Skip to main content

No-pooing


One of the green lifestyle changes I've made this year is switching to "no-pooing" instead of shampooing my hair. Hilarious name, right? I'm sure most of you thought of something else when you read the title of this post, especially in light of my confession in my post yesterday. Today I'm going to share my no-poo routine for hair washing and what I've noticed about making the change.

My routine:
In a small container (I started with a nice ceramic ramekin but I knocked if off the ledge into the tub and it broke, so now I'm using an empty sour cream container), I mix about one tablespoon of baking soda with some warm water (not a precise mix, just barely enough to dissolve the baking soda). I pour some onto the front hairline and massage it in. Then I do the same all around my head, but I have a hard time on the middle of the back because my hair is long and thick so it's hard to get it into my scalp. THEN I turn on the shower for the first time and thoroughly rinse it out. Next, I squeeze my apple cider vinegar mix onto my hair, focusing on the ends. My apple cider vinegar is in a Rubbermaid condiment bottle, mixed 1:4 with water, with a few drops of a lemon oil to make it smell nicer. I probably use about 2 tablespoons total of this mix per wash. I rinse rinse rinse out the vinegar, and then I'm done (besides washing feet and armpits with soap)! I wash my hair with this routine about every other day, sometimes every three days, and haven't used shampoo since June. If I get sweaty or dirty in between washes, then I rinse my hair with plain water when I take a shower. The photo is from today, I haven't done any styling at all today, and have some lines from different ponytail spots. I plan to no-poo wash tonight, so this is about as greasy as it gets.

I've noticed:

  • I use less water with no-poo because I do the baking soda part before turning the water on, saving time when I normally would be shampooing under the water.
  • I also save water by only washing my body every day, taking less time in the shower than when I was shampooing most days.
  • I am saving money because baking soda and vinegar are CHEAP! And nice shampoo is expensive.
  • I feel good about not putting weird chemicals on my head.
  • My scalp is less itchy so far (one of the main reasons I looked into no-poo in the first place).
  • I did go through an adjustment period where I had oilier scalp and hair, but it has regulated now and seems just fine.
  • My face is also not as dry after showering as it used to be.


Average says my hair smells fine! So far, it feels like success! I do sometimes miss the sweet smells and the lather of actual shampoo, but it had been a while since I'd used anything that smelled good at all anyway because I've had such itchy scalp problems for a while.

For a longer explanation of reasons to go no-poo, and other people's routines, read SortaCrunchy's post or the One Green Generation post about it.

Comments

  1. I am entirely amazed by how well BS and ACV work. Seriously, why are people still buying shampoo? This method is nearly free, incredibly easy, and non-toxic - an amazing discovery! I can't believe it took me so long to get on board. I know, I sound like an infomercial. Average would be delighted.

    ReplyDelete
  2. So, is Average going no-poo too?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nope, he's not no-pooing yet. He has such short hair and uses so little shampoo it takes him forever to get through a bottle. Maybe when he runs out of what he's got he'll give it a try. I guess we all have to come to changes in our own time - that's also the topic for a future post I've been working on in my head.

    I know what you mean, Abby! I keep wondering why I hadn't heard about this before, and why when I did, it still took me a while to try. And yes, we love infomercials :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Woollybottoms Giveaway

I am hosting my first giveaway! I have been wanting to do this for a while, and I'm so pleased to have it finally planned. The item I chose to give is a new pair of Woollybottoms - wool pants for babies. The retail value of these is $29.00. I have been really into the wool pants thing lately, as you may have noticed from my recent posts (about Nifty Knickers , and my baby blue longies ) so this seems like a good fit. Wool pants can be used as a cloth diaper cover, or just as snuggly warm pants for the winter or for bedtime. These ones are "footies" so they should keep your baby toasty! The pair I am giving to one lucky winner is light blue with fish fabric for the footie part. Maybe a little more boyish than girlie, but Stella would definitely wear these if we got to keep them. They are size medium, and have the following measurements: 8" waist (elastic) 9" rise 18" length Here they are: To enter, simply comment below and let me know why you wan

Summer 2020 - Life in a Pandemic

I'm in my final week of summer before work as a middle school teacher begins again. This time of year I'm always in a reflective mood.  I look back and feel so lucky to have had this time with my kids. We went camping, biking, boating, golfing, and hiking. We celebrated my sister's wedding, we did projects together, watched movies, and just hung out at home. It really was everything that summer is meant to be. There were many events and plans that we canceled due to Covid, but we did all the most important things. We missed friends, but I also reveled in the togetherness with my little family unit. Today, I spent time registering for fall childcare and activities. It's less than usual, but still I can see the pace of our lives picking up. As we move into a season of more busy-ness, more work, and likely more stress, this poem sums up the feelings I'm experiencing.... Vacation End by Leslie Pinckney Hill From the charm of radiant faces, From the days we took to dream

Review: Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! There's a Party in My City!

Attending a live show is always a treat. The Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! There's a Party in My City! show last Monday was no exception. We arrived only about ten minutes early, and it felt a little weird to walk into a venue where I normally attend serious plays and musical performances, full of children, toddlers, and babies, many in costume. I had been to see The Color Purple there two days before, and it was quite a different atmosphere! Unsure how Sweet Pea would react to the show before we went, I was a bit overwhelmed at first and so was she, but after the first few acts she settled in to enjoy it and danced along to the music at times. Overall, it was a fun experience for us all and a happy memory to look back on as our first live performance as a family. The show producers, or planners, or whatever they are, included a few extras for the audience that really added to the experience for the kids. There was confetti that shot out over the crowd, a huge balloon d