Hair Update

I'm still excited about this no-poo hair regime, even after 3.5 months. I'm thrilled actually. Something I thought of this morning while massaging away with the baking soda is that my hair is a lot more predictable, behaviour-wise, than when using regular shampoos and conditioners. Often I would wash and dry my hair and it wouldn't behave like it did the previous wash. This caused great frustration when I was getting ready to go out in the evening (like that ever happens now). My hair in these photos was lightly styled in the morning, but not brushed prior to the photos. When it is brushed it goes rather silky. But I like it a bit tousled and messed up. The natural shine you get from just using ACV is amazing too. It beats serums hands down. Serums build up anyway, and can leave hair looking lank.

The only other product I use is a bit of Jojoba oil on the mid-lengths to ends. I tried coconut oil but didn't like it - for one, it solidifies when cool and this made my hair look a bit icky. The jojoba oil, as I've mentioned before, is closest to hair sebum and works really well for me.

I am still using just apple cider vinegar, rather than honey ACV - the latter made my hair a bit heavier. Nice every now and then for conditioning but on a regular basis - washing my hair 2-3 times per week - the ACV is light and works best.

My pallid complexion in these shots has something to do with Audrey waking me up every 45-90 minutes throughout the night - nasty! Two coffees have perked me up, and I managed a small smile for the camera so can't be doing too badly (yet, wait until evening comes).

If you are considering going no-poo, I totally recommend you give it a go. If you don't like it (and often it comes down to working out the best ratio of bicarb/ACV) then you can always revert back to your usual products.

The no-poo method is a nice money saver though, quite the bonus on top of healthy hair. So far, no turning back for me.

one month progress update

One month into the bicarb experiment, wowee. All is still going well (i.e. no going back), though the challenge the past week or two has been working out a suitable formula from this point on, i.e. one that washes my hair but doesn't dry out my ends. I went with the paste method this morning so I could just concentrate washing the target areas (crown, temples, nape) without exposing the ends to a wash that wasn't necessary. Then I finished with a more concentrated HACV rinse. I still don't know if this is the perfect formula for me, but will just play around with the quantities each wash until I find one most suitable.

Lucy also had her second bicarb wash, and it's silky and thick and stays cleaner for much longer. That has to be a great thing, as Lucy doesn't really care for her hair being washed. I mean, the water being dumped on her head, the random eye-stinging from roving suds; enough to make any toddler run for Dirty-Hair Hill. The bicarb method is quick to do, and as it doesn't lather I think it's a bit kinder on the eyes.

One gripe I do have, and I don't know if it's common or not (do you?) is after the HAVC rinse, my shoulders (where the rinse has run on to) itch like mad and I come out in tiny bumps. This subsides pretty quickly, but I don't know if I'm having a common or allergic reaction, or maybe the pH of the HACV is different to my skin. Or maybe the my formula is too strong in general.

I might actually try a beer rinse next wash. When Brendan heard this I got the feeling from the look in is eyes that I wouldn't be touching his beer. 'Go buy some cheap beer...' I heard him mutter.

My hair prior to my bedtime brush (and prior to a wash)

Hair post brush

I read you are supposed to brush your hair morning and night to help distribute the natural oils down the hair shaft. I have been wanting to buy a Mason Pearson brush for as long as I can remember. Maybe now is the time.

my week three and lucy's first wash

Lucy was pleased (sic) to have her first bicarb/HACV wash today. It didn't sting her lovely blue eyes, was overall very easy to do, and left her with the silkiest, shiniest, softest hair. I kept looking at it and touching it and remarking on it to Lucy. I am her mother though, and mothers do things like that. Seriously, I am super impressed and although she wouldn't let me give it a good brush, the parts I did manage to brush were done with relative ease. That's the main reason I wanted to try this for Lucy, as I've heard its great for knots and tangles. So fingers crossed it does the trick. If so, Lucy may even warm to hair brushing again.


Also, I am still really pleased with how this is going for me. I have to say again, and this might sound odd, my hair looks like real hair again. Rather than going fly-away when I brush it, the more I brush it the better it looks. Full of body and feeling nicely moisturised. To hell with shampoo! And still using only a little spray on the odd day. No other styling products at all (despite a drawer full of them). And if you knew me, you would say that in itself was a miracle.

So exciting.

day sixteen

I feel I've been doing this forever now (but obviously only sixteen days)! I've tried both a bicarb liquid and a bicarb paste formulation, and for my hair prefer the liquid. That is:

The Wash: 1C water with 1T baking soda/bicarb dissolved. Pour into a recycled shampoo bottle or similar, and pour over the hair. I often get 2-3 washes from a bottle, so obviously I'm using a lot less bicarb per wash than others might.

I did try the paste method (1T bicarb mixed with a little water to a paste, then worked into the scalp/hair) but it felt too drying for the way my hair is right now. Maybe I just left it in too long? Whatever the reason, I prefer the liquid/dilute version.

The Rinse: 2T honey cider vinegar in 1C water, poured into another bottle, which I then pour onto my hair. Again, this amount lasts a few washes.

To Finish: Once towel-dried, I rub a few drops of Jojoba oil through the mid lengths to ends. If blow drying, I apply the Jojoba oil first, and may add a touch more as a finisher depending on how my hair is looking/feeling. Jojoba oil is the closest to human hair and skin oil, and I find it is great for adding moisture and shine.

Since starting this my hair feels sufficiently clean and shiny, has plenty of body and texture, and has almost diminished my need for styling products with the exception of a little spray on occasion. When I tie it up or back, it holds better than it did when using conventional shampoos and conditioners. I found then that I needed products to thicken it up.

Here are some photos of my hair over the last week (natural/unstyled):



So, all in all, I am really happy with the way this is going and have no intention of stopping. I have yet to wash Lucy's hair with it, but am keen to do it soon as I've heard it helps with knots and tangles. Lucy is comb-shy now, so tends to have a head of tufty blonde hair. She's still beautiful though, tufts, tangles and knots aside!