Why I Don’t Wash My Hair . . Last year I stopped washing my hair, This is kind of a misnomer, I do actually wash my hair, but I refuse to use commercial products to do so ever since I discovered 3 incredible things . . .
- That I can make my own shampoo and conditioner for less than $5 per year
- That my homemade Shampoo and Conditioner is all natural, organic and (manufactured) chemical free
- That nearly ALL commercially sold shampoo & conditioners contain toxic ingredients<
I actually wash my hair with a super cheap shampoo that I make in under 5 minutes flat for just pennies per bottle. This homemade clear shampoo is organic and leaves my long hair silky smooth, soft and bouncy without stripping the hair of it’s natural oils.
I stopped using “store-bought” shampoos because they often made my scalp itch (so badly in fact that I would have to take Benadryl after a shower!).
The very first time I washed my hair with my homemade shampoo, it foamed- a LOT- to the point where I started to wonder if someone was pranking me and standing above me dumping a high sudsing shampoo on top of my head!! I wasn’t being pranked- it was the baking soda cleaning & stripping the nasty remnants of expensive (useless) shampoos from my hair.
I’ve been using my own ‘Poo Free Homemade Shampoo for about a year now with results that are nothing short of amazing.
Here’s how I make my own organic shampoo that works wonderfully on dandruff, oily hair, dry hair, thin hair, thick hair, and bald heads.
No Poo Shampoo Trial Size Recipe:
Here is reduced version of our No Poo shampoo recipe if you’d like to give it a try without a big commitment.
Shampoo
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
2 cups Water
1 condiment bottle (from the dollar store!)
Add the baking soda to the bottle, fill with water, seal, shake well to combine. Shake just prior to use as the contents will settle.
No Poo Conditioner Recipe
2 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
2 cups water
1 condiment bottle (from the dollar store!)
Add vinegar to the bottle, fill with water, seal and shake well to combine.
If you’d like to add scent:
No Poo Shampoo Family Size Recipe:
Shampoo
1 Tbs. Baking Soda
64 oz Recycled bottle
Water
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add the baking soda, stir till dissolved.
- Fill the 64 oz container half full of cold water, add the dissolved baking soda mixture to it, fill to the top with water.
- This makes 64 oz of homemade shampoo. (About a month worth for 2 people) Cap, shake gently before use.
Technically you don’t have to boil the water in order to dissolve the baking soda, but I prefer this method because then the “shampoo” doesn’t separate when it sets for long periods of time.
Conditioner
1 c. Apple Cider Vinegar
64 oz Recycled Bottle
Pour the vinegar into the 64oz bottle, add water to fill. Cap, shake gently before use. If you prefer to make the larger recipe, we recommend getting the condiment bottles to keep in the shower (for space saving reasons!) and just refill them as needed.
How to use the Homemade Shampoo
First, you don’t need to wash your hair every day, nor should you. Washing your hair daily strips it of the natural oils your body produces to protect your hair.
- Wet your hair well, squirt or pour the homemade shampoo onto your hair and gently massage it into the hair and scalp like you would any shampoo.
- Repeat the process with the homemade conditioner. This natural shampoo is also a wonderful anti-dandruff shampoo.
What does my hair look like after using the No Poo Shampoo & Conditioner Treatment
Here’s what my hair looks like using my own homemade shampoo and conditioner:
As you can see, my hair is not greasy, oily, dry, frizzy, etc. It’s actually much easier to comb out using the homemade conditioner than it is with commercial conditioners.
What’s Wrong with Commercial Shampoos?
Due to years and years of clever marketing, the average consumer has been duped into naturally assuming the following:
- Thicker is Better– the thicker the shampoo or conditioner (or detergent, etc) is, the better it will work. Ah, but therein lies the rub, this guarantees that the purchaser will overuse the product and need to purchase even more.
- Suds are necessary to Clean– that bountiful lather sure does make you feel like something is happening! (We recently saw the effects of this trend in our homemade Laundry Sauce Recipe. Many were concerned that the homemade detergent wasn’t working because it didn’t create enough suds.
- Pretty is Perfect- it’s got to be pretty in order to make you pretty right? That means it’s loaded with swirly colors (pinks, purples, greens) and has yummy smelling perfume in it so your hair smells like a field of flowers, or whatever exotic ingredient promoted by Dr.Oz this week!
Have you ever taken a moment to read the back of a shampoo or conditioner bottle? The list of ingredients is nothing short of repulsive, here’s an example of a PARTIAL ingredients list for 1 single bottle of a very popular brand name:
Water, Sodium Lareth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Glycol Distearate, Dimethicone, Cocamidopropul Betaine, Sodium Citrate, Cocamide Mea, Sodium Xylenesulfonate, Fragrance, Sodium Benzoate, Guar Hydroxyproplytrimonium chloride, sodium chloride, tetrasodium EDTA, Panthenol, Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methlysothiazolinone
Now, to break these ingredients down a little bit, we’ll split them into 2 categories:
Category 1: Ingredients that actually Clean your hair
1Guar Hydroxyproplytrimonium chloride – The short of it, it’s a detangler for your hair- the long of it, it’s actually one of the few ingredients in Commercial products that’s non-toxic
2Sodium Laureth Sulfate this one does actually clean your hair, (well sort of, it strips the grease/oils from your hair) but that’s not all it does, it’s actually absorbed into the body via your skin and mimics a hormone, Oestrogen.
The health problems associated with elevated levels of this hormone include PMS, Severe Menopausal symptoms, breast cancer and decreased sperm count in men.
In case you’re wondering what other products it’s commonly found in, here are a few: Car-Wash Soaps, Engine Degreasers, Garage Floor Cleaners, etc. This particular chemical cannot be metabolized by the liver, which means it stays in your body for longer periods of time.
Category 2: Ingredients that Stroke your Ego and Emotions
1Cocamidopropul Betaine– a foaming agent known to cause dermatitis. As a matter of fact, in 2004 it was voted “Allergen of the Year” by the American Contact Dermatitis Society!
2Cocomide MEA– a lathering/foaming agent
3Dimethicone a silicone based polymer that is added as a lubricant or “skin conditioner”. When it’s not being used in hair, you’ll also find it in construction caulking, silly putty, and herbicides.
4Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)- this little doozy is just a cheap foaming agent that is shoved in multiple products to give the false appearance that the product is working. After all, if your toothpaste foams up, it must be getting your teeth clean, if your laundry soap foams up- it must be working extra hard to clean your clothes, right? Wrong!
5Methylchloroisothiazolinone – Another “preservative” known to cause severe dermatitis. It was actually voted “2013 Allergen of the Year” by the American Contact Dermatitis Society! In case you’re wondering, it’s also utilized in Glue Productions, Paints, Fuels and other industrial processes. (read more about it)
6Methylisothiazolinone – this is a preservative that is widely known to cause dermatitis as well as cytotoxic (it kills the cells in your body). Want something to compare it to? The venom in a brown recluse spider is also cytotoxic. This chemical, widely used in commercial “beauty” products causes cells to undergo necrosis, where they stop actively growing and dividing and die. This toxic chemical has also been known to cause nerve damage as well. (read more about it)
7Panthenyl Ethyl Ether– this is added for “anti-static” properties, however, it is well known to cause contact urticaria as these studies have been cited inPubMed. Contact Urticaria, if you’re not familiar, is generally characterized with a local burning sensation, tingling, itching, red swellings/wheals and can also cause wheezing, runny nose/eyes, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, and anaphylactic shock. I think I’ll take “Static” please.
More DIY Homemade Beauty Product Recipes:
- Recipes for the Ladies– scrubs, creams, lotions, gels, hair treatments, masks, bath recipes and more
- Recipes for the Guys– aftershave recipes, antiperspirants, soaps, lotions, etc
- Household– recipes for homemade cleaners, detergents, pet removal, laundry care, stain removal and much more
- Liss Super Laundry Sauce– super concentrated laundry detergent
Sources:
- PubMed: US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health – this site offers more than 90,000 References to the toxicity of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
- EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Database
wow! very inexpensive! allergen free, too!
i’m just going to use my last shampoo bottle and whip up the shampoo.
brillant!
My hair & head loves this but is too thin of a liquid
I wonder if it can be safely thickened?
Does it require water rinsing after both baking soda apllication and vinegar application
A friend dyed her hair with henna and doesn’t like it. Will this help remove the color?
this website never ceases to amaze me… thank you, thank you
well, i’ll be they snooker us again. :money1:
I believe I’ll trying the homemade.
Thank you,
just tried this and it works wonderful. my hair came out clean, soft, and shinny. my hair didn’t tangle as bad as when i use store brought conditioner.
thank you for the “recipe”.:worthy:
do you know if this will work well on african american hair? that would be great if it did since my husband is black and obviously, so are his children. why have a bunch of different things in the house if 1 product can work for everyone?
I put olive oil in mine cause I got mixed hair
hi! i have color treated hair, do you know if safe for color?will it fade the color out? i have light hair but i color it dark(never happy with what we have)
NO it is NOT safe for color treated hair. The best way to strip colorings/chemicals in your hair is by use of baking soda, so unless you want the color to go away Immediately, don’t use this on color treated hair.
yes you can use it on color treated hair and will not strip it.i have been using it for a year with no problems.
I have my hair dyed a burgundy color and my hair has been fine.
It’s beautiful and silky and shiny.
i wonder if this will work on pool hair? i swim often, and my blonde highlights turn green. never thought of baking soda in my hair?
until now…
thank you
If you soak your hair completely with just water before entering the pool, your colored hair will not turn green. Saturated can not absorb anymore water, thus is protects your hair.
I to use to turn my hair green until my hair stylist gave me this tip and I am no longer singing the green….lol!!!
I have blonde hair and this happens every summer when I swim in pools. They have a shampoo that is meant for swimmers. Go to any salon and ask for it.
They have a shampoo and conditioner, it will take the green out. Hope this helps you.
looking forward to trying this!!!
this sounds wonderful! i have very dry hair and itchy scalp. i was wondering though if you rinse your hair after the shampoo and again after the conditioner?
tried it for a week and really like it. my grandma used to tell me that my hair was clean if it squeaked when you pulled it between your fingers i have not heard that good of a squeak in a very long time. the conditioner left me smelling a little too vinegary though it also worked well.
is there anything that can be added for scent?
a few years back i was diagnosed with skin cancer. i started researching all the things in our soap and was shocked at all the cancer causing agents i found. i started making my own all natural goatmilk soap and now i have an all natural shampoo to try….thank u !!
This is a picture of me three weeks into using the no poo shampoo and the apple cider vinegar rinse. I guess since I am older, it took a while before the greasy, waxy buildup hit my hair, but after some real good brushings, my hair feels healthy and soft. Still a bit unruly, so I am looking for a natural “hair gel spray” or “mousse” substitute.
As I have said to others, Old dogs can be taught new tricks.
this sounds awesome. i can’t wait to try it.
does this strip your hair of hair color or is it safe to use on color teated hair??
This question is answered in the comments above yours.
i wish this worked on color treated hair, because i got overspray from enamel spray paint on my tile floors, and that would take it off was fructis shampoo. shocked! and so not wanting to use store shampoo anymore.
any other ideas?
i am interested in finding out about a response to angelsvn24’s post about the homemade conditioner leaving a vinegary smell and whether or not something could be done about that. Is there anything that can be added for scent? My husband refuses to go anywhere smelling like vinegar
I’m still using both the shampoo and conditioner. No one in my family mentioned my hair smelling vinegary, and I did stop noticing it after about a week so I think that as long as you rinse well, it doesn’t stay. Also, I am cutting the recipe in 1/2 and using the jug water bottles that you can find in job lots.
They are a little more compact for the bathroom.
My hair is less frizzy and I think stays cleaner, longer using this method as opposed to commercial shampoo and conditioner.
I’ve been researching this for a while and some people add essential oils to the mix for a nicer fragrance
I wonder if adding some essential oils or maybe peppermint oil or jasmine oil would help with the vinegary smell
i’ve used this for about 6 months now. I have white hair. This recipe keeps my white hair white…no yellowing at all.
Yes you can boil some Rosemary, mint, or even Lavender and use that water instead if plain water. To make it scented
my daughter expanded on this a little for me. the key to this is ” ph balance ” the shampoo or ” wash” will not work without the conditioner or “rinse” they compliment each other. your hair will go into producing oil mode until it balances out.
store bought shampoo blocks and or washes natural oils out.
i am four days into my trial. the vinegar smell for me only last in the shower . no one has noticed anything at work and my husband has not noticed a vinegary smell hair.
i have noticed the natural oils in my hair.
i will try for at least three months for an honest trial. i like the idea of natural products.
hi, i am very excited to try this on my hair! well.. i read all the comments above and i was soo..
curios whether it’s going to work well on me, my hair is already soft and smooth but it has been fall out more often lately, i hope this could be the answer :party1:
makes you wonder how these things get fda approval! i will be making my own from now on.
this sounds amazing, wish i did not have to color treat my hair.
you do not ‘have to’ color your hair.
you have to breathe & you have to eat
fixing to try this out, but i was wondering how much to use on my hair. my hair is about halfway down my back, and i usually use a good sized blob of commercial shampoo and conditioner when i shower. just wondering how much it would take to wash it.
:dunno:
ok, i don’t know why it didn’t put my comment on here the first time. i was just wondering how much of the “shampoo” to use on my hair. it goes down to about the middle of my back.
i usually use a good sized blob of the commercial shampoo and conditioner. hope this posts.
i have tried this and then went back to store bought shampoo. i immediately noticed my hair dry and frizzy again. i am now going to make the big batches of this so i do not run out of this again.
thanks for a great alternative to store bought shampoo that has dried my hair out for years.
i have color treated hair & have used this method in the past. what i noticed is that my color faded more quickly, but it did not strip all the color off my hair. i’m not sure why i stopped using it & want to go back when i use up my store bought stash. this formula is slightly different than what i used before, but i like it better.
for those wondering about the vinegar smell – the absolutely best thing about that vinegar smell is that vinegar only smells while it is wet. the smell goes away when dry, so just rinse your hair well & go about your day with confidence. same thing goes for the odor when cleaning with vinegar.
🙂
for those wondering about adding fragrance to your vinegar – the easiest way to add fragrance is to infuse your vinegar with fresh or dried herbs. rosemary, lavender & mint are a nice combination. simply bring water to a boil, add herbs, steep covered for 45-60 minutes, strain & add the vinegar.
I used to use about 1 tablespoon to 1 cup water.
:2cents:
My husband and I tried this for a couple of weeks. I have to say that while this may be great for some people, it’s just not our thing. My hair never felt clean.
I was brushing gobs and gobs of what I can only assume was my “natural oils” out of my hair…eeww. My husband’s hair is VERY thin, and this just dried his hair out and made it brittle. I know I’ll hear it from my mother (pictured above), but I like my chemically, bubbly, store-bought shampoo and conditioner just fine.
:Grrrrr:
do you know how much essential oil they used?
I use about 10-20 drops tea tree oil. (I have severe dandruff due to eczema.) I also add in a few drops of peppermint as well.
i have poker straight hair that gets very oilly – ( summers i have to was once in morning and once at night if i plan on going somewhere) i really want to try this but an afraid my hair will get very very oilly any suggestions. also i have 2 small kids if i use the homeade poo less shampoo can they still be able to sit in the bath water. my daughter is refusing to give up her baths lol
does anyone have a recipe for a natural shampoo for color-treated hair? i know it seems counter intuitive, like an oxymoron, but i am not ready to be as “platinum” as i am when i have an 8-year-old at home! 😉
new to this site, nice to hear comments on no poo. i have been doing this for over a year, i do not use the vinegar rinse every shampoo. i also use apple cider vinegar and have never had a vinegar smell.
my hair was color treated when i began this, yes it does lighten it a bit faster( i have dark hair and put a red or auburn color on). on my road to being frugal and also more natural in cleaning and health, i thought what am i doing putting these terrible chemicals on my head and into my brain? so have switched to henna hair color for the more natural choice.
unfortunately henna will not lighten your hair only red or darker colors. the henna seems to last as long as the chemical dyes, i did notice that for a week or so my hair feels thicker because the henna attaches to your hair, hair has never been so soft and manageable. will never go back to commercial shampoo or conditioner.
Thank you for answering my question about how this works with henna. I’ve been using henna for years and love it. You might like the site HennaForHair dot com.
They have ‘recipes’ for using henna and indigo to get all kinds of darker shades. (I myself love being a curly redhead.) I have read about other NoPoo mixes that are better for color-treated, I’ll try to post them if I find any good ones.
i tried this but it did not work well in my hair. i have very very long curly hair down past my butt and i could not get a brush through it after using. i was disappointed because it sounded amazing and for me it would save me a ton of money but unfortunately it just wasn’t conditioning enough
does anyone know if you can use regular vinegar for the conditioner?? thanks in advance.
never in my life have i heard of this. wow, how simple can this be?
i can’t wait to try this. i’ve seen your responses on color treated hair but what about perms? i have a straightening perm in my hair.
do you think it would still be safe to use?
i am glad this works good for you, i am a hairdresser and this is the recipe we use to clarify hair ie: to remove chlorine / algae for swimmers and over use of styling products, and if we have to strip out box color. i have been trying to teach customers for years about how not to abuse their products and to use suds as an indicator if your hair is clean. a slight white film is clean, grey is dirty.
more suds is money going down the drain. this should definitely clean your hair. i hope this doesn’t sound negative.
there are a lot of people who cannot use commercial shampoo and am happy you put up this recipe.
does the regular vinegar work as well the apple cider vineger?
i am just starting to use this, i altered the basic recipes a bit: to the shampoo i added some almond oil and vitamin e oil, and a small drop of almond oil to the rinse as well, but i think i will not add the almond oil to the rinse again.
it left my hair very soft, but it looks oily. i don’t really mind since i wear it up in a pony tail most of the time, i am just looking forward to not having an itchy scalp. i will update in a couple of weeks.
One week since I started, I did reformulate my shampoo and Conditioner and just went with my homemade organic apple cider vinegar for the Conditioner, no oils in that one now.
I steeped some lavender and chamomile in distilled water to add to my shampoo and conditioner and that has taken away any vinegary smell. I am so happy with the results my scalp feels great and I only have to wash every 3 days so far!!
i have been using this for a year.
when you look on other websites, they do say it takes about a month for your hair to balance the natural oils (truth).
also i have natural blonde hair and i sometimes mix the vinegar and some lemon juice in my rinse and that does balance the vinegar smell–and i use white vinegar.
also, if you have hard water–one site suggested to boil your water for 10 minutes, then let it completely cool off and do not distrurb it.
I was amazed how much sediment came out of the water–but that is the water I use to make the mixes. Made a BIG difference. I guess you could also buy the water too, but boiling saves me money since I usually do it while I am doing other things in the kitchen.
:springsmile:
i am also interested to know if this will work for afro-american hair. my granddaughter suffers from sever allergies and eczema. always looking for solutions to her problems. a post was added by imitchell on 3-1-2013 asking the same thing.
Anyone out there that has any answer to this question?
If she isn’t allergic to either of the two ingredients, why not just try it to find out. It can’t hurt hair, just make sure you rinse well with cool water as it closes the hair shaft.
a great way to apply with a lot less waste is to use spray bottles. part your hair, spray, part, spray….
hmm i’m gonna have to try this everyone seems to me getting good.results…i have very long hair down to my butt..and is very very thick…i have tryed about everything and my hair is so frizzy drives me crazzy i just leave it up and my husband hates it cause he lives my long hair..so i’ll try n see just how good this really works
i love these recipes! i have very oily,very long (hip length), thinning straight hair. my son has long (almost waist-length) oily on top/dry on bottom curly & very thick hair.
this exact, simple formula works for both of us. it helps to use some sort of squirt bottle, and start by applying the liquid to the ends of the hair, then work up to the scalp, for long hair. we always rinse between the baking soda & the vinegar, except for the occasional dry, flaky scalp.
for that, wet the hair well, saturate with the baking soda solution, & then apply a bit stronger vinegar solution (we use 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar to 1 cup water in this case). The chemical reaction causes a bit of bubbling, which seems to help lift out any flakes. Rinse well.
Kids seem to get a kick from the slight tickling, too, if the hair isn’t rinsed between the 2 solutions. 🙂 If taking a bath, the water is safe to sit in; both baking soda & vinegar work as skin softening & conditioning agents. Both solutions will sting if they get into my eyes, so i’d use caution on really little ones who can’t lean their head back.
i only used water to wash my son until he was a year old, anyway, bcz i worried about chemicals.
if your hair is difficult to comb out or tangly, you might need to distribute the vinegar solution more. this is what we have found with our long hair.
once dry, there is no vinegar scent — unless the hair wasn’t rinsed well enough. (we’ve made that mistake!)
we have found from friends that this works well on mixed-race hair.
hope this helps answer a few questions! my sister who lives in norway loves to use this on her & her daughters’ hair every summer when they visit the states. baking soda & vinegar are expensive in norway!
oops, 2TBSP vinegar to 1/2 cup water!
this sounds great,love using natural products .
i have been using this method for about a year now, and can attest that it works wonderfully. in fact, i can go longer without washing my hair now, about every 5 days, which is actually better for the scalp according to my hairdresser. You can always rinse your hair in between and reapply styling gel (I use an all-natural one) if needed.
What freedom – never to have to buy shampoo and conditioner again, and we always have the ingredients on hand!
does it matter what size condiment bottle you use? i’m just wondering if the amount of baking soda would need to be decreased in a 6oz bottle.
i have long, thick naturally curly hair. i use commercial shampoos now but no conditioner as i find my hair feels oily. i’m giving this a try – nothing ventured nothing gained and all the comments are so positive.
just love love love this sight.
i can’t wait to try this. i am so tired of trying to find a shampoo that does not make my head itch. thank you
i love this stuff!!! no more itchy scalp and my hair stays clean longer.
i wrote down the contents of “no poo” shampoo and showed it to a friend who couldn’t believe it was just those two things. so here i am confirming that that’s all there is to it. so now i get to tell my friend “told you so” – in a very nice way of course.
i am totally going to try this. we will be out of shampoo in a couple days.
will cider vinegar work or does it have to be apple cider vinegar?
would the acv rinse be okay to use if you have color treated hair?
i will have to try this. i am very skeptical. i have lots of hair but spider thin hair.
i will report back how it worked in a few weeks.
i would like to hear comments from people with dry, curly hair. i am curious if it really conditions enough for dry, post-menopausal hair.
i also keep baking soda in the bath to exfoliate my face.
i will be trying this!!! :))
i grew up using this method of rinse, sure the smell is strongest after application, but it doesn’t last. something else to remember, when you finish, and go out in the sun wet, it will work like a lightener.
am i able to add any sort of natural fragrance (lavender oil etc.) to either recipe?
This may come as a shock but my x-GF uses one of the eco “natural” dish soaps for shampoo. I tried it for a while but decided against it later. She seems to be loosing a lot of hair but never seems to have made the connection.
I like this idea better.
I wonder if a few drops of essential oil of choice could be added to either the shampoo or conditioner for a bit of appealing fragrance? I wonder if it would dissolve or just float on top? I guess it’s not really that big of a deal but just thinking out of the box.
I’ve been using the conditioner alone in our hair for hubby and I, and have added tea tree & peppermint eo’s. Overall, love how soft my hair is. Can’t wait to try out the shampoo!
I would really like to try this!
But I color my hair at home, and I use styling products.
Will this “make your own” shampoo work?
Are there any adaptations to it?
I’ve been trying this for around a week but can’t shift the excess oil from my hair. Has anyone had any success with oily hair? Is it possible to make the solutions stronger or add anything else to initially break that oily cycle?
I actually have been doing this and I have a friend that has been doing this for two years now. We don’t use the vinegar just the baking soda. She actually just uses the baking soda right out of the container.
She does not add water and her hair looks great. The vinegar actually made my hair greasy so I only use the baking soda