For Queen Mum and other non shampoo-ers

Deborah

I found the advice on Claire's post very interesting and would like to find out more about not using shampoo.

I need to wash and style my hair each morning as I like to wear it straight. So, my main question is do you find by just using conditioner that you hair has enough volume? I don't like my hair flat as it looks like it has no style.

QM, do you blow wave your hair each morning, or do you let it dry naturally?

I think you also said it took a bit for your hair to get used to it, how did your hair react to the conditioner only in the first few weeks?

Thanks ladies, I am keen to give this a try but need all the info first

xxx Deborah

14 years ago

General

41 replies

Latest reply was from Isabel

Queen Mum

Veteran

Deborah,
I absolutely blow dry my hair every morning. I cant' even think about letting it dry naturally. I actually find that it has more volume and texture as the week goes on (I do shampoo faithfully every Saturday Shampoo strips our hair of everything so a bit of "dirty" actually helps it along.
Yes, I did say that it took a bit for my hair to adjust. I think if I remember correctly, I was trying to go cold turkey and quit shampooing at all. It was fine until about day 9 or 10 and then it was feeling gross and had to shampoo. So then I started just going as long as I could which would last about 9 or so days,but it was hard to judge and sometimes I wouldn't wash but wish I had.... so that was when I decided on once a week just so that I didn't have to try to remember when my last washing was.
After reading again about some who don't shampoo at all, I'm toying with the idea of trying to go completely shampooless again. hmmm, today should actually be a shampoo day, but it's feeling pretty clean still... maybe I'll skip today's shampooing

14 years ago

Claudia

Veteran

I stopped using any shampoo well over a year ago, just wash with conditioner. I don't use any styling products, so I don't have any product build up to worry about. I shower every morning and will alternate using conditioner one day, and just rinsing my hair/scalp with water on the other. I also stopped blow drying my hair and let the natural waves do their thing.

Interesting thing happened: I always thought that I had poker straight, oily hair until I stopped shampooing and blow drying. Turns out I have glossy, wavy hair that isn't in the least bit oily.

I learned about the no-pooing on Academichic's blog and Googled some more about it. I'll see if I can find the link, and there have been other threads here with a lot of discussion, I think that Maya started, I'll see if I can find those links, too.

14 years ago

nicoleb

(website)

Veteran

Wow ladies @_@ Very interesting.

I wash my hair every other day. Any longer and my bangs get gross. I only shampoo the top of my head though, never the ends. I always condition the whole thing and let set for like 3-5 minutes before rinsing.

Deborah you can always give your hair volume by round brush blow drying or using a bit of mousse or hairspray. I don't know if you're trying to avoid hair products though?

14 years ago

Claudia

Veteran

The Academichic blog post with additional informational links: http://www.academichic.com/200.....er-2009-3/

If you try this, it is important that you use a silicone-free conditioner, which tend to be the cheaper brands, because silicone will build up on your hair with bad results:
http://www.academichic.com/tag/no-poo-movement/

14 years ago

ManidipaM

Veteran

I use baking soda more for the most part, conditioner when it starts to get too dry to 'wash', which is about once a week, like Queen Mum. With baking soda, the last rinse is vinegar, to rebalance the pH. Other days, I just rinse with plain ol' water.

When the water is soft, I don't need the conditioner at all, I find. But where I live now, the water can almost stand up straight on its own legs --- so when my hair starts to feel flaky, I use a conditioner rinse OR if I remember, I use some oil (olive, coconut, almond, apricot, whatever's handy, lightly warmed in winter) before I wash. I suspect if I used a little oil pre-wash regularly, again I wouldn't need conditioner. Sadly, I'm just not that organized.

I don't blow-dry though, don't even own a hairdryer. I just lump it in a towel till it no longer drips, then work in curl-defining leave-in conditioner when I can remember to, and leave it to air-dry from there.

Yes, the first couple of months seemed a little mad. There was a lot of braiding and scarf-wearing But it settled over time. It styles more easily now, too, being 'dirtier' with its natural oils. Stays up in twists and buns without as much help. Less prone to frizzing into a clown's wig.

14 years ago

Queen Mum

Veteran

hmm, the thought of a 4-6 week adjustment period gives me hives.

14 years ago

Claudia

Veteran

Some older YLF threads about this topic:

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....lfate-free

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....r-remedies

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....-your-hair

14 years ago

MNsara

Veteran

Deborah - thanks for starting this thread because I've been intrigued too, but didn't want to start hijacking a thread by interrogating non-pooers

I'm still wondering if this works best for those with wavy/curly hair? Does someone wilth straight, or mostly straight, hair benefit from this?

14 years ago

Queen Mum

Veteran

I think the idea, Sara, is that it leaves your hair in it's best possible condition. My hair is straight and it seems to be of benefit.

14 years ago

Deborah

Veteran

Ladies thank you, and Kim really appreciate your feedback.

I have "washed" with conditioner only today and while my hair looks quite good, lots of volume and texture, i feel my color looks a bit dull? I may have to start every second day and work towards a greater gap between shampoo and non shampoo days.

14 years ago

Anonymous

This is a terrific link about the whole process:
http://simplemom.net/how-to-cl.....ut-shampoo

The transition process is somewhat iffy, and this author shows you to get through that with some baking powder in replace of shampoo.

14 years ago

Deborah

Veteran

I have one more question for the girls using baking soda... is it ok to use on colored hair?

14 years ago

ManidipaM

Veteran

I'm not much help with colour vs soda, since I don't colour. But from what I've heard, the reason for faster colour fade is usually the pH being too far out of whack. IF that's the case, using a vinegar rinse after soda should help, since the whole point of that is to restore the natural pH (or very close).

14 years ago

Marley

Veteran

What do you non-pooers do about the days that you exercise (and I know that some of you exercise regularly!) and you are sweating, including your scalp, your hair is wet with sweat, etc. etc.? I really have a hard time imagining that I would not have to wash my hair - but I am open to learning, because I would LOVE to not have to spend money on shampoo and conditioner!

14 years ago

ManidipaM

Veteran

Marley, in our summers, I don't even have to be involved in a workout to get sweaty hair. It's like a seven-month-long sauna experience!

Then, I step up the baking soda wash to about 2-3 days a week, depending on the weather and the state of my hair really. More than that, and my generally dry hair rebels. In between I simply rinse with water and then with diluted vinegar (I like to add a drop or two of an essential oil, geranium or lavender or rose for me, to mask the smell) --- that's plenty cleansing I find.

If the roots seem too oily or (erm) whiff-y at all between baking-soda washes, I use a dry shampoo --- basically a dry clay (such as you use in a face pack) dusted in near the roots (I keep mine in one of those icing sugar/flour shakers), gently massaged in and brushed out. It takes the grease with it.

14 years ago

Deborah

Veteran

Well I amat the end of day one having only washed with conditioner and I can't wait to shampoo!!!!

14 years ago

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

Really interesting stuff.

Does anyone know more about how this "no 'poo" approach works on superfine, thin straight hair?

Kim I saw your reply, just wondering if any one has first-hand experience or has read something.

14 years ago

Deborah

Veteran

Denise, obviously I have no experience to speak of but my hair is fine but a bit wavy and what I have noticed today is with no shampoo my hair is fuller and looks thicker...but it is only day one.

I am sure others will chime in here.

14 years ago

Queen Mum

Veteran

Marley,
I sweat like a pig when I work out and then I just rinse really good and use conditioner. It doesn't seem to smell or anything.

Yesterday was day 8 for me. I normally shampoo on Saturdays but decided to see what would happen if I put it off. I have to say I'm feeling a bit grimy this morning. Actually when I styled it yesterday it styled great but soon started to seem heavy. I'll probably shampoo after my workout today and then try to go 8 or 9 days again. It was doing really well on a weekly shampoo schedule, so I would imagine it would adjust to longer. For some reason I'm afraid to use baking soda... and even more afraid to use vinegar.

14 years ago

Claudia

Veteran

I never found the need to use baking soda and vinegar. It took about two weeks for my hair to adjust to the change. Others have stated it was up to six weeks. Like anything it depends on how oily or dry an individual's body chemistry is.

Marley, once your scalp and hair adjust to stopping the harsh stripping done by shampoo and eases up on the resulting oil production from that stripping, washing with conditioner works just like shampoo, except leaves you with healthier hair and scalp, even after going days without washing and with heavy sweating: it leaves your hair and scalp very clean. The only caveat is that I don't add any styling products so I don't know how that daily build-up effects the "no-poo" result.

Denise: fine straight hair will/should benefit a lot and develop more body from stopping the regular shampooing and replacing with conditioner because it will be less oily around the roots/scalp and less dry and damaged farther down the hair shaft.

14 years ago

mrseccentric

(website)

Veteran

This thread is cracking me up!

Mom: " What?!?!? you just let your hair get dirty and you never get it wet?!?!?"

Me: "Mom, i cleanse me hair every other day, i just don't use shampoo."

Mom: "You don't wash your hair?!?! Doesn't it get all gross?!?!"

etc.

Basically the idea is * No Shampoo * . You cleanse/wash/rinse/condition your hair as often as you like, you just don't use shampoo to do so. My hair is wavy/curly and fairly thick, with a few highlights. I 'wash' my hair with conditioner about every other day and use shampoo 2-4 times a month as needed. What makes my hair feel gross is using too much heavy styling product (some dry waxes, hairspray). Also too much silicone/dimethicone will make it flat (in styling product or conditioner). It is amazing to me how many effective styling products actually rinse out with warm water alone.

The first i ever heard of 'no poo' was decades ago on some afternoon talk show. They were interviewing beauty queens on grooming tips, and many of them stated that their hair looked better and was more well behaved the second or third day after shampooing - that hair looks nicer when it's 'kinda dirty'. I had to try it!

I also find that when i've not been shampooing my hair it needs less styling product to get the look i like - curly and lots of volume. Which lessens the need for shampoo to get the styling product out afterwards.....you can see why the hair products industry wouldn't be interested in people doing this!

Best of luck to all, steph

14 years ago

Queen Mum

Veteran

Deborah,
part of what might be making you feel like you want to wash could be product... especially hairspray. I guess that's where the baking soda and apple cider vinegar come in to play to help clean the hairspray out. I would try it today, but I don't have the vinegar and it sounds like you need to do both for ph balance.
I'm gonna go to the gym and then decide if I want to try for day 9 of no-shampoo or if I'm gonna cave and wash. The good thing is I don't have to go anywhere today (well the grocery store) so I can experiment with one more day if I really want to.

14 years ago

Queen Mum

Veteran

steph, do you use a traditional conditioner?

14 years ago

Claudia

Veteran

Yeah, what Steph wrote: just use conditioner to replace your shampoo. Bottom line!

14 years ago

Lisa

Veteran

I use Wen as my all in one and dry shampoo from Sephora as my dry shampoo. I'll go two days sometimes three days between washings.

14 years ago

Claudia

Veteran

I am a fairly recent convert to Wen (last October). LOVE it!

14 years ago

mrseccentric

(website)

Veteran

Hi Kim - yeah, generally just something on sale from the grocery or drug store or something fancy my husband got from the stylist. I'm currently on the lookout for something cheap, good, and 'cone free - i'd be very happy to hear anyone's suggestions! for shampoo i use the bumble and bumble coconut one, it seems to rinse out really nicely. steph

14 years ago

Queen Mum

Veteran

Day 9 no-poo update...
I went to the gym and sweat like a pig, but really wanted to see if I could get one more day of no-poo, so I ended up washing twice with conditioner and then went no-prod as well (no-product) What a difference! I skipped my usual application of 2 Redken products and went straight to the blow dryer. My hair feels clean, soft and manageable... not dirty or heavy at all like it did yesterday. I did succumb to a few quick shots of hairspray, but that's all.

14 years ago

Fruitful

Veteran

MrsEccentric, my go-to cone-free cheapie is currently Tresemme Naturals. I use both the nourishing one and the "radiant care" volumising one. Oddly, the volumising one seems to give me more slip for detangling.

I stress to anyone trying this if you want to be shampoo free (truly - not just going a few days without shampoo) you MUST avoid silicones (unless they are modified, and I won't go into that). Nearly all conditioners and a lot of other products have silicones. Also, heavy wax ingredients may be good to avoid. Anything that builds up on the hair to the point of requiring detergent to remove it.

And I mean this in the gentlest, most smiling way - I had to laugh at people here and in other threads saying they rarely wash their hair and they mean every 3 days or so Even before I was no-poo, my hair would have been straw if I washed it as often as that. It was happiest with a week or 2 between washes ^_^

14 years ago

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