A few months ago I wrote a post about ditching shampoo
and joining the no 'poo movement.
The basic idea is to discontinue using shampoo & conditioner
and wash your hair with natural things instead:
baking soda as shampoo and vinegar as conditioner.
Sounds pretty crazy, eh?
If you have no idea what I'm talking about
and want to learn more about the no 'poo movement,
start here.
Anywhoo, since it's been a few months, I thought it would be
a good time do an update on how my no 'poo experience is going.
The verdict is:
The basic idea is to discontinue using shampoo & conditioner
and wash your hair with natural things instead:
baking soda as shampoo and vinegar as conditioner.
Sounds pretty crazy, eh?
If you have no idea what I'm talking about
and want to learn more about the no 'poo movement,
start here.
Anywhoo, since it's been a few months, I thought it would be
a good time do an update on how my no 'poo experience is going.
The verdict is:
It's true!
I've been shampoo-free for nearly 6 months now,
and there's no going back for me.
What I love about no 'poo:
- it's SO much cheaper than buying regular shampoo & conditioner
*
- my hair is much less oily and greasy
*
- my hair (formerly stick straight and flat) has gained
so much natural volume and wave
*
- my hair is much easier to manage and style; hairstyles hold all-day long
*
- no-heat curls stay put and last all day
*
- my hair air dries super fast; I'm using my blow-dyer so much less
*
- absolutely NO dandruff ever!
Tips & Tricks:
- the baking soda and vinegar (apple cider vinegar is the type I use),
as a weak alkaline and mild acid, combine in this process
to provide you with a pH-balancing, gentle, and clarifying hair wash
*
- the vinegar may "stink" at first as you rinse your hair,
but I guarantee that as your hair dries the vinegar smell will disappear completely
*
- you will find after the first few weeks of going no 'poo
that you need to wash your hair less, but you can still shower everyday,
just "wash" your hair with water on the in between days
*
-I've found that during these dry winter months my hair needs
more of a moisturizer than the vinegar provides,
so, every once in a while (once a week, maybe)
I use a very small amount (nickel to quarter size for longer hair)
of conditioner and rub it through my hair after the vinegar rinse.
This adds a kick of moisture and helps prevent static and dry split ends.
*
- if you have an oilier scalp you may need to use more baking soda
in your shampoo mix, if you have a drier scalp more vinegar may be needed;
experiment with the different ratios until you find your perfect mix
*the basic "recipe" is 1 tablespoon of baking soda to one cup of water,
and 1 tablespoon of vinegar to one cup of water
And that, in a nutshell, is my no 'poo experience!
I really hope you give it a try and don't hesitate to drop me an email
or a comment if you have any questions.
Happy hair care-ing!
I've been shampoo-free for nearly 6 months now,
and there's no going back for me.
What I love about no 'poo:
- it's SO much cheaper than buying regular shampoo & conditioner
*
- my hair is much less oily and greasy
*
- my hair (formerly stick straight and flat) has gained
so much natural volume and wave
*
- my hair is much easier to manage and style; hairstyles hold all-day long
*
- no-heat curls stay put and last all day
*
- my hair air dries super fast; I'm using my blow-dyer so much less
*
- absolutely NO dandruff ever!
Tips & Tricks:
- the baking soda and vinegar (apple cider vinegar is the type I use),
as a weak alkaline and mild acid, combine in this process
to provide you with a pH-balancing, gentle, and clarifying hair wash
*
- the vinegar may "stink" at first as you rinse your hair,
but I guarantee that as your hair dries the vinegar smell will disappear completely
*
- you will find after the first few weeks of going no 'poo
that you need to wash your hair less, but you can still shower everyday,
just "wash" your hair with water on the in between days
*
-I've found that during these dry winter months my hair needs
more of a moisturizer than the vinegar provides,
so, every once in a while (once a week, maybe)
I use a very small amount (nickel to quarter size for longer hair)
of conditioner and rub it through my hair after the vinegar rinse.
This adds a kick of moisture and helps prevent static and dry split ends.
*
- if you have an oilier scalp you may need to use more baking soda
in your shampoo mix, if you have a drier scalp more vinegar may be needed;
experiment with the different ratios until you find your perfect mix
*the basic "recipe" is 1 tablespoon of baking soda to one cup of water,
and 1 tablespoon of vinegar to one cup of water
And that, in a nutshell, is my no 'poo experience!
I really hope you give it a try and don't hesitate to drop me an email
or a comment if you have any questions.
Happy hair care-ing!
neat!
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about switching and was just talking to a friend about it last night :)I was worried b/c of my dry-ish scalp. But I think I just need to go for it :) Thanks for the tips, I'll let you know how it goes!
ReplyDeleteWow! I've never heard of this. My curiosity is piqued, but it also sounds a little scary. I'm still working up the nerve to make homemade laundry detergent. I may need a push to get this good stuff going! :)
ReplyDeleteHi, I came across your blog via Inspire Me Heather, I'm a vinegar and bi carb girl when it comes to cleaning the house, so this will be a natural transistion, thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat about coloured hair? I have to colour mine every 4-5 weeks or so and I was wondering if it strips the colour or would the no shampoo method make the hair dye last longer?
ReplyDeleteWhoa Ferial! This post just rocked my world...and soon it will be a fun experiment for me! Like you, I have flat-absolutely-no-volume-straight hair and I felt some hope rising as I was reading this. I also have extremely oily hair, so I am hoping this will work for me.
ReplyDeleteKinda worried about the smell though...you promise it won't leave a weird smell? Lol obviously since you've been shampoo-free for SIX months (whoa).
Email me if you can, let me know how you do this. You just pour on a little baking soda and then use some vinegar, or do you combine?
Hey, Ferial! I was inspired by your post to give this a try, and I was wondering if you have any problem-solving wisdom for me. I started using this method about 5 days ago, and my hair has gotten progressively greasier and duller each day. It feels very "thick" (and not in a good way). I've read that there is a "transition" period with this method, but I really don't think I can hang with how my hair looks and feels if this drags on too much longer. Any advice? Did you have a transition period where your hair was greasy? I understand why this happens, but I read it can go on for as long as a month! I'm not sure if I have the willpower . . .
ReplyDeleteKari,
ReplyDeleteYES. The transition period is NO fun! My hair felt greasy, gross, and heavy for about 3 weeks. It was not fun, but in my opinion it was worth it. In the fourth week it felt as if my hair magically changed; it was clean and light and voluminous and wonderful!
I encourage you to stick it out. I managed my gross hair by doing a lot of braided-back bangs, cute hats or headbands, or messy buns.
It WILL get better, I promise!