Anyone do the no-shampoo thing?

[blethenstrom]

Old thread this, but both the LOTH and myself has been going no-poo for the last 1.5 months. Now it has not been a problem for me since I have short hair and it just feels like the most natural hair. My wife, who has long self curling hair have struggled for years with frizzy flighty hair. Especially moving to North Carolina where it is hot and humid during summers. Since going no-poo she has much less problem "controlling" her hair and we have both now gotten past the "adaptation" period and the hair does not feel oily anymore. Is it a bit of a pain during this period yes, but way easier for us who have shorter hair. I just rinse my hair and scrub my scalp with warm water, when I shower, each day and that is it.

I have a comment for those who are using shampoo bars, regular bars of soap, homemade soap bars, lye soap etc. If the soap is a "real" soap, meaning saponified oils the ph of those soaps is quite alkaline. Over time time this may damage your hair follicles. I would recommend to do the apple cider vinegar rinse or similar at least once a week or so to neutralize your scalp. You can find lots of information regarding this online.

 

[Trollky]

Old thread this, but both the LOTH and myself has been going no-poo for the last 1.5 months. Now it has not been a problem for me since I have short hair and it just feels like the most natural hair. My wife, who has long self curling hair have struggled for years with frizzy flighty hair. Especially moving to North Carolina where it is hot and humid during summers. Since going no-poo she has much less problem "controlling" her hair and we have both now gotten past the "adaptation" period and the hair does not feel oily anymore. Is it a bit of a pain during this period yes, but way easier for us who have shorter hair. I just rinse my hair and scrub my scalp with warm water, when I shower, each day and that is it.

I have a comment for those who are using shampoo bars, regular bars of soap, homemade soap bars, lye soap etc. If the soap is a "real" soap, meaning saponified oils the ph of those soaps is quite alkaline. Over time time this may damage your hair follicles. I would recommend to do the apple cider vinegar rinse or similar at least once a week or so to neutralize your scalp. You can find lots of information regarding this online.

Nice to hear that you are having success with the "no-poo" approach!

How is the apple cider vinegar method working for you compared to using shampoo?

I only ask because a few months ago I decided to stop washing my hair daily as I was growing it out. The barnet now gets shampoo'd only once or twice a week and it is in much better condition However, I struggle to shampoo my hair less than once a week as it ends up rather oily (I have rather fine, blonde hair which doesn't help).

 

[blethenstrom]

Nice to hear that you are having success with the "no-poo" approach!

How is the apple cider vinegar method working for you compared to using shampoo?

I only ask because a few months ago I decided to stop washing my hair daily as I was growing it out. The barnet now gets shampoo'd only once or twice a week and it is in much better condition However, I struggle to shampoo my hair less than once a week as it ends up rather oily (I have rather fine, blonde hair which doesn't help).

Actually I don't even use the apple cider vinegar rinse. I do not think it is a need unless you use "regular" soap on a regular basis. However, doing an ACV rinse once in a while might not be a bad idea either. I would probably use a 1:10 mixing ratio with water. Now I do think it is a must to rinse your hair with water on a regular basis (daily in my case). I use pretty hot water and that seems to get rid of some of the oils as well.

This with the hair feeling oily after a handful of days is very natural and that is what happens when you stop using shampoo. Your scalp produces natural oils and when you use shampoo you wash them out. This puts the scalp on overdrive to produce a lot of oil. Therefore, you will feel oily after a few days. the bad thing is you would have to go through the oily phase, if you will, if you decide to go no-poo. It takes about 3-4 weeks before the oiliness goes away. This is the time that the scalp have scaled back the production of the oils. After that it just feels normal. It is hard thing to go through since you feel a bit greasy, but if you hang in there it will get better.

Isn't it funny that shampoo removes the oils from our hair and scalp and then we use conditioner to add some oil and silicon, in some cases, back not to dry out our scalp and hair. Makes perfect sense to me. I guess some sort of a cleanser that didn't strip the oils completely would make more sense.

 

[Breen]

Shampoo ran off with my hair a few years ago.

...not even a postcard.

 

[Trollky]

Actually I don't even use the apple cider vinegar rinse. I do not think it is a need unless you use "regular" soap on a regular basis. However, doing an ACV rinse once in a while might not be a bad idea either. I would probably use a 1:10 mixing ratio with water. Now I do think it is a must to rinse your hair with water on a regular basis (daily in my case). I use pretty hot water and that seems to get rid of some of the oils as well.

This with the hair feeling oily after a handful of days is very natural and that is what happens when you stop using shampoo. Your scalp produces natural oils and when you use shampoo you wash them out. This puts the scalp on overdrive to produce a lot of oil. Therefore, you will feel oily after a few days. the bad thing is you would have to go through the oily phase, if you will, if you decide to go no-poo. It takes about 3-4 weeks before the oiliness goes away. This is the time that the scalp have scaled back the production of the oils. After that it just feels normal. It is hard thing to go through since you feel a bit greasy, but if you hang in there it will get better.

Isn't it funny that shampoo removes the oils from our hair and scalp and then we use conditioner to add some oil and silicon, in some cases, back not to dry out our scalp and hair. Makes perfect sense to me. I guess some sort of a cleanser that didn't strip the oils completely would make more sense.

Thanks I shall give that a bash.

 

[mx482]

Glad I happened on this thread also. I'm going to give it a try myself.

 

[Jens]

"no-poo-ing" (sort of) is doing wonders for my scalp. I easily get an itchy scalp and lots of dandruff if I shampoo daily (even though I have only been using Johnson's baby shampoo for years). So I only shampoo occasionally, like once every other week, although I rinse my hair and scalp daily in just cold fresh water in the shower. The other thing I do frequently, is salt water rinses in the ocean. I am an avid sea kayaker, and practice my "Greenland roll" frequently. That's a very convenient time to also give the scalp a quick salt water rinse while I'm upside down in the kayak. I believe the salt is good for the skin, and it sure feels very healthy and cleansing on the scalp, largely eliminates need for shampoo.

 

[Go West Young Man]

I've been no-poo for at least a decade, maybe 15 years now - my hair is great, but my memory is rapidly disappearing!

I've had everything from buzz cuts to shoulder length hair over the years, and I'd constantly suffer from "fluffy and puffy hair on day of shampooing, OK hair on day 2, greasy hair on day 3". I finally just gave up and went shampoo/conditioner free, no eggs or acids or vinegars, just warm water daily - it took about a month to stabilize and I've had great healthy hair ever since.

Occasionally a stylist will wash my hair before cutting it, and it always take a week to get back to normal. And I sometimes have to shampoo during heavy pollen season or after a poison oak exposure, I just suffer for a few days of 80's hair....

I HAVE started brushing my hair out with a boar brush, that seems to help a bit but I'm not convinced it's really doing anything other than making me feel like I'm involved in the process

 

[Quaznoid]

I wash my hair with the same bath soap I use on the rest of my body and have done so for 40+ years. No issues.

 

[luvmysuper]

I've used a bath soap bar to wash hair and body for decades. My hair is fine.
For you guys saying bath soap harms your hair, is the hair in your pits and crotch falling out?
I presume you use bar soap in those areas unless you're just warm water rinsing there too, which is pretty disgusting now that I think about it.
If this works for you, that's great.
If you want to tell folks how well it works for you, that's great too.
Please don't tell people that using soap or even shampoo is damaging their hair, that's nonsense.
There's tons of stuff on the internet that make convincing story telling, and there may be individuals who are outliers - but by and large, using soap on your hair is not dangerous.

 

[fathandle]

I gave this a shot and no luck. Oil was too much even after weeks. Matted look. I used minimal shampoo for a long time though. I currently am using a normal amount of Head and Shoulders shampoo, as I had a big bottle of it sitting around for years.

I like my hair more with normal shampooing. Not so matted looking. Not sure of damage to hair or that.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I wouldn't dream of telling anyone else what hair products may or may not be doing to their hair, but nor will I be told what they are doing to mine. I fully appreciate that my personal account is little more than hearsay online, but my scalp - and hair - have both been healthier since moving away from commercial hair products.

I'm no bio chemist, and don't know whether the differences I have perceived have been from what each option did to the harshest and skin directly, in what they took away or left behind, or whether It's the secondary effects of the defences they offered to daily life between washes. All I know for certain is that what I do now, is the best for my head and scalp in my current lifestyle.

However, my circumstances are atypical anyway. I'm knocking on the door of 50 years old, with hair that reaches the bottom of my ribcage. This is the second long haired phase of my life, and circumstances for long haired folks are profoundly different to short haired folks.

While I originally dumped most commercial products due to scalp problems (which I am guessing was due to silicones), I also suffer far less tangles and breakage these days too. While part of that may be due to no longer being subjected to industrial chemicals since leaving employment, notable changes have continued throughout the evolution of my hair care since disability struck.

Today might be the second time since spring, that I have had to reach for a clarifying shampoo, for the "reset" that I do occasionally need during warmer months. Only a small amount, but still a deviation to the usual routine. The rest of the time, whatever soap is in the water after washing my face, is ample for rinsing through my hair to keep that clean, followed by a clean water rinse.

The rest of the "work" is mechanical, with various scalp and hair brushes. The only other "product" I use, is a hair oil, which while originally formulated and sold for afro hair types, works great on my hair too.

 

[DesertIguana]

I have been reading about the harmful effects of shampoo on your hair and scalp. I also read that many people just stop using shampoo (they refer to it as no-poo) and comment on how their hair is in better condition. No-shampoo doesn't mean no-washing. You rinse your hair and either massage your scalp with your fingertips or use a plastic brush to "massage" your scalp. I am on day 2 with no poo. So far so good. I will keep you posted.

The list of don't that are bad for you is long.

Don't Smoke.

Don't drink alcohol.

Don't forget the seat belt.

Don't forget you helmet for you bike be it bicycle, or motorcycle.

Recall talking to health nut in Trader Joes, she was buying organic, grass fed, all natural everything. I dosed bet you concerned with you heath? She replied yes this is why I buy best natural stuff can.

I said jokingly when you go out side the store hold your breath, as you live in Los A Angeles Country. We have terrible polluted air.

I was hair daily with generic baby shampoo.

 

[luvmysuper]

I wouldn't dream of telling anyone else what hair products may or may not be doing to their hair, but nor will I be told what they are doing to mine. I fully appreciate that my personal account is little more than hearsay online, but my scalp - and hair - have both been healthier since moving away from commercial hair products.

I'm no bio chemist, and don't know whether the differences I have perceived have been from what each option did to the harshest and skin directly, in what they took away or left behind, or whether It's the secondary effects of the defences they offered to daily life between washes. All I know for certain is that what I do now, is the best for my head and scalp in my current lifestyle.

However, my circumstances are atypical anyway. I'm knocking on the door of 50 years old, with hair that reaches the bottom of my ribcage. This is the second long haired phase of my life, and circumstances for long haired folks are profoundly different to short haired folks.

While I originally dumped most commercial products due to scalp problems (which I am guessing was due to silicones), I also suffer far less tangles and breakage these days too. While part of that may be due to no longer being subjected to industrial chemicals since leaving employment, notable changes have continued throughout the evolution of my hair care since disability struck.

Today might be the second time since spring, that I have had to reach for a clarifying shampoo, for the "reset" that I do occasionally need during warmer months. Only a small amount, but still a deviation to the usual routine. The rest of the time, whatever soap is in the water after washing my face, is ample for rinsing through my hair to keep that clean, followed by a clean water rinse.

The rest of the "work" is mechanical, with various scalp and hair brushes. The only other "product" I use, is a hair oil, which while originally formulated and sold for afro hair types, works great on my hair too.

View attachment 1707912

Perfect post!
Sadly, a few here are somehow incapable of discerning between "this works well for my xxx" and "don't do this, it's bad for your xxx", where xxx is hair, face, beard, diet, etc.
Or the recent example in another forum where folks were discussing the various chemicals or condiments that work well when applied to an open wound!

 

[mx482]

Glad I happened on this thread also. I'm going to give it a try myself.

I thought I'd get back to everyone as I've had a chance to really evaluate this. I wash my hair now with a non-sulphate olive oil shampoo about twice a week. The rest of the time I wash/rinse with water. My scalp and hair have never been better. My hair now has natural body which never seemed to happen when I shampoo all the time. I never really went through the itchy oily stage because washing with water was just fine and scalp felt clean.

I'm doing this now and glad I happened upon the thread or I would have never done it.

 

[something better]

I think never using shampoo is a little bit too extreme. Instead, washing your hair every other day or once every three or four days is better.

I like to use a tea tree product called remedy soap on Amazon.

I noticed a difference as far as itching if I don’t use it for a couple days.

 

[something better]

The list of don't that are bad for you is long.

Don't Smoke.

Don't drink alcohol.

Don't forget the seat belt.

Don't forget you helmet for you bike be it bicycle, or motorcycle.

Recall talking to health nut in Trader Joes, she was buying organic, grass fed, all natural everything. I dosed bet you concerned with you heath? She replied yes this is why I buy best natural stuff can.

I said jokingly when you go out side the store hold your breath, as you live in Los A Angeles Country. We have terrible polluted air.

I was hair daily with generic baby shampoo.

I’m also in LA County. When we have those long periods between rainfall air does get pretty polluted. This year‘s been a welcome relief from that.

 

[VerbaVolant]

A few years ago I simplified my shower routine. I use some natural soap for the whole body and that is it.

Same here. That is all I have in the shower: one bar of soap.