Going No Poo!

Okay I know what some are you are thinking. Why is she talking about poop?!

No! I'm talking about no longer using shampoo or conditioner. There are hundreds of websites and blogs dedicated to the no poo idea so let me sum it up for you: shampoo is a detergent, stripping your hair of all of the oil in it. Since your scalp is now stripped, it freaks out and produces more than needed to compensate, causing you to need to wash your hair again because it's oily. So basically, all of the chemicals in your shampoo is just tricking your scalp to produce more oil, causing you to wash more, thus needing more shampoo. It's a vicious cycle, really!

So how do you clean your hair without all of these chemicals--without shampoo! The answer will only cost you pennies per wash, literally. The "shampoo" will be baking soda mixed with water, and the "conditioner" is vinegar with water. And no, you won't smell like a salad after and no, your hair won't become a first-grade science fair volcano.

How it works: the baking soda removes the excess gunk from your hair but doesn't strip it. In effect, your scalp doesn't produce excess oil and you can go way longer between washes then you probably ever imagined. I've read people that only wash their hair once a week! A dream come true for my super long super thick hair!

How to wash: mix 1 tablespoon baking soda into 8 oz warm water (I find warm water dissolves the baking soda better) into a bottle. I bought two at my local Sally's (here's the link). In the second bottle mix 1 tablespoon vinegar (I use apple cider) into 8 oz water. Before showering brush your hair to distribute the natural oils from your scalp to the length of your hair. I find it's easiest to first brush regularly to remove tangles then use a boar bristle brush to really distribute the oils. In the shower, massage your scalp with water, shake up your "shampoo" and apply to your roots only! This works best when you wait for the baking soda to do its work. I clip my hair up and finish doing my other shower duties. Don't rinse out your baking soda mix until your roots feel slimy. This is key! It means the baking soda is breaking down everything. Rinse out well and then apply the vinegar mix only to the length of your hair. I comb it out then rinse--again rinse well!!

After reading this you'd probably think I've been doing this for months. Nope! I've just done a LOT of research and finally tried it last night. My hair did not smell like vinegar--or anything for that matter. If you can't stand the smell of the vinegar try putting in a few drops of essential oils into the vinegar mix. 

To sum it up:

PROS:
-Less hair washing
-Healthier scalp
-No chemicals
-VERY inexpensive
-Overall healthier/shiner hair

CONS:
-There is a "transition period" where your hair adjusts to this new method and can leave you with greasy hair. The length of time it lasts depends on how long you wait between washing your hair currently and if your hair produces a lot of oil. Oily hair and everyday washers will probably have a longer transition period than every 2-3 day washers with normal/dry hair.
-The beginning can leave you with knotty hair.

So here is my hair after towel drying after my first "wash". I did it at night because I wanted to air dry my hair and that usually takes hours (my hair is VERY long and VERY thick).

An update will be coming soon! Let me know if you have any questions!