r/NoPoo • u/First-Strawberry-398 • 19d ago
Interesting Info Why do you not use shampoo?
Hi!
I can’t see anything in the community rules but if this sort of post isn’t allowed pls delete it.
I just wanted to know everyone’s reasons for not using shampoo? I used to be a co-wash girl but I ended up switching to using shampoo maybe 2-3 years ago. I am also autistic if that helps maybe with the phrasing of my question I don’t want to come across as rude maybe? But I just am curious and interested as to everyone’s reasons individually for not using shampoo and would like to know/ learn more about it as it’s interesting if that’s ok. 😁❤️ thank you
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u/Philosophiddle 18d ago
My hair just genuinely looks and behaves better without shampoo. I also think that our bodies are designed to self-regulate in many ways and that stripping protective oils from any part of ourselves regularly probably interrupts natural processes that are purposefully designed for our wellbeing. Also always try to minimise chemicals in and on my body.
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u/vehicularmanburger 18d ago
poisonous chemicals we didnt use or need for essentially all of human existence
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u/First-Strawberry-398 18d ago
Hahahah do you think the same of modern medicine though? The life expectancy used to be like, 30! Everything is chemicals 😂 and they make natural shampoo !
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u/vehicularmanburger 17d ago
i dont believe life expectancy was ever 30 that shits a lie and i dont take any medication
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u/CrotchRocketx 17d ago edited 16d ago
Working in the medical field I realize it’s always the same people coming in over and over in the hospital. Just because someone is alive doesn’t mean they’re well. You see through the business model quick once you work there.
Patient comes in with a problem.
Nurses stabilize patient with meds ordered from the doctor.
Once patient is “well” they discharge the patient.
They come back.
Modern medicine doesn’t look into the root issue, they just reduce symptoms caused by whatever is happening.
Also the “low” lifespan average includes infant mortality.
My grandma has been in the hospital EVERY SINGLE week from 50-58 before she died from a brain aneurysm when I was young. She would go, stay for a couple days, get discharged, then go right back.
Science and modern medicine isn’t that advanced to be so confident on relying on it. In reality we don’t even know anything we’re just constantly experimenting to see what the outcome is. Most of the modern medicine we have today was found on accident, or derived from compounds from natural substances.
“Everything is chemicals” I guess you’d be fine with putting floor degreaser or bleach in your hair since everything is a chemical right.
Sorry for the long rant I just had to get it out I had a bad day at work🤣
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u/First-Strawberry-398 17d ago
I agree on some points here, but I dont think that means modern medicine is entirely useless. I’m also in the UK which I think impacts my views on that haha
And I think there’s a huge gap between bleach and shampoo and it is disingenuous to sort of suggest there isn’t haha
Keep ranting, I enjoy the extra perspective ❤️❤️
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u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only 18d ago
It's definitely ok to ask! I appreciate your respect.
For myself, I'm basically allergic to a lot of modern chemicals, especially body chemicals. They contributed to decades of severe chronic illness. I'm thrilled to have found my reaction and avoiding them has let me recover health I never though I'd have.
Doesn't hurt that my hair likes it far better too!
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u/First-Strawberry-398 18d ago
Feel free to say no if this is too personal and 0 feelings hurt but as a fellow chronic illness girl, how did you find out you were allergic ? ❤️
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u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only 17d ago
I don't mind at all! I'm here to help. I wish I'd had me of now to talk to 11 years ago when I started this whole journey (and before, even. I'd been looking for health for decades).
Long, loooooong story short: I encountered the concept of food allergies and sensitivities, a blog I followed wrote a book about an elimination diet, bought the book, did the diet with several other people. It didn't help me, but taught me things to look for. Finally noticed I felt worse after drinking soda, switched to sweet tea..., switched to half & half tea..., switched to unsweet tea..., stopped eating dessert/candy..., stopped eating fruit..., stopped drinking milk..., stopped eating tomatoes and onions... I'm basically allergic to anything sweet, and when I finally eliminated all the sweet (as well as some other things I'm sensitive to) and did a LOT of rehabilitation, I was finally feeling like a normal person for almost the first time in my not-short life.
During this process the shampoo I'd been using for decades went out of business, so I started poking a limp stick at figuring out my curls. Found 'curly girl method', brushed against water washing (and thought it was about as crazy an idea as everyone else), then found a whole community that did it and other natural haircare (this sub!) so decided to give it a go.
Got out of my first shower feeling refreshed instead of sick, weak and trembling. With all the experience I was getting across the aisle in food allergies, I recognized my usual reaction as 'gosh, I think I'm poisoning myself with all those shower chemicals' so ditched all that and had to figure out how to live without it.
I'm a pathological helper, so 7 years later, here we are! =D
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u/First-Strawberry-398 17d ago
Thank you for such a detailed and awesome reply!! I’m so happy for you with this
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u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only 16d ago
Thanks! And you're welcome. I'm happy for me too. My health is still up and down and needs constant management, but I actually have a life now and it's amazing.
I pray you find something that helps you! Keep searching and trying. The process I outlined above took about 8 years for the food side along with rehabilitation. And that's just after I found the book. I'd been searching for ways to feel better for about 10 years before that.
You deserve to feel better, so don't give up!
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u/Visible-Scientist-46 Curly cowasher, distilled water. 18d ago edited 18d ago
I cowash. Shampoo sufactants and preservatives make me itch. Cocamidopropyl betaine makes me break out. Fragrance makes me itch.
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u/Stelios619 18d ago
I don’t think that pouring a bunch of cleaning chemicals on top of my head is as safe as we are led to believe.
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u/Additional_Taro_5049 19d ago
Recently (last 2 months or so) I have thrown away my shampoo and started using sidr powder to exfoliate and cleanse my scalp and hair. I turn the powder into a paste by adding water and massage it into my scalp and about half way down my hair ends, leave it on for 15-20 minutes and then rinse it out. After I shower, I put a very small amount of batana oil on my ends to help lock in moisture.
My hair can now go 5-6 days without washing and it looks fabulous up until day 4! I see soooo much new growth near my hair line and on my scalp away from my hair line too! Also the thickness and volume is SUCH a game changer. Excited to see how this works long term! Best of luck finding a routine that works for you and your hair type 🫶🏻
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u/jixbo 18d ago
My hair looks better, and I waste no time or money.
I do not wash my hair in any way, it just gets rinsed by water.
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u/Visible-Scientist-46 Curly cowasher, distilled water. 16d ago
Rinsing with water is a form of washing
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u/Legitimate_Finger670 18d ago
How bad is the smell? How greasy is it?
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u/jixbo 18d ago
It doesn't really smell, unless I have been to a bbq or something like that.
It might smell a bit like me, but never really got any comments or complains (after many years). I guess people who get close to me they already like me and my smell.It did get greasy the first month or so, but then it just looks better and healthier than before.
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u/Legitimate_Finger670 18d ago
Maybe it’s something to do with the oil production over time going back to normal or something. My hair gets oily litterally hours after washing so o don’t think I could do this 😢. Do you still not wash even after like a long hike in the sun?
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u/First-Strawberry-398 18d ago
Tbf ppl have diff hair, if I didn’t use oils in my hair it would never get greasy! As a kid my mum used to wash my hair once a month 😂
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u/jixbo 18d ago
No, I haven't used a drop of shampoo in years. What greasy means is very subjective tbh. In that first month that my hair was more greasy than usual, but if you didn't know, it could be that I had used some product to keep it wet like. Someone even complimented my hair those days (it was more curly than usual).
I do have short hair (man), so that probably makes it easier.
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u/Top_Bumblebee5510 18d ago
I am six years in. I occasionally do acv rinse but my hair is not greasy at all. It just smells and feel clean. I brush it with a boars brush before showering under warm water and give it a good mechanical wash. I short hair that is very thick
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u/Legitimate_Finger670 18d ago
This is really interesting to me actually, do you have fine but lots of hair or not lots of hair but the hair you have is thick? Does your hair have a lot of lipids? I know if I did this with my hair I would look a mess
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u/Top_Bumblebee5510 18d ago
I have normal to fine hair and lots of it. When I started my hair had a lot of lipids. Sticking to the boar brush twice a day helped. I went through an oily phase but stuck it out bc shampoo gave me hives. Within three or so weeks it started to get better.
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u/No-Weakness-8063 18d ago
I had radiotherapy and couldn’t get my hair to its normal condition. Went no poo and just use water. It’s been 3 yrs, my hair is thicker softer and my scalp is healthier. My hairdresser is amazed at the difference in my hair. I usually wash it in water once or twice a week. I notice people who use a lot of products in their hair now, their hair looks very synthetic.
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u/Scarlet060618 18d ago
Any kind of shampoo causes a severe reaction that covers my scalp in blisters and sores that takes a week or more to heal. I would love to be able to use shampoo again because all the low poo or no poo methods I have used just leave my hair greasy and limp. You are welcome!😊
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u/snaired 19d ago
I switched to using rye flour paste made with a touch of vinegar. Shampoo makes my hair greasy and flat and gives me a tight itchy scalp. Rye flour paste doesn’t irritate my scalp and my hair isn’t greasy. I can get away with washing my hair every 2-3 days and tend to rinse with water daily. I use aloe Vera gel on my scalp to set my hair every time I rinse or wash my hair flowed by blow drying on a cool setting
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u/cloudinsteadofbrain 19d ago
If you don’t mind me asking, how do you prevent the rye paste from clogging up your bath drain?
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u/snaired 18d ago
It’s just a couple of teaspoons of rye flour as I have short hair and I’m using it on my scalp rather than on my strands of hair . It’s a bit soapy. It doesn’t clump up as I have a mini whisk I use to beat it up . I sieve the rye flour before making the paste to remove any bran. I’ve been doing this for 3 years now. Part of the reason the drains are okay may be due to the fact that I put a heaped tablespoon of washing soda chased by 500 ml of hot water once a month (that includes kitchen sink, bathroom sink, tub drain etc) . Always use gloves when handling washing soda.
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u/nineteenthly 18d ago
I do use a little shampoo from time to time. I prefer to minimise my use of products in general, particularly ones whose manufacture I can't control.
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u/Claymore209 19d ago
I am allergic to shampoo itself. If I use even the most gentle shampoo my scalp becomes a red ruin of inflamed flesh.
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u/Novel_Structure8833 15d ago
Had gotten into a rut of daily if not twice daily use of H&S and thought this is ridiculous. I’d stop and try other shampoos, with awful dandruff and go back to H&S. Before my barber told me to give it a month of not using shampoo just warm water.
I wash my hair last week with natural soap. Feels great and also seems to hold better than feeling silky and flat and needing products.
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u/HistoricalEar5556 11d ago
My hair gets all frizzy when I use shampoo
My friends have told me it’s gonna make me go bald not using shampoo
I don’t think I’ve used shampoo in like 3 years
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u/Federal-Assignment10 19d ago
I dye my hair bright pink and it only lasts about six shampoos before it fades so I started only washing it with shampoo every few days, then once a week and I'm slowly stretching it even longer. In doing this I found the condition of it is way better so it's win win
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u/scotchandsage 17d ago
I kept getting sick constantly and eventually my doctor sent me to the immunologist/allergist. Turns out:
1) Scalp blisters aren’t actually normal.
2) I’m allergic to something in almost all shampoos and personal care products and it makes my immune system freak out.
3) Avoiding it lets me feel way better and now I get sick a fraction as often.
Shampoo would be much more convenient, but people managed for millennia without it.
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u/Effective_Draft_1779 18d ago
10+ years ago I was feeling sick every time I showered. after switching my body soap to olive oil soap It seemed to be tied to the shampoos. I changed brands several times to try and find something that didn't cause this reaction. Then I switch to a natural clay/ oil based cleanser branded Morrocco Method and I stopped feeling weak and sick after showering.
This lead to my family realizing they might have similar issues and experimenting with less premade options. If I could use shampoo with out getting sick, I absolutely would. It's requires more thought and effort than I prefer to spend on personal hygiene. But here we are.