Would You Stop Washing Your Hair... Forever? (page 2)

Would You Stop Washing Your Hair... Forever?

Posted by Alexandra C. | Thursday April 18, 2013

I've mentioned in the past that my hair has been less than healthy. After years of a salon boycott and DIY experiments with ombre and numerous shades, my ends were left with a rough, straw like appearance. With my recent haircut and shorter style, I've been trying hard to keep it healthy and in good shape. Part of this has been laying off the hair dye (seriously, I have a problem) and trying to wash my hair as little as possible.

Shampoo is essentially a detergent, which means that it strips your hair of its natural oils, making it rougher and weaker. If I want to keep my hair strong and in tip top shape, it would stand to reason that I should avoid washing my hair. Now, we've spoken before about the 'no wash for 4 days' experiment, and for the most part, we agreed that 4 days was a bit too long to go without a wash. However, there is a growing movement to actually stop shampooing all together! It's the "no 'poo method".

Instead of shampooing your hair, you use baking soda. Baking soda removes the excess oil and grease from your hair. I found two ways to do a baking soda wash:

Baking Soda "Shampoo" #1

In a spray bottle, put 5 Tbsp of baking soda, fill the bottle with water (about 8 ounces) and shake well. This should last you about a week. Spray into hair and rub into scalp and through hair thoroughly. Rinse out with water.

Baking Soda "Shampoo" #2

Rub baking soda into hair as you would a dry shampoo. Start rinsing with water while continuing to rub the baking soda in your hair. Rinse baking soda completely out with water.

You'll also need to condition your hair to make it soft and shiny. This is where apple cider vinegar comes into play. This concoction is simple to make and will help to revitalize your hair.

Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse:

To make this rinse, the standard portions are 1 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar for every cup of water.

Mix the apple cider vinegar and water together, preferably in a spray bottle. After using the baking soda, pour or spray the mixture into your hair and massage it into your scalp. Let the apple cider vinegar sit for a few minutes before rinsing fully with water.

Now, according to those who venture on the no 'poo journey, their hair has never felt or looked better! And it's important to note that they stop using traditional shampoos and conditioners all together. But be forewarned, most people go through an adjustment period where their hair reacts to the lack of shampoo and will start producing excess oil. It may take some time for your hair to get into its (or your) comfort zone.

I'm curious about the method, and the endorsements of no 'poo are convincing, but I'm hesitant to go through the transition period. What about you? What do you think of the no 'poo method? Is it something you'd try?

(via simplemom.net, huffingtonpost.com, healthextremist.com)

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19 Comments

	on April 20, 2013 ecawson said: I've been no 'poo since January 1st. I don't know if I would call it healthier than ever, but it's certainly not worse in the least than when I used shampoo. I do need a haircut though- I haven't had one in about a year, and my ends are where I see the most problems... So what I do is put one Tbsp of baking soda in a squirt bottle, then fill it up with warm water when I'm in the shower. I concentrate on my hairline and crown. 1 Tbsp of ACV goes in another squirt bottle, and I concentrate that mainly on the length and ends of my hair. You can add a few drops of an essential oil to the baking soda for scent if you like. Once your hair is dry, a tiny bit of coconut oil works great on dry ends. And for myself- I didn't go through a greasy adjustment period at all. I wash my hair every 2-3 days now, and sometimes only clean the hairline if that's the only part that's greasy. It's super cheap, too, and I know it's better for my hair, so I'm not going back to shampoo :)
	on April 19, 2013 Angie79 1,069 said: I don't think I could do it, I wash my hair at least once a day, sometimes twice when I go to the gym... Idon't know I don't think it would feel "clean" but that's just me...
	on April 18, 2013 takoda 28,648 said: I've also no luck with dry shampoo's. I have oily hair on top and dry ends and no matter how much I've tried I just can't get them to work for me. I really can't see me trying apple cider vinegar on my hair. I can't stand the strong smell of it and don't think it would be easily rinsed out. If anyone does try it please let me know how you made out with the smell.
	on April 18, 2013 Bren 26,031 said: My hair looks awful if I miss a day washing it...I have tried dry shampoos but there just not the same...This looks interesting.I have tried Braggs in my hair before and loved how it made my hair feel..But I have not tried baking soda... @mamaluv I also color my hair...I cant see that it could harm color treated.. I've never had an issue with the apple cider vinegar before...
	on April 18, 2013 midnightsun2288 6,053 said: You can go "no poo"! I have. And I do totally see a difference in my (curly) hair. It has grown super long, become a lot more healthy and way less frizzy. I wish I took some before and after pictures. However, it does not necessarily mean that you have to stop using "traditional" conditioner like you said in the article, and you don't just stop washing your hair forever. At first I just got rid of my shampoo and continued using my regular conditioner (Tresemme Split End Therapy) and my hair got super dry and had oily buildup on my scalp at the same time. I was about to give up after a few weeks of doing it when I read an article online about how using conditioner with silicones could cause those problems. I checked the ingredient list on my conditioner and sure enough it was filled with silicones. I promplty switched to V05 conditioner that was sans silicones and I noticed the difference immediately. There was no more gross buildup in my hair and I felt like my hair was getting clean, and it even felt lighter and no longer dry (plus it smells super good) Here is a website with a list of silicone free conditioners: http://healthycurls.net/product-lists/silicone-free-conditioners/ Anyway I love my hair now after probably about 4 months of "no poo" so far, it is so much more healthy and manageable. I would definitely recommend going no poo, even just using conditioner, (you don't really have to worry about apple cider vinegar and baking soda) and you can still have your nice smelling conditioner (just make sure to get the right ones). You probably will still have a transition period for a week or two when your hair is getting used to not being stripped of its natural oils, but it is worth it in the long run. Here is another article about how to do it, I think the most important steps here are 1-6, the rest are more optional: http://www.wikihow.com/Follow-the-Curly-Girl-Method-for-Curly-Hair Also another random tip I found works really well is right before you get out of the shower (after you washed your hair and everything) take a tiny dollop of the silicone-sulfate free conditioner and apply it to the ends of your hair to leave in all day. I noticed that this really makes my curls hold and look super healthy without having to apply too much other product at all (like gels and mousse and spray etc.) that can buildup in your hair as well. Overall I totally recommend it, especially if you have curly hair. Plus it cuts the cost of hair product drastically, so what's not to love? Give it a try...
	on April 18, 2013 shagtownlady 9,255 said: I've heard alot about this and really love the idea, but I don't think I personally could stay with it. The whole "adjustment period" would be tough to deal with, and I'd miss all my nice smelling shampoos and conditioners!
	on April 18, 2013 flower 4,433 said: no
	on April 18, 2013 LissaG 6,010 said: Very interesting! I'd be down to give it a try, but not sure how long it would last.
	on April 18, 2013 mamaluv STAFF said: I'm curious how baking soda and apple cider vinegar react to coloured hair. Does anyone know? I have early grays, so there's no way I'm going to stop colouring until I'm ready to go gray properly.