Going No Poo: 6 Months (Water Only)

In just six short months (okay, they weren't that short), I've finally reached hair nirvana! In Going No Poo: 5 Months, I talked about attempting water only (WO) washes unsuccessfully. Well, I finally figured out the trick: I've been using water from our water filter to combat the hard water!

It struck me one day as I was getting myself a drink of water: we use a water filter on our tap to remove chlorine, fluoride, and other unwanted minerals that affect taste. So why not use it on my hair?

Edit: I recently found out that our Pur water filter doesn't remove fluoride. Bummer!


Well, it worked! I've been very happy with the results over the last month.

How Exactly Do I Do It?

These WO washes were extremely easy! I simply take one of my son's plastic cups, fill it with filtered water from the tap, and take it into the bathroom with me. Next, I lean over the side of the tub and slowly pour the filtered water on my head, making sure to get all of the hair wet. After that, I massage my scalp and run my fingers through the length of my hair. If I'm getting a shower, I turn on the water and get in; otherwise I go about getting ready. I prefer to let my hair air dry or blow dry it on low heat followed by a blast of cool air.

Benefits to WO:

• I don't need to spend any money on my hair, other than the cost of the filter and the water.
• I can go WAY longer in between WO washes. Alternatively, there is no harm in using water everyday if I'd like.  

The highlight of my month was when a friend in my leasing office asked if I was still doing the whole No Poo thing, because she couldn't even tell!

I like to think there is a moral to this story: giving up shampoo is not for the faint of heart. However, if this is something you're considering for any number of reasons (maybe you have scalp problems like I did, or maybe you're worried about the nasty chemicals in commercial shampoos), and you aren't too intimidated by the transition process, then I say go for it!

I managed Going No Poo with things that I had on hand and easily accessible ingredients that you can find in any grocery store. Every scalp and head of hair is unique, though, so everybody's journey won't be the same as mine.



I'm a bit sad to say this will be the last post in the Going No Poo series, but I like to think that I'm leaving it off on a happy note. Even though I won't be writing this monthly series anymore, I will certainly update y'all with a new post if there are any surprises in my journey. I wish anybody who begins this journey for themselves the best of luck!

To read more of the Going No Poo series, click here:

Going No Poo