No More Shampoo! (No Poo Method)

WHAT'S THE TRUTH ABOUT THE "NO POO" METHOD?

After shampooing your hair is it brittle, hard and tangled? Frizzy?! You have to use tons of hair oil/moisturizer but still it doesn't recover to the previous state.

Well, you should concern the "NO POO" method. Instead of using shampoo as your cleansing agent baking soda/apple cider vinegar, just plain old hair conditioner (co-wash) or a milder, more gentler shampoo are used as alternatives. Gentle shampoos include castile soap, glycerin and/or a sulfate-free shampoo. Baking soda/apple cider vinegar* and hair conditioner are cleansing agents that DO NOT lather. This means no foamy, sud bubbles but they're not necessary to effectively clean the hair. (Hair conditioners contain mild detergents that cleanse and can used to cleanse by itself.)

*baking soda and apple cider neutralize each other to maintain the natural pH of the hair. Rinse thoroughly with water.

WHY THE "NO POO" METHOD?

Shampoo contain harsh detergents to form those lathering bubbles that so many have become accustom to. These same detergents can be found in degreasers and other almost all household products such as dish soap, laundry detergent, toothpaste and etc. So why put that in your head.
First and most importantly, to clean without stripping the hair of its own natural oils that not only nourishes the hair but also the scalp. African American generally produce limited amounts of their natural oils and this is why we add moisturizer to our hair. Hair in its natural state needs a little more moisture than chemically straighten hair to maintain its health and prevent breakage. This is also why it is important to retain this moister. Your natural hair oil prevents frizzness and tangles. Which leads us to the second reason.

Secondly, it eliminates frizzness in turn leaving more curls or coils definition in the hair. Your hair has more elasticity which decrease breakage. Your hair is more manageable in its natural curly state.

Thirdly, the hair and scalp are cleaner. Shampoos leave residues of harsh detergents that remain on the hair shaft and clog the hair pores. For those of us who have dry scalp and dandruff; no shampoo helps to wipe out flaky, itchy scalp completely the sulfate and alcohol in the shampoos can only aid to the problems.

Lastly, you use less product to achieve your desired style. The scalp pores and hair shaft have the ability to absorb these product more readily to obtain maximum coverage. The product also last longer in the hair because the hair is not dying of thirst.

The hair appears to be so much healthier and easier to manage. The hair is not as big or more tamed. Keep in mind you may not see result after one use. I recommend you try for about 3 weeks before you write the method off as a failure.

IF "NO POO" THEN WHAT?

This material courtesy of the MotownGirl.com "No Poo" article. Here are shampoo alternatives.

• Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda to 1 cup of warm water (use 1 tbs to 2 cups of warm water). For longer hair, use 2-3 tbs of baking soda with 32 oz of warm water. You can place the mixture in a spray bottle or just pour it over your hair. Massage it in, rinse out well and use a conditioner afterwards. (I mix it in a cup and pour it over my head over the sink and I always deep condition after using this treatment.) It makes my hair feel so clean without that dry, squeaky feeling. The mixture is liquidity - not pasty. (Note - I find this cleanse my hair the best.)
• Mix a little baking soda with your conditioner.
• Use a 'clarifying conditioner', such as VO5 Kiwi & Lime.
• Use an Apple Cider Vinegar mix.
• If you need to exfoliate your scalp or combat itchiness, try a Scalp Scrub: Mix 2 tbs conditioner with 1 tbs brown sugar. It is not harsh or abrasive as it may sound. Don't use regular sugar, it will just dissolve.