shampoo free update
Wednesday 05.08.13 
hi everyone! i've gotten some requests for an update on my shampoo-free experiment (which has easily transitioned into a way of life) so wanted to take some time to fill you in! first things first: i'm loving it! and since i have naturally curly/wavy hair it's been great on cutting down the frizz. i finally found that diluting the apple cider vinegar rinse a TON helped tremendously on taking away the intensity of the smell. i still get little whiffs of it when i'm working out, but it's tolerable. and worth it because the apple cider vinegar really does goes a long way in the detangling department!
i can't lie, i've had some greasy days. mostly due to my love of coconut oil and josie maran's argan oil and the copious amounts i put all over my body and into the ends of my hair. but a good wash with the baking soda rinse takes it all out! i have to say, i'm happier with the texture of my new shampoo-free hair, although it's less soft than when i was putting a million and one products in it. but somehow less soft also looks better. and i think it seems healthier and stronger. i've been using my mason pearson brush religiously, and i love it! and i find that i can go a couple of days without a rinse, and still have hair i'm happy with. which is ideal because i'm a lazy girl when it comes to beauty!
so there you have it, i'm loving it and not looking back. i think shampoo/conditioner and hair products in general are a thing of the past for me. chime in below if you've tried it and have something to share, i'd love to hear! (and if you're interested, you can read my last progress update here) xx- sarah
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Reader Comments (16)
how awesome that you've committed to this! it seems pretty scary for me, but i am going in a natural direction as well to all-natural shamp0os
kw ladies in navy
The brush you referenced has boar hair non? Maybe that is adding to your greasy days.
Your first poo-free post inspired me to stop using shampoo and conditioner that same day! I'll admit I was pretty lazy about it and never used the baking-soda rinse or the apple cider vinegar combo. I work in a kitchen, but to my surprise the food smells washed away with water and after putting a little coconut oil in my hair after showering it all looked and smelled great, but that was only for the first month. Since week 4 or so my scalp has become increasingly dry. I was bit embarrassed since I have dark brown hair and sometimes you could see flakes *eek!* I've been meaning to research no shampoo solutions for dry scalps, but two days ago I was feeling lazy and desperate and I did it, I reached for the shampoo.. and I must admit I used it and had one of the best hair days of my life. Here I am three days later wondering what my next move is-maybe I'll starting shampooing a couple times a week and see how that treats me.
(Sorry this is extremelyyy long winded-just thought others might have had the same experience and could offer some advice!)
I would love to try this, but my problem is whenever I sleep on my hair, it ends up crazy! Partings all over the place, weird kinks, stands up in the back... Awkward!!
Lydia
lupinelydia.blogspot.com
I have really enjoyed reading along on this journey! As an avid kerastase user, it gets expennnnsive with long hair. Keep it up, you're an inspiration!
I'm so glad you're loving it! I'm a few months in to a shampoo-free lifestyle, and it definitely was the beginning of a lifestyle change for me. I posted about my shampoo-free experience here. I love to hear more people are converting too!
Your timing for this post could be any better. I've been doing the shampoo free thing for about 2 weeks now. I actually almost grabbed for the Pantene bottle in the shower tonight, cause I feel like the baking soda treatment really isn't doing it for me. I've been trying to do it every 3 days, but I feel like my hair can still be pretty greasy (which was never the case until I started this). I think maybe my baking soda solution isn't concentrated enough.
I've also been using a far less concentrated vinegar solution. I added 1 vanilla bean, 1 cinnamon stick, and a few bits of cardamom to mine. Obviously, the more spices you add the less cost effective it is, but my vinegar solution really doesn't smell bad. It just has a faint spicy vinegar aroma. I also have long wavy hair, and am rather lazy about styling it, so I'd be really pleased if I can make this work!
Your post inspired me, who then inspired 2 GFs and a husband, to try going with the BS/ACV. Our results have been like yours. Some experimenting, but mostly happy from the start. One has copious, fine, very curly hair, another has long straight, thin hair, and my hair is more like yours in that it's curly/wavy. The husband has seen his scalp problems immediately clear up.
I too have messed up and made it too greasy a few times because of coconut oil, or leaving in the ACV rinse. Now I rinse it out, since my hair isn't thick enough to handle leaving it in (weighs it down). I also made up (this is for dark hair) a batch of strong rosemary tea and use that to dilute the ACV. Much prefer the scent of rosemary over vinegar. And I follow that with a second, pure rosemary rinse. My hair comes out shiny, not greasy, soft and with body. So much less frizzy. For the past 2 weeks, I haven't used any commercial products at all. Only BS/ACV, coco oil and rosemary. For blondes, camomile probably is the way to go. I haven't used heated styling tools much either.
So thank you! Great inspiration. Other friends may well take the plunge too. Oh, and I agree that it makes hair stronger. I feel like there is less breakage and other hair loss. Yey!