I just did my last ‘poo.
Finally.
I’d like to say it was monumental, or highly satisfying, or even memorable. But it was not. It was just another ‘poo.
After many months of goading by some of you, as well as a year of contemplation, I’m ready to throw my shampoo in the trash (or, more likely, pull it out of the trash and use the bottles for something else) and never. use. it. again.
I’m ready to live my life without commercial shampoos … and maybe even conditioners.
And, just like the homemade deodorant experiment, I encourage anyone who wants to join me on this to do so and give me your feedback on how it’s going.
Before, we were the Pit Sniffers. This time, we’ll be the Hair Chewers … the Hair Pickers? … The Hair Something. Help me out here.
Let’s talk about why you should go No ‘Poo with me.
The Benefits of Ditching Shampoo
Okay, so I know I don’t have any direct evidence that it’s going to solve my oily hair problem that crops up if I don’t wash within 24 hours. I haven’t tried it yet, right?
However, there are seriously thousands of stories out here in the vast internet universe about how going no ‘poo changed the lives of billions of hairs for the better.
Here’s what it seems we can expect:
- More body
- Less oily hair days
- Exponentially less frizz (are you listening, curly-haired girls?)
- More money in our pockets, because we’re not buying shampoo
- Even MORE money in our pockets, because the need for other hair products decreases a bunch
- Shinier hair (yay!)
- FAR fewer icky chemicals touching our scalp and skin and potentially causing nerve damage or even cancer
- A fabulously decreased impact to the environment in SO many different ways (less plastics bought, less chemicals entering the water supply, less consumption)
Shoot.
Why haven’t I done this already?
Scintillating Tidbits About Commercial Shampoo
Here’s the thing that persuaded me the most into going no ‘poo.
Until the late 1930s, women did not use shampoo. In fact, shampoo as we know it now wasn’t even invented.
In fact! In 1908, the big craze was to rinse and wash your hair with soap – every two weeks – instead of every month, as most women did at the time.
But I look at these pictures of my ancestors and their beautiful hair and think, “Why? Why do WE need to shampoo every dang day, when their hair looked so thick and shiny and beautiful already?”
And, of course, it’s just flat-out consumerism. Not to rant, but we’ve been sold throughout all of our lives that if we don’t buy-buy-buy, we’re gross and disgusting. (Bite me, marketing gurus. My great-grandma was hot, before you got all “oooh, you have to buy something to be hot.”)
And Here’s What Shampoo Does To Your Head
It strips the sebum – the natural oils your scalp produces – which tells your head to produce more oils. And this is why my hair gets oily 24 hours after washing with shampoo. Your scalp, “Oooh, girl! You blasted away all the oils! We must produce more and more, because THESE OILS ARE GOOD FOR YOUR HAIR!”
And, guess what, curlies? That’s why you get frizzy. You don’t allow those oils to coat the outer reaches of your hair, and you completely and totally nullify any chances that your body will take care of what’s ailing you.
So here’s the good news: I’ve read SEVERAL articles where dermatologists are really on board with the no ‘poo movement. Sort of. I mean, they still have to sell us the consumerism idea, too, so what they say is that we really don’t need to wash our hair more than once a week.
And they’re on board with the no ‘poo method I’ve decided to use, at least in terms of stating that “Well, it certainly can’t hurt anything. And it kinda makes sense.”
Guess that’s something.
How I’m Going to No ‘Poo
I’ve found a few different ways to live the no ‘poo lifestyle – from not using anything at all and just wiping your hair with a washcloth (talk about no-impact) to using nothing but conditioner to using a mixture of cucumber and lemon juice as shampoo.
However, I am going to try the most widely spread and popular route first.
(This is unlike me. I’m usually a maverick. But I figure if I’m hopping on the bandwagon, I’d best do it the most bandwagony way possible – first.)
No ‘Poo With Baking Soda and Apple Cider Vinegar
Three times a week, I am going to “shampoo” with a mixture of baking soda and water. The most recommended amount is 1 Tbsp baking soda to 1 C water. It also appears to be very important NOT to use more baking soda to water in the ratio.
How you shampoo with baking soda: Put the mixture in a bottle (and it sounds like a squirt bottle is most handy) and shake REALLY well before applying. After wetting your hair in the shower, apply the baking soda mixture to your scalp and rub in a circular motion all around – focusing on the scalp, not the rest of your hair. Rinse well.
Then, you “condition” the ends of your hair with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water.
How you condition with ACV: Mix 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar with 1-2 cups of water. Either just rinse the ends of your hair with the whole thing, or rinse your entire head with it. For now, I’m going to stick with the ends, because I’ve read that – especially in the beginning while your scalp is adjusting – too much ACV on your scalp could cause more overproducing of oils.
Here’s What We Can Expect:
- Two weeks of wondering what the flipping crack we’re doing, because our hair is overly greasy. This is okay. This is just like homemade deodorant. Our bodies have to readjust to the “normal” way of doing things. The scalp is going to overreact.
- Lots of “ponytail” and “hat” days for these first two weeks. No biggie. I wear a ponytail most days anyway.
- Increasingly better hair days after the initial breaking in period.
- Then, luxurious, beautiful hair we never knew we had – all along. It’s kind of like the Wizard of Oz, only without flying monkeys.
- Contrary to popular belief, not using shampoo does not lead to stinky hair. I’ve heard no reports that indicate that a stink or funk or otherwise unpleasant odor has resulted from any heads that use this method (at least after the first few “breaking in” overly oily days)
MOST IMPORTANTLY: If you want to do this with me – or at some other point in your crunchy life – GIVE IT AT LEAST THREE WEEKS TO A MONTH BEFORE QUITTING. Every single “bad review” I’ve read about this method includes these words:
“I only tried it for three days, but I hated it.”
Don’t be that person. Just don’t.
Want to Hop on the No ‘Poo Train With Me?
First of all, how the heck did my hair get so long? (Maybe has something to do with not getting it cut for a year and a half. Hmmm.)
Secondly, this is me just after shampooing for the last time. This is my before picture. I let my hair air dry, to be fair and completely nonpartisan about either method. So my after picture will be an air dry, too. Usually, I straighten my hair to get that weird wave out and disappear the split ends a little.
If you want to do this with me, I’d LOVE to have partners in crime here.
In fact, take a before picture. Do the no ‘poo with me for three weeks. Take another picture.
Send the pictures to me with your thoughts and results, and I’ll include them in a blog post toward the middle of next month.
What say you?
Hair Picker? Hair Checker? Hair Apparent?
Good grief. What should we be called?
A Week In The Life of Crunchy Betty’s Face
Does anyone continue to use heat tools for styling? I usually straighten my hair every day but I’m about to start the no poo maid and its summer so I don’t plan on styling for a while; at least not until I’m out of the greasy, oily stage. Just curious if styling with heat can resume once I’m a couple months into it.
Does anyone still continue using hot tools to style hair? I usually straighten my hair everyday, although I am about to start the no poo method and I don’t plan on styling it until I’m out of the gross, oily stage. Just curious if hot tools are still usable?
I’ve checked out a lot of no ‘poo tips as I’m hoping to go this way too but I have a question. You know when you mix the water with baking powder, do you use the whole mixture in one wash? And what about the vinegar?
I have a question too. I’m trying to go no poo but I have “small” problem – I can’t get my hair clean. I have used baking soda soluiton (1 cup of water, 1 tbsp of baking soda) and washed my hair with it. First time I tried I got my hair clean and soft, all other times my hair dries to greasy sticks. I have tried to use less baking soda, still the same results. If I’ve used more of it, my hair is still dirty and ends get extremley dry. ACV rinse makes it even worse. How did it work at the beginning but now is impossible to get lightweight and clean hair? I try to wash my hair every other or every two days.
Probably a repeat, but it’s hard to sort through the many comments. I’ve tried this for 2 weeks now and still hate what my hair feels like. I’ve only ever washed my hair 1-2 times a week anyway, so maybe my adjustment period will also be long. As you can tell, by how not often I wash my hair, I don’t have an oil problem until it’s been about 5 days. So what’s happening is my hair …during the wash, after the wash, after dried and for all the days after the wash until I wash it again…feels very gross. It is SUPER SUPER tangly. Impossible to get a comb or brush through. The ends are especially straw-like. The top does get a nice shine to it on the 3rd or 4th day after, but the ends are still straw, stiff and dry. It also feels gross when I touch my hair.
I washed with 1 tbsp baking soda in an old shampoo bottle. And then put 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar mixed with water onto the ends of my hair. Again, it never feels “clean” or soft or anything.
What am I doing wrong? Can anyone help a girl out here?
Hi Crunchy Betty and No ‘Poo-ers! 🙂
I live in Dublin and I’ve been unable to find Baking Soda, so I settled for Baking Powder. Since I’m only on my first week, so far the result is exactly as I expected- awful! Is this the normal path of No ‘Poo, or is it because Baking Powder won’t do the trick?
Please advise so I continue further or I’m just losing my time and kitchen stuff! 😉
I am very excited about this method of washing hair!! I have yet to go no ‘poo, but I have been training my hair to withstand the abscense of being washed. I am up to a week and half without washing my hair- I just rinse it, and condition the ends every few days with organic conditioner by 100% Pure. So NOW I am for sure going no ‘poo!! YAY!! I will be saving so much money by not ordering super expensive conditioner. weeeeelllll I might spluge every once in a while, because I LOOOOOVE the coconut smell, but I find I do not need to shampoo it out, so I will still be no ‘poo-ing. lol!
I LOVE that pic of your great-gramma! What an awesome shot!
I haven’t actually started the No Poo method yet as I have a few questions first if anyone can clarify them for me??
First, ok so when I start my first day, I’m obviously washing with the BS and conditioning with the ACV. After that day, from what I’ve read from other posts, am I to NOT wash or condition for as many days as I can stand until I wash and condition again? Or, am I supposed to water only wash and ACV condition on my days in between the BS washes?
Secondly, when the transition period is over, which is hopefully sooner then later, ewww!! I will hopefully have shiny, glossy hair as most people have reported and at that point am I mostly just water only washing and occasionally using the BS and ACV?
Lastly, I know most people have said that once your hair is dry, the ACV smell disappears but I am still a little concerned and self conscious and know I’ll miss my nice smelling hair so I was wondering if anyone can recommend an essential oil smell that I can add to the ACV. I know some people have added the tea tree oil or I think lavender oil, neither of which I am a huge fan so if anyone has any other suggestions I would really appreciate it.
Also, I have colored blonde hair, fairly straight with a very slight wave and fine but I have alot of it.
Thanks a bunch from a hopeful no poo newbie!!
I have been excited to try this for the last month, ever since I stumbled upon this clever blog! I am 20 years old. I have long (waist length), stick straight, dirty blonde hair that I have lightened using hydrogen peroxide and a blow dryer (or sunshine). I’ve tried box-dying it auburn but it didn’t hold the color. I usually shower in the mornings and my hair is usually oily by the end of the day, never holding any volume and hardly any curl, even if I use sponge curlers or braids the night before. Over the past couple years, I did start using baby powder to help stretch shampoo mornings (using Aussie Confidently Clean) to every other day.
But not anymore. I’m on day 6 of No ‘Poo. I BS and ACV every three days and use baby powder on the days between. I wear my hair in updos to help disguise the oil so I can look presentable at work and school, and I brush my hair in the morning before styling and at night before bed to help spread the oil. This seems to help.
I’ve got a hair-enthusiast friend doing this with me to support each other, and another honestly blunt friend to tell me if my hair smells funky. Once we’re ‘Poo free, we’re moving on to Henna.
The transition is hard, because people always complimented me on how nice my hair looks, and it didn’t look too hot for a few days. But It’s definitely improving. I just did my second BS and ACV wash and I have volume. It’s so soft. I have shine. And I cannot wait to see how my hair looks after this transition phase. Gorgeous, here I come.
Man, I’m totally lost as to what to do with my hair. I want to try no ‘poo but I’ve been dying my naturally light/medium brown hair black for several years. What will this do to the color? My hair is so limp with no body or volume when I use a heavy conditioner, but if I don’t its dry and dull… 🙁 has someone had the sam issues? Hellllpppp!!!!
I’ve been wanting to try this but haven’t for a few reasons. I have thin oily hair, and wash my hair daily. I switched to a sulfate free shampoo and conditioner, but it would be cheaper to go the BS/ACV route. I usually blow dry my hair a few times a week and flat iron, can you still do that in this method? Also, what do you do on the days you don’t wash? Do you rinse or not get your habit wet at all? Also, what about working out and sweating? Does that cause you to wash more?
So I have been doing no poo for about three months. I wash my hairy once a week because it would be ridiculous looking after all the things I have tried. But I found my personal solution for oily hair. I take baking powder and dust the while head. I MN powder it up and let it soak up my oil. I pick out my outfit for the next day, or that day, futz around. Then do the honey on my face, leave it on while I brush m teeth, then I hop in the shower and rinse everything. No shampoo or conditioner or vingar (I dye my hair and the vinegar takes the color right out, but I learn to make perfume with it but anyways) I just rinse it all out and my hair is fine. Excess oil is absorbed from the bs and I don’t need conditoner bc of my sebum. Coconut oil as face and body lotion and voila! I am clean.
Can I only use the baking soda and ACV every few days or can I use it more often if/when my hair gets greasy? I normally wash my hair every day or every other day. Thanks!
Hi! I’ve read a lot about this method, but there I’ve got one question. Am I supposted to use whole mixture of baking soda and ACV each time? Like do I use 1 tbsp baking soda in 1 cup of water and use the whole mixture and then use the whole AcV recipe? Maybe a silly question, but I’ve read so much different I really do feel confused.
I have been doing the no ‘poo for a little over a week and amazingly enough, my hair didn’t have one day of over greasiness. Except for one day when I didn’t wash it. It’s still a bit frizzy which is super annoying, but I feel like it’s a lot less frizz with the baking soda solution than with shampoo. I do use the solution every day since my hair gets super greasy when I don’t (it did this even with shampoo). For the solution I have an old bottle with a tiny squirt spout and just make up 3 cups worth at a time, let it sit overnight after shaking the crap out of it, and use it in the morning. Feels very slippery but man it gets my hair squeaky clean, I was pretty surprised.
I still use some Renpure Organice conditioner on the bottom half of my hair when I want it to not look like a mess (my hair is very dry from hair dye chemical damage) but I never put it on my scalp. (My hair is down to the middle of my back, maybe a bit longer and still growing so I have plenty of room to work the conditioner without getting it on my scalp).
Has anyone else experienced new hair loss since starting? I’m two weeks in and my thinning hair is showing bald spots. Should I stop or push through?
So I have a ? When washing my hair with the BS wash do I use all that I just made or do I use just what I feel I need and then use the rest the next shower?
hey there, after reading this i decided to do the no poo as well. as it is, i have ‘dry’ hair and usually only shampooed twice a week. i did my last poo 3 weeks and 2 days ago. my hair seems to be ‘freaking out’ now, just feels heavy with oily. it doesn’t look oily but it feels awful. i’m wondering if maybe since i didn’t shampoo everyday before, my hair is having a delayed reaction to the switch? has anyone had a similar experience after 3 weeks?? my hair is long, straight and thick.
Hi I just found your website and I had to laugh when I read the line underneath the Headline saying: “You have food on your face.” because exactly today I decided to do a facemask using manuka honey xD!
i am starting tonight. i have been using the apple cider method with shampoo, and i love it. this interested me though, and this might be a silly question, but would it be beneficial to use the other remedies such as olive oil and eggs.
ok ladies and gents, i am day 4 of no poo and me being the idiot i am did my olive oil overnight treatment like i usually did, but the baking soda vinegar didnt get the oil off my hair and now i look like John Travolta in Grease. i dont want to have to start over, any ideas as to how to get the oil out of my hair without using my old shampoo? much appreciated!
i have an excessively oily scalp, and tired of spending tons of money on products to tame frizz, and tired of spending so much money and time on my hair. im doing the no-poo method too. its been a week. i will keep doing it for at least a month. my roots don’t feel greasy but the rest of my hair does. (can’t wait for my scalp to adjust!) it already feels thicker tho, i’ve gotten lots of compliments even tho it feels dirty to me, and looks tamed and shiny and healthy without any extra products after showering or styling. over all im impressed and excited about this. but again i really want my scalp to adjust to the oil cause its bugging me. lol i also make a cup of hot black tea and dump it over my head after rinsing out the vinegar, it smells nice.
I switched oer to WEN 1 1/2 years ago and love my hair and not using shampoo. I am not sure I want to do this no poo method yet, so your process may be the convincing factor in my decision . WEN is great , and i only order it twice a year so I feel justified by the cost since I am not high maintenance when it comes to hair care!!!!!!!! I will be checking back to see how you faired.
This is AMAZING! I have no idea why I wasn’t brave enough to try this earlier. I heard about the no ‘poo method about two years ago, but only tried it last night. Recent comments I read inspired me to try it. I woke up this morning, not only with silky soft hair but also without any tangles! I have curly tailbone-length hair so I was amazed by that. Plus, there isn’t any frizz! I so hope this keeps up. I’m in love. : )
I’m still wondering what I should do to detangle my hair in the shower though; last night in the shower my hair wasn’t very tangled, so I just finger combed a bit, but after a couple days it may get more tangled. Does any one have any suggestions as to a natural solution I can use to make my hair a little more slippery to detangle it more easily? I don’t use a brush or comb (I go by the DevaCurl method), so it’ll need to be slippery for me to get any big knots out with my fingers . Thanks!
Also, I have another quick question. Can you store your apple cider vinegar solution in your shower or does it have to be refrigerated?
I have a question for all no pooers & would be ones, I have been doing the no poo for a month now and I’ve been experiencing hair fall on my third week to present. Is the hair fall part of the transition period? I love the effects of no poo on my hair but I’m scared of the hair fall. As you know I have fine hair so I’m scared that this hair fall will lead to bald patches. Help anyone!
I already have bald patches and switched to no poo two weeks ago hoping it would promote new hair growth (especially because I’m only 24)… unfortunately, i keep losing hair. tonight i pulled out at least 30 hairs in the shower… i’m really disappointed. i would also like an answer to this question.
I have been doing the no poo for over 2 months now. I vow to never touch a shampoo bottle again. In 2010 I left South Africa to go on a 2 year mission trip to the Pacific. I saw the girls’ hair there and vowed that I would return home woth gorgeous hair. It never happened. Instead of going home I came here to South Korea and settled in. My hair has never been bad. I just hated how build up and grease made me want to wahs every day and yet my mom always told me it’s bas to wash every day. In high school i used to use a cheap Colgate shampoo and my hair was amazingky better than when I startee earning and buying Pantene. I am one of 3 daughters so we had to use what we could. It made no sense to me that my classmates envied my hair when I used the cheapest products you can find. Well, I recently stumbled across a blog about bicarb and acv an tried it. Korean water is seriously hard and my hair was breaking so badly despite the fact that I have touched a heat iron or blow dryer in years. After trying the poo free method my hair looks and feels amazing. No more itchy scalp. No more white fluff under the nails after scratching. No more frizz and my hair is growing at a hectic spead and breakage is non existent. The golf ball of hair I used to remove from my shower drain every week is gone. I don’t shed anymore. Nothing. My advice: never dtop this method. It has changed my world. I am returning home in Oct sith long thinck and amazing hair!!!
Is there a substitute for baking soda? I dye my hair red and using baking soda strips the color. My hairdresser told me that when I had pink hair and god forbid didn’t want it anymore. Anyways, I really wanna try this. Any suggestions?
ok so i’m thinking of following this…i have crazy puffy dry,frizzy long hair with split ends and a itchy scalp….i have no idea wat to do with it…but i’m gonna try this out…..
i have really bad water here nd i don’t have apple cider vinegar so can somebody help me out? i really want to have nice hair….
Thanks for the great information! I began no ‘poo the beginning of October, and on the days I “wash” my hair it is great. Still not wonderful in between. My biggest problem, though, is that when I use heat on it, it gets this really weird texture. Most of the time it’s not a big deal, but when I want my hair to look nice I really need to blow dry it or use a flat iron. Anyone else have issues with heat giving your hair a weird texture or any remedies for this? Thanks!
Any no/poo-ers out there with short hair? I have an almost pixie cut that I have to put mousse and wax in to not look like a fluffy-headed koosh ball. I want to go no-poo, but am wondering if it is just defeating the purpose since I will probably still be using those products in my hair? Are there any recipes for homemade versions of mousse/wax that I haven’t found on the internet yet? Any Input is greatly appreciated!
I don’t have short hair….quite the opposite, but I’ve been doing ‘no poo’ for a little while and I find it fine to use product. The baking soda washes it out.
I battle the frizz two ways. When my hair is wet, I use homemade flax seed gel. When my hair is dry, I use a spray made out of chamomile, rosemary, sage, thyme, lemon juice and 1 1/2 plus cup water (1/2 tablespoon each and ground up in a grinder then set in water, set in mason jar overnight then strain with panty hose and keep in fridge) works like a curl definer/mouse/texturizer.
Hi Rebecca! I have really frizzy hair too so I’m gonna try your spray…. how do you make the flax seed gel if you don’t mind me asking?
Hi Kristin!
You have to boil flax seeds in water for about 15-20 minutes (or less if you want it lighter), and you’ll get something with a texture between hair gel and snot, but really effective. It last for about 3 days, but up to 2 weeks if you add some essential oils (as I have dry hair, I add honey, coconut oil and teatree essential oil). You can also freeze it and take it out anytime you need it (I freeze it in an ice bucket and take 2-3 cube every week, and put it in a little dispenser). For me also works well in dry hair and doesn’t leave any residue, but I may give a go to Rebecca’s spray!
This is very late, but thought I’d throw in on this. The flax gel is nice, but you don’t get a lot of bang for your buck. It takes A LOT of flaxseed to make a little gel and I don’t have that kind of time or money. I keep my pixie spiky and controlled with clear unscented aloe vera gel from Fruit of the Earth (Crystal Clear – about $5). My hair loves it, as do my schedule and wallet.
The flax gel is by far the cheapest buildup ever! I think you are doing it the wrong way… (or the flax seeds are very expensive in your country). I boil 2 tbsp of seed in about 250ml of water and I get gel for 1-2 months…
I used to have an inverted bob haircut, and used Tigi Bed Hair stick wax for finishing it. But it’s sooo very expensive in my country (makes no sense, I know). Reading the stick label, there’s these ingredients: Castor Oil, Beeswax, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Japan Wax, Candelilla Wax, Fragrance, Sorbitan Stearate, BHT.
Candelilla wax is a vegan substitute to beeswax, so it can be left out. So, you can take a regular solid perfume recipe (there’s one here in Crunchy Betty, I can’t post the link, not sure why), use Castor oil as carrier oil, and you’re half way there. Also, Japan wax is not a wax at all, but a fat that remains solid at room temperature. So if you use a butter with the same properties (like cocoa butter), you’ll have a wax/mousse of sorts. I like mine more solid, like the original Tigi stick, so I use less butter. But you can add more butter to get the consistency you want. The wax will give you control and body, and the butter will give shine and softness (with a mosturizing bonus). You can also add your favorite essencial oil if you want. I’m not no ‘poo (yet), but I use it only on the ends, never the scalp, so I don’t see how this could hinder the no ‘poo process.
PS: Sorbitan Stearate is a synthetic wax, and BHT is an antioxidant. We can live without either 😉
Hi! New to your blog but after reading this entry I’ve gone 24 days now no-poo 🙂 Just curious, if you want to use a curling iron or a straightener should you still use a heat protectant spray or something? It seems like it could cause a lot of product build up. Thanks!
Hi there I was wondering is this no poo alright for my coloured hair or will it fade or strip it out just had it done can’t have that now
I love what you’ve written and I am trying No ‘Poo because you made it sound so awesome. I was wondering if this would work if your hair is colored? What if someone with naturally gray, extremely curly hair who colors it a dark brown tries this. Will it ruin the color? Thanks!
I’m one week into no poo and although the oily scalp is a little gross I’ve already noticed my previously very damaged ends from tons of dying are already looking better. For sure sticking this out!
I don’t use shampoo at all except when I do oil treatments, so should I use this as a shampoo to get those oils out or would it mess up the treatment?
I’m kinda late– no scratch that, I am way late but I am hopping on the no ‘poo train. I just did my first ever BS/ACV wash and my hair is feeling very broom like, but I read the other post about how it gets better so I am gonna stick with. Wish me luck!
LOVE no ‘poo!! it is amazing! I had really short hair and was trying to grow it out and it just wasn’t growing at all but when i started using no ‘poo it has grown about 3 inches in 2 months! it also leaves my hair really shiny and feels so much thicker!
oohhh i hope this happens to mine!!!
I should mention I wash my hair once a week; twice tops. I think that might make a big difference.
I am more than a month into just using this basic method and it’s working great for me! I took some pictures, but my laziness to upload them has no bounds. Sometimes I miss my boyfriend telling me how good my hair smells, but then, I remember that it was never my hair, rather some artificial scent he was smelling and hair should probably not smell like much anyway. I’ve found I like using the mixture better after it’s been sitting in the bottle for a while dissolving more completely and that the vinegar really does change the texture back to soft. Hooray for saving money! If only I could get boyfriend to stop buying crappy ‘poo from the drugstore…
I’m so scared to go no poo but mostly I’m scared to go non conditioner!! I feel as thought I will end up having to rip/brush my hair out and that I will smell like vinegar!!!
i have a question for you Crunchy Betty and everyone else– I’m doing the no poo or at least am going to give it a go for a while. I like my etsy shampoo and the way it smells. I would be very happy if I could find some way to go no poo and still have my hair smell wonderful. I’ve read that going no poo with BS and AVC will result in a clean head, but a head that smells just like a head.
Do you have any tips or advice no how to go no poo and still have my hair to smell like patchouli? Should I add essential oils to my AVC? Should I get a body spritzer for after shower? Should I add actual patchouli to my AVC?
thanks!
There have been a couple of times where my loving husband has looked at me and said “Honey, your hair stinks.” What I’ve done to fix this is add a few things to my shampoo. For the shampoo, I put 5-7 drops of tea tree oil, then peppermint or lavender or a mix of both. I put literally two drops of soap (dr bronners or whatever) to get the oil to mix evenly with the water. Then I rinse with homemade citrus vinegar and water. If you still want more of a scent, I put some oils and water (drop of soap) into a small spray bottle and spray my hair once it dries.
I read somewhere that if you have a boar bristle brush especially, you can add a little bit of essential oil to your brush and that will scent your hair.
I too have been thinking of going poo free. I have changed to shampooing every other day, hoping to slow down the oils. From what I read on another blog, the key is to put the mixture of baking soda and water together and let it sit for two weeks before using it.
I too have been thinking of going poo free. I have changed to shampooing every other day, hoping to slow down the oils. From what I read on another blog, the key is to put the mixture of baking soda and water together and let it sit for two weeks before using it.
I want to delete the poo from my life, but I color my hair. Any suggestions?
I color my hair too – red on top and blond underneath. After a couple of months of no ‘poo, my color has actually stayed in better this time. Even the red, which is prone to fade quickly, still looks great after several weeks. It’s also repaired the texture of my hair, as by trying to dye it myself, I inadvertently made it super dry like straw.
I haven’t washed my hair more then once a week or once every two weeks in years, and recently I have hit the 4 – 5 week mark with incredibly good results. I never tried baking soda wash, I just did a ACV rinse at least once a week. I think I will try the baking soda wash with it, now. Thanks for the advice!
What is your hair like after 4-5 weeks without a wash? Oily at all? I’d love to get to that point. What do you do on all of the other days when you don’t wash your hair? Just rinse with water, or keep it dry?
For the in between stage where the ends of your hair feel like awful broom-ends, try using mayonaise (Not MiracleWhip) as a natural conditioner. It smells gross, but that leaves as you rinse it out. It’s amazing how well this works 🙂
Try coconut oil after every wash instead!
Hi, I’ve been at this for 6 weeks now, using the Baking Soda and ACV about once a week. My hair is still gross and greasy / oily. I’m ready to give up, but I’ve come so far… do you think it’s possibly that it’s not getting any better because I am using the BS/ACV mix? Are you supposed to just not use anything at all during the detox period?
I keep seeing that some people need to play with the baking soda to water ratio. Also, make sure you dissolve the baking soda in very warm water. Let it sit on your head for 10 minutes before rinsing. Some people have posted that they need to boil the water first, because they have hard water, then let it cool some and try that.
Hello, hello! I am almost to my 3rd week of No ‘Poo. The only greasy, gross day I’ve had was when I showered with warmer water than I usually do. Apparently the hotter the water the more greasy the hair will be (and hot water damages your hair!) It is actually recommended that we shower with cool water. Also, I have a bit of eczema and as long as I shower with cool water my eczema stays away! No ‘Poo has given my hair more body, more shine, it’s much softer and thicker, and it brought out more of the natural colors in my hair! My hair is strawberry-blond, but after using this treatment it got darker red (YAY!) and my natural highlights are much more noticeable. I will never use store bought shampoos/conditioners ever again! Thanks CrunchyBetty! Also, ingredients with eth in their name are on the list of carcinogenic ingredients. There are so many poisonous chemicals in almost everything sold in stores! In fact, most every sun block has a carcinogenic ingredient! Imagine that! A product that supposedly protects you from skin cancer actually can give you skin cancer. Definitely glad my cousin referred me to CrunchyBetty!
I trained as a beautician about 5 years ago and two years ago I decided I’d like to work in a spar. So I began training in holistic therapies. I was really shocked to hear my tutor talk about natural products. As a beautician we were all about branded cosmetics, buying £20 bottles of shampoo! To hear her telling me things that I’d never really thought much of (I mean if natural was so great why is there all these supposedly awesome products on the market?!), it was a complete revolution! She set me a challenge of researching and presenting a natural beauty class. I have to say I was hooked and the thought of using products out of the high streets makes me go eurgh!
However, I have never tried anything other than oils on my hair and use shampoo every two days. My hair is sooo dry and greasy and really flat and lifeless. I am really interested in trying this.
I had a baby 7months ago and she has a mop of hair. I’ve never washed it with shampoo yet cos it always looked great after being bathed in just water. How long can I carry on with this for? And can my 4 year old join me in this method above?
I hope its a yes. xxxx
I don’t see why a child can’t join in on this too! Give it a shot!
for some reason when i wash my hair i get lather. like shampoo lather i can’t figure out why this is happening hellp!
Are you rinsing the baking soda/water mixture really good before applying the ACV?
Ok I need some clarification: if you wash every 3-4 days, what do you do on the off days? Just rinse with water, or wrap your hair up when you shower and don’t get it wet at all?
Also, I tried an egg and olive oil mask the other day and my hair did not come clean after I used the BS/water and then ACV rinse 3 times! Can we use hair masks while going no ‘poo? If so is there a different way to make sure that you wash out all of the mask?
Last question: I have dandruff! Never had it before until I’ve started this no ‘poo. I wash every 4 days and I’ve tried pouring straight ACV on my head as someone recommended with no success. What do I do to get rid of it? Tea tree oil in BS/water mix? Less baking soda in 1 cup water? PLEASE HELP!!!
I am out of my shampoo so I decided to try the no poo BS/ACV. I have thick semi-curly hair. I don’t normally wash it daily, usually 2-3 days but no more than 4, so that may be to my advantage as far as transition goes. I am worried about not using conditioner since my thick hair is unmanageable without it but so far so good. Today it seemed like it was dry and coarse after washing. But once I brushed it and it air dried it was amazingly soft. My husband and son were impressed. My husband sniffed it! Haha he said it smelled like my hair. I’m sure he was worried about the vinegar. Day 1 done.
How often should I do this? What is the identifying factor that says ‘wash your hair’? With commercial shampoo I could hardly go 4 days without washing or else I’d end up with a greasy/itchy scalp that would bleed if I dared scratch at it. But on my first week of BS/ACV I got to day 4 and, sure, I could sense an oily build up, but nothing compared to my traditional shampoo experiences. So for the sake of boredom I went ahead and washed with the BS/ACV on day 4. But I probably could have comfortably went to day 5 no problem. I am convinced that my infrequent washing with shampoo attributed to that. I am wondering though, if the goal is regulated oil production, is the BS stripping it down? Don’t I not want that? 😉 however, after the second wash and air dry it is again soft and manageable.
It’s recommended to wash every 3-4 days. But I don’t see why you couldn’t push it to 5 every time.
I had to stop no-pooing! I did it for only 6 weeks. I brushed it daily to try and get the oils to come down but it was taking forever. I was so greasy and brittle. It was constantly breaking. At first it was gorgeous, albeit very staticy. And I was hoping it would work mainly for the sake of telling people I don’t use shampoo! haha So when I decided to try a SLS and paraben free shampoo I bought a new Aveeno 2-in-1 it was supposed to gently remove some oils. Instead it stripped my scalp to the point of burning it! Maybe because I had so much oil present, I don’t know! But I took it back and got a Jason brand shampoo and conditioner to restore my hair and even that makes my scalp feel stripped and weird. Maybe it just feels different to me because I have always used SLS shampoos and now I’m not. IDK! But I tried and failed. I think ultimately my thick hair work against me. Not sure why it was breaking so bad either. I’m still only washing 2x a week though so that’s a plus in my book.
I’m definitely giving this a try. I don’t use much in the way of hair products anyway; hair treatments made from stuff like olive oil, honey and yogurt work fantastic, and I already worked out that one egg yolk works pretty well for shampoo. And while I don’t have a problem with chemistry (try having a root canal without chemistry; have fun!) as such I don’t like how much energy and resources go into selling shampoo that’s mostly perfume, water, bulking agents and so on.
So, baking soda and ACV! Looking forward to this experiment. Also, I really love your blog, there’s so much stuff to try and learn and it’s always fun to read. (I had such fun with the idea of all the other shower caps combusting back in the 50ies.)
can you still straight and blow dry your hair like regular? does it help with hair loss/fall? i feellike im loosing more hair 🙁
Yes to straightening and blow drying it. I don’t think it helps with hair loss.
Has anyone else developed dandruff? I’ve never had a problem with dandruff before in my life and I’m about 2 weeks into no ‘poo and I have dandruff every day! Is it just my scalp riding itself of build-up? Is there anything I can do to get rid of it and still stay no ‘poo? Please help!
How often are you washing?
I use the BS/ACV method about once every 3-4 days. On my off days I rotate in between just rinsing my hair with water and other days I don’t rinse or wash at all. If I tried a tea rinse once and awhile would that help?
I’ve been ‘poo-free for 2.5 years now. No going back! The first week was awful so I used shampoo, but after that my scalp got the message to scale back the oil production. I just wet my hair when I bathe, but maybe once every 4-6 weeks I do an ACV rinse when I feel some scalp build up going on. No smell, soft manageable hair, and a silky shine. So glad I tried it out!
I tried no’poo, and one thing to watch out for is the apple vinegar smell. After I come home from a jog, I could smell the vinegar and my mom gave me a hard time about it. (Teen crunchy fan) Does anyone know a good solution to this?
I use old tea leaves/bags with the ACV. They’re great as conditioner anyway and take the smell away! Green tea especially is great.
Can anybody let me know why it’s so important not to increase the baking soda to water ratio?
I’ve been doing this for about two years. Once my hair stopped over-producing oils, it returned to its normal state from back when I used shampoo. It really is no different for me. It still gets oily and itchy if I go too long without washing, and I miss my dandruff shampoo because my dandruff is back with a vengeance (I plan to try coconut oil when I stop being lazy). The main reason I’ve stuck with it is less the results than my aversion to the chemicals in regular shampoo. My hair is more or less the same.
I use more of a baking soda “paste” that I massage into my scalp and after reading this post I’m thinking maybe that is a bad idea. I don’t know if cutting back on the soda will help with the oil or the dandruff, but maybe that is part of my problem. Anyone know why that ratio is so important? And is it equally important for the ACV? I’ve fallen into the habit of eyeballing it, but maybe I should reconsider.
Thanks for the help!
From what I understand, everyone’s ph balance and oil production is unique. The quantity your hair likes will be different from someone else, and the viscosity of your mixture will be different as well. I suggest starting with the small amounts, in more water. Then after your hair adjusts, EITHER increase the amount of bs in the water, OR reduce the amount of water to make a thicker paste (presumably so it soaks on your head longer). I would only make one change at a time, so you know what it is that was the right move. Eventually (hopefully sooner than later), you will figure out what your head likes best.
My head likes less bs; two tablespoons makes an unbearable waxy coating on my hair that has to be washed out and started over. 1 tbsp is my magic number, but I’m considering trying the paste to get it to stay on longer.
Good luck!
Kind of nervous to try No-‘Poo for the first time because I get a little self conscious when my hair doesn’t smell like anything. Is it possible that we can add essential oils into either the BS or the ACV to make hair smell nice? XD
I’ve seen people post about adding tea tree oil. I would research essential oils first because not all of them are good for your skin!
Oh, I confess: I am a wash-my-hair addict. My big accomplishment right now is the fact that I’m washing it every other day, instead of every single day. 🙂 This is an interesting idea, and I know I have to get away from my toxic shampoo. I don’t know if I’m crazy about the idea of baking soda – seems kinda rough on the hair. I don’t dye my hair, but I did JUST buy some boxes of natural henna (not the dye kind, the no-colour-but-gives-you-shiny-hair kind), which I think the baking soda would strip. I think I will probably just try a good, natrual shampoo, like the kind at the health food store. Or maybe I will try the “sorta poo with coconut milk and castille”, which sounds awesome!
I realize this is an older post, hopefully there’s still someone who will read my comment and help! I’ve been using this method for over a month now. I still cannot go longer than 2 days without washing and even that is a stretch, I have very thick oil on my hair. It looks horrible but I’m not ready to give it up yet. We do have (very) hard water and I’ve read that this could be my issue. I’ve tried boiling my water first, no difference. I’m about to get a bath now and have made my mix with distilled water and have a gallon of It handy to rinse with as well. Hoping this works, how long should I expect the switch in water to show a difference? Will it be instant or take a few days-weeks? And after giving it some time, if it still doesn’t work, does anyone have any ideas? Or Should I find another method??
I’ve been ‘no-poo’ for about 4 months now and I had the same problem with hard water, too. I have found that what helps is letting the baking soda mixture sit in my hair for a few minutes before rinsing. And I’m not sure if you’ve tried this yet, but don’t forget to use the ACV rinse & definitely let that sit for about 5 minutes before rinsing, you’re hair will feel so much better. I hope this helps!
Well, I decided to go along with the no’poo craze. Todays my first day and my hair feels so light and bouncy.. I didn’t know it was possible! Hopefully it continues this way!
Thank you, Crunchy Betty! I am a no ‘poo convert thanks to your posts. I’m on Day 21 and feeling better than ever. Here’s my story; hope it inspires more people to ditch the ‘poo! http://everyfoodfits.com/2012/08/09/of-baking-soda-apple-cider-vinegar-and-no-poo/
I use distilled white vinegar, is that ok to use too?
Hey everyone, I have been no-poo for about two months now! After
battling a gross waxy feeling for a few weeks at the beginning, things have been great. I
have been using Pure Earth Hair Wash (a mineral/mud) by Terressentials that I loved at first, but it’s a bit pricey for me and is only available online, so I really want to try this baking soda and ACV method!
I only have one thing I’m worried about: TIME. I am a crazy on-the-go commuter person, and I loathe the time it would take me to mix this stuff up every few days before my shower. Can these concoctions be made in larger batches to save on time, and then shelf-stored?
I guess what I really mean to ask is: Do these mixtures go bad? Can I make a big bottle of each say… once a month, keep them in my shower, and be okay?
Thanks to anyone with answers!!
Yes you can premix this! I use my old dishwashing squirt bottles and they hold about 3 cups. I mix 1 tbsp per cup and shake real well. I have also found that the baking soda mixture does better once it has set for a few days anyway.
I know this was posted ages ago, but I just keep baking soda & apple cider vinegar in the bathroom and two cups.. Mix it while you’re in the shower, pour on your head, and go.
I bleach my hair, will this work if I do this or do I need to have natural hair? Trying to ditch the bleach but for now, unless I shave my head, its here 🙂 Any ideas?
Oh, and did I mention that since I added tea tree oil to my non-‘poo, I don’t have ANY issues with my seborrheic dermatitis, anymore? <3
This is a before and after of my hurr, using no ‘poo. I can’t express how much I L-O-V-E this method. It undid the damage to my roots, I get fewer split ends, I don’t have to straighten or curl my hair religiously anymore, and I can go like five or six days without washing it! (Super bonus for when I DO decide to curl it, I only have to do it once, and it lasts all week, haha.)
I started no poo this weekend and I’m on day three. I have extremely long, straight hair and it is absolutely horrible right now. I’m using a 1tbs./1c. BS/H2o solution that I’m spraying on in the shower, mostly on the scalp, and the same ratio white vinegar/h2o that I’m focusing on the ends. I was planning to do this daily. My hair isn’t particularly greasy right now in the conventional sense, (and it usually is), but it has a horrible texture that I don’t even know how to describe, although I’ll try…dry, sticky, difficult to brush and when the tangles come out, it still feels tangled even though it’s not. It’d be impossible to even braid. I’m fine with a transition period, but I’m not convinced I’m doing this right. I’m considering switching to BS occasionally when it seems dirty instead of just greasy and using coconut oil or regular conditioner on the ends to detangle and soften on those days. Any thoughts from people who have tried this and might have similar hair?
I have really long (nearly to my waist) thick semi-wavy hair. I’ve been ‘no-poo’ for around 4 months now. It took me about 3 months to get this figured out & my hair manageable again. My hair before was pretty low maintenance, I barely had to brush it once a day, but I did have some issues with dandruff. Once I went ‘no-poo’ my hair poofed up so much it looked kinda like a big scary black mane and my ends kinda freaked out. They felt kinda waxy & were always tangled, even right after I brushed, I could barely run my fingers through it! There was also an issue with static for a while. So I understand your frustration.
I use a mixture of just over 1 T bs with a couple drops of honey and some Tea tree & Peppermint Essential Oils per cup of water. I have found that adding the honey really keeps the volume to a much more manageable level and the essential oils help with my dandruff. I also switched from ACV to plain white vinegar, don’t really know why but this just seems to work better on my hair. maybe one day I’ll go back to the ACV and see what it does.
I keep my bs mix in a condiment-type squirt bottle and the vinegar dilution in another. I squirt the bs mix on my wet hair and work it in for a few min before I rinse it out. I discovered, almost by accident, that if I use the vinegar rinse all over my head, not just the ends, and leave it in my hair for a good 5min, all is good again & the tangles slip right out! I am to the point now that I only need to do this about twice a week, I love it!
With a bit, ok A LOT, of patience and some experimenting I believe this can work for those of us with insanely long hair. Good luck, I really hope this helps you.
I am one week without shampoo and absolutely LOVE my hair!! I learned from a friend to leave the Baking Soda/water on my scalp while I wash, scrub, shave the rest of myself. I also increased the ACV to water ratio SLIGHTLY in the “conditioner” and that made a difference this morning. I haven’t used hot water – I prepare the 2 bottles the night before so the baking soda has dissolved. I don’t mind the refreshingly cold bottle this time of year, but I may need to rethink this come December.
Anyway – Thank you! I really appreciate all the experienced advice from other readers.
I’m gonna go run my fingers through my hair now.
I’ve been no ‘poo for two and half years now. The first week was AWFUL and I finally had to shampoo, but after that the oil production slowed to a crawl. My hair is silky and manageable and there is definitely no smell. I tried the baking soda/ACV thing early on but found it made my hair feel really brittle. Most of the time I just wet my hair when I bathe and that’s it, but sometimes when I feel my scalp getting itchy I’ll do a diluted ACV rinse, scrub hard with my fingernails, then rinse again with ACV. My scalp feels cleaner but my hair gets that staticky fly away look for a couple of days afterwards.
Best experiment I’ve ever done. Oh yeah, I started the “no soap” experiment at the same time, and that’s been terrific for my skin, too. I still use a gentle soap on my hands after using the toilet, but when I bathe it’s just me, water, and a facecloth. No odor, no smelly soap residue, my skin is very soft, and I no longer need moisturizer during the painfully dry winters where I live (except on my poor cracked hands – stupid soap). So awesome to be able to walk away from those unnecessary chemical soups I used to slather on daily!
I’ve been really interested in the “no poo” craze, and would jump on the bandwagon within a second. But I’ve been wondering, does anyone know if the baking soda messes with the color of dyed hair at all? I know it doesn’t really make sense to switch to a chemical free way of washing just to coat my hair in different sorts of chemicals and metals, but I’m more in it for the body my hair will get afterwards. Not to mention the money I’ll save, or the time not needing to wash it so often. If anyone has any idea advice would be very welcome.
Thanks!
Yes, it does, it makes it fade sooner. I dye my hair too, but I’m to the point where I don’t have to bs/acv more than once or twice a week so I don’t notice it too much. I think it depends on the color you dye and how often you wash. I dye mine at home so it’s not too big of a deal if I have to touch up, although I’m trying to get to a point where I’m done dying, so I’ve definitely started spacing them out more.
Hi I started the BS and AVC treatment today, and stopped shampooing maybe a couple days ago. My hair is SO greasy, and I know everyones gets this way, but I am not sure how to keep doing things like going in my pool. How do I get the chlorine out afterwards without shampooing? Tips would help a lot!
Rinse your hair really well with water before going in the pool & really well after you get out. (:
I’ve been doing this for a month and I just LOVE it. Fortunately, I only had a bad greasy day – the first one. I don’t know if it was because before doing the no ‘poo I’ve been using the least possible amount of shampoo for three months, so going from a tiny, tiny bit of shampoo to none at all wasn’t that big of a change….
But gotta let, before doing this my hair was in a very sorry state – no volume, no brightness, no nothing. Add to it that I have thin hair and not a lot and my hair had nothing to boast. But after doing the BS/ACV wash, my hair has a lot more volume and it’s more wavy than before. I’m a happy camper =D
So, I’m new to this blog and I’m just joining in on all the awesomeness that it has to offer. I have thought about using baking soda as a shampoo, but I have read that it will strip your hair color. Has anyone had a problem with their dyed hair color stripping while doing the no ‘poo?
I started no poo almost two months ago now, using only baking soda and acv. I used to have super oily hair and it was never as soft and smooth as it is now, even with commercial shampoos, conditioners, serums, etc! I only have to wash my hair every 4-5 days now. When I first started no poo, it was terrible!!! I had to wash every other day, and even that was not often enough sometimes. But FINALLY, after exactly 5 weeks of using BS and acv, my hair suddenly felt so much better as I washed it in the shower. The baking soda suddenly felt like it was actually doing it’s job in cleaning my hair. That day was amazing!!! I’ll never go back to shampoo!
I have to ask this. What about those days when you exercise, and your hair is completely drenched in sweat? How do you go without washing your hair? (Curious about trying out no shampoo, but I exercise frequently!)
Hi! I just started the ‘no poo’ about 2 weeks ago but I was using different amounts of BS and just regular white vinegar…think I was using way too much BS! Just want to clarify: the amounts that you call for in your recipie is it for one wash or enough for multiple washes? Also, am I supposed to leave the ACV in or rinse out? Thanks!
bleh I feel like an ass posting so much. I just wanna help ’cause I’ve been doing this for years. everyone’s scalp creates different amounts of sebum from everyone else, so it will take a bit of experimenting with the ratios of baking soda/ACV to figure out what is best for your own hair. the amount of hair you have, the thickness of your individual hairs, and a few other factors will contribute to these things.
I think that what heather says is key. lots of my friends have tried this baking soda/ACV thing, and all of them had bad results BECAUSE THEY DID NOT LET IT SIT ON THEIR HEAD. I MEAN IT. THIS IS KEY. this is how you are actually cleaning your hair.
also, tea rinses are great for your hair, between washes. I’ve found that I need to use this method about once a week, and every three days or so (between washes) I do a green tea rinse. probably the equivalent of 2-3 tea bags in about 1500mL of water, steeped for a normal-ish amount of time, and let sit on my head for 15 minutes.
different teas do different things for your hair. catnip tea is great for preventing split ends, but it will also lighten the color of your hair. green tea is excellent for your whole being, all around but it is also said to bring out red tones in your hair (which is what I use because I have red hair). you can read all about what different teas do for your hair. but it’s a great in-between-washes idea that I recommend for everyone.
I have tried going no poo too…..but something is wrong! My hair is no only greasy but dirty too and no matter how many times I try to get rid of the dirt my hair is never clean.
I don’t know what to do……
I will start again maybe…..but do you have any idea what i should do before I restart?
understand that your hair will need some time to get used to you not using shampoo on it, and it will probably be greasy for a period of time until it reaches homeostasis again. I’ve never had this problem with my hair, but lots of people do. a few things to try (if you have naturally oily hair):
1. make sure you let your hair soak in the baking soda. leave it on your head for 15 minutes. usually I put the mixture in a big bowl, dunk my head in it and wet as much of your hair as you can, then pour the rest of the bowl over your head. I do this with the bowl in the tub leaning over the edge of it. squeeze out some of the excess and then wrap your hair in a towel for the 15 minutes.
2. if this doesn’t work for you, try upping the ratio of baking soda to water. like 1tbs + 1tsp per cup of water.
3. also, I dunno how much hair you have, but I have a lot (about 28″) of hair. so typically I do 7tbs of baking soda to 7c of water. I can’t recall if crunchybetty says anything about using more of this mixture if you have more hair, but you need to depending on how much hair you have. keep this in mind.
however, if your hair is not naturally super oily, DO NOT up the ratio of baking soda. and if you do, be sure to do the same amount of ACV (1tbs + 1tsp, to stay consistent with my previous example). a lot of people who are into dreading their hair naturally also use the baking soda/ACV method, because the baking soda makes your hair nappy as fuuuu-
DO NOT OMIT THE ACV. YOUR HAIR WILL TURN INTO ONE BIG FAT NAPPY MESS. the ACV is vital. and, if you can swing it, it is ideal that you don’t go with heinz brand ACV. Bragg is great, or anything with the “mother.” the benefits you will get from this residue stuff at the bottom of the bottle is incredible, both for your body as well as your skin and hair. I use it not only for my hair, but also as a toner for my face, neck and decolletage. after the honey. anyway, save the cheap stuff for cleaning your house, because it’s great for that.
/rant
(sorry I’m kinda drunk.)
Thanks for your comments. I started today but used some product (mostly argan oil) afterwards for styling. I’m also swimming in chlorine frequently. Do you think I need to adjust or add to the baking soda/ACV routine after swimming?
Should I also avoid using this product since its not 100% argan oil? I am wary of heat damage from blow drying and straightening.
p.s. your drunk posting is more coherent than some people’s sober writing.
Just started today! I’m wondering…. is the BS supposed to be dissolved completely? I think I have hard water, so I boiled it first…. or is the BS just supposed to make the water cloudy? Or is it supposed to be a sort of paste? Haha, And I’m also wondering if you can just sort of pour the ACV onto the bottom of your hair….’cause that’s what I did! Thank you!
Now my hubby is doing the no poo!!! My daughter is wanting to try it! And my hair is FABULOUS!
I usually wash my hair on days that I work. (I have a strange work schedule, similar to cops) I was recently on a 2 week vacation when I found this site (via Pintrest). I had already not ‘pooed in 3 days so I just stuck with it and used the BS/ACV. My hair was BEAUTIFUL! It has been 3 weeks now and I have only ‘pooed twice. When I did use the ‘poo it did not seem to strip my hair all the way like it use to. My hair is darker, thicker and not frizzy. I live in Fl and ALWAYS had flyaways. Not anymore! Now to convience my hubby and kids to follow suit. Thank You Crunchy Betty!
I was pretty intrigued by the no’poo idea and after six straight weeks of frizz I was ready to try anything – granted it was likely the shampoo I was using and the fact that I colour my hair and was probably overdoing it that were the culprits, added to a new cut that my hair wasn’t in favour of it was just the worst my hair has been… I’m a habitual pony-tailer and I wanted to put an end to it without cutting my hair too short. So I talked about it with my hair dresser and figured I’d start in July, I have a week off, I’ll (hopefully) go through the worst of it if I start shortly before… but that would be ten weeks away, did I really want to put up with the frizz for that much longer if I didn’t have to? I have very thick hair, lots of body and wave (almost a curl but not), it frizzes at the least sign of moisture and I live right by the ocean, in fact I live and work on a peninsula so I’m pretty much surrounded by the ocean at all times. My hair has a mind of its own and I always say as long as I leave it alone, it’ll leave me alone and we get along fine.
So I took the plunge, although I read several blogs and many of the comments so I could pick out all the best tips. The night I’d gotten my hair cut I loaded it with olive oil (old stuff that was no longer good for cooking – why waste it?) and I left it in a really long time (my sister called and I couldn’t get her off the phone). Then I had my last ‘poo and condition – I used my favourites, not the stuff that had been messing me up. And as suggested by many people I put off using the BS/ACV as long as I could, I think I only made it four days though. But I pre-mixed as suggested, using the recommended 1 tbsp per cup for each and worked both through to the scalp, I’m a big fan of the bacterial killing action of vinegar and I wanted to make sure my scalp was clean cause I find after a couple days my scalp gets itchy and I can feel lots of build up.
I haven’t been water washing between BS/ACV treatments, I’ve been using a small squirt of conditioner thinned with a lot of water but then my hair can take the extra weight. After the first BS/ACV wash I decided to change the proportions. I read a lot of people complaining about oily/waxy build up and then trying to correct it with more baking soda which only made the problem worse… I had premixed quite a bit of solution so I got a couple of travel bottles and would fill them half with premix and half with warm water (it also solved the issue I had with the premix being freakin’ cold). I think I’m a little more than four weeks in and I’ve not had the oily/waxy phase so I think weakening the solutions helped.
Results: I have to wash about every three days, alternating with the conditioning rinse, but more because I walk to work and sometimes get sweaty; my hair has less frizz but more body so it’s probably an even trade for me; my scalp doesn’t itch as often (hardly ever actually); when it’s been in a pony tail all day or I sleep on it wet it doesn’t get all weird and have to be washed again (I couldn’t even just wet it down to get rid of weird bumps); and big, huge plus I no longer have combination skin, my oily/bumpy forehead is smooth, my dry cheeks are soft and I’m not as susceptible to acne – I’m over 40 and have had to deal with acne since I was a teen, not bad but I always had a blemish to cover. If only I had known it was the ‘poo this whole time.
I highly recommend no’poo to anyone who’ll listen to me, not that it’s made that much difference in my hair but my skin is happier, and if it’s the same either way why pay dollars when you can pay cents? I do suggest going with the weaker solutions, premixing and using travel size bottles – you can get them at the dollar store and they come in 1cup/250ml sizes with a flip top so they’re perfect.
Thanks to all the bloggers and commenters that went through all the trial and error, my hair dresser is going to be very surprised next time she sees me 🙂
I’ve been doing the baking soda/acv for a while now, and what I’ve found most effective and long lasting is letting your hair soak in the mixture for 10-20 minutes before rinsing, for both mixtures. I am really interested in trying the cucumber and lemon juice, though.
Hi hi!!!
Love love your blog! I am going no poo starting today and I have a question. Are we supposed to use that 1 C with 1 tbsp baking soda per wash? OR we do only squirt out the amount of shampoo we usually use?
I went no ‘poo about two weeks ago now, and so far I’m loving it. I can get away with doing the baking soda wash and ACV rinse about every two to three days. I see that some commenters have had problems with hard water. We have hard water, and I don’t have the patience to wait for water to boil and then cool before mixing up my concoction. I just mix mine in the squirt bottle the night before I plan to use it, shake it well to mix it, and then let it sit. I haven’t had any problems with the baking soda not dissolving overnight.
My only…well, not really a problem…so, the only weird thing I’ve noticed is that my hair, when dry, has a LOT of static. I mean, brush my hair in the dark and I practically light up the bathroom. (No exaggeration. I really tried it. It looked like I was brushing my hair with a live wire.) I’ve been able to tolerate it pretty well by just wetting my hairbrush a little bit before running it through my mop, but is this something that others have experienced too? Will it decrease as time goes on? If not, what have you done to help calm things down, besides brushing with a damp hairbrush?
So, this may be a dumb question– But how OFTEN do you guys shampoo? I usually wash my hair every two to three days, and I’m trying to decide before I start if that’s too often, not often enough, or just right for starting my no-poo adventures.
help? 🙂
If this has already been said, I apologise, but I must mention it anyway! If you have hard water, the baking soda WON’T DISSOLVE. You need to use BOILING water to mix it up, wait for it to cool (obvs) and then use it. It actually sudsed up in my hair when I was washing! Yay for chemistry on my head!
Been doing this for about 2 years now … LOVE it. I don’t even need to do the vinegar rinse. My hair’s great all by itself. (And, FYI, I’m a huge hairspray fan, lol … this works wonderfully on my moussed & hairsprayed hair.)
I haven’t ‘poo’d in over a year, after having my daughter my hypersensitivity to products went into OVERDIRVE and after about a week (maybe two) I’d have to change product because I was allergic to it! Even the safe ones I used as a kid, I could use Johnsons but my head and my daughters rear smelling alike was too much. I use baking soda and vinegar, and also sometimes egg whites. I have curly hair and I was shocked at how much it calmed after the first month. I many never ‘poo again!
Hi, maybe you could help me because I’m clueless. I’ve been going poo-free for about 3 weeks when suddenly one night after a regular mixture (one tbps of baking soda – one cup water, same with ACV) my hair turned out very unpleasant – not exactly oily, but when you touched it while wet and then dry, it just felt kinda… sticky. Generally unpleasant. I thought it was a one-time thing but then it continued for 2 weeks and today I finally gave up and used diluted shampoo to wash my hair “properly”. In the meantime I tried to wash it conditioner-only and also using lemon&cucumber smoothie. Nothing worked. Any idea what I did wrong? Previously baking soda and ACV worked like a charm, couldn’t have been happier with it. I haven’t changed the brands of the products I use etc. Please help, I don’t want to go back to using shampoo every day!
You might have an issue with hard water… try boiling the water you mix with bs, or using distilled water. To get rid of that icky sticky build up, try massaging a raw egg in your hair. Sounds crazy, I know, but when I had issues with hard water (Florida) I do the egg treatment once a week since I don’t have time to boil the water. Good luck! 🙂
Thank you SO MUCH for your answer! I’m very intrigued by the egg method. Will try it tomorrow, since the waxy feel keeps coming back:(
This might be a silly question but when do you use the egg? Before or after the BS wash?
well i am on week 4 on no ‘poo and so far so good! I did read on a blog to start every other day washing for a bit then work to less washings. Every other day works pretty well and now i think i can add a day longer in there. I like to use an old gatorade bottle with the squirty top they came with. I squirt some BS water on my head and work it through my roots and scalp and repeat this over my head until it’s gone. Takes a good 5 minutes. I like this becasue i can feel it clean my hair with my fingers. When i remember i add some tea tree oil and peppermint oil. Feels nice and helps with the itching. I also think i need to rinse better. Then i follow with the ACV rinse. Hair is great! Except today it’s a little limp and of course i have to go to the DMV to renew my drivers license. 🙂 I like that my box of baking soda was 59 cents at the dollar store and have had it a month and still have plenty left! Remember there aren’t any “rules” to this so play around and find what works for you! You may also want to consider getting your hair trimmed before you start. Get the crunchy ends off. I got mine cut about 2 weeks in, unfortunately getting my hair washed there threw my hair off a bit. Maybe get your hair cut/trimmed as your last shampoo. J I may start playing around now with other no ‘poo methods and do like a rotation. Happy Crunching!
UPDATE: Still no poo! And still love it! Last month i tried to color my hair with henna. Did not much care got it. After a few days i ended up using shampoo to get the green crud off my scalp. then went back to the BS and ACV. Still used 1 TBS BS to one cup of warm water. I squirt and use the whole thing on my head. working it around my roots and scalp with my fingers. I can fell the oils breaking up in my hair. then let it sit while i soap myself down. I do add peppermint EO and a few drops ot tea tree oil. Rinse well. then i slowly pour over the ACV rinse. 1 TBS ACV and 1 to 1 1/2 cups warm water from the shower. Let it sit in my hair while i shave. then rinse well. I’ve dropped to washing on sunday nights and wednesday nights. Maybe a Fridaty night or Saturday monring wash if we have plans. I colored my hair 2 1/2 weeks ago with regular old chemically hair dye. oh well. But so far so good. I “washed” wednesday night then waited til Friday to color. I used the conditioner that came with it you know and did like the instructions said. Then waited til Tuesday to wash again but did use regualar shampoo and conditioner that one time. then back to no ‘poo. I haven’t noticed any fade. No more than regular shampoo. I think it’s staying darker with the no’poo. Been no ‘poo since March 11th! I do miss the fragrance of shampoo and conditioner. Need to invest in the more fragrant EOs. May play with some tea rinses. Hope that helps anyone! 🙂 Happy Crunching!
Thanks so much for doing different posts on this subject!@crunchybetty:disqus I’ve joined the “no poo” gang. I followed your directions this morning, as far as baking soda & water, and the first attempt was very positive! My hair is so soft, feels nice and clean. I have very frizz prone hair and it look as good as (if not better) than when I use the “no frizz” products that I did NOT use today. 🙂 I don’t have ACV right now (going to pick up some this weekend). Today I just put a very small amount of castor oil on my hands rubbed it around and applied a very light amount to my hair after I’d washed and combed it out. I’d already discovered that the castor oil does have a positive affect on my hair.
I went no poo a few years back and the only thing I would add is brown sugar with a few drops of oil like sweet almond oil so it moistens and scrubbed on the scalp will exfoliate. It has even helped me eliminate scratching my scalp from my nervous habits
I really want to try this! However, I have hard water. Baking soda and hard water do not mix. I learned that the hard way when baking soda left a film on my LO’s cloth diapers. It gave her the most horribly painful yeast rash. It immediately went away after I switched to Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda (found out about it on a CD forum on CafeMom) (I also treated the rash with coconut oil). Anyway, back to the baking soda/hard water issue. Has anyone who has hard water been successful with the baking soda method? If not, what did you use?
I have hard water too plus allergies and chemical sensitivities. I use 1/4 C Dr. Bonner’s Baby Castile liquid, 1/4 C water and 1/4 tsp Tea Tree Oil. I follow that with a Very Good vinegar rinse. I love what it does to my hair!
I too have hard water, try boiling the water or using distilled water with the baking soda. Worked for me! also, if you get a gross sticky build up, try massaging in a raw egg. Works magic. Good luck! 🙂
Hopping on the train with you! Day 5, wash #2. Pretty oily, but nothing that a ponytail can’t handle. Hoping to relieve a very itchy scalp with the no ‘poo, and tame some frizzy waves. 😀 Love your blog and can’t wait to see how my hair handles this! Thank you!
Hi! I started the baking soda ‘poo today and my hair doesnt look oily yet. :-). But I miss my conditioner…I havent bought apple cider vinegar yet. Do you think I can use normal white vinegar instead?
Though vinegar is used to balance the pH of your hair I would not reccomned unless you dilute it alot because white vinegar is in its purest form but I would buy ACV because it has all the good stuff for your hair.
Found your blog through Pinterest and this post and inspired me to try going without shampoo again. I really need to start blogging my own experience with no shampoo.
I’m starting No ‘Poo today with some friends. I created a google spreadsheet and document to keep track of our results and share our experience. If anyone wants to try, let me know your email and I’ll give you access to the docs! 🙂 -Mere
Just put you up with ranks of NPR and NBC 🙂
http://thisiswhatwemade.blogspot.com/2012/03/how-to-go-no-poo-or-how-to-wash-your.html
Hi, I’m considering to try the no poo method too, but one problem. Most people use the baking soda recipe to clean their scalp when it gets too oily, but I don’t live in America and where I live baking soda is not that easy to come by. Is there any alternative for the baking soda I can use. And also, I’m wondering if the baking soda or apple vinegar (apart or combined) will have any funny effect on bleached hair…. since I’m not planning on going bald… or yellow.
Hi! I was going to ask the same question. I now live in Holland and have only been able to find the baking soda that is in the cleaning aisle of supermarkets. Not the baking soda to bake with. Anyone else use this type of BS for no-poo? It’s the same story with the cornstarch for the glass cleaner, I am not sure if I am using the right stuff.
@e6a1faa638d86328a3600adc372e7ee1:disqus I have heard that you can find US-style baking soda in the british import shops here in Amsterdam, which I may check out if I have to (though expensive!)
I’m so excited to try this! My hair is soo oily, i washed it this morning and its now 6pm and i can already feel it getting slick. So should be interesting to see how it goes. Will be starting at the end of the week, gives me time to buy the baking soda and ACV. Will definitely be blogging about it at…
http://www.gypsysbugalug.com/
Also going to be trying the OCM.. one thing at a time i think though. 😉
I was inspired, quite suddenly, by the comments here to try no ‘poo. I’m only 7 days in, but it’s been nothing short of amazing so far. Thanks for all the helpful tips Crunchy Betty et al!
Photo documentation here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ampere77/sets/72157629407891487/
Do you use the entire mixture during one shower? I was having problems with very dry hair, then I saw comments about hard water. This time, I boiled my water first. I have below the shoulder hair, but the amt still seems like a lot for one shower. Thnx!
So, I started the “No Poo” challenge this evening. I do hope this works. My hair is so fine, curly, dried out and in such need. Will be posting up my experience from time to time on my blog if you would like to follow along it is, http://tnmamaw.blogspot.com/2012/02/giving-up-shampoo.html
I have such hopes this will work!!!! I would love to have soft, tangle free, frizz free hair. Keeping my fingers crossed. Thanks for sharing the info.
I found your blog via another blog I found via a Homestead Barn Hop lnky party…phew ) 🙂 I’m going to try the no ‘poo method and see what it does for my hair. My hair is extremely oily..but I”m not worries about that so much as I just want to see if it improved the condition of my hair and saves me money 🙂 🙂 I live in an area of California (just recently moved here) that has hard water…and I notice it has an affect on my hair…especially the ends..sorta crunchy sometimes. IN any case, I’m going to try this. So it’s recommended to only wash the hair every other day? I’ll give it a go 🙂 🙂 Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 🙂
If you focus on the scalp with the baking soda, how do you clean the rest of the hair? I tried doing it as described and the part away from my scalp looks oily even though the scalp part looks dry.
Well I just did my first “wash” with the BS & ACV. I have curly hair and I’m wondering what you’re supposed to do after you wash it? I can’t just let it dry without anything in it, so I used some gel (like usual). Also, my hair is dyed and I read in one of these comments that this treatment will strip the color from your hair?
This also just occurred to me, but couldn’t you start using an all-natural shampoo for a month or so and then start doing the BS/ACV method? Seems like it might be an easier transition on both you and your hair. Has anyone done that and found it to be easier?
I have heard about going no poo on and off, but no real concrete info on how to do it. I have fine very straight hair with tons of silver little body and always have to shampoo daily. It is a drag when I travel to Africa every May. I just found your blog via pintrest and since I was on break it seemed like a perfect time! I am now starting week 3. I do the baking soda with a few drops of peppermint/castille soap in a cup of water. It seems to work pretty well. I like the bit of peppermint smell plus its astringent properties. Day 2 is not too bad, where before it would be awful. Day three my scalp is kinda greasy and itchy itchy itchy! I read in a travel tip blow a few yeas ago that rock salt absorbs oil and can be used when you can’t shampoo. It doesn’t replace shampoo, but it does help! I pull my hair back (it is kinda short, but I can clip it at the nape and get most of it in), rub the salt by the roots along my scalp which feels good for the itchy scalp syndrome. I put a shower cap on so it doesn’t get wet because it is much harder to brush out wet. I let it sit while I shower to do its thing and then brush it out before I get out of the tub. Like I said not perfect, but it does help on the really annoying days. I know I can make it through week three and for and hope there is better hair on the other side!
Hi ~
I’m a late comer but I wonder if you conditioned after your shampoo before you took this picture?
I’ve been no ‘poo for 6 months and just found your blog–it’s the best thing I’ve ever done! (Well, almost.) I have pretty average, straight, untreated dark blonde hair. I tried a few different things and finally settled on not using any baking soda or ACV..
I simply wash with water every other day (or every three days) and then I spray-in a mixture of lemon juice and water. I wash at night and sleep on it wet–turns out beautiful in the morning!
I also use an Aveda product as a protectant for those few times I use a straightener to style it…I just use three squirts on my hands and then rub it into the ends of my hair. Brushing daily with a boar-hair brush has also been essential in order to distribute the oils better…just a few strokes a day and it keeps it a lot better than letting the oils sit.
No ‘poo is the best!
Ok, I “washed” my hair for the first time with the BC and rinsed it with the AV. What a difference. After it dried, it was glossy and no frizz, even though its raining and I got it wet. I like it. As long as i get it clean it at least 3x a week, I’ll be fine. I’m a swimmer too, and was very happy to read the post about saving my hair from chlorine. Thanks
I have been using baking soda and acv since this summer and have been happy with the results. My hair is decently thick, straight on top but wiry underneath (yeah a little weird, basically it gets puffy if i brush it, naturally has little waves). Recently though my scalp has become itchy and i have noticed more dandruff than i ever had, and am searching for ways to control it. I think it might simply be that my scalp is too dry due to the fact that it’s winter, but does anyone know a way to control it that isnt too exotic?
I’m jumping on the no poo bandwagon for the month of January, 2012. And we’ll see if I continue.
~H
where’s the after picture :0)
Not to burst your bubble, but I did the baking soda and acv method for 2 months and hated it (my fairly straight hair looked waaay nasty, even right after washing, and the acv didn’t condition the ends enough – terrible dryness and static). Ended up switching to a super-mild organic bar soap (so no scary chemicals, oil-stripping, or plastic waste), and loving that.
Not sure if you mentioned this elsewhere, but for me, switching away from traditional shampoo cleared up my stubborn acne on my temples! I think my face realized that it didn’t need to over-produce oils anymore, because I wasn’t stripping them away. Also, I had to go back to normal shampoo for a brief stint, and my face broke out like crazy, and my back started itching like crazy (I think from dumping all those oil strippers down it in the shower while rinsing my hair).
So good luck, it is SO worth it, and remember that if you don’t end up liking the baking soda/acv method, there are other non-shampoo methods out there, too!
I am sooooo gonna try this. I only ‘poo my hair twice a week anyway, so I don’t think it will be a difficult transition. Baby #3 is 5 months old and my hair has been FALLING out since she was about 6 wks old. Not a little, but handfuls upon handfuls upon handfuls. Seriously, half my hair has fallen out. Thyroid issues and hormones aside, I’m hoping no ‘poo will help my remaining hair stay put. Hubby has awful bleeding crusty spots on his scalp (is that what seborrhea is?). Hope this works for me so I can convert him and see if no ‘poo helps clear his scalp. He wears his hair short now, but until about 4 years ago his hair was always longer than mine. We both have fine curly hair and I’ve read EVERY post on this page, many stating that this no ‘poo method works beautifully for curly heads. 🙂 I’m getting kinda excited about this already! Now I have to check out the deodorant recipe… I’ve only been using Thai crystal mist and coconut oil for 2 yrs now with never a stench. Love it, but adding some yummy scent sounds very delicious! Wooohoooo!!!
I’m on my third week of no ‘poo. I have long, thick, curly hair, with a family history of seborrhea. I must keep my scalp absolutely clean, or very bad things will happen. But the curly hair turns to frizz very quickly. So for years my routine was: Shampoo, conditioner (gobs of conditioner), detangler, mousse, hairspray. And put it all up in a ponytail or a bun before it had a chance to pouf out. And wash it again the next day, before all the chemicals caused another breakout.
So when a friend told me about just cleaning my scalp with baking soda and letting the rest of my hair just do its thing, I was very curious. Well, today, three weeks later, my hair felt greasy, really greasy. Actually hard. Grease came off onto my hand when I ran it over my greasy mop, and I started thinking it might be time to give up this experiment. But my scalp had been feeling better lately, and my hair shinier. So I would try one more time. So I did the baking soda/water thing, and LEFT IT ON for about ten minutes. I even made up another mix, got it worked in thoroughly.
And the grease came out! I’m sitting here now with clean, shiny hair. I think the trick is to make sure you completely dissolve the baking soda in very warm, almost hot water, and leave it on for a while. Cool water won’t do (I tend to be in a hurry and hadn’t been waiting for the water to heat up). Same with the ACV–make sure the water is very warm.
I can honestly say going no poo was a great idea. Like I said, I have a history of seborrhea. In high school I had to wash my hair every day with coal tar shampoo, or it would be breakouts and bleeding. And of course my scalp itched. All. The. Time. Many times I ‘ve had to get up in the middle of the night and wash my hair, just to quiet that screaming itch. Now, my scalp feels great. No itching, no dandruff, no breakouts.
Thank you for your comment. I tried the using a double batch of the BS and leaving it on 10 minutes and it fixed my problem. It’s all thanks to you!!!
I think I may have the same scalp condition…you see, recently I have been having insane itchiness on my scalp and (I think) because of my itching, I’ve had sores develop/dry patches and shamppo wasn’t cutting it. I’ve tried the over the counter stuff: Head and Shoulders, T-gel, Selsun, and now I’m using Tea Tree Oil shampoo which seems to alleviate the itching for a little while…but isn’t necessarily a permanent solution. I also have very long hair which I would like to preserve, so I want to get this under control ASAP!
Do you suggest trying this out? Am I a good candidate in your opinion?
I also had an itchy scalp prone to break outs and meanness. I have medium length, thick wavy to curly hair. I stopped using shampoo a year and a half ago, switching to baking soda and vinegar. My scalp is 100 times happier.
Tips: Use warm/hot water with your baking soda. To condition with apple cider vinegar, don’t water it down. I was, and my hair was feeling kinda dry, then my friend said she just uses a straight vinegar rinse to condition, so I tried it and my hair is SO soft.
Also, I did some looking around on the internet about why my scalp would break out, and I read that dandruff and conditions like mine can be caused by certain fungi on our scalps. Vinegar can help neutralize such fungi, so I rinse my scalp with vinegar if it starts to feel itchy.
yes try it, most shampoos have sodium laureyl/laureth sulfate in it which is VERY drying of skin in general. 😀
I find the same thing. My scalp doesn’t itch anymore. I’m still not totally convinced and it’s been over two weeks, but just on the basis that my scalp is so much better, I’m not stopping.
Just a tip, it might be that you live in an area with hard water, in which case you should boil the water first, then add the baking soda. It dissolves much better. Or, do what I do: buy demineralized water (in the laundry section usually) and use that.
Thanks for posting this, Heather! Your hair sounds a lot like mine (long, think, extremely curly, with periodic but painful seborrheic dermatitis outbreaks). I normally just wash my hair once a week with a selenium sulfide shampoo (the only thing that helps control the scaling) or the DevaCurl No-poo, but I really want to switch over to natural shampoo. My question to you, and to any other curly girl out there, is do you still apply product to your hair after washing? Does the inevitable product buildup react in any way with the BS mixture? Any insight would be greatly appreciated!
I just started the no ‘poo method, but so far I haven’t had to use any product after the BS wash/ACV rinse. I find my hair is perfectly moisturized and doesn’t need any conditioner or anything. I’ve never been a great user of the DevaCurl gels though, as I felt they left my hair coarse, so I suppose I can’t give you much information on that. My hair seems to hold its curl just as well on the no ‘poo method as on the DevaCurl method though, so I’d say you don’t need any gel. I’d experiment on your own though to see what you like best.
I Sam, I know it’s been a while but I’ll answer anyway. I have very curly hair and I’ve been using for a year now a completely natural buildup (I’ve also gone no poo’ for a month now): you have to boil flax seeds in water for about 15 minutes (or less if you want it lighter), and you’ll get something with a texture between hair gel and snot, but really effective.
It last for about 3 days, but up to 2 weeks if you add some essential
oils (as I have dry hair, I add honey, coconut oil and teatree essential
oil). You can also freeze it and take it out anytime you need it (I freeze it in an ice bucket). Also works perfectly well in dry hair and
doesn’t leave any residue, and the best thing is that flax is very good
for your hair, specially curly, so you are actually putting a treatment
to it. And without all the nasty chemicals in commercial buildups, you hair will last clean way longer.
I tried this a couple times and didnt understand that I needed to give it some time for my body to adjust to making less oil for my scalp… I have actually been using no lotion for like a year now and I have noticed my skin isnt so dry anymore, my body adjusted to it and if i need anything i use olive oil! I am so excited to try this again!
i just started the challenge a few days ago. i’ll be vlogging about it on my blog, so check it out and, if you’re doing the challenge too, we can be a support to each other!
http://petuniaandpoppy.blogspot.com/
Hey guys! Black folks have been doing these natural hair care routines for years. Kinky/curly hair is so fragile that it takes some serious upkeep; however, these haircare routines are great for many hair types. I recommend visiting curlynikki.com and longhairdontcare.net. There are literally hundreds of videos on on hair upkeep using natural ingredients posted on youtube. That’s how I found the Tangle Teezer for my curly hair. I also co-wash (aka use conditioner to wash my hair) and have also done the baking soda and raw acv rinse. Good luck guys!
Ok, today was day nine and I have definitely felt grungy. Even when I am in the shower running the water over my hair I don’t feel to clean, but today I HAD to dye my hair so…..I did it and then when it was time to shampoo I just rinsed for a long time with hot water. Well, my hair feels way cleaner and I have to figure I blew it and am starting from scratch again. And so it goes.
ok, Just tried this today, so far so good, but it will keep returning, at the very least I hope it removes the chemical build up from years of shampoo use, will take pics and let you guys know, fair to also know that my hair has had a lot of chemical treatments from dye to keratin straigthening….
HELP! I’ve been poo free for a month and just as I started feeling like it was working, DANDRUFF! I’ve never had dandruff before so I’m confused as to why now that I have switched to a better way of washing my hair I now have this problem 🙁
Any had the same experience? What should I do?
brush your head more, and particularly with a paddle brush in the shower. you need to stimulate your scalp and get off the layers of dead skin that would usually wash away in the shower.
I’ve had problems with dandruff that now OTC oduct would help. My solution? ACV! So if you’re doing the ACV treatment just to your ends, do your scalp. I did it for about a week straight when I first did it. Now for maintenance I only do it twice a month.
Hi, Wish I had thought to take a before pic, but I started two days ago and didn’t think about it. Besides, one of the reasons I decided to do this now is I have a few days off and a big bandage across my face, so I figured, I’m all home and frumpy, go for it. A picture would have just gotten sympathy, lol. Anyway, I BS’d my hair for the second time today because I didn’t think I did it right the first time. And, well, when I run my hands through my hair they feel waxy and my hair feels kind of chalky and a little frizzy. Hmm. Just have to see how it goes.
Since you advocate natural products, I assume that you don’t dye your hair often. But if you do, or if any readers do, make sure to stress that baking soda and apple cider vinegar will really strip the color off. I personally use conditioner instead of shampoo and that works very well for my curly (and colored) hair. I’m excited to try your lemon rinse to see how that works 🙂
Qwhat will the effect be for bleached hair? Stripping colour off is okay, worried about any other reactions?
Alrighty, here we go! I started no-poo this week. I’m still in the adjustment period, but this post has helped clarify a few things for me! Thanks!!
I’m late in the game as well, but I’m giving it a try! since being pregnant my hair has been out of control… I was glad to see this turn up in my e-mail box. 🙂
Yes, I’m very late in the game here. Did my last ‘poo a week ago. I was nervous because I have short hair which means no ponytails. (I did a few days of pig tails, but felt a little strange as a 30 year old.)
I knew I was in for waxy greasy hair. I tried several “natural” shampoos a year ago and HATED them. I tried them for about three months before giving up and going to a traditional shampoo (at least it was sulfate free…?)
Yeah, my hair was kind of gross this past week. But it wasn’t even as bad as when I did the natural shampoos. And then magically today (one week later) my hair has no greasy buildup. It’s soft, and feels great. I actually didn’t do the ACV (I haven’t used conditioner since I chopped my hair– it gets too greasy). I am AMAZED at how much I love my hair already. I keep making my husband feel it.
No more ‘poo for this gal! Yippee!
Every time there is a mention of No Poo somewhere, there are tons of questions and comments from experience. So, I thought it might be a good idea to set up a question and answer site to help beginners, and kind of let everyone discuss the No Shampoo/Soap lifestyle, and all the different experiences and experiments we are doing.
I would like to invite you to come post on our forum to provide info and experiences.
So, if you are interested, go check it out: http://beyondshampoo.com
I’m not selling anything, and I would appreciate people participating in honest, good discussions.
I tossed my shampoo out 2mo ago and loving it, now whats for those thin barely there lashes?
hi! i’ve been trying removing my eye make up with almond oil, I have barely there lashes and it has help a lot, you have to be somewhat consistent and is not like you’re going to look like a mascara ad all of the sudden, but they look longer, thicker, and stronger. give it a try and lemme know how it work!
I tossed my shampoo out 2mo ago and loving it, now whats for those thin barely there lashes and say no to LATEESE stuff?
I just tried this hair wash and like other things I have tried on this site,
I am blown away! My hair looks awesome after the first try! I was concerned that it would not clean the oils out ( see I put oils in my hair, plus the oil potions I use on my skin gets in my hair. I am on vacation from work for a few weeks so I am doing all my treatments. My personal life is very SPA.)
Okay yes it did remove the oils and hardly no hair came out!!! See I have been battling with hair loss when I shampoo. I was also blown away by no tangles. I know I shouldn’t but I had to blow dry it to see what it looked like? The result was very smooth and styled looking with no styling product did not need it cause I had no frizz or fly aways…
So I don’t understand others having a problem with oily hair? Unless it will happen later but my instincts tell me that it want? Maybe my method is why it was not oily. First I rinsed my hair for a few minutes hmmm the heat from the water breaking up the oils I had in my hair? Next I squirted
the BS mix in and massaged wash just like I would with poo, then rinsed the dickens out of it. Next I squirted the ASV all over my hair and did not rinse. The result was like the greatest poo I ever used, see some years ago I used a organic shampoo made out of coconuts, it only had 3 ingredients and when I moved back to the South I never could find it again
Been looking for something like it ever since. Determined, I finally found
it!
THANK YOU THANK YOU
I would LOVE to try this… but I’m terrified.
It’s not the impending greasiness that scares me. No, that I can deal with.
It’s the sores – the horrible, bleeding, flaking, itching sores that develop on my scalp if I don’t wash my hair at least every other day or so (in fact, they tend to show up within just a few hours after ‘pooing).
What if it gets worse because I don’t wash my hair? And yet the ‘poo isn’t helping… but neither is it making it worse.
*chews nails*
You think I should give it a shot? :/
~Ness
Ness,
Do you have seborrheic dermatitis? Because I have one on my face that comes back once in a while and my dandruff is really bad on my hair. If I don’t wash my hair everyday WITH dandruff shampoo it gets really bad. It doesn’t bleed though. Usually really bad around my face line, so what I used to do was wash my bangs with (anti) dandruff shampoo and don’t wash the rest of hair on second day.
But ever since I tried the no poo, my dandruff is 10 times better. It’s not all gone, but it’s much much better. I have cheated on no poo method, twice, but it’s on my 3rd wash after the cheating. LOL it’s ok for now. My ends are still dry and though 2nd wash was perfect, this time it’s big greasy on my roots.
I think I would definitely try if I didn’t bleed, but since you bleed, I don’t know if it’s a good idea. But I am sure shampoo is pretty strong, too…
No, it’s just extremely bad dandruff, no doubt irritated by the fact that I can’t stop myself from picking, OR the people I live with from picking. If my grandmother walks by and sees a flake, she’s automatically got to sort through my entire head and start picking.
(I think she was a monkey in a past life)
I’ve started the no ‘poo, actually. I just said to myself that it’s pretty much my last resort, seeing as shampoo (anti dandruff or not) just does not work. If this is a failure, I’m probably going to shave my head and start over, because I have no idea what else to do.
Here’s what I did so far:
The day of my last ‘poo, I also did an egg yolk/olive oil “wash.” I threw in a splash of tea tree oil to soothe the itchiness. Normally, with this type of “wash” I would wash it out with shampoo, because the oil has a tendency to stick to my hair and make it greasy right away, instead of within a day as is my normal grease-buildup time.
Anywho, I just rinsed it out instead, thinking that if I purposefully introduced the greasy stage first, I could sort of skip that reaction that many people have said would happen. I left it for three days, and then did the baking soda rinse. It cleaned out the oil really well, and it’s now three days later (without another baking soda rinse), and it’s only just starting to get a little greasy in the roots.
I haven’t used the Apple Cider Vinegar and water conditioner.
My dandruff is still bad, but I haven’t had any super bad flaking as per usual or any bleeders (of course, I’m trying very hard not to pick too).
Barbara suggested adding a little tea tree oil to the baking soda, and that’s sounding like a good idea. I probably won’t “wash” again until tomorrow, but I’ll give that a shot and see if it makes the dandruff any better.
I’ll be sure to post feedback. 🙂
Thank you so much for your advice, it really helps!
~Ness
Vanessa, I have the same issue, and am an occasional bleeder especially in dry winter months, but I find that if I throw in a little drop of tea tree oil in with the water and baking soda it helps heal up the scabby-ness and dandruff issue. It DOES sting a bit, but also works for me, just do a spot test to see if you’re sensitive to it first (as with any EO or new product) Good luck!
I’ve started the no ‘poo, actually. I just said to myself that it’s pretty much my last resort, seeing as shampoo (anti dandruff or not) just does not work. If this is a failure, I’m probably going to shave my head and start over, because I have no idea what else to do.
Here’s what I did so far:
The day of my last ‘poo, I also did an egg yolk/olive oil “wash.” I threw in a splash of tea tree oil to soothe the itchiness. Normally, with this type of “wash” I would wash it out with shampoo, because the oil has a tendency to stick to my hair and make it greasy right away, instead of within a day as is my normal grease-buildup time.
Anywho, I just rinsed it out instead, thinking that if I purposefully introduced the greasy stage first, I could sort of skip that reaction that many people have said would happen. I left it for three days, and then did the baking soda rinse. It cleaned out the oil really well, and it’s now three days later (without another baking soda rinse), and it’s only just starting to get a little greasy in the roots.
I haven’t used the Apple Cider Vinegar and water conditioner.
My dandruff is still bad, but I haven’t had any super bad flaking as per usual or any bleeders.
I’m definitely going to try adding a little tea tree oil in the baking soda rinse. As I said above, I’ve used it on my scalp before, so I know I don’t have bad reactions to it. In fact, it’s rather cooling and soothing. 🙂
So far, I find myself really liking the ‘no poo method… though the rest of my family think I’m crazy. In fact, my grandfather called it “dirty,” but whatever. So far, I’m having positive results, and that’s all that matters.
Thank you so much for the advice!
~Ness
Ladies… I am so close to give up.
I washed with BS on first day and it was crazy bad so I washed with conditioner for a little over a week. It was getting better and got really greasy. So I switched back to BS and ACV. It was doing fine. For maybe like 3 days. then it got really worse, then got better, then now it’s VERY GREASY.
When I wash my hair with BS water, it gets really squeaky feeling, and I almost can’t feel the grease around my scalp. Then I put ACV with maybe 5 drops of lavender oil and water mix ONLY on hair. I use bowl and dip hair in so scalp don’t get it. First I thought it was because the ACV mix gets in to scalp, but even it doesn’t touch… it gets greasy. With ACV it feels normal like when I used to shampoo and conditioned. But when it starts to dry, it gets really really greasy. I have to tie my hair at work in buns.
Last night I got off work and I untied it. The greasy part was all over like I wore a greasy net. And my hair was even hard!!!
I don’t know what to do anymore!!! I have a party coming up and I want to wear my hair down. I think I “poo till then, and I am going to try again? Anybody has the same problem?
On the good side, my dandruff is much better, and I am losing less hair.
I am interested in trying this but I swim 5 days a week. Are there any “natural” ways to combat chlorine? My salt and pepper hair is getting saltier every day, and I don’t want it to turn green. 🙂
Hi LuppyHead! I’ve done a TON of experimentation in the past few weeks in an attempt to fight the chlorine battle. What works best for me is FULLY saturating my hair with non-chlorinated water before jumping in the pool. This means standing under the shower for anywhere between 5 and 15 minutes. Then, when it’s supersaturated, I coat it in coconut oil and give it a quick french braid. If a swimcap would stay on my head, I’d definitely put one on then however they all have a habit of popping right off, so I don’t bother anymore.
After the swim, I rinse my hair for another 5 – 15 minutes, massaging my scalp the hole time. Seriously, I’ll do it until my arms ache. Then, when I get home, I’ll give the whole thing (including my scalp) a quick lemon juice rinse (you could use ACV too) and I’m good to go!
I hope this works! I’ve got light blonde hair which has a tendency to turn brassy in the chlorine. So far, no issues!
Thank you for posting this. I just started going poo free a little over a week ago but I am wondering if I’m undoing my scalp’s attempts to stabilize when I get in the chlorine. Should I hold off until I’m only swimming once every couple weeks vs now where I swim every other day? I need advice from crunchy swimmers!
I had my last ‘poo on Friday. Today I cleansed with water and followed up with ACV (I guess I thought it would have more of an astringent effect- I hadn’t read your blog yet). I blow-dried and sprinkled cornstarch, which I brushed out with a boar hair brush (recommended by other websites for absorbing oil). I didn’t find that it made much of a difference. Used the straightening iron, as I didn’t want to look like I just rolled out of bed. So far, it looks oily but not greasy. Feels very heavy and thick- I have very fine hair. But I’m not going back to ‘poo. I may try castille soap if I can’t handle this, but I will try to stick with it for the month. I’m so glad you’re doing this too- I’m not doing this alone!
Woohoo! Good luck with this! It really does get better, although I hear tell it gets better faster for some people (I think I was one of those people).
I went through the heavy and thick phase, too, although now it just feels normal to me. I don’t know if “normal” changed because I got used to it, though? But there was definitely a very coarse few days in the beginning.
The oddest thing about going no ‘poo for me has been how quickly it just became how I did things. It’s only been, what? A month maybe? And I don’t even think about shampooing anymore at all. It doesn’t even feel like an option to me.
Keep me updated on how it goes!
I started a few days after this post, and it’s going really well. I’m on day…um…7, I think? My first few days my hair was really oily even after a shower, but I’d recently read the post about dry shampoo, which said that baking soda can be used to absorb oil, and since I was going to be putting BS on anyway, I figured it wouldn’t interfere with the no-poo challenge. I washed with BS, then either air dried (if I had time) or blow dried, then followed the dry shampoo instructions with more, dry baking soda and my hair was magically presentable. I only really needed the help for the first 3 days, then my hair started to adjust to the new regime, and now it doesn’t need the dry shampoo step at all!
Just found your blog. I might be laughing too hard to breathe!
I’ve been “no poo” for almost 3 months now. Perhaps we should do (a far more trivial) “It Gets Better” campaign for “no poo.” Because my hair is pretty great right now – finally. Though I wanted to mention that I tried doing the BS and ACV thing a few years ago and HATED it. My hair is on the fine side, silky, and dead straight. I feel like BS ripped it the heck up with how abrasive it was. Now I’m using a bunch of different things and much happier. I blogged about it here:
http://thesimplepoppy.typepad.com/the-simple-poppy/clean-hair-chronicles/
So glad I found you via some other crunchy site!
Hi! First of all, thank you again, Barbara and Rebecca. Today is my day 5. Without your comment I think I would have already given it up. LOL
So 1st day I washed with BS and conditioned with conditioner, 2nd day washed with conditioner, 3rd day I didn’t wash. Last night as 4th day, I wasn’t going to wash, but I couldn’t stand the greasiness and fear of the smell of my hair ( I don’t think it was that stinky but it felt that way. lol ) I washed with conditioner again before I went to bed.
My 2nd day wash was definitely better than the first time, but still clumpy and waxy, maybe 40% less waxy than 1st time. 3rd wash which was last night, my 1/3 of head is down to 20% more than normal greasy. My fingers went through this time. Other 2/3 of my head is still waxy and fingers don’t really go through. As for my hair, it still doesn’t have the smoothness that I get after I use conditioner (after “poo”)
But It’s definitely much better than the 1st day. Surprisingly it doesn’t itch much (like it does when it’s dirty) and I am losing less hair…
I am writing on my MS word, so I will try to have my blog somewhere. That way you guys don’t have to read my long report here. LOL
I’m joining you in going ‘poo-less. I’m documenting my challenge, in case you’re interested:
No ‘Poo Challenge
Awesome. Headed over to check it out! I can’t believe how many of us there are now.
For me: I’m on day what now? Five, I think? Four? I’ve washed my hair with the baking soda/ACV once – and it’s been 48 hours and I’m just now feeling icky about the state of my hair. Until now, it’s been softer and shinier than ever. Couldn’t believe how fast it seemed to “work.” We’ll see if it keeps going like this.
SO glad you’re joining in!
I did it! I decided to go no ‘poo too! But I have a couple of questions. When I make the recipe you give for the baking soda/water mixture, do I need to use it all in one go, or is that enough for a couple of washes (I have hair about as long as yours)? And also, I usually spray a leave in strengthening treatment on my hair right after I shower, should I keep doing that or stop? Thanks for being a no ‘poo pioneer!
Yay! Are you going blog it, too? Gah, I have got to get on the ball – first thing next week – and pin down everyone who’s doing this, so we can all commiserate on our results!
Okay, first for the answer I KNOW: You don’t use it all in one wash. I just squirted out probably what equated to the same amount as I usually use with shampoo directly onto my head. I made a double batch to keep in the shower, and I probably only used what was about 2 Tbsp worth. Ish. Close to that. I’ve only used it once so far (getting ready to go in for the second time) and I’m already LOVING my results. My hair’s a little dull and oily at this point, but for the first 36 or so hours after the first wash, my. hair. was. awesome. Hope it keeps going this well.
Now for the answer I’m not 100% on: I would say stop using the treatment. Let your natural scalp oils do their own work for a while. It’s my understanding that, with time, this is going to strengthen your hair, too. If you use something “outside” of your natural oils, it might mess up your results.
BUT! Again, that’s my VERY uneducated opinion on it. You could try it one way for a while and see how it works, and then try it the other – and see which is better.
Yay! So glad you’re doing this too!
Yes! I will be blogging! http://mavierose8706.bogspot.com
Ok I’ve decided to go along with this, no poo for me either….And I’m going to blog about my experience too, wish me luck! http://squidmom.wordpress.com/
Woot! Bookmarking your blog to keep up with things – and by next week (sometime, hopefully, fingers crossed) I’ll have a list of everyone who said they’re trying it.
This. Is. Awesome.
Alright Crunchy Betty readers. I tried it. I really did. I had one shower and followed your exact recipe and felt realy really great about it. And then I got into the shower and it was the worst, most awful thing ever. As soon as I poured the ‘poo replacement on my head it was as if I INSTANTLY had dreadlocks. Not nice. But then I rinsed it with ACV (2 TBSP to about a gallon of water) and styled it and it was okay. Not great. It took longer to dry than usual so I smelled like ACV until, like, lunchtime, but that’s alright. I’m sure nobody noticed because I’m also committing to the homemade deodorant so I smelled like rosemary and lavendar and all things lovely (I hope…).
Flash forward ’till about 5 pm when a great big clump of hair comes RIGHT OFF MY HEAD. And then for the rest of the night when I’m losing hair like a chemo patient (I’ve seen it. It’s awful. And that’s what my hair was doing!). Flash forward to the next morning when I’ve got long blonde curlies all over my linens.
Now it’s day 2. I couldn’t bring myself to shower ’cause I fear that ALL of my hair will fall out. Now it’s super duper greasy (I’ve never had greasy hair in my life!) and it’s still falling out. Not just one or two hairs, but CLUMPS of it at a time. Pretty, yes?
So. You’ve assured me that this weird dreadlock-in-the-shower experience will go away eventually. But what about the huge amount of hair loss? Has anyone experienced this? Will my head stop revolting? Any suggestions? I’m so desperate… I’d REALLY like to shower!!!
Thanks a billion!
OMG. That is so scary!
I have no idea what would cause the hair loss – this is the first I’ve heard of it at all with the no ‘poo method in all the lengthy (months of) research I’ve done. The greasiness is understandable. And the vinegar smell is curious – I’ve been using an ACV rinse for over a year now, and the smell is gone even before my hair dries. Maybe it’s body chemistry?
I did a search on Google and found one other person who said they experienced hair loss, too. They eventually went back to organic shampoos and their hair was no worse for wear.
I don’t know. I’m going to put out a call to a couple of the no ‘poo mavens around here and see if they have any ideas.
Stay strong!
I echo Crunchy Betty’s OMG! I have naturally curly hair and I have been without ‘poo for over 3 years, but I still use conditioner and some organic hair product (I live in Florida, and humidity and curls are not friends) – I follow what’s called the CG, or Curly Girl, method (you can find a good primer on it here: http://dormroomcurly.blogspot.com/2008/12/style-definitions-table.html).
I use natural/organic conditioners (DevaCurl is a pricier brand I like, and Aubrey Organics is a less expensive one). I have done the baking soda cleanse without any issues — but curly hair is much more delicate than straight hair (more porous), so curlies can’t do the baking soda scrub as often. That being said, I’ve never had any problems with hair loss…oh, and if you are curly, you must do the ACV rinse! Baking soda is alkaline and ACV is acidic — you need the acid to close your hair follicle back down or you are in for serious frizz. I do it only once or twice a month, or if my hair gets especially dirty (like if I’m doing some yard work and dirt flies everywhere).
Do you have any organic conditioners around (no sulfates and no silicones)? Sometimes even cheap brands, like Suave, are OK and don’t contain those things? I have used a mix of sugar (can be brown or white, or both, your choice) and conditioner (amount will depend on the length of your hair, but think 1 tsp sugar to a quarter-size dollop of conditioner) to scrub & clean my scalp, which is a gentler alternative to the baking soda. When I don’t do my sugar scrub, I’ll just condition a little (quarter-size amount, maybe a little more depending on the tangles) and rinse – my hair is pretty long, about 4 inches below my shoulders, if that helps. I only do a conditioning rinse/wash about 2 times a week. If you are curly you should definitely go at least every other day, but stretch it longer if you can — better for your hair and scalp.
My hair stylist, Tiffany, is a curly hair expert, and she has some great, natural home remedies on her site: http://livecurlylivefree.com/home.htm. She might be a good contact to help you with your curlies??
I hope this helps! Perhaps your hair is just too delicate for the baking soda, try the sugar/conditioner method instead? Once you get off poo for awhile, your scalp’s oil production will balance out and you’ll only need to really condition your ends. I hope this helps, at least a little, I’ll keep looking for more info to see if I can find anything else that might it explain it though!
Oh my goodness! This sounds like an absolutely delicious solution!!! I’ve been using natural/organic/vegan/wonderful shampoos and conditioners for about a year, so that’s definitey not an issue.
Thank you so much for passing allllll of this info along. I’m gonna give it a shot tonight and will report back in a few days 🙂
MANY THANKS!! <3
My promised update! I washed my hair with a shampoo mixture (10% shampoo, 90% herbal infusion) and conditioned after this BS debacle. It was… a reset. A few days after, I did the sugar-and-conditioner business a few days ago and it’s SOOOOOOOOOO fantastic! Now I’m losing a normal amount of hair and my head isn’t covered in stringly, mushy dreadlocks. Instead, I have incredibly happy curls! I rinse with ACV every other day or so, and aim to “wash” once a week or so.
That being said, I’m still searching for an alternative that allows me to cut out my plastic consumption entirely. I’d be so proud to be able to say “that’s right, I DON’T need to go to the drug store this week! No plastics for me ’cause I’ve got oatmeal and rose petals on my face, coffee grounds (left over from this morning) and cottage cheese* on my body, coconut oil on my face and vinegar in my hair.”
Actually, I probably wouldn’t say that because I sound too delicious and I fear that someone might eat me right up.
Hopefully I can find a wonderful alternative to buying conditioner every few weeks. Woudln’t it be super duper if they sold it in bulk and you could just bring the same container over and over? I fear at the moment my desire to look smashingly gorgeous is trumping my eco-consideration, but I’m actively searching for a viable alternative.
That’s all. How’s the no-poo going for everyone else??
[Oh, and I’ve also committed these three weeks of no-poo to using homemade deodorant, also. OHMYGOODNESS it’s amazing! I was on THREE TYPES OF PERSCRIPTION ANTIPERSPERANT because I sweat so much. It’s only been six days of using this homemade stuff and I haven’t had a single pit stain. In fact, I’m convinced that my pits have forgotten HOW to sweat! Whaaaaat?? I put the stuff to the test on day 3 – after I was certain that I didn’t stink – and had an intense two-hour squash game followed by a massive bike ride and hopped straight into bed for some lovin’ with my man. Still totally dry, and he even commented on how I smelled like tea tree and lavendar and it was, and I quote, “a total turnon.” I’d say this is a massive success! Thank you, so much, to all the Crunchy Bettys who have been kind enough to help me out!]
*Did you know? Cottage cheese ON the thighs seems to help cottage cheese OF the thighs!
Katie,
What you described sounds like how my scalp got greasy and hair clumped up. Mine did get like that right away, too. I freaked out and put regular conditioner… No ACV. Which now I read Clara’s post and learned I needed to use that if I used BS. My hair didn’t fall out much though. I really really hope you will find a way that works out for you soon. But the greasy dreadlocks, you are not alone! Last night ( my day 1) I thought ” I don’t think it will ever works out for me.” And I am sitting here with greasy head. I think I am going to try at least 2 weeks…?
Good luck!
USE LESS BAKING SODA! And leave it on for just a sec before rinsing. Or skip it completely. If you have very delicate hair or a very sensitive scalp, the baking soda can burn the hair.
Hi, I was looking for a no poo trouble shooting website and found your page. I read your page and saw the date, I was so happy! I started my no-poo yesterday Oct 13 and I needed no-poo-mate! However my head feels horrible!
I usually washed my hair every other day (which I hate because it feels so greasy by then) with shampoo. I have a dandruff problem so I used head&shoulder blue bottle. My hair is slightly curly, thick, AND dry… I haven’t colored or permed but it’s not shiny. But my scalp gets greasy, and have dandruff.
I used 1 tbsp with 2 cups of water, poured into my scalp. Immediately it felt horrible. It felt like my hair lost all the oil and got stuck together, but my scalp felt like the grease got cooled and stuck there. It felt like I could just pull my hair up and it would stick up in the air and hold its place. I couldn’t stand it, I used regular conditioner and washed it, did this twice, my hair felt better but my scalp feels SO GREASY. I am about to use cornstarch and wash my hair with water only. How is it supposed to feel like? I read so many different pages and people’s comment, nobody was saying like… my scalp.
oh I meant 1tbsp of BS and 2 cups of water.
Arigon, don’t worry my hair felt like that the first few times too, it gets better! It feels like it’s all sticking to your scalp and clumpy but after a few tries it just gets squeeky clean. When I started I washed with ‘poo one day and baking soda the next to kind of transition my hair for the first while, give that a shot? Good luck!
Arigon-sounds like your hair is similar to mine. It was tough the first couple of days, but now my hair feels lighter and my dandruff went away. It is soft and manageable with the natural oils once it balances out. Trust me-it looks better than ever after a week! If you can get through the first couple of days you will be really happy.
The way I do it, I have a little squeeze bottle, I put about 1/2 tsp baking soda per cup of water, and a couple drops of castor oil. In the shower I squeeze drops all over my scalp and work it through with my fingers. It’s much easier than dumping a cup of stuff on my head. For conditioner I mix one part apple cider vinegar to three parts water and put that in a spray bottle. I have long hair, so it’s easier to spray it on and work it in with my fingers, then rinse.
Nowadays I only use the baking soda every 2 or 3 days, and use the vinegar every other day. Some days I just rinse with water and that is enough. Many people have said that it has never looked better, and it’s very soft and shiny. It really does work for curly-haired girls!
Barbara, Rebecca thank you for your reply. I searched and searched, it felt like almost everybody was saying the first few days were fine then a week later it gets greasy.
It’s my understanding BS cleans but dries, and ACV conditions but makes it oily (thus not on scalp) correct? I see a lot of people saying that “don’t use BS every time, your hair will dry out” But if my scalp is so greasy and feeling like my hair growing out of candle wax… Shouldn’t I use BS everyday? I SOOOOO want to wash my hair with ANYTHING to get this grease off of my scalp. LOL I have long hair (to mid back) and I usually braid them or put in a bun, so it doesn’t bother me much. But scalp… Do I basically need to wash my hair with BS every other day-ish and wait till my head adjust to this new healthy method?
Barbara>>
How long did it take you to get to full no-poo when you used “poo and no poo the next”?
Rebecca>
If that is your picture used as icon, you have beautiful hair!(and you look beautiful, too of course) You said yours felt like the same, but you BS only use it 2-3 times a week now? What did you do when you first started? I want to be less greasy, but I don’t want my dandruff to get worse… Should I wash my hair with BS everyday until my scalp gets NOT GREASY? (hopefully not dry…) or do I need to do something like 1day BS, the next hot water only or regular shampoo?
Ladies, I am sorry about all those questions!
My hair took to it pretty naturally after 2 weeks of going on and off, and I noticed how flat my hair got using ‘poo instead of baking soda. I’ve got looong hair that is stick straight, but this no ‘poo thing is giving me all kinds of volume. Yes now and then I notice I shed a little more than usual, I think my Lush brand henna treatment might fix that (and my little grey hairs because at 23, that’s just whack)because of all the shea butter in it, or I could just use a conditioner 🙂 Good luck!
The first week I did use BS almost daily. I had alternating days of greasiness and dryness and then once it seemed to calm down and be less greasy I went to washing every other day. On the dry days I used a little hair butter from made on lotion (you should bing her site and check out her products) but now I find I don’t need it.
The ACV conditions by correcting the ph. I find that I use it all over, but don’t actually scrub it into my scalp as I do with the BS. My hair/skin are dry, so I find that on the second day of not washing it helps to use acv on the ends to keep any frizziness away, but I don’t use it near my scalp unless I have just washed with BS.
And thank you very much for the compliment! That is indeed my hair, before I trimmed it (I had it super long for the wedding). I’ve always loved having curly hair, but hated the frizz and all the product I used, so now that I have found a better solution, I love my hair even more!
Ive been no-poo for about 2 years now and I have to tell ever single one of you just how freaking amazing it is! Before my hair was thin, greasy and down right unattractive…it seemed not even the most expensive shampoos could fix what I had. One day I stumbled upon an article similar to this one and have never turned back. CB is right, its hard for the first month or so because of the the initial shock to your tresses but it gets lots better. Turns out my limp oily hair was really delicate little curls in distress! Now I have healthy strong and shiny hair just by using baking soda and apple cider vinegar. For extra shine and moisture I use an olive oil compress every 2 weeks or so.
Okay – I know this is a little belated, but THANK YOU for pointing out the oil compress thing.
I’m excited to try it. Maybe at week 2 I will. By then, I might need it. Though so far, I’m already so in love with this it’s crazy.
Thanks, lady!
What’s an oil compress?
So excited. I have been reading all over blog land about the baking soda wash and ACV rinse but have been too chicken to try it. (Hats are not an option for me at work). Also, color the greys with the toxic stuff as the vanity is an issue there. So, will be reading everyone’s posts to see how THEIR experience goes. Maybe I’ll be brave then. FYI, I found and tried and have learned to LOVE your oil cleanse. I have also made and been using some of the no-nonsense daily scrub. I’m in. I’m hooked. And worse, my face seems to reject not being treated to these 2 items! Looking forward to more recipes and maybe more bravery.
I’m SO glad you’re watching along – and, for what it’s worth, my hair is awesome already. It’s been 48 hours since I’ve showered, and my hair has JUST, within the last two hours, started feeling a bit oily. We’ll see if it stays this awesome. Fingers crossed!
Secondly – that is VERY exciting news about the oil cleanse AND the daily scrub. Love them both so much it hurts.
It makes me feel squishy that you love them too! Yay!
EXPONENTIALLY less frizz! I have naturally curly hair (not coarse, more thin and dry) that was always frizzy. I used shampoo, conditioner, leave-in conditioner, anti-frizz spray, curling gel-all at once! Now that I use only baking soda and apple cider vinegar, the frizz is almost nonexistent. I don’t even use that every day-like this morning, I slept in, and all I did in the shower was run a pick through my wet hair. I pinned it back with a couple bobbys and I look fab. For all the curly-hair gals out there scared to do this, just do it! You won’t regret!
Man, I want to take this comment and pin it to my shirt for the rest of the week. SURE I can drum up some new people to try it out that way.
Makes me wish I had curly hair, so I could REALLY experience the joy that this is.
Although I have read a few accounts of women who THOUGHT they had straight hair and learned it was very wavy through no ‘poo.
And curly hair is in my family.
Hope. There is hope.
I like the middle way. I ‘poo, but only once every week or so.
Haha. Zen ‘poo.
Love it!
Ok, I might try this…I’m giving it serious thought. Today would be my last shampoo and Friday my first baking soda/vinegar trial….eeek I’m all flustered but I can relate to the oily thing so I’d love to try this….
Do it! Do it! Do it!
Like I said, what is a few weeks of trying it out of your life?
The end result could flop, but whatever. Or it could be the most magnificent thing your hair has ever experienced.
Nothing to lose, baby. Nothing to lose!
Let me know if you try it (blog it, or take pictures of it), and I’ll keep up with your progress! Yay!
I just so happen to be out of shampoo. I have been using the travel bottles that I take from hotels until I could get to the salon next week to buy my usual brand. There is no way in hell I’m going to give up the toxic chemical dump I put on my hair to cover up the gray because I am far too vain. BUT………I will do this.
Okay. Here’s the rub. I’ve read one account where a woman had a harder time getting her “toxic chemical dump” of a hair color to stick once she went no ‘poo.
Apparently once your body regulates and determines the natural oil in your hair, said oil prevents the toxic dump from sticking to it.
Natural defenses are great, but not if you want, like, no more gray hair.
Her solution was to wash her hair with natural/organic shampoo once or twice before getting it colored, and then a time or two after that. Once you can get it to stick, it’s all good.
Either way, dude, if you are REALLY doing this … OMG. I can’t tell you how happy (and scared I am.
BS lifts color from hair because it roughs up the cuticle. Instructions on chemical box dyes always say to apply it to unwashed hair. The sebum protects the hair from damage to some extent.
Okay, I’ve been trying no ‘poo for a couple months and it’s not really working for me. My hair is soooo dry and breaks easily. I’ve messed around with the amounts and nothing is really helping. I was only washing every other day but then my roots get greasy so I don’t think I can go longer than that between washing.
Hmmm. That is VERY interesting. And that’s actually my concern with my hair – with it being straight and fine and all that.
Have you tried any other ingredients for it? It kind of sounds like that pureed cucumber/lemon juice wash might really help.
Or, Michelle above raves about Chaz Dean’s products – if you feel like you’re at your wit’s end.
If you want to throw around ideas to help, I’m here for you!
Cucumber sounds good. Lemon juice seems like it might be drying though. Worth a shot. I really want this to work, it’ll save so much money.
My hair started getting super dry and brittle on no-poo a few months back, and I cut way back on the baking soda and re-instated the ACV rinse, which I had stopped. It seems to have improved quite a bit after those changes – I’m not finding little broken off pieces of my hair anymore.
Try doing an olive oil compact…
http://crunchybetty.com/?p=1962
Ok, you KNOW I’m gonna watch you first.
Although I already envy your hair.
Because if I DON’T shampoo my hair every day, it…is…horrid.
Like I can’t stand my own head horrid.
Which is awkward, seeing as how I’m attached to it all.
See, but you said that about the deodorant, right? And let me tell you right now, Martha Points, the homemade deodorant is my miracle of the year (until this works, I suppose).
And this is the thing – it sounds like YOUR hair is a PERFECT candidate for no ‘poo. Even more so than mine.
You should really, really consider sucking it up and doing this. Regardless of what mine turns out like. There are just way, way, way too many success stories of people with hair like yours to not try.
And what’s a few weeks with icky hair, anyway, if it doesn’t work? At least you tried.
/end desperate plea
I’m in, sweets! I got off of antiperpirant about 5 years ago, and had been using aluminum/paraben free stuff from Whole Foods. However, that all changed one day, about a month ago, when I made the homemade deodorant…and I’m a convert for life!!! So, yeah…I’m in. I have been having trouble with shampoo for a very long time. Poisonous ones addict my hair to them…natural ones make my hair feel like straw. I’m at my wit’s end…so, I’m in. I can’t wait.
Yay! I’m so excited you’re doing this too! When are you going to start? Are you going to send pics? Or – you should blog it too!
Haha. I haven’t been so excited about NOT buying products ever.
Ah, crunchiness.
I’m starting in the morning…and yes…I’ll send pictures AND blog it;)
YAY!!! Can’t wait to hear about your journey!
It’s already gotten off to a weirdly oily start. I think my brain’s making my hair oily.
Is that possible? Heh.
i had a weird super oily phase about 2 months into it. i thought that was strange. i really had to fiddle with the recipe. and i also noticed that when was somewhere using nice, soft water, it worked waaaaay better! i had the best hair days at a hotel on the beach.
I think I’ve already been doing it for about… a month? I use the baking soda and ACV technique.
Honestly, I didn’t notice my hair being greasier than usual. Probably because I didn’t shampoo that much in the first place. Because I have curly hair, and when you do it too much, it gets way frizzy. (As you stated.) I did get some acne, though.
I really didn’t notice that much of a difference, though. Maybe it just hasn’t hit me yet? My hair generally just does what it wants. I also have short hair, so it’s kinda like… just there. But yeah, I’m glad to not be putting all those chemicals on my skin 🙂
Awesomeness. Thank you for sharing your experience.
It’s really interesting that you mention the acne, because last night as I was going to sleep (and thinking about my hair laying on my neck), I wondered if I’d start getting pimples on my neck/jawline for a while until the oil regulated.
Now I’m definitely prepared.
Keep me updated on how you feel about it all, and if you decide to go back to shampoo!
Oh, well about going back to it.. I don’t think I will :p I forgot to mention that the other day when I was at my boyfriend’s apartment, he didn’t have baking soda and I REALLY needed to wash my hair with something besides water. So I figured it would be okay to wash my hair with his cute little Nature’s Gate tea tree shampoo.
I was very wrong. My hair dried in a really weird shape and it was REALLY dry. It almost looked like it wasn’t falling on itself properly… like it couldn’t stick to itself.
It was weird O.o
Awesome! Best of luck to ya! I’ve been poo-free for over a year and a half now, and I’m never going back. I wrote about my reasons for going no-poo last year: http://broadbrains.blogspot.com/2009/07/i-havent-shampooed-my-hair-in-months.html
I just recently found your blog, and I really like it! Your deodorant recipe is the same one I use – except I had to nearly cut out the baking soda because it burned my skin. 🙁 I’m looking forward to trying some of your other recipes. Thanks!
Oh, heck yeah! I loved your post on this. SO exactly what I feel.
I was pretty surprised, with the deodorant, that the burning completely stopped – after I’d read a lot of people never got over it (with either the baking soda or the cornstarch).
I’m so happy with it, I could cry. Seriously. Like every darned thing I try, I wonder why I was so resistant to it for so long.
It’s SO empowering to be totally responsible for your own health, yeah?
I feel you crunchy. I got rid of my regular shampoo but I’m now using Chaz Dean’s Cleansing Conditioner. It really leaves my hair wonderful. I’m glad too because while I love natural remedies, I have little time or patience to prepare them!
Michelle
You keep mentioning Chaz Dean’s stuff. I’m really going to have to check into it soon – especially if this doesn’t work for my hair.
In all my research, it sounded so … great. And then I started reading that it’s best for the curly haired girls, and that it tends to weigh down fine, straight hair.
I guess that’s what this experiment is for, yeah? Yeah.
Yes you have to try it. He has different websites though. I think the price is lowest on qvc.com
There are different products depending on your hair type:
Dry – Fig Cleansing/Cond.
Oily – Cucumber Aloe Cleansing/Cond.
Normal to Dry – Sweet Almond Mint (I love this one)
There’s also a Tea Tree Oil Cleansing/Cond. and a Lavender. I haven’t tried these 2 though. You can get all of them along with some other products in the line over at chazdean.com
A lot of people don’t know that he has a ton of different types because on tv they only promote the Sweet Almond Mint.
for now I’m using the Fig. It doesn’t have the nicest smell but it leaves my hair soft and moisturized. For fine straight hair, the Cucumber Aloe and the lavender are supposed to do the trick.
Check it out and let me know. Over at chazdean.com you can get a small bottle.
Michelle
I’m in! First, because I really, really dislike washing my hair and am already the queen of using your dry shampoo recipe. Second, because I forgot shampoo on this road trip we’re on and the cheapie places we’ve stayed haven’t even provided any, so I feel like I can keep on this roll, and third, hey, it’s getting close to hat weather anyways, and, finally, because just like laundry soap, I feel that spending money on shampoo is pretty much a big scam.
Oh, forgot to mention, haven’t had my hair cut or anything in about 8 months now, so, hey how much crazier could it get! Plus, I love to follow my guru YOU!
🙂
You and your road trips! Always going. I’m so jealous.
Haha that you haven’t had your hair cut in so long, either. I’ve finally decided that what I’m doing is a) going completely natural to get my hair into tip-top shape and then b) waiting until it’s definitely long enough to donate to Locks of Love (long enough so I can cut it and not end up with a pixie).
Big love, Ms. Winner!
I’ve been mulling this over for a long time. The next 3 weeks are packed with beauty needing events for me. I’m going to talk Ken into it and start in November. The kids only get a once a week shampoo so I’m not worried about them.
What about chlorine? What’s the best way to rinse hair after a swim? And bc my hair is short I need to use some products if I want to look even mildly put together. How do I rinse the guck out?
It’s my understanding that the baking soda’ll do a really good job of getting the product out (and it’ll be easier – and better – if you use natural stuff). And the vinegar should help.
But lemon juice! I’ve heard a lot of people use lemon juice as the conditioner, too.
And I’ve read several accounts where people go no ‘poo for a few months and then only use shampoo once every two weeks or so (those usually had to do with hair that was colored, though). I’m not sure that would help with everyday product use. But I guess it doesn’t totally revert your hair to pre-no-poo if you use it once in a while.
I have short hair too, and I use aloe gel as hair gel. Yep, the stuff you put on if you get a sunburn. Works great for me!
I’m also very interested in the chlorine question, as I swim quite often. Also, how often is everyone rinsing their hair with the bs/acv? I already only wash my hair when I swim, or if I’m not swimming…once a week. What is the frequency of no-poo washing out there? Am I at a disadvantage or advantage for washing less?
(please don’t skip over the chlorine question, it’s my more important point)
I had the same question. Head over to the crunchy community page and read this: http://crunchybetty.com/crunchycommunity#/discussion/520/no-poo-frequent-swimming-
Hopefully that will give you some direction on how to treat your post swim hair.
Ok, I’m not quite ready, I just bought a new bottle of “natural” shampoo and conditioner, but I’m not loving it, so maybe when I’m done I’ll try it. Assuming, of course, you don’t look like a greased seal in your after picture and I can’t smell your hair through the computer. 🙂
Okay. This is funny. It’s been a little over 24 hours since I washed, right? And my hair feels SO oily. I think it’s psychosomatic.
I think I’ve geared myself up so much for oily hair, I’m MAKING my scalp make it happen.
We’ll see. Fingers crossed!
Ha! Think dry thoughts. And, whatever you do, don’t think about dandruff. 🙂
Yahoo! I’ve been ‘poo free for three months and I will never go back. When I was using ‘poo I had to wash it every 18 hours or so or it was a greasy, dandruff-y disaster. Now I just dump a heaping tablespoon of baking soda in a cup, swirl in some warm water while I’m in the shower and pour it in little splashes on my scalp and massage it in.
I don’t use conditioner but my boyfriend, who has been converted to the no ‘poo way as well (and he has long curly beautiful hair) uses a little splash of lemon juice diluted with water for a conditioner and his hair looks great!
We also use activated charcoal for toothpaste(our teeth have never been whiter, it is so freaking cool, yay for basic chemistry!)and make our own deodorant now, so we’re feeling clean, green and so much healthier, even noticing less headaches since going ‘poo free, which might be crazy or just plain crunchy magic, who knows!
Ooooh! Thank you for sharing all this! I really like the activated charcoal idea! I’ve also read you can use that as an eyeliner – been dying to try that too. Guess it’s time to pick some up!