2021 edit: i no longer subscribe to or support the “all-natural” label. more here.
(content from my old blog! i’m now a water-only washer, and haven’t used ANY hair products in a year and a half, so ask me any questions you may have! i have a no-poo troubleshooting post here, too!)
my inner hippie and i have decided to cut out typical shampoo and conditioner. sound gross? well, yea, kinda. this doesn’t mean i’m not washing my hair…it means i’m gonna have to start making my shampoo and conditioner at home. no chemicals? SCORE! way less money spent? DOUBLE SCORE!
so what am i going to be using instead of shampoo and conditioner? why, baking soda and apple cider vinegar, my dears!
the recipes for my homemade haircare:
shampoo:
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
conditioner:
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (with the mother. yes, i said mother.)
what to do:
- mix up your “shampoo” and place in container of your choice. it should feel “slippery.” you’ll know what i mean when you feel it!
- mix up your “conditioner” and place in container of your choice. it’ll smell while you’re using it, but it will NOT smell once you rinse it out!
- use the baking soda mix as you would normal shampoo. i found it’s best to squirt a little on one part of your scalp, rub gently but firmly, and move to the next spot. only use this on your scalp! then, once you’ve rubbed your whole scalp, rinse really, really well!
- use the acv rinse from the scalp to the ends of your hair. it’ll rebalance the pH and make your hair feel softer! rinse really, really well!
i have two plastic squirt bottles (not spray ones) that i’m using to hold the mixes.
and of course you can change the mixture, according to your hair. scalp is too dry? you can lessen the baking soda. etc. *remember* to let your hair have a few weeks to adjust to your new homemade haircare before you change the mixture ratios. the dryness and/or oiliness you might experience might be the simple fact that you’re hair isn’t being stripped of its natural oils then coated with waxes anymore! 🙂
couple tips:
– clarify before you switch (clarify ONCE. then wait 3, 4, 5 or more days before your next wash!)
– deep condition often. “often” is based on your hair. if it’s dry, condition it. if it’s not, don’t. 🙂
(about halfway through my transition. see?! NOT pretty. but worth it!!)
UPDATE:
i love the condition my hair is in. it’s shiny, holds curls better (without product, of course!) and really soft!
(sorry the pictures are dark. it’s after 3am and matt’s asleep so i don’t have too many lights on.)
these pictures were taken 19 hours after i took my flexi-rods out of my hair AND after 6 hours of being tossed around in study-mode….there’s still so much body and bounce! love it! and no, not washing my hair every day isn’t making my hair gross…it’s doing the exact opposite 😀 overall, it’s so low maintenance and combined with the no-heat overnight way i curl my hair, my hair care routine is SO incredibly easy now.
so how long does the mixture last?
the mixture i posted above lasts me about 3 uses. considering a big box of baking soda was a litte over a dollar and the unfiltered ACV was a few dollars…let’s do the math:
– $5 for baking soda and ACV
– $1 for a gallon of distilled water
– 1 tablespoon each of the bs and acv with 2 cups of water— i’m washing my hair for PENNIES a week!!
now that’s what i call wallet cheap and beauty chic! SCORE!
UPDATE 2:
i’ve officially been ‘poo free for about 1 1/2 years! this post is really old and from my old blog, but still has great info!
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ROUTINE? see this post.
NEED SOME NO-‘POO HELP? see this post.
and there’s always the no-‘poo resource page! 🙂
almostexactlyblog.wordpress.com 
I’m going no poo and LOVE all of the information on your blog! Great resources and motivation to make it through this transition phase!
Hey! So I just started no-poo a week ago and I need a little help! I’ve read your troubleshooting and everything but maybe I can get a little help from ya! I have shoulder length, wavy/curly, fine hair. The BS/ACV method is what I’ve been trying with a deep conditioning once this week. My hair STILL feels like straw! I’m not used to this! When I used store bought s&c it was always so silky, soft, and limp. What should I do to change the straw like texture? I’m considering ROM…any ideas!? Thanks!!!
Hi. I’ve been reading all over the internet about no-poo and I’m all about cheaper and healthier living – so with enthusiasm I dove in. But I need help. I’ve read your posts but I still have some questions…
First off – I tried the baking soda method.
1) I can never get it to dissolve in the water on the old shampoo bottle.
2) it left my hair so oily (even after weeks.) it itched so bad I couldn’t take it
Second – I tried adding some castle soap. This seemed to help… But this key my hair with the most disgusting feeling… Like a nasty residue that would even start on my hands. Not soft, not shiny, not smooth. It was very snarly too.
Third – so I tried the acv rinse. AWFUL. When I use this – even diluted ( maybe not enough?) It leaves my hair SO oily I minus well not have even showered. It doesn’t look clean at all…
My hair is so oily and fine I’m at a loss. Idw spend more money and time but u want a natural solution 😦
Help?
My hair has always been oily, where I have to wash every other day or else I look like I haven’t showered in weeks. On the upside this has kept it pretty healthy 😉 I decided to try no ‘poo because I’m in love with your resulta, the idea of not pouring chemicals onto my hair, and to tame/train my hair to where I can go maybe a day longer and it not want to star in Grease!
I’ve been at this for maybe a week now and still find myself washing every other day (simply because I haven’t been home enough days to feel comfortable letting my hair go unwashed for 3-6 days as suggested). Is this part of the “training” and very nessesary for my hair to start holding back the oils?
And is there any other tips you might have for someone attempting to go no ‘poo with oily hair??
Thank you!
How do you make sure all the baking soda mixture is rinsed out? Every time I think I’ve done a good enough job but then my hair feels filmy and there’s baking soda residue in my hair brush after brushing my hair.
My stage of my hair is a grown out pixie, and I usually wash my hair every 3-4 days with my store bought shampoo and conditioner. I was really interested recently in using natural ways to clean and moisturize hair, but I am a bit afraid because I feel like my hair might not have similar results or my hair condition may become worse. Do you think it would work with my hair?
Thank you for being such a wonderful resource! I have been no-poo for almost 3 months and so far it’s going relatively well. I have been using a reusable plastic water bottle (~3cups) to mix and hold my ACV/water before filling a small squirt bottle to apply it. Two times I have found something growing/floating in the bottle -both times I just dumped the bottle and washed before refilling. Is this normal because the solution sits so long? Should I just find another bottle? Does it need to be smaller or maybe glass? I would appreciate any suggestions! Thank you 🙂
Would it mess with the transitioning if periodically I use a low poo method but remain mostly no poo?