The No Poo Method: My Experience

I have used countless shampoos and conditioners my whole life! I've always been on the hunt for the "best one" for my hair but have not even come close to finding it. My natural hair is wavy, gets oily by the second day and my scalp also suffers from dryness and mild dandruff. I've tried so many different shampoos and even ones medicated for dandruff. All I got was temporary results and an even drier scalp.

A few months ago, I learned that most shampoos contain harsh chemicals such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) which is an overly drying and irritating cleansing agent.. Since then, I've been on the hunt for a good  "SLS-free" minimalistic shampoo with a short ingredients list. It was only recently that I heard of the "No Poo" method while browsing online one night. Odd name but it basically means giving up completely on traditional shampoos and conditioners on the market.

Trust me, at first I thought this idea was absolutely ridiculous and a little gross to be honest.  I was really skeptical but decided to finally give it a try. The most popular and most simple "no-poo" method consists of the following:

• Baking Soda (?! I know) (1 spoon baking soda in 1 cup of water) as a shampoo replacement
• Apple cider vinegar (half cup ACV and half cup water) as a conditioner replacement

Week 1:  I used this method on my greasy hair that I had deep conditioned with my favourite oils. The Baking Soda + Water combo left my scalp completely clean and yes it got rid of all the greasiness. But, the rest of my hair was still very oily looking. On a plus side, my scalp/roots feels very nourished and healthy without being oily. My scalp doesn't feel itchy/dry as it usually does and I even noticed a reduction in my dandruff.

Week 2: My scalp felt so incredibly dry and itchy and the rest of my hair was so oily! I felt as it had stripped only my scalp of all its natural oils but only made the rest of my hair oily.

Week 3: By this week, I really could not go any longer with an overly dry scalp and incredibly oily hair. I read online that Baking Soda is actually not the best for your hair as it has a very high pH level in comparison to the pH of our scalp and thus can be very damaging. Instead, I used a new SLS/sulfate/paraben-free shampoo that I recently picked up called, Live Clean - Green Earth Invigorating shampoo.

Week 4: As I was searching for home-made shampoo recipes, I came across the Coconut milk + Aloe Vera Shampoo method. This left my hair feeling very soft/smooth but a bit on the oily side. It also didn't really feel like it "cleaned" my hair. I would consider this more of a hair treatment/mask than a shampoo which I will continue to use from time to time.

Currently, I am using the Live Clean - Green Earth Invigorating shampoo. This shampoo is sodium lauryl sulfate free, paraben free and 98% plant derived.  I am really liking this shampoo as it has significantly reduced the dryness of my scalp, reduced dandruff and cleanses my hair very well (even when I've oiled it).

The standard No-Poo was really a No-go for me but switching to a SLS free shampoo has worked amazingly! My "shampoo journey" still continues as I am still on the lookout for an even simpler, more natural shampoo, free of harsh chemicals and a short ingredients list.