Water Only Hair Washing

Recently, an anti-shampoo movement has sprung up: some people replace their usual shampoo with a vinegar-and-baking-soda concoction, and others choose to wash their hair with nothing but water. Why would anyone want to do this?

There are many good reasons to cut shampoo out of your bath or shower ritual. Even the cheapest shampoo costs more than plain water. Most shampoos have harsh chemical ingredients that may dry your scalp and irritate skin. These chemicals can also be hazardous to the environment, especially because shampoo residue ends up in our water supply, making its effects very far-reaching.

“No-poo” proponents say that hair is self-cleaning, and shampooing it will strip it of the natural oils that help keep it, and your scalp, healthy and moisturized. When your scalp perceives that these oils are gone, it will make more of them, which leaves you with greasier hair. Shampoo also lifts the scales that make up your hair shaft – while these scales are smoothed down if you use conditioner, their constant lifting and lowering could weaken hair and make it rough and frizzy.

There’s a transitional period when you stop washing your hair with shampoo and switch to plain water. This stage may last a few weeks, or even several months. You hair may become very greasy, because your scalp is still producing excess oil as a learned response to frequent shampooing. Wait out these period, and your hair and scalp should soon adjust; then it won’t be so greasy.

Not everyone loves the no-poo experience: in fact, some people hate the way it makes their hair feel. Others, however, try it and never go back to shampoo. British newspaper The Daily Mail recently did an informal experiment in which five women stopped washing their hair and began simply rinsing it with plain water. Two of the women couldn’t stand it – they said their hair felt lank and greasy, and they couldn’t wait to start using shampoo again. The tree other women, however, noticed that their hair slowly became thicker and fuller, and the grease slowly subsided. They also didn’t need to use as many styling products to make their hair look the way they liked.

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