# 'No Shampoo' Movement



## Kate&Lucas

Does anyone do this?

I've just seen an article that reminded me of it. I intended to boycott when I was a grungy teenager (it seemed right up my street :lol:) but I never got round to it. I do like the sounds of it though.

I'm wondering now if it's worth it, considering I bleach my hair to within an inch of it's life. Anyone do it successfully?


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## Thumper

Just looked into it. I like it. Might give it a try. I tend to use lush shampoos anyway which have less crap in than your average, but they still have SLS. I'd need a long holiday though to hide the initial yuckness :)


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## Seity

A friend of mine does this. I find the whole idea revolting. It works ok, but I wouldn't say that her hair is 'clean', at least not to my standards.


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## Wantingbbbump

What is the no shampoo movement? Do you shower but not wash your hair? If so I guess I started it..lol I have been so sick with morning sickness I hate to say that my showers have been get in, grab soap, suds up and get out. No leg shaving, no hair washing and my under arms have been shaved as needed in the sink. Now that I am starting to feel better I am going to shave my legs but I kind of like the way my hair looks. I will have to give my scalp a good scrub though, I've got some build up that I want to go away.
Thumper~ I love Lush!! It's all my family will use.


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## clairealfie

Don't they reckon it takes something like 6 weeks before your hair starts self washing and looking less greasy. I just don't think I could cope with the greasiness! I've been known to go a week without washing my hair though, it's really long and I just can't be bothered.


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## Blah11

Ive tried before and it doesnt work for me, my hair just ends up totally louping with grease, eurgh.


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## lozzy21

I like the idea but could not stand the 6 weeks of minging hair, i cant even go a day with out wanting to wash my hair.


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## Thumper

The no shampoo movement uses a flannel wash technique, and you can wash your hair just less often. The wet flannel moves the grease through the hair which is meant to make the ends of the hair much better condition and leave the roots not greasy. :shrug:


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## Tryingfora4th

My science teacher at school claimed that he didnt use shampoo because once the natural oils build up on your hair it starts to wash itself!


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## lizi

hmmm nice idea but i dont think it would work for me - a load of my hair just grew back after having my LO but theres still not much there - need all the product i can get!!


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## hattiehippo

a friend of mine has very long hair and hasn't washed her hair for a very, very long time but uses a combination of cloth and fuller's earth worked through to spread the natual oils around and absorb excess grease.

I wouldn't say her hair is clean by normal standards but its doesn't look lank or greasy. Its just quite dull and flat. 

Its not something I could do...after 2 days I'm desparate to wash mine with lovely Lush shampoo.


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## fluffpuffin

Yuck.no way could I do that. The thought makes me feel sick.


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## Rebaby

I don't fancy the idea at all, although i'm happy for other people to do whatever they like! :thumbup:

I wash my hair about twice a week usually, with a lush shampoo bar. I love the feeling of getting out of the shower squeaky clean, especially at the minute, being pregnant, i get so sweaty, particularly my head/neck so no hair-washing would not be for me!


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## Rachel_C

I wouldn't mind giving it a go but I probably wouldn't stick with it cos I love the smell of shampoo (and detergent!) but I can see how it would work. We rarely shampoo our toddler's hair (which is long and 'proper' hair not just baby fluff) and her hair is always lovely.


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## Thumper

Yeah, the feeling top to toe clean thing would get me. Although I used to have dreadlocks and it never really bothered me then. I still washed the rest of me and my hair didn't smell.
I might try it for a laugh... But I doubt I'd get past a week!


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## Midnight_Fairy

omg no way! My hairs down to my waist and needs to be clean!


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## veganmum2be

fab idea but i cant go a day now without feeling bleurgghhhhhh if i dont wash it. i used to be able to go 2 or 3 days i'd shower the rest of me but leave the hair cos it was uber long and hard to tame and it was the best my hairs ever looked. i dont know what changed though :shrug:


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## Rmar

I haven't used shampoo in 2 and a half years. That yucky 6 week stage isn't there for everyone. My hair was instantly better when I stopped with the shampoo.

I put about a tablespoon of Bicarb soda in a cup of water and pour over my head. Rinse it out thoroughly and then a drizzle of 'apple cider vinegar with honey' (not mixing up myself - bought already mixed up, usually from a health store) in a cup of water. The latter leaves my hair smelling amazing!

Sometimes I use conditioner if my hair is tangled and I really need to brush out the tangles.

And yes, my hair is clean.


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## Pixles

I do this.... the first time i washed my hair in pregnancy was when i had a shower after birth, and ive just nw washed it again, because i cant brush my hair when doing it or it gets ultra greasy. i have to keep my hair up and i forgot that after birth you lose all that extra hair. and i ended up with a big mat of hair at the back that tock me a whole nap time to cut out/detangle/hurt myself with. My hair is healthyer now I let it bask in its own juices so say, insted of drying it out with shampooh and chemicals.. altho when winter comes around. i have to wash it a little more offtern as i get scabs on my head and have to use nizoral. Hummph! =)

uuugh now i sound gross!! =S the scabs are weather issues.. it get them weather i wash my hair every day, every week or ever few months..


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## MamaD

I don't use shampoo. I read "Curly Girl - The Handbook", and have had gorgeous, lovely, CLEAN hair since - without using shampoo! :) xxx


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## Kate&Lucas

Ooh thanks for the replies :)

Yeah you do still wash your hair with the method, just not using shampoo. I couldn't not wash mine at all, most days it's filled with some sort of mushed up food Lucas has been playing with :dohh: The idea is that shampoo strips your hair of it's natural oils, which when left will naturally keep your hair clean. Or something along those lines, I really should do some research again I'm trying to remember this from years ago :lol:
That'd be the worst thing for me, as others have said about the hair ending up flat and dull, if I stuck it out upto six weeks and my hair looked like shit I think I'd go mental :rofl:
The longest I haven't washed my hair in is 4 weeks. I was 15 and my now BIL was trying to get my hair into dreadlocks for me, and I was told to just neglect my hair and not wash it at all. In the end it was SO greasy, I just couldn't bear it and scrubbed my scalp 'til I was near bald :lol:

I'd love to give it a try though and see how it turned out. I might give it a go once I've done my roots this week. Sorry to anyone who sees me for the next month or so :blush:


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## Sam292

I just read about it after reading this and it sounds really interesting. I really want to try it but there is always a reason not to! Might just go for it next week (my sons christening is this weekend and I dont fancy not washing my hair before that!) I do love the smell of freshly washed hair though...


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## Rachel_C

I do think about doing it every now and then and I could easily get away with it cos I'm 'officially' a Muslim so should maybe wear a scarf when outside anyway. My OH would think he'd died and gone to heaven if I suddenly started covering my hair :rofl:. Then I'd take it off inside and he'd see why!


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## Thumper

:rofl: ^^^


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## henny

Im not sure I could do it but am looking into 'better/healthier' shampoos :)


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## veganmum2be

kate, i wouldn't! bleaching strips the hair of eveyrthing, so after you'd bleached you'd have to wait the 6 weeks for it to start self cleaning, then you'd need to bleach again in no time.
:lol:

i haven't bleached my hair for ages, i had to stop when it got to the point after i re did it i lost half my hair down the plug :lol:


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## discoclare

Ooh, sounds interesting. I only wash my hair about once a week anyway at the moment, and I wash DD's very infrequently. She still has pretty short babyish hair, but it doesn't need washing really, I only do it if she's stuck lots of food in it or when she had cradle cap (with the medicated stuff).


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## T-Bex

I only wash my hair once a week; I used to wash it every other day, but the longer you go between washes, the longer you *can* go between washes, if you see what I mean. And in all honesty, the only reason I use shampoo at all, and not just wash with water, is because I have to use a tar one for my poorly scalp...


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## NDH

I only shampoo once a week too. I have to say my hair has never been healthier than when I stopped washing so frequently and it's really only starting to get greasy by the end of the week. I don't think I could go longer than that though. Especially being Coastal - when I get sea spray in my hair it's impossible to deal with and washing without shampoo it just gets worse.

In the 5 years I've known DH though he's never once washed his hair with shampoo that I'm aware of :rofl: I think he does sometimes use bar soap though, but usually he gives it just a scrub with his fingers in the shower (which he does daily, sometimes even more frequently thank goodness lol). It does smell a bit "cheesy" every now and then but it's lush and thick and lovely. I think it would be a lot harder to do with long hair though. Mine is halfway down my back so would be a lot harder to "distribute the natural oils" than someone with shoulder length or shorter hair. And my ends are dry enough as it is.


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## JASMAK

interesting, but no, defintely not for me...at all.


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## xsadiex

I don't like the smell of unwashed hair, I love my organic shampoos though, they're completely healthy with no chemicals etc and don't strip your hair either :)


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## chichestermum

i really should do this, i have awful hair and scalp and after all the medicated things have failed the doctor told me that the only thing that was going to make my hair better was to leave it unwashed for a couple of weeks for the natural oils to heal everything, he told me to do that over a year ago lol! i love the clean feeling that i get left with after washing my hair and i only ever go longer than 2 days when im ill and even then a quick shower and good head scrub always makes me feel much better lol!
good luck to anyone who is going to try it!! 

...Just a thought... would you be able to use the hair refresh sprays in between washes? like on days when you are invited around to friends or going out to dinner etc, i know if i had the guts to do this or my scalp gets worse and i have to id probably stay indoors until it looked better lol! xxx


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## T-Bex

I think you would be able to do it, and it'd help your scalp, but it'd be just be the same for your hair...

This is where headscarves come into their own, ladies ;)


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## chichestermum

T-Bex said:


> I think you would be able to do it, and it'd help your scalp, but it'd be just be the same for your hair...
> 
> This is where headscarves come into their own, ladies ;)

i might try it out after baby gets here, no doubt that with 2 lil munchkins il have no time to wash and dry my hair as often as i like! 
and i suppose if i invest in a headscarf and ginormous celeb style sunglasses id probably get away with it lol! 
it would deffo help my poor scalp and i might get to have nice hair for xmas lol! i still doubt id get past 4 days tho! lol! xx


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## Thumper

I'm going swimming tomorrow, what then :shrug: I don't want my hair smelling of chlorine.


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## bky

OH has for a bit (6-8 months+). Works fine. I have tried it but get scabs on my head after a week due to some odd skin fungus thing I've had forever so no shampoo is a no go for me. I find doing the vinegar strip and baking soda wash is helpful.


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## Kaites

I used to do the baking soda/apple cider vinegar rinse too once or twice a week. I used to put a drop or two of essential oils in with the baking soda paste if I wanted my hair to smell like something (in idea for those that'd miss the smell of shampoo maybe). I found that since I wasn't washing my hair with shampoo very frequently (like twice a week) when I started, I didn't have the 6 week greasy period either. The vinegar acted a bit like a detangler, which was a bonus too. I stopped doing it just because it felt like more work than a quick squirt of shampoo in the shower.


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## Nicoleoleole

I haven't used shampoo in months! I use very little baking soda as the shampoo, then some apple cider vinegar as the conditioner :)


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## Hayley90

one of my teachers did it, looked vile for 2 months, then realised after all that effort that her hair just tangles, falls out and goes into big clumpy strands of grease, rather than self cleaning.


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## Midnight_Fairy

ugh Hayley! Thats horrid!

I would rather just use shampoo! x


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## Nicoleoleole

Hayley90 said:


> one of my teachers did it, looked vile for 2 months, then realised after all that effort that her hair just tangles, falls out and goes into big clumpy strands of grease, rather than self cleaning.

Did she use anything for her hair!? :shock: Of course your hair will look horrible just stopping cold turkey. 

I use baking soda and vinegar, and now I can use less baking soda and just do a rinse with vinegar and my hair is never greasy. :shrug:


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## Tacey

I'm another one who uses bicarb, then a vinegar rinse. I've only been going about 6 months, but my hair is already bouncier and shinier than when I used shampoo. I used to have to wash it every 2 days, but it just doesn't get as greasy any more. I mainly end up washing just to get bits of paint and food out! The only other thing I put on it is the tiniest smear or coconut oil to deal with frizz. I definitely won't be going back to shampoo.


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## 7th_heaven

i was 'poo free for almost 2 years until i started swimming pretty regularly this pregnancy. my hair turned to straw!!!! i guess strictly speaking i am still 'poo free but i started using conditioner again in the shower and putting coconut oil in my hair and using a swim cap when i swim. 
my hair is tons better than it was a month ago with nothing but chlorinated pool water.
i still may have to go get a trim bc i think all those months of swimming damaged the tips- it's still somewhat frizzy at the ends- which is probably just because i haven't cut my hair in almost a year!


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## Sam292

Can I ask, those of you who don't use shampoo, do you use alternatives to soap and shower gel, moisturiser etc too? And if so, how has your skin reacted?


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## Babushka99

I wash my hair every day I'm addicted. I will try the bicarb and vinegar but won't that make your hair smell really bad?? What about a few drops of lavender oil added to the mix would that work?


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## fluffpuffin

I'm tempted to try the bicarb and vinegar, that sounds good. Does your hair still feel clean and shiny after a wash?


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## Midnight_Fairy

Sam292 said:


> Can I ask, those of you who don't use shampoo, do you use alternatives to soap and shower gel, moisturiser etc too? And if so, how has your skin reacted?

very interested to know this.


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## Rachel_C

I've found that since I stopped using moisturiser every day my skin is much better - it used to be really quite dry. I occasionally need to use a tiny bit of moisturiser but that's maybe once a month on a tiny bit, nothing like my skin before.


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## 7th_heaven

I wash the stinky areas only and I use dr bronners Castile soap. I definitely don't wash my face because that will start the dry then oily cycle. If I wash I then have to add lotion- then I have to wash later that day again- then reapply lotion- so forth so on.
So to avoid that cycle(my hair does this as well) I just don't wash my face.
Incidently- I am trying to get oh off poo- he's essentially bald so he doesn't even need it really! But he has a stinky head and I heard from a friend that her oh stopped having a stinky head when he went off poo. And i'd LOVE for oh's pillow cases to stop stinking. But what can I do? He's addicted.


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## Seity

I never put poo on my hair, but after reading this thread I had to wash my hair twice in the shower with my chemically laden shampoo to feel clean. :rofl:


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## xsadiex

Can you use Baking Powder instead of baking soda for the hair washing?


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## Tacey

xsadiex said:


> Can you use Baking Powder instead of baking soda for the hair washing?

I wouldn't have thought so, as it is mainly cream of tartar which is acidic, and the bicarb is alkaline. I'd have thought they would react together if you wash with it. I could be totally wrong, but I think you'd be better off with bicarb alone.


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## xsadiex

Yes I'll avoid it, did some research and one of the things in it is used to remove pigs hair before the slaughter - I doubt that is good for the hair!


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## Tacey

xsadiex said:


> Yes I'll avoid it, did some research and one of the things in it is used to remove pigs hair before the slaughter - I doubt that is good for the hair!

:haha: Definitely best avoided then!


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## Hayley90

i dont like the sound of vinegar on my hair either. i think i'll just stick to lush :thumbup:

would be interested to hear if there are any other little companies that people would recommend for body stuff though, i LOVE lush, but would be willing to try others. See, im TOTALLY bad :lol:

and i dont know what my teacher used/didnt use. She just explained to us the 6-8 week 'cycle' of seld cleaning and the condition her hair would be in after. but all we saw was thick grease, lots of dandruff and thin patches. she started to wear headscarves about 3 weeks in when it got unbearable, but was always scratching her head... it just looked and sounded disgusting. i could never even try this for fear of looking like she did. 

she was really young and pretty too :wacko: would have looked better with clean hair :lol:


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## 7th_heaven

Really wonder about your teacher...
I mean, ALL the peiple i know who do no'poo I would NEVER have guessed. In a lineup they would look NO different than 'poo people.
All my kids don't use 'poo. I'm kind of curious when puberty starts is that going to change? I mean- oil production is out of control during puberty! So I'm watching my 12 yo ds pretty closely.


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## Sam292

What kind of vinegar are you using? Do you do bicarb first then follow with vinegar mixed with water? Washed my hair this morning but think I am going to go for it now!


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## 7th_heaven

I think it was easy for my hair to make the transition from poo to no poo- because I was using a shampoo with no sls. I wonder if the transition would have been harder were I using a main stream brand though.


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## Tacey

Sam292 said:


> What kind of vinegar are you using? Do you do bicarb first then follow with vinegar mixed with water? Washed my hair this morning but think I am going to go for it now!

This is a really useful place to get lots of information, as different things suit different types of hair. I have been using cider vinegar, but had to use ordinary white vinegar while at my parents' house, and actually got even better results, so I might switch. 

I live in a hard water area, so I boil a cup of water, add half a tbsp of bicarb (it fizzes!) then let it get to a tolerable temperature and rub it through my hair. If you water is soft, you won't need to boil the water first. Then I rinse off well in water followed by about half a tbsp of vinegar in a cup of water, then rinse well again. 

It really is a matter of finding what works. I'm still finding what balance works for me. Sometimes I get some frizz, and I'm going to try adding a bit of honey to the acid rinse. I love playing about like that! Hope it works well for you!


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## Thumper

I'm definitely going to try this :thumbup: Stopped washing my hair last week but then had to dye it :dohh: Definitely NOT ready to stop dying it :haha:


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## xsadiex

I've got my cider vinegar just need to purchase some baking soda tonight and I will do it tomorrow and update with the results!!
Just a quick Q, vinegar is very...liquidy, thin if you get what i mean? How do I coat my hair with it? Do I just put it on neat?


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## Tacey

xsadiex said:


> I've got my cider vinegar just need to purchase some baking soda tonight and I will do it tomorrow and update with the results!!
> Just a quick Q, vinegar is very...liquidy, thin if you get what i mean? How do I coat my hair with it? Do I just put it on neat?

Definitely don't use it neat. You'll need to experiment with quantities to find what works, but I've not heard of anyone using more than 1 tsbp to 1 cup water. I go for half a tbsp in a cup of water. I use a squeezy sports type bottle to direct it where I want it.


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## Sam292

Where can I get white vinegar - Tesco don't sell it! Thanks for the link Tacey and congrats on your bfp xx


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## bubbles123

I use shampoo but interestingly I haven't used shampoo on LO for over a year. He had bad eczema so I stopped using it in case it was irritating him and just rinsed with water. And his hair is lovely. His eczema is better on his face now but I see no reason for going back to shampoo for him as he doesn't seem to need it. So I think it can work X


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## Tacey

Sam292 said:


> Where can I get white vinegar - Tesco don't sell it! Thanks for the link Tacey and congrats on your bfp xx

Thank you! I'm surprised Tesco haven't got it. I bought my last lot from my local Tesco. I think it's generally called distilled vinegar. It's just clear rather than brown like the malt, chip shop stuff.


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## Sam292

Oh I saw that, thought it would be something else, not malt - does the clear stuff smell like the sarsons? Cant see me being too popular if it does! 

I am not sure how my hair is going to cope with it as it is very fine and tangles easily, hopefully the natural oils will help!


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## Tacey

Sam292 said:


> Oh I saw that, thought it would be something else, not malt - does the clear stuff smell like the sarsons? Cant see me being too popular if it does!
> 
> I am not sure how my hair is going to cope with it as it is very fine and tangles easily, hopefully the natural oils will help!

There's no getting away from it, it does smell vinegary - even if not quite as much as sarsons! Once you wash it out though, there's no smell (that or I'm not noticing!) but it's nice to add a couple of drops of an essential oil you like. My word of caution is not to overdo the bicarb. That was my mistake in the early days. It can be quite harsh, especially on finer hair. Less is definitely more.


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## Rachel_C

Yup just get the distilled vinegar that Tesco sells. It does smell vinegary when you use it but the smell disappears really quickly, at least it does when you clean with it.


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## deafgal

I've tried the baking soda/vinegar method for awhile, and my hair still look oily and stringy. But I'm Caucasian so I read they have more oily hair anyway. So I need shampoo. Plus, I am near 35 years old and I still get pimples all over my body.


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## xsadiex

I did it!!! My hair looks way nicer than normal, all silky and lovely.
I used bicarb then apple cider vinegar and then put a tiny bit of coconut oil on the ends, I am so happy with the results. Yay! I love finding out stuff like this, I am suprised that my hair actually looks nicer than normal.

Although I can kind of smell the vinegar but I am pregnant so maybe my nose is more powerful? It doesn't smell strong, it's barely there so I am all happy.


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## Sam292

Just about to give it a go... wish me luck!


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## Nicoleoleole

Sam292 said:


> Just about to give it a go... wish me luck!

Good luck :D


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## T-Bex

Gooood luck! :thumbup:


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## Sam292

Did anyone else go for it? I'm 8 days in and its not looking so good. I'm using the bicarb and vinegar method. The first wash left it feeling really nice and soft, didn't smell and looked clean but my scalp felt greasy still. The second wash it didn't look as clean and was starting to feel a bit yukky so I used more bicarb and less vinegar yesterday as I read that combats the grease but it has not worked. 

Its looking and feeling very greasy now but still smells nice - i did a final rinse with herbal tea (cherry and cinnamon) but I might give in and wash it with shampoo later...


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## xsadiex

Sam292 said:


> Did anyone else go for it? I'm 8 days in and its not looking so good. I'm using the bicarb and vinegar method. The first wash left it feeling really nice and soft, didn't smell and looked clean but my scalp felt greasy still. The second wash it didn't look as clean and was starting to feel a bit yukky so I used more bicarb and less vinegar yesterday as I read that combats the grease but it has not worked.
> 
> Its looking and feeling very greasy now but still smells nice - i did a final rinse with herbal tea (cherry and cinnamon) but I might give in and wash it with shampoo later...

Don't give up just yet, I have the same issue been doing it for over a week I think and my hair is not looking as clean, I've read that it may take 2 weeks for your hair to get used to it so I am going to try and keep at it for another few weeks!


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