Four Months Without Shampoo

Sunday, July 31, 2011

I've been doing the no shampoo thing for about four months now, and I figured it was about time to do a little write up. All of these photos were taken on the same day, about 4 or 5 days after I last washed my hair with diluted baking soda and apple cider vinegar. You can read about my first two weeks (also, the worst two weeks), here.


The left image is my hair after being rinsed with water and then blown dry with a round bristle brush. The right image is my hair after a day of being in a French braid, sleeping, then brushing in the morning (no rinsing or styling, just slightly improved "bed head"). Frizziness was not really a major issue before "no 'poo", so it's not surprising that my hair isn't really less frizzy than before. The most obvious difference to me is the reduction in grease. I can go days not washing my hair, and it won't get significantly greasy. Although, by the 5th or 6th day, my hair really needs to be washed. So, these photos are showing my hair a day or two before I would normally wash it.


My bangs are an entirely different creature (please ignore their unevenness, there's a haircut in my near future). Being blunt-cut bangs, they still pick up forehead sweat which means I end up washing my bangs only with baking soda and ACV every other day, instead of just every 6th day as with the rest of my head. Slightly annoying, but then I remembered that I used to shampoo everyday. That thought is becoming more and more ridiculous to me.


Most of the reviews of the no 'poo movement talk about how eliminating sulfates from the haircare routine is really good for those with curly hair. I was interested to see what the benefits would be to those of us with rather straight, medium thickness hair. While the results aren't as drastic as many of the stories I've heard from the curly-haired camp, I'd say my hair is happier in "shan'tpoo." However, I can't use conditioner with silicones in it, nor can I use most other hair products, because they all need the harsh chemicals in shampoo to cut through it at the end of the day. Small sacrifice.

Overall, this has been an interesting experiment: I'm saving money not purchasing shampoo, I'm saving time not shampooing everyday, and my hair is softer and less greasy. The real test, however, is after next week when I get my hair cut short and will be unable to wear my hair in braids everyday.

16 comments:

Unknown said...

I've been wondering how that was working out for you..sounds like a good thing! I use organic and natural hair products but only wash twice a week (mostly I just hate brushing my hair).

tinajo said...

Interesting - tell us how it worked out with shorter hair! :-)

Anonymous said...

wow, that's crazy. SIX days without washing your hair? Sounds like you've got a good thing going!

TexaGermaFinlaNadian said...

Hey!! I just wrote about my no-pooing and had a lot of interesting in my exact routine. So be on the look out for mine in the next week. So interested to see other people's too. Your hair looks great on it, and glad to know that you easily stuck with it (I am in week 2 only). Maybe I can link to you, if you wouldn't mind, if people have your hair type???

Stephanie said...

Wow! I don't think I could go that long without shampoo. I usually wash my hair 2-3 times a week, though it's hard for me to believe that I used to wash it every single day! So much wasted time and money, especially considering my hair is much softer and healthier when I let it go a few days between washings.

h said...

Stephanie- It's not that hard to go months without shampoo, so long as you get through the first two weeks without *any* washing. If you can restrain yourself for two weeks, it's really not that bad.

TexaGermaNadian- Feel free to link to me! Maybe if more people are informed, less people with think I'm gross when I say I haven't used shampoo in months...

amy b.s. said...

interesting. i'll be interested to hear how the short hair goes.

Elle Sees said...

Loving the travel posts, btw. I only wash my hair once a week and use sulfate-free shampoo, so not an option for me, but glad you're liking it four months in!

Mollie said...

I've been curious about this for some time, but it's so far been kind of a bridge too far for me. I have switched to sulfate free shampoos -- been doing that for a few years now -- and also investing in silly exotic hair products. Being that I have curly/wavy hair + blonde highlights, I find such investments to be necessary. Oh, and I've only washed my hair at most 2x a week for pretty much years. :-p

Cindy said...

Wow, I haven't heard of this movement at all. Your hair still looks great without the processed shampooing! :)

I'm a new follower of yours and your blog is definitely unique in a great way! Thanks for stopping by mine the other day! :)

Meg said...

This is so cool! I'm going to have to try it out.

Joyti said...

I've been trying to reduce shampooing...I used to shampoo daily but have gotten down to once a week now. It definitely helps with the frizz, hope I can go without one day.
p.s. Your hair looks fabulous.

Jazzy E (Hivenn) said...

This is a really interesting post! I;d love to try it out. x hivenn

A Lost Feather said...

hm i keep reading about this and i want to try it.. maybe today is the day :)

to answer your question, i got that tank top at forever 21! i love getting cute hiking stuff there.. plus that one can totally cross over into normal life hehe

michelle@decorandthedog said...

Very interesting post. I had no idea. I use all natural shampoos..and I think I will call it good..even though you did have me thinking for awhile!

h said...

Decorandthedog- You still need to check your 'all natural' shampoos in case they have any sort of sulfates.

Nature produces poisons and other substances that are toxic to our bodies. So an "all natural" shampoo can include harmful ingredients, especially if it serves a purpose, such as bubbles & foam (as chemically abrasive sulfates do).

You must check to ingredients list!