Tuesday, May 3, 2011

I went "no 'poo"...and back

Huh?

No 'poo -  the idea of idea of not using the typical shampoo/conditioner routine to wash hair.

Why...?

Well, after I read this post, I didn't look at my shampoo bottle the same way again.  Shampoo is a detergent?  What are all those chemicals in there listed after water?  Why would I wash my hair with that?  If I'm so concerned about what kind of dish soap I use and making sure that whatever I use is biodegradable, shouldn't I be just as concerned as what I use to wash my hair?  Maybe they're on to something here...

So I toyed with the idea for about a month until I had a situation where I would have washed my hair twice in one day.  And my husband said to me, "You don't want to wash your hair twice in one day.  Why don't you try the no 'poo routine?"  Lightbulb moment.  Why don't I, indeed?  But it takes commitment.  I had read enough blog posts about the process and the method to know that there is a transition period while your hair goes crazy and gets used to the natural hair care.  Was I ready to see my hair in its natural state, go to work like that, not sure how long it will be and what it will look like post-transition?

And before I had a chance to think twice, I did it.  Wouldn't you know it - my hair was BEAUTIFUL that first day.  Golden, fluffy, with natural volume.  It was as though my hair was doing a happy dance.  It lasted for maybe 36 hours.  Then the transition period started.

But I stuck it out.  I just knew that a lot of good would come out of this.  And it did work!  My hair was full of volume and was just really really nice.  I felt proud of sticking to this routine!  I even confided to a close friend that I went no 'poo, whispering the words to her.  I felt like I was sharing a dark secret.  For any of my friends, if you saw me while I was doing it, you probably didn't know there was anything different about my hair.  And that's a good thing!

Unfortunately, I have no pictures to share so you'll just have to trust me.  And also unfortunately, my hair stopped cooperating after a month.  It seemed to get dull and was not happy anymore, so I went back to the regular shampoo/conditioner routine.  But I think I will do the baking soda/apple cider vinegar routine at least once a month to clean my hair and refresh it.  And I definitely have an eye out for what I put in my hair than I did before.

If you'd like to read more about the process, click here or here or here.  Let me know if you try it and if it works for you!

3 comments:

  1. Fascinating. I'd never heard of no poo (it sounds like a toilet training methodology imo). Chemicals ick me out, so this concept is right up my alley. I'm a big fan of Lush products, which are yummy and natural. Also, since my hair is always in a pony and covered, I don't really pay as much attention to its state. I guess it's an out-of-sight out-of-mind kind of thing.

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  2. I may try this when the remaining shampoo and conditioner in my current bottles is used up. It's hard to convince myself to go for it, because I know that what I use works (people often comment very positively on my hair), but if I can stick with it, this just might be the thing. Thanks for being it to my attention!

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  3. I tried this as well. No 'poo can be tough to adjust to, and inevitably everyone will need a different routine. I'm down to using real shampoo only once a month, and my hair seems to be happy!

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