4 Tips for a “No Poo” Hair Routine
Let’s get the obvious part out of the way…”no poo” is the cutesy name people gave for using no shampoo. I know…terrible name but it wasn’t my idea. Anyways, there are few reasons why you would want to skip shampoo when washing your hair.
First, most shampoos contain chemicals that aren’t great for your health or the environment. The most commonly talked about chemical is sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate. These are detergents that help create a lather and remove the oils from your hair. While they are safe for the general population, it can cause irritation to the skin and over time you can develop an allergy to it.
Another reason to go no poo is to simplify your routine. Being a minimalist has always been sort of a fun game to me. It’s fun to see how little I can live with. So, when I read about how people use just water to wash their hair, it intrigued me.
Finally, if you’re using less or no shampoo, that’s one less thing to buy (or you have to buy it less often) which saves you money! Who doesn’t love saving money?
Don’t Go Cold Turkey
Your scalp produces oils and when you haven’t washed your hair for a few days, it starts to feel oily. When you wash your hair, the shampoo strips the oil from your hair. And because the shampoo strips the oils from your hair…your scalp produces more oils. It’s a continuous cycle until you or your scalp break it.
If you were to go cold turkey and stop using shampoo all together, your scalp would freak out a little. Your scalp is accustomed to whatever frequency you wash your hair and needs time to adjust. So, if you’re interested in trying a no shampoo routine, go slowly so your scalp can adjust oil production.
Set an Interval
To help your scalp adjust its oil production, set a new interval to wash your hair with shampoo. If you wash your hair every day, try washing your hair every other day. If you wash your hair every other day, try washing it every three days.
Depending on your hair and the shampoo you use, it can take one week or one month to adjust. Once your hair has adjusted to the new interval, add another day between shampoo washes. Keep going until you feel like you can completely eliminate shampoo.
Treat Your Scalp
On the days between washing your hair with shampoo, massage your scalp for a few minutes while watching TV or listening to a podcast. This helps regulate oil production. After massaging your scalp, run your fingers through your hair from the scalp to the tips. Do this by lightly pressing strands of hair between your pointer finger and your thumb and running your fingers from scalp to tip. This helps pull the oils from your scalp into your hair. Without oils, your hair gets dry and damages easier.
Rinse With Water on Off Days
On the days I don’t wash with shampoo, I quickly rinse or wet my hair with water before I get out of the shower. This removes any dust (or ash…freaking wildfires) that might have settle in my hair. Afterwards, I let my hair air dry which leaves my hair feeling lighter than if I didn’t rinse it.
After doing this for a few months, I honestly, can’t tell any difference in my hair. Granted, I have low maintenance hair to start with, but, it doesn’t smell, and the texture is the same. If anything, I’d might say my hair is slightly softer than when I used shampoo. With the exception of washing my hair after swimming in a pool, I might never go back to shampoo!
What do you think? Are you interested in trying a no shampoo routine? If so, tell me how it turns out in the comments!
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