11 Month Update
I've been no-pooing for almost a year now, and it's going fantastically. I'm down only no poo-ing once every eight or nine days now, and my hair is lovely, soft, and has way more wave than it did before. I stopped having to WO every second day, as well; now, I only really get my hair wet if I go swimming, or if I wash it.
My routine has changed a lot since I started, too. I began with just a basic BS/ACV system, once every couple of days. And then I added rosemary tea, honey, then occasional applesauce-and-flax-mucosum masks. My routine got more and more complicated over the first few months, until I realized that half of the stuff I was doing didn't actually do anything for my hair, and some of it was actually a bad idea for me (I'm looking at you, applesauce).
So, now my routine is deliciously simple. Once every eight days or so, I use:
-A solution of 1/2 tsp BS to 12 oz. water
-A solution of 1/2 tbsp ACV to 12 oz. water
I also comb my scalp and brush my hair with a boar bristle brush every day. The scalp combing does wonders for my flaky scalp problems.
Thanks to this community, I also discovered rice water, which has been working very well for me. I soak about a tablespoon of plain white rice and a tablespoon of flax seeds in 1 L of water for a couple of days. Often, I'll add a green tea bag on the second day for extra conditioning. The first time I tried it, my hair felt so much silkier as it dried, but it still kept its no-poo volume and curl. I was impressed.
I also figured out about how much money I'd been spending per month before I switched on shampoo, conditioner, leave-in conditioner, extra hair masks, and hair products, and then the amount I spend now. The cost of BS, ACV, rice, flax, and tea is so much smaller than my conventional haircare budget; it's less than half the cost, in fact. I'm a lot happier with the results, and I use all of those ingredients for various things around the house, rather than just for hair care.
So, on behalf of the hair on my head and the wallet in my purse, thanks, no_poo!
My routine has changed a lot since I started, too. I began with just a basic BS/ACV system, once every couple of days. And then I added rosemary tea, honey, then occasional applesauce-and-flax-mucosum masks. My routine got more and more complicated over the first few months, until I realized that half of the stuff I was doing didn't actually do anything for my hair, and some of it was actually a bad idea for me (I'm looking at you, applesauce).
So, now my routine is deliciously simple. Once every eight days or so, I use:
-A solution of 1/2 tsp BS to 12 oz. water
-A solution of 1/2 tbsp ACV to 12 oz. water
I also comb my scalp and brush my hair with a boar bristle brush every day. The scalp combing does wonders for my flaky scalp problems.
Thanks to this community, I also discovered rice water, which has been working very well for me. I soak about a tablespoon of plain white rice and a tablespoon of flax seeds in 1 L of water for a couple of days. Often, I'll add a green tea bag on the second day for extra conditioning. The first time I tried it, my hair felt so much silkier as it dried, but it still kept its no-poo volume and curl. I was impressed.
I also figured out about how much money I'd been spending per month before I switched on shampoo, conditioner, leave-in conditioner, extra hair masks, and hair products, and then the amount I spend now. The cost of BS, ACV, rice, flax, and tea is so much smaller than my conventional haircare budget; it's less than half the cost, in fact. I'm a lot happier with the results, and I use all of those ingredients for various things around the house, rather than just for hair care.
So, on behalf of the hair on my head and the wallet in my purse, thanks, no_poo!