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Advice for going shampoo free

Or as it's also called no-pooing, but I thought using that in the title would give the wrong impression. I went shampoo/conditioner free for the first time last night and just rinced my hair with water..not completely benefical I know as they treat the water with chemicals or whatever.

My hair feels soft though my scalp is a little flaky, saying that it always is. It's funny my shampoo and conditioner causes my itchy scalp and I have to use shampoo to cure it. *Rolls eyes* So I figured I would stop.

Since I've approved my diet, literally over night, I figured now would be good time to quit shampoo. However Im a bit worried about side effects and detoxing, anyone got any tips on what to expect and natural hair treatments?

Comments

  • joannabananajoannabanana Raw Newbie

    i tried no-pooing for 4 months and my hair was so ruined!! haha i don't mean to scare you because i'm sure it's worked for a lot of people on here. i went to get my hair cut on the day it was 4 months and the hairdresser said she's never seen such damaged/dry hair. i was shocked because i thought it must be really healthy now, but it's still really dry (and i did this jan 09-april 09). i know use organic shampoos/conditioners which have brought my hair back to life a little, but i really need to do some sort of deep conditioning treatment.

  • I've been using Dr. Bronners lavender liquid castile soap on my hair for four years and I've never had a problem. I've occasionally tried other castile soaps and had disastrous results! If I feel like my hair is a little dry I use jojoba oil while I'm in the shower then wash it out with the lavender soap, it works beautifully! Shea butter, avocado, sesame, pumpkin and macadamia nut oils would probably work really well, too, albeit the Shea butter would be quite a bit heavier. Also, a search of "hair" on mountainroseherbs.com would yeild some hair specific products as well.

  • Raw PassionRaw Passion Raw Newbie

    Im contemplating then using Green People, their organic (all essential oils natural products) conditioner then, maybe even shampoo. Im going to see what a week or two does to my hair first.

  • When I go without "cones" my hair tends to get damaged like joannabanana said. I think it depends on your hair type. I think the kind of hair that tends to get knots is the kind that gets damage from going the "no-poo" method. The "slip" that is provided by cones helps that kind of hair not to break.

  • I've stopped using poo for about a year now. It took a long time of greasies (more than 6 months I think) but I lived with it (there are def advantages to being a stay-at-home mom). Once a week I wash with a water baking soda mixture and rinse with vinegar/water. My hair is now as clean as when I used poo. In between washes I rinse it, or if it is a bit greasy I'll get a bit of soap (Ivory) on my hands and scrub my hair. BTW, my hair is thin, fine and straight.

  • i also went on a stint where i didn't wash my hair, ackkk, for like 8 months or so, my hair was sooo dry, and i got mega dandruff. a few weeks after i started washing and conditioning my hair again, it kinda went back to normal. i also tried washing my hair with only baking soda during the summer months last year ,and it quickly led me down the same path. my hair is kinda coarse to begin with..and sorta curly, wavey and straight. easly tangled and outta control to begin with...... so i hope that information helps anyone with hair like that. kinda like leafygreen and joannabanana. although i never tried the vinegar combo..and maybe i didn't try the baking soda long enogh.

  • amberablueamberablue Raw Newbie

    hi raw passion!

    what 'no-poo' method are you trying to start? the 'water-only' method? or something along the lines of 'fat/conditioning' like shampoo bars, or baking soda/vinegar? the latter two would be much easier to transition too...at least in my opinion, and still natural. it doesn't have to happen overnight either. you might try setting a goal such as washing less, and washing with the new method...and then once you are comfortable with that habit, go all out. at least you will get there eventually (and probably sooner than you think)...and still have nice looking hair while doing it!

    this year i made it my resolution to wash my hair less (a BIG challenge!), and quit the shampoo habit no matter what. i have very fine, oil-prone hair and was in the habit of washing every day for years and years. so long i forgot that there was a time i used to do it every other day and thought those days were over...but i was wrong!

    right now i'm using baking soda and acvinegar with lovely results... just like colleensraw, i tried baking soda only the first few times a year ago, and it was ok for a bit, but it's only when i recently used the vinegar wash that i could take the leap. for me, they just have to go together.

    another thing that made this easier for my transition was using flour (or cornstarch, or whatever...) to dust my hair a bit on the 'no-wash' days. immediately i started going even 3 days without washing, no problem...in a braid on the later days. i also realize that i probably don't need to use the powdering so much, but it helps me feel like my hair won't be greasy all day, so i'll keep on using it for a while.

    when i do wash i use a few tablespoons of baking soda diluted in water (1:5+) followed by a rinse of apple cider vinegar (1:5+). i haven't used shampoo and conditioner since last year, and i've stuck to washing it 3 out of 7 days. i can't tell any difference from when i used the nicest, organic and all-natural shampoo, to using this baking soda and vinegar. (the only thing is that if i want to 'oil' my hair once in a while, i might want to use a shampoo, or else wash 2wice to get it out. no complaints there)

    good luck to you! you will get there!

  • Raw PassionRaw Passion Raw Newbie

    Well I'm actually look I have quite good condition hair. It doesnt have a natural style but that maybe from heavy products weighing it flat.

    I havent cut my hair in 6 months and my ends arent that bad either. I have a dry flaky scalp (not VERY bad and not noticeable) but then the rest of my skin is like that too. So Im thinking a healthy diet may start to change that! Oh and my hair gets greacy after a couple of days but I know shampoo strips the oils so your body starts to produce an excess.

    Im going to see what just water and maybe bicarb of soda does to it, then if theres no change go to a natural organic plant based shampoo and conditoner. I may do a hot oil treatment once every couple of weeks as well.

  • I hardly every use shampoo. I keep a bottle around perchance i get myself into anything really yucky or i strt having buildup or oil problems. I do water only for a week or two at a time then my ends gte dry and i do a conditioner only wash or a deep treatment. All the products i use are very natural my poo and condish are aubrey organics an dmy deep treatments are made out of simple things like honey/molassas, aloe, and veggie oils. I find water only to be plenty enough most of the time and i have a typical though sensitive scalp with dry length an ends.

  • I went to a hair cutting class volunteering my curly hair for a cut. They talked about the sulfates in shampoo and how they stay in your body for years. It kind of freaked me out. They also said for curly hair you should not shampoo it. I have been off shampoo for about six months and I love it. The shampoo dried out my curly hair. One of my friends said she felt like when she left the gym she had to wash her hair. But sweat is water soluble so it shouldn't be a problem just rinsing and conditioning. Just using conditioner is going well for me.

  • kellyannekellyanne Raw Newbie

    I've been no 'poo for almost a year now and love it! My hair looked pretty bad and greasy for the first few weeks but it's really nice now. I started by using terressentials clay wash and rinsing with apple cider vinegar. Terressentials is great but a little pricey for me. Now I either wash with baking soda and rinse with apple cider vinegar or wash with just lemon juice.

    During the dry winter months I have to deal with a little static but it's no problem the rest of the year and I've never had any dandruff or itchy scalp. I highly recommend it!

  • Butterfly3588Butterfly3588 Raw Newbie

    This whole no-poo article is very interesting.. never heard about just using water. Kellyanne- does the apple cider vinegar leave any unwanted smell?

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