I have joined the "no poo" bandwagon!!! For those of you who do not know what that is....it does not have to do with BM's. ;) No poo refers to the lack of use of traditional shampoo.
Our house is constantly getting "greener." From cleaning supplies to personal care products to growing our own food, we are always educating ourselves, ridding our lives of chemicals and getting back to the basics.
I have had a long battle with shampoo and trying to find one that does not irritate my skin. I have tried pretty much every organic, sulfate-free product on the market. While some will start out okay, they eventually start causing my neck, back and scalp to breakout. I was skeptical when I first heard of the "no poo" movement. In fact, it took me a few weeks to actually try it. Well, I must say.....I am hooked! I love it! My hair has more volume and is less greasy than ever! (I have very fine hair). Plus no more breakouts! Another bonus...it is much more affordable!
(Picture after my first day No-Poo)
No poo is washing your hair with baking soda and using Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) as your rinse (conditioner/de-tangler). I pour 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda into a small dish I keep in my shower. When I get in the shower I add water (about equal parts) to the dish and mix with my finger. (I make it fresh each time I wash my hair. It only takes a minute). Then I lean my head back and pour the mixture over my hair. I work the gritty mix (the texture takes a little getting used to especially since we are used to super foaming washes) around my scalp and hair and let it sit for a minute or so. Then I rinse the baking soda mixture from my hair with water. Next, I pour a little ACV into the same dish, add equal parts water, lean my head back, pour the mixture over my hair from root to tip and rinse.
It takes a few washes to "detox" your hair, but once it is clean the results are amazing! Give it a try and let me know what you experience.
Check out my other posts in the "Going Green" Series:
Going Green - Homemade Toothpaste
Going Green - Creating a Non-toxic Kitchen - Products I Love
Going Green - Homemade Non-toxic Household Cleaners
Enjoy and healthy regards!
Glad you added that it takes a few washes. I had tried this once or twice when I had buildup and gave up since I didn't think it worked. Now I feel silly for not giving it more time ;)
ReplyDeleteyour hair looks beautiful! I tried it for a couple of months, but my hair started falling out like crazy, and all of a sudden I'm dealing with dandruff which I never had to deal with...any suggestions? I had to stop using this no poo method, but I was scared to totally get bald. I now make my shampoo with coconut milk and Dr. Bronner's, but I'm open to any suggestions.Thank you so much!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your feedback. I have not experienced the hair loss. However, I do not wash my hair everyday. I allow at least 1 day (most of the the time 2 or 3 days) to let the oils in my scalp and hair to nourish my hair and scalp. I also know people who alternate coconut milk shampoo and baking soda "no poo". I personally do not care for Dr. Bronner's on my hair, as I feel it leaves a residue that weighs my hair down. I have very fine and oily hair so I do not have an issue with dandruff. However, coconut oil is a great nourisher for dandruff. It will make your hair oily though so use it at night (you will have to wash your pillow case). My husband has a dry scalp. He has noticed a dramatic difference in his scalp since using coconut oil in as a styling component in his hair. I hope this helps!! Good luck!!
Deletei've been no-poo (w/out this baking soda/ ACV method) since 2008 or so. my baby-fine curls stopped frizzing, my hair got thicker, and my hair started making oils for the first time in my life! i never washed my hair more than 1x a week for most of my life (skipping the curly mousse phase of high school in the 90's, cause you have to wash that stuff out) and never had oils. but had extremely dry and brittle hair. applying oils never helped, and i tried so many products.
ReplyDeletei now use some african black soap every 2-3 months to wash the hair when it gets crazy. and i use coconut oil, olive oil, eggs, old mayo, etc to condition every so often.
4 out of my 5 kids have curly hair, and one has a greasier scalp, and it's challenging to balance everyone. but it's not a daily or weekly issue in our home!!!
i think eating a good-fat rich diet is also key to having strong healthy hair and scalp!!! only my husband has some dandruff, but he washes his hair maybe 2x a week. pretty low-maintenance!!!
since we buy a bottle of shampoo and conditioner for him 1-2x a year, and that's all our entire family uses, it's really nice for the budget and also for not having to panic about overexposure to chemicals.