No poo

I have wanted to go 'no poo' for over four years now. In that time I have experimented with many things - conditioner only, bars of shampoo, and baking soda. I even went three months using only water to wash my hair. I always cave and end up using shampoo. Usually someone else's.

My overall experience was that it's not so much a case of finding another method to clean your hair, but getting more accustomed to oilier hair. I found that I really didn't like the feel of my hair after washing, and I'd go days and days between washes because I liked the feel of my hair when it was more nourished by the sebum. The one habit that did stick (mostly) was using vinegar rinses after cleaning - I found that made my hair so smooth and shiny, and far preferable to conditioner.

However, today I have experienced something of an epiphany. The one hair cleaning method most used in the 'no poo' community - if such a term can be coined - is baking soda (usually followed by a vinegar rinse). I have tried this before but it never left my hair feeling clean, it left it exactly as dirty as before... But after some internet browsing, some people mentioned that they needed to use more baking soda than expected. I washed my hair today with ten times as much baking soda as before, and - voila! Hair is as cleaner as if I had used shampoo, except with less dandruff.

Me happy. How long do you think I can go without shampoo before my family notice or comment? :D