More than 5 years ago I started to shy away from traditional (aka commercial) shampoo. I searched the internet for shampoo free options. What I found scared me. The reviews for baking soda wash were mixed. Some people loved them, but other people were having serious problems with the baking soda wash. Some people noticed thinning patches or scalp issues. This was enough to keep me away from baking soda washing for a while.
Instead I found a "natural" shampoo, one that did not contain SLS. Without the SLS there would be little sudsing and I was prepared for that. I trudged ahead. The first wash my hair felt dirtier than before I washed it. It felt and looked like it was coated with a layer of grime. I repeated the wash with twice as much shampoo. I was able to make "natural" shampoo work, but I had to shampoo my hair twice using 3 times the normal amount of shampoo each time. But I wanted to be good to myself and the environment so I trudged on. I had read about a detoxification period so I incorrectly chalked this up to that.
In the meantime I tried tea rinses (no good for me), a honey wash (no good for me) and even a beer wash (no good for me). Then I cut my hair super short (donated it to a charity event). I was at a local craft show where there was a soap artisan who had bar shampoo. The bar shampoo worked like a dream. Even better I could get the bar shampoo at Abundance Co-op. What worked so well about the bar shampoo was that I was able to apply the lather to the underside, tops side and in the middle of my VERY thick hair.
I loved the bar shampoo but at some point I just got lazy. I was tired of buying one shampoo for the hubs (traditional), natural shampoo for the girls and the shampoo bar for me. Then a miraculous thing happened....
I returned to the internet and found an article that explained why many people had experienced problems with their baking soda wash. The author explained why I had a layer of grime and why I have to wash my hair twice with "natural" shampoo.
The culprit was hard water. Hard water + sebum = a layer of grease or grime.
So I ordered a water test strip through the internet. I honestly don't remember what company from, but I know it was a company that sold water softeners. You can get a free test strip here. Given the results I had in the shower I was not the least bit surprised when the test showed moderately hard water. We do get some water spots on our glassware. We don't have cloudy glassware, but we also don't have a dishwasher.
Moderately hard water meant that I could not use the typical baking soda method. The typical baking soda method is to mix Baking Soda with water and just pour the solution over your head. You can google for more information on this or read this blog post about two women's experiences with going shampoo free for 31 days.
Instead of the typical method I used the hard water method. I started with the full 2 Tbsp of Baking Soda, but eventually worked it back to less than 1 Tbsp. However, I was supremely LAZY. Since you have to boil the water you also have to let the solution cool before you wash you hair. This means planning ahead, which I am not always good at. AND I did not regularly use the vinegar rinse. I don't mind the smell of vinegar, but it was one more thing to mix up when I showered and take with me to the bathroom.
Eventually I returned to "natural" shampoo and when I lost my job I returned to commercial shampoo (because Suave is super cheap). Then Lu picked up the Baking Soda Wash method and even did her homework because she boiled her solution. She tried tea rinses and a few other methods that I hope she will chime in about.
So in the New Year I was determined to return to the Baking Soda Wash and Vinegar Rinse Method.
Some things to keep in mind. If you have a bottle of commercial or "natural" shampoo feel free to use it up. I know most people tell you to ditch the commercial and get away from the nasty ingredients. If you are up for a rough 6 week transition then go for it. From what I read people who had the hardest transition periods were daily shampooers. When I first went shampoo free I was washing every other or third day. If you read reviews MANY people recommend getting to that point first.
I do not use the Baking Soda wash daily, I use it 1-2 times a week. Lu uses it more because of her MMA Fight Training and the need to get rid of the sweat and salt in her hairline. I do use the Vinegar Rinse after every Baking Soda Wash. To my Vinegar I add 1 drop of Rosemary (supposedly really good for the hair) and 1 drop of Melaluca. I add the Melaluca for my dandruff. Even with commercial dandruff shampoo I still suffered from dandruff. My dandruff is actually very light.
A few tips:
1. Comb or brush your hair before you wash it
2. Do NOT skip the vinegar (you need the acid to balance the scalp pH)
3. Try not to comb or brush wet hair (let it get to a damp or even dry state first)
4. Try not to touch your hair during the day, this increases the oil transfer from your hands to your hair.
My routine:
I make my Baking Soda Wash the night before and let it cool overnight. Sometimes I reheat it on the floor vent in the morning before I shower. I pour the Wash over my dry hair making sure to saturate and then massage the scalp. I leave the wash on for a few minutes and then I rinse under running water. After the rinse I use the Vinegar Rinse which I simply dump over my head and allow it to saturate all my hair. I do not rinse out the vinegar.
When I get out of the shower I towel dry my hair as best as I can and I put it up (in the summer when it is warmer out then I tend to just leave it down).
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| Before I Baking Soda Wash |
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| Back Before I Baking Soda Wash |
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| The Wash and the Rinse. I put the wash in a glass bottle because it is hot, I use a plastic bottle for the rinse because it is cold. |
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| After - Nice and Clean (24 Hours Later) |
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| After - Nice and Clean |
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| 48 Hours After |
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| 72 Hours Later - Still in Good Shape |
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| A Close Up |
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| 96 Hours Later - Time to Wash or put my hair up No Flash |
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| 96 Hours Later - Wish Flash |
I have a few recipes to try and help with the dandruff, but dandruff is essentially dry skin and it is a sign that something is missing from my diet.
Hello! This is Lu. Just chiming in with what I discovered on my no-poo journey.
I started no-poo because I was going through a period of complete detox (more to come in later posts.) Everything from my diet to my lotion was researched, switched, and eventually home-made. Everything except ... my shampoo.
I read so many articles about no-poo and the trials and tribulations those who tried it faced. I was so afraid of that dreaded transition period that I began to avoid the subject completely. All the while my poor, limp, dried out, hair called for an alternative.
First I tried shampoo bars ..and hated them. Something about using a soap bar and rubbing it on my head really bothered me, and I always managed to miss a spot. So yeah ... greasy patches ... yum.
Then I tried a series of rinses, everything from tea rinses to egg white and beer rinses. The rinses, while they work great as a hair conditioning treatment, did not clean my hair the way I wanted.
Then I read something on a crunchy blog (right here) about a coconut milk and castile soap shampoo that suds-ed and worked like real shampoo. It probably worked for a lot of people, but it just left me with a greasy residue all over my hair. Damn you hard water!
So disappointed and with a greasy head I turned back to store bought shampoo. This was an organic all-natural shampoo, but I found myself facing the same issues my mother did with natural shampoo.
Eventually a long break came along and I decided .... screw it. How bad can this really be? I did my research and found the hard water method and went to trying. I can't say I went through a really intense adjustment period, but I did need to do some experimenting. I had to mess with the frequency I washed my hair and how much baking soda and vinegar to use.
If my hair was super dry, I decreased my baking soda and increased my vinegar. If it was oily I did the reverse.
So what I do now is every two to three days I use a table spoon of baking soda dissolved in about two cups of water.
Then I take regular water and add about 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar to about two cups of regular (unboiled) water. I use this as a rinse after my baking soda.
You can choose to leave the apple cider vinegar rinse in for awhile if you so choose, but the smell is STRONG. It's a great conditioner.
Are you looking to do No-Poo? If so leave any questions or experiences with it in the comments!
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