Shampoo Free

I am loosing my hair. Yes, yes...it's true. I'll admit it here and say it for the whole world to know, MY HAIR IS FALLING OUT! This has been going on for some time now. About four years, in fact. It's left me with incredibly thinned down hair, and my hair is super fine already. I've tried using various methods to restore my hair back to it's thin but not balding state, and so far I haven't hit on any "miracle". I've even resorted to using rogaine for women though...I think my problem is not "female pattern baldness" but something more grossly wrong with my body  make up. Probably diet related....but I'll get more into that later.

So, on this journey I started doing research on shampoos and this lead me to articles concerning sulfates and how they affect hair loss. Sulfates are found in most commercial shampoos. They are added for their lathering effects and as detergents. You'll find it listed under the ingredients as Sodium lauryl sulfate or SLS, it is also listed as Sodium Laureth Sulfate, a different but no less controversial ingredient. It is also found in many liquid soaps and body washes, because it creates buckets of frothy lather that we love and are addicted to. Improper use of shampoos containing SLS can lead to hair loss, according to the National Toxic Encephalopathy Foundation. According to the NTEF, hair loss can be the result of poor rinsing that leaves SLS deposits in your hair follicles. These deposits penetrate your scalp and corrode the hair follicle, causing hair loss. MaximumHair.com reports that SLS also affects the rate of new hair growth, which occurs at a rate about eight times slower than normal. In addition, Personal Health Facts reports that NaCL, the salt used as a thickening agent is drying to your hair and, by increasing the potential for breakage, also contributes to hair loss.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/303970-sodium-lauryl-sulfate-hair-loss/#ixzz1ycqBTFxo

So, is it just an issue of not rinsing well? Well, I tried that. I also tried switching to an SLS free organic shampoo. Now, this did help! Quite a bit actually. The brand I used was geared specifically for hair loss. But after using it for a time, I noticed that while my hair seemed not to be falling out, it also seemed less...clean. So back I went, looking into alternatives.

What I hit  upon was going "no 'poo". Now..whomever came up with this Internet moniker deserves a special kick in the pants...but what it is is a shampoo free method of hair care. Yes...no shampoo. At all. There are many variations on this theme and most are met with various results. I decided to start with what seems to be the most popular method, washing your hair with plain old baking soda and apple cider vinegar:

Mix 1 tbsp baking soda with 1 cup of warm/hot water. Wash this into wet hair and scrub the scalp using a brisk circular motion to clean the scalp and hair follicle. Rinse out with warm water. Rinse thoroughly to get all the soda out!

Follow with a mix of 1 cup of warm water mixed with 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar. Work this mixture through your hair and leave it in. This acts as a conditioner and will close up your hair follicle and balance the scalp pH. Towel dry or blow dry as normal.

So, I did this for several weeks, and I'll say right now, your hair does get clean! I tried just washing every two days and my hair was getting...greasy. But, I'd read that your hair goes through an adjustment period and to expect this so I kept with it. I noticed that on wash days, my hair was softy, shiny and curled up more than it ever has before. (It was previously fine and straight!) This is because your hairs natural oils are no longer working against you, but with you! It's a good thing, those oils. They are protective and healthy.

But my hair was still incredibly greasy after four weeks, on non washing days. So I read some more and decided to switch my vinegar rinse up, from apple cider vinegar to straight distilled vinegar. (1 cup water and 1tbsp white vinegar). I do this method the same as with the cider vinegar, just work it through my  hair and let it dry in. It seemed to help somewhat with the grease ball look, but still...it's summer time now and I tend to be extremely sweaty. I may need to move to washing daily.

Here are some other things I've read about doing that I think I will try:

Steep a cup of rosemary tea: 1 sprig of rosemary steeped in 1 cup boiling water. Let this cool and rinse through your hair. This is especially good for hair loss, as rosemary stimulates hair growth. I did try this. I added 1 tbsp of the vinegar to this rinse and used this instead of the plain vinegar at the end. It was nice but I never think to get my "tea" ready before I go wash.

Steep a cup of herbal chamomile tea and do the same, rinsing it through your hair once cooled. This leaves your hair smelling lovely and has a lightening effect for blondes.

Use a mixture of lemon juice (1 tbsp) and water for the rinse, instead of apple cider vinegar. Lemon juice is also supposed to be very helpful for oily hair. I think I'll try this one for sure.

Wash your hair on non wash days, using only hot water. Rub your hair and scalp thoroughly with  your fingers as if washing to remove all build up of salts and oils.

Wash your hair using only conditioner instead of shampoo. I don't know about this one...my hair in general doesn't like conditioner as it tends to weigh it down and make it slick. But I imagine it would work well for somebody with thicker and curlier hair.

Use a tsp of honey in your vinegar rinse (warmed so it thins out). Honey is natural moisturizer and will leave hair soft.

Adjust the amount of baking soda up or down if your hair seems to be getting dry or your scalp gets dandruff. I haven't needed to do this yet, I think 1 tbsp works well for me.

Rub in a small amount of tea tree oil or rosemary oil into your scalp if you get itchy or dandruff. Now, I did try this (tea tree oil). Just a few drops, worked into the roots. I loved the way it smelled! It did leave a bit of "oil" feel though, but this wasn't terrible.

Use a mixture of coconut oil and honey, warmed in the microwave until soft, as a hot oil treatment for hair. Leave in for a time then rinse out and wash as normal.

So, there's a LOT out there to try! I am now nearly 2 months shampoo free and so far, I don't mean to go back. It definitely works, but it also definitely takes a commitment of time and grunge until you've tweaked your routine out enough that you're happy with it. Every bodies hair is different and everybody will find different things work. I'd say, even after two months I'm still in the "adjustment" period. But it's all good! I work at home so a little bit of grunge is no problemo! If it is for you..maybe you can start a new trend in your work place of scarves?

Here is an excellent resource for anybody wanting to explore this further! She gives numerous tips and tricks and has some great trouble shooting ideas:

http://www.pistachioproject.com/2010/01/going-no-poo.html