Rhea’s No-Poo Experiment
I really do believe the boys have finally driven me insane. I mean, why else would I even be contemplating this?
And by “this,” I mean going “no-poo.”
What is “no-poo” you ask? Well, basically, I don’t wash my hair anymore. At least not with shampoo.
“But, Rhea, you’ve really lost your ever lovin’ mind!!”
I KNOW!
*sigh*
You see that picture up there? Those are the two main shelves in my bathroom. They are full of hair products: Shampoo, conditioner, gel, styling aids. Shampoo for dry hair, for greasy hair, for red hair. Gels for curls, serums to go straight. It’s really out of control. And what do I have for all of my money, time and effort?
Nappy, dry, and split ended hair.
It’s not pretty.
So I started reading up on the no-poo way of hair care. From what I have learned, it’s really great for your hair. All the shampoo and stuff that we use actually strips our hair of it’s natural oil and luster. Then it’s dry and we use more products. More products does more damage. It’s a terrible cycle.
When you stop using shampoo, your hair goes through an adjustment period (I hear it’s not always pretty). While your head relearns how to produce the correct amount of oil, it can get a little crazy. But after a few weeks of sticking to it, your hair will balance out and then TA-DA! Gorgeous Hair!
At least, I hope.
So I’m going to do this little experiment. I haven’t even told Bob yet because he’ll just laugh and shake his head at me. I have no idea how long I’ll last. But I am really curious to see if this works and if it can help my hair. Has anyone else ever done this?? If you are a no-poo gal (or guy) tell me what to expect. I’ll keep you posted!
Very interesting! I didn’t know that was possible for your hair to “correct” itself. I try to use very little product and only wash my hair every other day to keep from getting overdone and I have never dyed it! I’ll be interested to see how that goes for ya! Good luck!
I do dye, and I have no idea how that will effect this. I guess I’ll find out.
I don’t use “poo” on my hair… Oh wait… I don’t have hair….
Well, at least it’s balanced… my scalp that is.
(getting a picture in my mind of Rhea with dreads….)
Bob
LOL. Thanks honey.
Good luck! I can’t wait to hear how your experiment works out. I don’t think I could do it because I feel nassssty if I don’t wash my hair everday. But I know people that can go 2-3 days without washing.
Yea Bob….Dreads!!! My friend Rob has dreds and dosent wash his hair either. It stinks a lot. Althought I believe your intentions are good, good luck on NOT washing your hair. Even though I am pretty much bald, I still was my hair just to feel better about myself.
I’m not going to have dreads, dork. I’ll still brush it and if it gets too gross I put baking soda on it. That makes it not stink. At least it’s what I’m told…
Another blog I read posted about this over a year ago—the whole family has been no-poo all that time and is happy with it. I’m thinking of trying it. Here’s her post about it if you’re interested. And if you want to get really crazy, here’s her post about homemade deodorant along with links to other natural daily care type stuff
Thanks Kimberly!! I have been googleing and reading like crazy. I have only found a very small amount of gals that didn’t like it and gave up. Most are loving it. So we’ll see….
I have heard a lot about this and I hear it works. I even contemplating doing it. I cannot wait to see what you think. Maybe, I will find the courage to join in!
DO it!!! We can be no-pooers together.
lol
If it wasn’t for the bang I just created, I’d consider doing this. With the natural curl to my hair, I think shampoo does more damage than good.
And I love your new bangs! Super cute. And that’s me with the curls.
Hey Rhea, I personally don’t do this, but I have been tempted just b/c of the cost savings! I’ve heard it’s really good for your hair as well. Are you going to be using baking soda and vinegar? GL…I can’t wait to hear how it goes! I have been washing my hair every other day since I heard about the no poo thing…you just might be my inspiration!!!!
I think I may try it with the baking soda/vinegar thing only once a week. We’ll see how it goes. You should try it. We can be no-pooing buddies. lol
I am dying to see how this works for you! My hair is a bed of straw! However, I dye my hair so idk if that will make the no-poo no-good for me.
I color my hair, too. I have been trying to read and google if it’s ok but can’t find a real answer. Some say its fine to color and others say with your natural healthy hair, that the store bought dye’s don’t stick. Others said that henna dye works well. So we’ll see and I’ll let you know!
Good Luck! I have to wash my hair once or twice a day because I don’t like that dirty feeling. My hairdresser used to tell me that I should only wash every other day.
Wow you are brave. I am not sure I could try this EVER. I have super oily hair and have to poo every day. I think I would have a panic attack if I couldn’t use any products. I live for products. I am going to be interested in what you think about this. Good Luck.
I don’t think it’s the shampoo that’s doing the damage, but the dye instead. When I stopped coloring my hair it became soft, shiny, and I didn’t have split ends anymore. But I wish you good luck with your experiment anyway!
Oh God!! but there is SO MUCH GRAY! eeeekkk! I couldn’t possibly NOT dye it!! LOLOL! I desperately need a color right now but am kinda holding out until the 1st week or so is over.
lol okay so let me get this straight:
Gray=bad
Grease =okay
Hmmmmm….
I’m just messing with you
EXACTLY!! lol
dkMommy has been no poo for a year and has several posts about it. Check it out here!
http://dkmommyspot.com/category/no-poo/
My hair dresser has long naturally curly hair. She washes it MAYBE once a week. Actually, color is good for your hair, as long as you’re using the color the correct way. The only time color would cause split ends is if you’re coloring from root to end, when all you really need is your roots touched up. A lot of people just color their whole head when they do it at home themselves and thus, they end up with split ends, etc. There is also a “dry” shampoo that is like baby powder that you can use on your hair if it gets greasy during your “no poo” trial. I wash every other day and would go longer, but since I’m pre-menopausal and having hot flashes at night, I wake up with my hair sopping wet – therefore, I don’t feel clean until I wash it. Oh, another mistake people make with shampoo is that they use way too much. You only need about the size of a dime to wash your whole head. You just have to rub it together in your hands first to get the suds going and then apply to your hair. Some people just squirt the shampoo on their hand and then slap it on their head and then they can’t mix enough to cover their whole head and therefore, use too much shampoo. And that concludes my hair seminar for today! lol
Hi there, I was wondering if you’ve heard of sulfate-free shampoos? Sulfate is a cheap ingredient to make shampoo lather, but it opens the cuticle of the hair shaft and lets color and moisture escape. Some product lines that make sulfate-free shampoos are Pureology, Aquage, Enjoy, Alterna, Tigi (Bed Head). They can be pricey but work super for getting hair back into pre-coloring condition. By not stripping the color out, you can go longer in between colorings and less damage will be done. Also, you may want to try a demi-permanent color instead of a semi-permanent or permanent hair color. It’s much gentler on hair and doesn’t contain ammonia, so it doesn’t penetrate entirely into the cuticle of the hair. If you’re home coloring, only apply the color to the new growth, NOT all the way through. If you use thermal appliances ( flat iron, barrel iron, hair dryer) a light spray leave-in conditioner is a must or some type of thermal protector to help prevent slit ends. GHD makes some really great products to help in that category. A damaged hair cuticle or healthy hair cuticle makes all the difference in the world on the final outcome of your hair. I hope this info helps!
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