Where do I even begin with explaining what being "no-poo" means? It definitely doesn't mean what it sounds like it does! No-poo means to break up with your shampoo and conditioner! I know this sounds gross and horrible and not even possible but it is! I swear. Please don't judge.
I really am not even sure what enticed me to try this besides knowing what I was putting on my body by making my own hair products. After being diagnosed with celiac disease, I found that the most random things contained gluten! It is literally everywhere! I found it in a lot of my hair products and didn't have a clue that it was effecting me until I stopped them. Honestly, how often do you touch your hair during the day??? When you pay attention, it's a lot! Then your touching food, snacks, your mouth, etc. Do you even know what all those ingredients are in your hair products? I don't think one person could honestly say they do. So, I got rid of them all and started going "no-poo!"
There many different ways of doing this. All of which are much cheaper and you're not putting chemicals into your body that you have no clue what they are. So here are the methods I use the most....
Method #1 Baking Soda/Apple Cider Vinegar:
Invest in a travel size shampoo bottle and sprayer.
Place 1-2 tbsp. of baking soda in a 16 oz container and fill the rest with water. Shake until the baking soda is dissolved. You can also add essential oils to this. Mine usually includes tea tree oil.
Apply this mixture to your hair, focusing on your scalp. Rinse.
Next put 1-2 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar in your spray bottle and fill the rest with water. You can also add lemon juice, essential oils, or even honey if you would like. Mine usually has lemon juice and a couple drops of lavender essential oil. Mix it up and spray on your hair, focusing on the ends.
Your hair is not going to smell like vinegar after this! I promise.
Method #2 Egg Wash:
I usually do this method every couple of weeks. It's nice when your hair is not cooperating one week and you have a lot of sebum (this is your body's natural way of taking care of your hair by producing it's own natural oil to keep your hair healthy).
For the egg wash shampoo, I take the egg whites from 2 eggs and mix in a couple teaspoons of corn starch, a couple drops of tea tree oil, and a tsp of baking soda is my hair needs it. Then fill the rest of the bottle with cool water.
For the conditioner, I use the 2 eggs yolks, a couple drops of lavender essential oil, a tsp of lemon juice, 1 tbsp of honey and mix. Add cool water to the rest of the bottle.
Massage the shampoo onto your scalp and rinse throughly with lukewarm water. Add the conditioner to your ends and rinse again.
You can finish either method with coconut oil on your ends to stop your hair from splitting and give it a nice shine. If you need a dry shampoo, cornstarch works wonders! Add a little cocoa powder to it if the white is too noticeable on your hair color.
I have to tell you the "transition period" when you first start doing this....well, it's not fun. Your hair is learning to produce it's own oils again so give your body some time to figure out how to do this! Let's say, one or two months. It's going to feel weird, gross, greasy, and you WILL want to quit. But don't be a quitter! This is worth it in the end!!! I used to have to wash my hair every day because it would get greasy! I now usually go 3-4 days between washes, sometimes longer! I still shower, don't worry! I will just rinse my hair out or put it up when I shower.
I have been "no-poo" for 9 months now and my hair has never felt thicker and healthier before! My hair stylist friends can't believe how much thicker, healthier, and longer my hair has gotten in this short amount of time. I'm letting my body do what it was naturally meant to do! There are many different methods and recipes for no-poo shampoos and conditioners. You will find one that works for you! Or many, like me! If you are sick of putting chemicals in your body that you don't know, if you are experiencing hair loss, oiliness, dryness, or just want healthier hair, please, try this!
