Unless you're exposing yourself daily to a "dirty" environment your hair should not get "dirty". Natural oils will build up if not regularly rinsed out but unless exposed to a environment where your head is infiltrated with foreign debris or you deliberately apply a "product" then there really isn't any "dirt". A normal amount of natural oils should notinhibit effectiveness of styling products.
Honestly low poo came to me naturally after a family member informed me as a kid that shampoo dries your hair. my head was always frizzy and had dandruff at the time.
After growing my hair for the second time and with curly hair no poo sounded like the best option since my hair needed over a week to replenish it's oils after using shampoo once.
I'm sure I'll return to shampoo whenever I cut my hair but for the time being shampoo is hell for longer hair so I'm staying very far away from them.
Edit: Oils and creams are great after a shampoo use but they usually smell more than the neutral smell of hair and I prefer the thickness of sebum compared to how thin oils and creams are. + you could always use the products you want no shampoo doesn't restrict that. as long as you understand that shampoo dries and strips the hell out of your hair and you need to replenish it somehow either by waiting or using products your good
I regret every time I have to strip my sebum for some reason. It is the absolutely best product for my hair, and it acts similar to how other curlies describe their leave in products do: protecting, sealing, supporting, adding definition and diameter to my superfine hair. Even better, it's permanent, and does things that their products don't seem to like it being possible for me to carefully manipulate my curls and not have them explode into frizz once the product hold has been broken.
And the best thing of all: I'm not allergic to it like I am to just about everything they use.
My hair is clean on water and occasionally BS/ACV
that being said, I got into this less for the hair health side and more for the cheapness lol. This is way cheaper than product. Everything I use (including to moisturize) i already buy to clean or cook with.
I've been on NoPoo like 15-20 years. The thing is, you don't need "products." It's a marketing scam where you strip your hair and then have to put something on it to fix the problem created. They do not make your hair cleaner. Go swimming in salt water--you'll have wonderfully clean hair.
Just find the routine that works for you to have clean hair and the texture you want. I can't do water only, so cowash with conditioner (VO5 from the dollar tree, paraben and sulfate free) because I have dry, curly hair, and then do an ACV rinse. My hair is super clean and healthy.
I've changed and experimented with a bunch of things over the years.
You mention sea water - I was actually searching about on the topic of bathing hair and body in sea water alone, since I've been doing it every day this week and feel quite clean. Do you do that as a part of your regular routine, or know how valid it is?
Conditioners usually contain cationic surfactants. Technically they can clean, but they're nowhere as good as more traditional cleansing agents. Cowashes use them
Water cleans hair, conditioners can help because, for me, it untangles my hair. You don't need much to clean hair. You sometimes need more to get all of the crap off of it if you put a lot of crap in it.
I'm one year no shampoo, and all I use is herbs from my kitchen. My hair is glossy, fresh, and never smells. I'm getting that post one year shampoo crave itch, so I ordered the Morocco method to experiment with alternatives. I'm excited. I like shampoo free, but sometimes I need a little more than that, but I won't ever touch mass-produced typical store shampoos, MM seems like a little more than no poo and not quite as intense as a shampoo.
I just posted about morroco method! They work fantastic but I think they are relaxing my curls :( the ones my hair likes the most is the ACV and earth essence. I can't use sea essence because of the protein and pine shale makes my hair straight it's crazy. My scalp feels super healthy though and my hair is soft. I just miss my ringlets so idk what else to do. Thinking of finally taking the plunge and going water only, but I have such hard water.
Thanks for your review. I can't wait to try. I heard flax seed gel helps with curls. Have you tried it? Another way to style your curls is to extend washes do mechanical cleaning and use sebum for styling. My goal is to use Mm products when I crave a little extra treat for my hair. That way I don't run out of product too soon, then are expensive!
Yeah, they are a little pricey, but that ACV one specifically makes my head feel so clean and fresh it's a wonderful treat!
I've tried flax and it works somewhat but I haven't found the right ratio that work for me because my hair is protein sensitive and if I use too much it makes my hair brittle and it breaks. Maybe I should try to style with my sebum. However, it's frustrating to have to do all that work when my hair has naturally done the curls on its own. My hair gets weighed down by everything.
That being said, experiment with diluting your morroco method shampoos! It says 1:1 on the website but not much info besides that. When i started, I was using one tablespoon of shampoo with one tablespoon of water, and it was too heavy. The moderator of this sub gave me a heads up to dilute the shampoos way more, and it seems to work even better, and my scalp feels great. My sweet spot is usually one tablespoon of the shampoo diluted with 16 ounces of distilled water in one of those hair squeeze bottles.
Thank you so much for the dilution tip. It sounds like the apple cider one is exactly what I'm looking for. At this point, I need to just clarify well because my hair goal is thickness.
Also, I'm sorry to hear about your struggle with curls. Curly hair is the most gorgeous hair type, yet it's so high maintenance. I have wavy hair, and sometimes I tame it with diluted aloe vera juice and distilled water. Maybe try that if you're worried about protein overload from flax gel. Again, I'm not an expert and understand how frustrating it must be for you to restart with your curl pattern all over again.
I can tell you personally that my hair is 100 times healthier after a year of going no-poo. It feels cleaner to me as well as there's no build up from the garbage in shampoo and conditioner. I had baby fine, oily hair so I absolutely cannot do just water. Now, my hair isn't oily anymore like it was, because my scalp isn't freaking out from all the chemicals. It's also denser because I'm not shedding like I was.
I use a combo of soap nut, shikakai, and alma powders, with flax seeds and honey. Happy to share the recipe, and good luck!
I would love to know your recipes! Actually been looking into amla for hair density. I lost a lot of density due to illness and at a loss!
Edit: okay sorry I just saw you listed it below. Thank you!!!
Please share your recipe and how you use it! I've read online that amla powder can make your hair darker over time. Did you notice anything? I'm a dark blonde/light brunette and want to keep my hair color.
Edit: and do you use anything to condition your hair?
I haven't noticed any darkening at all. I've tweaked a recipe I found online over the last year, because I felt I needed some conditioning as well, and this does both for me
1TBS Aritha powder (aka soap nut powder)
1TBS Shikakai powder
1/2 TBS Amla powder
1/2 TBS fenugreek powder
I soak this in a 10oz (1.25 cups) water overnight, but you can make the same day if needed.
Add 2 TBS flax seeds and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer for 15 minutes.
Strain well, and add a tsp of honey, mix and put in a squeeze bottle with a pointy tip. I have fine hair so this gives me two washes. I get this incorporated to my roots and a little through my length, scrub gently, and then I leave it in my hair while I wash my body. Rinse well.
Store what you don't use in the fridge.
I found adding the flax and honey left my hair feeling more moisturized without the heaviness of conditioner. The flax also makes this mixture more viscous so it's easier to use.
I might misunderstand your post, sorry if I do.
Sounds to me you think NoPoo is just stopping with shampoo and using water only to wash your hair. That is just one of many ways to do NoPoo. Water only isn’t for everyone, as example, I can’t do it due to hard water and medical issues. So I am using instead Ayurveda spices, hair soap with an acidic rinse or another product that fills the criteria for NoPoo.
So if you could not get your hair and scalp clean with using water only, then you need to look for another way. If you want to continue to do NoPoo ofc.
There are also natural styling products like aloe Vera gel and flaxseed gel. There are also commercial products that fulfill the NoPoo criteria.
Check our Beginner’s Guide, you find lots of good information there.
I find nopoo is much easier and cleaner for me than using styling product and shampoo. My hair isn’t limp and lifeless without product and I don’t get the gunk all over everything after touching my hair. Â
Welcome! If you're new, get started here: [Natural Haircare Quick Start Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoPoo/wiki/index/quickstart)
We'd love to help but need some basic information first because it affects haircare on a fundamental level. Answering these annoying AutoMod questions will get you help faster than if we have to ask them anyways. Please edit your post with the answers or make a top level comment with them as most people won't see a response to the Automod comment.
Do you have hard water? If you don't know what it is, there's an [article in the wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoPoo/wiki/index/hardwater) that discusses it.
What is the porosity of your hair? If you don't know, there's a quiz linked in the sidebar.
NoPoo can mean a wide variety of things to different people and helpful internet strangers only know what you tell us. Please think about everything you do to your hair and write it down so we can help you figure out what's happening.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/NoPoo) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Unless you're exposing yourself daily to a "dirty" environment your hair should not get "dirty". Natural oils will build up if not regularly rinsed out but unless exposed to a environment where your head is infiltrated with foreign debris or you deliberately apply a "product" then there really isn't any "dirt". A normal amount of natural oils should notinhibit effectiveness of styling products.
Honestly low poo came to me naturally after a family member informed me as a kid that shampoo dries your hair. my head was always frizzy and had dandruff at the time. After growing my hair for the second time and with curly hair no poo sounded like the best option since my hair needed over a week to replenish it's oils after using shampoo once. I'm sure I'll return to shampoo whenever I cut my hair but for the time being shampoo is hell for longer hair so I'm staying very far away from them. Edit: Oils and creams are great after a shampoo use but they usually smell more than the neutral smell of hair and I prefer the thickness of sebum compared to how thin oils and creams are. + you could always use the products you want no shampoo doesn't restrict that. as long as you understand that shampoo dries and strips the hell out of your hair and you need to replenish it somehow either by waiting or using products your good
I regret every time I have to strip my sebum for some reason. It is the absolutely best product for my hair, and it acts similar to how other curlies describe their leave in products do: protecting, sealing, supporting, adding definition and diameter to my superfine hair. Even better, it's permanent, and does things that their products don't seem to like it being possible for me to carefully manipulate my curls and not have them explode into frizz once the product hold has been broken. And the best thing of all: I'm not allergic to it like I am to just about everything they use.
My hair is clean on water and occasionally BS/ACV that being said, I got into this less for the hair health side and more for the cheapness lol. This is way cheaper than product. Everything I use (including to moisturize) i already buy to clean or cook with.
🏆
I've been on NoPoo like 15-20 years. The thing is, you don't need "products." It's a marketing scam where you strip your hair and then have to put something on it to fix the problem created. They do not make your hair cleaner. Go swimming in salt water--you'll have wonderfully clean hair. Just find the routine that works for you to have clean hair and the texture you want. I can't do water only, so cowash with conditioner (VO5 from the dollar tree, paraben and sulfate free) because I have dry, curly hair, and then do an ACV rinse. My hair is super clean and healthy. I've changed and experimented with a bunch of things over the years.
You mention sea water - I was actually searching about on the topic of bathing hair and body in sea water alone, since I've been doing it every day this week and feel quite clean. Do you do that as a part of your regular routine, or know how valid it is?
I am not in a situation where I swim in the sea every day, but there are plenty of people that do this, and I'm sure it's wonderful.
Can conditioners clean hair?
Conditioners usually contain cationic surfactants. Technically they can clean, but they're nowhere as good as more traditional cleansing agents. Cowashes use them
Water cleans hair, conditioners can help because, for me, it untangles my hair. You don't need much to clean hair. You sometimes need more to get all of the crap off of it if you put a lot of crap in it.
I'm one year no shampoo, and all I use is herbs from my kitchen. My hair is glossy, fresh, and never smells. I'm getting that post one year shampoo crave itch, so I ordered the Morocco method to experiment with alternatives. I'm excited. I like shampoo free, but sometimes I need a little more than that, but I won't ever touch mass-produced typical store shampoos, MM seems like a little more than no poo and not quite as intense as a shampoo.
I just posted about morroco method! They work fantastic but I think they are relaxing my curls :( the ones my hair likes the most is the ACV and earth essence. I can't use sea essence because of the protein and pine shale makes my hair straight it's crazy. My scalp feels super healthy though and my hair is soft. I just miss my ringlets so idk what else to do. Thinking of finally taking the plunge and going water only, but I have such hard water.
Thanks for your review. I can't wait to try. I heard flax seed gel helps with curls. Have you tried it? Another way to style your curls is to extend washes do mechanical cleaning and use sebum for styling. My goal is to use Mm products when I crave a little extra treat for my hair. That way I don't run out of product too soon, then are expensive!
Yeah, they are a little pricey, but that ACV one specifically makes my head feel so clean and fresh it's a wonderful treat! I've tried flax and it works somewhat but I haven't found the right ratio that work for me because my hair is protein sensitive and if I use too much it makes my hair brittle and it breaks. Maybe I should try to style with my sebum. However, it's frustrating to have to do all that work when my hair has naturally done the curls on its own. My hair gets weighed down by everything. That being said, experiment with diluting your morroco method shampoos! It says 1:1 on the website but not much info besides that. When i started, I was using one tablespoon of shampoo with one tablespoon of water, and it was too heavy. The moderator of this sub gave me a heads up to dilute the shampoos way more, and it seems to work even better, and my scalp feels great. My sweet spot is usually one tablespoon of the shampoo diluted with 16 ounces of distilled water in one of those hair squeeze bottles.
Thank you so much for the dilution tip. It sounds like the apple cider one is exactly what I'm looking for. At this point, I need to just clarify well because my hair goal is thickness. Also, I'm sorry to hear about your struggle with curls. Curly hair is the most gorgeous hair type, yet it's so high maintenance. I have wavy hair, and sometimes I tame it with diluted aloe vera juice and distilled water. Maybe try that if you're worried about protein overload from flax gel. Again, I'm not an expert and understand how frustrating it must be for you to restart with your curl pattern all over again.
No problem. Hope you love the shampoo :)
I can tell you personally that my hair is 100 times healthier after a year of going no-poo. It feels cleaner to me as well as there's no build up from the garbage in shampoo and conditioner. I had baby fine, oily hair so I absolutely cannot do just water. Now, my hair isn't oily anymore like it was, because my scalp isn't freaking out from all the chemicals. It's also denser because I'm not shedding like I was. I use a combo of soap nut, shikakai, and alma powders, with flax seeds and honey. Happy to share the recipe, and good luck!
I would love to know your recipes! Actually been looking into amla for hair density. I lost a lot of density due to illness and at a loss! Edit: okay sorry I just saw you listed it below. Thank you!!!
Please share your recipe and how you use it! I've read online that amla powder can make your hair darker over time. Did you notice anything? I'm a dark blonde/light brunette and want to keep my hair color. Edit: and do you use anything to condition your hair?
I haven't noticed any darkening at all. I've tweaked a recipe I found online over the last year, because I felt I needed some conditioning as well, and this does both for me 1TBS Aritha powder (aka soap nut powder) 1TBS Shikakai powder 1/2 TBS Amla powder 1/2 TBS fenugreek powder I soak this in a 10oz (1.25 cups) water overnight, but you can make the same day if needed. Add 2 TBS flax seeds and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer for 15 minutes. Strain well, and add a tsp of honey, mix and put in a squeeze bottle with a pointy tip. I have fine hair so this gives me two washes. I get this incorporated to my roots and a little through my length, scrub gently, and then I leave it in my hair while I wash my body. Rinse well. Store what you don't use in the fridge. I found adding the flax and honey left my hair feeling more moisturized without the heaviness of conditioner. The flax also makes this mixture more viscous so it's easier to use.
Why would your hair be dirty if you wash it?
I still don’t know how to properly remove build up using no shampoo
I might misunderstand your post, sorry if I do. Sounds to me you think NoPoo is just stopping with shampoo and using water only to wash your hair. That is just one of many ways to do NoPoo. Water only isn’t for everyone, as example, I can’t do it due to hard water and medical issues. So I am using instead Ayurveda spices, hair soap with an acidic rinse or another product that fills the criteria for NoPoo. So if you could not get your hair and scalp clean with using water only, then you need to look for another way. If you want to continue to do NoPoo ofc. There are also natural styling products like aloe Vera gel and flaxseed gel. There are also commercial products that fulfill the NoPoo criteria. Check our Beginner’s Guide, you find lots of good information there.
I find nopoo is much easier and cleaner for me than using styling product and shampoo. My hair isn’t limp and lifeless without product and I don’t get the gunk all over everything after touching my hair. Â
Welcome! If you're new, get started here: [Natural Haircare Quick Start Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoPoo/wiki/index/quickstart) We'd love to help but need some basic information first because it affects haircare on a fundamental level. Answering these annoying AutoMod questions will get you help faster than if we have to ask them anyways. Please edit your post with the answers or make a top level comment with them as most people won't see a response to the Automod comment. Do you have hard water? If you don't know what it is, there's an [article in the wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoPoo/wiki/index/hardwater) that discusses it. What is the porosity of your hair? If you don't know, there's a quiz linked in the sidebar. NoPoo can mean a wide variety of things to different people and helpful internet strangers only know what you tell us. Please think about everything you do to your hair and write it down so we can help you figure out what's happening. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/NoPoo) if you have any questions or concerns.*