Ginevra Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Talking about going without shampoo products, not a bathroom discussion. :tongue_smilie: I'm considering giving this a whirl, but I am a serious doubter. I'd like to hear from either those who had serious doubts but found it worked, as well as those who tried it but gave it up. I've been looking this up on the web, trying to find folks who tried it and documented it with photos in a way that I could believe it will work for me. I'm not really finding that to be so. Many women who try this seem to be something like 25 years old, so...yeah. I had no hair probs when I was half my current age. (42) My story is that my hair is VERY thick, extremely abundant with a lot of body and some natural wave. I have some grey, which I "correct" by highlighting and overlaying a toner color (at a salon). I am very happy with my hair AFTER I have gone through the arduous process of turning it into something presentable, which involves many products and tools. If I could let my hair air-dry and not have it turn into The Sixth Jackson, I would be all over that. But honestly, I can't imagine how I would even get a comb through my hair if I don't use standard 'poo and conditioner. When I see folks with blogs that have blogged about going No 'Poo, they most often have fine hair that tends to get greasy. This is not me. My hair doesn't get greasy for days and day and days. I don't wash it everyday to begin with; I go 2-3 days most times. I have gone 5 days without shampooing and, while it looks a little wilted to me, outsiders would not be likely to guess I have not washed my hair. So I'm not very concerned about turning into a grease pit while my scalp "adjusts." I'm concerned I will turn into a Rastafarian because there will be not a chance I can put any sort of order to my haystack. Experienced No Poo-ers, please comment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelenNotOfTroy Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 I have slightly thick, wavy hair. I am not in my 20s. I have washed my hair with conditioner, off and on, for maybe 8 or 9 years. It worked very well for me in the place I lived when I started, but I have sinced moved to a place with very different water. I now don't feel like my scalp gets clean enough without ever using shampoo. My hair is much nicer when I don't use shampoo (I have always washed with shampoo and conditioned with a deep conditioner 4 times a year). I usually use White Rain conditioner for washing. I do not use styling products because I lack the patience to style my hair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 I did baking sofa and apple cider vinegar as reccomended by most no poo articles for awhile. The apple cider vinegar? Awesome. The baking soda? Broke my hair. So many short frizzy hairs caused by the soda. In a serious way. My hair doesn't get greasy unless I go more than a week without washing, though it would be uber greasy if I washed it daily or even just every other day. My hair is thick and fine. It's long now. What I do is use a teeny dollop of shampoo every week or so, just on my scalp. In between I just rinse it out with water and vinegar and use conditioner on the ends. When I switched to no poo I didn't have much of an adjustment period. The people with the adjustment period are those accustomed to daily washing. I've mostly never washed my hair more than 2 times a week, since I was about 13. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SadieMarie Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 I wash mine once a week and just rinse in between in the winter. When it is hot I use shampoo twice a week. I have thick hair that has some wave and it is a lot less coarse and dry looking now. It did feel too oily when I first started skipping the shampoo but someone told me that was temporary so I stuck with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 I switched very gradually over a number of years: first conditioner only washes, then stretching out the time between them, then the switch to baking soda and vinegar rinses, and now I rarely even need that. I slowly cut back on the quantity of baking soda from a Tbsp. per pint of water to 1 tsp. or even less. My hair is tailbone length, thin, very fragile, and I am 48. I've been no-poo since 2006ish. ds has been no-poo from birth. He is mixed race, so I wouldn't be doing daily shampoos anyway. Usually I only use the baking soda rinse once a month or even less. His hair looks great, but his scalp is a bit flakier than I remember from my shampoo-conditioner-several times a week kiddos. I don't have many problems with tangling since I've gone no-poo. I use various oils (coconut, jojoba, and shea butter; in a pinch, ds can use olive oil, but it's too heavy for caucasian hair) to condition and ds generally has cornrows for three weeks out of the month and loose hair for the remaining week to give his scalp a rest. You might find some pictures on the long hair community forums if you haven't already tried there. It's been a few years since I've been a regular poster, but I learned a lot there and I really like the way our hair looks and how little hassle it is to maintain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanne Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 I am 47. I have a bunch of thick, curly hair that frizzes without the right product. I went very limited poo years back, including when I worked in a bar that allowed smoking. It has worked for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Coconut oil in place of product for control? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbeym Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 My hair is below-waist length, fine strands but thick, with S-curls. What didn't work: baking soda/ACV combo, Dr. Bronner soap, soapnut shampoo, any oils straight on my hair What does work: washing weekly with Organix Tea Tree Mint shampoo, co-washing daily with VO5 Shea Cashmere conditioner, and conditioning with Suave Coconut conditioner. I rinse both conditioners out completely, then use just a little bit of the coconut conditioner as a leave-in. I'm still looking for a good product to combat the frizz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 My story is that my hair is VERY thick, extremely abundant with a lot of body and some natural wave. I have some grey, which I "correct" by highlighting and overlaying a toner color (at a salon). I am very happy with my hair AFTER I have gone through the arduous process of turning it into something presentable, which involves many products and tools. If I could let my hair air-dry and not have it turn into The Sixth Jackson, I would be all over that. But honestly, I can't imagine how I would even get a comb through my hair if I don't use standard 'poo and conditioner. That is my hair! Well, minus the gray... It took a while to adjust. I joke that you only have 1-2 more weeks when you are ready to shave it off. May I ask what type of water do you have? Well? City? Filtered? Softened? I have found a huge difference in how my hair reacts depending on the water. I have well water and my hair does wonderful. When I shower at the gym in the city my hair feels horrid. I make it a point to wash it on my home day. Generally though I just use water at the gym so that may play a part. I do not get tangles. Ever. BUT, and this is a big one, if I wash it at night before bed it is untamable the next day. It doesn't matter how much time I spend drying it if it has been less than 4 hours since I showered I can be guaranteed a bad hair day the next day. I have to wash it early in the day, towel dry it most of the way and then let it air dry the rest of the way and it is perfect for 2-3 days. I cannot explain it but it saves me tons of time a day if I drag my rump out of bed 15 minutes early and take a shower. With that said every couple of months my hair gets in a cranky mood and will do nothing. When my hair is feeling a bit funky I know I need to jump in the shower and using vinegar diluted with water (1TBLS per half cup-stronger than what is normally recommended) and just let it sit for 2 minutes before rinsing and it is fine. I get compliments all the time about how beautiful my hair is and people ask me what kind of shampoo I use. They are always amazed to find out I only use vinegar and only wash it 2-3 times a week at the most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Oh I want to add that I started out using baking soda. I now only use it about twice a year or if I fall in the creek and have mud caked in my hair. My hair does better with just vinegar. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 OK, first, let me start with that I never tried this *forever* because ...because I thought it was nuts. It was one of those green line things I just never wanted to go near. So, me, the OMG, what God you MEAN you don't shampoo your hair every day, is now saying this no poo thing is pretty neat. Now, I don't no poo at all, but, in between washings I use Burt's Bees baby powder (which is cornstarch). Baby powder actually works better, but, it can inflame your lungs, and, I hate the smell, so. Dd18 is working at a 100% organic salon, and *all* of the stylists powder their hair and have a running 'who went the longest without shampoo' race. When they do shampoo, they use a ACV rinse. The shampoo they use is a non lathering poo. You can also get some 'shampoo' bars, which are easy to make and buy, and they work well for when you do wash, also. They also have a babassu oil that they use for frizz. It sinks right in and is amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 I have coarse, curly red(dish) hair. I have been no poo for about 4 years. I just scrub my head with conditioner. No ACV. No baking soda. I do use mousse and scrunch. I am happy since I now have curl not poof and frizz. I am 50 if that matters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 I'm only a couple of years younger than you and I have thick dry hair. I haven't used shampoo in about 6 years. I use the baking soda and apple cider vinegar in the shower and after towel drying my hair, I use coconut oil as a leave in conditioner on the ends. I too have thick hair and with it being dry, it knots pretty easily. If I use the coconut oil and a wire brush, my hair is super easy to take care of. I actually have very few split ends (they used to be several inches long - I don't cut my hair at all, not even trimming). The coconut oil really seemed to make all the difference. Oh and for washing I only do it once or twice a week. It did take my hair about two months to adapt though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrub Jay Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 I've tried to go no 'poo a few times in various ways but failed. But I've ever tried just conditioner or Burt's Bee's baby powder. Maybe I will try them together. Is there a specific kind of condiment that works best? I have a slight wave to my hair if it dries without a hair dryer (which I don't regularly use). And the roots show some oil if I don't wash daily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 Coconut oil in place of product for control? I have used Jojoba oil for several years after drying my hair. It does a good job of smoothing the cuticle, but so far has not worked as an end-result product. It just makes it smooth enough to take a flat iron nicely. I might give coconut oil a whirl and see if that can work for me. That is my hair! Well, minus the gray... It took a while to adjust. I joke that you only have 1-2 more weeks when you are ready to shave it off. May I ask what type of water do you have? Well? City? Filtered? Softened? I have found a huge difference in how my hair reacts depending on the water. I have well water and my hair does wonderful. When I shower at the gym in the city my hair feels horrid. I make it a point to wash it on my home day. Generally though I just use water at the gym so that may play a part. I do not get tangles. Ever. BUT, and this is a big one, if I wash it at night before bed it is untamable the next day. It doesn't matter how much time I spend drying it if it has been less than 4 hours since I showered I can be guaranteed a bad hair day the next day. I have to wash it early in the day, towel dry it most of the way and then let it air dry the rest of the way and it is perfect for 2-3 days. I cannot explain it but it saves me tons of time a day if I drag my rump out of bed 15 minutes early and take a shower. With that said every couple of months my hair gets in a cranky mood and will do nothing. When my hair is feeling a bit funky I know I need to jump in the shower and using vinegar diluted with water (1TBLS per half cup-stronger than what is normally recommended) and just let it sit for 2 minutes before rinsing and it is fine. I get compliments all the time about how beautiful my hair is and people ask me what kind of shampoo I use. They are always amazed to find out I only use vinegar and only wash it 2-3 times a week at the most. I have well water. It is towards the acidic side. As a side note, I have rarely used cleaning products on my face - just water for most of my life. This is what I would hear a lot - "What cleanser do you use on your face?" They were always shocked when I would say, "Water." :coolgleamA: OK, first, let me start with that I never tried this *forever* because ...because I thought it was nuts. It was one of those green line things I just never wanted to go near. So, me, the OMG, what God you MEAN you don't shampoo your hair every day, is now saying this no poo thing is pretty neat. Now, I don't no poo at all, but, in between washings I use Burt's Bees baby powder (which is cornstarch). Baby powder actually works better, but, it can inflame your lungs, and, I hate the smell, so. Dd18 is working at a 100% organic salon, and *all* of the stylists powder their hair and have a running 'who went the longest without shampoo' race. When they do shampoo, they use a ACV rinse. The shampoo they use is a non lathering poo. You can also get some 'shampoo' bars, which are easy to make and buy, and they work well for when you do wash, also. They also have a babassu oil that they use for frizz. It sinks right in and is amazing. I admit I am very intimidated to 'fess up at the salon and say I don't want shampoo/don't need it/haven't been using it. I'm not sure how I'm going to get around that one. I did recently buy a non-lathering shampoo...I DETEST it. It is like trying to run my hands through a wire brush! I cannot get the shampoo to penetrate anything. It was expensive and I am telling you, I never want to use it again. That is what brought me to wonder if I can/should try the no poo. I have coarse, curly red(dish) hair. I have been no poo for about 4 years. I just scrub my head with conditioner. No ACV. No baking soda. I do use mousse and scrunch. I am happy since I now have curl not poof and frizz. I am 50 if that matters. Nice. Maybe I'll start with that. I'll just scrub it with conditioner and see what happens. I'm only a couple of years younger than you and I have thick dry hair. I haven't used shampoo in about 6 years. I use the baking soda and apple cider vinegar in the shower and after towel drying my hair, I use coconut oil as a leave in conditioner on the ends. I too have thick hair and with it being dry, it knots pretty easily. If I use the coconut oil and a wire brush, my hair is super easy to take care of. I actually have very few split ends (they used to be several inches long - I don't cut my hair at all, not even trimming). The coconut oil really seemed to make all the difference. Oh and for washing I only do it once or twice a week. It did take my hair about two months to adapt though. What happened while you were adapting? Was it a haystack? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 I started several weeks ago with a limited poo routine that's working awesome for me so far. I have shoulder-length, dry, medium-thick, curly hair. Once a week, I put a fairly liberal amount of coconut oil in my hair and leave it in for about an hour. Then I do what I would call a minimal shampoo with Dr. Bronners, just enough to remove the excess oil while still leaving some on my hair. If it got tangly from the wash, I'll condition with V05. Halfway through the week, I co-wash with the V05. Other days, I don't wash at all. Scrunching my hair with wet hands to reshape the curl is enough. If it is especially humid and I'm starting to get some frizz, I'll lightly wet it down in the shower and put a tiny bit more coconut oil on the ends. Leaving some of the coconut oil in has even spared me from using other products. The oil has been enough to hold the curl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 About 3 years ago I tried it for 4 months using a baking soda scrub and apple cider vinegar rinse and it was pretty bad. dry, brittle, straw-like. I tried different conditioning things like olive oil and coconut oil. From your description my hair is similar to yours except I don't do any coloring. More recently I've been using an all natural shampoo soap bar (Apple Valley Natural Soap) and it is not too bad. Every couple of weeks I do a vinegar rinse. One difference may be that I now have a super-effective shower-head water filter, although the previous time I even tried using filtered/distilled water and that didn't help. (We don't have a traditional water softener.) I don't know if I'll ever try the baking soda again. I may try using a little coconut oil again, or see if I can find the babassu oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrub Jay Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 I found my answer via Googling and thought I would share this blog post here for anyone else curious. http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/02/15/conditioner-only-washing-no-shampoo-crunchy-beauty-tips/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 I found my answer via Googling and thought I would share this blog post here for anyone else curious. http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/02/15/conditioner-only-washing-no-shampoo-crunchy-beauty-tips/ Ha Ha! She's GREAT! I think I'll try something like this method. I'm going to take enough pictures to make your head spin, so hopefully I can document something that will make sense to others down the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 I wash with conditioner (Tresemme Naturals moisture conditioner), rinse completely, and then condition again with another one (right now, Shea Restorative). Once in a while I use a natural, sulfate-free and cone-free shampoo from Shea Moisture and then rinse with apple cider vinegar - my hair gets too dry if I use the vinegar too often but I like how it seals things up after shampoo. If you're not using shampoo, you may want to avoid using hair products containing silicones that could build up. If you've already used such products, you may want to do one last shampoo to wash them out before going "natural". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbeym Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 I wash with conditioner (Tresemme Naturals moisture conditioner), rinse completely, and then condition again with another one (right now, Shea Restorative). Once in a while I use a natural, sulfate-free and cone-free shampoo from Shea Moisture and then rinse with apple cider vinegar - my hair gets too dry if I use the vinegar too often but I like how it seals things up after shampoo. If you're not using shampoo, you may want to avoid using hair products containing silicones that could build up. If you've already used such products, you may want to do one last shampoo to wash them out before going "natural". Is Shea Moisture the brand that has the coconut/neem oil products? I've looked at them as neem oil is supposed to be good for frizz, but haven't wanted to spend the $$ yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 I found my answer via Googling and thought I would share this blog post here for anyone else curious. http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/02/15/conditioner-only-washing-no-shampoo-crunchy-beauty-tips/ SO trying that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco_Clark Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 I tried the "no poo" for several months. Honestly I loved how my hair looked and felt ( I have thick coarse hair that tends toward fizziness and never gets oily) and there was very little adapting, maybe a week or two of limp hair that i felt needed to be put up. But after several weeks I found I constantly battled with an itchy dandruffy head, even though I don't think I have ever experienced dandruff before. I tried baking soda/vinegar but it broke my hair :/. Now I use a sulfate free shampoo once or twice a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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