Trying to find the right hair care routine is a journey, especially when incorporating plastic-free personal hygiene and/or a low-waste lifestyle. I don’t have a very high-maintenance routine, but even I have had trouble finding something that connects with my values, doesn’t break the bank, and actually works.
As I mentioned, my hair care routine is pretty basic: I don’t blow dry it, style it, use products, or dye it. Heck, I don’t even go to the hairdresser! All I do is tip my hair over my head and cut a few inches off about once every year when I start to sit on it, or it gets caught in my seatbelt. So I get that my routine isn’t for everyone and that everyone will have different needs.
I currently use bar shampoo and conditioner from Edmonton’s very own Jack 59, the Citrus Shine duo. I find that my thick hair has a beautiful curl when it air dries after shampooing and conditioning with these bars. I used to wash my hair with shampoo and conditioner every day, but I heard that this is unnecessary and even bad for your hair. So I have become more and more curious about the No Poo method. I have only just become brave enough to space out my washings to twice a week, as my hair has always become greasy pretty quickly after washing (like even the following day right before my next shower!) Now that I have been spacing out my shampooing for almost a year now, I find it takes a couple of days before noticing any grease, and it doesn’t get as bad.
“No Poo”; seems to come in many forms. Technically speaking, this means not using “shampoo,” which is a specific type of cleanser designed for hair. Claimed by the No Poo’rs to strip the natural protective oils from your hair, shampoo supposedly leaves your hair needing more shampoo and more conditioner as your scalp produces oils to replace the ones you removed. No shampoo doesn’t mean you don’t clean your hair at all, though. Some people strictly use conditioner. Some people still cleanse their hair with vinegar or baking soda. (But hopefully not at the same time! Picture an elementary school science class volcano on your head.) Some people even treat their hair with things like flour, eggs, and porridge. Personally, I like to keep my breakfast in the kitchen, not the shower.
Vinegar, (most commonly apple cider vinegar) and baking soda are some of the most popular shampoo alternatives used by people to cleanse their hair. The problem with these particular products is that they are quite acidic and basic respectively and can easily cause your hair to become brittle, or leave you with some wicked dandruff and an itchy scalp. The advantages with these products, and probably why they are so widely trialed by those on a low waste hair care quest, is that they are cheap and easy to come by.
During my No Poo research, I came across the Scritch and Preen approach. In this method, you massage your scalp for five minutes or so (scritching). Then, using your fingers or a boar bristle brush, disperse the oils from the scalp all the way down the hair, section by section (preening). And otherwise, “wash”; it with water in the shower. This method intrigues me, and I think I will give it an honest go. My bar shampoo still comes with paper wrapping, and I sometimes get it shipped to me if I don’t end up crossing town to get it from one of the local vendors. So it still has some waste, if very little. And every little bit helps!
If you are interested in trying the No Poo method, don’t forget to tag @becomingless and @wastefreeyeg in your journey. If you aren’t ready for that but maybe want to give bar shampoo and conditioner a go, you can find Jack 59 and other brands right here in Edmonton at Earth’s General Store, Re:Plenish, Carbon Environmental Boutique, Blush Lane, and visit our Resources page for other plastic-free, low waste, or zero waste personal care options.
