Ok, did that title get you? Haha Well, no poo just means we dont want a bunch of crap or poo in our hair so we don’t use the traditional, commercial shampoo/conditioner. No poo means finding a more natural method of cleaning ones hair.
Many people take this no poo journey for different reasons. I personally have many reasons for it. My first and foremost reason is for mine and my family’s health. There are A LOT of chemicals in shampoos and conditioners. So many chemicals in fact that it is simply too hard to keep up with or know what all of them are. So, five years ago I began the first steps into a “no poo” journey.
At this point I had to cut the dead part of my hair off leaving it the shortest it had been in a long time. This picture was taken at about 4 months into my No Poo journey after I realized I needed more than just a baking soda wash.
I had no clue where to begin so naturally the first thing I did was… say it with me… “google it”. Lol While googling helped, it really wasn’t enough. I needed to speak to people, ask questions, seek advice…. so I joined a couple of FB groups. Let me tell you, the world of help out there is amazing! I learned so much from those people. One of the major things I learned was, there are a lot of different types of hair. I also learned that what works for straight, thin, oily hair most likely will not work for thick, curly, dry hair. Once that realization set in, I began some trial and error of my own to figure out what worked for me.
I wish I could tell you that the first few months were great. I wish I could tell you that my hair was soft and beautiful and smelled great in those first few month. Sadly, I cannot. The first few months,,,, ok the first SIX months were AWFUL! My hair looked as though someone had dropped a bottle of hot bees wax on my head. Every strand of hair felt like it was on steroids and had more mass than any normal hair I’ve ever seen. UGH I found out that the waxy buildup is called sebum. When hair is detoxing from chemicals, the sebum buildup is crazy. I will admit, I was dreaming of a nice lather to clean my waxy scalp no matter how many chemicals it took. I can laugh now, but it was no fun. Full bun mode for 6 months! Good news is, just when I was about to give up, my hair gave in. The recipe trial and error was difficult. Training ones hair was simply a matter of time, experimentation and determination. I had a lifetime of toxic shampoos and soaps to detox from so it stands to reason why it took so long. In the end, the results are well worth it!
Lots of growth in just a few short years as seen in the picture below compared to the picture above.
I’m the one on the right…
There is a growing awareness about the dangers of chemicals in shampoo products. I am happy to say that some companies have produced products that are organic and free from parapens and chemicals. When traveling we use some of these great products. When convience or pacticallity win out at least there are healthy options. Now that our family has become more self sustaining I wanted to use things we had on the farm or grow ourselves. One of the first trial and error (mostly error) recipes I used was a baking soda wash with a few drops of essential oil. While that seemed to be what everyone on the forums was using, it did not work for me. I tried a few other methods after that but the one that finally worked for me was an egg yolk wash with an apple cider vinegar as a conditioner. (Recipe below) You may want to know that this method does not leave my hair smelling like vinegar, especially after it dries. As a matter of fact, my husband says my hair smells nice and that means a lot to me! With chickens to provide the eggs, this method working for me was a blessing and couldn’t be more perfect for our lifestyle. I occasionally use a coffee wash as well. The coffee wash is my 8 year old’s favorite wash.
As I continue on my mission to find products that are not packaged in plastic, making our hair products contributes to that mission. Making this another avenue we can reduce waste on our beautiful planet.
Truth be said, I had no idea what I was getting into with this no poo thing when it all started. This journey has taught me so much. Now that my hair is totally on board, I am loving the way my hair feels, looks and smells. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that I’m not damaging mine and my family’s health for the sake of cleanliness and the Earth doesn’t have to suffer either.
Current status; hair and earth in harmony. 🙂
MY NOPOO RECIPE:
2 or 3 egg yolks mixed with warm (not hot) water in my favorite little milk glass cup. (Get all the white of the egg out as much as possible or you will have some scrambled egg in your hair… which could be used as a snack later I guess depending on how you look at it haha) Pour over scalp and massage into hair and scalp. The more vigorously you massage, the more lather like it will feel. Leave on for about a min or more and rinse with cool water.
Conditioner: ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar (don’t get in the eyes or you will not be happy and probably cry) with half cup water. Pour over scalp and hair. Massage in and then rinse with cool water.
Done
I do not use the ACV conditioner wash every time I wash my hair. I use it about once a month.