Years ago hair products were very basic, not always effective, and nearly always tested on animals. They contained harsh detergents and mysteriously-named chemicals, too, but that was in the days when all we cared about was getting our hair clean. It is vastly different nowadays; we have hundreds of different shampoo formulas to choose from, various types of conditioner, and lots of treatments for all sorts of
natural hair care [http://www.louisegalvin.com/products/natural-hair-care/] conditions, some imagined, some real.

Many people did not like spending what little money they had on shampoo, and would use store-cupboard ingredients instead. For instance, how many people know that vinegar is great for rinsing dark hair after shampooing, and that lemon juice can be used in the same way for fair hair?

A wonderful recent discovery is the soap nut. This is the outer shell of a seed which grows on trees in the Himalayan Mountains. It contains saponin, a natural but very effective soap. A small handful can be used in the washing machine, in place of commercially-produced detergent, and this is generally what people use them for. However, this remarkable little shell can also be used at home to make shampoo, liquid hand soap, and even shampoo for pets. It is particularly useful for pets, because it eliminates parasites.

Soap nuts are becoming more widely-available now that people are discovering the benefits, both to themselves and the environment. They are very cost-effective because the shells can be used more than once and, once finished with, can be thrown on the compost heap. Using these to make shampoo is simple and cheap, yet completely environmentally-friendly.

By finding out how we can make our own hair products at home, and implementing other measures such as reducing our use of hairdryers and other such appliances, we can rest assured that we are not only looking after our hair in a natural way, we are also helping the environment.