No-Poo Review

If you're reading this, you're already interested in the no-poo movement.  So, although I'd love to wax lyrical about all the reasons for giving up shampoo, I'm going to assume you've done your research and are ready to take the next step:  to try it for yourself.  But before you do, you want to know how it's worked for others, and if it's worked for others.  I'm here to say it definitely works for me.

It's been 2 months now since I've gone no-poo and my scalp and hair are noticeably happier and healthier.  The first step was the hardest:  breaking free from the myth that suds-are-necessary-for-cleansing, and giving up shampoo for baking soda.  (I'd been using a vinegar rinse for years, so I was already halfway there.)  But one no-poo washing was all it took.  My hair came out shiny and bouncy.  It looked and felt healthy.  I was instantly hooked.  Some people have trouble with transitional greasiness as their hair adjusts to the new routine--I didn't.  I'm washing my hair about as often as before--every other day, occasionally every third day--but my hair stays cleaner between washings and my scalp never gets itchy like it used to in the shampoo days.  My hair has more body and holds a style better.

Some other advantages I've noticed:  my hair doesn't fall out at the rate it did.  My brush no longer needs daily de-stranding.  Even my dear husband has commented on the absence of long hairs in the bathroom sink.  Another unexpected result:  if I wind my hair around a scrunchie for an hour or two, I get curls that last and last.  Go figure!  (My hair is baby-fine and naturally stick-straight.)

When DH saw the results I was getting, he jumped on the bandwagon as well. Despite his really short hair, his scalp used to get amazingly smelly after just one day of skipped shampooing.  Now that he's no-poo, his scalp always smells clean, even after two or three days.  And, to our amazement, his thin spots on top look like they're starting to fill in.  It does make me wonder what that shampoo was doing to his skin and hair.

The list of advantages goes on and on:  reduced use of packaging/materials, getting off the commercial toiletries grid, carcinogen-free cleaning, and of course saving money.  The only possible disadvantage I can cite is that this method takes a few minutes longer than just using shampoo.  But even that's not a bad thing during a Midwest winter, if you're standing under a nice hot shower.

In another post, I'll fill in the details of my no-poo routine.  For a truly comprehensive explanation of the no-poo theory and methods, see this link.  If you're blessed with naturally curly hair, you might want to research the conditioner-only method, or check out this book from the library:  Curly Girl, by Lorraine Massey.  If you're wondering about the photo above, it's my hair, one day after washing, obviously not freshly brushed, but still shiny and bouncy.  Good luck with your own no-poo journey!