I’d just like to announce that soon I would have not used shampoo for like two months! I think that is something worth blogging about. or rather I promised myself I’d keep a little log of this experiment so if i do give it up I’d have a record for my future self, that if I ever feel like going no poo again I’ll know why I gave it up the first time and what worked the first time. (actually its my second time but i have no recollection of the first time because i never wrote anything down and my brain is incapable of remembering things itself)
My hair is looking OK. Not great. It feels and looks thick and has volume and curl it never had before when I used shampoo. My scalp also feels happier than it ever did, even with all natural shampoo, and my dandruff has lessened and that which remains is finer. However I am optimistic for month three because I’m wondering if that is when my hair will finally start looking good. I’m not expecting it to look as it did when I used shampoo but I’d quite like not to look like well, that I haven’t washed it in two months (even writing that makes me feel a bit dirty. there’s this culture surrounding shampoo. It’s just something you do, especially as a girl, and no one is supposed to question it.) OK, so my hair doesn’t look that bad. But my bangs are constantly a greasy mess and there are days my hair looks just as bad. I worked up courage and wore my hair down twice last week and although I felt self conscience it also felt good. It didn’t look so bad. I wore a dark green coat and there were barely any of that unsightly white dusting at all which was a real confidence booster. I did notice that my hair got greasier sooner when I wore it down, as in it was really greasy the day after that I just had to wash it which was disappointing. I want to be able to wear my hair down without it becoming like that.
As for my routine I usually wash it with water then use ordinary conditioner or the nuance airy hair mask on the ends of my hair like I would if I shampooed it. Also every now and then I’ll also use an oat and honey hair mask on all my hair as a conditioner (compared to just the ends) and to give my scalp a little moisture and just because it feels so good (and smells amazing). I basically strain some oats, add in a tablespoon of manuka honey and a drop or two of ylang ylang essential oil. Works like a charm. My hair feels soft, looks shiny and not too greasy and smells like ylang ylang, which is basically the most gorgeous floral scent ever. It doesn’t irritate my scalp either! I keep meaning to rotate to lavender and rosemary EOs but I enjoy the scent of ylang ylang too much. I don’t use oatmeal after every wash as its too much trouble to strain the oats and mix it up twice a week ,every week. I am lazy like that. And as much as I like the idea of going all natural with my hair I like my conditioner and hair treatments. As long as they aren’t going anywhere near my scalp there is no problem for me. My hair is in good condition all in all, just a bit disgustingly greasy at times.
I think I’ve become very used to not using shampoo. Of course there are days where I really just want to slap on some shampoo, and rinse instead of spending ages carefully scrubbing my head, running my hands through my hair, turning my hair upside down and scrubbing some more, running my hands through my hair some more, turning the heat of the water down and scrubbing some more, running my hands through my hair some more. I can cope though and I do find it quite relaxing. All the scrubbing feels amazing on my scalp especially.
I’m really curious as to what my hair will look like after three months. If maybe my bangs will finally look like they are supposed to (I even give them an extra rinse between washes and still, still even though the ends look fine the root of the hair looks so greasy!). I’m also curious about how my scalp will be after a prolonged period of not washing. I’m still hopeful about this. Bring on month three!