Decision Paralysis; why I'm having such trouble buying shampoo

I am a decisive person.  I make decisions quickly and well, rarely revisiting or regretting a decision I have made.  In my work, I help other people make decisions; buyer and seller clients, agents in my office I counsel on their business, my daughter etc.  Most of you who know me, know I don't dither and wring my hands over making a decision.

So why, the, am I having so much trouble buying shampoo? 

I try to live in accordance with my values, with a practical approach.  I have few absolutes in my life and manage to find the line that works for me.  For example, while I am an animal welfare advocate, I am not vegan, and I do wear leather here and there.  But I don't need animal products in my shampoo.  And in general I buy organic when possible, but am plenty comfortable getting groceries in small town USA with not an organic vegetable in sight.

So why am I having so much trouble buying shampoo?

Up until a few months ago I had a purple streak in my hair.  It was adviseable to use shampoo gentle on colored hair.  I bought it at the salon.  It was not tested on animals, had no animal products and was expensive as hell.  I got tired of the purple streak and was freed from the designer shampoo.

So why am I having so much trouble buying shampoo?

Here are the priorities and thoughts that come into play in the shampoo buying decision (I'm sure there are more at play, but these are the obvious ones); no animal products, no animal testing, phosphate free, larger bottles as wasteful packaging drives me crazy, I want my hair to look good, I get sucked into the media message that I need special things for my hair to look good, I understand the active ingredients in most hair products are the same but for texture, color and scent, so anything will work, buying local would be good.  And then I walk in the store and see a kajillion different products.

The last stuff I bought came from the "nutrition" section at Fred Meyer.  Smaller bottles, no animal testing or products, cheaper than the fortune I'd been paying at the salon, phosphate free.   I am not fulfilled and look forward to the day those bottles (shampoo and conditioner) are empty.

I was at my Dad's mountain cabin recently and REALLY liked his shampoo; Pert all in one .  Nice big bottle, must be phosphate free as he is quite strict about phosphates up there.  And since it is shampoo and conditioner, it is one less bottle and one less product!  But Pert does contain tallow (an animal ingredient), doesn't claim not to have been tested on animals and certainly isn't located locally.  hmm.

Now you might see why I am having such trouble buying shampoo.  An associate of mine at work, who I think has great hair, tells me she uses a bar of soap for shampoo and "body wash' and uses no conditioner.  Maybe I don't need to buy shampoo at all?  Inaction, not buying shampoo, could be a decision in itself.  That Trader Joe's bar of  oatmeal soap may be just the thing.