im so sorry if this is ignorant but i was really interested in what you just said - ditching shampoo altogether. how do you do that without your hair getting dirty?
oh no need to apologise, it’s not ignorant at all - it’s actually a really good question.
first it needs to be said that ditching shampoo is not for everyone - some types of hair and some scalp issues might mean you should stick to shampoo. it’s heavily trial and error, too - not everything will work for you the same it works for someone else and it’s quite easy to get discouraged after the first couple of disappointments.
but! some quick details on why (and how) I ditched shampoo:
most products you can find here irritate my scalp, and with the length and volume of my hair I can’t really afford a lot of fancy, expensive products. I also found buying shampoo really wasteful - both when it came to money and to the endless plastic bottles it produced. I started using shampoo as rarely as I could - I switched from washing my hair every three days to washing it once a week at best, with a horsetail or nettle rinse in between the washes. it helped my hair immensely, too - the truth is most of us use way too much product - way too often.
so I started using less shampoo, too (apart from having to, from time to time, use medical shampoo due to the scalp issues). it’s a good stepping stone to ditching it altogether: it lets your hair get a hold of its own pace when it comes to releasing oils and sebum.
and then I stopped using it - at all. I bought a low-waste vegan hair soap bar for Emergency Washes (let us be honest: there are times when you really want to feel clinically clean and make sure your hair has been taken care of: after big workouts, after going to the pool, after being around smokers for a long time, or some particular incidents such as being me and having my cat Franek puke on me from above. long story.) I use it rarely and only a bit - less waste, less confusion for my hair.
the plague times are a relatively good time to try it: if you’re still working/learning from home and avoiding leaving the house (plus the cold months allow you to wear a hat/beanie). because the first three weeks or so of not using shampoo (unless instead of ditching it immediately you minimise the usage gradually) will be a bit of a mess. your hair will get confused and produce way too much oil (used to being treated with shampoo) and you’ll have to work to get it to look okay.
first: water is good and rinses are even better. you don’t use shampoo, no, but you wash your hair thoroughly with water. if you have the time to prepare and use a rinse, give it a go too. certain rinses will help your hair smell nice, too.
second: brushing. brushing your hair will distribute the oil more evenly and will also let you brush out dirt and whatever accumulates on the hair. make sure to spend some time on brushing your hair gently every day.
third: have something for Emergencies - I recommend well-pH-balanced hair soap bars but you will have to figure out what works for you best, while making sure even these Emergency washes don’t throw your hair off in regards to sebum overproduction.
some people recommend using baking soda and vinegar to manage your hair without shampoo - I’m not a fan, especially given that my scalp gets upset at me easily and I’m careful when it comes to the pH of the products that I use. some recommend essential oils and egg for hair maintenance - not a big fan either.but! nutritional masks are a very good idea, especially if your hair tends to be dry or easily damaged. look into some DYI recipes or into some low-waste vegan commercial options.
lots of rambling, as always. well done if you got through it, ha.
