One of GAPS’ three aspects is detoxification. Part of this involves the elimination of toxins that have built up; part of it involves preventing an overload of toxins from getting back in. Thus, GAPS advocates the use of natural materials and ingredients.
One idea Dr Campbell-McBride offers is that of using an egg yolk (not whites) to clean hair. I was reluctant to do this, because I think of eggs as costly, because I rely on shampoo-plus-tea-tree-oil to keep dandruff at bay and because it seemed like a hassle.
However, recently (and for the first time in my life), my hair has been able to go several days without needing a wash -it just stays super clean! Yesterday I figured that, since my hair is in some sort of transition anyway, this is as good a time as any to give that egg yolk a shot.
I washed with the yolk, then rinsed with about two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in 500mls water. The results? Thick, soft, shiny hair! Very full, very bouncy! How bizarre! Now, there was a bit of a dandruff flare and that bugged me. However, the next day, my hair was still very clean and the dandruff was nowhere in sight.
I give these remedies two thumbs up!
Update #1 – March 6, 2009: The dandruff returned and a coconut oil scalp rub made my hair greasy. Thanks to Justine’s comment, below, I located a dandruff hair tea recipe here. Simply presented:
- Boil 500mls of water.
- Pour over 1/2 tsp dried sage and 1/2 tsp dried lemon grass
- Leave overnight
- Strain
- Add one tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar to the tea
After shampooing with egg yolk, rinse hair with water, then pour the hair tea over your scalp and hair. Leave in.
After the first tea, my hair was super clean, shiny and bouncy. It had a tiny bit of dandruff. After the second tea, a couple of days later, there was no longer even a trace of dandruff.
I love this approach to hair care, not to mention the fantastic scent of my hair tea!
For more hair tea recipes, including ones to enhance natural hair colour, click here then scroll down to ‘hair teas’. (Thank you, Justine’s friend!)
Update #2 – April 25, 2009: The hair tea stopped working against the dandruff, so I tried just full strength Apple Cider Vinegar as a leave-in rinse. My hair is again dandruff free for several days at a time. Beware: Full or high strength ACV can sting eyes or softer skin.
Update #3 – July 17, 2009: I eventually settled on about 1/8th-1/4 cup organic raw ACV in about 1 cup of water as a leave in conditioner and this has continued to work great.
Hi Baden. I love your website. I’ve been inspired by your sharing your struggles to keep “plugging away” at our diet. We are easing in to GAPS and so far it is going well-not nearly as much of a shock to my son as I expected.
Here’s my question today: How did you wash your hair with the egg yolk? Did you just put the yolk in your hair and scrub it all around like regular shampoo? That’s probably a silly question but I can’t quite get my mind around it.
Thanks!
Tracy in NC
Hi Tracy,
Thanks so much for your happy words! I’m glad it’s going better for you (your son) than expected. (I think a good approach to the initial die-off is to “hope for the best, be prepared for the worst”.)
I wasn’t quite sure what to do with my little egg yolk, but yes, I did precisely what you describe here: Once it was in my hand, I treated it exactly like a blob of shampoo.
Hey, it took me several *months* to grasp this idea! And for the two days since, I’ve had many meditative moments that go something like this: “How on earth is an egg yolk a shampoo? What do egg yolks and shampoo have in common? Protein? Are shampoos based on protein? If this works, why did shampoo get invented and why is it made so complicated?”
I’d like to hear if these two steps (yolk and ACV) work or don’t work for others. I’m wondering if it is most suitable to a specific hair type, or great for all!
Hi Baden–
Thanks so much for broaching this topic! I have been washing my hair with a slurry of baking soda and water (1 tbs to 1/2 cup) and rinsing with ACV/water (2tbs/ 1cup) for a while. That works well as longs as I rinse the baking soda well.
Recently I have tried washing my hair with whey, which I have a TON of, as I have been making kefir cheese for my husband. The whey leaves my hair super soft, and I love using up good things I have anyway. I think I will try this again tonight and rinse with ACV. We’ll see what happens!
A friend of mine did a great blog post on natural hair care: http://www.sustainablesuppers.com/?p=585
Justine
Hey Justine,
Thanks for that info -
Currently I rotate what I brush my teeth with; maybe I’ll try a rotation for my hair, too. At this moment, my scalp is slathered in coconut oil in preparation for another wash. (Scalp had developed some dandruff and itchiness again.)
ETA: Just checked out your friend’s post. Delightful writing! I did shampoo-free for a few months once and believe her tips would have helped me (for example, baking soda alone left my hair rather flyaway – the ACV rinse would have helped). I linked over to check out her tea recipe for dandruff, too. Will try it out!
So I woke up with hair that looks like I set it with gel–fabulous! And I am not the least bit of a picky fashion person . . .Ir feels soft, but has body (my hair is thin)
Holly is a journalist gone independent. She IS delightful: smart, funny, really incisive. She’s a real supported of whole foods–worth following her podcasts (though not all GAPS legal, she really “gets it”)
Baden,
Of course I love all you are doing for the GAPS community. I believe that the egg yolk works for shampoo because it is an emulsifier. Think of it like in mayonnaise…it takes oils and emulsifies it into a suspension. It probably does the same thing with the oils in your hair, allowing the excess to be rinsed away. I’ve been using the yolk trick for many months now and like how my hair is behaving, and no one in the outside world can tell I don’t shampoo!
Nancy
Thanks for that info, Nancy!
I have been using egg yolk and ACV on my daughter’s hair since last year. Her hair is very thin and fine due to the toxin’s removing. I also try just egg yolk. Her hair looks very oily and dirty the next day. I don’t know what to do about her hair. She will be starting regular school this Fall and I need a solution so her hair looks good. Please help
with any suggestions. The egg yolk is not working. It may be because her hair is so thin.
Jackie
Hi Jackie,
Hmmm…Perhaps this does not work for everyone…
Just to clarify first, are you doing this: removing yolk from egg, applying 1-2 yolks directly to wet hair, lathering/rubbing, rinsing with water, then pouring an ACV/water solution over the head and leaving that in?
I apply 1 egg yolk (stirred up first) directly to her hair just like shampoo. Rub in, rinse with ACV/water solution, then rinse with water.
Sounds like I am doing it wrong.
Jackie
Hi Jackie,
Okay, so there’s hope yet that this might work for your daughter
Try it the way I’ve outlined above and please let me know whether or not it works. By the way, I don’t wash my son’s hair at all. I had read that if we don’t start washing a person’s hair, it never develops the need. My son’s hair is beautiful with no soap, no yolks, no shampoo. I pour bath water over his scalp about once a week -the water usually has baking soda or epsom salts or ACV in it- and massage it, that’s all. My own hair -historically fine and oily- I wash with yolks and do the leave-in rinse of ACV/water only every 3 days (approximately).
Best,
Baden
When doing a seaweed bath, is it o.k to get the seaweed in the hair before washing? My daughter likes to go all the way under and I get concerned about getting it out of her hair before washing.
I’m quite sure that’s fine, Jackie. My son and I have both had it in our hair
I am excited to try this tonight. I wll let you know how it works out.
Jackie
Baden,
Hi!
I used 2 egg yolks and 2 tablespoons of ACV to 2 litres of water. Her hair still looks oily this morning. Do I have the combination right on the ACV? Should I use 1 egg? Any suggestions?
Thanks so much for your help!
Jackie
Hi Jackie,
I use 1-2 egg yolks. (Originally one was enough; as my hair got longer and the weather hotter, I needed two.) The ACV I use in a much higher concentration –probably about 1/8th cup ACV in 1/2 cup water. (Watch her eyes; this concentration or higher can sting the eyes.)
Baden,
HI!
I will try again tonight.
Thanks!
Jackie
Baden,
HI!
I used 1/2 cup ACV in 2 litres of water in Haley’s hair and it looked much better. Then I used 3/4 cup in 2 litres
of water. It did not look as good so the higher concentration may not be working. I am going to try the 1/8 cup ACV in 1/2 cup water and see what happens. My
other daughter’s hair is just like your sons. We can go days without washing her hair and it looks great. I think we are going to get there it may be that her hair has had that oily look for so long that it may take awhile to work out.
I bought your book. The information is wonderful. Thanks so much for taking the time to write it and for the website. Both have helped my tremendously!
I’ll keep you posted on the shampoo situation.
Jackie
Baden,
HI!
The combination that seems to work the best is 1/2 cup ACV mixed in 2 liters of water. Her hair is somewhat shiny and looks clean. Its the best I can do.
Jackie
Baden,
Sevearal months back I had emailed you on trying to figure out how to get my daughter’s hair clean. She is starting puberty so her oil glands are over activiated. This is what I found and it works great!
Shampoo –1/2 cup Dr. Bonner’s Pure Castile Soap made with organic oils (unscented baby mild -blue bottle)
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon of sunflower oil or other light vegetable oil ( I use sunflower oil)
I mix this up in a bottle and use what I need. It doesn’t take much to lather up.
Rinse completely.
No conditioner.
Fincal Rinse — 1 liter of distilled water and 2 tablespoons of ACV
Rinse completely.
Her hair is super shiny and looks good and she has no eczema.
Jackie
Thanks so much for sharing this, Jackie!
Best,
Baden