No- Poo Hair Routine...Not As Weird As It Sounds

Have you heard about the "No-Poo" trend? It is a movement in the natural hair community to stop using harsh chemical shampoos to wash our hair so that it can stay healthy. Lots of shampoos have ingredients we cannot even begin to pronounce:

1. Cocamidopropyl Betaine
2. Amodimethicone
3. Behentrimonium Chloride

All of these can be toxic! It only makes sense that we work to eliminate these ingredients from our lives and keep them away from our hair. Why try the "No-Poo" routine? Many people have asked me why I wash my hair this way.  I can actually give multiple reasons.  First of all, commercial shampoos strip your hair of the natural oils (sebum) that protect it and make it shiny.  You put conditioner on your hair to put some artificial oils back.  Because you’re stripping all the sebum from your hair, your scalp goes nuts any time you go a few days without washing, and tries to overcompensate, creating the grease slick we’ve all had to contend with at some point. Secondly, after a while with the process, your scalp will calm down and stop creating so much oil, and you won’t have to wash your hair as often.  This will vary from person to person, but for me, it’s about 4 days (I was 2 days on the poo).  This may be my favorite part. Remember: YMMV (your mileage may vary!). Repeat it, like a mantra. What works for me may work differently for you - that's why I recommend trial and error, until you discover the perfect routine for your hair. Thirdly, I’m sure you can buy all kinds of pricey bar shampoos or eco-friendly options that aren’t harmful to the environment, but most of your grocery store shampoos are washing all kinds of random chemicals down your drain.  Imagine how much easier it would be to keep our water clean without all this stuff?  Baking soda and vinegar are harmless and non-toxic, and easily break down in treatment systems anyway. Lastly, it’s freakin’ cheap.  Nuff said. :) Things You’ll Need

• Baking Soda
• Vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar, because I like the smell, but any will do)
• A mug
• A stirring apparatus (I am currently using a hair stick)
• Water (you’re in your shower! ;-P)
• A natural bristle brush (boar bristles)

The Process On shower day, put a couple of tablespoons of baking soda in your mug.  You may adjust the amount to your liking over time.  I do this before I get in the shower, so I’m not messing with the baking soda package with wet hands.  In the shower, wet your hair and put enough water in the mug to create a baking soda “slurry”.  Again, this is preference. At this point, the goal is to massage the baking soda into your head with your fingertips.  You want to thoroughly scrub your whole scalp.  Now, there are a few ways you can get the slurry on there, like getting some of it on your fingers, pouring a little on your head, etc.  Just experiment and see what works well for you. After massaging the baking soda into your scalp (not your hair) well, rinse thoroughly.  If you don’t, you may have a frizzy head for the next step! Rinse your mug out and put about two capfuls of vinegar in it.  Seriously, you do not need to use much vinegar.  Fill the mug all the way up with warm water, and use your stirring stick to mix it up.  Pour the mixture over the part of your hair you would usually put conditioner on.  Like conditioner, you don’t really need it on the top of your head.  Leave it on for a few minutes while you do something else, then rinse it out.  Congrats, you’re done! Between Washings Comb all the tangles out of your hair, and give your scalp and hair a generous number of strokes with the natural bristle brush.  Remember those ladies in the old movies – 100 strokes a night?  This is what you’re doing.  The boar bristles move the sebum down your hair shaft, making all of your hair shiny and easy to manage.  This will especially help during the transition period, when you may have a little wacky oil slick scalp going on. ;-) Some Warnings Baking soda is a natural cleaning product.  It will fade any artificial hair color over time.  However, it also might lighten your hair slightly over time as well. You may have to change your styling product habits.  However, you may find you don’t need as much product anymore.  For example, I used to put mousse in my hair after washing and before styling to set the style for 2 days.  Now, mousse makes my hair a little sticky, but I’ve found I don’t really need it anymore.  Hair spray doesn’t seem to be a problem. If you have any more questions about my method, feel free to leave a comment on this page, and I’ll add the info!  Thanks for reading!