The uncomfortable truth about shampoos

The day I learned how shampoos are made was the day I vowed to never use them again.

The transition process was hard and finding out what actually nourished my hair and scalp took years. So here I am, sharing my journey hoping it can help you, too.

In a world filled with greenwashing, my hope is that we all can make informed decisions about our health and how we care for our bodies. I hope this post helps you as much as it helped me. 

-

Picture our first ancestors, rinsing dirty cloths and hides at the edge of a river - soaps did not yet exist. After a fire , there was a strong rain. The ashes of trees burnt by the fire were washed down the hills and met the fat from animal bodies that have died along the way. The combination of ashes and fat created a creamy, grayish paste, which was found by our ancestors at the bottom of the mountain, by the river. They learned this paste would foam and help clean their clothes - the first time humans ever encountered the concept of soap!

Soap was not invented by humans. It was an (accidental?!) creation of Mother Earth that was then discovered by our ancestors. The discovery of soap changed humanity: how we take care of our clothes and bodies, how we see cleanliness, our ability to wear clean clothes as they went from hides to cottons and linens. 

With time, humans learned that they could collect the ashes and fat (from animals, then trees and plants), and make this substance into solid bars. The soap industry developed slowly and became an art - to perfectly balancing oils and ashes to create a creamy, foamy formula. Fast forward many years, soap was widespread - but still a labour intensive process: you need to heat oils, dissolve ashes, mix arduously, mold, cut, cure...

So science caught up and discovered detergents: a super concentrated version of soap made in a lab for a fraction of the price. Detergents are much cheaper, easier to make and stronger than soaps. Made for isolated compounds that are concentrated, they took over the industry - still disguised as "soap" - but now with a completely different formula. 

But what is the issue with detergents?

Because detergents are made from synthetics, rather than oil and ashes, they usually don't biodegrade, leaving residue in our soils and water that compromise wildlife. They are not recognized by nature, because rather than being made by natural substances, they are made by isolated and over-processed substances nature can't process.

Because detergents are extremely strong, they don't only unbalance our natural environment, they also imbalance our bodies. When used on our bodies and hair, they clear the oils that soap does, they also strip our scalp and skin from its protective layers, leaving our skin vulnerable and unbalancing it's natural protection. 

Eczema, skin sensitivities, scalp irritation... all results from a skin that can't self regulate - not because something is wrong with your body - but because your body is being constantly disrupted my a substance that it can't understand. 

Our bodies are part of nature. Detergents... don't exist in nature. They disrupt our waters, soils and... our bodies. And if you read the ingredient labels of your shampoo, body wash, dish soap, home cleaning products, you will notice they are most likely detergents, disguised as soap. (A real soap contains oils and lye/sodium hydroxide in the label, not ingredients ending with "ate" or "yl").

When I learned this, I committed to learning the art of ancestral soap-making - so I could make my own shampoo, soap and home cleaning products the way nature showed us we can - in a natural way that does not disrupt the beautiful and delicate balance of our inner (body) and outer (nature) ecosystems. I discovered lye, often feared by many, is a crucial part of modern soap making - as it is a clean alternative very similar to ashes, since not many of us live by forests to process our own ashes).

I started with learning how to make body soap, then perfected a soap formula that can wash my hair nicely. I then combined two into one bar that could to it all: soap, hair soap (aka shampoo), shave bar, face wash... A delicate blend of oils that clean without stripping our skin or its natural protective layer. The results is our Body Bars. 

 When shampoo bars started becoming a trend, I was heartbroken. I wanted to be excited that shampoos were now coming in a plastic free alternative. But I also realized that shampoo bars were also detergents. Disguised as sustainable, but still over stripping our hair and often still make with the same synthetic fragrances most shampoo is made of. I will have to leave fragrances for another post, but their negative impact on our health and environment are just as bad as the one of detergents). 

When I started researching ancestral soap recipes for the home, I learned that "Sabão de Coco", the soap I grew up with in Brazil, actually had a history of being made naturally - so I recovered the ancestral formula and brough the Coconut Home Bar to the United States: A beautifully balanced organic soap that foams, cuts grease, cleans dishes and removes clothing stains, without drying hands - This is the game-changer that got me to enjoy doing dishes, rather than avoid them!

I also powdered the Coconut Home Bars and mixed them with baking soda, creating a laundry detergent that can also be dissolved in water in a spray bottle to create a multi purpose surface cleaner, our Home Cleaning Powder. 

By recovering the history of my country, I found the most magical, powerful home cleaning solutions, and was able to share then with the United States, made with organic ingredients, and providing a solution to toxic cleaning products. 

By recovering an ancestral way of making soaps, I recovered the hair of my health and found a simple wholesome solution to clean my skin and scalp without over drying my ultra-sensitive skin. 

I truly believe the Earth provides us everything we need. She created the first soap, gives us trees and plants to eat and live out of. She gives us sun and waters. I can't imagine living a life where I don't honor the gifts she gave us, and where I don't choose alignment with her wisdom.

I created Circular Bodies to take us back to the Cycles of the Earth. Our products are created with the wisdom of Nature, so we can care for our Health, which is directly connected with the heath of our environment. 

Learning to make my soap and shampoo not only helped the health of my hair and skin improve: it showed me that my life quality improved when I am connected to the products I use everyday, when they remind me of Mother Earth. 

If you are wondering how to start your journey using soap on your hair and ditching your shampoo, here is a post that can help you. And if you are looking for the right products.. our website has many options that were formulated with love and care to make your journey a bit easier. 

With love,

Dominique