No ‘Poo? An Alternative to Shampoo
If I said the phrase “no ‘poo” what would you instantly think of? Probably something bathroom related right? What if we took it down a notch and I told you that I didn’t use shampoo or conditioner? I’d assume that at this point, you’d think I had dirty disgusting hair and that I was a full blown crazy person.
Thankfully, both of those assumptions would be incorrect. No ‘poo does not having anything to do with going to the bathroom, nor do I have dirty hair.
No ‘poo refers to the method of washing your hair without the use of shampoo or conditioner. Instead, most no ‘poo fans use baking soda and vinegar as their shampoo and conditioner. The very same ingredients that many of us use to clean our homes can be used to clean your hair!
Why Would You Want to Ditch the Shampoo and Conditioner?
- Most shampoos/conditioners have ingredients that are not so great for either you or the environment.
- If you go for the safer products then odds are you are paying a lot of money for them and you probably aren’t all that satisfied with how they work.
- Your hair is so used to your shampooing routine that it is in oil over-production mode, which then makes you need to shampoo more often. It’s a vicious cycle that no ‘poo can help you get out of.
How Do You No ‘Poo?
The Basic No ‘Poo recipe:
“Shampoo”: 1 tablespoon baking soda mixed into 1 cup of water
“Conditioner”: 1 tablespoon vinegar in 1 cup of water.
Take your baking soda mixture and pour it on your wet hair, rub it in a bit and let it sit for about a minute. Rinse.
Next, take the vinegar mixture and pour that on your hair, let sit for at least a minute and then rinse really well.
Most people no ‘poo their hair every 3-7 days. The goal is to go longer in between washes so that your hair will properly adjust it’s oil production and you will keep your hair stronger because you are not getting it wet as often.
There is a bit of a detox period with no ‘poo. In the beginning, your hair will not be used to going so long in between washes and will therefore have a few greasy days. Note, the detox/greasy period should only apply to days that are NOT a no ‘poo day. If you no ‘poo your hair and it doesn’t look amazing then your ratios are “off” and you need to troubleshoot.
To sum it up:
No ‘pooing is washing your hair every 3-7 days with baking soda and vinegar. When done properly your hair will look amazing right after a no ‘poo. It will be softer, lighter, and dry faster. You will probably experience a detox period. This is ok. As your hair gets used to this new routine, it will adjust it’s oil production and your hair will then look clean for the entire duration between no ‘poos.
I started no ‘pooing 2 ½ years ago and I will never go back. My hair has never looked better, I save a ton of money because let’s face it, baking soda and vinegar are ridiculously cheap, and I am keeping toxins off of my body and out of the environment. There are so many reasons to try no ‘poo and quite honestly what do you have to lose? Give it a try and if you don’t like it then what’s the harm? You can always go back to your old products. However, my guess is that you’ll try no ‘poo and ask yourself why you didn’t try this sooner!
Is this safe for color treated hair?
I did a search online for this and the best answer I found was this: “I’ve read that if you notice that your color is fading it’s because you are using to much baking soda in your mixture and/or you are washing too often. Also, I’ve heard that for those with colored hair using the baking soda/vinegar routine makes your color last longer because you don’t wash your hair as often.” I hope this helps! As with everything, I would do the no ‘poo routine in moderation to see if anything changes.
I’m defintely going to try this. How long should I expect the detox phase to last? I’m not very patient…
AMEN! Sister! – Fellow “No Poo-er” here. Love it! Wish more people would at least give it a try. My hair is thicker now than it was when I was a young kid, and it was really thick back then. After 3 pregnancies, I thought my hair would never return to its “natural” state (was stringy, thinning and unhealthy), but the answer was right in front of my face. I only wish I had found “no poo” years ago!!