Going No Poo - Week 4 (& How to Clean Your Boar Bristle Brush)



Wow, one month! When I first started this journey, I couldn't imagine getting to this point. Some people are still going through transition after 4 weeks, so I'm very grateful that I've had such a good no poo experience.

One Month In:

I was washing every 3-4 days, as needed, but my oil production has seriously slowed down. I've actually developed somewhat of a routine for my hair now! I mentioned last week that I'd like to only wash my hair once a week, and I got there sooner than expected! For the last 2 weeks, I've been able to stretch out my washes by 7 days! I didn't think to take a picture everyday until just now, but I will definitely do that for Week 5.

My "wash day" is on Sundays, and I'm able to get through the rest of the week by using my herbal tea rinse every other day (a mixture of oolong tea, apple cider vinegar, and herbs; read all about it here). I've also been applying my honey shampoo (or herbal tea rinse, if I'm not shampooing) to dry hair, since receiving a tip from a no poo peer. On days that I don't use honey or my herbal tea/ACV rinse, I do a water only wash (if I shower).

What has changed since Week 1:

Healthier Hair -

I'm happy to say that my scalp irritation has improved dramatically! I may notice a sore spot every few weeks, but they are completely cleared up after my honey masks. I've also noticed WAY less hair loss in the last month. I never realized how bad of a problem it actually was until I saw how much hair I WASN'T loosing in the shower. My hair is now naturally shiny (in a good, non-oily way!), softer, and easier to manage.

Money and Time -

I know I've saved money since giving up hair products (except for the occasional spritz of hairspray, although I plan on experimenting with a sea salt spray soon), but I honestly have no idea how much. I don't really know how long it took me to go through a bottle before the switch, but I can get a pretty good size jar of honey for $9 from a local beekeeper. There are no markings on the container (it's just a mason jar), but it looks to be about 12-16 ounces. On top of that I dilute it with water (about 1:1) and only use it once a week now, compared to commercial shampoo which was every at least every 3 days. I bought a brand new jar of honey at the beginning of November, and  it's still more than 3/4 of the way full after a month.

As for time, I brush my hair less often, wash my hair once a week, and spend less time worrying about an itchy, painful scalp!

I know I'm super lucky, because not everybody has the option of buying local, raw honey. That stuff can get pricey if you're buying it in health food stores or grocery stores, so honey may not be the best method for saving money if that's the case for you.

My routine for the last week:

• Sunday - Honey wash/mask
• Tuesday - Oolong tea/ACV rinse 
• Thursday - Oolong tea/ACV rinse
• Saturday - Oolong tea/ACV rinse

This week has been pretty uneventful, other than having some pretty great hair days.



Monday (Day 21)
Look at those curls starting to happen!

Sunday (Day 27)
Still looking good after a week!

Can you believe these two photos are a week apart, and that I didn't wash my hair at all in between?

How to Clean Your Boar Bristle Brush:

Last week I briefly discussed cleaning your boar bristle brush (BBB), but I'd like to give you a more thorough walk-through. I was cleaning 2 separate brushes at the same time while taking these pictures.

 

What you need:

Your brush, some old shampoo (or dish soap), and a towel.



Step 1:

Remove all of the hair from your brush (I might have forgotten to do this part first).

Step 2:

Wet the bristles.


Step 3:

Apply a small amount of old shampoo (or dish soap) to the bristles.

Step 4:

Scrub with your hands (or an old toothbrush).

Step 6:

Rinse the brush thoroughly, especially the bristles.

Step 5:

Lay the brush on a towel to dry, bristles down.

His & Hers

Step 6:

Allow the brush to dry.

I actually forgot about my brush drying and didn't check on it for 3 hours, but it was dry by then.

Some folks suggest soaking your brush in a bowl of water before scrubbing it, but others have told me this can damage the wood and/or bristles, leading you to have to replace your brush more often. This makes sense to me, because water can damage wood over time. I'll leave it up to you which method you prefer.

Click here to read about the rest of my journey:

Going No Poo