No Poo method - am I doing it correctly??

[wickedfairy]

OK, I am trying to go no 'poo, but not sure if I am doing it properly!

I have straight, shoulder length hair, which usually requires shampoo/conditioner every day, or it just looks greasy and lank. I did a final clarifying shampoo to rid my hair of all the product/shampoo/conditioner build-up and then left it a few days (wetting it only in the shower each morning). When it started to get greasy, I washed it with baking soda mix and then an apple cider vinegar rinse (ACV), then rinsed that out. I think I have this bit right - do that when it gets dirty/greasy, until my hair adjusts. (If I don't have this right, please correct me!).

Ok - but what do I do in the mean-time? I "wash" it with water every day in the shower, but should I be rinsing it with ACV every day or just water? Should I be doing anything else?

I really hope someone on MN knows and can advise me! I have been searching the net, but I still don't have a clear answer!

Thanks in advance and hopefully some of you can advise (fingers crossed!)

Hmm I don't know the answer because I don't do it but I thought no-poo was for curly - so that means straight can do it?

I thought the no shampoo method was for drier/curlier hair that has a tendency to frizz.

What are you hoping to gain from not using shampoo? As for those with curly hair I think it was to have non-frizzy hair without being reliant upon silicone products which ultimately dry out the hair.

However I am no expert but thats from what I've gleaned on here.

Hehe. Whoops.

OP if you do abandon the method (not sure if its true about curly only but that's what I'd thought) and want to wash less and be less of a slave to washing every day, I recommend dry shampoo. You may have used it before in which case my apologies but if you haven't tried it, it is worth finding a brand you get on with.

Initially its so you don't have to wash it yes, to tide you over, but what it becomes is a vehicle by which your hair doesn't need to be washed as often, with or without dry shampoo, because its true that daily washing stimulates more oils and more washing.

Its partly the texture of your hair that makes it how it is but its also about the fact that its "used" to being washed daily. If you start by doing dry shampoo every 2nd day then washing every 3rd day after a few weeks of this you will probably get away with it and be less of a slave to it.

But depending on the texture of your hair, it might need "styling" every day anyway in which case you almost may as well wash it....its tricky really.

Hi, thanks for your replies! Although it's great for curly hair, apparently you can also do it on straight hair. I am trying to get away from needing to wash my hair every day but also I have highlights through the top half of my hair (I am brown hair with lighter bits at the top) and these lighter bits are so dry. My hair underneath is lovely and sleek but the blonder bits have gone seriously frizzy and feel horrible. I want to be able to leave my hair to dry naturally and for it too look in great condition but if I do that now, it's a total state!!

I want to stop using shampoo because it is just like using detergent and is drying out my already dry hair, although if this doesn't work too well, I will consider using some kinder shampoo of some sort.

I have also stopped straightening and blow dry as infrequently as possible - now I blow dry only my fringe (so it at least looks presentable) and leave the rest (tie it back/up).

Does anyone have any more pointers please? TIA

This is a great site for care of long hair or if you just want a more natural approach to hair care (I know a lot of the members do no 'poo and conditioner only washing). forums.longhaircommunity.com/index.php I've totally changed my hair routine for the better since joining :)

You have to join up to get full access to everything.

I am no expert and I am not sure that I follow the No Poo method perfectly, but what I do, that you don?t seem to is the co-wash thing. The co-wash is when you ?wash? your hair with conditioner only - no shampoo at all! It sounds crazy, but has really helped my dry, frizzy (but admittedly very curly) hair. From what you have described up thread, I am not sure that you are conditioning your hair enough.

Here is what I do and it really works for me: I wash my hair once a week with silicone-free shampoo and conditioner, just as you would normally. For this I used Bodyshop Rainforest shampoo and conditioner. I style my hair with Boots pink curl crème and leave it to dry naturally.

Then next day, I spray my hair with a lavender essential oil and water mixture, comb through with my fingers and apply a light layer of leave-in conditioner (I use is Naked Miracle Worker) and style as normal.

The following day, depending on how it looks and feels, I co-wash (I ?comb? the conditioner through with my fingers) and style as before. For co-washing I use Original Source conditioner.

I repeat the co-wash/lavender water spray cycle until it is time to shampoo again (once a week max).

If, at any point, my hair becomes a bit fly-away, I use Umberto Giannini Gel.

The thing that I have learnt from trying out the No Poo method is that you have to experiment and get to know what works FOR YOUR HAIR. HTH

Hi,

You're right - I think I am not conditioning my hair as much as it needs, especially with the blonder pieces in it..... I just continued doing the same as when it was darker, but the bleach has definitely taken it's toll......

Thanks for your tips on what you do! Can I ask why you use different conditioner for washing/conditioning to the stuff you use for co-washing? Also, when you co-wash and "comb" the conditioner through, I assume you wash it out afterwards? (sorry for the dumb question). I will have to go and get myself some silicone-free shampoo and conditioner.

thanks!

This is interesting. I have exactly the hair MrsCampbellBlack describes and have a few times previously tried not to wash my hair but never got to the point where I've achieved the gorgeous wavy silky locks I'm after.

I have been using a totally standard poo and co, but it's now been a good five or six days since I last washed my hair (father) and tonight I rinsed it through and have just left it. I haven't started experimenting with putting anything in it as for me that somewhat defeats the object - I want to get away from all these products. I've tried bicarb before but that didn't help much, it made my scalp quite itchy.

For now I'm going to stick with rinsing every few days and see how I go. I can feel that the natural oils in just five days have already begun to travel along my hair, so with a few weeks of just rinsing I'm hoping it will get to the end. That's the object for me atm. I use a wide-toothed wooden comb which is meant to help - it absorbs the oils which helps to distribute thems through the hair.

I'm off to look at that long hair link.

Hi

I co-wash with Original Source conditioner for two reasons:
One, because it is cheap and cheerful, and I tend to go through quite a bit of the co-washing conditioner (my hair is long).

The second reason is, I want to avoid build-up of any of the products on my hair and I find that if I vary the conditioners I am able to achieve this well.

It does means a bit of £££ in the beginning because of all the different products, but everything lasts for ages (except for the Original Source conditioner).

Finally, yes I rinse the co-wash conditioner out - thoroughly rinse it out, actually.

I know it sounds like a bit of a faff in the beginning, but honestly it is easy and has really improved the condition of my hair.

If you are using water only to wash, get yourself a good boar bristle brush to distribute the sebum along your hair. Mason Pearson are the best, but I have a Denman one which is very good, and much cheaper.

Well, I have bought some original source conditioner (the mint & tea tree one), so will start co-washing and doing a shampoo when it really needs it.... I was going to buy the original source shampoo (almond) but it had SLS in it!?! I thought OS stuff was free of all that? Is another "flavour" of OS shampoo free of SLS or is it just free of silicones? Will be in town in a few days, so will nip to the body shop and get some of that rainforest stuff :-)

Anyway, thanks for all the advice - if you have any more, please keep it coming!!

Jet - thanks for naming the products - I am clueless and it really helps!!