This post is alternately titled: “Finally Answering the ‘Are You Still Doing That No-Poo Thing?’ Question”. I get that question a lot, and I totally understand the curiosity. I was the exact same way before I started my no-pooing (ie. no shampooing) journey.
On February 1, 2014, I went to the stylist for a wash and trim. That was the day before I dove head-first (pun intended, you’re very welcome) into the world of “No-Pooing”. Since it has been over four months now, I thought I’d finally give you a bit of an update, and to reassure you that I’m still not a smelly and dirty hippie. I’m a clean, good-smelling one.
No-pooing is the term used to describe using alternate methods to keep your hair clean, other than commercially-made shampoo and conditioner. If you’ve never heard of it, it might sound crazy. BUT, it’s not all that nutty when you really think about the various motivators.
1) Health (avoiding nasty ingredients in conventional shampoos)
2) Money-savings (you could save hundreds of dollars a year)
3) Effectiveness (the pursuit of “hair nirvana”)
There are excellent alternatives to conventional shampoo and conditioner that work well, leave your hair and scalp healthy and clean, and allow you to reduce the frequency of washing without compromising on cleanliness.
I know, already you’re saying “Enough with the jibber jabber, woman. Cut it out and hook me up with the scoop.”
(When I try to do an imitation of a cool person, it ends up sounding like a bizarre mishmash of Uncle Joey from Full House + every hero character from every movie in the 90’s. I’m sorry.)
Today, I’m going to tell you all about how the last few months have been for me, and then later this week I’ll share a more formal how-to with plenty of resources and information for those who want to try it for themselves.
Image by D. Sharon Pruitt via Flickr CC
The Transition
In February, I went through the typical transition time of weaning my hair from being accustomed to shampoo/conditioner. It lasted about 3 weeks for me, which meant that my hair would look okay when I washed with baking soda and ACV, but then quickly deteriorate into grease-land after that (as per usual when I was shampooing every day or every other day).
It took a few weeks of sacrificing myself to a greasy head before my scalp clued in that things were different, and then calmed down on the oil-production hyper-drive. I used a lot of dry shampoo (check out my 2-ingredient DIY version!) and sock buns to get me through.
My Routine
One of the biggest benefits to no-pooing is that you don’t need to wash your hair every day in order for it to look good. I currently am going four days between washes, and I’m loving the convenience of this. It gets greasier as the days go on, of course. Here’s my typical hair schedule:
DAY 1: Shower and wash hair with baking soda + white vinegar (my tutorial with exact steps will come later this week). Gorgeous, shiny, healthy hair. I usually do nothing to it, and let it air-dry.
DAY 2: Still gorgeous and healthy. A bit flat. I typically leave it down again on this day, maybe with the sides pinned up with a bobby pin or two. Maybe flat-iron it, maybe not.
DAY 3: Still looking good, but the roots are getting greasy. I might use my dry shampoo. I typically throw it into a low ponytail or sock bun. As it gets longer I anticipate many loose side-braids in my future.
DAY 4: This is the day that’s typically a required up-do day. I often employ the trusty sock-bun on this day. Looking forward to a fresh start tomorrow morning.
DAY 5: Another shower and hair wash day!
Notes
1. Yep, I do go that long without a shower. If necessary, I freshen up on Day 3 with a bath or even a shower if necessary, without washing my hair. Most often in the summer or at that time of the month. My non-shower-day morning routine includes a warm washcloth with a touch of castile soap on an as-needed basis.
2. My hair is very fine and it gets greasy super easily. Many no-pooers go even longer between washes, but this is the max for me. Also, some people have much less greasiness, even on day 3 or 4. My hair has just always been sensitive to being greasy easily.
3. I did wind up switching from apple cider vinegar to white vinegar instead. I was told it was a bit less moisturizing, and since I have the opposite of dry hair, it was the better choice for me.
To demonstrate just how healthy and, well, normal my hair looks, check out the most narcissistic collage I’ve ever created in my entire life:
These pics were taken last week, on a wash day. There was a wee breeze, but I think you can tell that my hair is shiny, healthy, and most pertinently… clean!
So, what’s the bottom line? Will I keep going? My answer is a big ol’ resounding YES. I love no-pooing, and I can’t imagine ever going back.
I’m compiling a list of FAQs to add to my next no-poo tutorial post. If you have any questions, leave them below for me!
How do you wash your hair?
Isabelle
I quite hair dye 2 months ago and in transition to natural grey . Can i start the no poo method at the same time ?
Beth
I don’t see why not! Good luck with it!
Rebecca jackson
I’m just interested in why washing your hair and hody daily is suppose to be bad for you? I shower and wash hair daily, I couldn’t sleep if I did not.
sara
HI! I need a bit of encouragement. I have been “poo free” for 6 1/2 weeks. My hair is still so greasy and flaky. It doesn’t smell as greasy as it did when I started at least. I started out with the baking soda and vinegar method…but the baking soda tangled my hair terribly! It also dried it out extremely. So, for 6 weeks I’ve been doing just the vinegar. That is the only “product” I’ve found that won’t mat up my hair (fyi I had a baby 4 months ago and my hair hasn’t been the same since!). Anyways, I just have a hard time believing that this is going to work! From what I’ve gathered it could take 6-8 weeks for your hair to adjust and regulate. I HAD curly hair before my last child :/…everything changed this time! Any words of encouragement? Or any other ideas?
Kassi Chapman
Coconut milk will help with tangles! You can even put it in a spray bottle and spray your damp hair and then comb through it gently! Wood combs are best!
Cheryl
wow I am so angry! I just typed out this whole thing and poof it disappeared. Argh*^^#>. I’ll start over. First off how old are you women blogging on here? Because first off once you go thru the change of life your body loses estrogen and with meds and body changes your hair falls out, shine disappears, thins and becomes horrible regardless of what you use. While your young you shouldn’t have any issues if you are clean with keeping your hair shiny strong and manage able. I would never think for one minute to go without showering as that is just disgusting. I use body wash with moisture a and have no issue with dry skin and I have lived in NH, MA, And now FL so it’s not the climate. It is not my internet to insult anyone here so please don’t take that wrong. Water where you live can also have a factor on your hair. No matter what I have done, whether it’s baking soda and acv or coconut oil or even castor oil, nothing but nothing works. Tried to go for three days with no shampoo and yuck, feel so disgusting I have to put my hair into a ponytail or braid to hide it. Now if any of you are older and have lost your estrogen or on meds please feel free to chime in here as none of these methods work here.
Rocking menopause
I don’t know what you consider “older” but I’m 44. My autoimmune disease attacked my ovaries sending me into premature menopause in my early 30’s. I’ve never had “healthy” or pretty hair..ever. Last month as a last ditch effort before shaving my head and starting all over I tried poo free. My normally ungodly frizzy mess of hair is now tame for the first time in my life. It looks healthy, it shines, and it feels good. Yes age plays a factor but it doesn’t mean doom. Some of us have more issues than being pissed over growing older.
Another thing…unless you sweat a lot you don’t need a daily head to toe scrub. Skin is the largest organ, why slap tons of unnecessary chemicals on it daily? Shampoo, soap, and lotions are loaded with them. Do I use soap? Only in one front/back area and for hand washing. Am I disgusting? Do I smell? No. Most people laugh when I tell them I am soap and shampoo free, they think I’m joking. Stripping your hair and skin of natural oils with harsh chemicals does not equal cleanliness.
Rocking menopause
I shower every other day with water only. On waterless days I take what I call an oil bath. I use a blend of light oils (like grape seed, vitamin E, coconut, and apricot oils. Basic chemistry like binds to like. The oils bind to the dirt/oils. I massage the oils on my body then wipe with a microfiber washcloth. My skin is hydrated and clean.
I also use water only as my no poo method. In my experience baking soda and acv isn’t good for my hair.
Shari
So, you don’t Use anything on your hair at all? No baking soda, no conditioner, no acv? Just water?
Kelly
I am Strawberry Blonde (aka: Red Head). I know my hair can change from dark to light do to different changes in condition.
Did you find that your hair color or texture changed during your “no poo” venture?
Thanks
Max Exodus
I wash my hair once a month, I’m a guy, I grease my hair. The grease from product and from my hair make no difference. My stylist washes it and he gives always asks men why my hair is so nice.
Danisspot
I haven’t washed my hair since October – November when I dyed it, not talking only homemade mixes, I aven’t used anything but water, and my hair is fine, I don’t knot anymore, and it’s sleek and awesome
Sarah
I’ve been really looking into the whole no poo thing a ton, and after reading some disaster stories about baking soda I’m going to try the honey method instead. I read a lot of blogs about ph levels of your scalp and why the baking soda+acv method seems to work awesome, but 4-7 years down the road will literally destroy your hair ( I think it mainly refers to long hair? as the main problem was the hair becoming so brittle it literally just broke off) still that scares me, and the more I researched the more it made absolute sense that baking soda could cause so much harm in the long run. normally I wouldn’t even comment on a blog but I couldn’t say nothing (something about finding someone who also loved real maple syrup in her coffee and also shares my hair color made me feel the need to warn ya! 🙂
http://empoweredsustenance.com/no-poo-method-damages-hair/
Sally
Try rye flour it works very well for me.
Breanna
In early 2012 I bought a bottle of my favorite shampoo (Biolage). A few months later I read about using baking soda and vinegar and decided to give it a shot. It worked well, and I got to the point where I was using the Biolage just once a month. By 2013 it was more like once every 6 months. When my firstborn was born in November of 2013, I hadn’t used commercial shampoo the entire pregnancy. Shortly before his birth I read about water-only washing and decided to try it. My hair got grimy somewhere between the hospital and the newborn care and I used the Biolage once more when my baby was 4 weeks old. He turns 7 months today and that is the last time I used anything but the occasional touch of diluted honey if I want a little drying. I do use a few tablespoons of vinegar in the rinse, for softness.
I’ve got to say, I highly recommend this method to any mother of a baby. Showers are a little hard to come by these days, so hair that can go a week without even beginning to look greasy is very valuable! Also, that $20 bottle of shampoo I bought is still over half full 🙂
Sarah Mueller
I use baking soda and ACV. Currently I’m able to go about a week between baking soda washes and I hope to stretch that to 10 days. I think the hardness of your water may also affect how well this technique works for you. At our old house, I could never make the transition to no-poo even after 6 weeks of trying but our new house has an awesome water softener and I’ve had no problems.
holli
Fyi, just cause it makes me cringe when I hear people use a water softener…rat water will also soften your bones and teeth. The mineral used to soften the water, goes into your body and pulled the minerals from your teeth and bones. Not kidding. Do some research on this.
Roberta Giordano
I have been using wen on my hair for a little over a year now. I have always washed my hair only once a week and usually only shower once a week too. I could never get my hair to grow past my shoulders since using wen it is down to the middle of my back. I am thinking of trying the no poo but to be honest it is going to be hard to give up wen,that’s how much I have grown to love the stuff. Can’t wait to see what else you have to say about no pooing.
Susanna
I started this a while back per your post on it and I’m in love with it now! I have thick, coarse hair, medium length, and do get tangly, so I use a curl cream afterwards that I leave in and love it! I only need to wash it about 1/week and it so much healthier looking! I never used to wear my hair down unless I straightened it or curled it, but now, combined with the cream, I can let it dry naturally and that’s SO much easier! I have a pile of darling babes, so I don’t really want to spend an hour doing my hair! Thanks for the great post!
Diane
I’m not sure where I fit into this. I only wash my hair (traditional shampoo and conditioner) about once a week to 10 days (I’m currently on day 10 now) and have been doing this for years. I have very dry, thick hair and, really, the only part that begins to look bad towards the end of the week is the part closest to the scalp. I wear my hair pulled back in a clip and then in either a high pony tail (low ones tend to tangle more for me) or in braids. My question is this: what about conditioner? Being thick and coarse my hair tends to tangle into rat’s nests very easily. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks for the article – it was good to know that I’m not the only one who goes for days without showering/washing hair! 😀
MamaV
Oh, I wanted to mention, I have super thick, somewhat oily hair; if baking soda and vinegar isn’t working out for you, try bentonite clay!
MamaV
Yay! I started no-pooing quite a while a go, but it took some time before I found a cleanser that made me not a greasy mess…. I now mask my hair with bentonite clay approximately once a week and my hair has never been happier! I love it! And yeah, I only shower once a week, too. Haha. It’s glorious. I will never go back. 🙂
Rebekah
Can you tell me how you use bentonite clay on your hair? Or share a link to info on it?
I loved no pooing, but my scalp started itching so badly, that I could no longer tolerate the baking soda. Also my hair became super dry and started having a weird wave a few years ago. So completely weird for me since I’ve always had straight, thick hair that was easy to care for.
Right now I’ve compromised and am using a “natural” shampoo that is natural, but also has added perfumes. But it’s working right now. Sigh. I would love to go no poo again though!!
Lisa/SyncopatedMama
I’ve been using up the last dregs of my regular shampoo for about a year (I can’t bear to waste it, especially since I only use it once a week). About a year ago, I switched to usually just taking one shower/washing my hair once a week (unless I encounter something especially gross in-between). I went through a period where everything seemed to be re-balancing (luckily it all happened when I was still recovering from childbirth), but it’s amazing how non-greasy my hair is now, despite the time in-between washings! I’m planning on doing the baking soda/vinegar thing once the shampoo’s completely gone. We only use castille soap in our house, too. Thanks for sharing your journey!
Ruth
Hey Beth,
I did the no poo thing last year, I even got things stretched out to about once every 4 days like you do, but my hair didn’t look that good. I wasn’t doing baking soda ACV, just using a dry shampoo I like by CAKE beauty. It’s technically called something like fresh hair and body powder. Then I was using cornmeal for awhile which I think cleaned my hair a bit better but was messier. Then I went back to work part time, mornings Monday to Friday, and felt too bashful about my sometimes greasy hair so I’m back to washing it every other day. When I’m not working I stretch it out as long as decently possible thought! I always do sponge baths at the kitchen sinks too. Showers everyday aren’t good for us. Too drying to the skin!
Thanks for the update!
Ruth