No 'Poo & Oil Cleansing Method Update

I mentioned last week that I was experimenting with No 'Poo & the Oil Cleansing Method and that I would fill you in on details later.

Later is now.

Firstly, since we're such good friends, let me give you some background into my previous showering habits:

I don't wash my hair every day.  I know that probably makes some of you gag, a decade or so ago, it would have made me gag too; I haven't washed my hair every day for many years now. 

While in England, we found that we consumed far more water than our British counterparts in both washing our clothes after one use and showering once or twice a day.  They would wear their same clothes to work every day for a week and would shower every other day or so.  It made us think not only about all of the excess water we were using but also the natural oils we were stripping from our hair.  England is where I realized that people actually used shower caps.  We still shower every day - I can't give that up - but I only wash my hair every other day.

I don't use much product.  On the off day, I use Biosilk or the like to just smooth out my hair. About 8 times  a year, I get a wild hair (excuse the pun) and put mousse in my mane.  That's it besides the shampoo and conditioner.  I stopped highlighting my hair 2 years ago after a 18 year love affair with golden blonde highlights.  It was a sad day; but, my hair is a lot healthier because of it.

My hair is about the only normal thing about me.  No dandruff, split ends, oily, curly, greasy, dry, or frizzy hair for me - just long and straight with a slight wave.

Make-up, shmake-up.  Usually I wear make-up those 8 times a year that I use mousse.

Lard and ash...good stuff.  My friend Do-It-Yourself Mom has really gotten good at making lye soap and we love it!  It is so nice on your skin and even on your face. 

Here is the basic premise of each experiment:

No 'Poo:  Instead of using shampoo to wash one's hair, a baking soda and water mixture is used and vinegar and water is used as a substitute for conditioner.  It is a natural and frugal method of cleaning hair - read:  no chemicals. 

I am using the suggested ratio of 1Tbs. Baking Soda to 1c. Water for the No 'Poo and 1Tbs. Distilled White Vinegar to 1c. Water with a few drops of Lavender Essential Oil for the No 'Ditioner.  I have both concoctions in labeled squeezy bottles (that I found at a garage sale for $.10) in the shower.

Oil Cleansing Method:  This is employing the use of olive and castor oil to clean and moisturize your face.  Again, natural and frugal.

The ratio I am using now is 1 part Castor Oil to 4 parts Olive Oil.  Again, this mixture is in a squeezy bottle in our bathroom cabinet.

Results Thus Far:

I started this experiment about 2 weeks ago now and so far, I am really liking both methods. 

No 'Poo:  I have driven my family crazy for two weeks now chasing them around the house begging them to sniff my hair both on the day I wash it and on the off day.  (You were warned that my hair was the only normal thing about me.)

The day that I wash my hair, my peeps say that it smells like "health food store shampoo"; okay, I'll take it, and on the off day, it just smells like hair.  No offensive odor emanating from my scalp, really more of no smell at all.  I can live with that although I may try to put more Lavender Oil in the No 'Ditioner to see if it will stay longer.  Maybe I will put some lavender water in a spray bottle and spray it on my hair like a hair perfume.  The vinegar smell does dissipate once my hair is dry.  My tresses feel really soft. I can't stop running my fingers through them. 

OCM:  I started out using this method every other night and using lye soap and moisturizer the in between days.  Then I stopped using lye soap and only using water on the in between days.  If my face starts to feel tight (usually on the off day), I put on a little moisturizer.  Soon, I will be adding Coconut Oil as moisturizer to this experimental hygiene regimen. 

People are starting to notice the difference in my face.  I have noticed the difference too.  It forces me to go to bed a couple of minutes earlier so that I can give myself a 2 minute mini-facial.  I have decided to keep all methods going for a month just so that I feel they have been given a fair shake.  But so far, unless something drastic happens, I will be keeping the OCM for my face.  It just feels so nice. 

What I don't know:

1.  Will the OCM work for people who wear make-up?
2.  What does No 'Poo do to hair with goo? (We will find that out when I convince Engineer to try it.)
3.  How long would it take to clarify and rebalance your hair and face's natural oil production?

Have you tried either of these methods and if so, what has been your experience?

Comments

  1. I only wash my hair every other day, but I don't wet it on the off day or I'd never be able to leave the bathroom. Curls like this must have conditioner. I do use mousse on most days when I wash my hair. Makeup etc? I'm still working on the same blush that I bought about 4 years ago and it's not half gone yet. Other than that I just wear lipstick-some days. I do sort of plan my hair washing days around my activities though. Yesterday was a church day-wash. Today is a work at home day- no wash. So some days I'll wash twice in a row, but usually it still isn't more than 4 times in any given week.

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  2. So are you going to tackle the OCM & No 'Poo experiments too Ms. Cricket?

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  3. um, no. I'm happy with my current set up. I've only washed my hair every other day for going on ten years. That alone saves tons. Truly, I can't get a comb or brush through my curly hair without conditioners. But since I only go through about 1 and a half bottles in a year I'm ok with that. As far as my face, water and a rag is all it takes. I can't stand anything else-even soap. If I did use other products I'd be on board though.

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  4. Hello! A little about me as your guinea pig: I'm a 27 year old guy. I drink a lot of water, & eat well, as nutrition really builds our cells from the inside. I'm a dancer.
    I use the no poo method (with Apple Cider Vinegar only, no baking soda for me), as well as the OCM for my face. My mixture for face is half jojoba oil, half castor, jasmine oil (great benefits!) & I do it every night before bed.
    While I lived in New York, for two years my hair cleansing was this: Every 7-9 days, I would mash up an avocado, a couple spoons of pumpkin puree, some coconut milk from a can, & apply the mask to my hair. Covering with a plastic bag or shower cap, secured with a headband, I would let this sit for an average of a half hour (sometimes 20 minutes). As the avocado dried, it would pull off the old oil, replacing it with its own new oils. I made sure to give my scalp a good firm massage, rubbing the old oils off in this exchange. The coconut milk iss enriching to the hair & gave me so much bounce. The pumpkin contains vitamin A, alpha and beta-carotenes, vitamins C, K, and E, magnesium, potassium, and iron. It was a hair & scalp smoothie. The only reason I stopped is because I just can't afford it anymore.
    When that ended, I resorted to what I had only tried before: Apple Cider Vinegar. I add a little to a large 20oz cup of water, tip my head back in the shower after I've wet my hair, pour, rub my scalp really well with my fingers, rinse it out, & let it air-dry. I love it but have lately been trying to decide if apple cider vinegar is too harsh for my hair (perhaps I'm using too much).
    What I'm about to try is an OCM for the hair! (similar to my mask-cleaning method as it is very rich, but will be more affordable). I am thinking, as I'm inspired by what I've been doing for my face, is 1/5 castor oil, 2/5 jojoba oil, 2/5 rosemary oil. I'm about to try it out, after I look into oils a little more. (maybe no castor at all)
    For my face, I do not use the washcloth, & my skin turns out great. I don't have enough wash cloths & I wouldn't want to reuse one without washing it, so in my eyes it creates more laundry than I'd like to deal with just to clean my face. I may use more water than you because of that, but it's a near even trade-off for me. I use hot water to rinse it off, after that two minute mini facial massage, with my hands using the same upward motions on my face to rub the oil off.Jojoba is incredible & is similar to our sebum. It is actually a wax/gum made from a bean - the only wax that is not solid at room temperature. Jasmine is my addition, as it's a wonderful emotional soother, relaxing (but not in a sedative/soporific way like chamomile or lavender), aphrodisiac, sensual, uplifting, warming but not reddening, rejuvenating for skin.
    I wrote a good bit, but just found your blog & thought I'd share. I love your descriptions as its very apt. My boyfriend calls me "salad hair" when I have wet hair after my weekly apple cider rinse. But once it dries, it has no cider smell.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for all the information. I've never thought about jasmine oil but I bet it smells amazing!

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