What I really mean is no poo for me, but it just doesn't have the same ring. If you missed the back story including info on days one through five read The Sebum Challenge here.
Day 6
It was the strangest thing, the greasy hair I had when I went to sleep was just gone this morning. It sounds gross, but I checked my pillow case expecting an oily mess. Nothing. Because I did not trust what I could see, I did do a baking soda wash this morning. It feels good right now, but I can still feel a bit of over oily on the tips where I experimented with the olive oil.
I also found that sprinkling the baking soda on dry hair and massaging before showering was easier. I felt that I got more complete coverage or something. I also used the paste on the area that was over olive oiled (SERIOUSLY, what was I thinking!).
Day 7
You may begin to see a theme here. I laid in bed too long this morning and did not shower. My hair looked like hell, but mostly because I was about to pull it all out over stupid work stuff. Not oily or smelly. I think the baking soda does a WAY better job of cleaning my hair than shampoo did. I have a lot less frizz and a lot more body.
Day 8
You know things are getting desperate when I dream about wheather or not I should shampoo my hair. Today is the second time I've showered with out any type of cleansing treatment. I just wet my hair, massaged the scalp and rinsed with really hot water. It smells fine, I guess sebum doesn't really have an odor.
Day 9
Used the dry application method this morning with baking soda, massaged in the shower then rinsed. The baking soda does such an amazing job of clearing up the oily look and getting rid of any smell that I was worried that it was still washing away all of the sebum. It is pretty obvious from the way my hair feels when it is wet that the sebum is still there. It feels like a fine coating of wax on my hair. It's becoming obvious that my strange hair cut will not work in this new au natural hair, but I'm certainly not ready to take that plunge yet.
Later Day 9
Not getting the baking soda completely rinsed out is a big problem. My hair is stiff and scary right now (but not oily). Note to self, quicker shower, rinse with HOT water.
Day 10
Today was my company picnic in the park, sweat and dirt and sports, oh my. This morning I washed with very little baking soda and rinsed with super hot water. I think I've been using to much baking soda so I'm going to fiddle around with the ratio. Pulled my hair back into a pony tail while wet and it was still wet when I got home. I also made a side trip and picked up some Burts Bees shampoo and conditioner that do not contain SLS. I don't know if I'm built for this no pooing. I'm going to do a little research into the shampoo ingredients.
Day 11
I have a spa appointment today. Am I brave enough to go to the spa without shampooing? I don't know but I don't have long to figure it out. I'm thinking of cutting my hair super short, it might make the no poo easier to deal with...
I resisted the sinister pull of shampoo (natural is a good thing) but I did change my baking soda mixture to 1 tablespoon of baking soda to 1 cup water. I think the extra baking soda was making the ends feel brittle. I also added a vinager rinse for conditioning. It feels really good right now, but like I mentioned yesterday, it takes a lot longer to dry these days.
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.
Day 10