I thought that CFC's were banned, but I was recently proven wrong on that one.  Usually on the can it will say "no CFC's" or something.  I still use hairspray, but I'll start checking for that again.

Slightly OT, but we got a letter from the insurance company saying that they would no longer cover my husband's albuterol inhaler because it contains CFS's.  This is how I discovered that CFC's are still alive and well...I had no idea.  Apparently there are alternatives that we can easily get if we just ask. 

Shampoo bars are a good way to reduce waste. The ones made by Lush are supposed to be great, but I haven't tried them, yet. http://www.lushusa.com/shop

I like Kiss My Face brand "Whenever" shampoo. http://www.kissmyfacewebstore.com/product_detail.asp?T1=KMF+1101103 You can probably find it at Target. I get mine for less than $5 through Vitacost.com.

Giovanni makes some good organic shampoos, too. I like the tea tree because it makes your scalp tingle. I use Giovanni hairspray and gel. (I get that really cheap at Vitacost, too).

Leah, that Lush site is lovely.  I bought the shampoo bars and will report back.  I also bought one of their deodorant bars because I'm still on the hunt for the perfect natural deodorant....tried about 4 different kinds and nothing seems to mask my stink!

Cool, tell me what you think about the Lush products. I really want to try their stuff.

Natural deoderant just doesn't work like the chemical stuff. This is what I use: http://www.vitacost.com/Alvera-All-Natural-Roll-On-Deodorant-Aloe-Almonds?csrc=GPF-077435335526

Thanks, I'll keep that one in mind next. 

Instead of a shampoo, just mix together baking soda and water until it's paste-like (like the texture of the papier-mache glue!) and then spread it onto your hair and scalp.  Let it soak for about 5-10 minutes and then rinse out with hot water.  This is great for regular washing or de-gunking product from your hair.  And the volume will be incredible!  There really aren't exact measurements for this, just however much you need for your hair.

For a conditioner use 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar mixed with 2/3 cup water.  You can use that as a rinse alone or you can rinse with water after the vinegar mixture.

I've never had a greasy scalp after this, but some people may.  To fix that you can lightly sprinkle cornstarch at your roots.  Be sure to brush it through well!  I don't wash my hair everyday, but I will occassionally sprinkle on some cornstarch when my roots look a little gross the next day.

I love LUSH and am lucky to have two near me!  The folks at the store are really great about giving you samples if you ask for them.

Like a lot of others, I've made a conscious effort  to switch to natural/green products for most of my personal care items and really haven't noticed a negative difference.  Same results, minus all the chemicals.

For my hair I've been using Giovanni volumizing mousse & wax and it works great.  I use a lot of Jason products - their body lotion, shower gel and I just bought their daily shampoo, but haven't tried it yet - still using Giovanni's Tea Tree shampoo which is heavenly.  I also love Dr. Bronner's organic soaps.  These babies are all purpose, use it for your body, your hair, your clothes, heck even your dog.  The labels are a little weird (some rantings written by the original creator) but the products are wonderful.  I highly recommend trying the peppermint. 

Most of these natural type items can be a little more costly than your normal personal care lines, but I believe it's well worth it.  Lucky for us we have a great locally-owned discount drug store (SaveMart) that I frequent to buy most of our items.  To me it's worth the extra cost to have the peace of mind in knowing what it is I'm putting on and in my body. 

Good luck in finding some great items that you love.

You can also cut down on the amount of hair conditioner you use after each shampoo.  I mix mine in my palm, half conditioner / half inexpensive honey.  It really makes your hair soft.  It cuts down on the amount & cost of conditioner and, in my case, eliminates the frizzies so no need for gels or mousse.

Just make sure you pay attention to the honey cap.  I've had one bottle grow some mold from our non-ventilated bathroom.

I'm a no-poo gal.  I have very curly hair and it was suggested by a hair stylist in the paper.  I tried it and most of my frizziness left!  I just have to make sure I brush it out very well daily.   I'm currently frustrated at our new house--something about the water makes it hard to wash my hair brushes, which is a problem.   I only condition every couple days--if I get it all wet in the shower more often than that it gets hard and brittle no matter the conditioner.

Extra curly also means anything that produces "good volume" I run away from!  I don't need more body in my hair!  No hair dryer for me--the thought of poofier hair makes me cringe!

Before I dropped shampoo I used a bar for a while.  It worked fine, once I figured out how to use it--it's just weird to use solid shampoo after years of liquid. :)

Kayote, I hear you loud and clear about the naturally curly hair and "more volume" products.  Try the honey & conditioner mix.  I've used just it a few times between shampoos and it worked almost as great as when I use it after shampooing.  My hair does so much better with products that have natural ingredients.  I don't care how many people tell me that all shampoos and conditioners are the same.  The natural ones are so much better -- for me and everyone else!

OK, I got my box of goodies from Lush and after two days of using them, I'm very impressed.

I was worried the shampoo bar wouldn't have enough lather - but wow, it's got even more lather than my current bottled shampoo. 

The conditioning bar had me worried because I have super dry, tangly hair, and it didn't seem to coat my hair well in the shower, or feel soft.  But I combed out my hair with ease, and I must say my hair looks better, less weighed down vs. the previous conditioner.  So another thumbs up.

I bought the deodorant, too, and am also loving it.  Good coverage all day long.

One thing - both the shampoo bar and deodorant are quite fragrant.  It's not a synthetic, chemical-y smell, just flowery for the shampoo and musky for the deodorant.  It's not super overpowering once you're away from the shower, though.

I use to be trapped because I was convicted about using harsh chemical personal care products (and home care, too) - but my options then were either mlm companies or health food store products - both cost more and didn't work as well.  :(  But, 17 years ago...I was introduced to a wellness catalog company that has over 350 (now, not then) products tand is doing it better...better working, less expensive and so much healthier than products on the store shelf.  I have ordered from them for the body and house every month for 18 years - so thankfully...we have better options in this "green" age!

I am using concentraded products, that means I use less and I have less residuos, so it is more green. I am getting better results and the products are for the hair, laundry, cleaning and  bath. You can find them here  http://ematos.qhealthzone.com/ 

They cost a littler more, but you use less, so at the end it is the same but more green.

I try to check out products on the Skin Deep (Campaign for Safe Cosmetics) site before purchasing.  Even products sold in natural foods markets/health food stores often have undesirable ingredients (such as parabens).  http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/