A couple months ago I ran out of a shampoo. On a little bit of a whim, I decided not to buy anymore (for now). Instead, I decided to brave the No Poo world for a spell and see if it’s all that its supporters say it’s cracked up to be.
Before I got started, I spent a lot of time at the blogs Living in Another Language and Empowered Sustenance. Amanda at LAL is a big supporter of No Poo (not gonna lie, I HATE calling it that. Seriously, it needs re-branded), while Lauren at ES isn’t a big fan. Both blogs are helpful and informative, and if No Poo interests you at all, you should check them out.
In spite of the cons listed on Lauren’s site, I decided to brave the Poo-less waters (snort) and see what would come of it. I didn’t have any big problems I was trying to overcome with my hair, but the idea of stretching the need to shampoo out to four or five days sounded BLISSFUL – as long as by the end of those five days I wasn’t disgusted by my own head of hair.
The first week I was in love. I was still washing about every two to three days, but my hair was soft and full and lovely. The second week I was in hate. Amanda talks about the transition period as your hair adjusts to this new cleaning method, and she wasn’t joking. It was limp and lifeless and awful. But I’d decided to give it a full month, and so instead of rushing out for a new bottle of suds, I stuck it out. LOADS of ponytails and ballcaps, for about ten days. The middle of the third week I noticed I was able to stretch out the washings to four days, and now nearly two months later, I’m averaging five days between washes.
My hair has taken a turn – a big turn, one I hadn’t realized I needed – for the better. My fine, straight hair became fuller and oh-so-shiny. My shedding (which was atrocious before, but I was so used to it I hardly noticed. Seriously, there’d be such a thick ball of hair in the drain after washing and conditioning that by the time my shower was over, there’d be a couple inches of standing water in the tub) has decreased DRASTICALLY. Like, really drastically. And, like I’d hoped, I can now go four days before any sign of greasiness, five days with a quick rinse (just water) in between. The time-line pic below shows what five days looks like for me, starting with wet, shower fresh hair, and ending with less-fresh-lets-toss-it-into-a-braid hair on day five.
Lauren at ES mentions that month one is kindof a sweet spot for No Poo-ers (gag, this name!), and that many people experience their hair becoming brittle after a month, or developing dandruff. I haven’t had that problem yet, so going to continue No Poo-ing for another month or two to see if those symptoms develop. My guess is that for some people, the baking soda is too harsh; maybe it will turn out I’m one of those folks. In the meantime, though, I’m LOVING my full, shiny, non-shedding head of hair.
What are your thoughts? How do you ‘Poo? Does the idea of forgoing the traditional bottle of suds freak out you, or is it something you could see yourself embracing?
Myndi Shafer 
Will have to investigate. I too have thin hair that breaks easy. So what is your exact routine? Rinse everyday? What do you “wash” with? I knew a hairstylist that advocated changing pillow cases every other day to keep from having to wash hair as often.
Hi Katrina! Right now my schedule is kindof fluid, but I find that I usually wash on Sundays and then either on Wednesday or Thursday. I rinse with just water when I shower; my hair is so dang long it’s impossible not to get wet, even in a bun. I can’t imagine changing my pillowcase every other day!! LOL!
I’ve been wondering about this. Thanks for the info, Myndi. I think I’m going to give it a try. 🙂
I’m totally interested to hear what you think about it!
I already stick to an every 2-3 day hair washing schedule. This no-poo is intriguing. But I am worried about baking soda being too harsh. May have to look into it more.
I was on a two day cycle; three days if I was feeling brave and didn’t mind wearing a cap, lol. I will say it’s been about two weeks since I originally wrote this post (I scheduled it in advance), and I’m starting to notice that my scalp is a little itchy every now and then. Really hoping that doesn’t translate into something yucky in the future.
Hey, I’ve been doing this too, for maybe 3 weeks. So far so good. I can’t say my hair has changed a ton, so I’m still waiting for that. I also do an ACV (Apple cider vinegar) rinse and have even braved rinsing it out with cold(ish) water because I read it seals in the moisture.
I’m a shedding too when my hair gets longer, like now, so will also be a huge bonus if that stops.
Solidarity Sister!!
The fact that my shedding has all but stopped is what keeps me going!! It’s a huge deal to not have handfulls of hair come out in the shower; and it’s so crazy to feel how heavy my hair is now!
I’ve been doing the ACV rinse with essential oils for a pretty smell (orange and mint), but I’m way too chicken to rinse with cold water. I let it sit while I wash the rest of my bod, and then rinse it with normal water. So far I haven’t had any problems with my strands drying out, but I will say that my scalp has begun to itch now and then. I’m a little worried about that.
Keep in touch, and let me know how it goes for you over the next few weeks!!
I am really out of the loop, here. I’m going to have to check out LAL and ES to find out howthis washing (or non-washing) regimen works.
Both websites are really helpful and informative!
This has been on my radar but, I haven’t actually done it. Over some months I’ve switched all of the products in our house to cleaning the house, our clothes and our bodies to all natural products (or the best I can without making it all from scratch or going broke). Currently we use “Jason” products on our hair. I only wash my hair every 2-3 days as it is. I think going the no poo route wouldn’t be that much of a stretch for me if I could just break my current habits. I also have fine, limp hair with A LOT of cowlicks so, styling is usually a pain and I just walk around like a boring frump ball most days.
“…the best I can without making it all from scratch or going broke…” <<< TRUTH!! The good stuff is so dang pricey, but I don't want to spend all my time handcrafting detergent. LOL!
My hair is super fine, but really thick. I don't have any cowlicks, and I wonder how this would work with them. My hair has a lot more body now than it did before, and I find that I can't just brush and go anymore – I need to flat-iron or curl it to keep its random acts of body under control. That's new, and I don't exactly love it. 🙂 BUT, I prefer that to the clumps of hair that were falling out every time I shower, so…it's still a decent trade for me. Let me know if you try it – can't wait to hear your thoughts!
Okay, so how does the baking soda play in? Also, I think this would be harder for blondes. Brunette hair doesn’t look nearly as bad when it’s dirty.
Baking soda is what you use to wash your hair with – a mixture of it, and water. It cleans your scalp without stripping away all the oils.
I know that some people will use cornstarch (or cocoa for brunettes) as a sort of dry shampoo when their hair gets a little greasy. I haven’t tried it, so I can’t vouch for it, though. 😀 Definitely check out the websites – loads of helpful information.
Thank you, lovely!!
I could never use a product on my hair called No Poo. The end. It sounds like a anti-diarrhea agent. However, my hair seems to take quite well to washing every four days. I stopped washing it daily because of the chlorine in the tap water, and it stopped falling out.
LOL! Technically it’s called baking soda and vinegar. I have NO IDEA who branded the No Poo term, but it is a weird way to put it.
I never put together that it could be the chlorine causing it to fall out…
ah! i’ve been doing a mild version of this as well! i generally wash my hair once a week– saturday is usually the day. do steam rollers after drying it to get body that stays with me all week, as just drying my hair straight leaves it full of body for only 2 days. i have a pretty good helping of natural curl and should just let that do its thing, but i find my hair looks better longer if it’s straightened and steam rolled. that didn’t sound right, but you know what i mean. the first couple of days i just get up, brush my hair and it’s done. after that, i get up each day, sprinkle in magnolia scented johnson and johnson baby power and work that through with a brush so it doesn’t start to look like there’s an oil slick on my head. works well for me!!! saves $ on water, shampoo, conditioner, styling products, and gets me ready on 6 out of 7 days in an insanely short amount of time…which is great since i’m not a fan of getting up early but i also want to be ready fairly quickly to spend time with my girls.
Awesome!!