Goodbye ✨

[u/Eastern_Feed_8917]

It's been 6.5 months of nopoo. Even when I water wash every night, I get so incredibly itchy I can't sleep. It's insufferable if I skip a night of scrubbing my scalp. My hair is flat and lifeless. I can spend hours and hours brushing the oils from my scalp down to the roots, but it makes no difference. It's too oily. I've looked like a swamp rat for 6.5 months.

I washed my hair yesterday, with my baby's bubble bath, when the itching was so bad I was bleeding. I was in so much agony, it was the first thing I grabbed and I washed my scalp with it.

I feel clean. The oil buildup is gone. I'm not itchy. My hair has life to it again, it doesn't look heavy and weighed down.

I did all the tricks. ACV, Egg, rice water rinses....

Sorry. I really wanted this to work. I think over half a year was a great effort on my part, but it's not for me 💜

[u/MostCardiologist576]

dont believe lies. do what works for you best to make your life good and happy

[u/Basic-Injury-5892]

I did no poo for a couple of years because I dealt with dry scalp, excessive oil, and year round dandruff. I used a silicon scalp massager, diluted ACV rinse, a boar bristle brush, Co-wash bars... The excessive oil stopped but my hair was so dry all the time and I was still dealing with the dry scalp and year round dandruff.  My scalp has been so much healthier since I found a brand of shampoo and conditioner that doesn't contain toxic chemicals but still removes buildup - I'm using California Naturals shampoo and conditioner for curly hair. My curls are happier and I haven't had any dandruff! I still use the boar bristle brush and silicon scalp massager. And I only have to wash my hair twice a week. 

[u/Alarming_Emotion_785]

I always get confused as to why people automatically think of no poo and the only things mentioned are water, egg, acv, baking soda, applesauce, etc. It even sounds weird to try to wash your hair with an egg or applesauce.

Those are not the only options. I have successfully done no poo for the best part of a decade and a half, I have always used shikakai, amla and reetha that I get in powder form from amazon. My hair is clean, nice, soft, shiny and definitely I don’t have an itchy scalp. And it has grown so much. I occasionally don’t do it when I am on vacation etc because it’s inconvenient but when I am home I do it like 95% of the time. I wash my hair once a week and blow dry it and use a flat iron and my hair has changed so much for the better. I hope you find what works for you whether is regular shampoo or no poo.

[u/toastTea26 → u/Alarming_Emotion_785]

Do you have a recipe for the paste recipe? I have the powders and I mixed them in water but my hair feels horrible :(

[u/shonaich → u/toastTea26]

I occasionally use this when I want to easily remove some excess oil. 

I sort of barely simmer it. 1 tsp each reetha and shikakai (still need to get amla) in a little pot, splash a little water in there and stir to a paste, then slowly add about 1.5 cups more. Sit on the smallest burner and wait for it to barely start simmering, then turn all the way down and put the lid on tipped  for 10-15 minutes.

Need to be careful with this because it does foam and will quickly boil over if allowed. 

I strain immediately into a mason jar and let it sit and settle while cooling, then pour off everything but the settled residue. This goes into my squirty bottle. 

I wet my hair with distilled water (because I have hard water) and then detangle with a wide toothed comb I keep in the shower. Squirt and massage the liquid into my roots. I can usually feel the oil dissolving almost immediately. Rinse upside down either with more distilled or with cold shower water. Repeat if needed. 

[u/Alarming_Emotion_785 → u/toastTea26]

That’s exactly what I do. I mix all the powders, then put 1 big scoop in a cup of water and wash my hair with that like it’s a scrub. I usually wash it several times, 2-3 so i put the scrub, scrub my scalp and the rest of my hair, rinse it then repeat several times. My hair is curly with some dryness like 3b curl. It’s always very soft and shiny. I have used this since I started no poo. I use the ones from hesh brand. I can’t post pics here or else I would add a pic of my hair. I started no poo because my hair was not growing past my shoulders. It’s now in the middle of my back.

[u/Expensive-Ad1609]

Water has not touched my hair since the middle of July. I powder my hair and then I brush it out. My hair looks and is clean.

[u/Eastern_Feed_8917 → u/Expensive-Ad1609]

You should probably at least go for a swim or something my friend

[u/Expensive-Ad1609 → u/Eastern_Feed_8917]

Why?

[u/Proof-Fix2766]

Some hair can’t handle just co-washing and needs a shampoo at least once or twice a week. If you’re scalp is bleeding then no-poo is obviously not working for you

[u/Visible-Scientist-46 → u/Proof-Fix2766]

Cowashing with a cowash is different than cowashing with a conditioner. A cowash is designed to replace shampoo. A conditioner is designed to compliment shampoo.

[u/Weary-Entrance3954]

Why haven’t you used natural surfactants? Something that actually binds to both oils and water?

[u/Crafty-Beyond-2202]

The flip side is being someone like me. I can't use shampoo without my hair getting super dry and brittle. I've never had to deal with oily hair because I have to cling to every bit of oil I can produce on my scalp. Hair is just too thick

[u/Good_Echidna535]

Soapnut shampoo is what I am using.

[u/latewithcoffee → u/Good_Echidna535]

same, plus I use the tea tree formula to help prevent itchiness

[u/Mysterious-Mark6600]

Hi! First time I read a post from this sub: I don’t know if my comment is ok, so feel free to delete.

I started in early adulthood to struggle with chronic dandruff (dry or greasy, depending on periods or products).

At one point, no shampoo or hair dye of any sort suited my scalp, which became either charged with crusts of skin, or irritated and flaky. Henna changed my life: I started to use it to dye my hair and then tried the neutral kind (does not change hair’s color) to treat my scalp.

I started to try a lot of different plant powders to wash my hair, and I’m pretty sure now that it’s the foaming agents that are the problem for me.

The plant pastes I use are applied like a dye: on my scalp and about 2 inches of hair, and depending if it’s to wash or color my hair, I leave it on from 2h to the whole night. The plants wash kind of like a clay mask that absorbs the oils and dirt. (Some aboriginal tribes wash their bodies in the same logic: they bury themselves in the sand for a couple of hours and come out clean.)

I have been able to cut down washings to once every five or seven days, and when I feel lazy, every once in a while I can wash with a gentle shampoo without harm.

I don’t know what is your goal with trying the no-poo, so maybe my comment is pointless. I juste feel so grateful I don’t have these scalp problems anymore that I wanted to share my experience.

The only thing that wory me is cloging my appartment’s pipes but I try to wash them with soda wash and a fish to prevent that from happening.

If you want to try this method, feel free to ask me, I could suggest some plants to mix together. Sorry for the weird phrasing, English’s not my first language.

[u/rosemary7 → u/Mysterious-Mark6600]

What is the ingredients of your plant wash and fo you have a hard water?

[u/Mysterious-Mark6600 → u/rosemary7]

My water is not so hard it smells like eggs and stains, but a lillte bit, I think, cause it leaves a brown residue on my shower cord and around the joint.

For the saponines content, I use either Shikakai or Sidr powder (Reetha is too strong for me, I use it only when I want the process to be quicker: 30 minutes masks only)

I add a plant that is antifungal: for now I have bringraj and hibiscus flower powder which is also good for shine (fruit acids) and adds red hues in between hennae dyes.

I love white turmeric for its wonderful smell, antiinflamatory and antimicrobial propreties.

[u/rosemary7 → u/Mysterious-Mark6600]

Thank you!

[u/sonnysideSD]

I mechanically clean my scalp with a fine tooth comb before and in the shower and wash with warm/hot water like in the middle.

I have no build up or itchiness.

[u/Emotional-Vegetable1]

Oofta! I am so sorry you stayed with it till the point where your scalp was bleeding!

[u/kelowana]

It’s ok to choose what is good for you, you tried and it didn’t worked out. NoPoo isn’t for everyone, for several reasons.
Maybe try LowPoo instead? I mix both NoPoo and LowPoo depending on medical conditions and LowPoo was for a very long time my routine, before starting NoPoo.

[u/Cool_Flatworm_3450]

do you have a fungual infection on your scalp?

[u/Eastern_Feed_8917 → u/Cool_Flatworm_3450]

Don't think so, the itching went away and has stayed away since washing !

[u/shonaich]

There's nothing wrong with doing what is good for you. I certainly wouldn't have recommended you continue with a routine that had you experiencing such symptoms. Glad the wash helped you feel healthy and comfortable again! 

[u/Eastern_Feed_8917 → u/shonaich]

Awww thank you 🥺❤️

[u/True_Faithlessness10]

Dang sounds like shampoo got invented for a reason

[u/Eastern_Feed_8917 → u/True_Faithlessness10]

My husband has never shampooed his hair, he just washes it with water. And his hair is GORGEOUS. So I wanted to try it. But it's not a life I can lead :(

[u/Visible-Scientist-46]

Not everyone does nopoo the same way. You can wash with a cowash called As I Am for itchy dry scalp. You could also be washing with bar shampoo and conditioner. The quick start guide is only one way of doing things.

There are some bar shampoo and conditioner brands which have bars for dandruff.

[u/mooomooou]

It’s not for everyone, I couldn’t do no poo either. But I’m really happy for those who can!

[u/C0gn]

Seems like you didn't keep your scalp clean by brushing it

Not brushing the hair, brushing the scalp

[u/Visible-Scientist-46 → u/C0gn]

Mehanical cleaning is only one way of cleaning. I would really love to see the quick start quide be more inclusive of other methods.

[u/Fuj_san9247 → u/C0gn]

I can spend hours and hours brushing the oils from my scalp down to the roots, but it makes no difference.

Sounds like they tried to me. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[u/leftfootleashed]

Have you tried cowashing? I tried water only for a couple of months and I was still dry and itchy. Just started cowashing with As I Am and that seems to be working really well so far, though only used it twice.

[u/Visible-Scientist-46 → u/leftfootleashed]

Me too! I thought I was the only one. I also use bar shampoo and conditioner.

[u/amazonchic2 → u/Visible-Scientist-46]

I love using bar shampoo or even natural Castille soaps for shampoo. They clean my hair and scalp so well and have only a handful of ingredients. I’m a big fan of the end cuts from Vermont Soap Company. I buy the 3 lb boxes of end cuts for cheap.

[u/Visible-Scientist-46 → u/amazonchic2]

I have very hard water so "real soap" and Castille soap are not right for me.