no (sham) 'Poo: an update

i know y'all have been waiting on pins and needles for my update on being a stinky, lazy pseudo-hippie. it's been about two months since i started my no shampoo (or also know as no 'poo) experiment. if you're unfamiliar with this way of personal hygiene philosophy, basically it's giving up shampoo. hence, no 'poo. you can check out my original post here.

so, i'm two months in. how do i, or more fittingly how does my hair feel? drum roll please...

about the same.

i know what y'all are thinking. i was thinking the same thing. i was expecting some big difference. that my hair would have a completely different personality. i would be like, "my hair is like the cool girls' hair. i know how they feel now. i'm so cool, and my hair is so cool." i was expecting my life to change dramatically.

okay, so i lied slightly. i have noticed that my hair doesn't shed as much as it used to--well actually, hardly at all--which i will check off in the pros column for no 'poo. before my hair would come out in chunks. it was disgusting. when i would take a shower where i would shampoo and condition my hair, there would be a small animal hanging out in the drain. then i would leave said animal in the drain for the boy to take care of. i am awesome. now, post-wash, only a few strands will be hanging out in the drain. i don't know if this is directly related to going without shampoo, but i'm connecting the dots. (i haven't done any research on the subject, so i'm just assuming a correlation exists between the two.)

i was really worried at the beginning of this experiment that my hair would smell. before, going no 'poo, i would wash my hair about once a week with shampoo. and by the end of the week, right before i would shampoo, i would notice my hair smelling. gross, right? so before i began my experiment i told myself that i would not continue this no 'poo thing if my hair started to smell rank. but as the weeks went by, my hair didn't smell. or course using shampoo makes your hair smell wonderful right after you wash, like flowers or whatever fragrance is in the shampoo. but using no 'poo really leaves my hair smelling neutral. i was actually really surprised. i am thinking that i might get a natural oil that i can put into my apple cider mix to give my hair a little bit of a scent.

one thing that i have found odd (and not too sure about when it comes to no 'poo) is that when i brush my hair it leaves behind some weird stuff in my hair brush. at first i wasn't sure where this crap in my brush was coming from. it is kind of like a weird dandruff. so i thought it was the boy, because he has dandruff and i don't. but then i noticed that it was from me. i really have no idea what this crap is or how to even describe it. so needless to say i was worried that i was going to have dandruff, but i don't. and then i started to wonder if i am getting all the baking soda out of my hair while i'm washing it, but i am. honestly, its not affecting anything. i don't have dandruff and i don't notice a paste on my scalp. i am kind of interested in what the barber will say when i go and get my hair cut here soon. if it's any thing to worry about, i hope they will know what it is.

so the big question is, am i going to continue with no 'poo? yes!

i want to give the no 'poo method more time to see where it will take my hair.
i still need to get my hair cut. it's been about year since it's seen any scissors, and i want to get rid of my dead ends and the remnants of when i went through my short lived hair coloring phase.
i really do need to "wash" my hair more often. i usually no 'poo my hair about once every 2 weeks, but i want to get it to where i "wash" it every few days.

do i think this method is for everyone? no.

i really think you have to have a certain disposition to go without shampoo.
when people at work ask me about my progress and then ask me if i think they should do it, i am inclined to say "no." i really think this is not for everyone. the first few weeks to months are hard. your hair will be greasy and unmanageable, and most people will give up. but if you can make it through a few weeks of greasy, icky hair and really believe that this can help your hair, then i think yes you can go no 'poo.        

no (sham) 'Poo?

i am going to try something new--a little experiment, if you will.

i am going no 'poo! no shampoo that is.

actually i'm going to try it and see what happens because, if my hair gets nasty and stinky, i will end it. period. this reminds me of my misguided foray into the natural deodorant world. oh boy, was that a mess! ick. it started out with good intentions, but testing the different natural deodorants make you realize how stinky one can be and that we/i sweat a lot. (also, natural deodorants are expensive and a pain in the ass, and we can't forget how lazy i am, and sometimes using natural deodorants consists of multiple steps. boo.) after a few years of having sweaty armpits and smelling not so pleasant with certain deodorants, i was sick of being self-conscious all the time. give me my Dove deodorant/antiperspirant, and send me on my way. yes i know that natural deodorants are just that, deodorants and not antiperspirants, hence my sweating. but like i said, i was tired of being self-conscious.

let's move on.

so a little back story.

i hate my hair. partly because i've never been properly introduced to it. i've had it for 33-ish years and we are still strangers. i would go so far as to say that my hair actually hates me. at times, i think its trying to kill me. i always thought i had thick hair. but recently a hair dresser informed me that i have thin hair, i just have a lot of it. a lot. that is why i shed all the time. who knew? not me. and my hair frizzes. sometimes it curls, but mainly it frizzes. ugh. 

i'm pretty cheap when it comes to my hair. i don't use products and only blow dry it every once in a while. and i don't shampoo my hair often, usually once a week. so when i came across a blog post on another blog where the blogger has decided to go no 'poo, i was very interested. because i never new there was a no 'poo movement. it sounds easy and doable, so i'm giving it a go.

i know there is a breaking-in period for my hair to normalize. i've read it could take up to two months. i know i shouldn't have a problem, mainly because i am used to not washing my hair. god, i'm gross, right? i would go weeks at a time between shampoos so i know what to expect. i think some people would have a hard time with this breaking in period. like i said, i'm gross.

no 'poo recipe:

• dissolve 1 tablespoon of baking soda in just enough water to make a paste. apply this to your roots only and work it in. let sit for a minute. then rinse.
• add 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar into a cup of water. apply the mix over the ends of your hair. let it sit for a minute. then rinse.

if you find your hair to be frizzy, use less baking soda.
if you find your hair to be greasy, use less apple cider vinegar.

here are a couple of links to some ladies who have tried or are trying the no 'Poo way. i've used their info as my guide.
the crunchy wife
my little celebration
oh dear drea
wikipedia

i'll keep y'all posted as i go and give updates. i think this will be okay and a step in the right direction with taming and getting to know my hair. xoxo.