no poo, a variation of the English no-shampoo (without shampoo), is a current trend that advocates not washing hair with shampoo since they consider that its chemicals are harmful to hair.
A trend that recommends washing your hair only with water or with natural products, such as baking soda or vinegar, if your hair is very oily. His followers tell us how healthy hair looks.
However, many dermatologists disagree with this trend. They ensure that there is no scientific evidence that fat secretion regulates itself over time. They ensure that baking soda or vinegar have a very high and low pH, respectively. So they can irritate the scalp.
On the other hand, we “no-poo” tell us that over time, commercial shampoo may be harmful to some people with more delicate hair. It can end up damaging it, so it would be best to use natural products that respect its pH. Oily hair gets dirty easily, so you have to wash it more often, which can harm us, since some commercial shampoos can damage the natural protective layer of our hair. There are natural alternatives to wash hair, using exclusively these natural products we can keep our hair clean and healthy.
The nopoo experience of Katherine Martinko and Margaret Badore, 6 months later.
Katherine Martinko along with Margaret Badore (both editors of treehugger.com), decided to carry out an experiment which involved a radical change in the way they wash their hair, they would leave the shampoo and only use baking soda and apple cider vinegar. In theory the experiment should last a month, but Katherine has not been able to stop due to the results.
In July he turned 6 months old and today we bring you his experience told in first person:
It has been six months since I stopped using shampoo. It all started as a month-long experiment, when my editor asked me if I’d like to try the “no poo” method in January only. I reluctantly agreed, and along with Margaret Badore, dove headfirst into the world of extremely alternative hair care. Our experiment resulted in this post: “The experiment without shampoo”. While Margaret quit after a month, I continued to ‘wash’ my hair with baking soda and apple cider vinegar.
I never dreamed I’d still be doing this in early July, but here I am, sticking to the “no poo” method with no intentions of ever going back. There are so many things I like about it, I tell all the people who are curious about my weird hair washing habit.
There was almost no adaptation period for me, I think it is common in people with very thick hair, or hair that is not washed more than once or twice a week. The biggest hurdle for me was psychological and getting rid of the fleeting smell of salad in the shower when I first washed my hair with vinegar. Don’t worry – it goes away immediately and there is no residual odour.
My hair is getting healthier and more manageable every day, more and more the longer I avoid shampoo. It becomes less greasy and I can space out the washes for longer, usually 4-5 days. It’s smoother, shinier, and less frizzy than before. I have fewer bad hair days, and I can get the natural, loose curls I love with a little coconut oil, rubbed into damp hair.
There have only been two times that I have used natural shampoo instead of baking soda and vinegar, and that was when I traveled to Honduras and Mexico. Both times I thought it best not to be asked about a strange white powder in my luggage. I noticed a big difference after shampooing. My hair was drier, and seemed more greasy in just two days. I also noticed that my scalp was itchy after using the shampoo.
In six months, I have only used a cardboard box of baking soda and half a bottle of vinegar. There are no empty plastic shampoo bottles in my house, no conditioner to throw in the recycling bin, and no endless hair care products I used to buy to tame my hair.
If the “no poo” method has you intrigued, why not give it a try? You may be pleasantly surprised by the result. This is what I do:
I put 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a 500 ml glass jar. I fill the jar with water and shake to dissolve the baking soda. I do it over my head and rub my hair. I rinse. I put 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in the same jar. I add the water, pour over the head, and rinse almost immediately.
(These amounts are for long hair. If yours is short, use 1 tablespoon of baking soda and vinegar in 1 cup of water. If your hair doesn’t seem clean enough once it dries, use a little more next time.) instead of bicarbonate).
