… well, not to my face, but those neighbours can be cruel behind their net curtains.
It’s all gone wrong for me, this no-poo thing. I’ve read so many reports of people’s hair reverting to a fantastic, lush state when shampoo is evicted from the bathroom but sadly this hasn’t happened for me.
If you remember, week one was quite good but the state of my hair gradually got worse. I had some success with lemon juice rather than cider vinegar but again, my hair reverted to greasy. I have been trying rosemary tea variously on its own and after lemon but to no avail. I still have to wash my hair every day – in the morning it is always greasy and stuck out in all directions, I look like Russel Brand for god’s sake!
I’m beginning to think my hair’s natural state is chip pan chic. I have read that it works best on afro, curly and thick hair and mine is exactly the opposite – fine and straight. Almost like baby hair, and it’s chin-length to boot. Maybe I just don’t have enough hair to spread the natural oils? Maybe I am doomed to a life of using paint-stripper like shampoos?
I admit I broke. Just once. I had an engagement that I had to look good for and my greasy mop just wouldn’t cut it. But I didn’t use shampoo, I used my own home-made soap (reasoning that at least I knew it was nasty-free) and followed it with the usual rinses. It was a bit flyaway but it worked to an extent, my hair was less greasy than usual but by the end of the day it was back to normal.
I want to follow it through though, I honestly don’t want to give up. I was hoping that by following this routine (or a variation of it) I wouldn’t have to wash and blow dry my hair every day and it would be transformed into something manageable. Not asking too much is it?
Is there anybody out there who has had the same problems? Any hints and tips? Radical new ideas? Magic wands?
I know, I’m beginning to sound a bit desperate!
Beccy
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Hi Becci, have you ever tried fuller's earth? In North Africa, women make a paste out of it by mixing the powder with water, then apply it on wet hair for half an hour, then rince. It's pretty effective to absorb grease. I don't use it myself as i have the opposite problem, but i have seen the effect of that clay on a friend and I would think it is worth a try! I would think it's possible to find it in the UK, in pharmacies or in shops where they sell natural cosmetics. Hope it helps!
ReplyDeleteI've been no 'poo for about a year now, and what's helped me is using conditioner only. You mentioned you make your own soap; do you think you could make your own conditioner? I use one that doesn't have any silicones (they coat the hair to make it look shiny, but then build up so you have to use shampoo). Turns out that the ones without the silicones are the cheapest so yay for me :)
ReplyDeleteI know some hard-core no poo-ers don't use anything other than BS and vinegar, but I've found that using conditioner gives me enough cleansing power without the harsh SLS. And my hair has honestly never been better. Maybe you could start with conditioner and work your way down to the simpler ingredients?
Good luck!