No ‘Poo update.
As part of the expected “detox period,” there’s some issues, i.e., grease.
I am supposedly detoxifying from—well, what else?—toxins in shampoo. However, I’ve been using Hugo Naturals shampoo (no conditioner) for about a month, and it’s free from toxins found in most shampoos—sulfates, parabens, petroleum products, alcohols, synthetic colors and fragrances, etc.
I’m also thinking, "Just how long is this nebulous period, anyway?” (Why does the word period never connote anything good?)
my arsenal
I’m blindly groping around with this, hoping it will work out. There’s entire no ‘poo communities out there, ready to offer support for every alternative hair care question one could have, but nothing is clear cut—different things work for everybody.
In the summer I tend to forget about things like taking showers, so no ‘poo could be really useful—you only need to wash your hair once or twice a week, as it gets truly dirty (a detail I left unclear in my initial post). The thing is, I get sweaty quite often in the summer, so it would get dirty more often. So I’m not sure how that balances out.
in review.
- June 10: On Thursday, I went swimming – no shower. The salt could not have been good for my hair, and the next morning my hair was obviously greasy.
- June 11: So Friday before lunch, I massaged my hair and scalp with baking soda, and rinsed it (hair, not the scalp) with 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar + 1 cup water + a few drops lavender essential oil. It wasn’t tangly, a problem I encountered last summer, but now I have short hair.
A couple hours after washing, it looked greasy again. Great. - June 12: Saturday I just hid my hair behind my trusty head-band.
- June 13: On Sunday I washed it with baking soda, but not the vinegar rinse because my hair didn’t feel like it needed the conditioning. Now it looks greasy and thick at the roots, but overall it’s not too bad—good enough for church!
- June 14: Monday was terrible… I was embarrassed for my appearance. My parents wonder why in the world I’m doing this and I wonder why in the world I’m doing this.
- June 15: Tuesday morning I went on a bike ride, got super-sweaty in the 95 degrees+ weather, and took a shower. I used the baking soda and the apple cider vinegar rinse (see below).
- June 16: I went swimming Wednesday afternoon, so my hair isn’t greasy, just stiff.
I prepared a bottle of rinse:
- 1 quart (4 cups) water + 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (clarify, detangle, balance hair pH, seal cuticles)
- 1 cinnamon stick + 1/4 tsp. vanilla (scent)
Am I crazy? Is this worth it?
PS – I have a question for you: If you could use just two spices(besides salt and pepper) for two months, which would they be?
If you enjoyed this post, please
In the summer you FORGET things like taking showers?!??! That’s the ONLY thing that I think about in the summer! Because otherwise I become a walking sweat-bomb!!! And I live in the Great White! I can’t imagine what it’s like in the South of the US! Ahhh!
Anyways…. I don’t think you’re crazy for going no ‘poo at all. I think it’s admirable and if you succeed, you should educate the world. If it was easy enough, I’d do it.
Two spices? Garam masala (although this technically is cheating because Garam is actually a COMBO of numerous Middle Eastern spices) and Cinnamon. Savory and sweet. Of course!
xo aletheia
Regarding the spices, I’m going to bring a small spice container on my trip. Two years ago (when I went with Teen Missions to France) a girl brought a spice shaker with four compartments, and we all used it at every meal. I thought it would be a good idea to bring salt, pepper, and I don’t know what else. Thanks for the input – it’s not cheating! I’ve never had garam masala, but I’ve heard of it and it sounds good.
Well, during school, my life is so structured (so I always go to track/XC practice, go home and take a shower, eat dinner, etc. at the same time every day) and I worry about appearances a lot more. I just take, you know, a break.
Sorry if this is disgusting – I don’t know what possessed me to talk about personal hygiene for all the world to read, but for some reason I don’t care. I kind of want to show people that I’m not afraid to be honest (we’re talking very honest here, aren’t we?) Warped.
Why aren’t you using shampoo? I really thought this post was going to be about not pooping because my life is consumed with potty training, so that was all I could think of when I saw no “poo”. However, apple cider vinegar is also good for that problem.
Cinnamon
Chili powder
In short: to be able to wash my hair less; to stop putting chemicals and toxins on my scalp (or, in my case, to save money on toxin-free shampoo). Frugal and non-toxic hair care.
Haha, yep, it’s not about constipation! It’s a funny name – The No ‘Poo Movement.
Alisha
PS: I’m thinking cinnamon, too…
I’ve heard such good things about this, so just keep going! you’re so far anyway it doesn’t make sense to quit
Thanks! You’re right.
Interesting. I’ve been wanting to detox as well. But internally not externally
I’ve been eating some junk lately hahha
Good luck with the No ‘Poo
Lucky you have short hair! This could be quite horrid with long tresses hahha
The detox idea is that the chemicals go into your bloodstream through your scalp. I don’t know all about it, but it seems logical enough, right? Plus, this is one of the few times the non-toxic way is cheaper.
I know, I tried no poo last summer and it FAILED in part because I had super-long hair.