We've had some great discussions about the "no 'poo" movement, which eschews chemical-laden shampoos in favor of natural hair cleaners, used less frequently. It's easy to get started, using only a handful of ingredients from the kitchen.
Practitioners of the "no 'poo" movement point out that shampoo is designed to strip away all the natural chemicals in your hair and scalp, which are then artificially replenished by conditioner. Going shampoo-free helps your head restore its natural balance.
Here's how to do it:
1. Start with 1 tbsp of baking soda to 1 cup of water - the mixture should be cloudy, not gritty or pasty. Apply to the roots and work through the rest of your hair with your fingertips.
2. Condition with apple cider vinegar, with 1tbsp to 1 cup of water. You can also add a few drops of essential oils, some honey or a bit of lemon juice.
3. To get rid of build-up on the scalp, try the Curly Girl method's brown sugar scrub: 2 tbsp brown sugar mixed with conditioner or honey.
4. Rinse with water every week, and supplement by shaking in an absorbent powder like corn starch or rice flour, then brushing it out with a natural bristle brush.
5. If you need to refresh or deodorize your hair between washes, try the Curly Girl lavender mist. Add 5 drops of pure lavender essential oil to a half gallon of distilled water (or bring tap water to a boil, simmering for an hour). Spritz onto hair using a spray bottle.
Do you do "no 'poo"? Would you ditch your shampoo to try it? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
(Bun: Flickr member Franciov licensed for use under Creative Commons. Curly hair: Flickr member Pikaluk licensed for use under Creative Commons)
Ellen's Thirties Style Small Space
Juan's Garage Turned Modern Guest House
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Commercial Flour Sa...
How to Cook Rice on the Stove
Recipe: Thai Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry
I've given up soap (and facial cleansers) but haven't been able to make that transition with my hair yet. I just cut it much shorter so I may give it another try!
the photo of that hair doesn't make me want to give it a try!
I've tried this and wanted it to work so bad, but somehow the baking soda wash just gave me dandruff and made my scalp itchy. The vinegar rinse works wonderful though.
I had the dandruff and itchy scalp at first when I tried too. I heard somewhere that overly oily hair can irritate your scalp and cause the itch and dandruff. My hair was still oily (this was during my beginning/transition phase). Now that I've kept up with it. That dandruff, itchiness, and excess oil has subsided. I only "clean" my hair like twice a week or so and I love it! So much cheaper than the fancy hair products I was buying. My hair feels great. Plus, it is naturally more pliable so I rarely use styling product.
It is definitely something you need to suck it up and stick with it because there is definitely that transition period while your body adjusts. That can vary for people from a couple weeks to a couple months. So I know it can be discouraging. But the results really are great, if you just stick it out. :)
I did this for a while and it worked ok. Now I use a natural bar soap for both my hair and body, and an apple cider vinegar rise. I love it, my hair is soft and shiny and as tangle free as when I was using expensive shampoos and conditioners.
I have been sans shampoo for about a year and it's been great. I also love that when I travel, I do not need to pack bottles of shampoo with me.
I've been thinking about it, actually when I bought my last bottle of conditioner I thought if it would be the last before I try. It’s going to be enough only for the next wash (4/4 days).
This post convinced me… I’m gonna try!
p.s. after this one will be step 2 – try “those” organic solutions for those days of the month (argh!)
I tried this for about 6 months, thinking that my hair/scalp needed a chance to adjust and would regulate itself. Sadly, the BS/ACV plan is not for me. My superfine hair was still getting oily quickly and was so tangly I think I did more damage combing out the snarls than I did good by using natural products.
I've since switched to using all-natural, sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner bars (there are some great ones out there!) with a weekly ACV rinse to get rid of any buildup. This system works great for me, and I am down to washing only two or three times a week, depending on how sweaty I get.
I'm a mixed chick gone natural about a year ago+seeing hair like mine in the second photos just... makes me happy. :)!
I've been natural (sans relaxer) for a 1.5 years+did the big chop a year ago ( http://www.itsjustgoldie.com/journal/tag/hair-cut ). Been reading about no-poo for a bit+started using ACV about a week ago (was re-inspired to give it a go from re-nest - thanks!)
That said: anyone have suggestions for moisturizing kinky curls between washes? They're awesome the first day or so, but I'd like to go a bit longer between washes - a week or so.
I started going no poo the beginning of this year. I used to have to wash my hair every day and by the end of the day it would just feel gunky.
I then started with the baking soda/acv method. The first few 3 weeks, my hair felt so oily but then it evened out and now I can go 3 days before I feel I need to wash my hair.
My scalp feels much better, less itchy, dandruff seems to have gone away, and the hair doesn't feel as oily as it did before. I love that it's all natural and cheap too.
@ itsjustgoldie. I wish I could "like" the second photo! I use Jane Carter products from Whole Foods. They're expensive (like 20 bucks) but you need less than a pea-sized drop of it.
@djheather1979 Yike$$$. I'll check it out tho. Thanks!
itsjustgoldie, check out the Curly Girl forums http://www.naturallycurly.com/curltalk/all-natural-hair-care/ (there's also an app), which has a lot of recommendations for all the different hair types. Right off the bat I can see a couple of threads about natural moisturizers in stores, sealing moisture in and some for sharing recipes, so I hope there's something that fits your needs in there!
I would LOVE to go shampoo/conditioner free, however I work out at least once a day, sometimes twice. I'll just do a rinse/light condition a few days in a row, but by day 3, my hair smells funny and is just plain gross.
Any suggestions? Does the baking soda/ACV process still work for "heavy sweaters"?
Thanks, Laura! I'm gonna dig into that site in a bit. Awesome.
CV11:30 - I had a friend who has locs, works out a lot+only did ACV (no baking soda). She said that she was cool with the process+happy with the outcome but her sweat activated the ACV smell. I'm thinking she didn't rinse well enough from her scalp. I'm lazy+don't work out+forced my bf+co-worker to smell my head after my hair dried+they couldn't smell the ACV at all. It's so cheap to try, you should give it a go!
the problem with going shampoo free is either too much oil (probably if your hair is straight or wavy) or dryness/flakes/dandruff (which is my problem as a curly). early on i think i tried baking soda but it was too harsh for my scalp. after a lot of trial and error attempts to get my scalp thoroughly clean without shampoo, here's what works for me: a thorough scrub with a loose paste of 1 t. yellow corn grits + 1 t. aubrey organics conditioner + a few drops of home health everclean unscented anti-dandruff shampoo gives me about 6 flake-free days. on the other five days, i just rinse, scrunch in a pea-size dab of giovanni tea tree triple treat (i tried aubrey daily but found it too moist), blot to dry, and scrunch in a dime-size dab of aubrey organics b5 design gel for non-crunchy frizz control. for the first time in my life i am at peace with my curls. yay!
I have dry, thick, coarse wavy/curly hair and I am not going back to shampoo. More money, worse hair.
But I still use regular conditioner periodically. I'm not sure if I need it or just have a psychosomatic thing going on.
How much ACV do you need for the rinse? I have pretty long hair, but would love to see what would happen if I tried it out.
I have been almost "Poo" free for about 6 months now. I still use an all natural coconut shea oil mixture to clean my hair about once a week (sometimes less sometimes more). I too suffered from the scalp issues and sometimes they still sneak up on me every now and then depending on the weather and my activity level. I wouldn't go back though! My hair went from fine and limp to thicker and glossier. I love it! Its worth pushing through and experimenting to figure out what works for your hair type and your scalp!
Not ready to go shampoo free but I switched to all-natural, sulfate-free shampoo and I try to only wash my hair on gym days (4 days a week)...I think that's as close as I can get
Is this a good method for fine haired people? Or is it best for curly/wavy types?
AnessaMarie, a lot of places just recommend filling a 16 oz cup with water and doing a proportionate amount of ACV (2 tbsp), then adjusting based on how your hair feels.
one thousand square feet, my own hair is wavy but fine, and I already don't shampoo every day (more like every 5 or 6) because otherwise it gets super dried out. So I imagine it would work pretty well, though you might have to rinse more often if your hair naturally gets greasier, faster. You should try us and let us know how it goes! :)
I haven't used shampoo in 3 years and it can be so much easier than what was explained above if you want it to be.
All I do is the baking soda scrub, and you really only have to scrub your scalp with it. I never work it through the ends of my hair.
For my baking soda solution I keep it in an oil drizzler in the tub I mix about 500 ml of hot water with about 3 tbs of Baking soda. You have to make sure your baking soda dissolves or it just doesn't work the same.
And that's all I do. I only wash once a week sometimes. I just wash when my hair is greasy. If I know I won't be doing anything social I'll leave it kinda greasy sometimes and just wash it the next day(Haha, I'm such trailer trash)
Also, for CV11:30 I sweat ALOT at work, and it works fine for me. You just have to get used to your hair feeling different and finding the system that works for you, I know some people that can't handle the Baking soda scrub and others that can't use the Apple Cider Vinegar. Everyone is different.
ANYWAYS I'm babbling and I should stop. But yeah, I LOVE not using shampoo. I spend maybe $4 on hair stuff everymonth.... MAYBE.
Please don't think that this doesn't stink. I have a couple of friends who do this, and who claim they don't smell anything, and their hair stinks.
KerriM: *rubs fingers on scalp.**sniffs* Nothin. There could be other variables as to why their head smells. Maybe you're sensi to smells. Either way, it's not *supposed* to linger after the hair dries.
@franklindean: you forgot the < /casual racism> tags.
@itsjusgoldie: I'm glad somebody beat me to the Naturally Curly forums. You could spend YEARS poking around there, but the search function works great and there are people with all budgets, hair types, and desires re: natural/organic. People list their hair type and regimen in their signatures, and since I discovered NC, many, many years ago, I've never ceased to be amazed at how helpful people there are (and how much they'll talk and help newbies). The sheer volume of information can be overwhelming, but if you've got the question, the answer IS there. (P.S. I love Aubrey Honeysuckle Rose conditioner, which runs about $9. May not be helpful, because I'm white and more frizzy-curly-crazy than kinky, but I'm asked surprisingly often, by complete strangers, if I'm "mixed," so who knows? :)
I tried this a couple years ago, and it didn't work well for me. My scalp itched, I had nasty dandruff (which I'd NEVER had before), my roots were oily, and it just felt dirty. I had long hair at the time, and I wore bandanas for a while to cover my roots -- the lower part of my hair looked great. My roots and scalp just got grosser and grosser until I gave up and grabbed the shampoo. It was really icky.
However, I did learn that I can wash my hair less often and use less shampoo and conditioner. There was an adjustment period for my scalp, but I can go a week to ten days between washings now, depending on how often I get sweaty.
I'm a white girl with fine, straight hair, if it makes any difference.
QChan: as happy as i am to have found something that works for me, i would be even happier to find something easier that works for me, so i'm going to give baking soda another try -- your version sounds much milder than what i tried before.... so thanks.
I haven't used shampoo since 2009.
The baking soda and vinegar didn't work for me. Now I wash my hair once or twice a week with an inexpensive conditioner (Suave Naturals tropical coconut). Conditioners will clean your hair without stripping away the oils like shampoo. Of course you need to use a conditioner that doesn't have any silicone derivatives (generally the inexpensive kinds are 'cone free, just look at the ingredients for anything ending in "cone").
I tried baking soda and ACV, and it just didn't work for me. Really wanted it to work, too, but my hair didn't feel or look clean. I thought it smelled, too, but my husband thought it was okay. I'm willing to try again to ditch the shampoo, perhaps with another combo, but I'm not willing to endure an extended transition period and go out and about to work and where ever with dirty looking hair.
FWIW, I'm white with fine, straight hair.
I shampoo once a week, and don't really do anything in between. I occasionally just rinse and condition instead of shampooing. I've always had insanely healthy hair, no matter what I do to it. This just seems to enhance that, since I only have to blow dry once a week. If I'm feeling extra gross or sweaty, I will wash again after only four or five days. It took a while to get to that point, though. I started with every other day, then every two days, every three days, etc, until it got to a full week.
I have super thick, fine, super straight hair. It works great. I've heard from lots of folks with super curly hair that this makes their hair lots more manageable. It also saves dollars. I think maybe over the summer, I will try the ACV rinsing.
I can't remember whose comment it was about the smell, but honestly, mine doesn't. It used to when I shampooed every day and missed one day. My hair went into overdrive producing ick, and it would get stinky right away. Now that I only wash once a week, the nice shampoo smell lasts a lot longer, and once it goes away it doesn't smell like anything, then I'm ready to wash.
I admit, though, that I don't know that I will ever go completely shampoo free. Once a week seems to work really well for me.
It's been suggested that I try no-poo, but I swim in the ocean a few times a week and my hair gets very, very salty= itchy and tangled. I use sulfate-free shampoo and cond. and only shampoo about twice a week. It's been a lot better for my hair, especially since as I age, it has become drier.
I started buying some very expensive all-natural conditioner from Davines and I use it often between shampoos. As a result, my hair looks a lot better when I wake up (it's not so dry), so less styling for me!
I tried this for about four months. I had a couple weeks of oiliness, a couple weeks where it seemed to work, and then it went down hill. My hair started getting really unmanageable and my scalp became itchy and flaky. I tried adjusting proportions, but it just wasn't working. I'm back on shampoo, (but at least it's a more natural, sulfate-free, etc. one). and my head seems happier. From other people I know who've tried it, it seems to work best for people with curly hair. Perhaps because curly hair tends to have more shape on its own so there aren't the struggles with manageability? (Seriously, my hair was suddenly going every which way and refused to be tamed or hold a style, which hasn't been a problem before.) I comfort myself with the fact that I only go through 1, maybe two, bottles of shampoo and barely 1 bottle of conditioner per year, (and I don't mean those jumbo bottles). It really doesn't take much.
Can you guys recommend some sulfate free shampoos?
Success with the baking soda/vinegar combination largely depends on your water hardness. It works perfectly with soft water for me, but I wasn't able to do it in Paris, where the water is notoriously hard. You can get a water softener or use filtered water (really impractical), but when I know the water is hard, I just use an all natural shampoo.
I have dermatitis on my scalp and it's absolutely great for it. That is the main reason I'm sticking with it, no derm visits and rx shampoo. I've been doing it for almost 5 weeks now and haven't gotten the hang of it yet. My hair isn't fabulous yet like it's supposed to be. I need to cut down the BS. Adding honey sounds like an interesting idea. However I couldn't do the mixing BS in a cup of water, it just runs out of the hair and onto my face. So I mix the water and BS so it's just beyond a paste, a little watery, but viscous enough to actually work with it.
I wonder, there are days when I actually have to be onstage and do my hair all big with evil styling products (and no I can't add to my stress and search for organic ones. I won't go that far), and whether I can use the brown sugar scrub to get all that crap out or whether I have to use real shampoo in those instances.
@doucement, I have a water filter on my shower. It's most important to have a filter on your shower bc hot water pipes have more lead and other contaminants. It's why you never cook with hot water out of your taps. Absorbing it through your scalp, hair, and skin is just as bad. According to the NYTimes water expose series from awhile back, if your going to filter anything, start with your shower. I uses the Aquasana one: http://www.aquasanastore.com/aq-shower-filter.html
@melissaann Just so you know, sulfate-free is not the same as BS/ACV. It's still a detergent that strips your hair, but with less chemicals. I was using Stony Brook Botanicals Unscented Organic Herbal Shampoo and loved it. Using that my hair stayed clean much longer than with any other shampoo I've ever used. (If you're a member of the Park Slope Food Coop, it's carried there along with a wide array of natural shampoos.)
@melissaann I take that back! I just checked the bottle of Stony Brook Botanicals Unscented Organic Herbal Shampoo and it totally has sulfates!!
I'm still using up the last of my shampoo, but only using it once per week. About every other day, I sprinkle on a corn starch/ cornmeal mixture and comb it out with a boar bristle brush. I have to say, my hair has never looked finer.
@sam i am +1 I stopped using shampoo for several months (my hair is straight/wavy and very fine) and it took a couple weeks to adjust, but I found that just giving my hair a good scrub every 3 days or so with a gentle conditioner was plenty, and my natural hair oils took care of shine. For some reason, when I don't use shampoo I don't /need/ to use shampoo. Glad to see this post. Will go back to non-shampoo and maybe try some DIY conditioners.
I need some clarification on this... do i rinse my hair before, in between bs/acv and after? or do i go straight from bs to acv? do i rince out the acv too? there needs to be clearer directions.....