In my quest for the cheap and green, I've come upon some great deals. An old pharmacy staple from England, Yardley's Lavender Soap is a bargain at around $1.50. It lacks the harmful foaming agent Sodium laureth sulfate* that most low end cleansers use as a filler, and it smells incredible. The cardboard box it comes in is also recyclable.
As great a home cleanser as baking soda is, green and cheap, it was making my scalp irritated and itchy with continued use, so I decided to try another kitchen staple, baking powder*. Since I tend to have oily skin and hair after a few days, those of you with the same may benefit from it more, like I did. I found I can go a lot longer between rinses using a baking soda mixture because it has more acid in it. It's the same mixture as that of a baking soda rinse: one tablespoon diluted into one cup of warm water.
Happy cleansing!
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_laureth_sulfate
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baking_powder
