No Poo

My name is Ashlee and I do not wash my hair. That's the truth. I am a no poo-er (as in no shampoo).

I started this in February (it's now July 31). I wash my hair with baking soda and condition with apple cider vinegar. And my hair is healthier, shinier, and growing faster than ever!

WARNING: If you decide to no poo, your hair will go through a serious transition period. My hair took 3 months. I was pretty nervous because I had a formal event exactly 3 months after I started. I was very worried my hair wouldn't transition in time. But it did, barely. For 2 months, my hair was super super seriously greasy. Very greasy. The 3rd month, my hair had a ton of static. Many people who try this do not make it through the transition period. It is intense.

I use Bob's Red Mill Baking Soda. Get a good quality of baking soda. Find out what to look for in your baking soda here and buy Bob's here.

I keep my baking soda in a container in the shower. See other ways I use baking soda:

• http://thecrunchymoose.blogspot.com/2013/07/my-skincare.html
• http://thecrunchymoose.blogspot.com/2013/07/bs-exfoliation.html
• http://thecrunchymoose.blogspot.com/2013/07/homemade-deodorant.html

I dip my wet fingers in the container and coat my fingers. I do this 3 or 4 times and just rub it on my scalp. Then rub it in for about a minute. You just need to clean your scalp. Don't worry too much about lathering all your hair, just concentrate on the scalp. Then rinse. (Some people dilute the baking soda in a spray bottle. I tried that, but this method works better for me. So play around with it and find your best fit.)

 I put my apple cider vinegar (acv) in a spray bottle. I dilute it half acv and half water. After I rinse the baking soda, I spray with the acv. Spray all of your hair from the scalp to the roots. Let it sit for about a minute. Then rinse. Find Bragg's here. See other ways I use acv:

• http://thecrunchymoose.blogspot.com/2013/07/my-skincare.html
• http://thecrunchymoose.blogspot.com/2013/07/bentonite-clay-mask.html
• http://thecrunchymoose.blogspot.com/2013/07/my-morning-detox-drink.html

For the 1st three months during the transition period, I no poo-ed every other day. Now I do it every 3-5 days. Really, that's it. My hair is so much more manageable now. I rarely use any products (when I go out, which isn't often, I do fix it with products). I hardly have to use any heat (dryers, straightener, curler, etc). And it is growing so quickly!

So why would anyone in their right mind want to do this?!? Commercial hair products are full of toxic chemicals. You can check the toxicity of your shampoo here. Most shampoos have some form of alcohol. That alcohol dries out your hair, causing you to produce more oils. Which is why you have to wash your hair more often. Which is why your hair will get very greasy while you transition. No poo does not dry out your hair.

Here are some recent pictures of me to show you my results. Sorry for all the cheesy selfies. I do not dye my hair. Other than a few years of heavy highlighting about a decade ago, I never have died it. 

 

These pictures in the red shirt were taken last night. It had been 3 days since I washed it. I don't have any products in it. Did not straighten it. Just brushed it and pinned it back.

These were taken today. I no poo-ed last night. I let it air dry. This morning, I quickly ran a straightener through it for a handful of strays (really, about 5 swipes through with the straightener). That's it. Absolutely no products in my hair.

UPDATE: This is the next day. I no poo-ed on Tuesday night. It's Thursday afternoon, the day after the above pictures in the black shirt. I threw my hair up in a *very* messy bun. Lucky for me, messy buns are kinda in right now. When I go in public with a messy bun, I curl the front before I pull it back so the fly-aways are more attractive.

UPDATE: And the following is the next day (Friday). No poo-ed on Tuesday night. See, I'm not covered in grease! Today I just pinned my hair back. I did use a little hair spray. Between this and the big messy bun above, that's pretty much how I look. These pictures below are also a good representation of my daily makeup. (I am wearing more makeup than normal in the above pics).

These pictures were taken over the last few months. I can't recall how long it had been since I no poo-ed in each picture or what I did as far as styling and products. Sorry..... I don't have a ton of pictures of me since I started this. I'm much more comfy behind the camera instead of in front of it!

Questions from readers:

• Q: Wanting to try the no shampoo thing but I'm really freaked out about the oiliness while I transition. Do you think it would be easier to do in the winter to maybe prevent some of that? And what did you do with your hair on the really oily days? I've tried some homemade dry shampoos (baking soda, cornstarch etc.) but I hate the way they look in my dark hair. Any suggestions?
• A: The transition to no poo is crazy. I have a very casual job, so when my hair was crazy greasy, I just wore a hat. I don't know if I would have made it through the transition if I had to appear professional. I have read some people say that their transition wasn't bad. So I guess it just depends on your pH levels. I have used baking soda as a dry shampoo many times and agree about it not being good for dark hair. For using baking soda instead of shampoo, you rinse it out, so that's not an issue. I don't know about winter vs. summer. But it makes sense. It would make sense that if you normally wash your hair less in the winter, the transition would be easier then. And I'm sure less humidity and sweating would be more ideal. So I bet you're right!

This post is featured on Thank Your Body and The Chicken Chick