When it comes to my beauty regimen, I’m never satisfied, and I’m always trying new products. But for my hair, I’ve sort of been stuck using Head & Shoulders not matter what. I don’t know if I really have dandruff, because the H&S never completely clears anything up. Any other shampoos I’ve tried have definitely made things worse though.
That’s me. Weirdo dandruff queen/compulsive liar.
So. I’m going to stop using shampoo altogether.
I’ve been hearing for years that adopting the “no-poo” method will do amazing things for your hair. Supposedly, cutting harsh surfactants and detergents out of your haircare regimen can clear up dandruff, make your hair shinier, smoother and stronger, and can make curly/kinky hair more defined and manageable. That all sounds too good to be true, but when you start looking into it, it makes sense! So, I figured I should just go for it. If my hair turns greasy and/or disgusting, I can just say it’s for science and people will have to MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS.
Here’s what I’m going to use if you want to try it with me:
I’m going to start washing my hair with Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut Conditioner
In the shower, I’m going to wash my hair with this conditioner, really thoroughly scrubbing my scalp with my finger pads to break up any dirt or grease, before rinsing like normal.
Then, I’m going to condition my hair with an apple cider vinegar rinse. The apple cider vinegar is supposed to detangle, and seal the cuticle, making your hair really shiny. It’s also supposed to help with the dandruff issue.
You’re supposed to use a raw, organic apple cider vinegar; I bought Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar at one of my local health food stores. Then, I mixed up a 1:1 ratio of vinegar to water and put it in a spray bottle.
After co-washing (co-washing means “conditioner washing,” and it doesn’t make me cringe with embarrassment like the words, “no-poo”), I’m going to spray the vinegar rinse on my hair, let it sit for a minute, then rinse rinse rinse so I don’t smell like a delicious salad dressing.
I like that both of these products were cheap and easy to find. As much as I love having things other people don’t, I really hate having to search all over for something simple I’m trying to buy. I get resentful of products that make me do a lot of work just to fork over money.
It’s supposed to take a few weeks for your hair to adjust to having to overcompensate for the oils being regularly stripped out of it, so you might be greasier than usual. I plan on putting my rubber bands, claws and hair ties to work on keeping it looking decent.
OR
This look is due for a comeback!
Anybody else want to do this with me? It might be cool to get a few other different hair types, lengths and styles in on this! FOR SCIENCE.
You can read a lot more about the co-washing method HERE. That post has the answers to pretty much any question you might have.
I might be willing to take a shot at this with you… For science. My only issue is what if I use products in my hair like, hairspray, etc.? Will the co-washing (I like no-poo better) get it clean and get the products out? I may have a hard time sticking to it if I can’t get the products out.
Read this, Tisha. It’s a blog for curly haired girls, but it explains the system pretty thoroughly. I think silicone based products will build up, so you have to try to use products that don’t have that, and if you do, maybe use a clarifying shampoo that fits the criteria once a week.
I did it with actual no poo–I’d steep lemon verbena or lavender and mix that with the apple cider vinegar; I made a baking soda concoction to wash my scalp with. While it worked, and made my hair feel strong, it also kinda felt like straw. And it stripped my red hair dye pretty badly. it takes about 3 weeks to stop having gross over oil production and brushing your hair a ton with a boar bristle brush will help a lot.
Eventually I switched to basically co-washing–with Wen–and an occasional sulfate free shampoo with purology when it was extra dirty, maybe once a week or every other week. It’s important even if you’re co-washing to only do it every 3-5 days—the other days just rinse with hot water and scrub your scalp with your hands. If your ends are dry, add coconut oil to them, or some other type of natural hair oil like argan, etc–just not a product with silicon.
GL and can’t wait to hear how it ends up for you.
The post I was reading said you can use a deeper conditioner too, after you cowash. If the vinegar doesn’t work out for me, I’ll probably give that a shot.
Yah I’m excited to see if it works out for you I know you’ve been wanting something that works so I hope this is it, I may try it on Elle’s hair keep us. Posted 🙂
I’m starting this today. I’m desperately trying to find something for my hair… It’s been crazy dry and unruly since I had the baby