Basic explanation of the no shampoo method

Today I’ll be doing a basic explanation of the “no poo” method. I’m basically sharing the basics of what I know about the no shampoo method. I’m most definitely not an expert, though I have done quite a bit of research on this topic.
I hope this post will help you in some way! Let’s get started!The no shampoo method,(aka the “no poo” method) Is where someone basically ditches their commercial shampoo, normally replacing it with a no chemical DIY shampoo. The DIY shampoos that I know of are either made of baking soda and water or of honey and water.

There is also something called low poo. For this you would abandon commercial shampoo product and switch to an all natural made shampoo. Most people will use low poo a few days or weeks before going no poo, so that they have an easier transition period.

What about conditioner?

If you make the honey shampoo there is no need for conditioning in every wash, though I do use apple cider vinegar rinse about once a month. If you use baking soda shampoo, then the apple cider vinegar rinse is a must. (no, your hair will not smell like apple cider vinegar after it’s rinsed off)

I have a post on how to make honey shampoo here. (You can also check out a great post on the no poo method here at Amanda’s site)

Okay now, this is the part that normally drives people away from no poo. Ready? The transition period. This is what will most likely happen during the first few weeks of going no poo. This means that your hair is trying to figure out what’s going on. This is when your hair will either get really oily or really dry and straw like. (Sounds fun right?) This happens because our hair is used to commercial product stripping it down of it’s natural oils,causing it to overproduce, therefore convincing us that we must wash our hair more often than needed. Make sense so far? So when you switch to the no poo method your hair is no longer being stripped down of natural oils, but it’s still overproducing.This does not mean you should wash your hair. Try to avoid washing it as long as as you possibly can.

The transition period can last as little as a few days up to as much as a few months. (a few months is rare though) For most people it will last about 2 weeks. For me it was only a few days.

After the transition period is over, you should notice that you don’t need to wash your hair nearly as often as you used to, and your hair will probably look and feel much softer and healthier.

Here are 3 tips to help you get through the transition period:
•Others say that dry shampoo is a huge help while going through the transition period. I personally have only used it once in my life, and that was a year before going no poo.
• Messy buns and messy braids should be your go to hairstyle because these are best at hiding greasy and straw like hair.
• Try going low poo before going no poo.

UPDATE:
Kate at magesticgoldenrose (great blog by the way) has told me that going no poo (baking soda version)  had trashed her hair. I’ve been using honey for a while, though before this year I was using baking soda and acv and my hair was fine. I think it depends on the individual person. If your worried about your hair getting ruined, Kate recommends shampoo bars. I’ve never used them before, but I’m sure it would be worth a try. 🙂