I actually stopped needing to use any styling products since switching to water-only. Why you don’t want single use plastic water bottles, and the alternative, 5 money saving tips to follow your dreams. The experiment was done to explore the necessity of covering our bodies with complex detergents, moisturizers, fragrances, etc. But if you don’t have an issue with overly oily hair and/or if you like to shower daily, you can rinse cool or lukewarm water through your hair daily if it works for you, and then do a warm water & thorough scalp scrub every 7-10 days if you’d like. I definitely do use a heat protectant on my hair before applying heat tools. It was seriously instant! So whilst I can safely say I LOVE this no poo method, and certainly plan on continuing with it for now, this may not always be the case. I therefore only use it before washing my hair, as opposed to everyday. Note: no-poo refers to washing your hair without shampoo. If we ever spend an extended period of time near the sea, I would love to fully experiment if water-only hair washing is possible whilst swimming regularly in the ocean. Depending on your kids' hair type (thickness, cut, style), you can try water-only there as well, or you could do some gentle conditioner washing. Might be a good idea to ask for no styling products! Used to use water only and occasional vinegar when I had soft water. Hope it helps! My cute short haircut, which has always resulted in my hair shaping nicely around my head, suddenly was not cute anymore. You use a boar-bristle brush to brush your natural oils through the length of your hair which keeps it frizz-free and hydrated. Instead, try a vinegar rince once a week. Senior Writer. What this trial has shown me, is that water-only hair washing would be IDEAL for me if we were living somewhere for longer; it WORKS and its perks are seriously amazing. Did you use clarifying shampoo to start your whole process originally? One day, driving home, my head was itching and I started scratching, and then I had to stop, and do a two handed scratch until the itch went away. Check out my 3-Month Update here. Heat? Sounds worse than it actually was, but still, I did not enjoy the feeling. I have read and agree to the privacy policy, @2019 Wale&Me. It does take a few weeks to normalize your scalp oils though (or months depending on how out of whack your scalp oil production has become from over-washing), but your hair will be amazing and so low maintenance once your scalp has normalized. Be gentle with your hair! I never use a brush. Finally, I worried it wouldn’t work. Manageability levels are through the roof. Slowly I weened myself off the daily washing (it was an oily mess at first, yuck). But it is advisable to finish off with cold water to seal the cuticles, and make you hair shinier (I have to admit I can’t always bring myself to do this). We’re talking light pressure that shouldn’t hurt your scalp. The texture isn’t like shampooed hair, but considering my hair was broken and horrible looking and impossible to do anything with, the texture is a huge improvement. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. I’m intrigued if my hair will change – I’m hoping because I’ve gone through the angry hair phase when I changed to the soap method that it won’t deteriorate! Should I just distribute the oils in my hair before I workout? If you slather a bunch of oil all over your hair or near your roots, you’ll have excessively oily hair and no way to shampoo it out. Hi Marjolijn, When you skip the shampoo, your allow your hair’s natural scalp oils to come through. I rarely have to do anything other than run hot water down my hair every 10 days or so. This is great! You should try an Apple Cider Vinegar rinse, it helps to get rid of excess oil :). And that’s what you see in the pictures below. Learn how your comment data is processed. I do water only hair washing and my hair looks fantastic. Hey Jordan. I tried to go water-only 2 years ago but without all these useful tips. If i may make a suggestion, I would recommend you not giving up and going back tos a shampoo bar/soap or heaven forbid shamppo. my hair is so shiny and soft! What’s different? It didn’t stink. Endocrine disruptors, and why you should go plastic free. The way you choose to start is up to you. You know, ease your way into it. Is no-poo just not for me, should i try using natural shampoos, or will my hair understand that its producing too much sebum. I know having luscious shiny locks with water-only hair washing, is possible, because of all the successful accounts out there (I mean, look at Ariana from Paris to Go). I actually started water only hair washing in the beginning of December 2018. Thank you, natural hair oils. It doesn’t really feel that greasy, but it sure looks like it. My hair didn’t smell “fresh”. I don’t want to distribute the salt from my sweaty head into the rest of my hair. Or I may be less strict, and just use the shampoo bar in those places where the water leaves my hair feeling icky. Some conditioners are great at cleaning your hair and they smell great! I tried every special shampoo and expensive serum I could get my hands across, but nothing really helped. After scritching and preening, brush a clean BBB through your hair to reduce tangles and distribute the oils down to the very ends of your hair before you shower. After you shower, pat your hair dry with an old t-shirt or microfiber towel (instead of a bath towel) to reduce frizz and flyaways. It’s great to know that this method is also manageable when swimming in the ocean on the daily, and you make me want to have a similar routine just to get those beach waves haha. I am definitely out of the oily transitional phase and still going strong on water-only, so figured it was time to post an update to my Ultimate Water-Only Hair Washing Routine.. I did consider quitting on some bad hair days. Approximately 4 years ago, following a lengthy bout of bad health, and multiples of surgeries, I decided it was time to change things up. Comb through damp hair with a wide-toothed comb, starting at the ends and working your way up. For a year or two, I tried making my own shampoo, from various recipes found on blogs, and websites, finally settling on one that seemed perfect, but alas, nothing last forever. I still mostly only wash my hair with water, and I’m happy with the results. I wld just go back to my daily routine.. but u have given a full honest of it story.. thanks a lot.. , Aw thank you! Hi! That is why we have to use conditioner—a manufactured way to replace the natural oils being lost. Need more help with oily hair? Read here. But in case you are looking to buy a new brush, perhaps this guide can help you. It’s the best tutorial that i aver read about No poo! I can moisten a little, put in a scrunchy ’til dry and get waves! Same here! After about 2 weeks it looked like I had one big dreadlock and that while my hair is normally super smooth. Hi i have sensory issues. What I think is unique about my experience, and the reason I am sharing this, is that we are currently on a world trip. let dry naturally, do not comb until completely dry and then gently starting at the ends. If you need more hydration, you can also use a hydrating oil on your hair, but keep in mind it’s hard to wash out excessive amounts of dense oil (like coconut oil) completely out of your hair. ), manageable, fast-drying, or breakage-free as it is now. (This could be caused by other factors like diet, but I didn’t change anything noteworthy in my routine. I have very frizzy hair and I’ve tried so many shampoos and serums and nothinf really works, so I’m definitely ready to try something completely different. Copyright Notice, This website uses cookies to improve your experience. I started with honey-washing and conditioner-only washing and had great results. Thanks! So i’ve been looking up these no poo only water things. Typically, as you age, your hair does likewise, but not in this instance. BLESSINGS TO ALL. It’s self-sustaining, it’s the furthest step towards getting your scalp’s oil production under control, and it is a viable long-term method (unlike baking soda & apple cider vinegar which can be damaging over time). Starting at the base of the roots, gently pinch your fingers together and slide your fingers down the section of hair to the ends. My blood test results were fine, and most ended up suggesting it could just be stress, or the change of moving to the Netherlands. Water only is the gentlest method you can use to wash your hair. You’ll notice a great deal of difference. November 23, 2014, I think that’s a good sign, meaning your hair’s natural oils are coating all strands. you want the water to be very warm… a comfortable temperature between hot and lukewarm. I’m a 20 year old boy and suffering hair loss. But I promise my hair didn’t look this bad in real life; my camera is over-compensating because my hair is actually really dark, so it’s beefing up the contrast, making my hair look like it shines harder than it really does and making my skin glow like I’m an astral being or something. A lot of curlies re-wet their hair between washes to reform their curls anyway. Do you have to go so long between washes? https://justprimalthings.com/2016/05/05/how-to-keep-your-hair-clean-between-washes/. We’ll cover how many times my hair has actually been washed in 5 years below. I go into more detail of using a low-poo cleanser in this post (see “Reason #2”) to get oil buildup or waxiness out of hair. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. I can’t believe it’s already been 4 months since I started “no poo,” and 3.5 months since I went water-only! This freed up space in my toiletry bag, and in my head. It uses the natural oils in our hair to keep it nourished and healthy. Even if you have been using only natural products for years, you may want to take it slow and let your scalp adapt gradually. Thanks, camera. The more time I spend in sunny hot countries, the better my hair and nails do.)). :). The whole routine of massaging my scalp etc, was, as I had predicted, tedious and boring for me. I wouldn’t just flow, get wavy or curly. Das Thema Water Only oder auch No Poo… But it’s been SIX days since I last washed my hair, and let’s be real, it still looks oily… that’s why today is a washing day! Hi Tali, waxiness can be a normal texture especially when you are first starting out and dealing with a lot of oils from the transition phase. I brush or use my hands every few days. If this is not the cause, then perhaps your water quality is just not good, and by only using water you’re damaging your hair more than helping it.. Nettle, black sesame, he shou wu, are some great things to add strength! It’d be nice to start some transition now because I’m on summer break from school and don’t have to look as nice, though, I don’t really care too much what others think. I have definitely also experienced waxiness at many points, as well as the white and think gunk on my hairbrush. However, if you’re going through the oily transition phase and/or you notice your roots are getting clean but the next few inches aren’t, you may want to try preening the water through the length of your hair, just like we did earlier in Step 2B. Everyone’s hair is different and what works for others, may not work for you. For me, this was part of the adaptation period, and I believe it was also related to the water quality I was exposed to at the time, but I can’t confirm. Basically, I was set! I have definitely experienced hair regrowth and I no longer feel like you can see my scalp as much as before. You may find that you can lower the water temperature as your scalp’s oil production slows down since you’ll have much less oil to wash away (this happened for me). ((Side note: I’ve never fully figured out what causes my hair fall, but now I know it definitely has to do, at leats in part, with how much exposure to sun I get. Aveeno Pure Renewal. It got a bit better with time, but mostly I just accepted that I was a person that lost a lot of hair. (7 days is just an “end goal” to get to.). Katherine Martinko. that we just accept as normal and necessary. It’s a gentle cleanser that keeps your hair really hydrated. If you happen to know of anyone that already does this, please do send the info through. Your hair won’t stink I hope I explained that properly. So, if you are curious, I would totally encourage you to try it out and feel the process for yourself. (Added bonuses: Scritching also increases blood flow to your scalp which can promote hair growth, and it feels soo good!) ?plz answer What I would recommend is just washing your hair with natural solid shampoo once in a while when you are feeling like its too discouraging. Non-water-soluble ingredients that build up on the hair such as silicones, waxes and oils. It was just kinda meh, staying in whatever form it has last shaped into. Then start doing some water only washes in between using it, then work on doing more water only, maybe try out some alternative washes if you need. My hair seems to look a bit oily if I apply the coconut oil to dry hair, but using it on damp hair seems to fix that for me. This is just to say, don’t let the exact recommended technique scare you off, or hold you back. You should massage, scritch and preen for 5-10 minutes a day. Consider detoxing your hair by only using natural products for some months (I did this for more than a year), or even stimulate the process by trying DYI clarifying or detoxing recipes (I haven’t tried this but here, here, here and here, are some people who have). :). Coconut oil is very hard to get out with just water. Does this water-only method suit me if i oil my hair once in two days with coconut oil?i use to apply oil only on the body of my hair.i avoid oiling my scalp.can i use this method to wash my hair? After washing I use a few drops of argan oil in the ends as I’m not good at preening. And if I’m completely honest, it’s still something I wish I could skip. You can stop using these oils after a while, as they eventually become unnecessary. Während eines Aufenthaltes in Kambodscha besuchte ich eher zufällig einen Workshop bei dem es um das Thema natürliche Körperpflege ging. You can water-wash as often as you feel like! It’s exciting to hear you’ve had such great results with water-only hair washing! The only “product” necessary is free of harsh chemicals, completely natural, totally free, and designed by nature specifically to nourish and protect our hair– our hair’s natural oils. To see the long-term results I got from this method, check out my 3-Month Update! My hair got especially texturally gross here with the salt, sand and crappy brown tap water. So glad the water-only method has been so positive for you . I also noticed that my hair dries very fast with the water only method. I only wash my hair once every 5-7 days. Firstly, sorry for taking so long to respond, but I hope my answer is useful anyway. I feel like it would be incredibly remiss and cavalier to skip using one. If you have curly hair, you may want to only do these steps with you fingers, and leave the brush only for washing days, to avoid breaking your curls. Only after a week I could see my scalp less. I don’t press too hard… I recommend using gently pressure as to not damage your hair or overly agitate your scalp. However, I will say that, although not as bad as I expected, the adaptation period can be frustrating and disheartening at times. Please let us know how it goes for you in the future. It sucks, and it is something I really want to change of myself.)). Some people recommend doing this process daily, or even multiple times a day, specially in the beginning and when you have more dry hair. Because, why else would I go through that? I personally only massage, scratch and preen on the 2 days prior to washing my hair. Let me start by clarifying that I’m obviously not an expert. How to Transition to No-Poo Without Looking Oily! Now, the good news: I use hot water for most of my non-post-exercise showers now and it has no effect on my hair. Howeverrrrrrr…. Water-only washing is just one of the varied no-poo possibilities. Stripping your hair with shampoo causes your scalp to freak out and produce more oils to get back to normal. And now I am going more than 1 week without washing I just wash with water to keep it clean from dust as I work outside (I know just a good brush will clean it but I like the relaxing feeling of water in my head from time to time). So be sure to follow Step 6 (below) for a while, which is to add a small amount of a natural oil (like coconut oil or shea butter) to your ends to give them some hydration throughout the week. I had been water-only for 2+ months and noticed my hair kept a small bit of buildup on it no matter how often or how infrequently I water-washed it. :). I too also have not the cleanest shower water or tap water either, the water that comes out of the shower and any faucet for that matter already has a lot of sodium in it as well. I have moderately hard water and find water-only is successful for me. If you want to stay water-only, but you have buildup you want to remove, I think using the co-wash rarely would be fine. My hair stylist, whom I now see every 6 months for a very minimal end trim, is absolutely amazed as he’s watched my hair go from almost a brush cut to way past my shoulders, and go from straight, to beautifully curly, and so very, very healthy. Very interesting reading your experiences with water only hair washing. finger massaging my scalp daily, and on shower day just spending extra time brushing the sebum through with a boar bristle brush. Scritching refers to the act of scrubbing, or scratching, you scalp (when dry) to remove settled sebum and junk that may be clogging your pores. December 10, 2014. But whilst traveling through very hot and humid countries, with no styling products whatsoever, my hair had just transitioned into a non-defined frizz ball. Some people have issues getting their hair to feel clean with very hard water. I know that sounds like all your progress will be reset, but your scalp should be fine after 1 week (and you’ll have a clean slate to start with). So hard water is something to check for if you aren’t getting a clean wash. You can test your water hardness or look it up on your city’s website. Knowing I don’t like wasting a lot of time on my “pampering” practices, I knew I needed something easy, readily accessible, and that wouldn’t require much of a change in my routine, if I was to be successful. Imagine stripping your shampoo off its water content and compress it to a bar. If you switch cold turkey from shampoo to Water-Only and have a particularly oily transition, try alternating Water-Only with another “no poo” method until your scalp’s natural oil production gets used to not being harshly stripped by shampoo, and it can calm down.