My hair after its last regular shampoo and style!
For the past month or so, I have had this ongoing internal debate about whether or not I should stop washing my hair with traditional shampoo. It seems like the most logical next step in my re-wilding journey. I have read so many positive testimonials from people who have stopped shampooing their hair. Women talk about how their hair is the most luscious, healthy, and beautiful it has ever been since they stopped shampooing. But is it really worth having to pin my hair back when it gets so greasy that it sticks to my forehead? Is it worth the dirty looks when I’m that woman in the super market with hairy pits (GASP) and oily hair (GASP)?
As you can see, my hair is pretty healthy. However, I do have a lot of frizz and some parts of my hair are a little dry and brittle. A lot of my hair falls out in the shower and when I brush it (my boyfriend says it looks like Chewbacca just used our shower when I get out), but over all it is much healthier than it was two years ago.
My routine until now has been to wash my hair every 2-4 days with whatever inexpensive shampoo I had at the time, to brush it daily, and to style it every once in a while with some gel (like the one pictured above, which I received in my Birchbox).
This is a ridiculous photo of me, so of course I had to include it! Two years ago my hair was totally fried from all the beaching and straightening I did to it. Shortly after this photo was taken, I realized I was in need of clean slate… so I decided to chop off my hair.
Getting a pixie cut was probably the best decision I have ever made for my hair! In the year following this hair cut I didn’t style my hair with heat or products at all, I didn’t cut my hair, and I only washed it every 2-4 days. My hair greatly benefited from that dramatic hair cut and I am so glad I did it! But, there is definitely room for improvement.
So, I decided to go for it! I went one week without shampoo! Honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Here is what my hair looked like after one week of no-pooing:
Instead of shampooing, while I was in the shower, I rinsed my hair with very warm water and massaged my scalp to stimulate oil secretion. Then, when I got out of the shower, I combed my hair and towel dried it. I realized half-way through my no-poo week that I probably should have been using separate towels for my hair and body to prevent breakouts.
I have to say, I did break out quite a bit this past week, mostly just on the back of my neck, behind my ears, along my hair line, and under my chin. This is to be expected if you go an extended period of time without washing your hair, but it still sucks a lot!
After going a week without shampoo, I definitely felt a little grody and wanted to wash my hair with some thing, so I used some apple cider vinegar and baking soda.
First, I put baking soda along my hair line and in the part of my hair. I made sure to massage the baking soda into all of my scalp. Next, I mixed one part ACV and two parts water in the bottle pictured above. Then, I stood in the tub and rinsed the ACV through my hair. Of course, I got some in my eyes 😦 But other than that, it felt pretty nice! Finally, I rinsed my hair out with cool water and blow dried it with a diffuser.
After blow drying my hair, it was much less frizzy than it was last week. It also looks a lot less greasy… but it did feel kind of oily. It also had this kind of weird grittiness to it. I’m not sure if that is from the baking soda? As of today it has been three days since my baking soda/ACV wash and my hair feels pretty normal.
I haven’t decided yet how long I will go without washing my hair again. I’m going to try really hard not to use shampoo, but it will be there if I can’t stand the greasiness any more! Since my hair didn’t get that greasy at all, I’m kind of hoping that my oil production regulates itself pretty quickly. We shall see!
In the mean time, I need to find some cute updos to keep my hair off my skin! I’ve just been using a head band and throwing my hair in a clip or bun. But, tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and I’d like to do something cute with my hair!
I would really appreciate it if our readers could suggest some updos for me 🙂 Please head over to our Facebook page and share with us a photo of your cutest updo and a brief description of how it’s done. I will share the updos I like in my next no-poo post!
Thrifting & Bitching 