Now you know my (not at all) dirty little secret! I have not used shampoo in over a year and could not be more happy with it. It’s super cheap and my hair is chemical free!

I first thought about doing this while looking for shampoo recipes to make my self. I didn’t want all the chemicals from regular shampoo and the organic ones were just too expensive! Through my research I started seeing people comment on how to not wash your hair at all. Now this does not mean that I have dirty, greasy hair. In fact my hair is more healthy than ever and looks great. There are many ways to be shampoo free,  I especially love this page on Natural Forces. If like my self, you don’t have time to make your own shampoo and want to mostly use water for washing be prepared for an adjustment period. Our hair is used to the vicious cycle of stripping the oil with shampoo and then artificially replacing moisture with conditioner. Because of this your scalp actually over produces oil in preparation for the shampoo process. So the first few weeks your scalp will continue to produce more oil than you need. But don’t worry! Just keep up with it and your scalp will balance it’s oil production in a week or two. Think of it as an excuse to wear beautiful scarves and hats

Here is the regime that I have found works perfectly for me.  I give my scalp a really good massage and then thoroughly brush it while dry. I then rinse my hair in the cool water before it fully heats up for my shower. This way I use the water that would normally be wasted and I use cool water which is much better for the health of your scalp and hair. I massage my scalp and hair while under the running water as if I were shampooing it. If I end up skipping day of rinsing I simply sprinkle a little corn starch in my hair and brush it through.

Once a week I do a baking soda wash. Take a small amount of baking soda (about 1 tsp for short hair) mixed with a bit of water to make a paste and rub into hair toward the top of your head. I try not to rub the baking soda into my scalp because it is too drying for me, then rinse very well. Baking soda can be difficult to rinse out so start with a small amount and increase as needed for your length and type of hair.  Some people use baking soda as a dry shampoo but I have found that it makes my scalp very itchy. Occasionally I have tried an apple cider vinegar rinse because it makes my hair nice and shiny. The big draw back is that well… it smells like vinegar. I have a very sensitive nose and I can smell it all day long. I am currently experimenting with mixing in essential oils to cut the smell. I’ll post on that when I have a solution.

I hope these tips help you out! Experimantaion is the key! Not everyone’s hair is alike and remember that water type and weather will factor in as well. But there are many natural shampoo recipes out there too (if you have time!). Thrifty fun has a great list of home made shampoo recipes!

Good luck on your shampoo free adventure!

(Image above: ebay)