Joining the No-Poo Movement (read that to catch up) was one of the most brilliant things I’ve ever done for my hair, second only to getting highlights instead of using Sun-In spray at the age of 14 (thanks mom). It seems like everyone ditched their shampoo right after I did—Learnvest featured the hot hair trend 2 weeks ago, About.com caught on yesterday, and just today Refinery 29, too, said sayanara to the sudsy scalp ritual.
I can truly say: I GET IT. I seriously think my hair grew a whole inch in that one week. And it has developed a new brand of shimmering shine. The main takeaway: hair is simply not meant to be washed that often.
During my experiment I went for one week without shampoo in the name of a stronger, healthier, more luscious head of hair. (The true test is 6 weeks, but I’m not that crazy.) Since it’s Earth Day tomorrow I’ll mention that yes, it is also part of an environmental movement to reduce plastic bottle waste, but let’s be real: we all just want that sexy, Pro-V waterfall of hair.
I did not use dry shampoo nor vinegar, as recommended by some No Pooers to get you through the movement. My #1 survival ally was the Remington TStudio Pearl curling wand—I must dedicate a full blog post to this magical piece of machinery that I got in the Luxury Spot bachelorette party gift bags (thank you!!). It is hands down the best hair curling device I’ve ever used, and apparently works whether or not you are the wash-your-hair type.
NO-POO TIMELINE:
DAY 1, SATURDAY: I had a TV news segment on Saturday morning (for my Beatles gig), so I was conveniently kicking off the week with a really styled ‘do. I banana-curled my hair with the Remington and used lots of hair spray, locking in the look for as long as possible. I suggest kicking off your no-poo week similarly, so you don’t have to worry about anything for a few days. (I also suggest getting those neon colored Pheasant Feathers!)
DAY 2, SUNDAY: Hair still looked good, with a little Remington touch-up. Here’s an action shot:
DAY 3, MONDAY: Still looked pretty good – I forgot to get a picture! But use your imagination: it looked somewhere between the pic above and the pic below.
DAY 4, TUESDAY: This is when the problems started. I became a scalp-scratcher, deep in thought of course, thinking about how awkward it is when your head itches, because people like assuming you have lice. My head also developed a slight stench that invaded my personal space. It doesn’t look too bad in this photo, but by later in the day I definitely had it back in a bun. And I definitely did not go out that evening.
DAY 5, WEDNESDAY: (Morning). I went to the gym that morning so there was no way I could continue on without at least running it under hot water, which is not against the rules, so I did. I really thought that this would get the itchiness and greasiness to go away, but it didn’t. Shampoo, validated. I pulled it back in a bun, because that’s meant to be sleek and shiny anyway, right?
(Evening) Remy came into play again here. Usually when I take my hair out of an all-day bun like this, it has fabulous volume. This night was different from all other nights because 1, I was at an early Passover seder, and 2, because my hair looked like it was washed in car grease, and almost did not descend from the bun once removed. However, my strands took to the iron better than usual—as though they were made of malleable wire. A little grease helps curls hold right; a lot of grease makes them total slaves. That’s why whenever you go for an up-do, it’s best if your hair is at least one day unwashed. Here I am, measuring up quite well on the curl-o-meter to my sister and cousin whose curls are au naturale.
DAY 6, THURSDAY: The curls from the night before were still in high gear, except very weighed down. The roots were flat and shiny and desheveled, so I tied a turban around it to mask the grease. Hair accessories go a long way.
Day 7, FRIDAY: I ran it under hot water again Friday morning, and this time I decided to blow-dry and straighten. Hair, glued to head.
Day 8, SATURDAY, right before the shower: You want a piece of me.
WASHED: Ooooh how sweet it was to be clean again! The doves circled my bathroom as I scrubbed my scalp in Sally Hershberger ecstasy. Here I am the night after washing for the first time. Not sure if you can tell from the picture, but it looked quite vibrant and healthy.
THE BEST PART! NEXT WEEK: Taking notes from poo-less boot camp, that next week I only shampoo’d once on Wednesday (for the Spa Week Media Party), and not again until Saturday night! Since then, my hair has stopped getting greasy as fast as usual. I now make a point to wash as rarely as possible. If I can go that extra day, I’ll throw a hat on and make it happen. I also use less shampoo when I DO use it. With the help of Bruce and my hair’s newfound strength and shine, it looked better than ever for the media party! At least I think so.
CONCLUSION: It was so worth it! I encourage you to join the No Poo movement at the level it suits you. Banish shampoo for ONE WEEK to kick off your new, healthy-hair way of life, because then it won’t seem as bad when you go 3 and 4 days on the regular. Comment below and let me know if you have tried it, or plan on trying it for yourself!
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