stores.
Quite a few aromatherapy sites produce “melt and pour” shampoo bases that are free from many chemicals and, in their original state, are fragrance and colour free. A few examples of the type of product available can be found on the following site: http://www.justasoap.co.uk/catalog/melt-pour-soap-base-c-1.html or google “melt and pour shampoo base” and you’ll find a large number of options. All you need to do with these is cut some pieces of the block, melt them, pour into a soap mould and then, when set, use as a shampoo bar.
I experimented with a whole host of these bases and eventually conceded defeat – most, if not all, rely on glycerine as an ingredient and I, and most definitely my hair, simply do not get on with glycerine. I have retried some of the least obnoxious of the commercial brands of shampoo but the results have always been disastrous – my last attempt took me three weeks to recover from so never again.
What I now use as a shampoo is Rhassoul Clay. You buy this in powder form (it looks a little like light coloured cocoa powder) – the only ingredient is the clay itself. Place a small amount in a bowl, add some water and leave to stand for a while. You then simply wet your hair, work in the clay solution, leave for a couple of minutes (I do this in the shower as it is messy), and then rinse out. It’s a fantastic totally natural product that leaves my hair feeling fabulous and has been a pleasure to use after all the problems I have experienced with other hair products.
A number of online shops are now beginning to sell Rhassoul Clay. I usually buy mine from Natural Spa Supplies: http://naturalspasupplies.co.uk but if you google “rhassoul clay” you’ll find a list of other suppliers in your country.
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More information about Salicylate Sensitivity can be found in the Salicylate Handbook.