would you ever go shampoo free?
Wednesday 03.20.13 
i'm doing something i never thought i'd do, all in the name of mermaid hair! this article on refinery 29 inspired me, and as of a few days ago i'm going without shampoo and conditioner. instead i'll be using a baking soda/water combo and occasionally an apple cider vinegar rinse. i'm also going to try to stay away from my blow dryer as much as possible. i love that if this works for me i'll be simultaneously saving money on expensive hair products (i do tend to splurge in that department), improving the condition of my hair, and making this one area of my life more GREEN! do you think i'm crazy? would you ever do it? specifics about what i'm doing to keep my hair clean after the jump!
photo via
BAKING SODA HAIR WASH:
mix one tablespoon baking soda with 1 cup warm water and stir until it's fully dissolved. pour into an old shampoo bottle and you're ready to go!
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR CONDITIONER:
one part apple cider vinegar to one part water (more info on the benefits of apple cider vinegar in hair here)
**i'll check back in via the comment section in a few days to let you know how this little experiment is going!
Reader Comments (41)
I would love to hear about your experience, I've always been intrigued to know how it goes, and never really made the jump. Also, very happy I discovered your blog today! Looking forward to read some more :) x
Hi Sarah! Can't wait to see how it works out for you. A friend of mine started this about half a year ago and her hair looks amazing. Once my current bottle of shampoo is all used up I think I'll try too.... plus, mermaid hair is hot!!
Can't wait to hear how it goes! I've heard that the vinegar smell can be hard to get out of your hair, but that the shine it leaves behind is worth it. If it works though, that'd be awesome. I'm sick of spending so much on fancy shampoo and conditioners!
oh i can't wait to hear how this goes for you! i only wash my hair once a week now, but this is very intriguing.
please do report back! i've heard fantastic things about doing this.
I'm actually trying this right now! I've been going for about a week, and so far so good. I'm also using a little coconut oil after I wash my hair to control some of my frizz. I have naturally curly, thick, frizzy, poofy hair. My scalp isn't as itchy. I've had no problem with oily-ness or odor, aside from the apple cider vinegar. I don't particularly like the ACV smell, since it stay in the hair until it's dry (which, for me takes nearly all day). But, I've had no tangles, my hair feels clean and smooth, and I am not experiencing an "adjustment period"...yet.
Good luck! Curious to see how it works for you and whether this is something I'll stick with.
I'd really like to know how this works out! I have such oily hair that it's hard for me to even do the whole dry shampoo thing....but would love to be able to scale down on shampoo and conditioner!
I tried this once, but I think it's all about your hair type, and it wasn't a perfect fit for mine! :-) I hope you have better luck. xo!