Lately hair care companies are creating a plethora of new products designed to clean your hair differently than normal shampoos. This article about a new hair powder by Buttercream Cosmetics illustrates the latest 
example. They’ve even coined a new term “shampowder.” Well, 
Weird Ways to Wash Hair
1. Shampowder – Best Dry Shampoo
option?
What is it? We’ve previously discussed powder shampoos so read that for more info about dry shampoos. But basically, you spray or sprinkle a powder (cornstarch) on your head and it is supposed to absorb the oil. To finish the cleaning process you comb the product out.
Does it work? Yes, the dry shampoo works for absorbing oil. It also is scented so it’ll leave a bit of that fragrance behind. But it doesn’t clean your hair nearly as well as a regular shampooing. It also may leave a white residue and can leave hair feeling gross. However, if you want to skip a shampooing day or two this product is good in a pinch. It’s also good for color treated hair because it will help reduce the amount of color lost.
2. Conditioner Cleaning
What is it? Believe it or not, some people just wash their hair with conditioner. As some have figured out, conditioners contain surfactants just like shampoos. The difference is that they are used at much lower levels in the formula, they don’t clean as well, and there is more oily materials in the conditioner.
Does it work? For everyday cleaning you’ll likely be disappointed by using conditioner as your hair cleanser. It can start to 
build up on hair and feel heavy. It will also attract a lot more dust, pollen, and dirt from the air. But again, it will work. Your best bet is to use a conditioner that does not contain silicones. In this case, cheaper products like Suave and VO5 would work better.
3. No-Rinse shampoos
What is it? Here’s a weird way to wash your hair without water. The formula is a real shampoo except you don’t rinse it out. The most popular brand is No-Rinse. The formula is much runnier than a regular shampoo so you don’t need water to make it foam. Just put it on dry hair, work through with your fingers and watch it foam. Then wipe out the foam with a towel for clean hair.
Does it work? This formula will work better than the powdered shampoos. It can clean your hair better than a conditioner. But it won’t be nearly as good as a regular shampoo. But if water is in short supply or you just don’t feel like hopping in a shower, this no-rinse shampoo might be for you.
4. Body wash all over
What is it? As we discussed in this post, body washes and shampoos are similar formulas. If you wanted to, you could use your body wash to wash your hair.
Does it work? A body wash will clean your hair almost as well as a moisturizing shampoo. It’ll even provide a little conditioning. Don’t use it if you’re looking for deep cleansing but for everyday shampooing, it can work just fine.
5. No ‘Poo
What is it? Just what it sounds like…just stop using shampoo. According to the folks at Nature Moms, if you stop using shampoo your hair will be fine. (Unfortunately, this website propagates myths about toxins found in shampoos so feel free to ignore that scaremongering.) Here are some other interesting stories by people who have tried to go some time without shampooing.
Does it work? You don’t actually have to shampoo your hair. Of course, it won’t be clean either. It will be healthier and probably look more shiny. However, it may also look and feel greasy, smell funny, and be difficult to style in any way except laying flat on your head.
The quest for clean hair is never ending. Dry shampoo, No-rinse shampoos, and other products provide options Now you know that you don’t have to always be stuck using that same old shampoo.
Now that your hair is clean want to know what to do with it? Head on over to this fabulous site for the latest tips, tricks, and ideas about hairstyles.
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I am never reading this site again, thanks to “the beauty brains”. I cannot believe you would say some of the things you said. You sound like a very immature group.
For the record, after days of extensive research, I have reached the following conclusion: SLS strips your hair of it’s natural oils (sebum). The removal of this sebum causes the hair follicle to secrete even more sebum which most people wash off with a shampoo that contains SLS. This cycle leads to people who feel the “need” to wash their hair everyday.
Also, as you might know, shampoo is generally bottled in plastic. Plastic is the bane of the human race, as it fills up landfills and doesn’t break down for thousands of years. Many people who give up shampoo do it to lead a more green.
Also, plastic has been known to leech chemicals into the contents it is holding. Many people are uncomfortable with this idea or with the idea of putting any chemicals into their body. You may have noticed I said ‘into’. This is because skin absorbs substances and introduces them to the body.
In closing, I myself have been shampoo free for 2 weeks now and my hair has been improving by leaps and bounds. It is much softer and feels great. Also, according to my mother, who disaproves of this idea, it smells very good. I’ve also noticed that my hair is much less frizzy and generally has more life.
I would recommend no poo to everyone to at least try. You should be warned, there is a transition period where your hair is slightly more greasy. This is because your hair is essentialy going through withdraw. But this is temporary.
Thank you “the beauty brain(less)” for turning me off to your barely well written web log.
When I was a teenager the rumours went that if you stopped washing your hair it’d look after itself. No one mentioned the 3-5 months of smelling like a sheep before you get to that stage though.
If you are looking for a great NEW dry shampoo check out Izzazu’s LONG WEEKEND Volumizing Dry Shampoo – and spray away the sins from the night before!
http://www.izzazu.com/store/long-weekend-volumizing-dry-shampoo-p29986.html
As a professional stylist and someone who specializes in curly hair…No Poo is not a way of doing hair…its a product.The idea of No Pooing is to stop using sulfate shampoos on curly hair, which WRECK your hair! IF DONE CORRECTLY…no poo is a FABULOUS way to take care of your curls. The key is doing it correctly. As for the other listing here…I am still working on figuring out which dry shampoo I like. I do encourage everyone to stop shampooing daily…feel free to “cleanse” your hair as often as you please…just stop using harmful chemical that are found in most generic shampoos on your hair! I would love to hear from another stylist/anyone who has had more experience with the dry shampoos!
No poo often includes washing your hair with baking soda and/or vinegar, which is not the same as not washing your hair. It takes a while for your hair to rebalance after quitting shampoo, but it can actually work very well and reduce flyaways and other shampoo mishaps. I have done it for years and looks just like normal shampood hair, but I don’t have to use conditioner or other products to keep it from looking frizzy.
I’ve had oily hair since I was in Middle School/Junior High. For 20+ years, I used the same over-the-counter oily hair formula shampoo. Then, about 2 years ago, I tried using a variety of regular shampoos, but my hair would get oily and stringy by the end of the day. I had to wash my hair every day.
Then, my hair-stylist suggested the Tea + Protein Shampoo from the Made from Earth line. I was hesitant at first because I didnt think organic shampoos were anything special, but I decided to try it.
It took a few tries, but now I only have to wash my hair every other day! Hooray! Its a thick shampoos so it doesnt run through my fingers and down the drain before I can even get it onto my hair!
I saw a HUGE improvement on my oily hair – highly recommended if you are trying to have normal hair. To avoid overdrying, I use their conditioner also.
The dry shampoos seem to work for people with straight hair, and seeing as though I have curly hair I can’t imagine combing through it. The article was okay, but it, like many others, didn’t emphasize a good way to manage curly hair. Keep in mind, curly hair is more difficult to style and gets frizzier after day one. I use products such as a curl cream and mousse and let my hair air dry, but after one night sleeping on it, I have no choice but to shampoo and repeat the process over again. If anyone has any tips on how to better manage thick curly hair, please share. And dont tell me to use a curling iron to define my curls, that process along with rewrapping each individual curl on my finger would take 4 hours or more. I have really thick hair, blow drying alone takes about 2 hours in itself and my hair isnt even that long.
I am Asian and have permed (curly) hair. I have been doing the co-washing for about 2 months now and love it to boot. It’s quite a task to find silicone free conditioner where I am from so I have no other choice but to resort to using silicone added condish. But nevertheless it hasnt caused any build-up on my hair thus far. I know that silicone is bad for the hair but somehow it just works for me LOL. I usually add a tablespoon of honey to my condish and dilute it with water for co-washing. It gives me that added slip and extra softness and smoothness. And once a fortnight I’d do a clarifying soak as I’d like to call it ie, using distilled white vinegar, epsom salts and very warm water applied on dry, dirty hair for 20 minutes before I proceed to co-wash as usual. I find co-washing cleans the hair very well and doesnt leave it hard like rock as when I wash my hair with shampoo. If it works, silicone and all, just stick to it, I say!
In response to Buttercup: I have been using Devachan’s DevaCurl product line for about 4 years now and I LOVE it! Everything smells really amazing!!!
I have fine, curly hair and the curls are slightly loose, but not as loose as a wave. So I use the No-Poo to “wash” my hair each day and the One Condition to condition it. Their idea behind No-Poo is that there are certain lathering agents in most shampoos that cause your scalp to dry out and apparently lots of people are also allergic to these lathering agents. So the No-Poo uses peppermint oil to “cleanse” your hair and scalp. I don’t use the No-Poo everyday in the winter as my hair is rather fine and can get weighted down by the oils in it and the conditioner. They also have a product called Low-Poo that has a mild lather and it’s scented with mango and starfruit. I haven’t used that yet, but I’m planning to get some for the winter months when I don’t need so much moisture in my hair.
They suggest using a specific styling process, which is supposed to help elliminate frizz and allow your curls to be more defined. Basically you part your hair where you normally would while you’re conditioning in the shower and then rinse with cool water to lock the cuticle. Then you scrunch the hair instead of wringing it out. You’re not supposed to tie it up in a towel, but I do when I’m being lazy
, instead, you’re supposed to use a small, light-weight towel or paper towels to scrunch out the remaining water. If I really want my curls to stay nicely formed and not all frizzy, I’ll scrunch with a towel and then get the excess with paper towels. Then you add their AnGel while scrunching upside down. At their salons they use a LOT of product, but I prefer mine to be less product-y. So I use about the size of two quarters. You may need more for your hair if it’s thicker. Then they tell you to put pincurl pins in the places at the root where you need volume or you want to tame it to sit in a certain direction. After that, diffuse with a diffuser and finish drying it upside down.
Sometimes if I want more hold I use their Set-Me-Up just at the roots before drying and after applying the gel. And if my hair needs a little more moisture than usual, I use the Set-It-Free and scrunch it in. That one smells sooooo good!
Anyway, sorry for such a long post, but I really do love their products. Check them out at http://www.devachansalon.com
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