On February 20, 2014 I went no poo. You went what!? No poo (despite what you might think the name means) basically just means giving up traditional commercial shampoos (and conditioners). Instead of using Garnier, Dove, or Herbal Essences, I make my own shampoo and conditioner. It's really not hard at all and quite cheap.
But WHYYYY?
I have a few reasons for switching to no-poo and just transitioning to a chemical-free life in general.
Okay, so now back to how-to go no-poo. The standards for no poo are baking soda as shampoo and vinegar as conditioner. However, alternatives include castile soap, lemon juice, honey, and more. Also, if you still just want the comfort of store-bought products, you can go low-poo and use some safe & healthy alternatives. Look on EWG for some options or just ask in the comments below! :)
But WHYYYY?
I have a few reasons for switching to no-poo and just transitioning to a chemical-free life in general.
- It's cheaper! My shampoo mixture costs me less than $0.02 per cup. My conditioner costs me less than $0.22 per cup, but the basic mixture which most people use is less than $0.07 per cup! That's SOOOO cheap! On Walmart.com Suave's shampoo and conditioner are over $0.82 each per cup!!!
- It's better for your hair's health. Traditional shampoos strip your hair of its natural oils and conditioners just coat it in product (read: silicones). This method gently cleanses and restores your hair, while retaining your hair's natural oils. Our bodies are pretty dang smart, they know how to moisturize themselves better than a mass produced formula does.
- Less stuff. These ingredients are used in a lot of others of my personal homemade products. I don't have to buy one product for this and another for that. It simplifies my life.
- It doesn't have harmful chemicals/it's better for the environment. There's a lot of evidence out there that suggests that the ingredients that our beauty products contain are actually very harmful. The Environmental Working Group (EWG)'s SkinDeep Database breaks down the ingredients contained in our cosmetic products and gives each ingredient a rating and lists the potential harmful effects. One of the main ingredients in shampoo is sulfates (sodium laurly sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, SLS, etc.). EWG describes it as "Sodium Laureth Sulfate is and ingredient derived from ethoxylated lauryl alcohol and used as a surfactant; may be contaminated with potentially toxic manufacturing impurities such as 1,4-dioxane." (Btw, it's derived from an alcohol...aka it WILL dry your hair out). Its concerns include organ system toxicity (classified as expected to be toxic or harmful by Environment Canada's Domestic Substance List), human irritant (skin, eyes, or lungs), and others. Go to EWG's SkinDeep Cosmetic Database and look up your hair products. You might be surprised by the ingredients and their concerns.
Okay, so now back to how-to go no-poo. The standards for no poo are baking soda as shampoo and vinegar as conditioner. However, alternatives include castile soap, lemon juice, honey, and more. Also, if you still just want the comfort of store-bought products, you can go low-poo and use some safe & healthy alternatives. Look on EWG for some options or just ask in the comments below! :)
My Shampoo:
For shampoo, I just use the basic mixture:
My Conditioner:
My conditioner recipe is a little extra so I'll put the basic recipe and my own concoction.
Basic:
In addition to this conditioner, it is also absolutely necessary to deep condition your hair once a week! I don't care what type of hair you have, DO IT! I use honey as my deep conditioner. I slather my hair (minus the roots) in honey and leave it on for 15-20 minutes then rinse it off. For my first few months, I skipped this step...and boy oh boy did my hair get dry! Without silicones coating my hair, its true texture was visible and yeah...it needed moisture bad.
For shampoo, I just use the basic mixture:
- 1 tablespoon baking soda (BS)
- 1 cup water
My Conditioner:
My conditioner recipe is a little extra so I'll put the basic recipe and my own concoction.
Basic:
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (ACV)
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon ACV
- 1 tablespoon raw local honey
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup water
In addition to this conditioner, it is also absolutely necessary to deep condition your hair once a week! I don't care what type of hair you have, DO IT! I use honey as my deep conditioner. I slather my hair (minus the roots) in honey and leave it on for 15-20 minutes then rinse it off. For my first few months, I skipped this step...and boy oh boy did my hair get dry! Without silicones coating my hair, its true texture was visible and yeah...it needed moisture bad.
The Transition Period
Now here's the not so fun part...the transition period. Because most commercial products are trying to regulate your body for you...it takes some time to transition. Your hair and scalp have to get used to moisturizing themselves with your body's own healthy natural oil production. Usually this means way too much oil production at first until your hair & scalp self-regulate. This transition period can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. For me, I think it took about 3 weeks...because I forgot to clarify There are some things you can do to shorten the transition time though before you switch to no-poo.
I've been doing this for months, and although it takes some trial and error and customizing recipes to your own needs, it's worth it! If you have any questions, ask below in the comments! I'm happy to help! And expect more posts! :)
Now here's the not so fun part...the transition period. Because most commercial products are trying to regulate your body for you...it takes some time to transition. Your hair and scalp have to get used to moisturizing themselves with your body's own healthy natural oil production. Usually this means way too much oil production at first until your hair & scalp self-regulate. This transition period can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. For me, I think it took about 3 weeks...because I forgot to clarify There are some things you can do to shorten the transition time though before you switch to no-poo.
- Shampoo less often. It sounds gross, but I promise it isn't. Most people's hair usually doesn't get that dirty, it just produces oil. Brushing your hair regularly and rinsing in water can do most of the cleaning for you in between washes. This will help your hair learn to produce less oil.
- Clarify! Please, please, please use a clarifying shampoo before you switch no no-poo! It'll help get rid of product build-up (especially silicones) and make the transition process sooooo much easier! And now, stay away from silicones and sulfates!
- Use it correctly! First of all, the BS solution should feel "slippery" in your hands and on your hair, if it doesn't, you might not have enough baking soda in it. Secondly, let the BS solution sit a while on your hair. After applying the BS solution, let it sit a minute or two while you do other things like wash your body.
I've been doing this for months, and although it takes some trial and error and customizing recipes to your own needs, it's worth it! If you have any questions, ask below in the comments! I'm happy to help! And expect more posts! :)