Stop Shampooing Your Hair: The “No-poo” Alternative

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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. (I found one report of a woman who had gone 11 years!) Others just shampoo their hair every couple of weeks or one woman reported she does not wash her hair only her bangs. Still others just use conditioner instead of shampoo since conditioner also has some cleansing properties.

Pictures of women who are embracing the “no-poo” alternative actually look pretty good. One before and after photo showed a woman who had acquired an attractive curl to her “no-poo” mane while her regular portrait revealed her original thin straight hair.

While many of us shudder at the idea of not washing our hair everyday, there is no real reason we need to. Hair can just be rinsed with water to help with styling and some of those daily shampoos could be skipped which may be a good first start if the idea of “no-poo” appeals to you. Let us know how it goes.

sources:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30337386/
http://asonomagarden.wordpress.com/2009/04/03/my-no-shampoo-hair-saga/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shampoo
http://www.randomhistory.com/2008/07/19_shampoo.html
http://adrianasassoon.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/history-of-shampoo/

Michele is an R.N. freelance writer with a special interest in woman’s healthcare and quality of care issues. Other articles by Michele are at www.helium.com/users/487540/show_articles

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Michele Blacksberg RN HERWriter View Profile Send Message

We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, 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.