Finally DID IT!! Went Pooless!

I can't shower everyday as my skin would fall off in huge dry chunks.  But I buy the 'best soap'  I can for myself & the environment, with hopes of doing my part. Here on Permies, I learned of going pooless and thought, weird, but I'll check it out.  

Took my first pooless shower yesterday.  Did not use shampoo or soap.  I did use my exfoliator wash rag thingy.  My skin is baby-soft!!!  I also feel cleaner, like ZERO residue left behind - well b/c there wasn't!!  My hair on the other hand looks cleaner, but not clean.  I am going to use a vinegar rinse next time, just to see if that works.  My hair is kinda funky when it comes to excessive dryness in winter and oiliness in summer, so I have figure out a way to combat this the best I can.  I may need to find a super environment-friendly hair soap I can use if going pooless doesn't work for me.

But honestly, I like the end result!!  I'm a new fan of going pooless!!  --Tess

I smile every time I read one of these posts and remember a time from long. long ago;

A few days before each scheduled mission we would stop bathing and changing our clothes.  The faint scent of western soaps under the triple canopy, no matter how faint, left a scent track that could be followed.  And we did not want to be found!!!

So, the poo-less movement may be older than you realize!

Peace/Heddwch

For the hair, you could try an egg and a bit of honey, stirred up with a fork until the honey dissolves. Massage the egg/honey goop into dry hair, let it be for ten minutes or so, and then rinse out with cool water (anything between ice cold and lukewarm works fine). I've been using this for the last ten years, give or take, and I find it works really well. Back when using commercial shampoo, I had to wash my hair every two days, more or less, or it became extremely itchy and greasy. It took a while for the scalp to readjust to the absence of industrial degreasing gick, but once it did, it stopped producing so much grease, and now I can easily go a week (sometimes more) between hair washes, with no itch at all.

Congratulations with the first steps in showering without shampoo/soap!
It's even more satisfying when you're off the products all together. Just a rinse with water will do. The transition period from using shampoo to only water can be a bit tricky at times, but if you just use a minimal amount of shampoo as seldom as possible, the intervals will get longer until you don't need shampoo at all.

Tess Misch wrote:My hair on the other hand looks cleaner, but not clean.  I am going to use a vinegar rinse next time, just to see if that works.  My hair is kinda funky when it comes to excessive dryness in winter and oiliness in summer, so I have figure out a way to combat this the best I can.  I may need to find a super environment-friendly hair soap I can use if going pooless doesn't work for me.

Leaving a word of encouragement here for you, Tess - and anyone else embarking on this wonderful no-poo adventure. Breaking the shampoo/conditioner cycle for our scalp can involve some transitioning time, and it's hard to predict just how long that will take.
And by "transition" I mean the scalp can go suuuuper greasy for a while before it gets used to the new routine.

I can't really speak to water-only - I did that for a while but it was years ago and I've forgotten how it went in the beginning. But 6 years ago, I got serious about only cleansing my scalp and hair mechanically, and only using the sebum my scalp produces to condition the length. (In plain terms, I scritch my scalp with my nails or a wooden or horn comb, give it a quick but gentle fingertip massage, then preen the sebum down the length with fingers and a boar bristle brush.)
And yes - in the beginning it involved a rather long transition period of gradually decreasing oiliness.

My transition probably took longer due to switching climates twice a year (between low humidity summers and high humidity winters), my inconsistent diet, varying stress levels, and my less-than-religious SMP (scritch, massage, preen) practice - and who knows what else that I wasn't aware of.

Deane - it's so interesting how our hair picks up environmental scents. I've often been surprised by how a scritch and a brush session will remove or greatly decrease hair smells. Campfire smoke has been the main culprit...

I haven’t used soap or shampoo in the shower going on 6 years now. If I remember correctly it took about a week for my body to adjust. Stopped using deodorant around the same time too. If it didn’t work my wife would be the first to tell me I stink, but she says she likes the way I smell. I use a little bit of jojoba oil on my scalp and skin under my beard after a shower to prevent dandruff but that’s it.

Thank you ALL!!  So much less stress over this now.  Transition time, be patient, and I will definitely try the egg & honey.  Is the the WHOLE egg or white or yolk? I really loved the way my skin still feels even after almost two days now.  I am bookmarking this for future reference.  Thanks everyone.  --Tess

I use the whole egg, but I have read that for extremely dry hair you can use yolk only, and for very greasy only the white. No personal experience with this, though. I always use both.

Very glad that you are keen to go this route, much better in the long run for you and the environment.

Everybody is different so as you are finding what works best for you a few other things you can try would be:

Plain lemon juice (just about half a lemon in warm water),

Aloe vera gel (filleted from the leaf like you would prepare a fish then whirr it in a blender with water until a frothy, even, viscous liquid), or

Rye flour (made into a thin paste more like gruel with warm water).

All of these just massage well into wet scalp and rinse thoroughly with warm water. Lemon is the easiest to rinse out, aloe the most de-frizzing, and rye the "fluffiest" clean.

Tess Misch wrote:I am going to use a vinegar rinse next time, just to see if that works.  

I'm a fan of either an acidic rinse or a saltwater rinse. It's easy for me to make kombucha vinegar inexpensively so that's my primary method. If my scalp is feeling itchier than normal (probably because I went too many days without wetting my hair... I lose track), then I'll use a saltwater rinse. I favor the look/texture of my hair after the saltwater!

I've been pooless for many years now but every now and then use shampoo/conditioner for whatever reason (usually I use it after being in a chlorinated pool) and I don't like how my hair feels using those products. Now I just would rather avoid a chlorinated pool.

Good luck on your journey!

Hello All!!!  I am still going pooless, and I really love the way my skin feels.  Baby smooth.  I am trying out ideas for my hair.  I tried a baking soda & vinegar rinse, it seemed to help some, but I am going to try mixing the baking soda with a little water to 'soften' it so I can put it on my hair.  YES, I did put the soda directly on my hair, rubbed it in and rinsed with vinegar (don't ask, I'm still learnin'!! LOL).  I did try the egg & honey. My hair looked cleaner, but felt rough.  I may not have rinsed as well as I thought...?  

QUESTION:  Should I stick with one method for at least several showers before I try something different, or should I try until I find one that works on my hair?

Thanks for all the info & support here, it is greatly appreciated!  --Tess

There's a lot of talk here and in the big thread about the transition from using shampoo to not. What about soap? How does that transition work for people? I've experimented with it twice and both times my wife instructed me to resume the soap use. :-)

Christopher Weeks wrote:There's a lot of talk here and in the big thread about the transition from using shampoo to not. What about soap? How does that transition work for people? I've experimented with it twice and both times my wife instructed me to resume the soap use.

Christopher, I noticed that when I went pooless, I actually smelled better, even after a few days.  I can't shower everyday, as it would dry my skin to cracking.  But I think, unless your work required soap (mechanical or other type of dirty work that builds up over your shift), try pooless for even a week or two before giving in. It really is worth it.  --Tess