Hi, I'm Ashlee. I went 4 years without shampoo and then went viral! I had the best hair of my life then. It was soft, shiny, and manageable. I loved everything about my no poo hair.
The No Poo Method uses natural ingredients in their purest form instead of commercial shampoo. I started with the oh-so-popular baking soda wash and apple cider vinegar conditioner. My hair loved it....until it didn't. So I did some experimenting and found that my hair loved a rye flour wash.
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That worked beautifully....until I had a baby. My pregnancy hair revolted against everything I was doing.
Mabel was born (fun story: a banana truck exploded the day we brought her home from the hospital. Read that story here.) and I had a beautiful baby girl & a very active toddler boy. Mamas, I know you can relate. I barely had the energy to wash my hair at all....much less troubleshoot what no poo method worked best for me with my new pregnancy hair.
So I fell off the no poo wagon.
Fast forward a handful of years and my hormonal pregnancy hair has settled down.
I look back at pictures of my no poo hair and remember how much I loved it -- how easy it was to take care of, how manageable it was, how well my thin hair held curls, how quickly it grew.
So I'm back to the no poo method after an extended maternity leave!
I'm now about a year and a half into the no poo method and my no poo hair is bouncing back!
Thankfully, during my maternity leave, I used low poo the entire time. So the transition back to the no poo method was quick and painless compared to the first time I went no poo (get transition tips here).
Low poo means using a commercial shampoo that doesn't contain sulfates, harsh detergents, parabens, or polymers.
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My Current No Poo Routine
I love experimenting with no poo methods and trying new recipes. I have shared a lot of them here on the blog over the years. I even wrote a book about The No Poo Method! So as I was diving back into the no poo method, I went into my blog archives and tested out a few of my old recipes and methods. After a few months of trial and error, I found what my hair is currently loving.
Remember, figuring out what no poo method is best for your hair is a fun and safe science experiment you get to do at home! It does take time, patience, and some bad hair days to figure it out. I definitely think it's work the effort!
Here's what's working for me now (with pictures!):
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--->>> TLDR notes:
- I do a coconut oil mask the night before my weekly wash.
- I wash with baking soda and condition with rice water.
- I use argan oil as a frizz serum and use dry shampoo typically once a week between washes.
It may seem like a lot of steps as you are reading it, but I promise it's super simple!
- I only have to wash, dry, and style once a week! Yes, please!
- All of the ingredients I use are super inexpensive.
- And once you purchase an ingredient, you've got it and it lasts a long time! I mean, seriously, rice, baking soda, coconut oil, arrowroot....all small investments. Yes, please!
Here are the details:
- I am currently washing my hair once a week on Sunday.
- I add essential oils to all of my hair products and ingredients.
- Here is a list of the best essential oils for hair.
- On Saturday night, I put about half a teaspoon of coconut oil in my hair, just on the ends (not on the scalp) & just enough coconut oil to condition & moisturize my hair.
- I use this coconut oil.
- Learn about coconut oil hair masks here.
- I sleep with the coconut oil in my hair on a silk pillowcase. It's a small amount of coconut oil so I don't have problems with greasy pillowcases. But you can use a silk bonnet if you prefer.
- More info on the benefits of silk pillowcases here.
- On Friday, I prep some rice water. I put about 1/4 cup of white rice in a jar with about a cup of water. On wash day / Sunday, I drain the rice water.
- Learn how to make rice water here.
- I wash my hair with baking soda. I use about 2 teaspoons of baking soda in about half a cup of water. I pour that on my scalp and massage for a couple minutes. Rinse.
- I use this baking soda.
- More on baking soda here.
- Then I do a rice water rinse. I submerge my hair in a bowl with the rice water. I let it soak for a couple minutes. Then I pour the rice water over my head (rice water is great for your skin, too!). I let it sit for a couple minutes. Rinse.
- While in the shower, I use a wet brush to brush my hair to make sure everything is rinsed out.
- I dry my hair with a hair dryer. That's typically the only time my hair gets heat (unless I decide to curl with a heated curler for a special event).
- I use argan oil for a frizz serum as needed.
- Learn about argan oil here.
- I use dry shampoo typically once during the week.
- Get my dry shampoo recipe here.
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Get all of my DIY hair recipes & no poo tips here:
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