DISCLOSURE: Please note these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. I am not a doctor. I am simply sharing my experiences.

Update: It’s HERE!!! Find it here.

I’m so excited to announce my new ebook, The No Poo Method! Of all of the things I write about, I get the most questions about no poo. When I started my no poo journey, I didn’t have many resources or guidelines. It took a lot of trouble shooting and trial & error to find a no poo method that works for me. I have talked to a lot of no poo-ers and discovered their most common issues and how they solved them. I get emails from around the world with questions and testimonials. I have complied all of this information into one book so that your no poo journey will be easier.

For More Info

For more info, be sure to check out my ebook, The No Poo Method.

**When Will The No Poo Method be Available?**

The No Poo Method ebook will be available to everyone on Tuesday, September 15, 2015. But my newsletter subscribers will have early access along with a coupon code during the pre-sale. So be sure to join my email list so you are among the first to have access to the book and to get special discounts! Emails will start going out next week on September 1st.

What’s Included?

The No Poo Method Ebook includes:

75+ pages of content
18 chapters
Over 20 DIY recipes
Full color
Step-by-step guides
Hyperlinked table of contents for easy navigation
Trouble-shooting tips and answers to frequently asked questions
In-depth info on lots of different no poo methods
TWO bonus gifts! A Getting Started Guide to help you determine the best no poo methods for your hair type and a 20-minute Getting Started Video Guide!

Topics Covered

In The No Poo Method Ebook I talk about:

What is “No Poo” and why would anyone do it?
Toxins in commercial hair products
How to get started & the dreaded transition phase
Finding your hair type, including porosity, density, texture, and curl pattern
How to formulate pH balanced recipes
Deep conditioning, essential oils, and nutrition
A detailed shopping list

Why I Went No Poo

When people find out that I am a no poo-er, they usually give me a confused (and sometime disgusted) look then ask, “But why???”

There are 3 main reasons why people choose the no poo method:

To avoid toxins in commercial products
For the simplicity of the routine: fewer products, less time styling, going longer between washes, etc.
For the cost savings: the majority of the products used for no poo are inexpensive compared to commercial hair products.

I started no poo to get rid of the toxic chemicals that were in my hair products. But I very quickly realized the simplicity of the routine and the cost savings were amazing added bonuses.

But why was I worried about the chemicals in my shampoo??

In 2005, just 2 months after I married my wonderful husband, I injured my back. I herniated a disc. I then spent 3 years trying to heal. I had 2 surgeries and 3 epidural injections. I saw over 20 doctors, surgeons, chiropractors, neurologists, and physical therapists. I was getting worse, quickly. I wasn’t able to walk unassisted, get dressed by myself, or sleep. I was in constant pain. After putting it off for as long as I could, I had a spinal fusion. I was very hopeful that the fusion would eliminate the pain.

But it didn’t. I was still in a lot of pain.

So I started doing a lot of research on natural remedies and holistic lifestyles. I stumbled across the Weston A. Price Foundation website and was very intrigued. I started to follow their diet guidelines (raw milk, local & clean meat, lots of good fat, whole food, etc.).

My inflammation started to decrease. And less inflammation means less pain. Eliminating the toxins in my food eliminated a lot of my back pain.

I then started to look at the other toxins in my life. My next step was cleaning supplies. I stopped using the toxic commercial cleaners and started making my own products with white vinegar and baking soda. Not only did the DIY cleaners work, but they also smell better. I do not miss the smell of bleach and other harsh smells in my house.

Now I was on a roll! I wanted all the toxins out of my house. And the more toxins I removed, the better I felt and the healthier I was.

That brings me to no poo.

I started to look at the toxins in hair products. The Environmental Working Group is a great organization that tests the toxicity level of products and ingredients. They give a rating from 0 (nontoxic) to 10 (very toxic).

Here are some of the top offenders in shampoo along with their toxicity rating:

Synthetic Fragrance, rating = 8
Quaternium-15, rating = 8
1,4-Dioxane, rating = 8
Oxybenzone, rating = 8
Benzyl Salicylate, rating = 7
Methylisothiazolinone, rating = 7
Lilial, rating = 7
Formaldehyde Releaser, rating = 7
Methylisothiazolinone, rating = 5
Linalool, rating = 5
Methylchloroisothiazolinone, rating = 6
Benzyl Alcohol, rating = 5
Hexyl Cinnamal, rating = 5

I started to use natural commercial shampoos and products. They were ok. My hair didn’t love them. And they are expensive.

I ran across some blogs and websites that talked about no poo. And I thought what most people think when they first hear about no poo, “What kind of dirty person doesn’t use shampoo?!?!” But then I did more research and decided to try it. And now 2 1/2 years later, I can say that my hair is healthier, thicker, shinier, and healthier than ever!

The How To of No Poo

Before we go any further, let’s talk about some no poo myths.

Myth #1: No poo hair is dirty. Truth is, I wash my hair. I just don’t wash it with chemicals and synthetic ingredients. There are many single-ingredient, natural products that wash hair. My hair is softer and cleaner now than it was when I used commercial shampoo.
Myth #2: No poo hair stinks. I promise my hair doesn’t stink. In fact, it smells pretty good. I routinely use essential oils in my hair products. Furthermore, the chemicals in commercial shampoo and hair products smell far worse than any DIY concoction I put on my hair.
Myth #3: No poo hair isn’t pretty. A funny thing happened when I stopped using commercial hair products; my hair stopped needing commercial hair products. Before no poo, there was no way I would let my hair air dry without any products. It would have been a frizzy mess full of flyaways and tangles. I would have blow dried it with some sort of volumizer, used an anti-frizz serum, ran the straightener through it, then finished off with hair spray only to wash it again the next day with shampoo and start all over with my styling routine. Now, I air dry it and I’m done. Easy peasy.
Myth #4: These no poo “science experiments” can’t be good for your hair. The no poo method uses single ingredient, nontoxic, natural products. Most of these products are already in your kitchen pantry. Almost all of the products are edible. They are safe to eat, safe to put on your skin, and safe to put on your hair. While it’s true that everyone’s hair will react differently to different products, I’m confident that your hair won’t turn green. Some people do experience minor hair loss during their transitional detox phase, but that is rare and easy to trouble shoot. Your hair is more likely to turn green and fall out as a result of a chemical reaction in synthetic commercial hair products.
Myth #5: The no poo method only works for certain hair types. Wrong. You are correct that your no poo routine likely won’t be the same routine I follow. But I have heard from people with all types of hair over the last couple of years. With some experimenting and trouble shooting, every hair type can find a no poo method that works for them. Remember, commercial shampoo as we know it wasn’t introduced until the 1930s. There were people with different hair types using the no poo method for a very long time before that.

So you’ve decided you want to try no poo. Now what?

The first step is to figure out your hair type. Your porosity level, density, texture, and curl pattern are a big part of which no poo method will work best for you. In The No Poo Method book, I walk you through each hair characteristic so you can determine your hair type. I also include information on where to start your no poo journey based on your personal hair type.

It’s very important to keep your hair care routine pH balanced. That is one reason people have such bad results with the baking soda and apple cider vinegar routine (which is just one no poo method out of many possible methods). Too much baking soda will be too basic for your hair and will dry it out, resulting in damaged hair. I will teach you how to create pH balanced formulas that your hair will love.

Most people getting started have only heard of the baking soda and apple cider vinegar no poo method. But there are many, many, many more methods! The method I use probably will not be the same method you use. I describe a lot of different methods in the book and give step-by-step instructions on how to execute them.

Some frequently asked questions

Here are a few FAQs. I discuss a lot more of the questions I get most often in the book. I get a lot of questions about no poo from all different hair types and lifestyles.

I WORK OUT A LOT AND SWEAT. CAN I NO POO?

Of course. Sweat is water soluble, so the water only method would work well. You can always mix different methods so use the water only method most days and then wash it with another method as needed

CAN I BLOW DRY MY HAIR / USE A STRAIGHTENER / CURLING IRON?

Yep, it’s your hair! I have heard from quite a few no poo-ers who use heat styling tools on their hair. For starters, many no poo-ers only wet their hair when they wash it. And they may only wash it every 10 days or so. Their hair is only exposed to the heat two to three times a month. Do note that the heat can damage, dry out, or break your hair. I personally avoid using heat on my hair for the most part. Since I get my hair wet so infrequently, I plan my washes for when I know I have time to let it air dry, usually at night. I use heat curling tools on special occasions a couple times a year. I do no-heat headband curls 1-2 times a week.

CAN I STILL COLOR MY HAIR, USE RELAXERS, OR OTHER CHEMICAL PROCESSES WITH NO POO?

You can color your hair and use a no poo method. There are some natural color options. But you can use a chemical dye and still do no poo. A few things to consider:

Most commercial dyes are full of chemicals. If you want to embrace no poo completely, use a natural dye.
How you wash the dye out of your hair will depend on your hair, dye, and water type. Some people use a commercial shampoo to wash the dye out and then return to their no poo routine. Some people just use a vinegar rinse.
I do not color my hair with chemical dyes and cannot give personal testimonials. But I have heard great reviews of egg washes, vinegar rinses, and deep conditioning on dyed hair. In general, I have heard negative reviews of using baking soda on dyed hair. The same goes for using a chemical relaxer. You can relax your hair and use the no poo method. I have never relaxed my hair so I can’t give a personal testimony. Often, relaxed hair needs extra conditioning.