It has now been 12, almost 13, weeks since I quit shampooing my hair. Until I quit using shampoo, I didn't realize how much damage it was doing to my hair and how many other products I was purchasing and using to correct the damage. Seriously. I used to think that my hair was naturally very dry and needed a lot of moisture added in order to tame the frizzies and bring out my natural curl. I used to shampoo daily, then condition with a conditioner for dry hair. After my shower, I would use a daily leave in conditioner, an oil based hair serum and another hair serum to tame the frizz. Now, I no longer consider my hair to be dry.
What's Changed:
Everything has changed. Since I last posted about my no 'poo choice, I have started using a vinegar rinse on my hair. I use about 10 parts water to 1 part apple cider vinegar and pour it over my hair right before I get out of the shower. It leaves my hair sleek, shiny, and as detangled as a conditioner. Because of this, I have been able to ditch my daily conditioner and all of my styling products. That is something I never expected to happen. Not only that, but my hair looks and feels better then I ever did with the shampoo, conditioner, and styling products. It is moist enough on its own to not need daily moisture therapy. Instead, I have been using a hot olive oil treatment on my hair about once a month to keep the moisture.
My hair had also gotten less greasy. Now my hair is to the point that I only need to use the baking soda scrub on my scalp once per week. The rest of the time, I will rinse my hair in the shower and scrub my scalp with my fingers to get it clean. This leaves my hair looking freshly washed.
What I am Saving:
I calculate that I am saving about $25 per every six weeks or so on hair products. I calculated this using the cheaper grocery store brands of shampoo and conditioner. I am probably saving much more money than that because, in recent years, I have been purchasing increasingly expensive hair products to try to get my hair to look the way it does now.
I am also saving about 4 plastic bottles from the waste stream every six weeks. A few more because I am reusing some of my old plastic conditioner bottles for my vinegar rinse.
I am also saving my health from exposure to the toxic ingredients that were in my shampoo, conditioner, and styling products.
I am also saving the water ways from dangerous toxins from my products as well.
Since going no 'poo is better for my hair, better for my health, and better for the environment, I see no reason to go back.
Awesome! I still need to figure out what works for me and ditch the shampoo too.
ReplyDeleteHi - This is the way I've been looking after my hair for ages, and it works for me too. I was the same, and thought there was something wrong with my hair, because it was always dry. Now I know that the products I was using were wrecking my hair!
ReplyDeleteI'll have to check out your hot oil treatment - I'm currently using a cocoa butter leave in product that I bought from the Body Shop a year ago - it lasts that long! But olive oil is a local product I can buy from local farmers (until our own olive trees start producing!), so I'd prefer to use that.
Thanks for posting. It's so great to see other people going shampoo-damage-free!
daharja - Thanks so much for your input. I'm glad to hear that this has worked for you long term.
ReplyDelete