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Many of us don’t think of mud when we think of washing our hair. We think of shampoo.

Most shampoos have a pH level of around 5 or 6, which closely matches our hair’s natural pH. While that is desirable, it is most often achieved using toxic surfactants; chemical foaming agents such as sodium lauryl sulfate. “Non-sulfate shampoos” have become a buzzword in the hair industry, since it has become apparent that chemicals such as sodium laurel sulfate, known as SLS and sodium laureate sulfate, SLES, can be harmful being that we absorb them through our skin. Some assert that even with “non-sulfate shampoos” these chemicals are still present. Instead they’ve just been renamed being that SLS alone has 38 different names or replaced with different chemicals. Natural shampoos frequently replace these two ingredients with cocamide diethanolamine, DEA, a lathering agent made from coconut oil. DEA is on California’s Prop 65 list of harmful chemicals. It is a known carcinogen.

Chemical foaming agents, found even in many of the “natural” shampoos I’ve used, may leave our hair squeaky clean after we wash it but can harm our hair over time. Sudsing shampoos strip our hair of natural oils. This makes it look clean but, with all the oils washed away, the hair overproduces it to make up for it. In the long run, this can leave our scalp and hair unhealthy.

No Poo

There are a number of options for those who want to avoid shampoo altogther, amongst them apple cider vinegar, castile soap, baking soda and even mud or clay, which seems like it would make our hair dirty rather than clean, right? Clays draw out dirt and impurities, but do so without taking away the natural oils. Clay has a much higher pH than most shampoos which can leave our hair dull and even sticky. Fortunately one can restore their hair’s natural pH after washing with a vinegar based rinse.

In 2005 I happened across the Morrocco Method on the shelves at Rainbow Cooperative Grocery in San Francisco where I shopped regularly. The word Morrocco caught my eye because I had traveled to Morocco that year to visit the country my mother was born and raised in. Being of French/Moroccan descent, I was curious to try this no-poo method. I liked the fact that it was wild-​crafted and traditional. It is also raw, gluten-free, soy-free and free of GMOs.

When I first saw it on the shelves, I purchased several different bottles of shampoo, I believe all 5 offered, so I could rotate them, which was recommended by the staff member at Rainbow. I also purchased a conditioner and mist coniditoning spray. Akin to how we support our health by rotating our diet, our hair is said to flourish when fed a variety of nutrients. The Morrocco Method emphasizes this concept with five different shampoos that each utilize unique cleansing agents.

After all these years after my initial purchase, I have decided to recommend the Morrocco Method to our community as a referral partner. What does that mean? They have not paid me to write this post, but we will receive a referral bonus on purchases made via our affiliate links and the discount code offered at the bottom. This revenue enables us to continue our educational initiative.

So let me tell you more about my own personal experience …

It was definitely an adjustment for me to use mud to wash my hair.

It doesn’t lather like detergent based shampoos so I used much too much at first … and it appears that I experienced a detox period while my scalp adjusted. When transitioning to a natural shampoo such as this, it helps to keep in mind that silicone is used in many commercial brands. Silicone covers the hair like plastic would to give it shine. If you have been using a shampoo with silicone or other chemicals your hair may need to detox like mine did. Build-up from chemical products can clog the pores of our scalp and shafts of our hair and must be removed before we experience truly healthy hair. Some may experience an overly dry or overly oily scalp as their hair and scalp detoxify.  We are advised to simply give our scalp time to readjust and re-regulate its own oil production.

I remember years ago when I used to easily eat an entire pint of Häagen-Dazs ice cream in a single sitting. Now even 1 banana is too sweet for me. These days, I eat about the equivalent of a tablespoon of a banana at a time and I’ve had my sweet tooth satisfied. I think the Morrocco Method may prove to be a similar transition for some.

It is recommended that we shampoo twice with this method. The first cleanses hair and scalp of dirt, dead cells and dust and the second stimulates the flow of blood to the scalp and opens the hair follicles, ensuring the proper lubrication and distribution of your own natural oils to the entire scalp and hair shafts. A natural layer of oil is critical to the maintenance of a healthy scalp and hair. It keeps the outer layer of hair lubricated and prevents drying, which occurs with the excessive evaporation of moisture. A little of these products goes a long way.  In fact, it is recommended that we dilute the shampoo:

Dilute the Shampoo

Shampoo with Morrocco Method using the dilution technique. Mix 1 part water with 1 part shampoo in a travel sized bottle.Morrocco Method Shampoos are incredibly concentrated and sometimes it can be tough making sure the shampoo is getting to your scalp and really cleansing–especially with thicker hair. We suggest diluting your shampoo in a smaller bottle with 50% shampoo and 50% water. Then, pour the mixture all over your head and massage into your scalp. You’ll be able to make sure your scalp is getting the raw nutrients from the shampoos, plus it’s the perfect time for a scalp massage.

Ingredients

To give you an example of how pure the shampoos and conditioners are, see the ingredient list of two of them:

Apple Cider Vinegar Natural Holistic Shampoo
Ingredients: Aqua. Raw, Unfiltered & Unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar (live enzymes= naturally preservative), Aloe Vera & Irish Moss (nourishing & moisturizing), Chilean Soapbark, Chinese Green Tea from Shanghai, Mexico Cactus (rich, natural foaming & cleansing botanicals), Blood of the Dragon (reconstructive rare botanical protein encourages healthy hair growth), Brown & Red Algae, Kelp (absorb impurities, stimulate & protect), 92 Trace Minerals (natural preservative), Essential Oils of Almond, Ginger, Lemon Verbena, Sesame and Tangerine.

Chi Instant Hair Conditioner
Ingredients: A Synergistic Blend of Natural Botanicals, Herbs, Sea Plants and Marine Proteins of Kelp, Nori, Kombu and Fucus. Natural Botanicals: Blood of the Dragon (restorative, rare conditioning herb for healthy hair growth), pure Cactus, Green Tea and Olive Oil. Crystals from Tibet liquified as Crystalline Herbal Base with Herb & Spice Extracts. Raw, Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar with Live Enzymes plus 92 Trace Minerals (natural preservative).

Why buy?

There are “do it yourself” recipes for making your own clay shampoos and rinses. I personally need a break from doing everything myself! The Morrocco Method is an option for those of us who may want the convenience and support of a bottled product. Being that we serve as an educational initiative, I really appreciate that they offer so much supportive educational content: how to videos, educational articles a question and answer forum and even a complimentary audio book and e-book.

Beyond shampoos, conditioners and rinses, they also offer henna for those who’d like to color their hair. Henna provides a safe and natural alternative to color hair, but, as many us know from first hand experience, obtaining the correct shade of henna can prove to be difficult. The Morrocco Method offers a range of henna dyes from light blonde to red to black, and even a colorless version to add silky shine to hair. The Morrocco Method’s line of henna can also be used to color beards and eyebrows!

See these testimonials about how countless people recommend this method.

Coupon Code

For the next 2 weeks, the Morrocco Method has offered our community  members an exclusive discount code of 15% for new customers: NOURISHING14. The code is good through July 11, 2014. I have not yet purchased from their website myself, only in a health food store, so as a new customer of their website, I will use the coupon code myself!

I was told me need to set up an account, rather than sign in as a guest, in order to enjoy the discount.

Have you used mud to wash your hair?

Disclosure
Please note that we serve as an affiliate for Amazon, in addition to allied organizations and individuals whose products and/or serves we recommend. In some cases, we receive referral bonuses or commissions for our promotional efforts. This enables us to sustain our educational efforts.