Stop Shampooing Your Hair: The “No-poo” Alternative
We all have things we want to give up—but shampooing our hair? In recent years there has been a trend to get away from shampooing one’s hair too frequently or even at all. Are you up for the “no-poo” challenge?
The word shampoo is from the Hindu word ‘champo’ referring to the use of oil for a head massage. During the 1860’s, shampoo’s definition expanded to mean rubbing soap onto one’s hair. In the 1930’s, the modern shampoos Breck and Drene were introduced which used synthetic cleansers called surfactants. These new products lathered and rinsed better than regular soap.
Most shampoos today also contain conditioners so hair can be combed more easily after washing. In previous years, hair was not shampooed often but as people moved towards more frequent shampooing, milder cleansers were developed along with a variety of options that suit different hair types.
Some women have decided to reduce or stop shampooing their hair to limit the amount of chemicals they feel they are exposed to. Others are more environmentally conscious and want to reduce their use of plastic bottles and the use of contaminates that just end up in the water running down the drain. For those women who color their hair, they indicate that the “no-poo” alternative allows their hair color to last longer.
How women report making the change to “no-poo”:
In the beginning, women stated that their hair looked greasy until the sebaceous glands in their scalp slowed down the production of oil. This took a few weeks. If your hair is long enough you can wear it back in a pony tail or pull it back with hairclips or a headband during this period.
Most women seem to have a fun flexible “no-poo” routine. Many women use a baking soda and water solution on their hair instead of shampoo which is rinsed off with a lot of warm water. Some follow that with a vinegar or apple cider vinegar rinse. Others add honey, herbs or oil to their rinsing regime.
Many women report their hair has never felt better. Some have not washed their hair in months.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
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