Any other dirty hippies.....

[anarchamom]

.....who don't use shampoo?

I've been no-poo for a couple of years now. I use baking soda and ACV, and despite the alkalinity concerns that some have, it's always worked great for me. Till now... Since moving to an area with hard water, I'm having to wash my hair more often because it gets heavy and lank really quickly. I'm considering alternate recipes.....I make my boys' shampoo with coconut milk and castile soap, but the soap doesn't work as well for me and it's difficult to rinse it all out of my long hair.

So what's your favorite way to wash your hair?

[Noodles]

I have been recently trying to curly girl method, which is only conditioner for washing.. It's no-poo but only conditioner. To scrub the scalp, we add in a little brown sugar or something else abrasive and scrub. I wouldn't say I'm a hippie, just trying to find something that my super curly and thick hair loves. So far I have noticed a huge difference in the frizz and poof I normally have. There a HUGE group on facebook and youtube has tons of videos.

I know this isn't the same thing, though.

[Sabrina22LE]

My sister and I went no-poo together. I loved it at first and my hair felt better than it ever had. I used ACV, but I have really sensitive lungs and breathing it in always hurt, I was tempted to dilute it, but then I noticed that my hair hadn't been growing nearly as much as it used to and I think the vinegar was beginning to do damage to my hair, it just didn't feel healthy. I decided to go back to shampoo, but I only wash my hair every few days. My sister remained on the no-poo method and it's been about a year and a half since I quit. My hair is much much longer than hers, but I can tell that hers is stating to grow again thanks to all the vitamins she's been taking. Sometimes I want to go back to no-poo, but the beginning is always the hardest part

[anarchamom]

Thanks, Noodles. My hair is stick-straight though, haha. A loooong time ago, I accidentally used only conditioner (thinking it was just odd-feeling shampoo, as I'd just bought it) for three days. It was not pretty. I also do not want to go back to buying mass-produced hair care products.

Sabrina - I always dilute to a 1:10 ratio. Straight up ACV is WAY too acidic to use on your hair regularly! That's probably why you had problems with it, and why your hair felt unhealthy.. My hair is past mid-back, and it was above my shoulders when I went no-poo.

[brahette]

My sister and I went no-poo together. I loved it at first and my hair felt better than it ever had. I used ACV, but I have really sensitive lungs and breathing it in always hurt, I was tempted to dilute it, but then I noticed that my hair hadn't been growing nearly as much as it used to and I think the vinegar was beginning to do damage to my hair, it just didn't feel healthy. I decided to go back to shampoo, but I only wash my hair every few days. My sister remained on the no-poo method and it's been about a year and a half since I quit. My hair is much much longer than hers, but I can tell that hers is stating to grow again thanks to all the vitamins she's been taking. Sometimes I want to go back to no-poo, but the beginning is always the hardest part

Question about this. On days you don't wash your hair, do you do dry shampoo or anything? I want to get into the habit of washing my hair less but it gets super greasy on even just one day of unwashing so I'd have to get by with dry shampoo or something.

[Sabrina22LE]

Thanks, Noodles. My hair is stick-straight though, haha. A loooong time ago, I accidentally used only conditioner (thinking it was just odd-feeling shampoo, as I'd just bought it) for three days. It was not pretty. I also do not want to go back to buying mass-produced hair care products.

Sabrina - I always dilute to a 1:10 ratio. Straight up ACV is WAY too acidic to use on your hair regularly! That's probably why you had problems with it, and why your hair felt unhealthy.. My hair is past mid-back, and it was above my shoulders when I went no-poo.

I see how I worded that wrong. I would prepare a bottle for my hair in advance, already diluted and ready to go, but even that was too acidic, I was tempted to dilute that bottle down even more, but by then I feel like it would be way too weak to even have any effect.

Question about this. On days you don't wash your hair, do you do dry shampoo or anything? I want to get into the habit of washing my hair less but it gets super greasy on even just one day of unwashing so I'd have to get by with dry shampoo or something.

It sounds weird, but your hair will adapt. When you're used to washing it every day it will get greasy really fast. Start by just washing it every other day and if it looks a little greasy on the off days just wash it with water, for me that usually takes care of it. After only a few days of that you'll start noticing that your hair isn't getting greasy as quickly. Right now I wash mine every third day and usually by then it is only starting to get a tiny bit greasy.

[Wild*Rose]

Question about this. On days you don't wash your hair, do you do dry shampoo or anything? I want to get into the habit of washing my hair less but it gets super greasy on even just one day of unwashing so I'd have to get by with dry shampoo or something.

I only wash mine like once a week unless I get really hot/ sweaty. At first it got really greasy but that stopped over time. But I do use dry shampoo towards the end of the week and I use it when I first get out of the shower after washing and drying my hair.

[Redchicken]

For the hard water, consider getting a shower filter. They have ones that screw right on the shower pipe and replace the shower head.

[anarchamom]

For the hard water, consider getting a shower filter. They have ones that screw right on the shower pipe and replace the shower head.

I'll definitely look into that. Thanks.



As for the dry shampoo - I use a mixture of cornstarch and cocoa powder after the first few days. The cocoa powder is to keep it from looking like the height of 18th-century fashion. Works great, and avoids the extra waste and harmful effects of aerosols.

[Medic2Doula]

I am considering trying this....