So far . . . success
Hi, everybody! First of all, a great big thank you to everyone in this community . . . your advice has been invaluable.
I don't even remember how I stumbled across the idea of no 'poo, but as my shampoo bottle got emptier and emptier back in March, I thought to myself, "Eh, I'm always up for a beauty fad that doesn't cost me anything . . . why not give it a shot?" So when it ran out, I whipped up a bottle of BS/water and suited action to the impulse.
First week went really badly . . . grease everywhere. I figured this was just transition and put up with it, gritting my teeth . . . and then double-checked my research and discovered that the standard recommendation was one TABLESPOON of BS per cup, not one TEASPOON as I'd incorrectly remembered while measuring. Oops. So I mixed up a fresh batch (and put it in a different bottle, with a narrow applicator I can use to get under the top layer) and tried again. Lovely! Really! Who'd'a thunk?
I'm still using commercial conditioner, because I had about half a bottle left when the shampoo ran out (I'm kind of compulsive about waste not/want not, which is why I'm NOT ADMITTING TO ANYONE that I found another half-bottle of shampoo in the back of the cupboard last week), but plan on switching to ACV when that's gone. (I shall call it my 'science-fair volcano hair,' which is even funnier because it rhymes.) I've been washing once a week . . . first this was just to muscle through transition, but now I've discovered that it's all I really need. About halfway through the week, I'm rubbing a few drops of sweet almond oil into the ends to keep them protected, soft, and un-frizzy. During the transition week, I also tried cornstarch to absorb some of the excess oil (another weird experience . . . who knew you could put cornstarch in your hair, like it was a pan of gravy that just didn't want to thicken up?), and that proved to be a good stop-gap while I waited for my scalp to stop freaking out. I'm also spending about 45 min. a week just brushing, usually while watching an episode of something. It feels good, it gives me something to do with my hands, and . . .
Well, the results speak for themselves. My whole head is fantastically soft. Frizzies are down, as is the amount of hair ripped out by my hairbrush and the amount of nasty gray stuff built up around the bristles. (Before discovering this community, I though I was the only person that happened to!) My hair tangles less and holds styles better. And, wonder of wonders . . . it's GROWING! My hair (which is thick, brown, and wavy) has fallen to just below my bra band since I was about 11 years old. This last month since going no-'poo, I swear it has grown an inch. And since I'm not getting it wet every day, it's tending to be straighter, which makes it look even longer.
I am NEVER going back to shampoo. This is too great. And I'm loving the feeling of smugness that I get now whenever I see shampoo ads . . . this great evil-cackle feeling of "Ha ha! Suckers! Have fun shelling out eight bucks a bottle! I'll just stick with my $.017-per-wash miracle system, thank you kindly."
Just wanted to share.
I don't even remember how I stumbled across the idea of no 'poo, but as my shampoo bottle got emptier and emptier back in March, I thought to myself, "Eh, I'm always up for a beauty fad that doesn't cost me anything . . . why not give it a shot?" So when it ran out, I whipped up a bottle of BS/water and suited action to the impulse.
First week went really badly . . . grease everywhere. I figured this was just transition and put up with it, gritting my teeth . . . and then double-checked my research and discovered that the standard recommendation was one TABLESPOON of BS per cup, not one TEASPOON as I'd incorrectly remembered while measuring. Oops. So I mixed up a fresh batch (and put it in a different bottle, with a narrow applicator I can use to get under the top layer) and tried again. Lovely! Really! Who'd'a thunk?
I'm still using commercial conditioner, because I had about half a bottle left when the shampoo ran out (I'm kind of compulsive about waste not/want not, which is why I'm NOT ADMITTING TO ANYONE that I found another half-bottle of shampoo in the back of the cupboard last week), but plan on switching to ACV when that's gone. (I shall call it my 'science-fair volcano hair,' which is even funnier because it rhymes.) I've been washing once a week . . . first this was just to muscle through transition, but now I've discovered that it's all I really need. About halfway through the week, I'm rubbing a few drops of sweet almond oil into the ends to keep them protected, soft, and un-frizzy. During the transition week, I also tried cornstarch to absorb some of the excess oil (another weird experience . . . who knew you could put cornstarch in your hair, like it was a pan of gravy that just didn't want to thicken up?), and that proved to be a good stop-gap while I waited for my scalp to stop freaking out. I'm also spending about 45 min. a week just brushing, usually while watching an episode of something. It feels good, it gives me something to do with my hands, and . . .
Well, the results speak for themselves. My whole head is fantastically soft. Frizzies are down, as is the amount of hair ripped out by my hairbrush and the amount of nasty gray stuff built up around the bristles. (Before discovering this community, I though I was the only person that happened to!) My hair tangles less and holds styles better. And, wonder of wonders . . . it's GROWING! My hair (which is thick, brown, and wavy) has fallen to just below my bra band since I was about 11 years old. This last month since going no-'poo, I swear it has grown an inch. And since I'm not getting it wet every day, it's tending to be straighter, which makes it look even longer.
I am NEVER going back to shampoo. This is too great. And I'm loving the feeling of smugness that I get now whenever I see shampoo ads . . . this great evil-cackle feeling of "Ha ha! Suckers! Have fun shelling out eight bucks a bottle! I'll just stick with my $.017-per-wash miracle system, thank you kindly."
Just wanted to share.