I haven’t posted about no poo in a while have I? But I am actually still not using shampoo. I just checked and I started this thing in February which would make roughly 8 months since I stopped using Shampoo. I actually feel a bit shocked at that; I thought I’d only been at this for only 6 months. Who knew it has been so long? I admit the temptation to use shampoo is still there- because when my hair looks especially bad I long for the squeaky cleanness, and mostly I want to see what my hair was like with shampoo, and confirm that no poo is better (for me). I’m sure no poo is better. And even if it isn’t, it’s habit now. I’m used to it and it would actually be strange to use shampoo again. My hair is growing nicely (which is important, as I stupidly cut it all off and I’m desperate to get it back to the length it was, and then longer) and it has more curl and volume than it ever had before. It’s soft and healthy. Being no poo has also introduced me to the world of natural body care- I now use a sweet almond oil+vitamin e oil mix for my body (and I’m saving for some coconut oil to add to that mix) and I use a honey+brown sugar scrub to exfoliate. Before, I couldn’t do things like moisturize or exfoliate as I could never find a moisturizer that didn’t break out one part of my body into ugly rashes, likewise for exfoliaters. But these natural things work and don’t irritate my skin at all. It’s kinda brilliant.
Back to no poo.
I think, strangely, no poo worked best when I was on holiday in South Africa and Zimbabwe. I was so worried about how it would work out when I was on holiday but it turned out to be more than fine. I’m not sure what it is about the water there, though I suspect softness, because no poo just worked., No rinses necessary, nothing. It was so easy. My hair was never greasy or waxy, it got really clean, it was soft and shiny, my scalp wasn’t as itchy. It was wonderful.
I long for how it was when I was on holiday. After coming back from holiday I realised I needed to change up my routine. My hair was no way as lovely- it was horribly waxy. I realized that my water was probably hard so I read up on dealing with that and found a number of things to try. First, I tried Apple Cider vinegar, which did a lot for waxiness but left my hair greasy and lank and generally gross looking, and I tried white vinegar, which had much the same effects. And both gave me eczema on my shoulders. Ugh. Then I tried lemon juice and that worked pretty well. My hair wasn’t as waxy and seemed to be coming clean. So I continued with the lemon juice. Since coming to uni I’m not sure if my routine is working anymore. My hair is waxy, and doesn’t seem to come clean. My scalp is itchy and flaking more. Sure, there may be external factors- diet, stress etc. But I’m beginning to think my routine needs to change. I gathered courage and posted to the no poo community on livejournal and received lots of advice ranging from different ways to use lemon juice, to using EOs, to herbal infusions etc.
I have thought about it and I’ve decided to take a break from lemon juice now and try alternate things first. If none of those things work I’ll go back to lemon juice, but I’ll try using fresh lemon juice and I’ll try not using as much or using it less often.
I went to Holland and Barret today and discovered I couldn’t really afford, well, anything. Not even vitamin supplements. Lol. So I’ll first try out those things I do own. I have rosemary and ylang ylang EOs which I plan to try for my rinse tonight. Then on Friday night I will dab almond oil on my scalp, and on Saturday morning I will wash my hair as usual and if the EO’s work I’ll use them again, but if they don’t I’ll try a green tea rinse. Green tea is all I have so it’s what I’ll use XD If tea seems to agree with my hair I’ll buy some lemon tea, or nettle tea. I wanted rosemary tea but I discovered it doesn’t actually exist XD I’m keen to try a parsley infusion too, as I checked out the price of it and its just over £1 for a little plant that I can easily grow on my windowsill. I also really want to try the rosemary infusion but alas, I don’t think I can grow rosemary on my windowsill. :(
That really is all there is too it. I hope I can get no poo to work for me again, because when no poo works it is wonderful. It’s just putting up with all the gross-ness when it doesn’t work that is the hard part!