'No Poo" Saved My Hair

I HAVE FINALLY SOLVED THE PROBLEM OF MY FRIZZY HAIR!

Don't believe me? How about some before-and-after pics?



Seriously.

So what did I do? Did I find some new shampoo? Start some crazy beauty ritual? Did the olive oil treatments start really paying off?

Nope. I stopped using shampoo.

Seriously.



See, a while ago (just before Christmas), I was whining piteously to a friend of mine who is a hair and makeup artist. It was my usual litany of hair complaints: too frizzy, too crispy, too dry, etc. I was asking for hair product advice, because though I am Cheapskate Extraordinaire, I had reached my limits of patience.

She told me to stop shampooing my hair - using conditioner only, and possibly some baking soda. I was skeptical, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

For three weeks, I used only conditioner, then sent her a picture.

Turns out, my hair is actually really wavy. That's odd, because it has been pin straight as long as I've had it. Apparently, the hormonal changes that came with motherhood dramatically changed the texture of my hair!

My friend broke the news gently to me. I need to stop pretending that my hair is something it's not, and accept it for its waviness.

Here's the science in a nutshell (because I love me some science):
1) Your skin makes sebum oil. This is a good thing as it keeps your skin hydrated, supple, and healthy.
2) This oil also protects your hair. It makes it shiny and smooth, and keeps it from breaking and splitting.
3) Soaps, shampoo included, strip this oil and leave your hair and skin dry.
4) Your body compensates by making MORE
5) This cycle continues until we are making way too much oil, and our hair seems this weird mix of greasy at the roots and crispy at the ends.

So, yeah. I have used shampoo about 2-3 times since Christmas, despite showering and washing my hair every other day like clockwork.

Here's what I do instead of the classic shampoo-rinse-repeat-condition thing:

1) Mix 1-2 T of baking soda into one cup of warm water and use it as shampoo.
2) Fill a spray bottle with half white vinegar and half water. Spray on hair, wait a minute or two, and rinse.
Note: Many say to use apple cider vinegar, but the white vinegar I had on hand has been working fine.

That's it.

My hair is clean, and after a month or so, had a much better texture. It doesn't make that crackly dry sound if I rub it between my fingers, and I'M NOT HAVING TO BUY SHAMPOO OR CONDITIONER, OR EXPENSIVE ANTI-FRIZZ STUFF.


A change that cost me no money and no effort? I couldn't be happier.