Let me start off by saying this- I haven't washed my hair since Saturday morning. As I write this, it is Wednesday afternoon. I probably won't need to wash my hair until tomorrow. That's right. Five full days of non-washed hair. I haven't needed to. No, I'm not wearing hats and pulling my hair back in a ponytail. No, it's not greasy or stinky. It looks great.
These pictures were taken literally 10 minutes ago. After four days of not washing it, I think it looks pretty good (ignore my grays that are popping out- more on that though later)! How can I go this long and still have clean looking hair? I ditched shampoos and conditioners. This helps the wallet greatly because they are EXPENSIVE. I had everything I needed to go no 'poo in my pantry and it is super cheap to replace the ingredients.
I honestly wasn't looking to stop using shampoo when researching how to save money. I stumbled upon it, thought that it sounded kind of gross, and went about my business. But the thought kept percolating in the back of my mind and several weeks later I began to research the idea. Now, there are many different ways to go no 'poo and my way may not work with your hair as everyone's scalp is different. I'm not even sure this method works on ethnic hair types. If this idea interests you, go research it and experiment!
How can you go without shampoo without your hair looking like a greasy, flat mess? There's science behind it! Your scalp produces sebum, which lubricates your hair to protect it from drying out. Sebum is good for your hair. When you use shampoos, it completely strips this sebum away. Your scalp freaks out and produces more sebum to make up for the loss. Overproduction of sebum will result in oily hair and, while sebum itself is odorless, bacteria will form which causes your hair to stink. This would then signal you to wash your hair again and you start the whole cycle over.
So what do you need to go no 'poo? Here's what I have stored in my bathroom cabinet....
To go no 'poo, you need baking soda and apple cider vinegar (ACV), a couple of cups, a tablespoon, and a measuring cup. This works best if you mix it up right before you shower. I turn my water on to heat up and then mix this up while waiting. I take one Tbsp. of baking soda and put it in the plastic ketchup bottle (hence the funnel), rinse the tablespoon off and then pour one Tbsp. of ACV into a separate cup, and then add one cup of hot water to each container. Shake up the baking soda and water to dissolve all of the baking soda. I then start showering! I wet my hair and then squeeze the baking soda and water combo all over my scalp. It doesn't need to be poured all over your hair. This is why I opt for the plastic ketchup bottle. Then I use my fingers and gently scrub my scalp. This won't lather up like regular shampoo, but it won't just feel like pouring plain water over your head. The baking soda will leave a bit of sliminess (in a good way??). I then let it sit for a few minutes on my scalp. This would be a perfect time to wash your face with honey! Thoroughly rinse out the baking soda. Then carefully pour the ACV and water over your hair (avoid the eyes...it burns!!!). The ACV acts as a conditioner and will soften your hair and leave it super shiny! Leave that on your scalp while you finish your normal shower routine and then rinse completely. While it might still smell a little vinegary after you rinse it, by the time it's dry there will be no smell.
From my research, there were a lot of people reporting a "breaking in" period for their hair. It takes a bit of time for your scalp to adjust to not having to produce extra sebum and people noticed a range from super greasy hair to super dry hair during this period. This did scare me a bit, so I decided to wean myself. I didn't go straight from shampooing every day to going 5 days in between washing my hair. For the first two weeks, I did the baking soda and ACV every two days. Then I did two weeks of washing it every third day. Finally after a month, I was able to go 4-5 days in between washes. I did notice that at first, my hair felt like straw (although it looked normal). This feeling went away after a couple of washes.
I have found many benefits from going no 'poo-
- it saves money
- less chemicals leeching into my skin
- my at-home hair color (I know...kind of negates the last bullet) lasts longer because you aren't washing it as frequently (which also saves money!)
- my hair has a lot more body and is softer
- that super annoying extra frizzy hair that developed after having my son turned into nice curls when I let my hair air dry
- saves a huge amount of time when getting ready for the day...not having to dry and flat/iron or diffuse my hair
The negative- once people know you go no 'poo, you can't use the excuse, "Sorry, I can't. I'm washing my hair!"
Give it a shot, at least for a month, and let me know what you think. You have to get through the breaking in period to really get the full effect! I've been no 'poo for three years now and my hair has not looked, or felt, better!
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