Going No Poo - Week 5

This week begins my 2nd month without commercial shampoo! Last week I promised that I would take a picture of my hair everyday, and I actually remembered! I "wash" with honey on Sundays and go the rest of the week with acid rinses (ACV, herbal tea rinses, and now coffee!), about every other day.

This week has had a lot of hair-firsts for me, so let's talk about those instead of the usual day-by-day routine! It's getting a bit repetitive since a routine has developed.

Remember, this is all still pretty new to me, and I'm by no means an expert. Every hair type is unique, so yours may not respond the same way mine has to these treatments.

 

First Haircut Since Going No Poo

I mentioned in Week 3 that I needed a trim, and was curious as to what my hairdresser would say about not shampooing anymore. Well, I finally got that trim, and it was probably one of the highlights of my week! I was very nervous about this appointment, because I was afraid they would think I was weird/dirty/crazy... in fact, I felt like I was going on a date! I had butterflies in my stomach, and I kept wondering, "what will she think?"

When it came time to wash my hair, I politely asked Ashley (we have the same name!) if she could simply wet my hair without shampooing it. She asked why, and I explained that I quit using shampoo a month ago and my reasons for doing so.  She completely surprised me by being awesome and supportive! She listened thoughtfully to what I had to say without judging, and actually told me she thought what I was doing is cool! Her only concern was whether or not honey is actually removing product buildup from my hair. She recommended using a acid such as lemon juice to remove buildup, and I let her know I rinse with apple cider vinegar (ACV). We then had a lovely discussion on how awesome ACV is, and she let me know that she uses it once a month!

A lot of folks in the group I belong to on Facebook have talked about how their hairdressers tell them their hair is severely damaged, or they just don't believe in not using shampoo. Some mentioned their stylist talking them into a shampoo while they were there and they regretted it. I can't advise anybody on what to do in this situation, only offer my own perspective. If my stylist would've insisted on a wash, I would have just left. I'm sure there are plenty of other places that will take my money even if I don't let them wash my hair, and I've worked too hard avoiding "full poo" products (other than some occasional hairspray). After hearing some of these stories, and even how some people feel forced to trim their own hair out of embarrassment, I feel extremely lucky to have found an awesome stylist that is supportive. I will definitely be going back to see Ashley again!

First Event Since Going No Poo

I really wish I had taken this before the party and not after.

Another highlight from this week is that I went to a Christmas party! You may be wondering how this is related to not using shampoo, but I promise it is! It was a big milestone in my no poo journey, because it was the first semi-formal event that I've gone too since giving up shampoo! I felt confident about my hair, and not at all self-conscious. I even took the opportunity to wear a dress!

First Espresso Rinse

Leftover espresso in my hair & used grounds on my face.
Needless to say, I smelled yummy!

I mentioned using coffee as a hair rinse in my post on Herbal Tea Rinses, and I finally got around to trying one! Most use coffee, but I only have an espresso machine. So don't fret if that's all you have as well. My favorite beauty/health treatments are the ones that don't cost any extra money, and this one fits the bill! I always end up with extra espresso in my carafe, and I know a lot of other people have the same problem with their coffee. Pouring it down the drain is such a waste! Why not use that leftover coffee/espresso as a conditioning hair rinse?

My Method/Experience:

I used the espresso while it was still lukewarm, with about a teaspoon of honey and a splash of lemon juice. Please be careful not to use the espresso while hot; it can cause serious burns! I applied it with a squirt bottle (think old, clean ketchup bottle) to dry hair (it's very DARK and messy, so I suggest standing over the tub or shower), massaged it into my scalp and through the length of my hair, and wrapped it in a clean T-shirt. Although you don't have to leave rinses in like a mask, I ended up leaving mine in for about an hour. This is perfectly okay - in fact, some people don't even rinse them out. (I may try it next time!)

I LOVED this rinse! Don't get me wrong, I love my apple cider vinegar (ACV) rinse too, but the espresso was a nice change of pace. First of all, OMG the SMELL!!! This might not be normal, but I totally wanted to eat my own hair. The smell faded after my hair dried, just like the ACV, but the smell in the meantime was divine! It also left my hair lustrous (shiny, not oily!), soft, and with more curls! I know that coffee is great for naturally highlighting dark hair, so I can't wait to see how it looks after a few more rinses!

This is my hair after the espresso rinse and air drying.

Look at those curls starting to happen on the sides!

First Time "Plopping"

A lot of girls in the No Poo group on Facebook have been talking about plopping. If you don't know what plopping is (I sure didn't), it's basically flipping your head upside down and wrapping your moist hair in a T-shirt to accentuate your natural curls. If you let your hair dry like that, then you should have nice, bouncy curls. Well, it didn't work so well for me. Maybe I didn't do it right, or maybe my hair is too short. Either way, I think my curls look more defined when I wrap my hair in a T-shirt the same way I do a towel.



Plopping

Just letting it dry wrapped in a T-shirt
(like a towel)

 For more detailed plopping instructions, click here.

 

A few important tips I've learned in the last 5 weeks:

• Boar bristle brush (BBB) my hair before washing
• Pour wash or rinse onto dry hair rather than wet
• BBB dry hair only to avoid breakage and split ends
• BBB hair from all directions (forwards, backwards, away from the part), making sure to flip hair over and BBB underneath as well
• Stretch out washes longer with acid rinses (ACV, tea, coffee)
• Experiment to find what works!

If you're curious about the rest of my journey, you can read about it here:

Going No Poo

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

Herbal Tea Rinse: Customize It For Any Hair Type!

Here in the South, we LOVE our sweet tea! I'm from Florida, and tea is something that most people around here have on hand, so I decided to experiment with it. I love the idea of an herbal tea rinse, because it's double duty: you can make a drink and a hair rinse with the same set of tea bags! Since I was running low on my apple cider vinegar (ACV) rinse anyway, I decided it was the perfect time to try it! I've read a lot about how different teas can be used as acid rinses (sort of like ACV, which is an acid rinse). They can even be added to your ACV rinse; that's what I did! Adding herbs to your tea while it's brewing brings a little something extra to the table, depending which herbs you use.

Different herbs benefit different hair types, as do different teas (and coffee!), and that is what makes this tea rinse customizable: you can make it using the ideal tea and herbs for your hair type! I'll list some of the most common herbs and teas, and which hair type they benefit. First, I'll give you the rundown on the herbal tea that I made specifically for my hair: Herbal Oolong Tea Rinse.

My Herbal Tea Rinse:

For my herbal tea rinse, I brewed up some oolong tea that I happened to have sitting around since ordering Chinese takeout. I also threw in some mandarin orange peels and rosemary. I mixed the (cooled) herbal tea in with my diluted ACV rinse. However, I later learned that my hair prefers the tea diluted: about 1 part oolong tea to 3 parts water (read on for more details about diluting the tea).

If you prefer to get more bang for your buck, you can brew the tea bag per the normal directions for drinking. After your tea is brewed, remove the tea bag and boil it again for your hair rinse! If you're using this method, it may be best to brew the tea and orange peels/herbs separately (as I describe below) so that they don't interfere with the flavor of the tea. Although I have seen suggestions for brewing sweet tea with orange peels for a citrus flavor, so who knows!

But why did I choose these particular ingredients, and what are their benefits?

• Oolong Tea - the high level of antioxidants in oolong tea prevents hair loss. Oolong tea also softens hair, while adding shine and luster.
• Orange Peel - due to their anti-inflammatory properties, orange peels make a great dandruff remedy. Orange peels are also great for reducing oil. (They also smell great!)
• Rosemary - it stimulates the follicles, causing hair to grow longer and stronger, and is believed to slow premature hair loss and the graying of hair (Source: Organic Facts). Ideal for dark hair.

The cookie is for eating while your tea is brewing!

 

Method/Results:

I brewed all three ingredients in 1 cup of water for about 5 minutes, and then allowed the tea to cool. After it was cool, I strained it (cheesecloth or a coffee filter may be required), and added it to my ACV rinse. However, the undiluted rinse left my hair stringy and greasy-looking after 2 days. That's unusual for me now; I can make it at least 4 days without looking too oily. I didn't want to give up this experiment after one little hiccup, so I decided to try diluting the oolong rinse I'd already made (my ratio was about 1 part oolong tea to 3 parts water), and that did the trick! I'm so glad I stuck with it!



I brewed orange peels and rosemary in water to dilute my
oolong tea with, since the undiluted tea left my hair oily.

After discovering that my hair preferred the tea rinse diluted, I decided to boil the orange peels and rosemary in water, and dilute the oolong tea with the orange/rosemary water. I did this so that the orange/rosemary smell wouldn't be weakened, but you can boil them all together if you find that easier. 

This time I boiled the orange peels and rosemary in 2 cups of water for about 10 minutes, allowed it to cool, and strained it. I steeped the oolong tea bag in 1 cup of boiling water for about 20 minutes (I actually lost track of time, but it was at least that long), and mixed it with the strained orange/rosemary water.

When I first tried this oolong tea/ACV rinse last week (read about it here: Going No Poo - Week 3), I loved the smell but had to do some more experimenting to figure it out. So remember: this no poo thing is NOT one-size-fits-all; experiment and figure out what works for you.

I want to clarify that this herbal tea is what works for me. Every individual is different, so my method may not work for the next person. I'm simply sharing my experiences as I go, and I'm in no way an expert.

 

Customize your tea with other options!

Teas:

• Green Tea - (can be used on light or dark hair) prevents and treats dandruff and psoriasis, stimulates hair growth, softens hair, and adds luster (Source: STYLECRAZE)
• Oolong Tea - (can be used on light or dark hair) prevents hair loss and shedding, softens hair, and adds shine and luster (Source: STYLECRAZE)
• Black Tea - (dark hair only) increases hair thickness, fights hair loss and stimulates hair growth, darkens grays, and brings out natural highlights. It also adds shine, luster and natural darkness (Source: STYLECRAZE)
• Coffee - (dark hair only) adds luster and more intensive tone to brown hair, stimulates hair growth, conditions, and adds natural shine (Source: STYLECRAZE)

 Herbs (by hair type & benefit):

All-Purpose: basil fennel seed peppermint rosemary sage Dark Hair: cloves rosemary sage Light Hair: chamomile flowers Revitalizing: basil ginger root marjoram peppermint rosemary

Dry Hair: burdock root sage Oily Hair: lemon peel orange peel lemon grass peppermint rosemary Auburn/Red Hair: ·         hibiscus Conditioning: burdock root catnip lemongrass rosemary

There are many more herbs with benefits to different types of hair, however I only listed the most common. (Source: Frontier CO-OP)

Try creating your own unique herbal tea rinse! You can even experiment with different rinses to create more than one! For example: one for oily days and one to help with scalp irritation...

Please comment and share the herbal tea rinse you create!

Going No Poo - Week 3 (& Hairstyles for Transition!)

Wow, I can't believe I'm actually in my third week without shampoo! For those of you that have been following along on my no poo journey, thank you so much!

For those of you new to my no poo journey, check out Week 1 & Week 2!

Some of you may be wondering about the abbreviations I use sometimes, so I decided to make a short list of the ones I use most often:

• WO = water only
• ACV = apple cider vinegar
• BBB = boar bristle brush
• SMP = scritching (spelled with an "i"), massaging, & preening: very lightly making circular motions with the nails on the scalp, massaging the scalp with the pads of the fingers in a circular motion, and pulling the oil down the hair shaft with your fingers or palms.

It is officially Day 16 (Wednesday) since I've used commercial shampoo. It's been 3 days since my last honey mask/wash (with a dollop of yogurt and a splash of lemon juice), and my hair is still feeling great! It's been pretty consistent about getting oily at the roots around the third day after a wash, but a WO wash (and sometimes and ACV rinse) along with a BBB can help stretch washing another day or two.

Speaking of BBB, guess what I just found out: you have to wash your boar bristle brush! This makes sense to me, because the bristles are actually hair, and hair needs to be cleaned. Mine is recently bought, so thankfully I found out before it got yucky.

According to members in the no poo group that I belong to, how often you wash it is on an as-needed basis. So if you have oily hair (if you're going through transition, for example), you'll need to wash it more often than somebody with dry hair. I suppose it also depends on how often you brush your hair. I only use my BBB every few days, and use my fingers to brush the rest of the time. Some folks suggest once a week cleanings for your BBB, but if you don't brush that often (like me) then you'll be able to stretch out brush cleanings by a lot more.

Apparently they take a very long time to dry because the bristles are packed so closely together, so don't clean your brush if you have to be somewhere (with brushed hair) in 30 minutes.



Boar Bristle Brush
Image Source: Think Before You Buy

I'll go into more detail on how to clean your BBB next week, but here is the gist:

• Remove all of the hair from your brush
• Wet your brush, apply soap (or your old shampoo), and scrub with your hands or an old toothbrush
• lay on a towel to dry, bristle side down
• allow to dry before using (I'm not sure how long this takes yet)

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It's Day 17 (Thursday), and Thanksgiving! Care to guess what I'm thankful for this year (other than the best son in the world)? I'm thankful that my family is so understanding and supportive of my no poo journey! A lot of people who begin this journey get discouraged by family members, so I'm definitely counting myself lucky!

It's been 4 days since my last honey wash/mask, and my hair is pretty greasy! Up until now, I've been washing with honey if my hair gets this oily, but I'm going to try stretching it one more night with an ACV rinse. I'd like to get to the point where I only need to wash once a week, eventually.

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Friday (Day 18): before Oolong/ACV rinse

Today is Day 18 (Friday), and I'm pleasantly surprised by how good my hair is doing this long after a honey wash. As I already mentioned, the last 2 weeks my hair has gotten oily enough for me to wash it around 3 or 4 days after a wash. However, I decided to keep pushing past my usual wash day... basically just to see what happens. At worst, I figured I just wouldn't leave the house (thank goodness for the holiday break, and not having to go anywhere). I planned on doing an ACV rinse last night, but I never got around to it. I definitely couldn't get away with skipping the ACV rinse today, but I tried a few new things:

• I only had a little bit of my ACV rinse left, and I've been wanting to experiment with tea rinses, so I brewed up some oolong tea with mandarin orange peels and rosemary to mix right in with my ACV solution. (I plan on going into more details in a separate post, so keep an eye out!)
• Thanks to a tip from someone from the no poo group I belong to, I decided to try putting the rinse on my hair while it was dry rather than wet. The theory is that dry hair will absorb the conditioner better than wet hair; if your hair follicle is full of water already it won't absorb the conditioner as well. However, I couldn't find any reputable sources for this information or science to back it up. I did notice that I used a lot more of the rinse to saturate my hair than I would normally use on wet hair, so that is something to think about.

After using the oolong/ACV rinse, I immediately noticed that it had a much more pleasant smell than just plain ACV and water - almost minty. It faded as my hair dried, but it was still nice while it lasted. After that, my hair just smelled like clean hair. It was still looking oily at the roots, so I waited for it to air dry to BBB. It still looked just a bit oily at the roots, but a little SMP solved that problem.

 *****************************************

It's now Sunday (Day 20), and I once again didn't get around to rinsing my hair last night. I blame schoolwork, and Thanksgiving. My kitchen is still not fully recovered from all of that cooking! Anyhow, I can't believe it's been 7 days since any kind of wash (other than water or ACV). There is no doubt that my hair looks oily, but I'm honestly surprised that it doesn't look worse. I think my little experiment of seeing how long I can go without washing is over - I have to take my son to school tomorrow, so I'll definitely be doing a honey wash tonight!

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No Poo Week 3 Breakdown:

• Day 15 (Tuesday) - 2 days since my last honey wash/mask, and my hair feels great still.
• Day 16 (Wednesday) - My roots are a bit oily. 3 days since my last wash, so right on time. WO wash tonight.
• Day 17 (Thursday) - Happy Thanksgiving! My hair is pretty greasy today, so I'm going to use an ACV rinse tonight.
• Day 18 (Friday) - Skipped the ACV rinse last night, but tried a new rinse today: ACV and oolong tea. Love the smell! I'm very happy with the results after letting it air dry, BBB, and SMP. I'm probably going to use a honey mask tomorrow, but I'll play it by ear.
• Day 19 (Saturday) - My hair feels wonderful, but looks pretty oily. Pretty good for not washing it with honey in 6 days, though! My dark roots are growing out, so the darkness on top only adds to the oily looks. A haircut that gets rid of my over-dyed ends should help considerably; only one more week until my trim! 
• Day 20 (Sunday) - My hair is visibly oily, but it doesn't feel dirty or greasy. I can easily run my fingers through it, and it feels healthy and soft. I plan on doing a honey wash tonight.

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Tips for dealing with oily hair:

• Try to touch your hair as little as possible. Oil from your hands will only make your hair look greasier.
• Don't forget to BBB! Your boar bristle brush will really help move the oil down the hair shaft, helping your roots look less greasy.
• When the BBB isn't quite cutting it, SMP (scritching, massaging, and preening) helps to loosen up sebum, dead skin cells, and product buildup. Massaging the scalp also provides some lift to your roots, giving your hair some of the body the BBB takes away. Make sure your hands are clean, so you're not just adding to the oil!
• Sometimes you have no choice but to hide it. Read further for ideas!

 

How to hide an oily hair day:

Even though I didn't really go through a transition period (yet!), I realize everybody is not as lucky. That's why I decided to share some ideas for what to do with your hair when it's just too darn greasy to wear down!

The "bump" and the headband are my go-to solutions on greasy days.
What a difference it makes!

 

Short Hair

Unfortunately there aren't that many ways to hide your oily locks if they're short like mine, other than scarves, bandanas, or hats. Seriously Google "scarf hairstyle" or "scarf hairstyle short" and be amazed at all the possibilities! Wide headbands are your friend also.

Long Hair

• French braids, if you're good at it
• The side braid, also known as the Katniss or Elsa braid
• There's always the obvious ponytail or bun
• Scarves, bandanas, or hats if you're in a hurry

 

Double Duty Long Hairstyles

These options are great because they help hide oily hair and look like you spent an hour styling them! Oily hair is actually better for these styles, because dirty hair is just so much easier to work with than clean. Sounds wrong, but that's why people have to put product in their clean hair to hold a style. Here are a few somewhat easy options, that don't involve French braiding (goodness knows that I can't do it):

Source: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/526569381403185703/

Source: http://www.gurl.com/2014/03/25/easy-no-heat-hairstyles-for-dirty-hair-long-short/

Source: http://www.gurl.com/2014/03/25/easy-no-heat-hairstyles-for-dirty-hair-long-short/

What are some of your go-to styles on dirty/oily days?

 

Click here to read about the rest of my journey: 

Going No Poo