Update: One Week No-Poo

One week ago yesterday, I washed my hair for what I hope to be one of the last times. I made the decision to covert to a no-poo lifestyle. So far, it is going okay for me. It hasn't been instantly gratuitous, which I didn't expect anyway; my scalp is adjusting.

The Oil

When first switching to no-poo, it is common to experience a phase in which the scalp is still producing the same amount of oils as if it were still compensating for the natural oils stripped away by shampoo. This detox or adjustment phase varies in time length per individual and some may not even experience one at all. For me, my scalp type was oily before going no-poo and I feel like this may be an advantage for me during this adjustment phase. I mean, I was already used to dealing with the feeling of greasy hair so it's not like this oiliness is a new experience to frustrate or discourage me. And unlike during my fruitless search for the perfect shampoo for me, I have hope for better days ahead.

The Smell

It's just a fact of life that different regions of the body have distinctive odors. The oil of the scalp has it's own scent, not good but not particularly bad, and I have noticed mine more now that I am not using a shampoo with it's own scent to mask it. The first few days I was no-poo, I was so paranoid thinking I could smell my hair oil and asked several people who swore up and down they couldn't smell it. Still, I've taken to spraying a little perfume on my brush and I don't know why I never did that before as it really makes my favorite scent linger longer.

The Germs

One personal obstacle I am overcoming during this lifestyle change of mine is coming to grips with the hygiene of not shampooing. As a nurse, I got over my germaphobia long ago, but still do feel the need to take a thorough shower after a shift. I used to shampoo after every shift as part of that cleanse, so I was scared of the germs that might inhabit my hair if I didn't. But then a friend pointed out to me that shampoos are not antibacterial soaps like for hands anyway, and I got over that fear.. mostly. Out of the past seven days, I have baking soda scrubbed and apple cider vinegar rinsed my hair four times. I do plan to cut back over this coming week! I will post again soon to update on how that's working out for me. For now, enjoy this one week no-poo selfie I took :D!

The surprisingly normal roots of a girl who hasn't shampooed  in one week :).

I am going no-poo !

I've decided not to shampoo my hair anymore.

For the past three years since my transition to green beauty, I have struggled to find a hair care routine that works for me. My hair is ridiculously baby-fine, which doesn't pair well with my oily scalp. Volumizing shampoos, nourishing shampoos, clarifying shampoos, they all have the same effect. Evening shampoo, morning shampoo, it doesn't matter. My hair is nice and shiny for a few short hours but then falls flat, a limp and oily mess.

Today I say "no more!"

NO-POO. 

What?

• "No-Poo" means no shampoo. It is a method of hair care in which one does not cleanse the head with shampoo. 

Why?

• Cutting shampoo from a routine cuts down on the number of shampoo bottles being discarded.
• While there are many green beauty companies that create non-toxic shampoos, even more companies are selling shampoos that contain chemicals, sulfates and other unpleasant ingredients. 
• Shampoo strips the hair of it's natural oils, causing it to create more oils to compensate; no-poo supporters refer to this as a "vicious cycle".

How?

• Some people are able to get by with simply rinsing their heads with warm water and no further steps necessary to maintaining a healthy scalp.
• Others use a mixture of baking soda and water to take away impurities without removing natural oils, followed by a rinse of acidic apple cider vinegar to balance the slightly acidic pH of the scalp. Vinegar is also softening for the hair. Usually this is performed once a week with an ultimate goal of lengthening time between rinses or even cutting them out altogether.

So, according to my friend who hasn't shampooed her hair in a little over a year, the first step to going no-poo is to use a clarifying shampoo the night before you want to go no-poo with the logic that it gets rid of whatever build-up is in your hair. Last night, I borrowed my husband's bar of Lush Squeaky Green that I had actually given him because it was too clarifying and drying for me and I lathered up in my last shampoo for hopefully a good long time!

Come back a week from today to hear about my first week no-poo. I'll be updating regularly on Wellness Wednesdays with pictures and stories of how no-poo works for me.

Disclosure: I am not sponsored by or affiliated with any brand mentioned. All opinions are my own! 

wellness wednesday: Water intake and bkr

Even beauty bloggers need a day job, and mine is one I genuinely love! I am a nurse. So, health and wellness are topics that interest me on several levels. I want to use Wednesdays to talk about current health topics, silly anecdotes about my patients (names changed to comply with HIPPA, of course) etc! Welcome to my first Wellness Wednesday :). Today, I want to keep things simple.

We all know that drinking water is important.

You've heard it enough times, that water is vital to the body in order to function properly. I won't preach on it. But I will give you a new way to think about it.

The body needs 2 Liters of water per day..

..though I like to think of that as just a basic guideline, 

since every body's needs are different,

foods also contain a certain amount of fluid,

and the body's thirst mechanism is the best, most reliable indicator for how much you should drink.

A little simple math for you here: 1 fluid Liter equals 1000 milliliters (mL), so 2 L equals 2000 mL. And 2000 mL equals four standard bkr bottles at 500 mL each.

Easy peasy! I can absolutely consume four full bkr bottles a day!

If you've never heard of bkr (pronounced "beaker"), they are super chic reusable glass bottles with colorful, soft silicone sleeves.

From the website:

"bkr is the bottle equivalent of the perfect t-shirt. It’s super-luxe and soft. It feels right and fits right, it's effortless, and it becomes your staple. You can't just have one and you can’t help but fall in love with it. Owners report that they are "obsessed," "head over heels," and drinking "10x as much water" as a result."

Full review coming soon..! But before that, I have other plans for tomorrow when my week-long blogging adventure continues!





Disclosure : I am not affiliated with or sponsored by any brand mentioned. My opinions are my own!