Going without… shampoo that is.
While I was working I could easily spend all day cruising the internet, with limited accessibility because of firewalls and IP blockers. I spent most of my time perusing parenting forums. My favorite was Mothering.com, which is where I came across the crazy notion that shampoo was making my curly hair unruly. They called it No ‘Poo, I called it nuts. While doing some research I came to realize that typical shampoo was chock full of chemicals, most that I couldn’t pronounce and didn’t want to rub on my head.
There are a couple of premises behind No ‘Poo. A few are:
- Shampoo is a detergent and literally strips your hair of moisture, oil and shine, making it prone to damage and breakage.
- Curly hair is especially prone to shampoo damage because it is more porous and fragile.
- Because hair is frequently stripped of its natural oils, your scalp goes into hyperdrive. This is why some people describe their hair as an oil slick.
Start with three main ingredients — Baking Soda, Apple Cider Vinegar and a good conditioner. When purchasing a conditioner, read the ingredients.
- Try to find something that does not have any ‘cones’ — Dimethicone, Silicone, etc. These will coat your hair and you’ll end up with a greasy mess.
- Avoid mineral oil, a nasty byproduct of gasoline distilling. Your body id unable to absorb it, so it will also create a greasy mess. It also blocks the scalp from releasing built up toxins and oil. Acne anyone?
- Also avoid Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLFS). Known skin irritants, SLS and SLFS are commonly added to shampoo and other detergents as a foaming aget. They are currently being questioned regarding cancer and toxic build up in tissues.
- If you use a gel, use a clear one. You may find that oils work well for you now, such as coconut oil, jojoba oil, apricot oil, extra virgin olive oil. Some people like to use alcohol-free Aloe Vera gel.
When Declan was born, I was a shower and shampoo every day kind of girl. I used lots of extras to keep my hair in check. I tried No ‘Poo for about a week before I couldn’t handle it. My roots were detoxing and super greasy and my ends were dry, split and straw like. I had to go in public like that for 40+ hours a weeks. Eek.
Now that I stay home with the boys, I don’t get out as often and shampooing has come down to 2 or 3 times a weeks, to save time in the shower. I’m hoping that my hair wont have to detox nearly as much this time, and if it does, oh well. I can always wear a hat to the grocery store. 
I’ll be photo documenting my journey and posting more info as I go. Next Up — No ‘Poo routines.
Here are some No ‘Poo sources:
The No Shampoo Alternative — No Poo
Of Course I Washed My Hair Last Year (I’m Almost Certain)
Treating Your Hair Like a Bathroom Sink
Wise Woman Forum — The No Shampoo Thread
Mothering Dot Commune — Going No Shampoo
Have you ever considered changing up your beauty routine in such a dramatic way? If so, how or why not?
Have any of you tried No ‘Poo?
You might also like these related posts:
Tags: Accesibility, Aloe Vera Gel, Apple Cider Vinegar, Apple Vinegar, Apricot Oil, Baking Soda, Byproduct, Chemicals, Coconut Oil, Crazy Notion, Curly Hair, Declan, Detergents, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Firewalls, Greasy Mess, Ip, Mineral Oil, Natural Oils, Nbsp, Nuts, Parenting Forums, Poo, Shampo, Shampoo, Skin Irritants, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Sls, Virgin Olive Oil
I first tried no poo this summer. I went 6 weeks, then I washed my hair. Then I started again and went from Oct. until just this week without poo. My hair is much healthier. Sometimes it gets a bit itchy. And I miss the smell of fresh shampoo, but my hair is much shinier and much fewer split ends. I’m considering trying dry shampoo to augment the baking soda.
I scrub my scalp with baking soda and I use apple cider vingar diluted with water and lemon juice as a conditioning rinse and that’s it.
Good luck!
Check out Syds last blog post..Slow start to 2009
Ooh, I may have to try this!
Katie me darlin’ …first of all let me tell you that you will always be loved .. secondly …what will No Pooing prove? I for one will never try it …I couldn’t make it past the 5 day ‘scratch my scalp bloody’ stage.…I have very thin and very white hair and I couldn’t pull it off like you can with your gorgeous strawberry blonde curls. I do wish you luck and yes, it does make sense to me ..but I for one will not be joining the parade. So, how did the meat roll turn out tonight? Hugs to all ..XOXOXOXOXOX ME
Thanks for this and for all of the great links. I have blond super-thick super-curly hair and have always gone low on beauty products. I think it is a combo of my inner hippie, my economic prudence, my general self confidence, and a bit of laziness on my part. My husband, however, who is not normally as green or natural product loving as I am has been no ‘poo (conditioner only) for several years because of the belief that if cave men went without, we don’t need it. It has been a bit gross for me because of the oily build up he ends up with but now I am educated more and I feel like we might be able to come up with a product that we can make that we are both happy using and that deals with his oil issue and my tangles and frizz. Thanks for the inspiration!