Hair Adventure! Going "No 'Poo"

After reading about the "No 'Poo" movement, it took longer than I care to disclose to realize that by poo they mean, shampoo. (I had very unpleasant visions of a no poo movement) Once I realized that it was my brain that was moving slowly and not the bowels of the movement, I thought I'd give it a whirl:

I tried to just rinse my hair instead of using the suggested method for easing into the no 'poo movement...I made it about 4 hours before I rushed out of bed at 11 pm and decided that maybe I should use the suggested method after all because I felt disgusting.

Suggested method for going No 'Poo:
Step 1: Take 1 tbsp baking soda and mix with 1 cup water. Apply to roots and work through the rest of your hair.

Brandy's Note: My hair is waaay past my shoulders, it was nearly impossible to apply to my entire head because my stupid hair kept getting in the way. Also, this is baking soda, not shampoo, so it doesn't exactly lather. It kinda sandpapered its way to my scalp through parts of the hair jungle and it felt like maybe I was tearing my hair? I could just be a wuss.

Step 2: Add 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar to 1 cup of water and apply to ends of hair to condition.

Brandy's Note: I don't think this conditioned my hair. Maybe I should have doubled this whole thing since my hair is long?

Step 3: Rinse.

Step 4: Rinse hair with water when needed. Cleanse weekly or less.

Brandy's Note: I had a friend's birthday party to go to the next day, so I broke down and shampooed and conditioned before the party so that my hair would be soft and pretty instead of dry and scraggly like a street urchin.


Conclusion: I have straight hair that I rarely blow dry and and it is even more rare for me to use styling products or style my hair in any way. So, for me, this gave my hair a texture somewhat akin to a giant broom that fell in some mud and then walked through a desert. If you use product and style frequently, this might work for you because it makes your hair more pliable. Also, if you have short hair, it might work out pretty well because you could actually get the baking soda to your scalp and the texture would probably look cool.

I will probably try it again because I'm all for weird experiments with home remedies. From what I've read online, if you keep it going your scalp eventually regulates and you rarely need to wash your hair and you save money and your hair isn't so broomy.

Even if you don't want to go no 'poo completely, the baking soda and apple cider vinegar thing is supposedly good for removing any build up or gunk. On a slightly unrelated note: I have also tried the coffee grounds in the hair thing and it did make my hair softer but I'm not sure if it gave me "great highlights for brunettes"....it DID make my husband look at me weird though, so bonus for that!