"No-Poo" Challenge

cosmic8o8

I've been doing CO washes for almost a year now and I see how my curls are more defined. My hair is also shinier and has less breakage/split ends. It also saves me a crap ton of cash since I can buy big bottles of Suave or VO5 for less than $2.

Lindaspencer

Does anyone out there "No-poo"? :bigsmile:

I've been a WEN girl for about 3 years so I haven't really "poo'ed" since that time. I decided that I wanted to ween myself off of WEN, so I started the "no-poo" challenge today using only baking soda and water.

The result was actually pretty fantastic. I've used baking soda before but I would always 'poo afterwards. I really haven't used the baking sods since I started WENNING, but so far this is really awesome.

I'm going to see how it feels after 30 days, but I can see myself never "poo'ing" or WENNING again.
:laugh:

how much baking soda - and how? just get it damped and massage in like u would regular shampoo? and then rinse - and whala - thicker hair - IM IN - lol - tell me how

LaserOctopus

I just tried washing my face with oil the other day. It made my face baby soft and improved scaling in the t-zone of the face. I am hoping to continue it.

I started OCM a few months before my 40th birthday - it took me a few tries to get the balance right (super-oily skin so I had to increase the castor oil percentage), but I've been doing it ever since and I have the best skin of my life at age 41. No more breakouts (and, as I mentioned earlier, I had constant, oozing, painful breakouts before). Not even if I skip a day.
For time, though, I had to ditch the steaming washcloth part. I just smear it all over my face and neck about five minutes before I shower, let the steam from the shower open up my pores and let it settle in, and then just rinse most of it off. I also don't use olive oil, I use apricot and jojoba instead.
Then there's the added bonus of no longer having to buy expensive cleanser or moisturizer or acne products...

ferocityturbine

I haven't used shampoo in over a year. My hair's never looked better

LilacDreamer

I LOVE hearing all these no-poo stories. If you are new to not pooing, don't poo at all, or haven't pooed in a long time - Share your experience and feedback. :flowerforyou:

ashleyhigg396

Ooooh! I'm a no-pooer and it has worked wonders on my curly hair! I definitely have more definition and a more even curl pattern since going no-poo/low-poo. Usually just co-wash. Amazing on curly hair...not so sure how it works on straight hair!

ashleyhigg396

What is your hair like, OP?

I wouldn't do baking soda or ACV rinses more than once a week, since they're pretty harsh. They're great cleansers, but any more often it will mess up your cuticle and make your hair more porous.

LilacDreamer

What is your hair like, OP?

I wouldn't do baking soda or ACV rinses more than once a week, since they're pretty harsh. They're great cleansers, but any more often it will mess up your cuticle and make your hair more porous.

My hair is straight, fine, and extremely oily. I feel like I'll need to do them more than once a week.

thegeordielass

I read up about being CG and no/low-poo and co-washing when I was trying to find a decent hairdresser who actually knows how to cut my curly hair without making me look like a ball of frizz complete with random lengths once it's rewashed (still no luck there - you seem to have loads over in America but nothing up north in England!).

So, I decided to try it. I wash my hair 2 or 3 times a week, am now onto my 3rd bottle of conditioner (and about 4 months in) and have discovered my hair seems to like coconut based things and shea butter based things the most. I do have a bottle of low-poo in case I started to notice any buildup but I've only used it once so far.
Co-washing alone seems to make my hair so much shinier, gives it more defined spiral curls and seems to be making it grow much faster! I normally co-wash with a cheap, thin conditioner and then I'll leave a thicker one (once a week or so I do a deep moisturising one) on for 5-10 mins and then only half wash it out. I find leaving that in helps a lot with the frizz and stops my hair drying out as much - more then just using a leave-in. I do try and avoid cones - although I don't mind ones that are water soluble as much - as they'd require a poo to clean out!

I've started making my own hair stuff too which my family hates as they find random bottles of things in the fridge. My favourite has to be my flax seed gel now that I've just about perfected my recipe. Works just as well as my sore bought one and keeps my curls nice and defined and clumped. Like someone else mentioned, plopping is also great (I use an old long sleeve tshirt) once I've piled my products on (some serum, sometimes some curl creme and my gel) and helps set the curl in the initial stage of drying. I normally plop for 15-20 mins.

FitbitVanessa

I'm a Wenner. Two girls walked by me in the mall today and said "I would kill for that hair." Haven't poo'd in 3 years!

ashleyhigg396

My favourite has to be my flax seed gel now that I've just about perfected my recipe. Works just as well as my sore bought one and keeps my curls nice and defined and clumped. Like someone else mentioned, plopping is also great (I use an old long sleeve tshirt) once I've piled my products on (some serum, sometimes some curl creme and my gel) and helps set the curl in the initial stage of drying. I normally plop for 15-20 mins.

I've always wanted to try the flax seed gel! My hair is 2c/3a/all medium properties. I don't like such a crunchy, hard hold after I SOTC. How hard is the hold of the flax seed?

beyondmywildestdreams

Ooooh! I'm a no-pooer and it has worked wonders on my curly hair! I definitely have more definition and a more even curl pattern since going no-poo/low-poo. Usually just co-wash. Amazing on curly hair...not so sure how it works on straight hair!

I have always wanted to try this! I have cut done to washing my hair a few times a week. My hair is natural curly also what types of conditioner do you use to co- wash?

cleotherio

I made it for 10 days last time I tried, but my head was so itchy and felt so dirty I had to go back to the poo. I have heard that it's just the hump you have to get over, but I couldn't stand it. I was doing baking soda washes and rinsing with ACV, but it wasn't working for me. I used to poo every single day; more if I worked out during that day. Now I only poo every other day at the most; sometimes every three days. I might attempt it again at some point.

ashleyhigg396

Ooooh! I'm a no-pooer and it has worked wonders on my curly hair! I definitely have more definition and a more even curl pattern since going no-poo/low-poo. Usually just co-wash. Amazing on curly hair...not so sure how it works on straight hair!

I have always wanted to try this! I have cut done to washing my hair a few times a week. My hair is natural curly also what types of conditioner do you use to co- wash?

Oh my goodness, you HAVE to try this. I won't lie and tell you that it isn't frustrating in the beginning. Your hair might sometimes feel gross at the scalp if your hair is fine like mine. Haven't heard many complaints from girls with coarser hair. I thought my hair would look matted and nasty, but I have so much more volume and shine, shine, shine. Once you get your own routine down pat, which is really trial and error based on your hair properties (density, porosity, elasticity, etc.), you will never, ever use regular shampoo again.

I use VO5 conditioners (yay, cheap!) and Suave Naturals Coconut conditioner. You have to use a lot of it and really scrub your scalp so that it will make a lather and give you more "slip".

I could go on about this forever. Are you a member of naturallycurly.com? Their discussion boards are so helpful!

saschka7

What the fuuuuuuuuuuuuu?

I poo three times a day like clockw.... OH you're talking about SHAMPOO?

Yeah I was a little lost too. Must be girly talk that tomboys like me aren't aware of. :laugh:

thegeordielass

My favourite has to be my flax seed gel now that I've just about perfected my recipe. Works just as well as my sore bought one and keeps my curls nice and defined and clumped. Like someone else mentioned, plopping is also great (I use an old long sleeve tshirt) once I've piled my products on (some serum, sometimes some curl creme and my gel) and helps set the curl in the initial stage of drying. I normally plop for 15-20 mins.

I've always wanted to try the flax seed gel! My hair is 2c/3a/all medium properties. I don't like such a crunchy, hard hold after I SOTC. How hard is the hold of the flax seed?

I find the hold is great. I probably let my seeds boil longer then most (based on videos I've seen and instructions I've read) which gets it nice and thick! I add in a tbsp or so of agave nectar (despite being a brunette it seems to do nothing to make my blonder) with some lavender and tea tree which I've found helps a bit with the hold too and gets rid of the smell.

It is VERY crunchy when it dries (like most gels) but once you scrunch it out I don't feel any crunch at all and my hair is pretty soft. I think I'm similar to you - depending on my hair's mood! Some days I get nice ringlets, others I get tight spirals and double helix's mixed in with the rest. And the occasional random poker straight strand. Going by the CG book, I'm somewhere between a boticelli and a corkicelli and the numbers a mix of 3a, 3b and the occasional 3c.

It's def worth trying the FSG! Even if batch 1 turns out not so great, keep going with it a few times until you perfect the mixture. I'm only just getting there now after 2 months.

muffle1969

In the long run, I found it made sense to just buy the Wen in the gallon jug. I refill smaller bottles for the gym and for the home shower. I guess it helps that I use a clarifying shampoo and a deep conditioner once in a blue moon. Historically, my hair likes variety.

So to the OP, I wonder if your hair would get back to its original awesome if you interspersed something different every so often.

LilacDreamer

I made a group incase anyone wants to discuss it, share tips, ideas, etc.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/15642-we-don-t-poo

LilacDreamer

bump, see the above post if you'd like to join the "No Poo" group.

amylouize2012

Jeez! I was so confused, now I realise you all mean "shampoo" - - - - I was about to tell you all to get to the doctors office, stat!!