no 'poo

Some of you already know I stopped using shampoo. Since I only washed my hair twice a week anyway, it wasn't a huge shock to the system. A few weeks in, I realized I would never need to shampoo again and began to feel bad about the near-full shampoo bottle on the bathroom window ledge. So, now I am committed to finishing the bottle then ridding myself of shampoo forever.

I have read quite a lot of reports of individuals who quit the 'poo and these peoples' situations and reasons vary, men and women, hippies and hairstylists, people who figured out that shampoo is unnecessary. Word on the web is straight hair gets straighter and wavy hair gets wavier (in a frizz-free, sultry sort of way). The natural oils are the bomb and ultimately your hair gets thicker, healthier, shinier and easier to manage.

Some people are able to quit shampoo cold-turkey but for those of you that wash your hair everyday, you will probably freak at the oily appearance of your hair for the first week or two. In that case, fill a spray-bottle with 1tbsp baking soda + one cup water, shake the shit out of it and apply only to your scalp maximum two times a week and rinse out WELL. Baking soda might be too abrasive for your scalp if you are super sensitive so then use it only once a week. No shampoo does not mean not rinsing. If you are worried about hair odour, use conditioner once a week. If you have particularly long hair, I've read recommendations to brush 100 strokes twice a week to disperse the oils evenly. Also, I haven't tried these but some people swear by apple cider vinegar on the ends as a pseudo-conditioner and others prefer olive oil.

Connor and his gorgeous blonde locks took a serious interest in my anti-shampoo campaign and is on day six of his own no 'poo regime. He likes anything that will save money. I like anything that doesn't involve rubbing chemicals on my body and moves me away from a dependence on oil (including palm oil). His interest is great because he is sort of like my experiment. I will absolutely let you all know if anything unexpected comes up and how to deal.

The key is commitment. Connor is in exams and rarely leaving the house so he really doesn't care if he looks a bit greasy for now. And for the record, his waves are wavier already. For girls, I read you wear a lot of ponytails or jaunty hats in the beginning. All in all, I hear it takes a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 weeks to adjust. I noticed several accounts that say the 9 - 14 day mark can result in some pretty gnarly hair but remember it gets better and you only have to do this once in your life. For most, it is 3 weeks so please don't quit when the going gets tough because the end result will be worth it.

Did you know that shampoo was not invented until the 1930s? It took some seriously hardcore marketing to convince us to wash our hair EVERY SINGLE DAY. My great-grandmother had fabulous hair. Just sayin'.

Image from Google Images.