Is No-Poo for you? How to go low-impact with your hair
No-poo, or low-poo, eschews conventional shampoos. Wellness and environmental influencers are doing it–should you?
Going no-poo can mean more money in your wallet and a lower environmental footprint. It can also mean healthy, shiny and low-maintenance hair.
Dispelling Some No-Poo Myths
Will my hair get really greasy?
If you’re washing your hair daily, prepare for backlash. Hair needs some time to recalibrate. How long this torturous process lasts depends on the individual. You can wean yourself off and wash fewer times per week before starting no-poo. You can also scritch and preen to keep your greasiness at bay.
Yes, there will be a time–hopefully blissfully short–where you’ll have slightly greasy hair. Try camouflaging greasy hair with beachy waves with the Lunata touch-up hair styler. You can also try clarifying masks, a clarifying rinse, dry shampoo and some really creative style looks with scarves and headbands.
Lastly, a hat works great–especially at this time of year!
Will my hair smell?
No-poo shampoo methods, such as apple cider vinegar, upon application may smell but it should disappear once your hair is dry.
Is there THE way to do no-poo?
There are some really popular ways to do no-poo. Baking soda and apple cider vinegar, which is a popular way to no-poo, is actually not the best choice in the long run. Besides that, there’s no one way to do no-poo. Just experiment with different methods until you find one that best works for you!
Am I going to be dirty doing no-poo?
Going no-poo doesn’t mean you never wash your hair. You may end up shampooing more than once a week. Wash your hair using no-poo as you would with traditional shampoos: giving your scalp and roots a thorough cleanse and rinse completely.
No-Poo “Shampoo” Methods
Flour
Rye flour as shampoo is messy but effective! This recipe from the Huffington Post is one to check out.
Clay-based shampoos
Clay cleansing is essentially shampooing with clay-based hair masks. Deciding on the type of clay you use will largely depend on hair type. Play around with how long you leave it in your hair and rinse thoroughly.
Water only
The big guns. Water only seems to work particularly well for curly hair. Despite no additional ingredients you will need to brush diligently to distribute oils to your ends and rinse thoroughly.
Troubleshooting No-Poo
How do I battle dandruff?
First, make sure your dandruff is dandruff. Sometimes it can anything from psoriasis to dry skin. Rubbing your scalp with coconut oil and avoiding very hot showers can help eliminate or minimize dandruff.
No-poo isn’t working for me. Am I doing this wrong?
To go no-poo is to play the long game. Push through and keep a diary of any changes and adjust accordingly.
