And
now for something a little different. I did not know what “No ‘Poo” meant when
I saw the discussion on the national Holistic Moms loop. I assumed that
someone’s child had difficulty relieving himself (it is usually the boys who
suffer this problem). That topic was of no interest, so I didn’t follow the
discussion until my friend Erin chimed in. Then I clicked on and to my surprise
found that the discussion involved cleaning your head without shampoo or
conditioner! That was of interest, as I was having scalp problems for three
years and found no relief.
What
to do, what to do, as my old calculus prof used to say. Pick up the phone and
call Erin, of course! She coached me and told me it is very simple. I followed
her instructions, and my scalp improved by about 75 percent. Now people ask me
about No ‘Poo, and they have been asking more often so I am putting it on the
blog.
How
to No ‘Poo
It is
very easy. Take about 2 TBS of baking soda and make a paste with water. Rub it
bit by bit into your scalp. You want to keep it as much on your scalp as
possible, as it will dry your hair if you use it all over in the same fashion
as shampoo. Once it is all on your scalp, be sure to rub all over. Rinse.
Conditioner
is raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar. Mix approximately 2 TBS of apple cider
vinegar with 12 oz of water. I keep a bottle pre-mixed in the shower. Put the
mixture on the ends of your hair, trying to avoid your scalp. Leave it on the
rest of the shower while you are washing and then wash it out during the final
rinse. You will smell just fine, not like apple cider vinegar. During non-wash
days, I just rinse my hair in the shower.
I wash
every two to three days. You will know when it is time to wash, as your scalp
will start to feel not right. By the end of day three I start to itch. I haven’t
brushed my curly hair in about eight months, and I do not have tangle.
Some
of the Difficulties that may Occur when Starting No ‘Poo
If you
have been using mainstream shampoo and conditioner from the grocery store, you
have been stripping oil from your scalp, and your scalp is over-producing oil. When
going No ‘Poo, your scalp is still over-producing oil, you are no longer stripping
it, and your hair could be very oily for awhile. Stick with it because your
scalp will normalize.
I did
not have any oily problems, probably because I was using only organic shampoo
and conditioner, which is more gentle.
What
to Say when Going to the Stylist
I was
a bit concerned about what my stylist would think when I told her that I had
gone No ‘Poo and I did not want her to wash my hair. She was very intrigued,
wet my hair, and was psyched by who great it felt. With a big smile she said “That
is how hair is supposed to feel!” She could see that my scalp was healing and
asked if the No ‘Poo was helping. I told her it was, and she now recommends it
to her clients with troublesome scalp problems.
How
Did I Finish Healing My Scalp?
With wonderful, organic, homemade food. As soon as my family got our game faces on in July and refined our diet further, the last of the scalp problems disappeared. Easy, fun, and delicious. And so worth it! Healthy, happy, curly hair at a fraction of the cost of my former organic shampoos and conditioners.
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