You want to try the "No Poo" or "No Shampoo" Lifestyle for good reason; conventional shampoo is indeed full of shit- especially if you have insanely dry and fragile "ethnic" hair like I do. (I'm afro-Latina on the Puerto Rican side of my family.) The chemical sulfates in shampoo dry out already-dry and delicate hair. Then there's the endocrine disrupters...the suds going down the drain and poisoning our water supply...the horror, the horror. I'll get off the soap box and address the #1 reason why you're too scared to try shampooing less (and with organic shampoo) or forgoing shampoo all together: you think your hair will get too oily. Fear not! I'll teach you how to make your own dry shampoo that will soak up any excess oil between washes and leave your hair bouncy and beautiful.
To make your dry shampoo mix a 1:1 ratio of organic corn starch or baking soda and cocao powder. Blondes have it even easier, just use the corn starch or baking soda. Dust this with a fluffy blush brush right into your roots and wherever needed to absorb excess oil. I like to mix 1/2 cup baking soda and a 1/2 cup cocao powder at a time.
Your No Poo FAQs Answered:
1. Does that mean you never wash your hair? How often should I wash it? - General Question
I consider No Poo to mean no conventional, chemical shampoos or conditioners, which are full of alcohols and detrimental to most hair's health. I also take it to mean a reduction is hair washing rather than a full-on shampoo removal. I wash my hair well with Griffin Remedy Restorative Shampooand condition with their Conditioner
before I straighten my hair. I wash about 2-3 times per month because my hair is insanely dry and can take the neglect. If I'm not wearing my hair straight I'll condition it with the same conditioner nightly and apply a teenie tiny bit of coconut oil while it's still wet.
2. I've thought about doing this because I have dry/coarse/curly hair but my roots have become more and more oily over the past decade or so. What holds me back is the concern about odour... do any of you who do this notice any? I'm a bit sensitive to it, but if I smell someone's hair when it hasn't been washed in a few days (or if they have thick hair and obviously aren't getting the shampoo in around their scalp vigorously enough) that "rancid oil" smell just turns my stomach. Does this get rid of enough to prevent that smell? - Anonymous Comment
My hair never, ever smells. It was actually funny to surprise my boyfriend recently with my very minimally-washed hair revelation. He, too, thought infrequent hair washing leads to odor. (Who's always all-up-in my "dirty" hair and loving it, AJ!? Complimenting it, even. YOU! BWAHAHA!) How often an individual will wash their hair is a case-by-case basis. Some may need to wash it more to control oil. The organic shampoo or baking soda will do the trick, there should be no odor from a normal, healthy person.
Also, as a dry/curly girl to another: do it! This is the best thing I've ever done for my hair, it was so dry and miserable before I stopped washing it daily and using chemical products. The curls are soft and bouncy now and my hair rarely tangles.3. I've never seen African black soap in liquid form and I don't think you can buy it around here, but you can get the solid bars in beauty supply stores. Do you think it'll work the same? - Holly
As long as it's 100% pure African Black Soap, it should be brown and texture in appearance and sweet smelling. African Black Soap made from natural oils, palm leaves, cocao leaves, shea tree bark, coconut oil and palm oil, it's incredible good for your skin and hair. A lot of people credit it for curing break-outs, my friends have had good results. I use and enjoy Alaffia African Black Soap. You can use it as a shampoo or body wash, great quality, cheap, lasts long. They sell the bars locally at flea markets and I've even see it at the Jarboe park Neptune Beach Farmers Market.For more info on starting a No Poo lifestyle check out my detailed No Poo Post
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