The Sebum Challenge

Here is where I come clean. This is the reason I started the blog but I couldn't just jump right into it. No no, I needed to warm you up a little, let you get to know me in a non crazy person certainly not angry at society sort of way. Did it work?


Something you don't know about me... I love the How Stuff Works pod casters. They give me humor and a modicum of sanity in the night mare that is my weekday commute. Many of my interesting habits these days springs from topics they discuss. They tell me about something and I just have to know a little more. I find out more and the California crazy sometimes takes over.


So the gals over at "Stuff Mom Never Told You" where talking to me the other day about no pooing. You may have heard of it, it's basically going au natural with your hair. No more shampoo. No that doesn't necessarily mean dreads.


I did some reading and started thinking that I wanted to try it out. Why? To start my hair does not love the California environ. Also, I don't style... ever. I wash, towel dry, put some product in it then walk out the door. This is for work, for going out, and for most special events, everything. I am a firm believer in the natural. Everything our body does, it does for a reason. Surely the oil my scalp creates is useful and necessary. Why would I want to wash it off every day? Finally, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, it is the thing in most cleansers that make them foamy. This may be where we head off to fruity Californian land.


SLS is the key ingredient in industrial degreasant and garage floor cleaner. Obviously, it's not used in the same quantities in body cleaning products, but it is also a well know skin irritant. With my red face and irritated skin, I don't need that. SLS is not proven to be a carcinogenic when appled to the skin or ingested, although a lot of propoganda will tell you that is the case.


Anywho, I'm gonna give it a shot. Let's see if sebum can do for my hair what commerical products can not...


Day 1
Listened to the No Pooing podcast. Did some research and started thinking about the possibility.
Day 2
Woke up late and pulled my hair back to head to work. No pooing begins because I was lazy.
Day 3
My first hair experiment was today. I washed my hair with baking soda. It's less complicated than I imagined, a baking soda paste massaged into the scalp, rinsed with hot water. The outcome was no more oily hair, but I wonder if the oil production is being arrested or pushed into over drive. Huh...
Day 4
It was Saturday, No big plans and no overwhelming oiliness, so I stayed out of the shower all together.
Day 5
So today was my second hair experiment. Although the roots and top half of my hair seems to be thriving with the lack of shampoo, the ends are looking a little dry and sad. I think it's mostly by comparison to the shinier appearance of the roots and such. I read somewhere that using an olive oil conditioner on the ends would assist with damaged hair. I tried it and I have a big greasy mess. I have wet head look and the oily scalp one would expect from not shampooing. Dear sweet Pookie said it was time to wash my hair. This from a man that has gone a week without showering at all! Ye of little faith. So tonight I'll shampoo with baking soda and pray to the gods of female vanity that it works. If it doesn't I may have to start over.