Going No Poo - Week 2 (& Moisturizing Honey Mask for Split Ends)

Welcome to Week 2 of my no poo journey! Last week I left off on Day 8 (Monday). If you haven't read about my first week going no poo, check out Week 1!

So far so good this week, but it's still only Wednesday (Day 10). I've also been warned by fellow no poo peers (try saying that 10 times fast!) that sometimes "transition hair" doesn't kick in until Week 2 or 3! So now is the time to be wary... I'll keep y'all updated though.

I'm still using the honey washes as my no poo method, although my last honey mask/wash was 4 days ago. My scalp and hair still feel good, and I feel like I could probably go 2 more days without washing with honey. The oil is sitting at my roots a bit, so I think I'll definitely need a water only wash tonight to help distribute that sebum (maybe even a apple cider vinegar rinse). I've noticed that the hair around my face gets oily first, probably from touching it and pushing it out of my face so much. I did get a tip from somebody in my Facebook group though: if my hair starts to get waxy (from a buildup of sebum, products, or hard water), an applesauce mask will help! They made sure to tell me that only sugar-free applesauce  will do (baby food or homemade would work also). Sugar can have a bad affect on the hair and scalp.

I did notice some split ends where there is still color in my hair (I chopped as much off as I could 2 months ago, but there's still a bit of color on the ends). That means I will definitely need a trim soon, and I'm certainly interested in hearing what my stylist thinks about all of this.

No funky smells either! My hair just smells like clean hair. Not the kind of perfume/flowery-clean that you may be used to, but there is definitely no stink.

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It's Thursday (Day 11) now, and my hair is still looking great other than some split ends. I found out the hard way not to brush with a boar bristle brush while the hair is wet; apparently the hair is very weak while wet, and brushing with anything other than your fingers or a wide-tooth comb can stretch and tug hair leading to breakage and split ends. Lesson learned. Hopefully a honey mask tonight will help tame them until I get a trim in a couple of weeks. I'm also avoiding brushing as much as possible until then, using my fingers instead.

After my ACV rinse last night (Day 10).
It's clean, but look at those split ends!

Other than some split ends from rough brushing, my hair is looking great! It's clean and soft, and not at all what you'd expect hair that hasn't been washed in 10 days to look like!

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Today is Friday (Day 12), and I'm very happy with my hair today! I used a honey mask last night to try to smooth my split ends and moisturize my hair, but it was a little different than I normally use. Rather than slather on honey alone, I added a little bit of hot water (just enough to thin out the consistency a tiny bit; I didn't measure, but if I had to guess a ratio I'd say 1 part water to 2 or 3 parts honey), a dollop of Greek yogurt (for protein), and a few drops of extra virgin olive oil (to soothe those split ends). I was VERY careful not to add too much oil though! I once had a bad experience with an olive oil hair mask; I looked like a grease ball for a whole day! I put all of the ingredients into a jar with a lid and shook, shook, shook! It really doesn't take much shaking to mix together though.

I left this mask on for 2 hours (I probably would have left it on longer, but it was getting too late), and rinsed very thoroughly with warm water. I followed that up with 2 apple cider vinegar rinses (one would've sufficed, I'm sure. I was just paranoid about my hair looking too oily).

My homemade honey mask/shampoo!
A little goes a long way.

Moisturizing Honey Mask/Wash for Split Ends:

• about 1/8 RAW honey*
• dollop of PLAIN Greek yogurt
• 2-3 drops of extra virgin olive oil
• water, just enough to thin out the consistency

*1/8 cup of honey is an estimate. Use more or less depending on how long/thick your hair is.

Mix ingredients in a jar or container with a lid by shaking or stirring. Apply to wet hair, massaging into the scalp. (I did this part standing in the shower. This mask is thinner than what I normally use, so it drips quite a bit.) Leave in for as long as you can (at least 30 minutes!), and rinse thoroughly with warm water (not too hot, because the heat can make split ends worse). Follow with an apple cider vinegar rinse (1 part ACV: 3 or 4 parts water). Allow hair to air dry.

It's important to note that this is a pretty messy treatment, so a little bit goes a long way. It's definitely necessary to use a shower cap or wrap your hair up with an old, clean t-shirt (that's what I used). Try to remember there is no other way to fix split ends other than cutting them off. This is simply meant to be a temporary fix until you're able to get a trim.



Wow, look at that difference! You can still see some split ends, but most of them are tamed for now.

I mentioned that I was worried about the extra virgin olive oil leaving my hair greasy, but it didn't at all! In fact, I think I'm going to incorporate this new mask into my routine about once a month.

Breakdown of my no poo week:

• Day 9 (Tuesday) - 3 days since last honey wash. Hair is still soft and smells nice, but there's a bit of oil at the roots.
• Day 10 (Wednesday) - "Washed" with my apple cider vinegar rinse, air dried, and finger combed. I noticed a lot of split ends.
• Day 11 (Thursday) - Moisturizing honey mask to smooth split ends. Worked very well, without leaving hair oily!
• Day 12 (Friday) - Another good hair day! My split ends are tamed for now, and my hair feels wonderful!
• Day 12 (Saturday) - My hair looks and feels great, but I did notice a couple of pimples in my scalp. I'll definitely keep an eye on that.
• Day 13 (Sunday) - I'm not sure what caused the pimples, but one honey mask (with some yogurt and lemon) took care of them.
• Day 14 (Monday) - Today is a good hair day, other than feeling like I need a haircut. My short, layered 'do is in need of an update.

Unexpected benefits of no poo:

• When I used commercial shampoos, before making the switch, I shed A LOT of hair. I usually noticed it most in the shower; after shampooing my hands would be covered in hair! Sadly I came to accept this as the norm. However, last night in the shower there were maybe 2 strands of hair on my fingers after my apple cider vinegar rinse! That's the first time since I was a teen that I haven't shed a handful of hair after a wash!
• Little did I know that honey contains an enzyme (glucose oxidase) that produces hydrogen peroxide. Does anybody know what hydrogen peroxide does to hair? Yep, it lightens it! Seriously, what can't honey do?! I feel like my greys have become less noticeable because of this, but they may just be all in my head (ha-ha, get it?). Even if that isn't the case, I've noticed the rest of my hair turning a lovely red that I'm really digging.
  

  For more info on lightening hair with honey and other natural alternatives, check out this blog post From Living the Nourished Life: How to Naturally Lighten Hair

11/16/14: After 2nd honey mask
11/21/14: After 3rd honey mask

I know that seems like a big difference for one mask, because I thought so too. It turns out that the enzyme in honey that produces hydrogen peroxide increases by a factor of up to 50,000 when diluted with water (Source: Honey can be Used for a Variety of Medicinal Purposes). So basically it lightens a lot better when mixed with water, and that's exactly what I did with my moisturizing honey mask!

Stay tuned for Week 3, which will include some ideas for "transition hair," and what to do when your hair looks to oily to wear down. Also, please feel free to comment with questions, suggestions, or even your own no poo story!

Click here to read about the rest of my journey: Going No Poo