No Shampoo! The Soap and Shampoo Conspiracy
by Allene Edwards
I am a clean freak as well as a water baby. A Cancer with Pisces rising and a Cancer moon, I always loved the water so much I should have been born a mermaid. For most of my life, I bathed or showered every morning and often at night as well.
A few years ago, my son presented me with a gift—a basket full of organic soaps. They were wonderful! I loved the shape, the smell, the texture. But the strangest thing happened—by using organic soaps I discovered that I no longer needed to use deodorant. Seriously. No body odor, not even on hot sweaty days.
I don't know the science behind it, but my best guess is that antibacterial soap strips the body's natural oils that protect the skin and kills off the good bacteria that keep the bad bacteria on our skin in check.
These days I refuse to use any soap that isn't organic. I know my skin soaks up toxins and chemicals from anything I put on it, so I am organic all the way. Due to organic soap, I don't need to bathe more than every other day to every three days. But I've always showered or bathed every morning just to wash my hair! If I washed it at night, it would still look good in the morning, but by the afternoon—yuck.
For years I've tried to train my hair to need less washing. Remember the good old days when women washed their hair once a week? It's just a matter of discipline, right? I knew over-cleansing my hair, washing it once a day since I was thirteen, had screwed up the natural balance of oils. But I could never seem to go more than two days without washing, and day two had to be a stay-at-home day. So imagine my interest when I kept seeing articles from women who have stopped shampooing their hair and raved about the results. These “no-poo” gals say it takes up to six weeks of not shampooing for the scalp's oil glands to readjust and start working properly again. They said the change after six weeks was remarkable, that their hair was healthier and more beautiful than ever before, that they would never use shampoo again!
So I thought about the similarity between the cause and effect of antibacterial
A few years ago, my son presented me with a gift—a basket full of organic soaps. They were wonderful! I loved the shape, the smell, the texture. But the strangest thing happened—by using organic soaps I discovered that I no longer needed to use deodorant. Seriously. No body odor, not even on hot sweaty days.
I don't know the science behind it, but my best guess is that antibacterial soap strips the body's natural oils that protect the skin and kills off the good bacteria that keep the bad bacteria on our skin in check.
These days I refuse to use any soap that isn't organic. I know my skin soaks up toxins and chemicals from anything I put on it, so I am organic all the way. Due to organic soap, I don't need to bathe more than every other day to every three days. But I've always showered or bathed every morning just to wash my hair! If I washed it at night, it would still look good in the morning, but by the afternoon—yuck.
For years I've tried to train my hair to need less washing. Remember the good old days when women washed their hair once a week? It's just a matter of discipline, right? I knew over-cleansing my hair, washing it once a day since I was thirteen, had screwed up the natural balance of oils. But I could never seem to go more than two days without washing, and day two had to be a stay-at-home day. So imagine my interest when I kept seeing articles from women who have stopped shampooing their hair and raved about the results. These “no-poo” gals say it takes up to six weeks of not shampooing for the scalp's oil glands to readjust and start working properly again. They said the change after six weeks was remarkable, that their hair was healthier and more beautiful than ever before, that they would never use shampoo again!
So I thought about the similarity between the cause and effect of antibacterial
soap and body odor and the cause and effect of shampoos and excessive hair oil and decided I would take the challenge. From day two through day four I scraped my hair into a ponytail and suffered—until I couldn't stand it anymore. On the fourth night I gave up and washed my hair.
A few weeks later, I decided to try again. On day six, my hair looked like it was full of gel. I could hold it up or out and it would stay put for a while. But instead of giving up again, I went back to the net and did more research. I read one article about four women who committed to a six week trial. Two loved the results; two never adjusted. Then I found several articles where the successful “no-poo” gals talked about rinsing their hair with baking soda mixed in water as needed. They also recommended an additional rinse with water and apple cider vinegar if the hair was dry. Dry? With all this oil?
Well, I decided to give it a try. I used a tablespoon of baking soda in a cup of water and poured it through my hair, then rinsed with plain water. When my hair dried, it felt like silk. Each individual shaft of hair was coated in natural oil, not too much, not too little, just enough. My hair was full, shiny, and showing off its natural wave. It was beautiful! And it felt better than it has ever felt after any conditioner or oil treatment. And today? The day after? Perfect! It looks like I washed it and conditioned it this morning, only better. It shines and curls and is completely manageable. My fine hair has body and volume it never had before. I have officially joined the ranks of the “no-poo” gals. I don't need another five weeks. I'm a convert! Note: it has now been three months since I originally wrote this article and I am still a convert. My hair is wonderful. I rinse it with baking soda water once or twice a week and occasionally rinse it in between. My hair is stronger, thicker, and easier to manage than ever before. To think I used to wash my hair every morning just to remove excess oil that was caused by my shampoo!
A few weeks later, I decided to try again. On day six, my hair looked like it was full of gel. I could hold it up or out and it would stay put for a while. But instead of giving up again, I went back to the net and did more research. I read one article about four women who committed to a six week trial. Two loved the results; two never adjusted. Then I found several articles where the successful “no-poo” gals talked about rinsing their hair with baking soda mixed in water as needed. They also recommended an additional rinse with water and apple cider vinegar if the hair was dry. Dry? With all this oil?
Well, I decided to give it a try. I used a tablespoon of baking soda in a cup of water and poured it through my hair, then rinsed with plain water. When my hair dried, it felt like silk. Each individual shaft of hair was coated in natural oil, not too much, not too little, just enough. My hair was full, shiny, and showing off its natural wave. It was beautiful! And it felt better than it has ever felt after any conditioner or oil treatment. And today? The day after? Perfect! It looks like I washed it and conditioned it this morning, only better. It shines and curls and is completely manageable. My fine hair has body and volume it never had before. I have officially joined the ranks of the “no-poo” gals. I don't need another five weeks. I'm a convert! Note: it has now been three months since I originally wrote this article and I am still a convert. My hair is wonderful. I rinse it with baking soda water once or twice a week and occasionally rinse it in between. My hair is stronger, thicker, and easier to manage than ever before. To think I used to wash my hair every morning just to remove excess oil that was caused by my shampoo!
No Shampoo! The Soap and Shampoo Conspiracy
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