For the past month and a half I haven’t been washing my hair.. with regular shampoo and conditioner. I have ditched my old shampoo and conditioner and I have gone “no poo”. What’s no poo shampoo? Well, I use baking soda and apple cider vinegar to wash and condition my hair now. [Yes, really.] Let me tell you more about my no poo journey.
So that sounds weird, doesn’t it? To just leave your favorite products and wash your hair with common household items. And to be honest, I wasn’t sold at first. I did a lot of research and checked out tons of sites that talked about the chemicals in normal shampoo and conditioners. Here is a laundry list of what is in my favorite Dove conditioner:
Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethiconol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Fragrance (Parfum), Behentrimonium Chloride, Dipropylene Glycol, Potassium Chloride, Lactic Acid, Disodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, TEA-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, PEG-150 Distearate, Gluconolactone, Adipic Acid, Sodium Sulfate, Trehalose, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Blue 1 (CI 42090)
Water I can handle, but the others are just crazy. Here are a few examples of what’s really in my favorite shampoo.
- DMDM Hydantoin – formaldehyde releaser preservative. Although it has been deemed that a small amount of this is not toxic, I don’t want to be continually exposed to this toxin. See more here.
- Adipic Acid – I couldn’t find much information on this one but this is Merriam Websters definition: “a white crystalline dicarboxylic acid C6H10O4 formed by oxidation of various fats and also made synthetically for use especially in the manufacture of nylon”. Um, no thanks.
- Trehalose – not a harmful chemical but is considered a sugar substitute. Its made from insects and fungi. Fun.
- Methylchloroisothiazolinone – Can be a skin irritant and people with sensitive skin should watch out for this ingredient. [Source.]
- Methylisothiazolinone [or MIT] – “Another study found that exposure to MIT caused dermatitis, while a recent 2012 study found that brief exposure to MIT is toxic in low concentrations during neural development, increasing the risk of seizures and visual abnormalities.” Its ok in low doses but has been limited in some countries due to its toxic nature. [Source.]
- Yellow 5 – a synthetic food coloring that is added to food and beauty products. It can cause a severe rash, as well as trigger asthmatic reactions. Scary. [Source.]
- Blue 1 – Im not sure what food coloring is doing in conditioner, but when I looked up this ingredient this title “9 Food Additives That May Affect ADHD” from Health.com came up. Really? I know its for food but come on!
Basically I was done. Done with taking the risk with these and so many other chemicals in my bathroom. So I went no poo.
How do I wash my hair now? Its actually really simple. I use that little plastic container and add 1/4 cup of baking soda and then fill it with hot shower water. I pour it over my head [avoid contact with your eyes and CLOSE your mouth.. just a tip] and rub it in like I would shampoo. All that it is doing is getting rid of the dirt. Rinse. I then add 1/8 cup of apple cider vinegar to to the container and fill it with water again. I work that in my hair the same way, focusing on my scalp and ends. I let it sit while I finish in the shower and rinse it off. Easy peasy.
Its actually a lot cheaper then regular shampoos as well. And I dont have to worry about any of those harmful chemicals. Plus, my hair feels just fine. I talked about a transition period in the video and you do need to give it time if you are first starting a no poo routine. Your hair is overproducing oils because they are being stripped by commercial products. Give it at least 2 weeks before you decide if its for you. And if you don’t want to go full out no poo then check out your ingredient list before buying. There are also shampoos out there that have less harmful chemicals, like Deva Low Poo.
What do you think? Have you thought about or have you tried no poo shampoo? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Amy mayen says
I watched the video- you are funny! Too cute. I have a question. Have you tried any of those homemade conditioning treatments? Avocados, eggs, whatever? Cause I’m totally willing to let you be the guinea pig, lol! I’m willing to try no poo. My hair is dry even with fancy chemicals…so if you find a good, natural conditioner, I’m sold!!:)
Kelley says
haha! I have not tried the avocado one.. yet. Im thinking I need to soon though. I have done coconut oil hair mask and it works great! If your hair is dry try coconut oil! It really works wonders!
TerriblyNatural says
we swim in the same boat. For a dry scalp and fine hair, coconut oil, coffee oil ( you can make it yourself by soaking 5 tablespoons of ground coffee powder in half a cup coconut and half a cup olive oil and 10 drops of tea tree oil for 2 weeks- just make sure you are not allergic to anything though), and pure almond oil works wonders. Massage it into your scalp overnight and wash it off in the morning. Alternatively, yoghurt and avocado with one egg white is super nourishing. I do this twice a week – each time before i shampoo because shampooing parches my scalp. Once again, as with anything chemical and natural – make sure you are not allergic before trying out any treatment.
Kelley says
Great tips! Thank you so very much!
Jana says
I recently switched to an organic line. My hair has been sooooo oily and it’s killing me. I’ve been wearing it in a pony tail as much as possible to try to transition. I think it’s been almost two weeks and I’m trying to trek on.
Kelley says
Good luck! Its so tough when you are going through that transition!
Crystal says
I have never thought about giving up my commercial hair shampoo/conditioner. Your post intrigued me. I watched the video and your hair looks about the same as it did before. You’ve peeked my interest, but I’m just not there to give up my products yet. You definitely have given me something to think about. Thanks so much!!
Kelley says
Its was a jump for me as well Crystal. I mulled it over for a few months and then one day just went for it. There are other shampoos you can buy that are less harsh but this was less expensive so I went with it. Glad that the post was of interest! If you make any changes let me know 🙂
Gabby says
How does this fair for dyed hair? I’ve considered giving up shampoo and switching to something cheaper and more natural but if it strips the color out of my hair…why am I dying it in the first place? Curious. There are options at Sally’s that are paraben free.
Kelley says
I think its pretty safe for dyed hair. I don’t think the baking soda or the vinegar would strip the color, but I’ve never tried it so I can’t say for sure. Its always worth a try if you have some on hand. Hope that helps!
Shoshanna says
My mother owned her own Beauty Salon for many years in the 60’s and 70’s and even on the clients that had been colored she used to use a rinse of apple cider vinegar on all their heads after the final rinse or shampoo. She always said that it was a guarantee that all the chemicals that were hanging on the hair were rinsed off. I am not sure of her claim but know that she never had anyone complain that the color had been stripped. Hope this helps.
Kelley says
Thanks for the tip!
JD @ Honest Mom says
What about knots in your hair? How do you get them out? I have long wavy hair and depend upon conditioner to make my hair comb-able, but I’d love to eliminate scary stuff from my body and haircare routine!
Kelley says
I would get knots but I use a eco-friendly detangler when I get out of the shower now. It really helps and smells so good! This is the brand I use – http://www.thegnarlywhale.com/Detangler_c_30.html. Hope that helps!
Shoshanna says
The apple cider vinegar used to make my hair very easy to deal with and took tangles out too.
roxanne says
I tried the no poo yesterday and so far I have had good results. I don’t think I rinsed out all the baking soda out of he ends but my hair looks and feels clean. I too was worried about tangles as I have fine long hair but I dried it and combed the bottom up. My hair is really oily and I dislike having to wash it everyday. When I woke up this morning so far it is not as oily as it usually is. I too have been reading about this for months and decided to just go for it. I have also been reading a lot about harsh chemicals and I want to rid exposure to them any way that I can. I have also been using essential oils so when I dried my hair I sprayed some lavendar and vanilla spray mixed with water in my hair so that it smelled good. I have also been trying essential oils for deoterant to eliminate putting aluminum on my body. Lavender oil works well for that as too. Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and experiece. I am sold so far.
Kelley says
Oh thats awesome Roxanne! Im so glad that its working for you! And I’ve been looking to do a natural deodorant as well. Do you just use a lavender essential oil? I’ve seen some recipes that I may have to try. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Susie says
Have you tried using the baking soda water mix in a mustard bottle (with a pointed tip)? I’ve been doing no poo for over a year and that way you get it into your roots and don’t have to worry about getting it into your eyes! Might be worth a try!
Kelley says
Ahh.. super smart! Ill be on the lookout for one when I go to the grocery store tomorrow. Thanks for the tip!
Linda Olmert says
Hi. I have always had really dry hair so I was not worried about having an issue with oily hair. At the moment is is long and curly. I tried this today, and my hair is like straw.I do not want to give up, but my hair needs some serious help. Oh- and the water where I live is very very hard. Any ideas?
Kelley says
How often are you “washing” it? I only wash mine every two or three days. That seems to help. Also, maybe tree less vinegar. That may be what is making it feel like straw. (I had that happen.. its no fun!) I hope that helps!
Shoshanna says
Kelly you are such a neat person. I have not ever been a fan of social media sites and probably will never be a true devotee of them but wanted to let you know that I truly enjoy your posts and the helpful products you have shown me to make that improve my life.
Kelley says
Aww thanks so very much!!