"No Poo" A Non-Toxic, DIY, Off the Grid Way to Stick it to the Man by not Using Commercial Cosmetics or Shampoo with Toxic Chemicals!

As soon as I heard of the "No Poo" system I knew it was for me.
Just use baking soda to wash and vinegar to condition. Simple. Perfect.
Four obvious reasons off the top of my head to go "No Poo"

• No bottles in the landfill
• No toxic ingredients down the drain and into the water
• No potentially hazardous substances rubbed into my body
• No money spent on "beauty" products that don't really have any effect other than making you buy more cosmetics.

I never had any reservations, I dove head first into No Poo. Pun intended. If I won't put it in my mouth, I don't want to put it on my skin, basically, and I don't want to put sodium laurel sulfate in my mouth or on my body.

I loved it the first time I tried it. My scalp felt clean, my hair was shiny and bouncy. Now, over a year later, the color is deeper, my hair is softer and my scalp itches less than it did when I used shampoo. My hair doesn't get any greasier than when I used shampoo and it looks, feels and smells clean, fresh and healthy with no perfume smell.

This system takes a little getting used to because it isn't the foaming or sudsing shampoo method that you are used to.

This is how I clean my hair.

1/2 cup of baking soda in a 12 oz jar.
Wet hair in the shower
Fill the baking soda jar about half full of water and dump it over head.
Work it in with fingers and let it set for a minute.
Rinse well.

This is how I condition

Method one.
1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar in 12 oz jar.
Mix with 2 cups of water and pour over hair.
You may add essential oils if you want it scented.
Let set for a minute
Rinse.
Repeat if necessary.

Method 2. I have thick curly hair. If your hair is thin this will make it oily looking, so be aware.
After baking soda cleansing, still in the shower, take a drop or two of jojoba, olive or coconut oil in the palm of your hand.
Work it into wet hair, starting at the ends.
Use more oil as necessary.
Rinse well with hot water
Comb through and rinse again.




















Do this daily for a week, then every other day, gradually weaning yourself down to 2 or three times a week or less and you will notice your hair getting less greasy between cleanings. As time goes on I find that I get away with just a warm water rinse more and more often. My hair doesn't feel dry or oily. Just clean, fresh and shiny. Honestly, I feel liberated, free and light, no longer a slave to the lies of the cosmetics industry. But the real question is:

Will you try it? Will you tell others?

Will you take the "No Poo" Challenge? Please, give me your opinion about this method and if you have tried it, chime in and tell your story. I will gladly link blogs. We really need to spread the word about No Poo, the system and the benefits. Just like with any change, people are frightened of the unknown, they don't know what would happen if they stopped using shampoo. Let the world know that shampoo is unnecessary and toxic, please tell your story.

Update, February 2010. Still no poo! I took some photos today so you can see my hair is still clean, soft and not stinky in any way since I quit using shampoo over a year ago.

I rarely use baking soda or oil on my hair anymore, just rinse it with warm water in the shower.

Terrible photos, i know. It's still hard to take photos of the back of my head, even with a camera that has a timer.

And now, without further ado, I present to you, My Scalp, circa Feb 2010.