No-Poo Challenge

So recently, I've been reading a good deal about folks who just don't use shampoo and conditioner anymore. Gave it up cold turkey. My first thought was 'ewwwwww!' Then I continued to read and found some interesting information. FYI...this may be too much information for some of you, so read on at your own discretion. Nothing horrifying, just more 'ewwwwww'.

I like the idea of natural beauty and not putting harsh chemicals on my skin and hair, but never really thought it was feasible. I have OILY hair and patchy skin that can't seem to commit to being either oily or dry. My skin is a flip-flopper akin to John Kerry. My hair HAS to be washed everyday with a strong shampoo or it smells terrible and isn't presentable or manageable in the least. My children's hair on the other hand, which is fine and beautiful, I use only the smallest amount of the mildest shampoo and they're good for days on end with no trace of odor or oil. What gives???

Upon researching the no-poo approach to cleaning, I discovered some things that really make sense. The more you scrub, scour, and abrade your skin and scalp, the more demand you create for oil to protect that skin. Hmmm. Makes sense. The shampoos we use today are made from harsh chemicals, often petroleum by-products, that strip the scalp of all natural oils, thereby creating the demand for more natural oils, thereby creating a demand for more shampoo. Double hmmm. So, is it all just a big racket to boost shampoo sales??? It's starting to sound that way. And don't tell anyone, but I think the conditioner folks are in on it too....

So today, I decided to try the no-poo challenge and see for myself if there's any merit to it. While it does involve avoiding shampoo and conditioner, you don't go around grungy and smelly, which I'm sure will be a great relief to all folks involved. It's just a matter of finding a more natural, gentler approach to cleaning your scalp and hair. Everything I've read so far indicates that in lieu of shampoo (tee hee, that rhymes) you use 2 T of baking soda dissolved in a cup of warm water. You pour this slowly over your hair and massage in for about a minute then rinse. In place of conditioner, 2 T of apple cider vinegar in 2 cups of cool water. Pour over your hair and then rinse as you normally would. The baking soda cleans, the vinegar conditions and all is right with the world.

Well, I tried it this morning, and while I'm not sure what the end results will be, I can tell you this; my hair wasn't a tangly, straw-like mess after I towel dried it. It combed through so easily. No knots, no matted tangles. Wow. That was nice. And it smells neither dirty nor like vinegar. Just fresh. All the sites I read indicate that there will be an adjustment period when you try the BS/ACV route...basically a supply and demand thing as far as your scalp goes. When it figures out that it doesn't need to produce oil as abundantly, it begins to slow down. And it may take 2 weeks to 2 months to figure that out. Ugh. I hope that isn't so. But here's hoping for a cure to my oily scalp. Yeah, I warned you that there might be too much information LOL.