It's been 2 months since I've used commercial shampoo! I love to bring it up in conversation, and watch the expression on people's faces go from disgust to curiosity, and then to amazement at the fact that my hair looks, feels, and smells clean (yes, I do encourage touching and smelling).
I'm still using an espresso rinse, usually with some whey and rosemary/ginger herbal tea mixed in. I sometimes add a drizzle of honey as well. Right now I'm rinsing every other day. I may try experimenting with some other rinses soon, but for now I'm happy with my current routine!
Children & No Poo
My 5 year old son has been No Poo for about as long as I have, give or take a week. He's pretty much water only (WO), with an occasional apple juice rinse. That's the only thing he'll let me put on his head other than water, but he's come to love it - and even request it! It might have something to do with me allowing him to squirt the leftovers in his mouth and drink it after...
Look at his beautiful, shiny hair and healthy scalp!
If you're a parent already, you may know that washing a child's hair everyday is completely unnecessary, and can actually dry their scalp out. Before making the switch to No Poo myself, I was only washing my 5 year old's hair about once a week. After I stopped using all those yucky, chemical-laden shampoos on my hair, how could I go and slather it on his head? That's when we decided to ditch the 'poo for him as well!
He has short hair and he doesn't sweat very much yet, so WO was the route we went with him. His short hair and healthy scalp made the switch a breeze; he didn't even go through any transition!
I'd never force him to put anything on his hair that he didn't want to, so I started making suggestions about possible rinses we could use on him. Apple juice came up and he liked the sound of it! He really doesn't need the apple juice for his hair... it's more of a special treat for him. We dilute it to a ratio of 1 part apple juice to 1 part warm water (warm or room temperature water feels better going on than cold).
Why Apple Juice?
While raw apple juice is ideal, we simply used the processed stuff because it's all we had. Bonus points if you own a juicer and can extract the juice from your own apples!
- Dandruff remedy - although my son doesn't have any dandruff problems, apple juice does contain malic acid and amylase, which help to exfoliate and remove dead skin and dandruff flakes (Source: hair buddha).
- Soft, lustrous hair - much like apple cider vinegar (ACV), the acidity of apple juice helps remove product buildup and residue, helps distribute the sebum down the length of the hair shaft, and closes the cuticle (leaving hair shinier).
- Balances & maintains pH - the natural pH of the scalp is between 4.5 and 5.5 (which is acidic) and the pH of apple juice is between 3.3 and 4. Since the apple juice pH is so similar to our scalp (as opposed to commercial shampoos), it helps to maintain the natural acidic pH which hinders the growth of bacteria and fungus (Source: hair buddha & pH Values of Common Foods and Ingredients).
Benefits of No Poo
- Softer hair - my son's hair is now unbelievably soft and silky. I honestly can't help myself sometimes... I love to touch and smell his hair.
- Clear scalp - I didn't even realize that scalp irritation was a problem for my son until the switch. He'd never let me run my fingers through his hair before; he always said "ouchy," but I figured he just didn't want Mommy touching his hair. Since giving up shampoo, touching his scalp or hair isn't a problem. The first time he let me touch it without protesting I asked him if touching his head hurt anymore, and thankfully the answer was no. He loves his hair touched and scalp rubbed now!
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| Happy New Year from the No Poo Hippy Family! |
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