No Poo, No Joke

No poo (shampoo that is) is something I have wanted to try for a while now. The idea behind it is that (much like breastfeeding) the oil on our scalp is supply and demand. Every time we wash our hair with shampoo, we strip away the protective oils. In turn, our scalp (not wanting to be unprotected) makes more. After continuous cycles of this, our scalp makes more and more oil. Thus making our hair greasy.  The more we wash, the more we need to wash. To add to this problem, most shampoos are full of yucky chemicals that we should not even want near us, let alone seeping into out bodies via out scalp.

The solution: No Poo!

There is a lot of info out there. From what I understand, It works best to slowly wean yourself off shampoo. Start by using conditioner only (CO), from there merging into water only (WO), with an occasional baking soda (BS) scrub and vinegar (vin) rinse. Other treatments are also discussed for troubleshooting, but I will cross that bridge when I get to it.

Day 1-5~
For the past couple of months, I have been down to shampooing and conditioning once or twice a week.

The next step would be to CO.

Day 6~
I have jumped the gun with a BS scrub and a vinegar rinse. So I have decided not to go back. I used a Tb of BS mixed with little water and massage it into my scalp, then rinsed well. My hair felt waxy on top and was just weird. Next, I washed the bottom of my hair in vinegar, then rinsed it all again (some vinegar did get on my roots too). Better, but still weird. I brushed it and scrunched it, but it still didn't feel right. However,when Bunny and I took our bath, that contained Epsom salts and lavender oil, I layed my head back in the water for a sec. When I got out, I brushed and scrunched it a bit. Now it feels soft and supple... I like it... So far, so good.

The plan is to WO for the next few days and throw in the BS and vin when I need it (hopefully no more than twice a week).

Day 7~
WO. So far, so good.

Day 8~
AM~ I woke this morning and found my hair looking pretty good for having just rolled out of bed. It is not as curly as I would like, but that often happens after sleeping on it all night. Otherwise, it is soft, bouncy, and not greasy at all. I have to go to a meeting today at 3:00pm, so I will WO, brush, and scrunch before I go.
PM~ I WO my hair before leaving the house. I even added a little (like half of a pea sized amount) of almond oil, just to tame the frizz. It worked wonderfully and my hair was great all evening. I rinsed it out in the tub and brushed it again. Now it is soft and wavy. So far, so good.

Day 9~
WO today. I also brushed in a few drops of lavender oil to tame the frizz. It works great, and smells great. My hair is soft and silky. So far, so good.

Day 10~
WO and lav oil again. So far, so good.

Seems like I will only have to BS and vin about once a week (if that). My hair is not greasy like I thought it would be. It actually seems softer and just better overall. I think that the Epsom salts and lavender oil help. I thought it would take weeks, even a couple of months, to get to this point in the process. I guess it is because I was down to not much "poo" to begin with. I love my hair. I love the fact that I do not have to slather it in chemicals to get it the way I like it. I have also stopped using "poo" on Bunny. Now just to get The Hubs on board. I think I will be able to convince him. I have my ways (wink).

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