Comments on: Is the No-Poo Method for You?

By: CurlyGirlNYC

CurlyGirlNYC — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:29:29 +0000

I am laughing at the posts by people who believe that you “need” shampoo to get your hair clean. Certainly SOME people need shampoo — those who have naturally oily scalps. However, many of us have exceptionally dry scalps, hair and skin. I have extremely thick, extremely curly hair. Even when I get it blown out (rarely) I can easily go a full week without washing it and it does not get oily, dirty or smelly. My scalp simply does not produce oils that coat my hair. In combination with the dry nature of my hair and the physical shape and thickness of the hairs, this means my hair is extremely dry. For this reason, the NoPoo method works for me (I use the DevaCurl line which includes a product named NoPoo). I’ve been doing it for about 4 years now and this system has pretty much rescued my hair. My hair used to be so dry that it took several minutes just for water to penetrate it in the shower. It was literally repelling the water which would run off it in streams. Today it is healthy, soft and MUCH more manageable. I am so glad every day that I stopped using harsh shampoos on my fragile hair!

I do wash it VERY occasionally with a regular shampoo for dry/damaged hair. Probably once a month or so, whenever I start to feel that product has built up slightly on my hair.

By: Joseph

Joseph — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:14:33 +0000

I speak for myself:

As far as co-washing goes for me, it’s left my hair much softer and more manageable. My hair is very dry; so dry that even after co-washing, I need a leave-in conditioner afterward to keep my hair soft and manageable. I also don’t dirty it very often, so I use shampoo when necessary. I also use shampoo when my hair feels dirty/greasy/too much build-up from the conditioner.

On another note…

People should exercise more restraint before posting rude comments on someone’s website/blog.

I would agree that the No-Poo method is more than just washing with conditioner, but I would think most people would use the co-washing method, because the conditioners by big corporations are usually subject to rigorous inspections and would be backed by more scientific evidence, than “organic” products which (as far as I’ve seen) aren’t even approved by the FDA.

(And before people start jumping to conclusions, I use Dr. Bronner’s leave-in conditioner, which is a GREAT leave-in conditioner, I’m just weary of any company using “organic” as a gimmick, especially when there is little or no standards for organic as far as beauty products are concerned.)

Now, I might be blowing smoke, but I give credit where credit is due. The left brain posted a helpful and educated article about co-washing and mineral oil, as well as a couple of other alternatives on just shampooing. If anyone has an issue, kindly post a concern or don’t post anything at all.

By: April

April — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:13:05 +0000

People should educate themselves about the different methods before posting things like this article. Mineral oil has the tendency of coating the hair, and clogging pores. The mineral oil may make the hair seem shiny but makes it hard for moisture to get into the hair…which is why a lot of people with curly hair(which tends to be dry) try to avoid it.

Not everyone uses baking soda to clean their hair. There are some shampoos(believe it or not) that do not contain harsh ingredients such as sulfates ,or mineral oil.

I have not used shampoo for almost three years and my hair has never looked, felt or smelt better. My hair does not feel oily or dirty at all and all the moisture allows it to remain soft and bouncy.

This method is not for everyone because it may take some time to find the right products that that work for you. Just because something has worked for one person, does not mean the same product will work for you. It is a trial and error process, but once you understand the science of your own hair…this method can become a life saver.

By: june

june — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 03:00:32 +0000

I’ve been co-washing for about year. It’s great! My scalp feels just as clean as when I used shampoo, but my curly hair is in much better condition. There is a short time of adjustment at first when your scalp is still overproducing oil. For me that was about a week, but I am sure everyone is different. I do have to use some protein treatments, though I wonder if there is a conditioner that I could use (in other words, without silicones) that already has protein in it.

By: Mel

Mel — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:00:30 +0000

I also agree that the No-Poo method is conditioner washing. I’ve been doing it successfully for the past 5 1/2 years and I have no plans of shampooing again. My hair is in very good condition. I’ll do a baking soda rinse every three months when I do a protein treatment, but I’ve never added it to my washing conditioner.