No-poo or going without shampooing?

[Laxmobster]

Originally Posted by ang

no-pooing totally intrigues me. i have heard nothing but great things about it. i'll be following this thread. i can probably pull up some no-poo resources from some friends for you, if you're interested.

OK I sat and re-read this thread for about 5 minutes until I understood that this topic has nothing to do with "not going #2"... I figured the corn allergy had something to do with it!


As far as the no-poo, the only time I've done this is at music festivals and when I went to the jungles of Costa Rica! I felt like a dirty hippie, but it's was kinda fitting...

[DeChayz]

Originally Posted by Laxmobster

OK I sat and re-read this thread for about 5 minutes until I understood that this topic has nothing to do with "not going #2"...

I'm so glad I'm not the only one!

[Sassiness]

One of my housemates a couple of years ago decided to do this and he said that after his hair got used to it and stopped producing excess grease, he was fine with it. I don't think he did any natural washes, just water and scrubbing.

His hair looked (and apparently felt!) greasy for a month but then it settled down - got used to it. He went from daily shampooing to daily water-washing.

[Cali]

I've tried the no-shampoo thing because I have really temperamental curly hair, but it just doesn't work for me, for all the reasons you've mentioned.

What DOES work for me is making sure that the shampoo I use is sulfate and paraben-free. I've had a ton of success using this site, NaturallyCurly.com, and their store, CurlMart.com, to find out about brands of shampoos that don't have those ingredients. Many of the sulfate and paraben-free shampoos are also glycerin-free.

Some links to glycerin-free shampoos:
AG Color Savour Sulfate-Free Shampoo
DevaCare Low-Poo
Elucence Moisture Benefits Shampoo
Hair Rules Aloe Grapefruit Clarifying Shampoo

[buttmunch]

I'm intrigued by this as well. It makes me think about when I'm sick, really sick, and end up in bed for a week. My hair always looks fantastic (as does my skin) when I finally rise renewed and refreshed. I'm starting to think half our problems with skin and hair are due to the horrible chemicals we put on them.

[oltifreakinbaby]

I wash my hair every three days (because I have incredibly thick hair and it takes a LONG time for the oils in my hair to build up). Since my hair is colored black, I try not to shampoo too much. But I use a lotttttt of conditioner (because like I said, thick hair can be unmanageable). Idk, to tell you the truth, I didn't notice too much of a difference not using shampoo.

[sweetness]

Conditioner will cleanse the hair if you leave it on long enough. Just be sure to rinse well.

[oltifreakinbaby]

Originally Posted by sweetness

Conditioner will cleanse the hair if you leave it on long enough. Just be sure to rinse well.

Really? That's good. I generally just don't like shampoo. It's always rough on my hair. Idk, maybe it's a reaction or something.

[burnt_toast]

It's been two weeks and this has been surprisingly interesting. Here's everything I've tried (I have fine thin hair that leans to the oily side):

flax seed mucilage: made my hair really shiny and slippery, but too oily - I can see where this would be fantastic on curly hair
black tea rinse: increased shine, but left it a little dry
baking soda paste (rubbed on scalp): cut right through grease, but left my hair really dry
Apple Cider Vinegar rinse: increase shine,very soft, appeared oily
epsom salt rinse: fantastic! made my hair shiny and soft, broke through the oil

I've been brushing my hair with a boar bristle brush two times a day and using the epsom salt rinse nightly. I do get some itchy spots on my scalp which i remedy by putting some tea tree oil on my fingertips and rubbing into the scalp on the offending spots.

My hair looks fantastic. The texture is a bit different than it used to be. It's much thicker and has alot more body. My scalp feels great (getting rid of constant hives has been a blessing)!

This is very doable, but it does seem that everyone's scalp/hair is different so if you want to do this it will probably take some experimentation and patience. I say it's worth it.

[McJag]

Have you considered putting a charcoal filter in your shower head? It is very easy to do and traps all of the junk out of your water. I wonder if that could be the culprit in a lot of cases-you should do it anyway. Especially if you have kids and/or hard water.

[burnt_toast]

I haven't tried the charcoal filter - but it's a great idea.

I'm loving my hair today. It's fluffly and shiny and has so much body - I didn't rinse my ACV as well as I should have last night so I smell a little 'pickley', but it's worth it for the amount of body my hair has!

*squee* who knew?

[WhateverLolaWants]

I wash my hair every three days but I'm intrigued by the idea. Keep us posted!

[sputnik]

i'm jealous. i so need to do this, my hair is oily and i have to wash it every day if i'm wearing it down. i need to break the cycle.

[burnt_toast]

Originally Posted by sputnik

i'm jealous. i so need to do this, my hair is oily and i have to wash it every day if i'm wearing it down. i need to break the cycle.

I'm 'washing' about every third day now. It was two weeks of awful, but sooo worth it. The oil production has slowed dramatically. And, during those two weeks, I got really comfortable wearing sassy scarves and hats ... it's so much fun and my scalp feels better than it has in literally decades.

[sputnik]

^^
yeah, the problem is i don't look good in hats or even scarves. i need to find a flattering way to cover my head for 2 weeks. how often did you 'wash' the first 2 weeks?
i need to do this next time i have a vacation.