What The Heck Is the No Poo Method?
The No Poo Method is a way of washing your hair without shampoo.
There are various ways to No Poo, but the most popular is to use baking soda and a vinegar rinse. Oh yeah, did I mention that the No Poo Method is cheap as hell?
How Shampoo & Conditioner Work
To understand why your hair will love being washed via the No Poo method, you have to understand what regular shampoo does to your hair and scalp. Traditional shampoos are really detergents. They use chemicals to strip your hair and scalp of dirt and oil. Good right? Not really. Shampoo strips the hair shaft and scalp of sebum (the natural oils created by your scalp). So after you shampoo, you condition your hair. Why? To replace the natural oils in your hair that your shampoo has stripped away. The result, clean hair that has to be shampooed daily (or almost daily).
Why You Don’t Have To Wash Your Hair Often When You Use The No Poo Method
When you wash your hair via the No Poo method you use baking soda to remove the dirt, oil and debris from your roots and scalp. Since baking soda is not a detergent the sebum your scalp produces doesn’t get stripped away. The result – your hair becomes healthier as a result of nothaving the natural oils stripped away. Your scalp, now in balance, will produce less oil. You will find that you can go anywhere from a couple of days to once a week before you have to wash your hair again. It’s really simple – less oil, fewer washings.
Why The No Poo Method is Great for Your Hair
It is important to remember that your hair will go through an adjustment period when you start using the No Poo style of hair washing. AFTER your hair and scalp are back in balance, you can expect:
- More Body
- Easier to Style Hair
- Less Oily Hair
- Less Frizz and Fly-Aways (Great for curly hair ladies)
- Added Shine
- SAFE for Dyed Hair
- GREAT for Grey Hair (commercial shampoos can cause grey hair to yellow – boo!)
- FEWER hair washings, as your scalp will no longer be over producing oils
- NO chemicals on your hair, scalp or washing down the drain (BONUS!)
- MORE money in your pocket, cuz let’s face it, baking soda and vinegar cost pennies per wash (DOUBLE BONUS!)
- NEW hair growth (for some people) This has worked for me, and my stylist has noticed too. I have tons of new growth coming in. My stylist says it’s because my scalp is healthier and my follicles are no longer clogged with oil and debris.
How To Wash Your Hair Using The No Poo Method
At it’s core the No Poo Method is very simple. Use baking soda to remove dirt and oils from the roots and scalp. Use a vinegar rinse to condition the length of your hair. There are two basic methods to do this. I’ve tried them both with success. My favorite method is Method One – The BS Solution. I started with Method Two – Hair Paste, but it’s hard keeping the shower water out of my little container of baking soda and I have more control when I use Method One. I also get that important “slippery” feeling when I use Method One more than when I use Method Two. (UPDATE: I’ve gone back to Method 2, I’ve found I now have better control and can get that “slippery” feeling more easily with method 2 – it’s really what No Poo Method works best for you).
Supplies
- Clarifying Shampoo (if you’ve used products with silicone in the past for your last wash before you start No Poo)
- Baking Soda
- Vinegar (Use Apple Cider Vinegar for Dry to Normal Hair, White Vinegar for Normal to Oily Hair)
- Water
- Squirt Bottle with Pointed Tip (use a mustard bottle or 12-oz. Squeeze Bottle
)
- Spray Bottle
- 100% Boar Bristle Brush (optional) This is my favorite, (it’s a bit pricey, but worth it) Olivia Garden Ceramic and Ion Turbo Vent Oval Brush (comes in 3 sizes).
- No Poo Hair Journal (I’ll explain more on this below)
No Poo Method One – The BS Solution No Poo Recipe (favored by others, I prefer the Hair Paste Method)
- Create a solution of baking soda and water – 1 TBS of baking soda to 1 cup of water.Use distilled (not boiled) if you have hard water. Make sure the baking soda (bs) has completely dissolved. The solution should feel slippery in your hands (if it doesn’t add another TBS of baking soda). Store in squeeze bottle.
- Create a solution of vinegar and water – 2 TBS of vinegar to 1 cup of water. Shake to combine. Store in spray bottle
- WASH: In the shower, wet hair and using the pointed tip of the bottle, apply the baking soda solution to the roots of your hair and massage into your scalp with your fingertips using a circular motion. DO NOT apply to the entire length of your hair. Leave on till it starts to feel “slippery”. Leave on while you finish bathing then rinse WELL.
- CONDITION: Spray the vinegar/water solution on the length of your hair, focusing on the ends. Leave this on for a a min or so before rinsing.
- NOTES: Your hair will have no odor once it dries. You can add some essential oils to your hair brush to fragrance your hair if desired.
