No 'Poo Experience After One Month

I seriously need to get back to blogging! I miss it. As you have notice, I changed the background up. I was getting tired of the bright orange and wanted something a little more suttle. :-P

No 'poo seems to becoming very popular these days as a lot of people are finding all the harsh chemicals in commercial shampoos and conditioners.

I decided to jump on the band wagon as I was doing some research on DIY facial cleaners. I was trying to look for something I could use as I was still breastfeeding Pirate Prince, that wouldn't effect my breast milk since our body absorbs so much through our skin. I came across an oil facial cleaner and skin toner. I really love how the oil isn't harsh on your skin what so ever and it feels like you are at the spa when you put the warm washcloth over your face before washing the oil off. The toner, for me, was drying my skin out a lot since I live in the desert. I did find a moisturizer recipe I want to try, but haven't had the chance to buy all the ingredients to make it yet. (Just need cocoa butter!)

Of course, once the searching for homemade facial cleaners started, it took me down the road to DIY shampoos and conditioners.

I was getting tired of having to search for coupons for the type of shampoo I was using (TRESemme), and still not saving as nearly as much as I would like with the coupon. I already make my own household cleaners, so why not start making my own hair and body cleaners! I'm not going to go into much details about the different chemicals that I have no idea what they are, to know that homemade is always best!

Growing up as a teen, I had the most frizzy hair of all time! My hair type is wavy with curls at the end (depending on how long my hair is. If it's short, I just have waves and puffiness). The only way it wouldn't be frizzy was if I added products to my hair and scrunched it. I have gone through many hair cuts, from super long (passed my mid-back) to an a-line bob (more so because little ones pull the hairs on the nape of my neck). No matter what style hair cut I have, it is always frizzy.

Long hair;  I was 12 weeks pregnant with Princess Pea.

Hair sitting on the shoulders, no layers

Product in my hair and scrunched; with layers

A-line bob; the shortest my hair has ever been!

Any who, I came across a lot of recipes, but my most favorite was a homemade herbal shampoo (recipe below). The recipe reminded me of the herbal essence shampoo I had used all throughout high school and I loved the smell of them! The recipe also called for essential oils , so I dug a little deeper to find some for a good price. I got lavender, lemon, and peppermint (for the toner) from here. I found even better prices for essential oils from here, so I think I will be going to this one from now on.

As with any kind of homemade shampoo, you WILL go through a transitional phase. Depending on your hair type will depend on how long the phase will be. Mine took at least a month before it stopped looking and feeling greasy. So stick with it, I promise you will notice the difference!

Herbal Shampoo Recipe:
8 oz of boiling water
3 oz liquid castile soap
1-2 TBSP of dried herbs of choice
20-60 drops of essential oils
1/4 tsp of jojoba oil or olive oil (adjust as needed- use more for drier hair or omit completely for oily hair)

Make an herbal infusion by pouring boiling water over the herbs, cover, and allow them to steep for at least 4 hours. Strain the herbs out and pour the reserved liquid into a bottle, then add Castille soap and oils. Your herbal shampoo is now ready to use! Always shake well before use since the contents will naturally separate.

I found pretty much all the ingredients where I bought the lavender, lemon and peppermint essential oils, including the bottles and a pump top. I bought the jojoba oil from iherb.com for a reasonable price as jojoba oil can be expensive, but it is great for hair and scalp. 

The first time I made this, I doubled the recipe to fit in a 16 ounce shampoo bottle, but I have to admit that I misread how much jojoba oil to use and instead of the 1/2 teaspoon (for a double batch) that was called, I used 1/2 cup! DOH! My hair was WAY greasy....I mean gross, like I hadn't taken a shower for a week long, greasy! I dumped the bottle out and redid it with the right amount of jojoba oil in it, but I was mad at myself since I used up most of the oil from the 8 oz bottle I bought. After the redo, my hair was still greasy as it was going through the transitional phase, but it was better looking then the first wash! 

Before going no 'poo

about a month after no 'poo

After the month of trying it out, the greasiness settled and my hair felt lovely! Only problem was still the frizziness, but it felt heavy and flatten out my hair. On top of that, I was still finding my hair to be a tangled up mess, more so then when I was using commercial shampoo. I was also loosing a lot of hair every time I combed and brushed it. I did some more searching and found that, for those who have been no 'pooing for many months/ years that resembled closely to my hair style, were doing a baking soda cleanser and ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) rinse. Yes, Apple Cider Vinegar! A lot of people have come out with fantastic results by doing this method of the baking soda and ACV rinse AND were not washing their hair as often (as it's supposed to be when you no 'poo). So I found a recipe for a ACV rinse that does NOT smell too much like the vinegar and it has worked wonders within a matter of one washing! There is still some frizz involved, but my hair is much easier to manage and felt much lighter in weight! I think once I have gone through my last bottle of herbal shampoo, I will start doing the baking soda cleanser. I also just recently started drying my hair with an old t-shirt as terry cloth towels are a big no-no for curly/wavy haired people. Now if only I can get Pirate Prince to stop pulling my hair out, I'll be set!

Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse:
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 TBSP aloe vera gel
1 TBSP honey
8 drops peppermint oil
8 drops tea tree oil

Combine all ingredients in a bottle and shake well. After cleansing, squirt all over scalp and hair. Allow it to sit for a few minutes and enjoy the tingle. Rinse well. Be sure to smell you concoction! It have a minty smell with a undertone of vinegar.

I did not have tea tree oil or aloe vera gel on hand so I used lavender with the peppermint oil and just omitted the aloe vera altogether. If you have scalp problems, like psoriasis, I would go ahead and keep the aloe vera. Honestly, you cannot smell the lavender oil as peppermint is a very strong smelling oil to begin with! If you are worried about the ACV smell, have no fear! It goes away once you rinse it off and even when your hair dries! I even smelled my hair while it was still wet and nothing! I could smell the minty freshness of the peppermint though! :-P

I think I like sextupled the recipe as I had 1 1/2 cups of Apple Cider Vinegar left in the pantry. At least I will have some to refill my little 8 oz squirt bottle as I run out of it! :-D To mix this much up, I used my big stock pot and a wooden spoon, then scooped it out with a measuring cup and poured it into an old shampoo bottle through a funnel. Not all of it would fit, so once the 32 oz bottle was filled, I used the ACV glass bottle for the rest of it.

After one washing with the ACV rinse.
(Princess Pea took this one for me, not too bad for a 6 year old!)

I love how my waves and curls are looking in this photo! I also just recently cut my hair by myself. Well, more like a trim. I ended up making a subtle V-shape for the longest part of my hair and actually defined my layers more, and trimmed my bangs a little shorter as they were the same length as my top layer. I found a great youtube tutorial for cutting long layers (and she is a no 'pooer too!) The tutorial I used to trim my bottom layer was from here. There is also a youtube video for those of us that learn things visual that shows this technique for the u-shape. I was going for the u-shape, but I like the way it turned out! 

Hopefully over the courses of the month, I can update how the no 'pooing is going!

If you ever decide to jump on the band wagon of no 'pooing, you will not be disappointed! 

Happy Thursday!

If you are a no 'pooer, what has been your experience?