Giving up on Shampoo?

Here's an article I came across the other day that I found kind of interesting. Not sure if I'm brave enough to try it though. :) See what you think.


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Maintain your ?do without shampoo

Vanessa Farquharson,
National Post Published: Wednesday, January 21, 2009

I realize this column is called Sense & Sustainability. Today, however, readers must bear with me as I write about something that may sound sustainable but isn't necessarily sensible. I'm talking about the No 'Poo movement.

Now hold on, this doesn't refer to anything bowel-related; rather, it's short for "No Shampoo," as in, not using any suds in the shower each morning.

A growing number of North American men and women are experimenting with this idea, and although the results are mixed, there are enough success stories floating around cyberspace that, earlier this week, I felt encouraged to give it a shot.

Basically, the logic is this: Our bodies produce oils that naturally clean and condition our hair. Using shampoo and conditioner, especially brands that contain synthetic chemicals, can interfere with this process and cause the scalp to produce more oil than is necessary, thus making our noggins greasy and leading to even more product purchasing.

Although I definitely do not want to suggest that shampoo companies are collaborating in some massive scam to rip off innocent consumers, I do agree with buying less plastic, saving more money and taking a minimal-yet-effective approach to personal hygiene.

Within the No 'Poo movement, there are three types of followers: Those who use absolutely nothing; those who use a combination of baking soda, water and apple cider vinegar each time they shower, perhaps with some essential oils; and those who mostly use nothing but occasionally resort to the baking soda and vinegar technique if, say, they've just run a marathon in the middle of summer.

The general warning for anyone wading into the No 'Poo movement is that there's a harsh transition period - usually days three to 10 are when the hair gets its greasiest - but eventually the scalp figures itself out and returns to normal. As well, because everyone's hair is a different length and texture, people will have varying results.

Writer Audrey Shulman at the Boston Phoenix wrote a piece last year about ditching her shampoo and had only positive things to say.

"All I have to do is wash with water, then brush my wet hair with a washcloth 100 strokes each side," she said. "This moves the oils from the scalp, spreading them evenly across the hair ... Within two weeks, my frizzy ends became less flyaway. My hair began to shine again, getting wavy instead of bushy.

"After a month or two, I found I could stop shampooing entirely," she added.

She also points out that the first commercial shampoo wasn't invented until about 1930; before that, people just rinsed their hair with water. And if you look at archival photos from this time or before, nobody's hair seems to look especially greasy or unkempt.

The natural oils produced by the scalp - technically called sebum - mainly serve as a protective layer of esters and fatty acids, which have antimicrobial properties.

While some argue that our bodies produce sebum according to how dry or oily the roots of our hair are (therefore, the more we shampoo it out, the more of it we end up producing), Toronto dermatologist Dr. Anne Curtis insists it has less to do with what's on the actual scalp than what's happening on an internal, hormonal level.

"You make the amount of oil that your body thinks is appropriate for you," she says, "so it's really an individual thing. A lot of it is also androgen-dependent, as in male-hormone driven, so it increases during puberty, then decreases again as we get older. Either way, I don't think the total production of sebum decreases significantly if you stop washing."

Curtis adds that those who suffer from dandruff should definitely stick to shampoo.

"Dandruff is oil-dependent, so if you don't wash your hair for long enough, yeast will start to accumulate and you'll start to get itchy."

This was the medical opinion, but I still wanted some anecdotal evidence.

Fortunately, there's a great web forum with lots of practical advice and user commentary, as well as a thorough online article from U.K.'s Daily Mail, in which a reporter followed a group of women who undertook a six-week, no-hair-washing-allowed challenge.

Ultimately, while a few of the women had amazing results and promised to swear off shampoo forever, others claimed it was the worst six weeks of their lives and said they were constantly in tears because they smelled and looked gross.

Still, this didn't deter me. My hair isn't very greasy to begin with and I haven't had dandruff since the seventh grade, so I decided to just take the plunge.

I looked up a recipe that called for blending baking soda and water into a paste-like consistency, then massaged it into my scalp, letting it sit for a few minutes; after this, I mixed apple cider vinegar, water and vanilla extract in a bottle, tossed in a cinnamon stick and applied this mixture after the baking soda was rinsed out. I let it sit while I washed the rest of my body and then rinsed everything off again.

I've done this twice now, over the course of five days. Although the application isn't that easy - pouring watery liquid onto already-wet hair just doesn't feel nearly as effective as using a gel and working it into a foamy lather - it's definitely cheap, and the conditioning vinegar solution actually smells pretty nice.

My overall impression so far: Not bad. I think I need to keep this going for a while longer to see where it leads, aesthetically speaking, but it's worth continuing. I just hope my friends and family will tell me if they see birds starting to nest in my tresses.

"If it works, then it works," Curtis says. "But personally, I'd be more concerned with what's lining our cans and going into our food than I would with something we put on our heads for less than 30 seconds each morning."

I actually wash my hair so infrequently I could probably qualify for this 'no 'poo movement'!! I've always had 'good' hair (ie poker straight, very fine but lots of it so it's beautifully thick, and it stands up to some serious punishment like dyeing, bleaching etc), and I've found it's improved a million percent since I finished high school and stopped washing it every couple of days.
When I do shampoo, I just use Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner, but I really only wash my hair once every fortnight, sometimes monthly. My hair is just past my waist and I only trim it once every year or two. I do dye it every few months, just to touch up my regrowth and give it a refresher, but unlike some people I can also bleach it six times within two days (when I'm not preggers I have neon coloured chunks through it, I do it myself at home) and my hair stays strong and shiny and healthy.

I think the trick is that I never, ever blowdry or straighten, I don't use any product except for maybe once or twice a year for special occasions (eg attending a wedding or something) and I just don't mess with it - let it do its own thing and you'll never have a bad hair day!! It's so low-maintenance having long hair, it's either swinging around down my back or tied up in a bun on hot days, and everybody always asks me if I have extensions when they see it out because they can't believe how good its condition is considering how long I've grown it.

I really do advise trying to wash as infrequently as possible, as well as staying away from blowdrying and product - it damages your hair and leaves residue that can be really hard to get out. I'm not a smelly hippie or terribly environmentally conscious, I just find my hair benefits in looks and condition from not torturing it, so I suggest giving it a go! Your hair will thank you for it!!

Ah the "no-poo" method.

I am at the point of using no chemicals or animal products on or in my hair (to wash it too) and was considering doing the apparently celebrated baking soda, cider vinegar and oils to wash with.

I have been seriously considering it but have zero dollars at the moment so am using up all my vegan chemical free shampoos first!

I have heard of this...that if you stop washing for long enough, your hair will actually "clean" itself without use of shampoo. Im not game enough to try it though! I have to wash my hair every day. I cant stand the slightest bit of oil. Yet i know if i only washed every second day, it would eventually get to the point where i didn't have to wash it every day. But its that in between stage that i dont wanna deal with!!

I did this trial for 3 months after a month long bushwalking trip got me through the worst period. But TBH with fine fairly straight hair it looked pretty average on me, to the point one of my GF just straight up told me it was pretty awful. I now only use natural shampoos and conditioners and only wash every 3 days (my hair copes fine) but I rinse it every day. You can find products with:

• no sodium lauryl suplhate
• no petrochemicals
• no artificial fragrances
• no harsh detergents
• no animal products or derivatives
• no harmful chemical and
• no parabens.

which are very gentle and do the trick if you want to take a different path.

My friend who has thick red, curly, frizzy hair loves the 'no poo'' technique and her hair looks great.

I have curly hair and I think the best thing is to let it go for at least a week in between washes.... I haven't gone no poo yet, but I have contemplated it... I've even thought about using the vinegar and bi-carb hair diet....

I use Modern Organic Products and they are chemical free, paraban free, SLS free, and animal friendly.

For anybody else who is interested in environmentally-conscious, vegan, paraben-free (and so much more) products, Goth Rosary makes amazing products, from shampoos to candles to hand sanitiser to massage oils - they are handmade, smell delicious and the service never, ever leaves anything to be desired. The prices are exceptionally low for the quality of the products, and the smells really do last all day, unlike other products that make the claim, but fade within an hour or two.
The shipping costs at the moment are a little bit expensive due to the Aussie dollar being so useless, but the lovely lady who is behind it all is adamant that her customers come first and prices will go back to normal as soon as everything stabilises.

I highly recommend her products so google 'Goth Rosary' and check her stuff out. You can buy a scent sample pack before ordering anything substantial to make sure you are getting something you will love - my personal favourites are 'Dervish' (smells like those pink musk lollies), 'Fairy Wings', 'Vexing', and a few others.

That explains it then .... since having DS 13 months ago I'm lucky to wash my hair once a week and it has never looked in better condition. I guess it all makes sense.