Calling all no 'poo Mammas! - No 'Poo Support Thread? - Page 4

[incorrigible]

I don't understand why hard water would negate BS, as it never did for me. We probably have very different hair types. Greasy meant use more baking soda and less vinegar. Dry or frizzy meant the opposite. I certainly didn't need as much BS when I was living with crazy nasty hard water, though. 

I totally understand what you mean about personal grooming, though! I had a shaved head in my teens and omg I loved it! And miss it so much. It would be not be a functional choice in the climate I live in now, though. lol Long hair that I can pull into a ponytail or throw a hat over is my best bet anymore. 

[CoBabyMaker]

Well, I tried just rinsing with water yesterday and my hair seemed waxy so I put on some dry shampoo.  I accidentally did too much but I couldn't quite get it to work in before I left so I had grey roots.  :/  Today i wore it all back with a headband and a bun because my bangs are funky.  My bangs we something I was concerned about anyway.  Since they also touch my skin more they pick up oil from it so it seems like they need to be washed more.  Do any of you veterans have bangs?  I just cut them a month ago and hate them so I'll be growing them out again but that will be a while. 

I think I will wash with BS/honey tomorrow night which I think is about a week.

[luckiest]

Incorrigible - I don't know how hard our water is, but I know that BS worked fine when we lived in another city, and when we moved it stopped working. If I add baking soda to water it just sits there - nothing dissolves, no amount of stirring will help. Adding it to boiling water helps some, but not completely. Super frustrating.

[incorrigible]

dang! That's crazy!

[nstewart]

Originally Posted by CoBabyMaker 

Well, I tried just rinsing with water yesterday and my hair seemed waxy so I put on some dry shampoo.  I accidentally did too much but I couldn't quite get it to work in before I left so I had grey roots.  :/  Today i wore it all back with a headband and a bun because my bangs are funky.  My bangs we something I was concerned about anyway.  Since they also touch my skin more they pick up oil from it so it seems like they need to be washed more.  Do any of you veterans have bangs?  I just cut them a month ago and hate them so I'll be growing them out again but that will be a while. 

I think I will wash with BS/honey tomorrow night which I think is about a week.

Co, I have bangs. They are pretty heavy, blunt bangs to my brows.  I would just brush them really well with a boar bristle brush (but I didn't ever try dry shampoo) until they transitioned along with the rest of my hair.  They don't really get dirty any faster than the rest of my hair now.

The water only wash really just rinses your hair, it'll be the bs/acv that will really "wash" it.  But in another week or two you will really see a change in your hair between washes.  It won't get very waxy or greasy.  I eventually found the bs/acv too drying and switched to water only for several months, but in the last month or two I've started conditioning my hair only as it was too dry without conditioner even though I was washing with water only. 

[CoBabyMaker]

I did BS/coconut vinegar last night.  Aaaah, clean!  I am trying to get used to not having a lather but that's not a big deal.  I do feel like there is already more wave in my hair which is exciting. 

OK, this might seem like a silly question but... Is there a reason to go really long between washing other than convenience?   I know that you don't want to strip all the oils away but every 4/5 days doesn't feel excessive to me.  I am feeling like I am "supposed to" go longer but I'm not sure why.  Obviously I'm in the transition period and may find that eventually I can go longer but I'm just wondering if I'm making myself have bad hair days for no good reason. 

[pickle18]

CoBabyMaker - I've asked myself this, too - I value the convenience, but not at the cost of a really painfully greasy transition.  So, after going one full week between my last regular shampoo & BS/ACV, I caved & did it again 5 days later (this time with at least twice as much BS, almost a paste, and ACV only on ends, and quickly rinsed out).  This time it worked MUCH better - could see no difference in my hair for 3 days, and now on Day 5 again, I could honestly wear it up no big deal, no oil slick (just a little flat down).  So, I may try for 6 days, and gradually lengthen, as others have mentioned.

It may just be my hair transitioning, but I think it's also finding the right BS/ACV proportions.  I don't think you are harming your hair (as long as it's not dried out) by continuing that cycle, but you may notice a gradual change - especially playing with your routine.

[nstewart]

Originally Posted by CoBabyMaker 

I did BS/coconut vinegar last night.  Aaaah, clean!  I am trying to get used to not having a lather but that's not a big deal.  I do feel like there is already more wave in my hair which is exciting. 

OK, this might seem like a silly question but... Is there a reason to go really long between washing other than convenience?   I know that you don't want to strip all the oils away but every 4/5 days doesn't feel excessive to me.  I am feeling like I am "supposed to" go longer but I'm not sure why.  Obviously I'm in the transition period and may find that eventually I can go longer but I'm just wondering if I'm making myself have bad hair days for no good reason. 

During transition, I think it is just to transition more quickly.  But I think  pickle is right, you have to do what works for you.

Afterwards, there isn't really a specific reason I think it just depends on your hair and what your goals of going no 'poo are.  For me, my hair really doesn't need to be rinsed and conditioned more than once a week.  So there wouldn't be much point to doing it more often, my hair would just get dried out.

For many, the reason to go no 'poo is to be as "natural" as possible, to get away from product use all together.  For others, it is just to move away from products with chemicals, or from commercially manufactured products.  So, if your goal is to be as "natural" as possible, you may try to go as long as possible between washes.  If it is just to move away from commercial products or from chemicals, you may chose to BS/ACV more often if that works for you and your hair.  It might not, your hair might get to dry if you use this "process" on it too often.

I think it's really just matching up your routine with what works for your hair and what is in line with your reasons for going no 'poo.

[CoBabyMaker]

I guess my main purpose right now is to avoid the chemicals in commercial products.  So I will probably go ahead and wash every 4 or 5 days right now and see how my hair does.  Maybe I will try washing with honey every other time since that would be less abrassive than baking soda.

[Oread]

Are there any alternatives to the apple cider vinegar rinse? The smell of it never really leaves my hair, I'm really sensitive to smells. I don't notice it too much when its dry, but when I sweat or it gets damp again it just reeks of vinegar. So I have been using a small (dime-sized) dollop of regular conditioner on the ends of my hair after the baking soda wash, but I'd rather quit using that if there is a less-smelly alternative than vinegar.

What type of hair do you and/or your family members have?

I have very thick, yet very fine hair. Using regular shampoo I have always had dandruff, it has always looked flat and weighed down, and gets super oily. Sometimes I'd get some little sores and scabs on my scalp that I had no idea what caused them, but I'm thinking it was something in the shampoos. 

How long have you been 'poo free?  What are the changes, if any, that you've noticed in your hair/scalp?

About a month so far. I love how much more volume and texture my hair seems to have now, and the dandruff seems greatly reduced but it is still there. It still gets greasy looking a couple of days of not washing at all with baking soda. 

What is your no 'poo routine? 

I keep a jar of baking soda in the bathroom and put about a spoon full in a jar that I fill with warm water in the shower. I pour it over my head (from the top, bottom, and sides) and massage it into my scalp and let it sit a few minutes. After I rinse I use a tiny amount of conditioner. I wash it with baking soda every 2-4 days. 

What gets rid of dandruff/flaky scalp? 

Patience, I hope.

What are your recipes, if any? 

I miss the yummy smells of shampoo, so I put a couple of drops of essential oil on my boar bristle brush. Right now I am using lavendar and lemon essential oils, and I love it sooo much, I am excited to get some other kinds. 

[incorrigible]

You can use any kind of acidic rinse. Lemon juice is popular. Spritely loves limes and sometimes uses lime juice. I'd think for a totally scentless mixture, you could use citric acid powder in water. I can't advise you to ratios, though. You'll have to play with it to figure it out.

[nstewart]

Originally Posted by Oread 

Are there any alternatives to the apple cider vinegar rinse? The smell of it never really leaves my hair, I'm really sensitive to smells. I don't notice it too much when its dry, but when I sweat or it gets damp again it just reeks of vinegar. So I have been using a small (dime-sized) dollop of regular conditioner on the ends of my hair after the baking soda wash, but I'd rather quit using that if there is a less-smelly alternative than vinegar.

I think lemon juice is pretty common, but some people have issues with it.  I also think the ACV is intended to condition your hair and I don't know if lemon juice does this or not.  I use conditioner because my hair was just way too dry if I used ACV and I was too lazy to do an oil treatment weekly.

What are your recipes, if any? 

I miss the yummy smells of shampoo, so I put a couple of drops of essential oil on my boar bristle brush. Right now I am using lavendar and lemon essential oils, and I love it sooo much, I am excited to get some other kinds. 

I love this idea!  I sometimes put a few drops of rosemary oil on my scalp and then brush through but next time I am going to put it right on the brush!

[owlhowl]

My three sons and my husband are water-only since birth and I am slowly weaning off of using soap. I wash every 4 days with either castille soap /ACV rinse or a shampoo bar, I also use coconut oil every few days on my ends. It's so dry where we live! Every day I brush with a wood bristled brush and a boar bristle brush. I hope to stretch every 4 days to once a week and eventually longer. I tried BS/ACV and did not like it at all.

Oh I have just-past-chin length, thick, dark brown, straight hair. I love my hair on days 2 & 3 best! It's so very soft! Even on day 4 it's not very oily, just heavy feeling.

[CoBabyMaker]

I think my body is adjusting pretty well.  I realized today that it's been four or five days since I washed and I'm barely oily.  Pretty cool! 

[pickle18]

I know!!! It's so exciting - after a rough first two weeks, I am now seeing a definite gradual change in the third week.  It's day 5 of no 'poo this week, and while my hair doesn't look awesome (lil stringy) it isn't the super heavy oil slick it once was by now, for sure.  I haven't even used cocoa powder, though I may do a little tomorrow to make it through to Saturday (a whole week of no 'poo!).  

Love it! 

[mcb2102]

Following I'm almost 2 months in. I wash twice a week with 1T BS in 1c water followed by 1T ACV in 1c water.

I have been struggling with what seems to be hard water buildup on my hair - it feels a little dull and waxy, as if there is product in it. I brush daily with a boar bristle brush and it gets covered in what looks like white dust. I looked into it, and we have hard water so I tried using boiled water to mix my solutions and it seems to help.

[justmama]

 I was doing no-poo and it was working for me up until a year ago.  I was 2 years into it and it was great......until it wasn't.  All of a sudden it wasn't working.  I was a waxy, greasy mess.  Nothing seemed to help other than doing the baking soda every day or every other day.  I used shampoo once to try to fix it and I got hooked.  I feel like an addict who slipped into old habits.  I'm now washing every other day with a silicone-free chemical stew of crap.  I feel like I failed.  It still feels soft and healthy and no split ends but I'm not a fan of putting all those chemicals on my head.  I want to try to wean back off the shampoo and start all over again I guess.

[incorrigible]

Ah...these things happen. My whole family went onto the store bought stuff for years, and just recently started back up with no-poo. It's not a failure. There are just different phases to our habits throughout our lives. ;) If you're wanting to get back into it, go for it....if you're not ready yet, don't worry about it. Do what's right for you, and by you. 

[BK Mommy]

I'm so happy you started this thread!

I have been thinking about doing BS+ACV for a while now, but was waiting for my 2-in-1 shampoo to empty.  I decided to try it tonight.  I shower at night and in the mornings, so I'm curious if it will help to manage the oily roots that people experience - if I try using BS+ACV in both my night and day showers in the beginning.  I'll keep you all posted.  

I just started a new job 2 weeks ago and I really don't want to have greasy hair.  Ha ha.

Stay tuned...

[nstewart]

Just posting to say that I've now celebrated my 1 year no-'poo anniversary!