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No, this isn’t some weird dreadlock thing… normal haired people all over the world are shunning shampoo – and as a reward, ending up with beautiful, luscious, healthy locks! (and maybe healthier skin, too)
How is this possible?? Watch the video and find out!
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rcmbe6HZmc
What do you think of possibly going “No ‘Poo”?
* CLICK HERE for update to the “No Shampoo” Experiment with Before and After Pics *
Blog author Tracy Raftl used to have severe acne — now she teaches thousands of women how to take back control of their skin through natural, holistic, and mind-body methods.
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If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll probably know that I am a BIG advocate to leaving your skin alone. That means
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47 Responses
hi mrs. i not using shampoo along time. at the moment it stucks a bit. it has serveral effects on hair. being outdoors under plants connected to the earth, or if using computer or tv. espacially electric device have a chaotic effect on hair. i even not brush it.
diet is a big thing i only eat vegetables and good meat.
I did no shampoo in college simply because I would have class all day and then work and by time I got back I didn’t feel like showering. Then in the morning I would be really groggy and tired and I wasn’t feeling motivated enough to wash it and then blow dry it.
I definitely saw good results in less than 6 weeks. More like 2 weeks after my hair was no more oily than it was like 2-3 days without washing it, which I found so strange but it felt nice not having to wash it every day or every other day to stop it from being oily.
ahhh I can’t go without a shower for two days without washing my hair how can I stop using shampoo for weeks. I have bad dandruff and it can get really itchy.. I’d rather use an alternative.
Haha yes, but that’s the point, you see! You need to break the cycle! Also, some people have dandruff as a result of the irritation from their shampoo, and going no poo has helped them get rid of it. But not always…. I’ve heard that what’s really important with dandruff is the temperature of your water. Very hot showers promote dandruff. Massaging your scalp in the shower is also supposed to help, as well as using oils like coconut oil or jojoba.
Anyway, I’m not saying anyone has to go no shampoo by any means, but the idea behind it is good to know! I’m not sure yet what kind of alternative shampoo to suggest, but definitely look for something that is gentle and sulfate free.
It helped with my dandruff once I stopped using shampoo within about two weeks (I’ve been going about 2-3 months). My hair seems MUCH happier, its texture redefined and quality more luscious. I wish I’d stopped using hair product years before!
Excellent! That’s great to hear Kyle!
The no poo helped. After frequent washings with shampoo, my hair would get dry and build-up-y. After easing off of shampoo, my hair felt cleaner and less brittle. Not so much brushing!
—Request- Your tips have done wonders for my acne. Thanks! But I’m running into clogged pores. Steaming and pressing seem too traumatic my skin as it already has broken capillaries and scars. What would you suggest?
I’m glad your acne has gotten better! That’s awesome!
Haha people keep asking me this question about clogged pores… so I better get a video going on the subject! Stay tuned!
i want to watch that video too 🙂
yes a video about that would be such a treat!
I’ve actually been intrigued by this idea for the past couple months. I’m just not sure how it would fit into my lifestyle. I exercise at least 3-4 times a week. I have very long hair, and I can’t imagine letting all that sweat sit on my head without washing, and then to just brush it out later. Baking soda would be fine to use as a wash for me, but I’m having a hard time with the ACV as conditioner. I’ve heard that the smell goes away when the hair dries, but what about when I go swimming, or it rains? I live 2 mins. walking distance to the lake and we live in water in the summer. I don’t want to smell all vinegary whenever my hair gets wet……gross….. Also, all the lake water needs to be washed out. 🙂 I don’t know, just some thoughts I’ve had going around in my head lately 🙂 Thanks for the post! Maybe I should revisit this topic with myself and try to come up with a solution. Being presented with this idea so much lately from different people, maybe I’m supposed to give it go :))
I hear putting baby powder or corn starch into your hair soaks the oil up and then you can simply comb it out. You can always wash it with just cold water I suppose.
Very interesting about the baby powder and corn starch. hmmmmm…… Thanks for the suggestion, Sampson 🙂
If you’re looking for an alternative shampoo, something all natural, I’d suggest checking out http://www.zeepsoap.com. They also have soaps, as well as medicinal and lip balms. All the ingredients are listed. I believe they’re in the process of reworking their toothpaste too. They also just recently completely revamped the website.
From their ‘About Us’ section, “Hello! Zeep Soap is a family run business based out of Olympia, Washington. We focus on the beneficial nature of many herbs, common plants and weeds; some of which are wild harvested here in the Pacific Northwest. Crafting quality products from the ground up, we promise to keep your body clean and mind clear.”
I’ve been a happy costumer for over a year now. Zeep are nice people making great products. For shampoos, soaps, or balms made from all natural products check ’em out.
Again, their site is at: zeepsoap.com
Ive gone no-poo for about 2 months now, i rinse in conditioner (organic, paraben & sulphate-free) every 3-4 days or really whenever i think of it. My hair is much the same as it was before but in alot better condition and dandruff-free (hurrah!). its also alot cheaper (again, hurrah!) The first 2 weeks were a bit ick but manageable. My tip would be to learn the art of french-braiding so its out of sight, out of mind and not detectable by others. I did try sulphate free paraben free shampoo, which to be honest was more drying than my regular (at the time) chemical-laden shampoo. So I say just try no-poo, its worth it!
Also, Tracy could you do something on shower washes? Or should i go the ol’ honey route too? for some reason i prefer something a bit more thorough as far as body wash goes. Thanks!
Oh good! I’m glad to hear a solid no ‘poo success story! No I don’t use honey, I use soap… I understand, because sometimes… you do just want the lather! I just bought a good natural body wash without sulfates and it still lathers nice… I will do a video on it!
Okay so in the car with my family today I somehow ended up saying how bad shampoo is for you and I wished I’d never washed my hair before. I tried to explain why you don’t need shampoo and the only reason hair gets oily and dandruffy is because of harsh chemicals, but it ended up being a family joke that “Sandy thinks shampooing your hair is bad…” 😀 since my parents grew up thinking washing your hair is just what you do. lol.
Anyway, now I’m determined to go no shampoo to prove my point. For weeks now I’ve tried the cornstarch thing on the mornings when my hair is really oily, and it works! My question is, if I go no shampoo but use cornstarch in the morning so I don’t look gross, will that strip my hair of its natural oil just like shampoo? I don’t want to defeat the purpose…and I also want to be shampoo free just to make things easier at summer camp this year =)
Haha yeah… that’s a typical response! Good luck with going no shampoo and proving your point! hahah sounds like something I would do… to let you know, my boyfriend’s 5 weeks into using nothing on his hair and it’s going fairly well… it’s not entirely beautiful yet, but it does keep getting better and less greasy as time goes on……. so that’s a good thing! I’m sorry, I don’t really know about the cornstarch, I think it’s mostly the really harsh chemicals that strip the oils, so I think cornstarch would probably be okay. Most people don’t use nothing anyway, they will wash their hair with baking soda and apple cider vinegar instead, or they will just dramatically cut down on washing or switch to a gentle sulfate free shampoo so that their hair doesn’t get greasy AS quickly.
I was using the cheapest shampoo I could find morning and night for a long time because of how oily my hair gets not realizing that the shampoo itself was the reason why my hair was so oily in the first place. I don’t think I could ever stop using shampoo but what I did was I turned to shampoo for dandruff because of it’s zinc contents. I’m still looking around for shampoos with zinc as a main ingredient rather than moisturizers being the largest portion of the bottle. I found that my forehead started getting smoother and more toned. I don’t know what the cause could be but I’m going to assume it’s the zinc oxide.
That’s very interesting!
hi, I see this is an older post, but I thought I mention it anyways: you can also try to use Rhassoul for washing your hair. It´s a maroccan clay. You mix the powder with a bit of water and then you dump the mud all over you. It´s really a mess but can be fun. I tried it several times and it seemed great for my hair. Unfortunately I never stuck with it, because I have very long hair that is bleached in some parts and it doesn´t really work for bleached or colored hair.
however, I used to research a lot about this hair thing and it´s true, in the end you don´t really have to wash your hair at all. brushing would be enough..but it´s not so easy to get there. at the moment I use shampoo and I have to wash my hair every second day, because my scalp gets itchy on the third day. I might try the clay wash again soon, as now my bleached parts have almost grown out.
Very interesting! Thanks for the input… speaking of “hard to get to that point”, I forgot to ever update what happened with my boyfriend’s hair. Basically he didn’t wash it with anything at all except water for 2 to 3 months, and it never really ended up getting nice. It was still fairly greasy all the time, but then he started using baking soda to wash his hair every few days, and his hair definitely has all sorts of beautiful body and volume that it didn’t before, and it lasts a lot longer than it did when he used normal shampoo. It used to get greasy the next day, but now it takes at least 3 or 4 days till his hair looks oily. So I’d say it was a success!
warning! baking soda nightmare! so last week I stopped using shampoo and started experimenting with baking soda. the last two times I washed my hair I made a paste out of the baking soda in the palm of my hand, just adding a little water and then I massaged it onto my scalp. it worked okay, my scalp felt fresh afterwards, but it also felt kind of sandy and I found it hard to reach every corner. after researching more I got the impression that I’m using way too much baking soda with this technique, so I looked up what other people recommand. So today I put one table spoon of baking soda into a bottle and added warm water until the bottle (0,5l) was filled up. I poured this over my head and for some crazy reason that I don’t understand, this much less concentrated mixture caused an enourmous rash on my cheeks and throat. my skin there turned deeply red and hot and itchy. I just couldn’t believe it when I stepped out of the shower. I immediately put manuka honey everywhere to wash everything off which didn’t help much. I cooled my face with cold water (although I want to avoid too much washing these days, the water where I’m staying right now is very chalky) and then I pressed one drop of jojoba oil mixed with one drop of lavender essential oil gently into my skin, hoping that it would calm down. my skin still feels hot and is pretty red and I’m hiding in my room at the moment. the weirdest thing is, that the other day I made a mask with baking soda and manuka honey, and that was totally harmless. so I’m wondering if by adding warm water I created some chemical reaction. but then again, everyone seems to use warm water and on my scalp I didn’t have any problem at all, it’s only my cheeks and throat that reacted. however, I will stay away from this stuff now and might go back to the clay or I don’t know..
Yikes! Interesting reaction….. :/ Thanks for sharing! I don’t have a clue though why that would happen!
I am allergic to baking soda as well as tea tree oil! These are both very gritty harsh substances for certain skin types.
I tried the no shampoo, it went great for a week but I had to use a shampoo/conditioner because I was going out with friends and my hair was waaaay too greasy. Weird thing is, midway during the week I felt a build-up like.. My hair got all waxy from the oil. Not sure why but it was annoying though..
I think I’m going to try the no poo thing in the holidays when I’m going to spend most of the time with my parents and travel. That way I won’t really care if my hair is greasy or not. ;P
But I did start using only water as a body wash! And surprisingly I still feel clean!
I’m so glad you did a video on this. I have thick, long, curly hair and have been working out 5-6 days for years so I was really drying my hair out with shampoo – and I had no idea! I thought I just had awful hair that was super dry. A friend of mine told me about just skipping the shampoo and using your fingers to clean the scalp with warm water in the shower (or to try “no poo”, a safe shampoo for devachan) and its been a few years now since I’ve used shampoo because my hair is AWESOME! I had no idea I had beautiful hair. The shampoo kept damaging it and now I love love love it. Do yourself a favor and skip the poo! Thanks for spreading the word Tracy!
I Recently Posted A Comment Just Before Reading Your About Curly Thick Hair. So You Used Nothing At All? Just Water To Wash Out Your Hair? And Does YouR Hair Get Frizzy? That’s What I Hate The Most, The Little Hairs That Stick Up If I Don’t Put Moose Or Hairspray.
ps – despite working out, my hair doesn’t smell at all. I have friends, gym friends and my bf that can attest to it!
Yay! No ‘poo success story! Thanks for sharing Patty 🙂
Hi Tracy! I was wondering if you had any thoughts on dry shampoo and whether or not it’s a good substitute for regular shampoo? I was given some samples of dry shampoo and was thinking it might be interesting to see if using it on a regular basis would help wean myself off of having to wash my hair every other day.
Hi Hannah,
Honestly, I had never in my life heard of dry shampoo until just now. Verrry interesting… and yes, sounds like it could definitely be a great help in those wanting to go no shampoo, in order to get through the greaseball period! Thanks for alerting me to its existence!
However, it kinda sounds like commercial dry shampoo is chalk full of chemicals, the same was its wet sister? Sounds like cornstarch does the job just as well with less chemicals and for less money: http://www.crunchybetty.com/store-bought-dry-shampoo-no-crunch-on-this-instead
I went “no shampoo” about three months ago and I am very happy with the results! I tried mixing a tablespoon of baking soda with a cup of warm which i poured over my head and massaged it through and then rinsed. I found that dissolving the baking soda completely in the water works better than making a paste. My hair felt very clean and fresh 🙂 I tried washing only once a week with the baking soda and used nothing in between. Unfortunately by week three I got HORRIBLE dandruff which I’ve never had before(I think it was caused by all the oil buildup) so I started using the baking soda every 2 or 3 days instead. So far that works great for me and my hair is super soft and shiny! I’m slowly lengthening the time between washes until I can go without washing for two weeks. I’ve also added a couple squirts of hydrogen peroxide to the solution which I found makes my hair extra shiny 🙂 I’m also considering getting some clay to use between washes to soak up the access oil. I’m hoping that will make the transition period a little more bearable.
Hey Jenna,
Thanks for sharing your experience with no poo! Check out the link I left above for Hannah about dry shampoo, which looks like it can help you with the transition! http://www.crunchybetty.com/store-bought-dry-shampoo-no-crunch-on-this-instead
Hi Tracy!
I Have Curly/ringlet Short Hair And I Wanna Try The No Shampoo Method. The Thing I Hate Is The Little Hairs That Stick Up If I Don’t Use Moose And Hairspray. Any Alternatives For This? People Say My Hair Is Beautiful And Didn’t Want Me To Cut It But They Don’t Realize How Much Of A Pain It Is To Have Curly Hair Like Mine. (People That Have Straight Hair Want Curly Hair And Visa Versa With People That Have Hair Like Mine Lol). My Hair Gets Really FrizzY If I Don’t Put Anything In It. (Btw I’m Using My Phone And That’s Why Every Word Is Caps Ugh)
How Exactly Do You Use Baking Powder?
Thanks, 🙂
Vanessa
Hi Vanessa,
Sorry I’m not really sure what to do about the frizzies! Maybe a fellow curly haired no ‘pooer can offer some suggestions.
For baking soda, I just put a tablespoon or so in a cup of warm water, and then pour it on my head, massage it in, and rinse it out
Hi tracy! I’ve decided to experiment using baking soda to wash my hair. Am I able to mix the baking soda and water ahead of time in a bottle or should I use warm water and mix it each time I wash? And can I use apple cidar vinegar everytime I condition my hair? I’m thinkin I’ll probably wash my hair 4 Times out of a week and didn’t know if its okay to use the ingredients this much. Thanks !
Hi Lex, There shouldn’t be any problem with washing that much, but perhaps you’ll find eventually you don’t need to wash it that much. I mix the baking soda and water in a cup each time. but I guess you could do it before if you wanted. And yes you can use ACV every time.
Thanks so much Tracy, hope everything is going great with you !
After the apple cider vinegar I used this morning, I used coconut oil in my hair and left it on for a few minutes and rinsed (however my hair looks really greasy), should I bother using coconut oil at all in my hair or limit the amount I used? how can I get the coconut oil out of my hair? rewash it with baking soda?
If you’re going to use oils, you want to use them first, and then wash them out. Like using conditioner, and then shampoo… washing your hair backwards 🙂
Morning Tracy ! Sorry for my tons of questions on going no -poo :p.. I’m just wondering what I can detangle my hair with because after using baking soda and apple cidar vineger yesterday, my hair felt really dry and after I would comb my hair out, it felt like I still had to comb it again 🙁 . And my other question was is it normal for your hair to be that dry? It’s about 3 inches past my shoulders. Thanks for all your advice , you rock Tracy !
Hi Lex, Hmm well, I don’t know, it doesn’t make my hair dry. Nothing is going to work for everyone, maybe baking soda isn’t for you? Also, I’m not sure about detangler, sorry
I haven’t used shampoo or conditioner in half a year. My hair is healthier than it has ever been because it has no oppression by chemicals. The chemicals used in basic hair soaps are not natural and can leave the scalp either too dry or too greasy, resulting in dandruff and greasy hair. No I do not use any products in my hair and yes I do wash my hair with hot, steamy water. You can really remove a lot of oil with the use of warm to hot water. Anywho, my hair is great and I will never waste my money on a hair product or waste my time applying a hair product. I have also recently discontinued my use of toothpaste and body wash. The reality of it all is you really only need warm water to open up pores and a delicate hand with genuine attention to cleanse yourself. This is the most natural way to be hygienic, in my opinion. I mean think about it, the natives cleansed themselves this way thousands of years ago and nothing negative ever came with it. I see no point in overdoing and damaging ourselves with the use of products. There’s no “need” for it. It is manipulation, it is another thing to worry about, another product to buy, another reason to “need” something, and in all honesty, excuse my french, but its bullshit.
Hi Rees,
thank you so much for your insights! You’re soooo right: less is more!!! Always.
For people who have issues with baking soda, you should try borax. It leaves my hair pretty soft. 1 cup dissolved in a gallon of water. No need for apple cider vinegar.
Hey Tracy,
I have been researching the no-shampoo method and trying to figure out how it will work best. I read the instructional article you posted on the step-by-step instructions, but I’m still confused about one thing: After you wash your hair for the first time with baking soda and rinse with apple cider vinegar, do you go completely baking soda and apple cider vinegar free until your hair oils balance themselves out? Or can you use baking soda and apple cider vinegar a few times a week and your hair oils will balance themselves out just fine still? I’m just confused about what I am allowed to do with my hair to wash during the “transition” period. I was looking at your before and after pictures you took of your boyfriend’s (now husband’s) hair and I just want to know if he just used water in the shower for two months during the “transition” or if he used baking soda and apple cider vinegar at all during those two months. I would LOVE your input and advice on this!
Thank you!
Amy Jo
I have wanted to try “no shampoo” or the “no poo method” for a while now but I still have to determine which method I specifically want to use. This post was helpful, though, and gave me some insight. Thanks!