"no poo" anyone?

With a toddler and a puppy around the house, you are probably thinking this post has something to do with one of them ;)

Actually, "no poo" is the name being used to refer to a natural hair washing regimen, which does not include shampoo. I have heard about this a few times on the internet, but didn't decide to try it until recently. A fellow poster on the Diaper Pin boards was raving about it, so I decided to give it a try. It seemed attractive not only because she said it worked so well for her, but it also fit into our never-ending search for all things frugal and natural.

Basically, you cleanse your hair using a mixture of baking soda and water, followed by a rinse made up of apple cider vinegar, water, and essential oils for scent. The premise is that shampoo is not only made from all manner of unnatural chemicals, but it also strips your hair of it's natural oils. This in turn causes the scalp to over-produce more oil, making your hair feel dirty faster. Many people who use this method say that they do not have to wash their hair as often and have healthy, clean hair which combs out easily.

So I decided to give it a shot. I had everything on hand, (just baking soda, apple cider vinegar, and some lavender essential oil) and mixed up my potions with nice hot water so that they wouldn't be too shocking in the shower. I am very pleased to report that after using this method for a week now, I agree with the raves I had read about! My hair smells good, feels clean, combs out great with no tangles, and does not start to feel greasy nearly as quick as it did with shampoo. Apparently this gets even more apparent once your hair gets used to the routine of n osoap products. I have always had to wash my hair every day if I was going out, and could maybe go every other day if I wasn't trying to impress anyone. This week I was able to go out on the second day after washing and my hair still felt and looked great. And at a fraction of the cost, I am definitely hooked. I can get a few other essential oils as well, and be able to choose my scent each time I wash my hair, without having several big bottle of shampoo on hand.

I'll report back after a few more weeks and see if I am still happy with it, and include the actual recipe. I am also going to try it on the kids' hair in the mean time. I have heard it works wonders with curly or tangly hair too! (Trinity!)