"no poo" review

it has officially been one month since i said sayonara to the traditional way of washing my hair and tried out this whole "no poo" thing.   thats right, i have not washed my hair in almost 5 weeks.  gross right?  not really though.  here are a few thoughts on my no poo experience. 

first, let me tell you why i was so turned on by the no poo movement.  i have been reading a lot about our food and what the government allows in our food source.  i am still trying to figure out what i am personally convicted of and what i will choose to not stress over ... but this is a post for another day.  so, when i learn these types of things, it intensifies that overbearing need to control as much as possible.  when i heard about not having to buy shampoo and conditioner, i saw this as an opportunity to stick it to the man.  you know, not conforming to the way that most people wash their hair.  honestly, i didnt do any research about what is so harmful about shampoo.  i was more excited about how much money i would be saving.  

now that you know where why i was motivated to try this out, you can better understand where im coming from.  

what was my hair like before my no poo experiment?  well, basically flat and lifeless.  i have mentioned before how badly my hair holds curl.  its mostly board straight and looks the same way every day.  it is usually very soft and oily with a dry scalp.  over the past 2 years i have been able to train my hair to go two days without a wash.  

why i love no poo:

• did i mention the cost difference?  i love the fact that i can wash my hair with something that costs next to nothing and be found in almost any kitchen.  no more standing in the shampoo isle at target trying to decide between pricey or cheap (and thats the first decision in a long line of decisions).
• ... which brings me to my next point.  i love the thought of not having to make a decision about what shampoo and conditioner to use which makes life that much easier. 
• my hair seems a lot thicker and the texture is a bit different.  i bet if i made time to style it, the style would actually hold.  
• my scalp does appear to be squeaky clean.

what im not in love with no poo:

• i thought i would be able to go a few more days between washes and i cannot.  i am still washing every two days. 
• although my scalp appears to be clean in the part, i have dandruff.  yeah, that part sucks.  it got a little better because i reduced the amount of baking soda i was using.  also, i bought one of those natural bristle brushes that i rubbed on my scalp after applying the baking soda mix.  the worst part is that i never had bad dandruff before.  
• my neck started breaking out.  i guess this is from the natural oils making it further down my hair.  yay for the oils but not so much for my neck.  its not super gross or anything but its those bumps that kind of hurt.  
• tangles!  my hair tangles easily ... it always has.  i use vinegar in the place of conditioner.  it does a pretty good job but my hair still seems to look like a tangled mess.  i think this would change during the warmer months.  it might have something to do with the static and cooler temps.   

things that surprised me about going no poo:

• as far as i know, my hair does not smell bad.  
• at first, i thought i was going to have to go all natural in every aspect of my hair routine. turns out, i can still use products and a blow dryer. 
• i thought the texture had changed enough to use a flat iron to curl it but not so much.  i have not given up totally but im done dreaming about lovely beach waves for now. 

will i continue with no poo? 

i have decided to use regular shampoo and conditioner for a while.  mainly i am tired of my neck breaking out. {if anyone out there has tried this before and has a solution to this issue, please let me know} 

in about a month or two, i am going to get a good haircut and color.  after that, i may try again with fresh ends.  i feel like having shorter hair might help with the tangles and maybe i will make a little more time to style it. 

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here is a picture of my hair (on a dirty day) after one month of no poo.  

if you have any comments or suggestions, please share below.  i would love to get some feedback on your experience!