Shampoo Free Hair

If you have wavy or curly hair, if your hair is thick, and especially if your hair is prone to frizzing, then you (like me) have probably tried a lot of different products and shampoos. My hair is curly in parts, wavy in others, super thick, and frizzy as heck when I don't "deal with it."  I spend a lot of money on various leave ins and conditioners to keep it tame and beautiful.  What if my hair would just take care of itself, while at the same time saving me money, removing harmful chemicals from my beauty routine, and helping the environment? That is some of the thinking behind the "no-poo" movement (terrible name, great idea) and it is really catching on.


I have never been a spend-a-lot-of-time-getting-ready kind of girl.  My haircare routine usually consists of shampoo, conditioner, some leave in conditioner/de-frizzer and  a quick brush. That's it.  Since I don't blow dry or straighten (except for very special dates) I can go a pretty long time before I need a haircut (usually about every 6 months).  However, I hate the way the products build up and make my hair dull, and I hate the way they stop working after a while. So I am going to give this no shampoo thing a try. Here is what I am doing:

1 TBS baking soda mixed with 1 cup water
2 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with 1 cup water


I bottled the mixtures and used about a quarter of each bottle in the shower this morning. I used the BS mixture like shampoo, and the ACV mixture like conditioner.  I finished with a cold rinse.

Day 1:
I washed my hair with the baking soda mixture.  It felt weird, and I am not sure whether or not my hair is any cleaner.  After I "washed" it my hands felt covered in grease.  The vinegar rinse was similarly unsatisfying.  Once my hair dried it was a little greasy, a little frizzy, and puffy as heck. Seriously, my hair was huge.  It was also a full shade blonder (I guess all of that build-up really darkens blond hair) and really curly.  Really curly.  On the bright side, I washed my face with the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM) for the second time today. It feels so smooth.

Day 2:
Usually the day after I wash my hair is my best hair day.  Everything is smooth but not frizzy yet.  Today was not one of those days.  My hair is gross.  Not just oily but kind of gunky feeling.  I have been keeping it in french braids so I don't have to touch it.  It is still really blonde, though. Almost like I got highlights. I am going to try the whole process again tomorrow and see if it helps. Also, I decided to add a pinch of dried peppermint to each bottle to stimulate the scalp and make everything smell nice.

Day 3:
My hair feels disgusting. I got up and bs washed it in the shower, and my hair felt even grosser.  Plus, my hands were coated in grease. I broke down and used a little watered down shampoo between the bs and the acv.  I think I might buy some all natural shampoo and try that first.

Day 5:
I am going to stick this out for at least a month before I quit (my husband is less than thrilled - he keeps asking me what is so awesome about having disgusting hippy hair).  I didn't wash my hair yesterday, and today I am doing the bs/acv wash again.

Day 6:
I washed my hair yesterday with the BS/ACV mixtures.  When I got out of the shower I put a little tiny bit of olive oil on the ends of my hair,  then I just brushed it and let it dry.  Today it feels reasonably clean.  My hair is also shiny and very curly.  I am going to stick with this for a while and see how it goes. I will check back in  a month or so from now and let you know how it turns out.

Click here to see more of my eco-friendly alternatives.

Keywords: Apple Cider Vinegar rinse, ACV rinse, Baking Soda wash, BS wash, alternative hair care, natural hair products, eco-friendly haircare, poo-free, no shampoo,  frizzy hair solutions