No Shampoo and No Soap

[Carina]

So I haven't shampooed my hair since April 10, 2021. I don't know when I officially stopped using soap completely on my body. I think it's been around 4 weeks. Besides shampoo, and soap being endocrine disruptors and wanting to lessen my toxic load, I'm also doing this to experience the way we're meant to clean ourselves by doing water only washing. Also my hair hates haircare products, so I'm finally giving it what it wants. When I was a kid, I used to swim in the pool everyday and wash my hair everyday with Pantene. In my second year of college, my hair wasn't growing, so I went down the no poo rabbit hole. I tried the baking soda and apple cider vinegar method, and went through the adjustment period of having the silicones in my hair being taken out. I was able to wash my hair every 4 days after the adjustment period, but it made my hair smell like feet. I tried shampoo bars and my hair still got greasy everyday. I tried "training my hair" for my hair to get used to being washed less often and it didn't work. My hair was still greasy by the end of the day. I tried salon quality shampoo, I was still dealing with a greasy scalp by the end of the day. I tried "natural" sulfate free shampoo, and it was still greasy. All shampoo and low poo methods gave me was a greasy scalp and frizzy, flat hair. Now I'm doing water only washing because it's my last and only option. I'm going into week 6, but I'm still optimistic. I'm so determined to make this work, even if I have to leave with a greasy bun for a year, then I'll do. It was at its worse at weeks 2 and 3, which seems to be the normal with everyone that I watch who've done this before. As for no soap, I just did it in the hopes that I would smell less. My feet don't stink anymore, which is good. My underarms still smell, but it's not as bad as before. The most I use in terms of products is shaving my legs with conditioner to use that up. I used to put conditioner on my underarms when I shaved them, now I only use water because I think the conditioner was throwing off the balance of bacteria to make them smell. I'll be commenting updates from time to time until my hair and body have fully adjusted to this.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

So I haven't shampooed my hair since April 10, 2021. I don't know when I officially stopped using soap completely on my body. I think it's been around 4 weeks. Besides shampoo, and soap being endocrine disruptors and wanting to lessen my toxic load, I'm also doing this to experience the way we're meant to clean ourselves by doing water only washing. Also my hair hates haircare products, so I'm finally giving it what it wants. When I was a kid, I used to swim in the pool everyday and wash my hair everyday with Pantene. In my second year of college, my hair wasn't growing, so I went down the no poo rabbit hole. I tried the baking soda and apple cider vinegar method, and went through the adjustment period of having the silicones in my hair being taken out. I was able to wash my hair every 4 days after the adjustment period, but it made my hair smell like feet. I tried shampoo bars and my hair still got greasy everyday. I tried "training my hair" for my hair to get used to being washed less often and it didn't work. My hair was still greasy by the end of the day. I tried salon quality shampoo, I was still dealing with a greasy scalp by the end of the day. I tried "natural" sulfate free shampoo, and it was still greasy. All shampoo and low poo methods gave me was a greasy scalp and frizzy, flat hair. Now I'm doing water only washing because it's my last and only option. I'm going into week 6, but I'm still optimistic. I'm so determined to make this work, even if I have to leave with a greasy bun for a year, then I'll do. It was at its worse at weeks 2 and 3, which seems to be the normal with everyone that I watch who've done this before. As for no soap, I just did it in the hopes that I would smell less. My feet don't stink anymore, which is good. My underarms still smell, but it's not as bad as before. The most I use in terms of products is shaving my legs with conditioner to use that up. I used to put conditioner on my underarms when I shaved them, now I only use water because I think the conditioner was throwing off the balance of bacteria to make them smell. I'll be commenting updates from time to time until my hair and body have fully adjusted to this.

This zero soap thing seems extreme to me. I don't think we need to go back to the caveman days to be healthier. I hear you that the crap they put in our grooming and beauty products is killing us, but with that being said I haven't used soap on 90% of my body since I was a teen and I am 57 now. I use soap "down there", on my feet and armpits and that's it. Soap has never touched the rest of my body. The soap I use has minimal ingredient and I started searching for a minimal shampoo, and found many suggestions on my post Healthier Grooming & Beauty Hacks. I also have been using an Episilk machine, which pulls out hairs like waxing does and cuts out the use of needing any chemicals to shave my legs. The nice thing is I only had to use it once a week for many years, but eventually the hairs never grow back, so I only have to use it now once every two weeks in the summer for 5 minutes and once a month in the winter. I admire your tenacity to be healthy! Check out my thread for more ideas. I tried beet powder yesterday, as suggested on my thread and it is wonderful. Blossom's cocoa powder for a bronzer was a great one too! I hope I helped rather than hindered your quest :)

 

[onesunnydaize]

I think it is fantastic to detox your body like this and let the natural microbiome reset/restore.
I use a very clean shampoo maybe 2 times a year, a very clean conditioner less than once a month, except if I am swimming in the summer a lot.
I have done this for over 7 years, I water wash every 4 days after a sauna. If I do it any less it does seem greasy.
It took me quite a few years of trial and error (conditioner only, no poo, water washing daily)on my waist length hair. Wait until it is fully sebum coated, bring the oil down the hair by boar bristle brushing. Then water only is quick and easy!
I also only use Dr. Bronner's baby soap in the trifecta as needed. Summer I shower almost every day. Winter I will go 3-4 days.
I also had electrolysis done on the major areas, so bad bacteria doesn't take hold, and there is little smell unless I am detoxing.
I am looking forward to hearing your updates!

 

[Ben.]

I like the nopoo idea and i noticed myself that i didn't need as much washing as i thought.

But the thing is, internal health determines if your body odor/Sweat actually stinks and if your skin/hair greases/dries out quickly or not. That was atleast my conclusion. In that sense even sweating didnt cause a bad smeel, on the contrary.

How to go about this internal health thing is a whole other story tho. Getting rid of all the isolated/blended chemicals is a good start i guess but if after a certain amount of time nothing improves then its mostlikely that the problem comes from somewhere else.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

I think it is fantastic to detox your body like this and let the natural microbiome reset/restore.
I use a very clean shampoo maybe 2 times a year, a very clean conditioner less than once a month, except if I am swimming in the summer a lot.
I have done this for over 7 years, I water wash every 4 days after a sauna. If I do it any less it does seem greasy.
It took me quite a few years of trial and error (conditioner only, no poo, water washing daily)on my waist length hair. Wait until it is fully sebum coated, bring the oil down the hair by boar bristle brushing. Then water only is quick and easy!
I also only use Dr. Bronner's baby soap in the trifecta as needed. Summer I shower almost every day. Winter I will go 3-4 days.
I also had electrolysis done on the major areas, so bad bacteria doesn't take hold, and there is little smell unless I am detoxing.
I am looking forward to hearing your updates!

My dad has been doing it for his whole life too and though his hair doesn't get greasy and his skin looks good, he stinks ALL the time. Here is his pic. I think he looks young for 79. So I can see it being good for the the person doing it, but not so great for those around them. He can never smell what we smell cause he is so use to himself.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

My dad has been doing it for his whole life too and though his hair doesn't get greasy and his skin looks good, he stinks ALL the time. Here is his pic. I think he looks young for 79. So I can see it being good for the the person doing it, but not so great for those around them. He can never smell what we smell cause he is so use to himself.

That is why I think a little cleansing in more private and precarious places can be a good thing.

 

[Missenger]

I think a big thing is clothes, even if you don't use soaps topically and just stick to magnesium/vinegar/baking soda the chemicals from soap detergents will seep into your skin and bombard you with chemicals constantly.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

I think a big thing is clothes, even if you don't use soaps topically and just stick to magnesium/vinegar/baking soda the chemicals from soap detergents will seep into your skin and bombard you with chemicals constantly.

Another good point Missenger, not to mention the toxins in clothes themselves! I had to get rid of almost all of my clothes that weren't cotton, which was 90%. I cried! Clothing, bedding, upholstery and furniture caused me EXTREME problems such as rashes, headaches, sinus trouble, skin growths and even one time I woke up and couldn't pee. Everything swelled shut from sitting on a new leather chair. Shampoo and soap is the least of our problems.

 

[onesunnydaize]

That is why I think a little cleansing in more private and precarious places can be a good thing.

I get my daughter to do the sniff test on my hair, she is honest as a teen...That is how I figured my maximum time between. I also use lime as deodorant if needed on the very hot days.

 

[onesunnydaize]

Another good point Missenger, not to mention the toxins in clothes themselves! I had to get rid of almost all of my clothes that weren't cotton, which was 90%. I cried! Clothing, bedding, upholstery and furniture caused me EXTREME problems such as rashes, headaches, sinus trouble, skin growths and even one time I woke up and couldn't pee. Everything swelled shut from sitting on a new leather chair. Shampoo and soap is the least of our problems.

Yes to the detergents and fabrics being an issue. Anything other than cotton does not let my skin breathe and I then have an odor.
Always wash new clothes with a borax rinse to remove the fire retardants.
I have not figured out an answer to new furniture, except let it air out as long as possible away from your living space. Mattresses are especially toxic. I mean you spend a majority of your life there. Buy very natural if you can afford it. You can get organic cotton futon mattresses for a few hundred if you look into it.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Yes to the detergents and fabrics being an issue. Anything other than cotton does not let my skin breathe and I then have an odor.
Always wash new clothes with a borax rinse to remove the fire retardants.
I have not figured out an answer to new furniture, except let it air out as long as possible away from your living space. Mattresses are especially toxic. I mean you spend a majority of your life there. Buy very natural if you can afford it. You can get organic cotton futon mattresses for a few hundred if you look into it.

The toxins are everywhere! Every little change for better matters. Hats off to those who are happy going the old fashioned route, I will still like a bit of soap please :)

 

[Cloudhands]

When my hair is greasy i use vinegar on it, when my hair is dry i use an egg yolk on it, when my hair is neither dry or greasy i use egg yolk and vinegar mixed on it to make a sort of mayonaise for my hair and scalp. Once in a while i use salycilic acid and castor oil for a dermal peel if my skin feels like it has some layers to get rid of. For my armpits i scrub them with water and same with my crotch and then i put a little bit of air dried milk of magnesia paste on my pits if theyre smelly. I generally dont stink and my skin and hair are very soft and healthy, but i attribute it to good thyroid function and gut health. Adrenaline and diuretic horomones make me sweaty, so staying stress free and euglycemic is good for me to be clean. But i dont think any shampoo or soap is healthy.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

When my hair is greasy i use vinegar on it, when my hair is dry i use an egg yolk on it, when my hair is neither dry or greasy i use egg yolk and vinegar mixed on it to make a sort of mayonaise for my hair and scalp. Once in a while i use salycilic acid and castor oil for a dermal peel if my skin feels like it has some layers to get rid of. For my armpits i scrub them with water and same with my crotch and then i put a little bit of air dried milk of magnesia paste on my pits if theyre smelly. I generally dont stink and my skin and hair are very soft and healthy, but i attribute it to good thyroid function and gut health. Adrenaline and diuretic horomones make me sweaty, so staying stress free and euglycemic is good for me to be clean. But i dont think any shampoo or soap is healthy.

I love the air dried Milk Of Magnesia too! I mentioned it as one of my healthy swaps on my post Healthier Grooming & Beauty Hacks. The people who have responded in that post have some amazing suggestions. Who ever knew beet powder makes the most beautiful lip color!

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

When my hair is greasy i use vinegar on it, when my hair is dry i use an egg yolk on it, when my hair is neither dry or greasy i use egg yolk and vinegar mixed on it to make a sort of mayonaise for my hair and scalp. Once in a while i use salycilic acid and castor oil for a dermal peel if my skin feels like it has some layers to get rid of. For my armpits i scrub them with water and same with my crotch and then i put a little bit of air dried milk of magnesia paste on my pits if theyre smelly. I generally dont stink and my skin and hair are very soft and healthy, but i attribute it to good thyroid function and gut health. Adrenaline and diuretic horomones make me sweaty, so staying stress free and euglycemic is good for me to be clean. But i dont think any shampoo or soap is healthy.

This is the only soap I have found that doesn't make me itchy, stingy or cause a rash. To your point it is hard to find any soap for skin and hair that doesn't cause problems. Thankfully I haven't used soap much for over 40 years, and one bar lasts me a half a year!

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Yes to the detergents and fabrics being an issue. Anything other than cotton does not let my skin breathe and I then have an odor.
Always wash new clothes with a borax rinse to remove the fire retardants.
I have not figured out an answer to new furniture, except let it air out as long as possible away from your living space. Mattresses are especially toxic. I mean you spend a majority of your life there. Buy very natural if you can afford it. You can get organic cotton futon mattresses for a few hundred if you look into it.

We replace our matress and matress cover for organic from Plushbeds.com. Though we have washed our leather sofaswith a vinegar and water solution, it will be years before all of those chemicals diminish.

 

[Tash]

So I haven't shampooed my hair since April 10, 2021. I don't know when I officially stopped using soap completely on my body. I think it's been around 4 weeks. Besides shampoo, and soap being endocrine disruptors and wanting to lessen my toxic load, I'm also doing this to experience the way we're meant to clean ourselves by doing water only washing. Also my hair hates haircare products, so I'm finally giving it what it wants. When I was a kid, I used to swim in the pool everyday and wash my hair everyday with Pantene. In my second year of college, my hair wasn't growing, so I went down the no poo rabbit hole. I tried the baking soda and apple cider vinegar method, and went through the adjustment period of having the silicones in my hair being taken out. I was able to wash my hair every 4 days after the adjustment period, but it made my hair smell like feet. I tried shampoo bars and my hair still got greasy everyday. I tried "training my hair" for my hair to get used to being washed less often and it didn't work. My hair was still greasy by the end of the day. I tried salon quality shampoo, I was still dealing with a greasy scalp by the end of the day. I tried "natural" sulfate free shampoo, and it was still greasy. All shampoo and low poo methods gave me was a greasy scalp and frizzy, flat hair. Now I'm doing water only washing because it's my last and only option. I'm going into week 6, but I'm still optimistic. I'm so determined to make this work, even if I have to leave with a greasy bun for a year, then I'll do. It was at its worse at weeks 2 and 3, which seems to be the normal with everyone that I watch who've done this before. As for no soap, I just did it in the hopes that I would smell less. My feet don't stink anymore, which is good. My underarms still smell, but it's not as bad as before. The most I use in terms of products is shaving my legs with conditioner to use that up. I used to put conditioner on my underarms when I shaved them, now I only use water because I think the conditioner was throwing off the balance of bacteria to make them smell. I'll be commenting updates from time to time until my hair and body have fully adjusted to this.

Delighted to hear more no poo stories on this forum! I went no/low poo a few months ago, and no denying - the transition is rough. Starting to reap the rewards now though, hair is SO soft, scalp no longer feels 'spongey', shedding has dramatically slowed. Shampoo is bull****.

 

[Cloudhands]

This is the only soap I have found that doesn't make me itchy, stingy or cause a rash. To your point it is hard to find any soap for skin and hair that doesn't cause problems. Thankfully I haven't used soap much for over 40 years, and one bar lasts me a half a year!

I think the reason soaps are endocrine disruptors has to do with the emulsifiers removing much of the lipids, including those that have protective steroids. I think egg yolks are good because even tho they have emulsifiers in them they have lots of oil and cholesterol that can replete your hair and skin.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

I think the reason soaps are endocrine disruptors has to do with the emulsifiers removing much of the lipids, including those that have protective steroids. I think egg yolks are good because even tho they have emulsifiers in them they have lots of oil and cholesterol that can replete your hair and skin.

I can attest to the power of egg yolks for hair Cloudhands! I have used this recipe for hair several times over the last 10 years or so and it works better than anything I have bought at an expensive salon!

 

[Cloudhands]

I can attest to the power of egg yolks for hair Cloudhands! I have used this recipe for hair several times over the last 10 years or so and it works better than anything I have bought at an expensive salon!

I used to use the keto mayonnaise available commercially, seeing as my girlfriend bought it, we never really ate it, and its made with mct oil. Now i use duck egg and vinegar, and plan to put some essential oils in it

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

I used to use the keto mayonnaise available commercially, seeing as my girlfriend bought it, we never really ate it, and its made with mct oil. Now i use duck egg and vinegar, and plan to put some essential oils in it

Oh poop I had two jars of that keto mayo and gave it away cause two weeks ago cause I wasn't using it. You're right it would make a good deep conditioner for hair!