For people who know me personally, I have gone through a lot of hair changes. From having highlights in middle school because you know it was the coolest trend back in 2012, to dying my hair a different color every summer. During the summer, I honestly washed it twice a week. Maybe even once a week. Which keep in mind it doesn't mean that I didn't take a shower. I did shower about four times a week but washing my hair was only once or twice a week.
My hair during the summer was very healthy. It was never oily, greasy or smelled bad. I was proud of how healthy it was. But when school came, I realized that my hair was a mess. Coming home from summer camp where there is no pollution to going to school right in the middle of a booming city caused a lot of problems with my hair. I could tell that it wasn't as healthy as it used to be so when one of my roommates cut her hair into a bob, I decided to follow and cut my hair short as well.
The first week was a complete shock for me. My hair got so oily! I was so surprised that my hair can even produce oil cause I have never had that happen. I also realized that the amount of shampoo and conditioner plays a part in how oily it gets. So after a week of having my hair short, I was regretting it. I wish I never cut it short. I truly missed my long hair and how carefree I could be with it.
When I was scrolling through Pinterest and I found a movement that is all about hair I had to look into it. The movement is called "No 'Poo" which is basically people using no shampoo or conditioner. Now at first I was like what do they wash their hair with? But doing some more research about it, I was surprised about what I found. The people heading the movement are all about getting rid of the chemicals that harm their hair and find natural ways to wash their hair.
The two main products these "No 'Poo" users use is baking soda and vinegar. The baking soda is in a sense the shampoo. Users turn it into a paste by mixing it with water in the shower and massage it into your scalp. The main key is to make sure you rinse the baking soda out of your hair completely because you don't want it to mix with the vinegar which is considered the rinse or conditioner.
The writers state that the first two to six weeks will be the most difficult because of the oil that your hair will release and you trying to find the correct amount of baking soda and vinegar. The people participating in the movement say to keep moving forward during those weeks because the results are amazing. The writers say that their hair feels and looks healthier. As well as being healthy, they said that their hair looks and feels thicker. Beside baking soda and vinegar, you can find many recipes for homemade shampoo and healthier alternatives then the chemicals in store bought shampoo.
My thoughts on this movement? Well, I have done the "Low 'Poo" movement as they call it. That movement is using No Paraben and No Sulfate shampoo. I did that when I was dying my hair a lot. Using Paraben and Sulfate free shampoo allows your color to stay in your hair longer than if you used other shampoos. Going "No 'Poo" is something that I never thought of doing. But with my hair being so oily and losing hair due to stress, it is something that I am thinking about. There are multiple sources you can look into for more information for these movements. So if you are thinking about doing this movement, I suggest starting with the "Low 'Poo" movement and then switching to the "No 'Poo" journey.