But really, No Poo is a thing. A hair thing. Get your mind out of the icky!
So here's the short and dirty run-down of what No Poo is. It's the choice to give up the use of commercially manufactured shampoo in your hair-care routine.
The most puritan method is water-only, by which you only rinse your hair without cleansing (which as far as I've been told and read up on, doesn't work). But, there are other options. The most common bare-bones method involves only cleansing your hair maybe once ever 5 days (give or take, depending on personal needs) with a baking soda/water mix (1/4 teaspoon baking soda to a glass mason jar of warm water) applied only to your scalp to clean your skin. A vinegar (or apple cider vinegar) diluted in water (1:5 ratio) for conditioning, and the occasional raw honey, coconut oil, egg white, or other treatment for conditioning and protein infusion.
Add a drop of essential oil for scent if you want.
I'm thinking of starting this challenge in the near future (there is a transitional period for the first month to 6 weeks or so that involves some unpleasant greasiness as your body adjusts to the new oil production).
If you're wondering "why" anyone would consider this, here are the most common reasons:
- You save money! Baking soda and vinegar, in the amounts that are used, are so inexpensive compared to shampoo.
Commercially produced shampoos, conditioners (and all manner of cleansers and lotions that you put on your body daily) contain a host of hard-to-pronounce compounds that strip your body of natural oils and results in your body producing more oils to compensate- resulting in a vicious cycle of wash, get oily, wash, etc... Plus those chemicals can have long-term damaging effects to your skin and hair over time.
Many people find that going no-poo gives them stronger, healthier, more manageable hair.
It reduces waste, plastic bottles, that result from commercial products.
So has anyone ever attempted, done this, is still doing this? Share your thoughts, opinions, experiences, routines even.
I'm always looking for new ways to move away from an overproduced and "unnatural" lifestyle and move back into the basics of existence (herbalism, gardening, creating your own products as often as possible).