so Green it hurts: My 'No Poo' Experience

Blow dried curly, brushed out, and then curled with wand

Lot's of people are asking about it- let me tell you it is one of the biggest changes I have made on my green journey. It is weird, it is completely different, and it gets lots of compliments.

I have not shampoo'd my hair in a 5 months and it looks beautiful. In the years since I switched to natural/organic body care I have searched for the best shampoo and conditioner for my hair, never realizing that the packaging of these products effects the health of the environment and in turn my health- so I set out to reduce my packaging waste and the 'no poo' method fit in perfectly (and did not require me to start up a shampoo lab in my house.)

http://www.nopoomethod.com/

Frequently asked questions...

Do you need exlax?
No, not that kind of poo,

Does it stink?
No, actually the baking soda has a nice fresh smell.

How did you do it?
I started washing my hair with baking soda and apple cider vinegar every other day. 1/4 cup of baking soda to a 1 cup of water. 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to 1 cup of water.

How long did it take before worked?
Solidly- 2 months. The transition period is a bit painful but once you get used to it (if it works for you) it has great results. I had to mess around with the solution a bit to get it right.

Washed and blown out straight, touched with straitner

Is you hair greasy?
When it gets greasy it needs to be washed.

Con's

Your hair literally feels like grease all the way to the tips when it is wet- it is a very different washing and brushing experience and it completely transforms the texture of your hair.
You will have to get used to the way it holds different styles.
Your brush is pretty much disgusting, washing it doesn't help.
Have you ever pet a dog and have a dirty hand after, that is almost what happens when you brush dry hair daily.
It is not sudsy washing so you just have to put the mixture in and smush it around.

Pro's (in my experience)

No split ends..
Looks amazing.
Does eventually get soft.
Holds styles very well.
Eventually you only need to wash it once a week.
Saves money not having to buy products. (ps I still use hair spray if I need to- just leave it in there after)
Saves the lakes (no toxic by products from shampoos going down the drain)
Did I say it looks amazing??

Conclusion
This is not for the faint of heart and does not work for everybody. It is something you have to see through and it is a big change to adjust to. If you commit to this process and it works for your hair type you will love it.

washed and air dried

Tips and tricks

Use apple cider vinegar every other wash (my hairdresser warned me it could dry out my hair, also she want grossed out or put off by me doing this- she had heard of it)
Brush your hair everyday
Make sure you ad warm water or add the water in the shower when you mix your solution- or you could be cold shocked!
When you tell people don't just tell them you have "no poo for 6 weeks" like I did- give them some pre context or you will get some funny looks

Side note- I do not colour my hair, results could be different for regular colourers.

Thanks for reading my blog! I would love to hear your experiences with 'no poo'!
Julia Taylor