No-Poo Hair Method

Hair Care

Clean hair is a necessity secondary is the desire for healthy hair. Clean hair can be achieved in various ways through many types of shampoos and other products. Although shampoo makes the hair feel and smell great it usually contains harsh chemicals that assist in cleaning the hair. These chemicals known as sulfate or surfactants can strip and dry the hair. Therefore I went on a “no-poo” binge to try something different. I will share my experience and provide tips I found along the way. "I have mid back length color treated hair which will come in handy for those that are seeking to use this method and color your hair."

No-Poo Challenge

If this is a new concept for you “no-poo” relates to cleansing hair without shampoo. In order to achieve this I have found numerous products but for me I used a baking soda rinse in place of shampoo and a vinegar rinse in place of conditioner. I will offer the mixture after I provide the details of my experience. The first time I used this mixture my hair felt much different and by this I mean very rough and tangled. After I was able to remove the tangles and dried my hair finding I had more volume than I have ever had before, it was great. Although through the day my hair did tangle much more than I am used to. I had just colored my hair a day or two before my first “no-poo” wash and a good portion of my color was gone. This is due to the baking soda being a natural stripper in which I knew beforehand but wanted to give it a try. Neither the baking soda nor the vinegar has a great smell although it did not make my hair smell bad so that was a plus. I continued to use this method for about two weeks and I have read that the tangles and strange feel was supposed to improve; I did not experience this. My hair after about two weeks had lost all the color I placed in it previously and looked very washed out, dull and extremely dry. I decided to shampoo my hair which returned my hair to how it felt before although I did have to color it again and get a good trim to remove the dryness.

Mixture

If interested in trying this method I would not recommend it to a person that colors their hair although do your own research. I created my own shampoo bottles by using two 12 oz. water bottles and pierced a hole in the cap. The mixture I used was 1 tsp. of baking soda and filled the rest of the bottle with water. The other bottle I used 1 cap full of apple cider vinegar and filled the rest of the bottle with water. The process in the shower does take a little longer than traditional shampoo. First off wet hair in the shower as normal then squeeze the baking soda mix on the scalp and blend it out to the ends. Use the pads of your fingers to work in the mixture as there will not be bubbles to know that it is working. Move this mixture around for a few minutes then run hair under water for another few minutes to rinse. Follow this procedure with the vinegar mixture focusing on the ends as opposed to the roots as too much on the roots may cause oiliness. Work this mixture for a few minutes then rinse again for a few minutes. Adjusting the ratio of the mixture may be in order for your particular hair type and eventually may not even need the baking soda.

Results From Going “no-poo”

My personal result from the “no-poo” challenge was dry dull hair which was the opposite result I was hoping to achieve from this journey. One positive notion of this challenge was great hair when styled; my hair held a curl better than ever before although it was not worth all the negative things that happened to my hair. As mentioned above once I went back to shampoo and conditioner I had to color my hair again and trim it which also was not my hope when going “no-poo.”

Recommendations

· If using a no-poo recipe and you have color treated hair do some extra research to make sure if this is the right option for you and if there are alternative mixtures for this type of hair.

· Instead of using no-poo options look into sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner. Sulfates are the harsh chemicals that are used to cleanse the hair although they tend to dry the hair. By using the sulfate free options hair can be soft and healthy even when colored. Some examples are:

• Organics- I really like the coconut milk recipe
• L’Oreal Ever Pure- in a squeeze tube; look for sulfate free
• ABBA Pure Basic
• Burt’s Bees
• All of the above are available at most drug stores, Walmart and Target. Many other options are available through your hairdresser and professional beauty supplies.