Soap? Who needs it?
Mar. 23rd, 2014 05:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mousmeI have decided, more or less on a whim, to use fewer chemical products in my life. I am starting with myself. So starting today I stopped using shampoo or any other kind of hair product. I plan on weaning myself off chemical products entirely, one at a time, and today was (hopefully) my last day of shampoo.
I had already noticed in the past that the more often I washed my hair, the oilier my scalp got, essentially because chemical shampoos actually dry out the natural oils in the scalp, so the scalp overcompensates by producing even more oil, resulting in a "greasy hair" look after two days or even less. So I'd been making a point of no longer washing my hair every two days, but rather every four to five days, and I'd already noticed a difference. While my hair was still kind of greasy, it was nowhere near the levels of ick that I had previously attained.
I found a "no shampoo" method that involves making a baking soda paste in lieu of shampoo, and then using ~1 tbsp apple cider vinegar/1 cup water as a conditioner. The idea is to use that for a couple of weeks, and then switch to water only to help the hair and scalp return to their normal balance.
I'd already waited about a week to wash my hair at all, and I've been brushing it a lot more than I usually do, since research and common sense tells me that this used to be the preferred method for keeping one's hair presentable. Brushing allows the sebum your scalp is producing to be spread more evenly along the hair (which is what conditioners do artificially for you anyway), and it's how women did things before the advent of modern shampoo. I haven't quite been doing the "100 strokes" thing, because honestly the brushing sort of makes my head sore, but lots more brushing than usual. I did notice that my hair was already softer by the end of the week.
So I hopped in the shower, "washed" my hair with the baking soda goop and "conditioned" with the apple cider vinegar solution, and expected my hair to be clean but maybe lacking in the texture department. As it turns out, I am super pleased. My hair shiny and soft and perfectly manageable, and I keep creepily petting my own hair. Yes, I'm strange, but it's very very soft.
I can't say that this will work for everyone, of course. No idea what it would do for people with very curly hair, or afro-textured hair, or anything else. I have straight (well, moderately wavy) auburn hair that's about medium in terms of thickness and quantity.
Anyway, so far so good. If I'm able to get this down to a no-shampoo-forever routine, I'll then tackle the issue of soap and cleansers. My skin hasn't been completely clear since high school, so even if it doesn't help I'm sure having no chemicals on my face won't hurt, either. There's good anecdotal evidence for no soap to result in skin that's much less dry, so I'm optimistic on that front. We shall see.
I had already noticed in the past that the more often I washed my hair, the oilier my scalp got, essentially because chemical shampoos actually dry out the natural oils in the scalp, so the scalp overcompensates by producing even more oil, resulting in a "greasy hair" look after two days or even less. So I'd been making a point of no longer washing my hair every two days, but rather every four to five days, and I'd already noticed a difference. While my hair was still kind of greasy, it was nowhere near the levels of ick that I had previously attained.
I found a "no shampoo" method that involves making a baking soda paste in lieu of shampoo, and then using ~1 tbsp apple cider vinegar/1 cup water as a conditioner. The idea is to use that for a couple of weeks, and then switch to water only to help the hair and scalp return to their normal balance.
I'd already waited about a week to wash my hair at all, and I've been brushing it a lot more than I usually do, since research and common sense tells me that this used to be the preferred method for keeping one's hair presentable. Brushing allows the sebum your scalp is producing to be spread more evenly along the hair (which is what conditioners do artificially for you anyway), and it's how women did things before the advent of modern shampoo. I haven't quite been doing the "100 strokes" thing, because honestly the brushing sort of makes my head sore, but lots more brushing than usual. I did notice that my hair was already softer by the end of the week.
So I hopped in the shower, "washed" my hair with the baking soda goop and "conditioned" with the apple cider vinegar solution, and expected my hair to be clean but maybe lacking in the texture department. As it turns out, I am super pleased. My hair shiny and soft and perfectly manageable, and I keep creepily petting my own hair. Yes, I'm strange, but it's very very soft.
I can't say that this will work for everyone, of course. No idea what it would do for people with very curly hair, or afro-textured hair, or anything else. I have straight (well, moderately wavy) auburn hair that's about medium in terms of thickness and quantity.
Anyway, so far so good. If I'm able to get this down to a no-shampoo-forever routine, I'll then tackle the issue of soap and cleansers. My skin hasn't been completely clear since high school, so even if it doesn't help I'm sure having no chemicals on my face won't hurt, either. There's good anecdotal evidence for no soap to result in skin that's much less dry, so I'm optimistic on that front. We shall see.
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no subject
Date: 2014-03-23 10:11 pm (UTC)Vinegar is an acid. Is a chemical. So is baking soda. Now, they may be better for you (and your hair) in the long run than SLS, but the cider vinegar works partly because it strips the excess sebum from your hair and scalp, and the baking soda is an abrasive as well as a base that achieves much the same ends.
I tried this method for about three or four months, and my scalp never settled, although I do know lots of people who have had really good results with it. For me, what I also noticed is that I got gunky sebum buildup at the base of all my brushes and combs, which was gross and also leaving gross stuff in my hair when I brushed it. [My hair also is just curly enough that it looks better if I comb it, then wash it, and leave it to dry without combing or brushing, so I might not have been brushing it enough to move everything through... but the more I brushed the more gross hair gunk i got on my brushes :(]
The other thing I had issues with since my hair is sooo looong (which I think is partly why I had so much extra crap to deal with? I don't know) is that the ends would get really dry. However I have had really good luck with just using a little bit of coconut oil on the ends, and I know other people have tried other light natural oils (grapeseed, jojoba (which is a wax but close enough), etc) for that as well.
I've gone back to only washing it about once a week with a natural soap, and my hair and head seem happier with that so far.
As far as non-soap body cleaning, I like a nice olive oil(extra olive) and brown sugar scrub, with a bit of pepper or nutmeg for grit/scent. It feels sooo nice! But I've never tried using anything like that on the regular, just once in a while as a treat. I should make some of that up tonight, hmmm :D
no subject
Date: 2014-03-23 11:02 pm (UTC)The idea is that eventually the baking soda and vinegar will be set aside in favour of only water. No idea if it'll work, or maybe I'll have to stick with baking soda and vinegar once a week, or if after a few weeks I'll just decide "fuck it" and go back to shampoo. Time will tell. :)
The website I found did stress the important of cleaning one's hairbrush. Your experience seems to corroborate that. Luckily I've always been a bit obsessive about cleaning my hairbrushes all my life (my mother instilled that in me).
I will keep the tip about oil in mind for when my hair gets longer, in case I need it.
Thanks!
no subject
Date: 2014-03-23 11:10 pm (UTC)I have tried cleaning my brushes but I can't figure out what to use, so I'd totally take suggestion on that if you've got any! My hair is so thick/long that it collects a lot of dust on top of everything, so it all sort of mats together. I clean the hair out and such regularly, but it is the other gross head stuff that won't come off -_- I got a boar bristle brush, since they are supposed to be better at distributing the natural oils as well as for smoothing, and it is the worse because the bristles are so dense :/ That and my fine toothed comb -_-
no subject
Date: 2014-03-23 11:13 pm (UTC)Sorry!
no subject
Date: 2014-03-24 02:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-24 04:20 am (UTC)I can report more anecdotal evidence for no-soap though! I've really liked it. I used to have to use moisturizers on my elbows and legs, especially in the winter, but ever since I stopped using soap, my skin has been able to balance itself and I no longer have cracked-gross elbows or dry legs.
In terms of acne, I still do get it from time to time - usually around that certain time of month, but I think I've been having less of it overall.
My hair is super greasy, worse in Vancouver than in Ontario - I'm guessing it's climate related, because I can't find any other reason for it. I've always been too afraid to stop using shampoo, because I'm super self-conscious about what my hair looks like. Basically, if I haven't washed it THAT DAY, then I'm wearing a hat everywhere, because it's not fit to be seen. The good news is that I work from home, so I can still go a few days between washings, but yeah - I am not seeing anyone or going anywhere during those days.
Anyway, good luck!! Let me know how it goes! :)
no subject
Date: 2014-03-24 01:03 pm (UTC)I haven't researched "no soap" but I do use Dr. Bronner's, and that in extremely judicious moderation.
no subject
Date: 2014-03-24 02:55 pm (UTC)I tried water-only, but didn't find it cleansed enough; YMMV, obviously. Good luck with the transition! :)