Why are so many people quitting shampoo? In a nutshell, it’s healthy, natural, easy and cheap. The natural living community is raving about No ‘Poo.  But, I won’t lie. The first month or two – they’re gonna be rough. But I’ve outlined a day by day plan for going without shampoo.

The key to No Poo is planning out your haircare routine, day by day. Each week, you will use less and less chemical products to “wean” your hair off them. By the time three months have gone by, your routine will be completely different from what it once was. You will have essentially trained your hair to produce less oil, because it’s not being stripped of its natural oils on a daily basis.

HOW DOES OUR HAIR GET GREASY?

We have oil glands that secrete sebum. A gross word, but a vital component to our body’s natural order. Sebum is actually great (or it’s supposed to be). It’s there to condition and moisturize skin, hair and nails. It also prevents us from developing fungi and parasites on the skin. Okay, we’ll stop there. (But seriously, isn’t the human body amazing?) But when we constantly give our body a chemical wash every day, stripping EVERYTHING off our skin, hair, and nails, we are telling our bodies: Hey! We need more sebum over here! The hair is brittle! The skin is dry!

But we also spread our oils around. When we touch our face, then our hair, we spread sebum from our face to our hair. And the oil produced on our forehead eventually makes its way up to our hairline, causing it to look stringy and greasy. It’s obvious that if this is happening to you, and you have the same cleansing routine, then it’s time for a change. 

Maybe you have eczema or psoriasis, and shampoo is irritating your skin. Or maybe you’re looking for some clever ways to save a little money. But, most likely, if you’re reading this article, you suffer from greasy hair. (Like me). If anyone has ever told you that the solution to your problem is to “wash your hair more”, they are WRONG! This only worsens the problem! Need I say again, stripping the natural oils only causes us to produce more sebum. Adjusting the frequency of shampooing can help maintain healthy hair growth as you minimize trauma to your hair follicles from harsh scrubbing.

WHY IS SHAMPOO SO BAD?

Glad you asked. Shampoo isn’t the enemy – it’s made us squeaky clean people for over a century. But, it has its downsides. Most shampoos, unless they are labeled otherwise, contain an ingredient called sodium lauryl sulfate. Everyone’s seen it, it’s usually one of the top 5 ingredients. This is a foaming agent used to help lift dirt and makes the rinsing process easier. But, the problem with sulfates is that they clog our pores, and if they aren’t rinsed properly, they sit on top of the skin and make it dry and itchy. They are known to cause acne (both on the face and body). 

In addition to the sulfates, shampoos contain a number of chemical additives and perfumes that you really shouldn’t be washing all over your body on a daily basis. It’s not great for the health of your skin, not to mention your hair. And shampoo costs money. It’s a fairly regular expense, and the alternative methods we are going to show you will certainly save you some money.

HOW TO GET STARTED:

It starts with a cleanse: you’ll deprive your hair of washing for at least 4 days at a time, for two weeks. Get it nice and greasy. The second step is to start cleansing with ACV (a.k.a. Apple Cider Vinegar) and baking soda instead of shampoo and conditioner. The last phase of this process is the best one. If you follow the routine correctly, you may never need to shampoo again. Your hair will produce less natural oils than ever before, and you will be able to wash it with only water. And if build-up happens, then you have your DIY hair rinse to save the day. For the first two weeks, you should be sure to get your hair clips, headbands and beanies ready. You’ll want to style your hair and keep it out of the way.

Follow this simple routine: If you’re worried about judgement from coworkers or friends, you can always share the No ‘Poo technique with them. Explain to them: “I’m trying an experiment to make my hair healthier, so if it looks a little oily, bear with me”. Chances are, no one is even going to notice, especially if you keep it tucked back.

WEEK 1

Think of this week as your ‘hell week’, where you’re going to deprive your hair of chemicals. For starters, you will create a DIY hair rinse to replace your shampoo routine. You need to spend this week allowing greasy build up to happen. And you’ll be amazed at how much oil your scalp is really producing.

FIRST STEP: MAKE YOUR HAIR RINSE.

You’re going to start by making your own two-part hair rinse, which you will use any time you want to wash your hair. You will need:

• Apple Cider Vinegar (a.k.a ACV) – not white vinegar! Apple cider vinegar is really the only kind that will work here.
• Baking soda
• Essential oils for fresh scent (tea tree and lavender are good options. But Rosemary and Peppermint also make a really great combination, and they promote healthy hair growth. Also, Rosemary and Lemon are a great combo because Lemon helps cut grease). You’ll want about 3 drops for every 8 oz. of hair rinse. Use your best judgement.
• A container (a cereal bowl covered in plastic wrap will work just fine in a pinch, but ideally you want a plastic container with a cover, or a squirt bottle.

Another thing to keep in mind is that ratios aren’t super important here. We will give you rough estimates of how much product to use, but there’s really no wrong answer.

Combine in your container:

• ~1cup baking soda
• ~¾ cup of water, just soak the baking soda.

Stir the water and baking soda together until they form a paste. If you need more water, add a little more. If you add too much, just throw in some more baking soda.

Next, you’ll want to mix 1 part ACV with about 3 parts water. This will serve as a conditioning rinse after your baking soda cleanser. It will seal the hair shafts and provide smooth, silky texture.

You might choose to add your essential oils to either your “shampoo” or “conditioner”, whichever suits you best. Some people choose to add it to the vinegar rinse to cut down any vinegar smell, but others mention that the smell was never an issue after they rinsed it out. Do whatever feels right for you.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR WASHING:

“Shampoo”

Take a healthy dollop of your baking soda mixture. This can be anything from a quarter sized amount to a palm-sized amount, depending on how much hair you have. Use your best judgement, as always. Work the mixture into your scalp, massaging deeply but gently, using the pads of your fingers. (Not your fingernails, eek!) Allow it to sit for 1 min, then rinse out fully. 

“Conditioner”

Once you’ve sufficiently rinsed out your “shampoo”, take your ACV mixture and pour about 3/4 to 1 full cup onto your hair. Use your hands to push the rinse down from your scalp to your ends. Then rinse it out, and try this trick: Before you get out of the shower, run the water on cold and rinse only your hair for about 15-20 seconds. This will help seal the rinse, and prevents your delicate hair follicles from breakage during towel drying. 

PLAN FOR WEEK ONE :

Day 1: Wash your hair as normal. Wash it twice if you like. Get it squeaky clean. Go on with your day.

Try to avoid running your hands through your hair. It introduces new oils to your scalp and spreads around the oils that are already there. 

One important thing to keep in mind is that you need to eliminate all the chemical hair products during hell week. This means no hairsprays, gels, mousses, etc. These will only wash out with a hardy shampoo, and that’s not an option this week. 

Day 2: Don’t skip the shower if you don’t want to! But do skip washing your hair. You may choose to clip it back to keep it out of the way. But you can also massage it under the water lightly to rinse out excess oils. Just be sure the water isn’t too hot, and don’t shampoo.

Day 3: If you’ve come this far without washing, you are over the hump! But sadly, you don’t get to wash today. The best way to go is some dry shampoo and an updo. Braid it or just throw it in a top knot or a high pony. Grab some hair pins and get creative, friend. And try to keep your hair dry if you decide to shower today.

Day 4: Okay, you’re almost there. It’s hat day. You get to wash your hair today, but you should wait as long as possible. Try to get through the day without washing. Comb in some more dry shampoo and try a hat if the grease is too much. You want the oil to build up over a few days, so being greasy is kind of a part of this. (Hey, we warned you!) When you do shower and wash, be sure to wash it thoroughly, but gently. (Why? Because you deserve fabulous hair, of course!)

Day 5: Essentially repeat Day 2, but try not to even rinse your hair under the water. Just tie it back and wash up your body.

Day 6: No washing for you today! Try a braided updo to hide any greasiness.

Day 7: At this point, it’s the weekend. You probably have plans, and you want to go out looking like you do indeed own a shower. If you decide that you desperately need to wash, go ahead. But we urge you not to.. The longer you can go without washing, the quicker you will see results.

FOR THE FOLLOWING TWO WEEKS…

You’ll want to wash every 4 days. If you can go longer, great! But keep it to 4 days minimum. Yes, it’s normal for the grease to build up. But by the third week, you should start to notice a real change. Your hair will inevitably get greasy, but it won’t build up the way it did the first week.

If you can’t go out and buy extra supplies, baby powder and baking soda are great DIY dry shampoos. Just dust some along your part and use a fine toothed comb to brush it through the hair, roots to ends.

For the next month, you should: wash your hair about every 4-5 days or as needed. Once a week is best. Be sure to keep shampoo out of reach, in case you get tempted.

A few months later, you will be at a point where washing may not even be necessary. Many people who tried this experiment were able to get away with a warm water rinse to clean their hair, and nothing more. You may choose to continue washing with your DIY hair rinse, which is also a great option. But you should see a dramatic change in the amount of oil produced on your scalp, as well as improved condition and tone of your skin! Without chemicals and dried soap matter on your hair shafts, your hair will also be smoother, silkier, and will have more vibrant natural color.

So, let’s go over the No ‘Poo technique:

Pros	Cons
Buildup-free, moisturized scalp	Hair will be fairly greasy for the first month of No Poo. You’ll need to invest in a spray-on dry shampoo or comb in some baby powder.
Shinier, more vibrant color	Your hair will not have the same perfume-y smell that shampoo has. It’ll smell like the pure, natural you! Add some essential oils if you wish.
Clearer, softer skin on the face and body	You’ll have to stay conscious of your daily habits such as running your hands through your hair. Rubbing and scratching your scalp will only release more oil!
Less money spent on shampoo	Your friends might think you’re a little weird. Get new friends ;D
Less damage to scalp and roots from over-scrubbing. Chemical-free plus essential oils allows healthy hair growth.	You might have to bring a few more supplies than just a mini shampoo. Pick up a few travel sized bottles at the drugstore for easy carry-on hair rinse.

Don’t forget to take a photo of your hair once a week to show us your progress.