I had heard of “no ‘poo” methods of washing your hair, but I was scared of the “transition periods” people wrote about, and the nebulous “just use vinegar and baking soda” methodology. I had a tough time finding concise instructions, and I was happy with my own shampoo. Plus my skin is extremely sensitive, my hair gets greasy pretty quickly and is extremely straight (which is a bad combination). So… I put it off, I made excuses, and life got in the way.
But now the economy isn’t doing well and we’re trying to tighten our belts a bit. My favorite online store stopped selling my favorite shampoo and I’m trying to buy locally. Plus, since I researched all those crazy chemicals in shampoos, I’ve been leery of getting them near my body. So despite any reservations, about 3 months ago I decided to try the “No ‘Poo” method.
The Results
I loved it the first time I tried it! No kidding. My hair looked great and my scalp felt invigorated! Since then, I’ve fallen more and more in love with this method of washing my hair. My hair has a slightly deeper color and shine. There it is, in the picture above. My hair doesn’t get any greasier than it did when I used my shampoo, and it feels, looks, and smells clean and wonderful!
It is a little strange and a little difficult to get used to, because you don’t shampoo with sudsing action like we are used to. But there’s that redefining normal thing again! We’re only used to a certain way because some marketer packaged this bottle of stuff and told us how to use it. So – this is how I clean my hair….
Recipes
I started out using one recipe, which worked pretty well. But about 2 weeks ago, I did some experimenting and found a solution that works better for me. I’m listing both methods here, as we all have different hair types.
Recipe #1: The Paste Method
1. In a small dish or ramekin, mix 2T of baking soda with a couple of tablespoons of warm water, until it forms a thick paste. Add more water as needed – it should be a bit thinner than toothpaste. (Note: I have medium-length hair, so you may need to adjust the amount of baking soda if you have shorter or longer hair.)
2. Taking the paste into your hand, massage it into your dry scalp. Massage your scalp all over, for at least 30 seconds. (This will probably feel pretty good!)
3. Leave on your hair for a minute or two. Then rinse well.
4. In an old (and well rinsed) shampoo bottle, mix 1 part Apple Cider Vinegar to 4 parts Water. You can add essential oils or herbs if you like.
5. Coat your scalp and hair with the vinegar, and allow to sit for at least 30 seconds.
6. You can either rinse or leave it in your hair. (I rinse.)
Recipe #2: The Simple Method
There are two reasons why I switched to this recipe: 1. The paste idea was a bit messy for my taste, and 2. The apple cider vinegar smelled too strong for me. I’m much happier with this version!
1. Use an old shampoo bottle (well-rinsed) or a squeeze bottle of some variety (I reused one we’d bought from a local kitchen supply store). Mix 1 part aluminum-free baking soda to 3 parts Water. Each time you use this solution, shake well to mix.
2. Squeeze the baking soda solution onto your dry scalp, then massage your scalp for several seconds.
3. Leave in for 1-3 minutes, and rinse completely.
4. In an old shampoo bottle (well-rinsed) or a squeeze bottle, mix 1 part Organic White Vinegar to 4 parts Water. You can add essential oils or herbs if you like – I add 1 cinnamon stick (which lasts through several bottles of mixture) and 1/2 t vanilla. This masks the vinegar smell, and leaves your hair smelling spicy and lovely.
5. Leave on hair for several seconds, then rinse.
Cheating
I will tell you there have been two times when I’ve washed my hair with shampoo during these two months: both times when I helped clean years of stuff out of my parents’ garage, and them made several trips to the municipal waste and recycling center. I… needed my hair to be super clean after I came home!!!! But other than those two times, I haven’t needed shampoo at all.
Other Resources
Several others that I know and love have used this method as well. Riana wrote about it recently. Green Bean does this, though I’m not sure she’s written much about it (correct me if I’m wrong, GB). Beth has gone no ‘poo. Katecontinued as well. Mon wrote a good article on the subject here. Here’s an inspiring post from Sarah, who has been shampoo-free for nearly a year. Here’s a whole lot more info. In fact here is a whole forum dedicated to the subject.
I Encourage You To Try This!
I can honestly say that I feel liberated! I no longer have to deal with finding good shampoo and conditioner. Plus it’s much cheaper: I buy a package of baking soda and a bottle of vinegar, and they’re enough for months. I know it’s safe because I know where the ingredients came from. I also use fewer materials – there are only 2 ingredients (or 4, if I use cinnamon and vanilla), plus I only have to use this method once or twice a week. And lastly, it’s easy!
Will You Try It?
Will you try it? Or if you’ve tried it before, please give us your 2 cents – what method works for you? Please feel free to ask me any questions, too!
2/17: For more, check out my update here: No ‘Poo: New & Improved!
Similar Posts:
- No ‘Poo: New & Improved!
- Twenty Uses For Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate)
- A Year Without Shampoo
- How Have You Redefined Normal Lately?
- What Eco / Green Household and Personal Cleaning Products Do I Use?
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Hi there. I’ve been going no poo for quite a while now. Probably about rounding a year now. But I can’t seem to get it as clean looking as your is right now. Maybe I haven’t experimented enough. I tried going cold turkey without anything but water after a couple months of weening myself off shampoo. My hair isn’t super greasy anymore, but it doesn’t look great either. At least I can style it and it has volume. Help meee. maybe i need to experiment more with baking soda.
Damn, awesome website. I actually came across this on Google, and I am happy I did. I will definately be coming back here more often. Wish I could add to the conversation and bring a bit more to the table, but am just absorbing as much info as I can at the moment.
Thank You
I’ve done it for the last 3 washes, and I really like it. Although I only did baking soda then used normal conditioner, but my hair seems less frizzy and a richer color, and easier to manage. Vinegar is an acid… and I’m kind of hesitant to put acid on my hair.
Don’t be afraid of the word Acid or acidic. In fact, if you’re going to use baking soda, which is extremely drying to hair and scalp, you HAVE to use the vinegar is it is of the correct PH to not only normalize your hair after the sodium, but also to MOISTURIZE IT. You have to be careful with not using too much vinegar, or not rinsing it out well, because it will make your hair too moist (greasy).
Thank you for these recipes! I can’t wait to try non-shampooing this weekend :)
Iam experimenting myself and found that Olive Oil is another good ingredient to use if your hair is a little on the dry side :)
I just made it and I’m really excited to use it! I’m not sure if I should have just dropped the while stick in there, but I did. We’ll see. :) and I did the deodorant one too.
Hi! This is really cool. Just wondering, if I were to use plain cinnamon powder instead of cinnamon stick, would this work just as well?
New to this but loving it (and this website)! i wasn’t a believer and now am on this no ‘poo bandwagon.
when i first heard about it, the first step was to not wash your hair for 6 days (to stop the oil from overproducing on your scalp) and then start the baking soda wash and vinegar rinse. thos 6 days were a little painful (in a vain way) but my hair is now not greasy at all and is way softer from root to tip. :)
I tried the no-poo way, but have modified it since finding out about African black soap (the REAL stuff, straight outta Africa). Instead of baking soda, i wash my hair with the ABS, then I do a Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar (it has the mother in it!) rinse. My hair has never been cleaner, thicker or more colorful, as it brings out subtle hidden highlights.
I then use the ABS to wash my entire body. What a luxurious treat!
Hi There,
I have been trying the “no poo” method for almost 5 weeks now. I have tried the BS and ACV rinse a couple of times, but found that my scalp was a bit dry afterward. So I am now just going for water only. I am finding that my hair is a darker brown now, and has a lot more volume. I find that it takes a lot longer to dry (air dry), than it did before. I miss the smell of shampoo, but the benefits out weigh the disadvantages of using it.
I am also trying to go totally natural with bodycare, using a natural deoderant, and I also use African black soap with pure shea butter as a moisturiser if I need it. I am very impressed with this soap as my skin has always been prone to acne, but this has really improved it :)
[...] A Non-Toxic, Frugal Way To Wash Your Hair Without Buying Shampoo and No ‘Poo: New and Improved! (Green Generation) [...]
your hair is beautiful. i’m going to try this. my hair is opposite of yours, dry and coarse. i’ve always wanted to make my own shampoo.
I am always surprised by how versatile baking soda can be. I’ve only ever used it for “basics”, but i’d never heard of using it on your hair! I never thought something so simple could be so effective – if you doubt me, try it for yourselves!
how often do you use baking soda on your hair?
I added the cinnamon stick and vanilla bean to my acv rinse, and my hair smells divine! Wonderful idea! The scent makes me want Fall to come soon. But I think I may be allergic to one of the additions. When I got out of the shower I had red “rivers” running down my back and shoulders where the spicy water came down. Anyone else experience this? I’m afraid it’s the vanilla because I have added a little cinnamon to the rinse before and didn’t notice any red lines. =( If I used a dash of vanilla extract, maybe that would not give me a rash?
[...] I’m entering my 4th week of using baking soda and vinegar instead of shampoo and my hair looks excellent (Full disclosure: when I say excellent, I [...]
[...] A non-toxic, frugal way to wash your hair without buying shampoo and the follow up No ‘Poo new and improved! [...]
[...] A Non-Toxic, Frugal Way To Wash Your Hair Without Buying Shampoo [...]
i tried the no poo method for a couple of month’s but wasn’t really seeing any results my hair just looked dull, so i tried using a natural shampoo which was great the first time i used it but know it just makes my hair look producty. :L
maybe i didnt experiment enough, i was really disappointed any advice?
i’ll try these recipies and see if it works this time around.