A Review of No 'Poo, Day Three

Today was the second time I've washed my hair using the "no 'poo" method of cleaning and de-greasing my hair.  The baking soda "wash" really does seem to work as far as cleaning, and the vinegar rinse is a very good de-tangler --- fantastic, actually -- but I've got to say the texture and feel of my hair is not nice right now.  It's kind of stiff and clumpy.  I'm honestly afraid if I keep going this way I will end up with dreadlocks, which look cute on young adults half my age, but definitely not on me.

Some of these hair problems I owe to, believe it or not, my Scots DNA.  My hair would be right at home out in the Hebrides somewhere; it's a bit thick and bushy, with lots of body and a fair amount of frizz. This is not an uncommon hair type to find in the British Isles. But all DNA aside, since giving up a store-bought conditioner, the frizz looks worse than ever, and my hair has absolutely no shine at all.  Which might be fine on the set of "Braveheart," but not here.  I'm sure its healthy, but let's face it -- healthy ain't necessarily attractive, as anyone who has stood next to someone who doesn't believe in deodorants can tell you.  So it's a dilemma.

I am going to attempt to concoct a rinse using coconut milk and maybe a little olive oil and see what it does for my hair, but if these things do not work then I'm not sure what my next step will be.  

But while I've been doing this experiment, I've read some more about the ingredients in commercial shampoos, and am even more convinced now that sulfates, salt and formaldehyde have no place whatsoever on my scalp.  I will not be going back to commercially prepared shampoo and conditioners, no matter what. So its just going to be a case of experimenting around until I find what works.  I'll keep you updated.

**Update**  Tried some pure coconut milk for a rinse this afternoon.  As a de-tangler it sucks, but as a conditioner it works very well.  Once I got the tangles out, my hair felt much better than it did when I was just using the vinegar rinse.  It's not all clumpy like it was before. Now I just need to find a homemade shampoo I like.  And finish the marmalade I started yesterday, of course.**

No 'poo here

Every homesteader eventually gets hit with the "I'm not using shampoo anymore," bug, and it's been hitting me these last few days, especially since I've decided to stop using hair color.  Why not stop with the chemical-laden shampoo as well?

So after a long day working in the orchard, late this afternoon I jumped into the shower with the aim of washing my hair without using shampoo.  I used a tablespoon of baking soda in a cup of warm water, worked into my scalp well to "wash," followed by a tablespoon of cider vinegar in another cup of water to rinse.  Dried it as usual, and as of right now everything seems fine.  Smells clean, looks clean, feels clean.

I am hoping I can switch over to this 'poo-less method of cleaning my hair, but the test is going to be my scalp in a week or two.  

That's because scalp smell is not attractive, except when it's the smell of a baby's head, and then it is intoxicating, maternal Heaven.  Even when it's not your baby.  Allow a mother to get a whiff of almost any baby's head and they get this rapturous look on their faces, like they've seen a vision of Nirvana (place, not band).  But it's probably just their estrogen levels heading off the charts and into the stratosphere.  A brand new baby's scalp.  Holy moly, it is the smell of human perfection.

But I passed a woman in the supermarket the other day and could smell her scalp or hair from about two feet away, and friends let me tell you, when its an adult's head you smell, and from that far away, it's about as far from Heaven as you can get.  

And I never, never want to be that woman.  Ever. So we shall see how shampoo-less living goes.  I'll let you know.