Do you "No Poo??"

Have you heard of the phrase "No Poo?" If not, you probably just took a double take at the title of this post, but if you have then its a pretty valid question.

What is no poo?

No Poo is a method of caring for your hair without using shampoo. At first this sounds pretty crazy right? When I was in high school I remember a friend of mine telling me she hadn't shampooed her hair in months. What?? I thought, that's pretty gross. Then she explained it to me a little more, and she it started making sense. She had the prettiest hair I had ever seen. Soft and shiny, and always perfect. But that was as far as the conversation went.

Now here I am, 6 years later, with so many problems with my hair and scalp about to try the same thing.

So, how does it work?

 Here's what my understanding of it all is and how I plan to No Poo. ( from what I have read there are several different ways to do it, I have dry scalp so this is what I am going to try)

When you shampoo with traditional shampoo, you are stripping your hair of sebum (natural oils and moisture). Then you use conditioner to replace these oils and moisturize your hair. Doesn't make much sense right? You're paying for shampoo to dry your hair out, then paying for conditioner to undo what you just did.

So instead of shampoo and conditioner ever day in the shower, use baking soda and vinegar in the shower every 3-4 days. I've read a lot about an " adjustment period" when you switch from traditional  shampoo to natural baking soda and vinegar. For some people your hair is more oily than normal, for others it is more dry. This period can last anywhere from a few days up to a few weeks. I have been
slowly weaning my hair off of shampoo the last couple weeks, and have used only conditioner the last couple times I have showered. I plan on waiting a couple days now and then starting. I'm *hoping* this will help my transition period be as minimal as possible. But, if not, I will just wear my hair up for a while until it is amazing and soft :)

Here is the recipe I am going to be using :

-1 tsp of baking soda mixed with one cup of water If you have really thick or curly hair, you may need to add another tsp of baking soda, if it is very thin and fine, try adding less. It may take a few times to find the mixture that is just right for your hair. Everyone's chemical balance is different.

once the solution is mixed, add it to a bottle. I have heard of people using old ketchup and mustard bottles, or going out and purchasing a squirt bottle specifically for this. I have heard there are bottles at craft stores that are made for chocolate decorating that work great for this. They look a lot like the Peri bottle you are given after having a baby.

Something along this line will work

Once in the shower, get your hair wet and squirt the mixture on at the roots. Work your way down, massaging as you go. You may not need the whole cup for one washing, it depends on the length/type of hair you have. Leave it on for a minute or two then rinse it off, just as you would with shampoo.

- Now for your "conditioner" use 1 tbsp of white vinegar (white is best for dry scalp, you can also use apple cider vinegar for regular hair) combine it with one cup of water. You can use another squirt bottle like you have for your baking soda mixture for this. You do not need to use very much of this, a little bit goes a long way. You want to avoid putting it on to close to the roots, to avoid making your hair very greasy.

How often should I wash?

This varies from person to person, but typically, once your hair is adjusted you only need to use the baking soda wash and vinegar rinse 1-2 times a week. Doing water only rinses in between washes. The typical way to start is using the mixtures 2 times a week and slowly stretch it out until you figure out how long you can go without washing. Some people wash every 3-4 days, other people find out that after a period of time they can completely stop using it all together and just use water. Just find what works for you.

Extra tips

*If you find your hair is easily tangled and hard to manage try switching your rinse solution to half vinegar and half water

*If you have a greasy scalp or hair after using the solution, try adding a little more baking soda or reducing the water. Also, make sure you are only putting the vinegar mix on the ends of your hair, NOT your scalp. 

*If you have dry scalp or dandruff Tea Tree oil can be very helpful. Add 10 drops of Tea Tree Oil into a spray bottle full of water, spray the water on your hair until it is soaked and then put a plastic bag over your hair and let it soak for 10-20 minutes.

*If you have hard water, boil your water before adding it to the mixtures you will use for washing your hair. Make sure to let it completely cool before adding it to the bottles.

Good luck friends! Let me know if this is something you do, or plan on doing. How is it working for you? Anything you do differently?