SHAMPOO FREE PROGRESS UPDATE
Thursday 03.28.13 
i'm a little over a week into this product-free experiment so i thought i'd check in with some updates. so far, so great! i'm loving it. i've done three baking soda washes in the past eight days or so, and one apple cider vinegar rinse. my hair seems to be improving by the day- it's less frizzy (but also not greasy), it's not tangling up the way it usually does and i can't lie- i absolutely love how low maintenance it is. most days i just rinse it in the shower, towel dry, blow dry my bangs and i'm set for the day! a far cry from the shampoo-condition-leave in conditioning spray-blow dry-moroccan oil rigamarole i'm used to! {more after the jump}
i'm having a harder time getting behind the apple cider vinegar rinse. after my hair dries the smell goes away, but it comes back in full force every time it gets even the tiniest bit wet. and smelling like a weird pickle while conquering the treadmill at the gym is not my idea of cute. so i haven't used the vinegar rinse since that one time. i have added a little bit of (unrefined) coconut oil to the ends a couple of times, to give them some love. and i ordered the fancy mason pearson brush to help distribute the natural oils from my scalp. it was a definite splurge but i know i was spending that much on hair products every few months anyway. and all the reviews say it'll last a lifetime with the right care.
lastly, in this quest to grow mermaid hair, i'm taking these prenatal vitamins. have you heard? they're supposed to help your hair and nails grow faster/stronger. i'm not sure i'm sold yet, but i also don't mind the idea of a daily dose of goodness. do you have any other tips or tricks for achieving mermaid hair status? (meanwhile, this is still happening!)
image via
Reader Comments (14)
love this post and the progress update. pretty sure i'd be terrified of the vinegar smell, so i don't blame you. awesome to know this works.
kw ladies in navy
Yay for no 'poo! I've been shampoo/conditioner free for a little over a year and a half and LOVE it. My hair has never ever been better! Stick with it! In the beginning you'll have a few yucky days, as you hair's getting used to not being stripped of the oils, but that'll pass and you'll love the results. :) Have you done the oil cleanse? I've also been doing it for the same amount of time and my skin is great!
thanks @kelsey- yes, the vinegar is brutal.
@kelly, i love this! i haven't done the oil cleanse, but i only put coconut oil on my body/face... is that similar? makes me glow! :)
Love this post. I have been doing something similar to help my hair. You don't realize how addicting and unhealthy shampoo is for your hair till you do something like this. I also like the style section of your blog. You should check out mine when you get a chance. http://santanastyle.com/
My fiance has been doing this for about 8 months now, and he LOVES it! He has blonde curly hair, and he saw a drastic improvement in how frizzy his hair was (especially after playing tennis several times a week). He does use the apple cider vinegar once a week, and hasn't mentioned a smell (and I haven't noticed one either). I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble with that! The coconut oil sounds like a great substitute. Good luck! It's so worth it!
Yes! You essentially "wash" your face with the coconut oil, as well. So good. And, have you tried playing around with the amount of ACV you're using? My husband is EXTREMELY sensitive to the smell and notice, when I use too much, the smell sticks around. When I use the right amount it'll only smell while it's wet. :)
Hello Sarah,
I really enjoy your blog and have been reading it for about 6months now. (Sweet Potato tacos ... to die for)
And I remember reading about your issues with Crohn's Disease so I wanted to bring your attention to the dangers of taking prenatal vitamins when you are not pregnant. This article does a better job than I ever could so I won't even try. Also, I have been using biotin supplements which have made my hair grow faster, my nails stronger and even makes me lose weight quicker. Maybe you might want to try those? It's a vitamin as well and you can find it in any vitamin section.
Best,
Ariane
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/prenatal-vitamins/AN01665
so i have hair that looks pretty much just like yours.. and i have to admit. though i was hesitant at first, you are really inspiring me to try this out.
hmmm
keep going with the updates!
xx