I have always been under the assumption that I need to wash my hair every day, or at least every other day, and that if I don't use conditioner then I will never be able to brush my hair because it's so thin and knots easily. I was a little skeptical of no-poo when I first read about it, I was sure that there was no way I'd be able to brush my hair and it would be a greasy mess. Apparently most other Americans think like this too! According to Procter & Gamble, the average American washes their hair 4.59 a week, twice as much as Italians and Spaniards.
It wasn't always this way, people used to wash their hair about once a month, until this article came out in the New York Times in May of 1908, telling women they could wash their hair every 2 weeks. Finally, in the 70's, advertising campaigns made daily hair washing the norm, and here we are today.
I wanted to try no-poo for a few reasons. I don't want chemicals on my body, that's a big reason, but I have also been noticing just how much plastic we have in our house lately and I am trying to cut out as many plastic items as possible. I counted 80 (yes, EIGHTY) plastic items in the bathroom alone!
What is no-poo?
It's exactly what you'd think it is, no shampoo! Instead of shampoo I am using two ingredients: baking soda and apple cider vinegar. The baking soda is for washing my hair and the apple cider vinegar is a "conditioner". For $2.50 I can get a huge box of baking soda that will last quite a while (and has other uses too like using in the laundry, deodorant, and brushing your teeth), so I'm also saving money.
My wash routine
I am still in the experimenting stage so my routine might change a bit, but so far I have been putting 1-2 tablespoons of baking soda in a tin cup and bringing it in the shower with me. Once I am in the shower I add some water to make a paste and then I massage my scalp and roots with the paste. Once I am finished I rinse it out.
To condition I put 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass spray bottle and filled the rest up with water. After I rinse the baking soda out I spray the ends of my hair with the vinegar generously. I let it sit for a bit then rinse out.
The results
So, you know how I said I thought I wouldn't be able to brush my hair? It's the opposite. In fact, I think it's easier to brush my hair using this method than chemical filled, store bought conditioner.
My hair has not been greasy at all and it feels healthy and soft. I did read that your hair goes through transition periods, so I am prepared for a little greasiness at some point, but it eventually goes away. I can happily say that I am loving no-poo so far. Here's a (scary) photo of me on day 3 of this adventure!
I'm really excited about continuing this experiment and I am planning on blogging about it as I go! Stay tuned for more photos and my experiences!
8 comments:
awesome that you no poo. i still poo once in awhile but my husband has been no-poo for over a year. and no he's not bald. :-)
wow. this is the second time that i've read about no-poo. i think we'll definitely try it out around here, but after our shampoo and conditioner is mostly gone... we have quite a few bottles now to use up. i'm super interested to see how it goes for you, keep posting pictures!
fyi--do you have a bj's or costco or sam's club near you? I use baking soda for all of my cleaning and buy a 5# bag for like $5-6!! It doesn't get any better than that for an all purpose everything!!
I've been no-poo since Oct. 2009. I like it. I read somewhere you shouldn't use more than 1Tbs because it could dry out your scale, but I don't have any experience as I have only used 1Tbs. I do have shorter hair than you though so that may play a role. Hope to hear more of your no-poo adventure!
This has piqued my curiosity! Please keep us updated on this! I'm totally with you about ditching all the plastic...we have WAY too much, and as I use things up, I feel reluctant to replace them with more plastic.
This reminds me of "washing" your face with olive oil. Have you ever done that?
@ michgal18 - I don't have a membership, but I have a friend who goes to Costco! Maybe I should tag along on one of her shopping trips and stock up on some baking soda. Thanks for the tip!
@ Pearl - I don't see why white distilled vinegar wouldn't work. It does have a stronger smell though. Apple cider vinegar is a lot less harsh. I wonder if white vinegar would rinse out as well
@ YogaMama - I think my hair is going through it's greasy transition right now. So far my hair hasn't dried out as much. I found it hard to get all my roots with just 1 tablespoon, so I added some more. Maybe if I use a dye brush to put it on.
@ Amber, The Unlikely Mama - I have never done olive oil and I'm not sure that I would. Sounds.. greasy! I just use the same soap that I use for Eli and I on my face (Earth Mama Angel Baby), since it's all natural I figure it will be fine!
That sounds intriguing. I'll have to keep checking back to see how you like it long term.
I recently discovered using vinegar as fabric softener and it works great, so I guess it would make sense that it would work on hair as well. Is there any lingering vinegar smell?
Oh, and I found you from New Friend Friday :)
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