The Nature of Things

Let's talk about cleansers, shall we?

Really, what I want to chat about is liquid soap - specifically the kind in hand and facial cleansers and shampoo - and its ability to be natural. I'm not speaking about olive oil-based castille soap, which is alkaline (pH is above 8). BTW, some people can use this on their faces with no issue, and I envy them. It's all natural, inexpensive and, if it works, more power to them. But liquid soap and shampoo, made with surfactants, are mildly acidic (pH of 6 ish).  Skin pH is between 4.7 and 5.5.

Look, I'm no expert. I started making this shit today. But I have done a few weeks of research and I've lived a long time. I know that oily skin prefers acidic products.

That's why I'm not trying to go all-natural on the handmade shampoo or face cleanser. I'm looking for something to cut oil. I like bubbles (not crazy bubbles, but a little friction). I want my makeup to be all gone at the end of the face-washing experience. (Oh, I use toner also, but it shouldn't do the job of soap.)

For kicks, I took a pic of my hand soap, for our perusal:

I hope that you can see all of those ingredients if you click the photo to make it larger. The reason I'm highlighting them is because this product is, if anything, less "natural" than the ones I'm working on. Actually, it's pretty well the same level of natural, which is to say, made from lots of chemicals that you would not find, as is, in nature. Don't get me wrong. If you begin at the beginning, most start with some sort of plant (soy, palm etc.) But you're never going to walk into a field of cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine. For what it's worth, that's a lovely amphoteric surfactant (adds viscosity and it's anti-static.)

Brief Detour: Everyone stuff is EO rebranded. It's a popular line - affordable and the product works reasonably well. I particularly like the hand soap. It's one of many similar products peeps use daily to feel good about themselves, having bought from a "natural" store - which would only sell things with pronounceable ingredients (so no need to scrutinize, right?).  I don't want to get into an argument about whether natural is safer or to try to define it, God help us. But the point is that many of us mistaken in our beliefs about naturalness and that what we're buying actually fits that description. There are many effective products that aren't natural (and that doesn't make them bad, though some of them may actually be bad).

But let's get back to the product itself: The reason zillions of people buy this to wash their hands with, multiple times daily - vs. truly all-natural castille soap - which seriously, leaves a film?! - is because those surfactants are lowering surface tension to give one that feeling of clean. (Let's leave the definition of clean for another post, shall we?)

My goal right now is to learn as much about surfactants as I can - and to use them prudently (as I deem them safe) to make products that work optimally without being unnecessarily harsh - for the world and for me. If I'm going to use a product - whether I buy it or make it - I want to know what I'm getting myself into.

But what do you think? Do you feel protected by well-marketed brands that you pay a lot for (and that you buy in places known for selling natural things)? Do you only use the castille soap (and its relatives)? Do you read the ingredients when you're at Sephora?

While I'm non-apologetic in my use of surfactants, I don't generally use unpronounceables when it comes to leave-on skin care. My reasoning: That stuff stays on your skin and soaks in. Furthermore, for me, leave-on products work perfectly well in their naturalness. Why go fussy unnecessarily? But that's me and my skin. What are your thoughts on the matter? Are you like me? Totally different? Let's talk!

In Case You Thought I Was Joking

I suspect I just met my weekend project:

These are the newly arrived goodies (dare I say "chemicals with long names") I'll use to make shampoo, face cleanser and conditioner. Yeah, I didn't know how much I wanted to make conditioner until I started thinking about making shampoo. Fear not, there are many other - and more natural substances that also go into these products. I just didn't get them in the mail today so they're not on my dining room table right now.

I have no idea how this is all going to work but I'm hopeful - aren't I always? If I can swing good hair product, my child (of the horse-tail mane) will no longer threaten to bankrupt me with her 8 oz per week habit.

Plus, how cool would it be to use my own haircare line? Stay tuned.

The Rabbit Hole Is Deep

On reflection, there are three reasons I make things:

• I honestly believe that I can make them well, to suit myself specifically (aka The Conceit).
• I am slightly obsessed with the platonic ideal of the DIY crafter (aka The Artist).
• I have this perspective that, if I can make it, why would I pay someone else to (aka The Craft Fallacy).

Intriguingly, I have one more philosophical reason - abstractly intertwined with my off-the-grid Krissie alter ego: In the apocalypse, I'm going to be the one living high on the hog (kale?!) cuz I can get peeps their socks and face serum. Of course, I mean this tongue in cheek. What I'm saying is that applied knowledge is power.

There are many holes in my arguments (hilariously, I initially wrote the word "wholes"), not least of which when it comes to the Craft Fallacy. Yeah, I can make all the things, but in many instances, there is NO way I can do it more efficiently than a commercial business making something in volume.

Apparently, this little inconsistency is of no mind to me.

Enter: Handmade Shampoo and Face Cleanser. Note to reader: It ain't gonna be "natural".

Here's what I use now:

• Herbal Glo Shampoo: I know - the branding is hideous! but the product is Canadian, very effective for me and M and it's affordable, given that my kid goes through it like water. I also like the conditioner. I've used this regularly for the last 20 years - because the ingredients are pronounceable and vegetable-sourced. OK, I've really used it cuz it works and I can afford it. But it definitely appeals that it's on the natural end of the spectrum. Of course, I switch it up on occasion, but I'm a creature of habit.

• Avene Cleanance: Oh, there is nothing pronounceable about this formula except the special Avene spring-water. I mean, it's blue. But it works exceedingly well on oily skin - and on acne-prone, teenaged skin. I'm no apologist. It works. I'm buying it. It's also Canadian.

Let's address the elephant in the room. I'm not the girl who's going to go all crazy on your ass when it comes to surfactants. I have the oiliest skin you'll ever meet. You know how the super-hairy ladies go on about their leg treatments and the super-sweaty ladies go on about their antiperspirant needs. I am the super greasy lady who carries around powdered face blotters in every purse.

I'm three weeks from being 45 years old and I cannot go 2 days without washing my hair because it turns into a grease-ball.

Please don't suggest that I just need to do things differently to get the oil under control. I'm cool with the oil. It's why I'm going to look 15 years younger than my actual age for, like, ever. I have nice, unblemished skin. I'll try that "wash your face with oil" thing when I have 6 weeks to acclimate in the privacy of my own home because walking out of the house like a grease-slick is just not attractive.

Would I prefer not to contribute to the decline of our world by using formulas that foam? Absolutely. But that's when I remind myself that I don't own a car and I almost always take public transport or I walk. I recycle everything. I reuse paper towels. Kind of puts my dime-sized amount of daily soap into perspective.

Feel free to be horrified, but I'm actually as excited by the idea of mixing hard-to-pronounce chemicals as I am by the idea of mixing beautiful, natural organic oils. Why? I like chemistry! I'm that kid whose mind was blown in grade 7 Biology when she had to do that kitchen experiment assignment that turns out to be a one-pan chocolate cake. I don't judge the things I'm mixing. I mean, I research them and make sure that they're not harmful - even if they aren't "natural". But peeps, I use these chemicals already. Everything is a chemical and when you need the ones that cut grease, well - have at it, I say. I don't want to be that meat-eater who won't kill her own dinner.*

I'm thrilled at the prospect of making cleansers that do the job for me with a minimum of surfactants and hard-to-pronounce things. I want to add neutraceuticals and essential oils. I want to fool around with the ratios to maximize hydration - even as I need to keep the grease at bay.

So stay tuned for more on this. (You can roll your eyes now.)

*Alas, I am most definitely that meat-eater who won't kill her own dinner. And for this I am an apologist.