You were intrigued by the title, weren’t you? I was too, when I first heard about it. Contrary to what you might think (purposeful constipation?), this actually has to do with washing your hair.
The no ‘poo method simply means “no shampoo.”
History of Shampoo
Before you gross out on me, give me a minute to explain. Believe it or not, we have only been using shampoo to clean our hair for the last 100 years. Before that, people rinsed their hair occasionally, but mostly went without.
No shampoo, no conditioner, and no styling products. Imagine how easy it was for them to get ready every day!
We can thank Breck for introducing us to regular shampooing, and most Americans have been doing it ever since.
Why Would You Stop Shampooing?
As we learn more about the chemicals that go on our bodies and the unnecessary waste that goes in our landfills, hair products become suspect.
- Does shampoo residue stay on your scalp and skin after rinsing?
- Is your shampoo contributing to your hair thinning or scalp flaking?
- How many hair products do you have to use to get your hair “just right?”
I switched to a sulfate-free shampoo about a year ago when I started trying to live a more basic and natural existence. So when I heard about the no ‘poo method from a friend who’s hair looked fabulous, I had to try it. After all, I’m going to be traveling around the world soon, and the less I have to carry in my backpack, the better.
The No ‘Poo Method
The theory is that your scalp produces enough oil to make your hair soft and shiny, and the use of shampoo on a regular basis strips your hair of this oil and then replaces it with a conditioner. Lather, rinse, repeat every day for the rest of your life.
Hair that uses its own oils is shiny, manageable, and healthy without the addition of other products.
There are a few variations on the no ‘poo method, depending on your preference and hair type. The one I used involved quitting shampoo cold turkey and just rinsing my hair in the shower each day. During the adjustment period I was allowed to use a baking soda/water mixture to gently clean my hair, but only once a week at most.
Other methods involve using a wet washcloth to “comb” your hair in the shower to redistribute the oil from your scalp or using a mild conditioner to “wash” your hair every week or two.
Results
I should tell you now that my hair is straight and fine, and I normally wear it pretty flat and straight. To have some body, I normally wash it every 1-2 days. I was worried that not washing it would be more obvious on my hair because of this.
The first week went surprisingly well, and I was a pretty impressed with my head of hair. Week two got a little more iffy, compounded by the fact that I needed a haircut. In retrospect, I don’t think I brushed my hair enough to distribute the oils because I was afraid too much handling of my hair would make it look worse.
We took a trip to Portland for a long weekend during this experiment, and I ended up washing my hair one night at the hotel after a day of sweaty sightseeing. I stuck with it for another week before deciding to go back on shampoo.
Based on my personal experience, that of some friends, and some online research, this is my impression of the no ‘poo method:
- Make sure you have a good haircut before you start so you won’t get distracted from evaluating your hair’s reaction to no shampoo.
- Hair that is thick tends to do better, and wavy or curly even more so. A friend has been “no ‘poo” for years and has fantastic curly hair that needs almost no maintenance. How many people with curly hair do you know who can say that?
- Use a method that distributes the oil on your hair, such as the wet washcloth brushing or using a boar bristle brush to distribute the oils from your scalp to the tips of your hair. I didn’t do this and should have.
- Give yourself time to adjust. Over a few weeks you will see improvement in your hair’s texture and manageability, but in the meantime you may want to try this when you have no big events coming up.
- Do your research to find out how best to transition your regimen to no ‘poo. There is a lot of information online, and I’ve provided some of the best resources below.
I’m going to try this again after I get a boar bristle brush and this time I’ll be brushing every day to distribute the oils. Have you ever tried to go no ‘poo? Do you think you could?
Additional Reading:
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Betsy Talbot writes about carving the lifestyle you want out of the life you already have. When she’s not writing, she’s paring down, saving up, and getting ready for a year of travel with her husband.
About Betsy
I’m still going to try it, Betsy. Will have to get a good brush first. I don’t brush my hair because it’s think and wavy and brushing it takes out the curl. I wonder what your friend does about that. Or maybe if you don’t wash it, but brush it every day the curl returns.