Going poo-less: No Shampoo/Soap in the Shower

Grace Gierucki wrote:I've been no-poo for about 1 1/2 years, I use baking soda and ACV about every 5-6 days and it has been working well for me until now.  I have two questions/problems- 1.  We moved from the city to a house with softened water and my hair has gone totally limp and gets greasy much faster, any ideas what tweaks to make? 2.  Sunscreen, the bane of my existence. I'm very fair and need to use it, I make my own which I am super happy with but it's causing my hair line to be constantly greasy! I'm considering adding a diluted Dr. Bronners step to my routine just along these edges, has anyone tried this?  Thank you

I don't wash my hair often. Maybe once a week.

Nick Dimitri wrote:I read somewhere recently that we have microbes (specifically, beneficial bacteria like lactobacillus or however spelt) all over us just like we have them all thru us. So using soap, like antibiotics, blanket bombs, killing indescriminately, rather than blanket balming, which should rather be the case. (snip) . I believe soaps in the near future will  start to support our natural microbiome just as we make and eat sauerkraut knowing that's best for us. Thanks for starting this thread. OgreNick

Dave Burton wrote:Snowberries could be used as a shampoo and soap alternative because they have a poorly palatable substance called saponins which give snowberries their rather soapy taste. Some other naturally soapy plants include yucca leaves, grated soaproot used like a bar of soap and rubbed between the hands, mountain lilac berries can be pressed in between the palms of your hands with water to produce a soap, and buffalo gourd leaves work the same way.

jacque greenleaf wrote:I quit using regular shampoo and conditioner several years ago. I have curly hair, and the silicone in most shampoos/conditioners is not good for curls.

I thoroughly "wash" my hair every two or three days with plain water in the shower. About every week or ten days, when the oil builds up, I use some Dr. Bronner's liquid soap on it. I've never had so many curls with so much body.

I've used Dr. Bronner's for showering for years, I buy it by the gallon and dilute it. And do I ever love not having my shower cluttered up with numerous plastic bottles of various goops.

Sarah Greenlee wrote
question: is New Wash safe for grey water irrigation (ingredients list attached)?  

Kevin Carson wrote: I tried the pooless thing for several weeks but found my scalp was getting too greasy/itchy and things weren't improving

Julie Reed wrote:

I understand the desire to avoid chemicals, but I’m really baffled by this obsession of going ‘pooless’. I’m quite happy with natural, chemical free shampoos, which are non-toxic and could be safely eaten. Ditto for soap. I don’t like fragrances, aside from essential oils, but I also don’t like to feel grungy or smell bad.

I’m not sure which ones of those “natural shampoos” could actually be safely eaten, or how “non-toxic” they really are.  For that matter, I wouldn’t eat soap either.  But if I use something on my head that can be absorbed through the skin, I want to know exactly what’s in it and how it was made, and I don’t trust the manufacturer to disclose all the relevant information.  

I use diluted Dr Bronner’s soap to wash my hair, followed by diluted apple cider vinegar, which gets me perfectly clean and smelling good.  There never was a transition period either.  Sometimes I use diluted baking soda instead of Dr Bronner’s, which works just as well.

Lara Mig wrote:I’m not sure which ones of those “natural shampoos” could actually be safely eaten, or how “non-toxic” they really are.  For that matter, I wouldn’t eat soap either.  But if I use something on my head that can be absorbed through the skin, I want to know exactly what’s in it and how it was made, and I don’t trust the manufacturer to disclose all the relevant information.  

I use diluted Dr Bronner’s soap to wash my hair, followed by diluted apple cider vinegar, which gets me perfectly clean and smelling good.  There never was a transition period either.  Sometimes I use diluted baking soda instead of Dr Bronner’s, which works just as well.

Julie Reed wrote:

Lara Mig wrote:I’m not sure which ones of those “natural shampoos” could actually be safely eaten, or how “non-toxic” they really are.  For that matter, I wouldn’t eat soap either.  But if I use something on my head that can be absorbed through the skin, I want to know exactly what’s in it and how it was made, and I don’t trust the manufacturer to disclose all the relevant information.  

I use diluted Dr Bronner’s soap to wash my hair, followed by diluted apple cider vinegar, which gets me perfectly clean and smelling good.  There never was a transition period either.  Sometimes I use diluted baking soda instead of Dr Bronner’s, which works just as well.

My point was not that one should be eating soap, merely that the ingredients are safe enough that you could consume them. Everything in the Dr Bronners bar soap I buy is ‘edible’. Maybe you did not have a transition period because you did not go pooless- ie- only water? You say you don’t trust the manufacturers yet it seems you trust Dr Bronner? Isn’t that a manufacturer?
They are not cheap, but there are several high quality non-toxic natural shampoos similar to Bronners, and yes, I trust those companies to disclose all the ingredients. Why wouldn’t they? It’s to their advantage to market honestly, because anyone paying $20+ for a bottle of shampoo is going to be someone who knows what they want it to do, and what ingredients are acceptable or not. And of course by law they have to (ironically, laws for labeling cosmetics, including shampoo, are stricter than for processed food). I realize not everyone can afford expensive non-toxic shampoo, and baking soda and ACV are probably good alternatives, just as ‘water only’ may be perfectly fine for some folks. But my comment was addressing the idea that there is no harm to your body or the environment when a soap/shampoo has simple, natural ingredients that one could even ingest without harm. So you don’t need to feel guilty. Or greasy or icky either!