Facebook fans: You spoke and I listened! Here is the first in a possible series of crunchy (read: natural or low-effort) beauty tips. I don’t pretend to be a beauty expert, but I know what makes me feel good. And if it makes ME feel good, maybe it’ll make some of you feel good, too! If you don’t like this series you should probably become a Facebook fan so you can shout me down when I float these hair-brained (HAIR BRAINED, GET IT?) schemes of mine. xo Rebecca
What’s blogging without a giant confession, right? I have one. But first, I have to say, I can’t even believe I’m doing a Beauty Tips post. I’m no Audrey Hepburn or Audrey Tatou or any other Audrey for that matter. I’m a stay-at-home mom of five boys. BOYS. I ask them to brush their hair and they run screaming from me like I’m brandishing a hot poker at them instead of a hairbrush. I grab for a warm washcloth to fix a pudding smeared face and the screams might make you think I’m wiping them down with acid. I suggest that perhaps they might want to change the shirt they’ve been wearing for a week solid and it’s greeted with a befuddled look, shrugged shoulders and a “NothankyoumomI’mcomfy.”
In short? I’m pretty much on my own here. I don’t even have a frame of reference for what is trendy or hip or even socially acceptable any more, so honestly, I don’t know how many people are going to get squeamish over what I’m about to say.
…Which is this…
I haven’t used shampoo in two and a half years. Yes. That is my beauty tip. No shampoo. (I can hear you now, “…And you’re surprised your boys are gross?”) Obviously there’s a bit more to it or everybody would be doin’ it, right?
Here’s a little history. After I had my youngest son a little over seven years ago, I felt perpetually rumpled. I had just given birth to my fifth child in eight years. Translation: I was lumpy and hormonal. Translation of the translation: out of shape, shedding hair like mad and had spotty skin. The hair that remained attached to my head was scarcely behaving better than the stuff that fell out in handfuls in the shower/on my pillow/standing still. It was cottony looking, dry and my scalp itched like mad. (Boy, do I sound like I was a looker or WHAT?!?)
I embarked on a path that seemed like a good idea to clear up my lumpybumpy body, skin and hair problems. I started buying expensive creams and shampoos from the salon. And that? Well, it didn’t work and it left me with bottles and pots and jars and squeeze tubes of things that were disgustingly expensive and useless. Then I tried all-natural shampoos/conditioners/beauty products. That didn’t work at all either. And the blue aloe mud bug organic herbal tinctures and shampoos and salves and whatnot were even more expensive than the professional products.
About three years ago, my bathroom closet was overflowing with what amounted to more than a car payment’s worth of things I’d never use again. As a last ditch effort, I turned to the internet and googled a string of keywords that sounded like the punchline in a fairy tale:
“Straw, Hair, Pimples, Balding, Magic Shampoo, Smooth, HELP”
Rumpelstiltskin didn’t show up, but I got a list of websites that said, “No Poo”. “But I’m not constipated, my hair just looks like cotton balls!” thought I, until I read a little further. These blogs were all talking about giving up shampoo and solving their hair problems. “Er, okay. Whatever.” But I was desperate enough at that point to keep reading.
Over the next couple of weeks, I tried the baking soda/vinegar solution that many no-poo-ers recommended. That worked for a while, but left my hair feeling sticky. My husband had sniffed my hair when I got out of the shower and told me I smelled like a pickle. (From him, that’s a compliment. Hubby loves pickles.) I, on the other hand, missed the pretty smells of shampoo.
I tried Wen by Chaz Dean because I saw the commercial on television and any guy who can toss his hair like the Breck girl seems like a pretty solid authority on silky hair. The problem there was that it was insanely expensive and I had long hair. I knew it wasn’t a tenable long term solution and I was only feeling so-so about the results so it was tough to justify the cost.
I turned back to the omniscient interwebs for help and discovered yet another no-shampoo group who was less intestinally know as the co-only (short for conditioner only) crowd. The long and short of co-only is that you only wash your hair with conditioner. Again, there’s a little more to it. You can’t just pick any old conditioner; it must be a silicone-free conditioner to keep from weighing your hair down. There’s good news, though. ANYTHING in the Suave Naturals line is silicone free. In other words, one of the cheapest conditioners out there is perfect for the job, and it’s a good thing, too, because co-only washing consists of massaging palms-ful of conditioner in your hair and scalp and letting it stay there (preferably under a shower cap) while you complete the rest of your shower then rinsing it out.
In October of 2010, I tried it. I didn’t really have any great expectations. I figured I’d get out of the shower and find my hair lank and greasy and my scalp itchy. “This is it,” I told myself, “If this doesn’t work, I’ll just cut my hair short and go back to using shampoo.” I was shocked to find it was the opposite. My hair felt as smooth as silk and not weighed down in the least bit. For the first time in almost a decade, my scalp didn’t itch to the point where I felt like clawing it off. And ladies? When I tell you my hair looked good, I mean it looked goooooooooooood. As in it behaved and did what I wanted it to when I wanted it to do it with little effort and almost no product and smelled pretty to boot.
The next time I went to my hairdresser, I screwed my courage to the sticking point and confessed what I was doing. She said, “Wow! Are you kidding? Your hair looks great. I’ll have to tell some of my other clients about this.” I haven’t looked back from that point on and I’ve been conditioner only washing for two and a half years now.
I wouldn’t yank your leg on this, folks. It truly has been the holy grail for me. When I gave up shampoo, it didn’t just clear up my hair problems, it eliminated my skin problems completely. The pimples and acne that I had been blaming on my poor choice in beauty products and/or hormones went away almost overnight.
What I learned AFTER finding what worked for me was that shampoo was stripping the natural, protective oils from my hair and scalp and face (by virtue of its proximity to my hair- thank heavens). In order to make my skin and hair behave after doing that, I had to replace what I could with conditioner in my hair and lotions on my face. For whatever reasons, my fish-belly pale skin was too sensitive for this routine. Eliminating the shampoo/conditioner cycle did the job for me.
Is this a solution for everyone? Maybe, maybe not. Some people have reported an adjustment period where their hair and skin acted like a petulant, oily child for a week or a month or so before becoming bouncin’ and behavin’. I had zero funky down time with my hair when I switched to conditioner only. In the interest of full disclosure, I have never in life been a wash-my-hair-every-day kind of girl. The only time I’ve washed my hair two days in a row is after exceptionally sweaty gardening excursions or after a child threw up in it or used my hair as a napkin or -worse- a hanky. Oh, come on… you KNOW it’s bound to happen with five kids, right?
Here’s my point. It’s worth a try if you’re frustrated with how your hair is treating you or horrified by the amount of money you have to spend to make your hair do what you want it to do. Let me break down the specifics on how I conditioner only wash my hair.
How to Conditioner-Only Wash Hair:
- Wet your hair thoroughly in the shower, massaging your scalp.
- Squirt a palmful of silicone-free conditioner into your hand and massage it into your scalp and the hair near it.
- Squirt another palmful of silicone-free conditioner into your hand and massage it into the rest of your hair. Repeat this until all of your hair is saturated with the conditioner. If your hair is thick and lower-mid back length like mine, you’ll need about 4 palms-ful to coat your hair and scalp.
- Pile your hair on your head to keep it out of the shower stream. If you have one, put a cheap-o shower cap on to keep the conditioner from rinsing away.
- Complete whatever else you need to in the shower; wash your bod, shave, whatever.
- Add a splash of water to your hair and scrub your scalp again, then rinse your hair fully.
- Dry/Style/Whatever your hair as usual. For me, most often this means blow-drying my bangs so they don’t lay funny and letting the rest of my hair do whatever it wants. This is what works best for me!
- Do this two to three times a week. Unless you’re working out HARD daily or having someone wipe boogers in your hair, this should be sufficient.
I’m feeling a little sheepish about even bringing this up here, so help a gal out. What do you think? Am I nuts? Would you ever try it? Do you want to sniff my hair to verify I don’t smell like a fryolator before giving it a shot or is this just completely off the table for you? Talk to me!
Thanks for all of this! Does anyone know if you can use this “no-poo” method if you have colored hair??? Thanks!!
Hi
I have colored hair and have tried it and it works great. In fact I don’t need to use a flat iron any more. I have straight hair but used the iron to get the polished shine I was missing. Also my husband (very short hair, but not colored) has tried it and likes it.
I’ve been thinking about trying this for a while but your post gave me the push I needed. I went conditioner-only this weekend and so far, it’s awesome!
What do you think this will do to short hair…I mean really short. Over my ears short. As much as I am interested in this idea, I worry that I will have flat greasy hair. This especially since I don’t have long, flowing locks to begin with. Anyone with a short cropped ‘do try this before??
I think it’ll still work great, Leah! Give it a go and see!
Love this post! I still shampoo, but only every third day or so (even if I run on the no shampoo days). I do “wash” with conditioner on the other days I shower. I have curly (and color-treated) hair, chin-length with layers, and I swear it looks best on that third day of no shampooing!
I have also taken a similar approach with washing my body…and this is where I shy away from confessing to those around me. But, I wash everything once a week, and just the “dirty” parts (underarms, lady parts, feet) the other days. I try to bathe my kids only once a week, too. Yep. They’re girls and young, so maybe they don’t get so messy… But, my older daughter (5 years) has never had her hair shampooed more than 1-2x per week her whole life, and her hair is absolutely gorgeous. Anyway, enough of me. Thank you for this post – I am a huge fan of this “crunchy” beauty stuff!
Question. Do you condition everyday then? My hair has always been super oily so I’ve always washed everyday with shampoo
I do not condition everyday. Depending on heat and activity level I do it every third day or so. It it’s really hot out or I’ve worked out hard, I might rinse it daily, but that’s about it!
I actually started doing this a week ago after stumbling across it on another blog and I will tell you so far I am amazed! I have incredibly oily skin and hair and have suffered with Seborrheic Dermatitis for nearly twenty years. I have tried every single dandruff related shampoo known to man and have fought with the frustration of my unruly flakes to no avail. I am a licensed esthetician and have spent countless hours studying the skin and how it reacts and finally determined that stripping my skin of all of its natural oil was not the answer and my skin has never looked better! So when I read about doing this with my scalp and hair I realized it really only makes sense. Some of my coworkers and friends think I am crazy but the change I have seen already has me hooked!! Thanks for sharing your story, I hope it can help others tame their skin, scalp and hair!
And thank YOU for weighing in and sharing your story. When I think back, it’s crazy that I stumbled upon the solution, but I’m so glad I did!
Saw this on your blog and thought I would give it a try. I have long, color treated, naturally curly hair, that I normally straighten. The co-only was great! My hair was silky soft, little or no frizz and no need for additional products. Thanx for passing on this awesome idea!!
Thanks for the tip! I have always been skeptical of this washing method, but since any shampoo makes my hair dye fade in a week and I’d really like to keep it black, I think I’ll try this
Thank you!! I’ve been trying this for a week! I love it! I have curly highlighted hair and dry skin/scalp, especially in the winter….tried your method with Suave, my hair is so soft and not nearly as frizzy! Also well water is hard on hair, thanks so much for sharing this! It’s really changed things for me!
I just recently started on the ‘no poo’ method and let me tell you how my hair is CRYING for some pretty smelling chemicals! I miss shampoo and conditioner so when I read this my hair did cartwheels. I definitely don’t want to give up on the all-natural solutions that I’ve started on but honestly my hair is feeling stickier and stickier so I don’t know if it’s working out for me. I would love to give this a try, but I’m apprehensive about a couple things. Usually while shampooing and conditioning, my hair tends to fall out ALOT during conditioning. I guess I’m afraid what this much conditioner is going to do to my already-shedding hair. Secondly, my hair feels very silky but limp with lots of conditioner, so is this also a possibility? Lastly, I already feel like I cannot get all of the product out of my hair because conditioner is so sticky, so what’s it like washing it out? I just feel like I would have to scrub endlessly to get it all out and still wouldn’t be able to. Anyways, I guess I’m just looking for some positive reinforcement before I start this. I’m excited! Thank you for sharing!
Honestly, I think the reason hair comes out when you condition is because hair that has already fallen out loosens from hair it’s tangled to. Does that make sense? Of course, I’m not a hairdresser- it would be awesome if one would weigh in on my theory
the thing is, my hair got sticky with a steady no-poo approach, too. Doing co-only seemed counterintuitive, because my hair did the same thing as yours (seemed dull and weighed down) when I used the ‘normal’ amount of conditioner. When I used the method I described in the post, though, my hair was awesome.
What it boils down to is this- if you’re interested I think you should try it on a day where you don’t have to go anywhere so there’s no pressure to look good. Then, if you don’t like it, no harm done. You may be shocked!
I have undergone a hair “revolution” in the last two years as well and suffered many of the same symptoms you were. My hair seemed dryer, thinner and generally lackluster. I started shampooing only every other day and just conditioning in between but due to the product I used in my hair, couldn’t really go more than two days without “poo-ing”. I did change up the products I was using and found some great volumizers that do not make your hair overly sticky or greasy….but alas, my hair was still not what it was prior to having kids almost ten years ago. After reading this post I went directly ( and I mean DI-RECTLY) to the store and purchased the Ocean Breeze scented Suave naturals………and LOOOVVVEEEEE this method! I too noticed much improvement already the next day! I was concerned that it wouldn’t get my hair clean enough on workout days but as long as you spend diligent time massaging that sweet nectar into your scalp, my hair and scalp come out feeling clean but not overdried. I also have noticed that my skin seems much clearer as well. I have fairly oily skin that is acne prone. Since switching to no-poo, I definitely feel like my facial skin is reacting positively as well. Thanks, Rebecca!!!
Loved your blog
I’ve been co washing for about 2 years now and even got my hubby into it. Works great for us!
Do you do it everyday? I have super oily hair and skin!
Great article! Love your writing style. I’m going to try this. I have medium length very wavy (most people would say curly) fine (not thin) hair. I can blow dry it straight or scrunch it really curly but I want to just wear it natural and I can’t figure out how to do it. When I just let it dry, it looks like crap. I look like I slept in the woods except there’s no leaves in my hair. I tried the baking soda/ vinegar thing and it’s okay but if I work up a good sweat, then I start to smell like Captain D’s. Like you, I ain’t got gobbs of money to throw down for something that might or might not work. I’m a health nut too so all natural is what I’m looking for.
Well, it took me a month to work up the courage to try this. I am here to tell everyone that it works!!! My hair looks and feels wonderful. Between this beauty tip and all the recipes from your blog that are now standards in my home, you have my everlasting gratitude. Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much for letting me know. I am so happy to have contributed a little happiness!
I had the same problem with baking soda/vinegar! My hair was clean, but was sticky and very, very tangled and dry. So I decided to read up on other no poo options and I found your blog. Going conditioner-only has been amazing for me!
I started CO with a conditioner with silicone, and I agree about the weighed-down look
Fortunately, the BEST conditioners for CO are dirt cheap.
I’m glad someone else had the same issue with soda/vinegar, because I was not going to go back to an itchy scalp. Thank you!
So what do you do on the days you do not use the conditioner? Do you wet your hair with just water ?Want to try it and see…I have lifeless hair and am trying to figure out what to do with it…don’t have time to do anything with it with 4 kids and usually it end up in a clip
I am curious about this exact thing too!
I think this is a neat idea and I will want to try it too! Now just to get the courage up and do it!
I’m sick of having really bad acne. I know it’s because of hair shampoo/conditioner. Some make my hair feel waxy and oily and gross. I usually shampoo and condition my hair every other day. I just can’t take having an irritated face anymore! So here I am searching Google trying to figure out what’s causing my acne. Is it shampoo or conditioner. If I wash my hair Monday morning, it will be oily by Tuesday night and I will be washing it Wednesday morning. I was using Dove product and I switched to Suave Professional Naturals? I think that’s what it’s called. Here we go again with all this acne. Unilever owns both of these companies. I was using Pantene when it started to clear up. From what I’ve read Pantene is the one that usually causes acne. So, I’m really confused! I was thinking about doing shampoo only and I read this and I can’t decide what to do. I have sensitive skin, acne prone skin, silky curly beautiful hair but it does frizz like most curly hair. I just want it to smell good, not be greasy, and to not have acne!!!!!!!
Christy- I’m not a dermatologist, so take my advice with a grain or five of salt. If something works for you- do it regardless of what works for other folks… I know how frustrating the acne is. I hope your solution is nearby!
…one other thing- maybe silicone in those products is making your hair feel waxy? Just something to consider!
I’ve been doing the conditioner only for about 4 years now. What lead me to it was looking for a way to color my hair without the $125 a session price tag, the damage to my hair from hairdresser mistakes and the harsh chemicals which are known carcinogens. Not to mention I hated rearranging my entire day to go to the hairdresser every 6-8 weeks for 2 hours to cover my grey roots. That search led me to a website called hennaforhair.com, and I discovered the wonders of using natural henna for hair color. I did it and never looked back, and I’m still loving it 4 years later. I could select any hair color from blond to brown to black to red with any shade in between. My hair is healthier than it has been for decades, and I constantly get compliments on it, I’m loving it.
Do you find Henna covers the grey well?
Just tried this – I am amazed! Wasn’t sure how I expected it to go as I have quite oily roots and dry, splitty ends (I have highlights & my hair is pretty damaged) but having just dried it my hair looks fuller and bouncier and not greasy or weighed-down at all! Definitely a Co-Only convert; thank you so much!!!
Rebecca, I got “best hair” in high school but it’s been all downhill since then. I am forever grateful for the tip. I am on day 6 of no poo/co wash. My hair is fine, curly and long. I condition every third day. And I rinse it on the other days. It’s like my hair has been given new life.
Thanks again
Rene’
I have been co-only washing for 6 months now and have experienced the same Wowwww !! Moment. My face is clear and my hair is bouncy, healthy and finally growing!! My favorite is VO5 cucumber, it smells sooo good and is super cheap. My husband loves my new hair.
I’ve been using Wen for over a year now and love it…the problem is though, the expense! It’s ridiculously expensive for “conditioner” and the amount I have to use. I was my hair about twice or three times a week (yucky housecleaning, hot humid days of “sweat-head”). Every time I’m using the Wen I think…hmmm…why wouldn’t ANY conditioner “wash” your hair since Wen is a conditioner? I just haven’t had the courage to mess up my hair even for a day (and have to wash it again – its very long and curly and frizzy and a total pain!) but I’m going to try using my Jason Organic conditioner to WASH my hair! I’ll let you know! If that doesn’t bide well, I’ll get the Suave…Thanks for the great advice!
I am dying to try this but am afraid of the transition time… I have bangs and the opposite problem you had. I have overly oily hair. I’d like to try it b/c I imagine the shampoo is causing major overproduction of sebum making it worse than it need be but my bangs literally look greasy and clumpy by 5pm even with the daily wash.
I suspect you’re right about it kicking your oil production into overdrive, but I’m just a food blogger!
Would you try dry-shampoo (See GimmeSomeOven.com for a recipe!) between conditioner washes?
Thanks for this post. I’ve been doing the “no-poo” method for a little over a month now. It’s been sketchy but not horrible. Recently I read about rinsing your hair with white vinegar first, then try the bs/acv combo. I showered last night and my hair felt awesome and was drying well. Woke up and a bit staticy and rumpled. Maybe I shouldn’t sleep on it to let it dry
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As the day progressed the static continued. Fortunately no waxy nape of the neck yet – maybe that’s the white vinegar.
I’m going to give it a bit longer to see if it can’t right itself but if not this is a great alternative. I appreciate your info and candor {boogers in hair sounds like fun :p not really
Check out the progress on my blog
I’ve got curly hair and have been condition only for gosh, almost 10 years now. I knew it worked wonders for curly hair, but didn’t know it would work for straight hair. Interesting that shampoo is pretty damaging for non “curly girls” as well as non “curly guys.”
hey sonya, wondering what condish youre using?
Oh my!!! When I saw your first pictu re I thought you were either an older looking teenager ir in your early 20s,, and then I saw that u have five kids!! holy crap!!!
I just tried CO today and liked the outcome, I have long naturally curly hair, my hair gets oily and I was worried, but it felt clean and styled great. I was wondering what everyone who has seen an improvement in their skin is using to wash and care for their skin?
I’m glad you are having success with it! I use cetaphil facial soap and either extra virgin coconut oil or Argan (Moroccan) oil for moisturizer. It is good stuff!