In my last post I shamelessly admitted my dependence on hair salon chemicals. Between salon appointments, however, I've given up shampoo. You read that right, I do not use shampoo. I am a fairly new convert to the world affectionately known as "no-poo." I'm not kidding. Enter the term in your favorite search engine and you'll find a plethora of information about kicking the shampoo habit.
Three months ago, I would have told you I would be very unhappy without shampoo. Every day, with only rare exception, I would shampoo, condition, add various styling products - mostly smoothers and leave-in conditioners - and blow-dry. When I did skip a day I felt unfinished, unclean and slightly embarrassed all day. When I first glanced at an article that mentioned the no-poo method, I just laughed inside. No way was that something that would work for me.
Then, one day, I was sitting in the salon feeding my addiction and mentioned my everyday shampoo habit. My colorist said, "Well, that's part of your problem." She then informed me that she was on the third day since last washing and that was usually her best hair day. Her hair did indeed look healthy, shiny, frizz-free and not dirty at all. She told me I should only be shampooing once or twice a week. I was shocked and a little speechless at the very idea! However, I remembered another salon employee, while showing me various hair products, laughingly saying, "We wash our hair to make it clean and then add all these products to make it dirty again!" I decided to give the idea a little more thought and maybe see if I could handle reducing my shampoo dependency.
I knew how I felt when I just skipped a day shampooing, though, and certainly didn't think I could get to Day 3 with my traditional shampoo routine. Remembering the no-poo article, I started doing a little research to get a better idea of what was involved. I found the above mentioned plethora of information and started sifting though it. It seems fans of the no-poo method fall into three camps - the all-natural/green crowd, those with curly/frizzy hair looking for control, and fashion divas who believe they have found the "dirty little secret" to great hair.
The idea behind reducing or eliminating shampoo from your routine is this: Shampoo strips the hair and scalp of stuff we don't want - dirt, product build-up, excess oils - but also strips our natural oils which can be very beneficial. Without the oils, we add conditioner, smoothers and other product to put the moisture back in. Our body produces more oil to replace what was washed away. Which we strip out with shampoo, so the body makes more and more. So, we need shampoo because we use shampoo. Of course, there are also lots of chemicals in shampoo and all those plastic bottles to manufacture/recycle/dispose.
There are several ways to go no-poo. Some just stop using anything. A good hot water rinse while scrubbing the scalp well with your fingers is enough for some to remove any dirt and excess oil. A vigorous brushing once dry will spread any remaining oil evenly down the hair shaft providing conditioning, shine and frizz-control. Some suggest using a clean washcloth while in the shower to rub down the hair shaft will distribute and remove excess oil. I have not been thrilled with the results of this method for myself.
Another option is to only use conditioner. Most conditioners will remove dirt and excess oil without stripping the helpful oils. Just skip the shampoo and apply conditioner. Rub your scalp well with your fingertips to loosen any dirt and excess oil. Keep a comb in the shower and run it through your hair to well-distribute the conditioner and loosen dirt and excess oil on the hair shaft. Rinse and you're done! As a side note, my stylist recommends using a comb with conditioner even if you don't give up shampoo. You'll use less conditioner and apply it more evenly.
The third option is to use baking soda and apple cider vinegar (ACV) in place of shampoo and conditioner. The baking soda will absorb any excess oil and cleanse the scalp of dirt. Apple cider vinegar will then neutralize the baking soda, soften the hair and balance the pH. This is my favorite no-poo alternative so far.
I put about 2 Tbsp. of baking soda in an old 8.5 oz shampoo bottle. In an old 16oz conditioner bottle, I add 2 Tbsp. ACV and then fill it with water. Most sources I found recommend starting with 1 Tbsp. in 1 cup water for each, but I found I prefer a little more baking soda. I keep these in the shower for wash day. Just before washing I fill the shampoo bottle with water and shake well. I tried adding the water in advance but the baking soda will crystallize and clump if allowed to sit in the water for a time. Then I was pouring rocks on my head. I squirt the baking soda solution all over my head, focusing on the roots and scalp. Then I scrub my scalp vigorously with my finger tips. I let this sit a minute and then rinse well. I run a comb through it while rinsing to help ensure I get most of the baking soda out. Then I take the ACV solution and apply that all over my head, focusing less on the scalp and more on the length. I let that stand a bit then run a comb through again. A final rinse to remove the ACV solution and I'm done. It's about the same effort as shampoo and conditioner. The results are fantastic! My hair feels clean, soft and manageable.
I know the first thing you're thinking is, "I'll smell like salad dressing!" The truth is, while you definitely smell the ACV in the shower, by the time your hair is dry you won't smell it at all. Because I like my hair to smell nice, I add smell-good-stuff to my ACV solution. Right now I have a cinnamon stick that soaks in the solution (one stick is good for a few batches) and added a couple drops of jasmine essential oil. I've also tried no cinnamon and other essential oils depending on my mood. When my hair is dry I have a hint of the fragrance and none of the ACV. Scent is totally optional and does not affect the results.
On the evening after a wash I take about 4 sections from each side of my part, cross them over the part and clip each on the opposite side before going to bed. In the morning, when I remove the clips, I have nice volume instead of flat bedhead. Day 2 is a no wash day, so I wash the rest of me and just style my already dry and voluminous hair. Before bed on Day 2 I clip the roots again, just in case I decide not to wash on Day 3.
On Day 3, I check the status of things. If my hair still feels/looks pretty good or I think it will be a ponytail day anyway, I skip the wash again. I may put a little baking soda or baby powder on the roots and brush thoroughly if it appears a bit greasy. If I don't feel good about how it will survive the day, I do a conditioner wash. If I skip the wash on Day 3, I do the conditioner wash on Day 4. A conditioner wash doesn't leave my hair feeling quite as nice as the baking soda/ACV wash, so the day after a conditioner wash I'm generally ready to start the cycle again. I think I'll get better results from the conditioner wash once the keratin treatment fades from my hair. Right now I think it's almost too much moisture on top of the keratin.
Now that I am through the adjustment period, I have been really, really pleased with the results. There was definitely an adjustment period, though. Just like a nursing mother weaning a child, just because you skip the shampoo for a day, that doesn't mean your body will immediately make less oil. You will need to wean yourself and allow your body time to adjust. Reports are that it may take 1 week to a couple of months. I had to try it a couple times to learn the best ways to apply and rinse the baking soda and ACV. I also had to tinker with the amounts a bit. The first week I felt like my hair was always too oily and kept checking mirrors to make sure it didn't look as bad as it felt. I started seeing improvement failry quickly, though. I did use shampoo once a week for the first 3 or 4 weeks while I adjusted. Some people just go "cold-turkey" and suffer through the oily period.
A word of caution: If you choose to eliminate shampoo, you will need to check the other products you use, including the conditioner you use if you do the conditioner wash, to make sure they are no-poo friendly. Primarily, you need to look for silicones in your product. Typically a silicone will end in -one or -ane. A silicone that starts with peg- should be water soluble and no problem for no-poo. If it doesn't start with peg-, none of these cleansing methods will wash it out. You would need a sulfate to wash it out, which means shampoo. I find that the presence of natural oils produces the same effect as many of the products I used to use. I have eliminated many of those products as well. I still use a leave-in-conditioner about once a week. Instead of a separate product, however, I just took my regular conditioner, put a little in an old pump bottle, and diluted with water until it reached the same consistency of my previous leave-in.
So, how does this balance for me?
Heart/Body/Mind: Always great to eliminate those chemicals from my body and my hair looks and feels great!
Time: Wash days are about the same but no-wash days save me lots of time both washing and with the blow dryer.
My Wallet: Baking soda and ACV are much, much cheaper than shampoo and conditioner. A bottle of conditioner will last much longer if I only use it once a week or so.
The Earth: Love saving the chemicals and the plastic bottles!
No comments:
Post a Comment