No-Poo Follow-up

Ok .. I broke down and washed my hair. We had court the other week and I couldn't bear it. I know the last time I blogged about this challenge (http://thebluenymph.blogspot.com/2010/08/week-2-of-no-poo-challenge.html) I was digging how my hair looked. So what happened?

Pro: I could let my hair air-dry and have these really awesome waves. Justin compared it to coming out of the ocean and letting my hair dry. Kinda bed-heady, but cool.

Con: I couldn't brush my hair. At least not with my beloved Mason Pearson paddle brush. But then I couldn't brush it with a regular ole brush either. If I did I would have an insane pouf-fro thing going on.

Pro: Thanks to having one kid with curly hair, I've had to learn how to brush curly hair, so the above issue could slightly be taken care of. Mist down hair very well, then brush. The key is to the wetness of it all.

Pro: I had VOLUME!! My hair is fine and straight usually. And limp. During the No-Poo Challenge I had VOLUME and it was AWESOME!!!!

Con ... and this was the breaking point: My hair had an odd oily texture at the roots. It reminded me of when I dyed my hair with Manic Panic. It would lift up more in sections than strands, if that makes any sense. When I was washing my hair in the shower I felt like I had to wash my hands afterwards, and I really hated that.

So, I broke down and washed my hair. I even used some conditioner that I still had from when I box-dyed my hair blonde last. I was headed into court and wanted my hair looking nice, it was one thing I just didn't want to have to worry about.
Now it's almost a week later. I'm back to using the shampoo we had here at the house already (Nature's Gate shampoo which, it turns out, is just as toxic as most store bought shampoos and costs a couple dollars more per bottle!!) & my usual "conditioner" rinse: a mixture of beer, chamomile tea, and lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. So, how's that going?

Pro: Hello my dear hairbrush. I have missed you.

Con: Back to HAVING to wash my hair daily. I could probably make it till the end of the day, but my roots would be looking super nasty by then. So .. back to washing it every friggin' morning.

Pro: Hello silky hair. Silky strands of hair.

Con: Hello FLAT hair. REALLY FLAT! You couldn't iron hair and get it any flatter.

Con: Bye bye pretty waves. Also, bye bye air dried sexy hair. I need a haircut and it seems more and more obvious everyday now.

Con: Bye bye being able to style my hair and have it hold. Now it's too silky and just falls.

Obviously I'm not really liking shampoo anymore. The kids are still holding true to the no-poo thing because it hasn't had any negative "effect" on their hair. Their heads look great.
So, I'm back to researching options and alternatives to shampoo. Today I washed my hair with some Dr. Bronner's and the usual rinse. Much nicer.
I also found this blog: http://asimmeringpotandamom.blogspot.com/2010/02/back-to-bloggin-cooking-up-more-than.html - some very good suggestions there. I might have to try this out.
Also high on the list of priorities .. get a friggin' haircut!

I'll keep you up to date on how things go and what I try next. For anyone who may read this -- thoughts? Have you tried ditching store-bought shampoo?? What did you use? Remember, store-bought shampoo didn't even exist until 1930's and, from what I've seen, all the really impressively gorgeous (female) hairstyles existed before 1930 as well. I can't help but see the correlation. What do you think?

Week 2 of the No Poo Challenge

~ Are you sure we're not at the beach?? Cuz all I see are some serious waves! ~

We're now officially into Week 2 of the No Poo Challenge. As you can hopefully see from the photo above, it's not going too bad either!!! Hello hair!!

Since my last post though it's been an interesting ride. The boys' hair looks fantastic, I don't think they've had ANY transition issues at all!! Lucky little turds.
My hair on the other hand has been through a lot of changes. From dried and fried to otter-oily. I've had to say farewell to my beloved Mason Pearson paddle brush (for straight, fine hair) and learn to brush my hair like I brush Shannon's: wet it down first, brush gently, keep it damp & then let it air dry.

There have been a couple days where I spent most of the time it seemed day-dreaming about shampooing my hair. I seemed to have a greasy/oily spot near the crown of my head on my right hand side and it REALLY drove me up the wall. I have no clue why it was there, it just was and I hated it. I hung in there though and didn't shampoo.

From the posts I've read though of other people who've gone through this I've decided to try and wear my hair down and loose as much as I can, which isn't easy with the recent weather we've been having. It seemed that the people who this challenge didn't work for wore their hair up for most of the challenge ~ hence my decision to wear it down as often as possible.

Like I said earlier, I've also quit washing my hair everyday. This is something that was a definite and absolute must-do before this challenge. Now I wash it roughly every other day. I also have changed up the baking soda ratio a little, as well as how I make it. Originally I was going with the 1 TB baking soda per 1 cup water, which was working out 2 TB baking soda per bottle (I'm using an old shampoo bottle), pouring in the baking soda & then filling the bottle with water & shaking it all up.
I realized a couple of things though: 1) the bottle holds a little over 2 cups worth of water & 2) it's a white bottle, which means I can't tell how well the baking soda was mixing with the water versus just collecting on the bottom of the bottle.
So now I fill the bottle mostly full with water, then I add 3 TB baking soda, then shake. This seems to be working out much better for me and my hair feels much nicer to boot.

And now .. well, it's looking good!! My hair feels normal, and looks great. Justin commented on the waves the other day, saying that it looked like I had just come out of the ocean and let my hair dry & how much he liked it.
I've also noticed that my hair is taking curls in general better. If I wrap my hair around my finger and hold it for a while I'll wind up with a nice little spiral curl for a bit. I'm really tempted to try out pin curls now, something I wouldn't have dreamed of trying before because I know they wouldn't have stayed or likely even taken.
My ends still feel dry, but then again I was thinking how I was about due for a haircut while we were at the beach .. at the end of June!! I haven't had my hair cut in a long time. So long I don't remember when it was. Early Spring maybe?? Yea, I think that's when it was. Ok, 5 months, so I guess it hasn't been that long, but still .. I'm due for a trim. And, as far as the ends go, I've also dyed my hair blonde (month or two ago), been out in some serious sun, been to the beach, and spent lots of time in the pool. I can't really say that the ends being dried has anything in the least little bit to do with this experiment.

So there you have it. Going into Week 2 I'm really loving this challenge. It was hard to see light at the end of the tunnel and some days I longed to shampoo my hair, but I am glad I didn't. This is awesome.

No-Poo Challenge - Week 1

No photos here, just a quick update on the no-poo challenge.

So .. I washed my hair this morning with the baking soda mixture & "conditioned" it with my homemade conditioner. I think the last time I did this was Friday. Between Friday and today all I had done was rinse my hair with water.

How'd the weekend go?

Well, my hair is definitely in the transitional phase of it all. It doesn't look greasy or weighed down, which is really surprising because before all of this I had to wash it daily or it WOULD look like that.
By Sunday evening though I could see my roots beginning to look greasy, and by this morning I was wanting to wash my hair. But only because of the roots looking funky.

The overall length of my hair has been a different story. If I brush it out it becomes very "poofy" and "fluffy" (what a friend of mine described it as today ~ very kind and diplomatic of her!). I think it looks frizzy and a mess. I've had to brush it out a couple of times if I want to be able to pull it back properly (short layers won't stay back otherwise).
I had it up today and took it down to show friends how it was going. Hence the above comment. They were kind friends. I then proceeded to have one of my dirtiest hippie moments yet where I went to the water fountain and .. no I didn't stick my head under it .. but I did scoop several handfuls of water onto my hair to try and show them what it looked like wet & not so "fluffy." -- the wet hair was a bonus as the park was HOT today!!

When it is wet it feels completely different. I can feel the natural oils beginning to coat my hair. I'm trying to appreciate it, but it's difficult to get used to.
1) I remind myself (or something like that) of a sea otter or something. Water rolling off my hair rather than being absorbed into it. It makes me wonder if my hair was just truly stripped and dried out before, begging for moisture. I can definitely feel more water dripping off my hair than used to though. It's odd.
2) When I'm rinsing through my hair I can feel the oils on my hand. This part I'm not so thrilled with and I have to keep talking myself through. I'll admit, I did wash my hands with soap after doing that in the shower this morning. -- But on the other hand, I've washed my hands after I've come home from getting a haircut and have been running my hands through my hair. For that matter, I usually come home and wash my hair too because they make my hair feel greasy. ~ So .. which one is right? What is normal??

The transition phase really isn't so hard, but it does make me wonder if I'll get through it and my hair/scalp will get back to natural. It's always hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel I suppose.
I'm glad it is Summer and I can wear my hair up. I do like how my hair looks when it is down and hasn't been brushed. That is a completely different thing for me. I was "Marsha Marsha Marsha" about brushing my hair with my Mason Pearson hair brush. No more. It is bittersweet and I am not 100% in it yet.
I've been trying to leave my hair down though as much as possible to try and let it be natural. Bundling it up close to my head doesn't seem to be the right thing. Gotta let it breathe and live.

As for the boys. They look fantastic, particularly Shannon whose curls are eating this up. Guess years & years of damage hasn't been done to their scalps yet. But even Tristan's hair hasn't looked greasy or flat or anything like that. And, for the record, they get their hair washed on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

I'll post photos soon, I promise.

No-Poo Photo Documentation

Obviously this wasn't meant as a photo of my hair. This is me holding Foster. But the photo was taken on Saturday July 31st, the first day of my no-poo challenge.

The rest of the photos were taken today, Friday August 6th:

From the front: my hair up with my kick-ass cool hair fork. You can see my roots ~ not looking too greasy. (Photo was taken without the use of flash)

Hair still up. You can see the hair fork a little better. This photo was taken with the flash on.

Here's my hair down. Note that there is a fan directly behind me. (See that first photo of my hair up). Like I said, I am impressed with the shine I've seen today, it's been a while since my hair has been shiny. Plus, the green streaks from the pool seem to be finally fading away .... I don't miss them.

The boys, their hair still wet from baths. Both had their hair "washed" with the baking soda & water mixture. Tristan got a little spot of his head washed with the Neutrogena T-Gel shampoo just because of that little cradle cap spot that won't go away (but is starting to finally!!).



*More No-Poo photos to follow as the days go on!!

Taking the No-Poo Challenge

~Herbal & healthy?? I don't think so. Bye bye Shampoo!! ~

I was hesitant to write about this. I've just started and wasn't sure if I should write about it now or later. Hmmmm ... what to do??? What the hell, I'll start now.

You may be aware that there is a lot of talk going on about ditching the shampoo & going truly natural. A quick search online will yield a number of sites, blogs, articles, and even videos. Here is a link to the one that made me take the plunge: http://simplemom.net/how-to-clean-your-hair-without-shampoo/

Since there is SO much info out there, I won't go into a lot of the why details here. But I will share with you a few that really made me willing to try this:

1) I'm a fan of history and I think most answers can be found by looking to the past to see how things were done then. At least the general day to day stuff. I found this great article online - http://thephoenix.com/boston/life/40141-no-poo-do/. ~ Did you know the first commercial shampoo wasn't even invented until 1930?? It was Breck. Now, think of all the old photos you've seen of people with very gorgeous hair & hairstyles. Arguably much better hairstyles than we see now a-days too! I think they may have been onto something...

2) Toxins In - Toxins Out. ~ There are some really scary things in shampoos!! Shampoos are detergents. It used to be that people could safely & effectively wash their hair with soap because it can remove dirt without removing important oils. However, when water in civilized areas began becoming more alkaline (mineral heavy), soap quit working as well. The combination makes scales on the hair stand up, making it rougher & weaker. Soap in alkaline water leaves soap scum. So ... detergent "shampoo" to the rescue.
But there are lot of other chemicals in shampoo too! Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLFS) are lathering agents found in most soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, and even mouthwashes. They're also known eye & skin irritants. And, just because you're shopping the organic aisle don't think they're not there. I'm looking at my bottle of Nature's Gate Herbal Shampoo & there they are!! Don't believe me?? Here's their website: https://www.natures-gate.com/shop/showItem.asp?ProductId=41101181&menuId=137

Trying to figure out some of the ingredients led me to these websites:

*http://www.hallgold.com/toxic-chemical-ingredients-directory.htm#Cocoamidopropyl

*http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/05/03/the-most-toxic-soaps-and-shampoos-well-worth-avoiding.htm

.... known carcinogens, skin irritants, eye irritants, stuff that leads to increases of kidney and liver cancer, and so on and so on. And you want me to put that where?? And use it on my children!?!?!?
We're trying to lead healthy lives, natural lives, safe lives. This isn't what I signed up for.

3) The Benjamins & the Lincolns ~ Let's face it, you can pay a pretty penny for "good" shampoo. Good shampoo that is all natural. That will make your hair vibrant and full. If you've read any of the above links you've already figured out a couple of things: 1st - things aren't as natural as they claim to be; AND 2nd - shampoo your hair, you need to condition it, then you need the styling products, and then you're gonna need that shampoo again. It's a vicious and EXPENSIVE cycle. And I'm just talking about the costs you spend in the hair-care aisle of the grocery store, not the long-term, hidden costs!! Don't know about you, but I have better things to spend my money on.

So there are my main reasons and motivators.

But .. how is it going??? First off - my hair is thick but fine. Typically I can't go more than one day without washing it. Often I can feel it getting greasy by the end of the evening. Bedhead in the morning is a must-wash-out! My hair is also fairly straight, though thanks to pregnancies I now have some slight waves.

Saturday July 31 ~ My first day with no-poo. I used the baking soda mixture to wash my hair and rinsed it with conditioner we already use (beer, chamomile tea, and lemon juice). My hair was actually feeling really nice after this.
Sunday August 1 ~ I dyed my hair this day with some henna dye. I broke down and used the shampoo/treatment & echinacea conditioner that came with it.

Monday August 2 - Thursday August 5 ~ My roots have been feeling good, not greasy at all. However, the rest of my hair has been feeling dried and fried. Luckily it is Summer & my hair is up, so it isn't noticeable. I skipped washing my hair on Thursday, thinking I could maybe go a day without now. I could, but by Thursday evening my roots were greasy & I was beginning to freak out a little. Was my hair fried from that last time I dyed it blonde?!? Was I doing something wrong? I went online for more research. -- Deep breath .. your hair WILL go through a transitional period. I heard of other people going through this and how it eventually went away. I decided to take a nice bath and relax. While soaking, I laid down with my hair under the water and worked my fingers from scalp to ends repeatedly. When I got out of the bath I immediately noticed a difference. My hair that had been feeling fried wasn't anymore. I think I can persevere through.
Friday August 6 ~ This morning I went to the gym. Nice & Schweaty. Got home and noticed some dandruff on my scalp. Ok. Washed my hair with the baking soda mixture & rinsed it with my usual conditioner (though I have added a little bit of apple cider vinegar to it). My hair is no longer feeling fried, which is nice. The roots are still feeling a little greasy, but not in the "normal" way. My roots aren't glued to my scalp and looking nasty as usually happens when my hair is greasy. I actually have volume! A quick look in the mirror reveals shiny hair, something else I've been lacking for a while. Definitely not looking like "dirty, greasy, needs-to-be-washed!" hair!!
I've read people talk about feeling a "coating" on their hair, where the natural oils have begun to return and coat hair as they're meant to. I'm guessing, hoping, this is what I'm feeling now. We'll see.

There ya go though. I'm a little under my first week of the no-poo challenge. I'll update again as I continue on. I plan to give this challenge, at the very minimum, two weeks. I've read where people advise giving it 4 - 6 weeks though, and I think I'll really shoot for that. If it works out, it'll become a way of life.

And, yes, for the record, the kids are going on this challenge with me. When camping last year we noticed that Shannon's hair looked better and better the longer we went without shampooing it. Tristan's hair is more like mine or Justin's. He has a cradle cap spot that has never gone fully away, so I had broken down and bought some Nuetrogena T-Gel shampoo (which DID get rid of it!). But we're working on switching him fully over too. Justin hasn't been convinced ... yet. I'm not going to force him to switch. I might try to convince him, but I won't force him. At least not until the shampoo supplies completely run out. ;) hahaha

Have you taken the No-Poo challenge?? How did it work? How long a transition period did you have to go through? Did you like you hair? I wanna hear from you!!