I think one of the most interesting things about not using shampoo to wash your hair is the fact that humans haven’t always used shampoo to wash their hair anyway.
The advertising industry has managed to convince us that the only way to clean our hair is with shampoo, and that any other method is going to leave our hair dirty.
However, the fact of the matter is that our hair naturally cleans itself. By shampooing and conditioning our hair all the time we are actually stripping our hair of what it needs to protect itself from damage.
The whole idea of not using shampoo when washing hair took off again recently because of a book called Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey and Deborah Chiel. The natural / green / organic movement has also resulted in more and more health-conscious women choosing the no poo method.
These days, women with all different hair types are proudly using the no poo routine to clean their hair. And they’re finding their hair is much healthier as a result!
Going “no poo” means giving up shampoo in favor of natural choices like baking soda, honey, and apple cider vinegar. The reasoning is that shampoos can contain harsh and possibly harmful chemicals. As the chemicals strip the natural oils from your scalp, your body catches up by increasing oil production. Stop shampooing and your scalp will return to its natural balance. Source
There are many different methods for going no poo. Some of them depend on the type of hair you have. By the way, did you know that if your hair is curly and dry, it is not recommended that you shampoo your hair at all?!
Following are some of the different ways you can try the no poo shampoo routine yourself…
How To Start The No Poo Shampoo Routine
Most people know how bad their hair looks after not washing it for just a day. So, you may initially find it hard to believe that not using shampoo could actually lead your hair to look better.
One of the first steps of those trying the “no poo” routine is to simply start by using shampoo every other day that you wash your hair, rather than each time.
Then, on the days in between, try one of the following no poo methods.
Eventually, as you incorporate the no poo method into your routine, I bet you’ll ditch the shampoo altogether!
Use only a conditioner.
Cheaper conditioners like VO5 and Suave are said to work well. Many opt for conditioners without any silicones. Instead of washing your hair with shampoo, you simply massage a small amount of the conditioner into your roots and then spread it to the rest of your hair. Leave it on for a few minutes and then rinse with cool water. Repeat a second time, and leave it on a bit longer this time before rinsing. This method is usually used by women with curly hair, but some of the straighter-haired gals seem to be using it successfully too.
Use baking soda and vinegar.
While it’s a great choice for all hair types, this is the preferred no poo routine for women with naturally oily hair. You want to mix some baking soda with a bit of water into a paste and then scrub that into your scalp. Rinse it out using hot (not scalding) water. Afterwards, rinse your hair with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water. Taking an old water bottle and filling it up 1/4th of the way with vinegar and the rest with water seems to work well.
Use warm water only.
Some people choose the purest no poo routine of all: just a warm water rinse. Your hair definitely won’t become stripped. It will naturally get cleaned by the water alone.
Mexican rag method.
This is a variation of the water-only method. You wash your hair using just warm water, and then you use a washcloth to move the natural oils down from the scalp to the ends of your hair. You do 100 strokes on each side. Many women swear by this method!
Those are the most popular no poo methods.
If you decide to go no poo, keep in mind that your hair could get very greasy around weeks 3 and 4 as it goes through a “detox” period.
It happens because you’ve been washing your hair and stripping it of its natural oils for years, so your body had been overcompensating by making extra natural oils all along. Once your scalp gets used to the new routine, it well re-balance itself and your hair (and scalp) will return to its natural healthy state.
You might have a transition period that lasts from a few weeks to a few months, where your hair reacts with excess oil to the lack of shampoo. This is perfectly normal. It’s used to having its oils stripped, so it might take time for the oil to stop producing so heavily in protest. My transition period only lasted about two weeks, and it wasn’t any big deal, really. Source
More No Poo Shampoo Alternatives
- History Of Shampoo & The No Poo Method
- Of Course I Washed My Hair Last Year!
- Shampoo-Free Tips For Those Trying No Poo
- How To Ditch Shampoo And Look Even Better
- Going No Poo?
- Some Thoughts On The No Poo Movement
- Hair Washing Test: No Poo Photos & Updates
- Pictures Of Hair After Trying The No Poo Routine
- No Poo Update
- How To Clean Your Hair Without Shampoo… It Really Works!
- Weird Ways
- To Wash Hair
My favorite things to write about are topics that have to do with weather, pregnancy, weddings, saving money, living green, and my life with dogs. When I’m not writing, I love to spend time with my husband, read, create 3D artwork and Native American beadwork.
