Adventures in No-Pooing: Day 1-3

No-pooing. Ever heard of it? It is the art of not using shampoo (and conditioner, for some people). I've been considering going shampoo-free for awhile now but... going without shampooing and conditioning my hair? Really? Of course, I had lots of questions.

My very first being, "Won't my hair be greasy and gross??"....
     According to Google, it really depends on how you go about no-pooing (pa-tooee, I loathe that moniker). Some people just "wash" with hot water followed by a cold rinse. Others use a baking soda/water mixture. Some follow this with a vinegar rinse. Others just use conditioner. Each has their place and purpose. And each has it's own adjustment period that can last from a day or two to a couple of weeks. The adjustment period is caused by the fact that shampoo strips our hair of our natural oils, causing our scalps to over-produce oil to compensate. That's why we get grossed out by our hair if we go more than 12-48 hours without washing it. It's a vicious cycle, and one that shampoo companies are profiting off of. When you stop stripping the oils with shampoo, it takes a bit of time for our scalps to get the message and to cut the oil-factory's overtime.

My next question was "But, WHY would you go without shampoo?"
      Well, this was sort of a no-brainer but I HAD to ask. First, shampoos and conditioners are loaded with chemicals and harmful ingredients. Sulfates, pthalates, fragrances, etc. all wreak havoc on our bodily systems. You can go to the Skin Deep Database to find out how your shampoo and conditioner (and body wash, face wash, makeup, lotions, etc.) check out. (Mine scored a 5 on each *shudder*)
      Second, shampoo and conditioner are expensive! If one can get away with a little baking soda and vinegar, why not and save money? Plus, you're saving the environment from plastic bottles and packaging/shipping costs. And I hear it makes for a healthier scalp and gorgeous hair. If this is true, it's a win-win situation.

And then finally, "And the suds! I'll miss the suds, won't I?"
   The answer is yes. I miss the damn suds. But, I don't miss the nasty chemicals so I suck it up and deal with the suds-less showers. Truly, the suds are not that important.

 After having these questions answered by friends and google (what would we do without friends and google?) and all my excuses thrown out the window and lost forever, I had to see for myself.
So, I decided that when my last bottle of shampoo and conditioner was gone, I would try it out. Just to see.

Here is how it's gone so far:

Day 1:
   I mixed up my baking soda/water (1 Tbsp to 20 oz) and apple cider vinegar (ACV)/water mixtures (2 Tbsp to 20 oz) into my old shampoo and conditioner bottles. This is the first time I can remember that I ran out of both at the same time. I took it as a sign that this experiment might not be as bad as I imagined.
   I did my usual routine, this time just substituting the baking soda mixture for my shampoo and the ACV mixture for my conditioner. I let each mix sit in my hair for a minute before rinsing. Then I repeated it. Just for good measure. And because I am terrified of my hair being greasy. Ish.
  I took the time to really massage it into my hair nicely while trying not to tangle up my hair much. I figured without conditioner, this was probably a good idea.

After my shower, I blow-dried my hair and styled it. It was super shiny, soft, and held my curls better. I was super impressed! I also noticed my hair did NOT smell like vinegar (which I was worried about), and I didn't have as much frizz. I had a few compliments on my hair that day, too! Day 1 of no-poo (what a dumb name... *sigh*) = success. I'm ready for day 2!

Day 2:
   Did the same thing as day 1, except I didn't measure out the baking soda. I notice that I don't really like the feel of washing with the baking soda, but I suck it up and do it anyway. The vinegar is kind of refreshing and invigorating though... in a weird way. I also didn't let it sit as long before rinsing it out, and I didn't repeat.

I then did my usual styling routine and immediately noticed that my hair had TONS more body and volume than usual. And being I have TONS of hair, I wasn't sure if this was a good thing! But I styled it nicely and it worked out ok. I note that my hair seems a bit more... not exactly greasy, but not exactly NOT greasy.. today. I, again, suck it up and remind myself that there is an adjustment period. Push through, Britt. Just push through.
No one notices this weird greasy-but-not-greasy look but me, and I get another compliment on my hair today. Day 2 = semi-success.


Day 3: 
    Today, I made sure I measured correctly, repeated the wash/rinse, and let it sit in my hair for a bit before rinsing. I wasn't planning on going anywhere today, so I let my hair air dry and didn't style it. When I usually do this, it dries into this flat, weak wave. Today, my hair looked full, shiny, with rolling waves that actually looked decent. My hair feels soft and clean, but different. Almost.. tackier? I can't explain it... yet. I'll keep thinking on how I can describe it and get back to you all. I keep running my fingers through my hair, loving it, and being fairly surprised that I actually am loving it. I'm excited to see how this method will work on my daughters' hair, being they have lovely natural curls that are super hard to tame. Day 3 = Convincing success! And I wonder how long I'll be shocked that I'm impressed?