I recently
asked our readers on facebook how often they washed their hair. I got over 30 responses and a few of them mentioned the No Poo method. That got me curious…
Are you familiar with the No Poo?
According to wikipedia, The first synthetic shampoos were introduced in the 1930s, with daily shampooing becoming the norm in the US by the 1970s and 1980s. Proponents of “no poo”-practices believe that shampoo removes the natural oils (sebum) produced by the scalp causing the scalp to produce more oil to compensate. They also believe that regular shampooing causes a “vicious cycle” to develop as it becomes necessary to shampoo regularly to compensate for the excess oils (that were stripped by shampooing).
According to some dermatologists, a gradual reduction in shampoo use will cause the sebaceous glands to produce at a slower rate, resulting in less oil on the scalp and hair. The time taken to break the cycle after adopting “no poo”-practices varies, however a “two- to six-week period” is typical.
Shampoo typically contains chemical additives such as sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate. There are health concerns about these chemicals, which can irritate the skin of sensitive persons (or of anyone if not thoroughly rinsed). Such chemical additives are also believed by some consumers to dry out their hair.
Some shampoos also include silicone derivatives (such as dimethicone), which is claimed to coat the hair[citation needed]. While it is claimed that silicone derivatives protect the hair and make it more manageable (dimethicone is a common ingredient in smoothing serums and detangling conditioners), the film that proponents assert coats the hair is also claimed to prevent moisture from entering the hair, eventually drying it out.
The purest form of “no poo” adoption is to use only water to wash hair, however there are other approaches possible by people wishing to avoid oil-stripping substances and chemicals that they consider unnecessary for the maintenance of their hair. Methods for washing hair without shampoo include washing with dissolved baking soda followed by an acidic rinse such as diluted vinegar. Also honey and various oils (such as coconut oil) can be used.
Following a 2007 radio interview that Australian Richard Glover held with Matthew Parris (a Times columnist “who hadn’t shampooed for more than a decade”), Glover “decided to challenge his audience to go without shampoo for six weeks”. Of the over 500 participants in the challenge, 86% reported that “their hair was either better or the same” following the challenge.
Here are some unbiased & good articles I found regarding the No-Poo method.
– How To Go No Poo
– All Natural Hair Care
– The Best Homemade Shampoo Recipe
– The No Poo How To
– How To Clean Your Hair Without Shampoo
– The No Poo Experiment
– Why It’s BS (a woman’s experience and comments that help her)
Have you tried it? What do you think?
7 COMMENTS
Anastasia @ Eco-Babyz
12 years agoI haven’t ‘really’ tried it, but I went from washing every other day with synthetic shampoo to washing once every 4/5 days with plant, natural, all botanical shampoo (no petroleum ingredients). I sometimes even skip the shampoo altogether. Incredible! I will never go back to nasty shampoo. I can’t even describe it, it’s like my hair just doesn’t get dirty anymore! I love it. I’m sure it may not be great for all hair types, but it works well for my dry, fine hair.
Modern Day Moms
12 years ago AUTHOROh, thank you for sharing. What kind of shampoo do you use?
Anastasia @ Eco-Babyz
12 years agoI use Green Beaver Junior (it’s a kids shampoo! lol) I believe it is made in Canada. But I’m almost out and the next one I’ll be trying is Dolphin Organics. The way I do it is I just use whatever shampoo I get to review or win in a giveaway, but only natural and/or organic ones. I haven’t ran into a bad one yet! Can’t say that for chemical shampoos I’ve used before. The ones like Herbal Essences, Pantene, Head and Shoulders, all ruined my hair and especially my scalp. I shudder reading the ingredients on those things ;)
MNM293001
12 years agoHi! I’m Mother Nature’s Maid from the “Why It’s BS” article you linked here! Thanks for the mention :) I still think No ‘Poo is a whole lot of BS, mainly because it’s so difficult for me. Ok – I don’t HONESTLY think it’s BS – I actually only WISH I could make it work for myself!! I love all-natural honey/aloe conditioner, but I can’t seem to find a homemade shampoo remedy that works as well (cleans, softens, etc) as traditional brands. But here’s another interesting tidbit about how to go No ‘Poo in a way that’s safe for your hair. Baking soda and vinegar may not necessarily be the way to go – http://bit.ly/IEbofF
Modern Day Moms
12 years ago AUTHORHI! Thank you for stopping by and thank you so much for sharing your insight. It is truly appreciated. I know for me, I have such fine oily hair… if I even go 1 day without washing it, it’s a total spotty disaster. I agree with you and I appreciate your comments and stopping by!
Molly
12 years agoI tried it years ago… I just couldn’t do it. Not only do I look like a greaseball (I’m also “blessed” with thin, fine hair) my face also breaks out if I skip shower days :(
At the time, I had an office job and just couldn’t show up with greasy hair. If I was working from home, I’d maybe be able to get past the six week hump… but unfortunately no go for me. Plus, I color my hair so the highly acidic/basic natural products or using baking soda/apple cider vinegar would strip away my color too quickly.
Rachel
12 years agoI’m interested to read so many comments (on other sites too) abou skipping showers. There’s no need for that kind thing, just keep the hair back and covered by a showercap on non washing days. People gotta shower!
I just started no poo and it’s working wonderfully for me(sorry Mother Natures Maid). I found Crunchy Betty’s blog the most helpful in both the post comments and user forum sections to get a lot of different opinions on methods. She also has recipes for organic shampoos if no poo doesn’t work for you. http://Www.crunchybetty.com
Ps sorry for the late reply, I just stumbled across this post!