No soap or shampoo?

[NovaStar]

I've gone cold turkey on shower gel - I wash my 'smellier' bits with a pure olive oil castille soap and have done for a couple of months now - we don't have a shower at the moment so I'm bathing once a week.
My partner commented recently how much less dry my skin is these days.

I use a PitRock rather than anti-perspirant and can go the whole week without BO issues (not that I really had a problem before, anyway).

Next stop for me is making my own moisturising oils/creams, as my face does still get dry, but I think that's more due to the weather.

[Kima]

I've gone cold turkey on shower gel - I wash my 'smellier' bits with a pure olive oil castille soap and have done for a couple of months now - we don't have a shower at the moment so I'm bathing once a week.
My partner commented recently how much less dry my skin is these days.

I stopped using soap much of the time years ago, and I only wash "strategically" every day. I still have proper showers when I wash my hair, which nowadays is about every five days, and have the occasional bath. My skin is much better and, as I've already mentioned, I have a super-clean boyfriend who would immediately complain if I became even remotely smelly

I still use moisturizer since my skin tends to get dry even without much water or soap.

[plaidcat]

Wow! I'm so glad my mild curiosities two years ago have inspired so many people. I still use shampoo LOL

I have switched most of my body products over to LUSH brand (http://www.lush.com/), which are all natural and hand-made, and the shampoo is very gentle on my fine hair. I've also stopped dyeing! I used to dye constantly, with the nasty peroxide-laden stuff, but I cut off 18" of hair in November 2010, and kept getting trimmed until all the damage was gone. So now, my hair just brushes my shoulders in a shaggy bob-thing, and its natural blonde-brown color.

I love reading all the inspiration people have taken from the conversation. Congratulations to you folks for whom a "no-poo" lifestyle has taken off!

[NovaStar]

Wow! I'm so glad my mild curiosities two years ago have inspired so many people. I still use shampoo LOL

I have switched most of my body products over to LUSH brand (http://www.lush.com/), which are all natural and hand-made, and the shampoo is very gentle on my fine hair. I've also stopped dyeing! I used to dye constantly, with the nasty peroxide-laden stuff, but I cut off 18" of hair in November 2010, and kept getting trimmed until all the damage was gone. So now, my hair just brushes my shoulders in a shaggy bob-thing, and its natural blonde-brown color.

I love reading all the inspiration people have taken from the conversation. Congratulations to you folks for whom a "no-poo" lifestyle has taken off!

Actually LUSH products are'nt quite so natural as they'd have you think; although they are handmade, many of their products contacin parabens, SLS, other petrochemical-derived products and synthetic fragrances - particularly their soaps and shampoos.
Make sure to read their ingredients lists to be sure you're getting what you think you are! They list everything on their website.

[Kima]

Actually LUSH products are'nt quite so natural as they'd have you think; although they are handmade, many of their products contacin parabens, SLS, other petrochemical-derived products and synthetic fragrances - particularly their soaps and shampoos.
Make sure to read their ingredients lists to be sure you're getting what you think you are! They list everything on their website.

I'm a big fan of LUSH myself but it's true that they use a few questionable ingredients. They say that all of them have proved to be safe by long-term use. I mainly use their lotions and creams which contain parabens but I know from experience that products will go off quickly, which confirms the company's claims that they only use small quantities of preservatives. Another thing to keep in mind is that you need preservatives for water-based products, and I have a preference for the latter since it is more moisturizing than oil-based lotions. However, solid products are free from preservatives and only contain perfumes derived from essential oils (which could count for either "natural" or "synthetic" I guess, depending on how you look at it).

[NovaStar]

I'm a big fan of LUSH myself but it's true that they use a few questionable ingredients. They say that all of them have proved to be safe by long-term use. I mainly use their lotions and creams which contain parabens but I know from experience that products will go off quickly, which confirms the company's claims that they only use small quantities of preservatives. Another thing to keep in mind is that you need preservatives for water-based products, and I have a preference for the latter since it is more moisturizing than oil-based lotions. However, solid products are free from preservatives and only contain perfumes derived from essential oils (which could count for either "natural" or "synthetic" I guess, depending on how you look at it).

Hence why I said it's worth checking the ingredients, to make sure you are not using any chemicals that you, personally, don't want to use.
It's all down to personal preference in the end.

I use light, oil-based moisturisers as my skin tends to be drier - particularly in the winter! Have the ingredients to make my own, just need to get around to making some...

[plaidcat]

Yeah, I may check out a few other brands, but so far I am really happy with the products. One of my coworkers just got a sampler of a mail-off organic brand of products that she seems really happy with, I'll ask her what that was. The issue with mail-off products is that here in Texas, things like that will melt about 6 months out of 12 in the mail! I'm lucky to have a Lush boutique close by, otherwise there is no way I'd be able to get the stuff via mail because of temperature

Thanks for the input. I'll scour the ingredient lists of my favorite products now...

[Kima]

plaidcat, you may find this other thread interesting (if you haven't already seen it): viewtopic.php?f=10&t=39869

Wow! I'm so glad my mild curiosities two years ago have inspired so many people. I still use shampoo LOL

I find this very amusing You don't have to go cold turkey you know, just wait longer between washes!

I finally tried baking soda the other day and it worked the second time... because the first time I used baking powder instead and it was disgusting. Woops, wrong ingredient! I still prefer the egg mixture but I buy organic and it all ends up being more expensive than my old LUSH shampoo

[Madam Me]

I don't use shampoo often but have to use conditioner on my hair when I wash it. It is incredibly dry and frizzy and without conditioner looks horrible, feels horrible and brushing just makes it worse. It is incredibly thick and I have to have it thinned and trimmed 4-5 times a year. I use oil in my hair about once a week when I wash it to replace the oil I wash out. It seems to work wonders.

Personally I love the smell of body wash so will continue to use it. I also love the smells of perfumes though I rarely use them. If I do use perfume, it goes to the back of my neck so that I can't smell it cause it will give me a headache because of my allergies.

Anyway I have thought abou going natural like this but I would miss the smelly goods . I don't use anything but water on my girl bits... LOL - I love that "bits"...

[Ghiúis]

I have used hair mud for the last three years with fantastic results.

I have a severe allergy to petrochemicals, so any kind of SLS-type ingredients is death to my scalp. Terressentials is a company based in Maryland USA that does hair mud. It doesn't work for chemically treated hair, so that is a consideration. My hair is halfway down my back, I wash it every 2-3 days, and Terressentials is perfect for me.

The base is bentonite clay, which lifts oils and dirt from the scalp. It is important to leave the mud in the hair for 2-3 minutes while it works its magic, so I typically put it in first and then do the rest of the shower while it sits there. Rinsing thoroughly is really important too, because the essential oils in the formula can irritate the scalp if they stay on it.

I have toyed with the idea of making my own solution (as it is bentonite clay, aloe vera juice and essential oils and that is kind of hard to mess up) but I want to support a company that is making a healthy alternative to the general crap on the market.

In the past I have also used powdered yucca root (it is a natural lathering agent) to cleanse my hair. It was a good 1-2 times a week treatment, but not a long-term replacement.

For my face, I use Suki products (face scrub in particular) or straight up fine-milled oatmeal with honey and sugar as a scrub. It is very nice.

And I still use regular soap (vegetable based) for the rest of the body.

[Aphritha]

I'm on about month two without shampoo/conditioner(still dye though. Its a pretty mix of greens). My hair has gotten its shine back, and is definitely fuller, but I'm running into a problem. Anytime my hair gets wet, it clumps together in very hard clumps and stays that way when it dries. I tried putting baking soda in it and brushing it out, and it helps a bit, but it leaves kind of a gummy/grimy texture for quite awhile. I'm afraid if I shampoo again, it will start to break off again, and I'll lose all the progress I've made. Any advice?

[kukl]

Dreadlocks! ???

[Aphritha]

Considered it, but couldn't deal with being stuck with them for good.

[katie bridgewater]

Well done Aphritha! Sounds like you're through the worst!

My advice is to minimise the wetting of your hair and just brush thoroughly and daily. I only really get my hair wet now when I go swimming (we have a UV filtration system pool so it isn't too chloriney which really dries hair out). I find that dry brushing keeps my hair perfectly clean now. Occasionally I really let the water at it in the shower, but more because it feels nice than anything!
Also bear in mind that your hair and scalp will take months and months to fully get fully back into a healthy natural cycle. Once you're through the initial trauma, it's ok, but a bit unstable if conditions change. If you can bear to go with it, it is really worth the time. I've been poo-free for over 12 years now and I can't imagine how crap it would be to use any kind of product on my head now!
I've said lots of times on this thread that there is really no need to use anything at all, and I have never resorted to any of the 'natural' remedies posted here. I personally think that if you use anything that disrupts the natural cleansing process of your scalp oils (other than brushing which helps to move the oil down the hairs that have grown for years with them being stripped bare with shampoo) then you slow down and ultimately hinder the process of returning to your natural state!

Good luck -= hang on in there, and if your hair dislikes getting wet, keep it dry for now! X

[Aphritha]

I have tried to keep it dry for the most part, but yes, swimming gets me too. I go in lakes though. Rain got me the other day. What should I expect from here on? Will my hair still be adjusting itself, or should it be about done by now?

[Aphritha]

Also, I did notice brushing alot helps a great deal!

[Aoife]

I shampoo my hair every other day and I've had no problems with softness, shine or strength.

[katie bridgewater]

I shampoo my hair every other day and I've had no problems with softness, shine or strength.

Thank you for sharing this. I believe that is precisely is what shampoo manufacturers are hoping for!

It is also possible to have soft, shiny and strong hair simply by letting your body do what it is designed to do, and thus be free of the routine, expense and environmental fallout from using shampoo. For some of us, allowing our bodies to function naturally and treat the environment with respect is an integral part of our spirituality. For some, it's a way of living more closely to our ancestors (most of whom never heard of shampoo) and for others it is a health choice. If nothing else you save lots of money and time!

[Clockwork]

I've noticed that whenever I haven't washed my hair in a bit it gets kind of silky, soft and easy to maintain. Whenever I wash it, it turns frizzy and knotty. What in the world is going on? I don't want to give up washing my hair but I don't want frizzy hair either. What can I use?
On another note, I've been seeking out bath products that are environmentally and animal friendly. Any suggestions?

[Kima]

You're very lucky to get beautiful shampoo-free hair without transition. Why don't you try it?

If you really insist on shampoo then you could use it once a week, or even less.

I use very little in the way of cosmetics but I favour Lush http://lush.com/