The no poo method- has anyone tried it?

Hello friends.

I'm trying to eliminate as many chemicals and unnescessary products from my home. Browsing the internet for natural living and parenting, I fell on the no poo method. It's a way to clean your hair using only baking soda and apple cider vinegar (you can add some essential oil if you like a particular scent). The use of shampoo creates a supply and demand cycle. The more you shampoo, the oilier your hair gets. Stripping it of its natural protection.

I've been trying but I always end up washing my hair after a little over a week. They say that it takes a few weeks to a couple of months before your hair adjusts and becomes amazingly soft and looks great.

Has anyone tried this? What do you think? Should I suck it up and become a greaseball for a few months because it's really worth it...

Would love your input.

Blessed Be

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Permalink Reply by JaemyGem on June 28, 2011 at 7:14am

I tried that with beer a long time ago. My hair did not take nearly that long to adjust. I also did not "wash" it very frequently at all. NOW, my hair won't do it. As a woman, my hormone levels change significantly every handful of years and messes up my pH. There is a product that I found at an East Indian store in Nashville's Farmer's Market that I use to wash my hair without shampoo OR conditioner and, until Ostara of this year, I had hair down to my waist. It is called "shikakai." It's a dark powder that you moisten to a paste, massage into your roots and rinse. You will splatter a bit on your shower walls/curtain, but it rinses off very easily since it's just a plant.

Good luck! :)

Permalink Reply by Lavender on June 28, 2011 at 11:31am

I did the no-poo thing for a little over a month and it didn't work for me. I don't know if it's my hair type(extremely thick, with oily roots and dry ends), but it was kind of awful. After showering my hair kind of hurt.. like, you know when you wear a pony tail all day and you take it down and your scalp feels funny? It cleaned my scalp well, but the rest of my hair was too dry. So I tried adding a bit of oils, but then wouldn't wash out properly. Maybe I just gave up to quickly, but I after a month I was sick of it.

I tried Dr.Bronner's on my hair for a while, but it didn't rinse out right. I use Kiss My Face 'Whenever' now, it has no SLS, parabens, phtlates. I haven't found anything better than this so far.

Definitely give the no poo a try though, a lot of people have had success with it.

Permalink Reply by Tala Rayne on August 31, 2011 at 4:34pm

I haven't used shampoo for a few months, but I don't use any other product either. I just rinse out my hair with plain water. It has been working pretty well and my hair got softer! Even though it is hot and humid here, when I am sweating I can just rinse with water for longer and run my fingers through my hair until it feels clean. I also only towel-dry, so no hair dryer either.

I take cold showers, so I don't know if water temperature affects the result or not :o

Permalink Reply by JaemyGem on August 31, 2011 at 4:49pm

When I only use water in my hair, it gets greasy. The only time this doesn't happen is pool water or salt water. I have soft, very thick hair that is somewhat dry and a scalp that's somewhat oily (I think).

Texture is a big factor. Also, I LOVE BRONNER'S SOAP. I hope to get a big bottle soon and will use it for dishes, laundry, me and EVERYTHING ELSE! <3

Permalink Reply by Lavender on August 31, 2011 at 5:44pm

Dr.Bronner's is so awesome. I would advise against using it for your dishes though.. I did it for over a year and the soap didn't break down the oils/grease from food and my drains got clogged really bad.

I've also used it for laundry, but it only works on clothing that's dirty because of being worn. Dirty fabrics, like clothes from working in the garage or dish cloths wont come clean. It also doesn't work well on towels, the oils in the soap build up on the towels and they stop absorbing.

Dr.Bronner's does make Sal Suds, it works really well on dishes. I've yet to try it on laundry, maybe when I run out of soap nuts I'll give it a try.

Also, so I'm not completely highjacking the thread.. another more economical/waste free way of washing your hair is soapnut liquid. I've been experimenting with it and so far it's fabulous. It cleans my hair really well and leaves it soft as though I used conditioner. The only down side is that it doesn't foam unless you whip it before hand.

Permalink Reply by JaemyGem on September 1, 2011 at 7:47am

Thanks for the advice. I will definitely look into Sal Suds. I have washed my laundry in baking soda only and had it work out well. I prefer borax - because I use baking soda to clean the ceramic surfaces in two bathrooms - but I think the combination would be great.

Is soap nut liquid something purchased or is it easy to make your own from existing soap nuts?

I love using powdered henna to clean my hair. I buy some cheap and mix with water, applying to my scalp and scrubbing. Sometimes I leave it in for a little while to let the herbs get to work. It won't dye your hair unless mixed with an acid (lemon juice, hibiscus tea, red wine) and left to sit overnight and THEN applied to hour hair to set up, so don't worry. It's a great nutritive and you only need a little at a time.

Permalink Reply by Lavender on September 1, 2011 at 2:37pm

I add washing soda and borax to my laundry, it works so well. super cheap, too :)

I buy soap nuts in the bulk section at the health food store and boil down the shells. I'm still working on a perfect recipe, as I've found the ones online to be wasteful.. but I seem to have a ratio of 3 soapnuts to one cup of water, boil it a little and let it steep a few hours. I'm still working on it.

I love henna in my hair. I do henna treatments/dye my hair with it, it makes your hair amazing. I've never heard of using it to clean your hair, I should try it sometime. (also, henna will dye your hair without the addition of an acid, it just needs a few hours for it's dye to release. that's probably only a concern to people with light blonde hair or chemically treated/dyed hair though)