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gardener
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Denise Cares wrote:I found that a swipe with an alcohol saturated cotton ball under the armpits does the trick to reduce odors.  Odor comes from the bacteria that grow in moist warm paces, so alcohol kills the bacteria.  You then can sweat all you want and it won't smell.  Just don't use alcohol if you shave the armpit - at least don't do it right afterward.



That's a good idea too, thanks!

Denise Cares wrote:I think these natural stones are made up of aluminum which would not be good to use on your skin as it might absorb thru the pores.  Aluminum can cause neurological issues like alzheimer's and other toxicities which would not be healthy.



I'll read up on this, thanks for the heads-up!

juliana duryea wrote:Hi! Regarding deodorant: I, too, am a huge sweater and am somewhat poo-less, although I do wash with soap and or shampoo after I’ve been working with chemicals all day (surfboard repair). The only deodorant I’ve found actually works and doesn’t have all the icky stuff is a brand called trulys. It’s coconut oil, beeswax, baking soda, powdered sugar. So you could essentially make it yourself, although I have yet to take the time to do this.



I like the sound of deodorant I could take a bite out of if I get hungry. It probably wouldn't taste too good but it wouldn't kill me. In all seriousness thanks for the recommendation, I will check that out.




 
Posts: 19
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I experimented with no shampoo or conditioner on my hair when I was showering all summer in my makeshift, gravity-fed garden shower stall. I was amazed. 90 days, no soap or anything other than water on my hair and it was clean and manageable! I had learned that water is a neutralizer in many arenas and I wanted to keep my natural oils on my body. I never shared this with anyone since my aim was not for feedback or judgement but to see if my body needed these manmade concoctions. It did not! My gardens were happy to get watered. I also would push not taking a shower until absolutely necessary which allowed my oils to keep me healthy.
 
dame frank
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When I started to get grey hair, I was unimpressed with my conditioner to keep my hair from being wily and stiff. I switched to henna in 2004. I get the all natural henna from 'hennaforhair' because she is has a medical degree and researched/developed henna without any of the nasty procedures other henna brands are run through. I was delighted with my clay pack on my hair and only used it once a month. Conditioner free since then and my hair is silky and soft. Mere clay made all the difference in the world and I will NEVER go back to conditioner EVER again!

As well, it's edible. As well, I ended up turning my favorite hair stylist onto it (I would go to her once a month to apply the henna to my strands then go home and rinse it out an hour later). She ended up using the clear henna for hair lice on her customers. It works hands down for smothering lice and removing the eggs.
 
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I would agree with what you say about the toxins being released from fatty tissues and other organs and that fasting gives a boost to detoxing. But since our bodies also shed toxins through the skin pores, well, doesn't it make sense to wash it off?  at least we do not want to let the stuff just sit on our skin for long periods because, well it can be reabsorbed through the skin - much like magnesium and other substances good and bad are absorbed in through intact skin. Water on the inside and water on the outside are good practices.  I would want to shower off or sponge bathe the skin reasonably often to keep the skin organ in good shape.  You wouldn't want to keep your nose/mouth covered indefinitely as that is another way of eliminating toxins via the breath as well as taking in fresh air which should be unobstructed by anything potentially contaminated (like a mask) which it will become over time.
 
master gardener
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Hey all, I replaced Pert shampoo with soda and vinegar in my hair-cleaning protocol. I started the last week of September and did that through when we started traveling for Christmas, so about three months. Works great. My wife tried it and has settled on using that six days per week and shampoo once. However, I have a problem. Way up almost at the top of this thread, someone suggested 1:5 for the baking soda and 1:8 for the ACV, so that's what I've been using; in 24 oz condiment squeeze bottles. The first two batches worked great, but the last three mixtures of the soda, either I haven't gotten it to dissolve or it comes out of solution in huge sandy granules. They clog the bottle-top so I have to keep shaking while I get it into my hair, but more importantly, I hate the feeling. I also think that it doesn't leave my hair feeling as nice, but it's hard to compare.

Is this a thing? Have you experienced it? What did you do to fix it? I see that the ratios people use vary pretty widely, so my first thought it to try mixing less into the water, but I really liked the effect at first and I have no idea what changed.
 
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Christopher Weeks wrote:The first two batches worked great, but the last three mixtures of the soda, either I haven't gotten it to dissolve or it comes out of solution in huge sandy granules. They clog the bottle-top so I have to keep shaking while I get it into my hair, but more importantly, I hate the feeling. I also think that it doesn't leave my hair feeling as nice, but it's hard to compare.

Is this a thing? Have you experienced it? What did you do to fix it? I see that the ratios people use vary pretty widely, so my first thought it to try mixing less into the water, but I really liked the effect at first and I have no idea what changed.


I remember experiencing something similar with the feel of the hair. I came to the conclusion that the continued use of the baking soda was too rough on my hair and switched to just massaging my scalp and following with the ACV rinse. Baking soda is really alkaline, whereas the scalp and hair want to be acidic. The rinse helps a bit to balance, but I think for some, the baking soda could cause cumulative damage to the hair, making it not feel as nice over time. That was my experience anyway and dropping the baking soda seemed to help, but it took some time. I think figuring out what works for your individual hair is just a bit of an experiment and a process.

As for the baking soda not staying in solution...you mentioned traveling. I wonder if different places you mixed the stuff had water with different pH or some other difference of chemistry that made it harder to dissolve?
 
pollinator
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Jocelyn Campbell wrote:

David Williams wrote:I used to make my own de-greaser for getting heavy duty axle grease off my hands , that could probably be used for this .... altho i am not a "no'poo" person i use natural saponoids two of the main ones are rinse water from Quinoa and/or yucca root pulped and drained, then reduced slowly on a stove-top (rapid boil makes rapid foam), then adding aloe gel, tea tree and eucalyptus oils.... this combination creates a solvent that cracks even the toughest oils/fats , is antiseptic and antibacterial and not dehydrating for the skin...

extracting yucca soap http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xvorvt3GK8]footage[/youtube]  here



David, I want to try this. Sounds amazing.



I want to try it too!

I just found out about using yucca as shampoo when I was on a YT rabbit trail the other night!

Now, I’m on a permies rabbit trail that corresponds with my findings

 
pioneer
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I’ve gone poo-less. What I find is that using hot water and combing with a nitcomb with my hair in the hot bath gets any excess oil out. The excess oil takes the dirt out with it. For my body, a loofa does wonders. The banya is a really good tool, here. It uses steam condensation on your skin and your sweat to release dirt, and then you dump cold water on yourself and the thermal shock does the rest.
 
pollinator
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I am experimenting now with a new 'deodorant powder' I made of two dried herbs, of which I read they will work as a deodorant. Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) and sage (Salvia officinalis). I dehydrated them and then made into fine powder. After shower (or just a little wash with a washcloth) I put a little of the powder in my arm pits. It gives a little bit of a 'fresh feeling'. I can not yet tell if there's less of a 'transpiration smell', because it hasn't been such hot weather the last few days ...
 
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I started my transition to the no-poo method by doing a 50/50 vinegar water rinse every time I shampooed. This helped with build up and relieved some of the dandruff symptoms. Then I started extending the time between washes. If my scalp was itchy or greasy, I would add a vinegar rinse that day which aleviated itchiness and helped with the grease. I got down to shampooing once a month at which point I tried using my body bar (Kiss My Face Olive Oil Soap at that time, now the much cheaper generic version of that Pappoutsanos from Greece) on my hair and doing the vinegar rinse. It worked. I still had some issues with grease and dandruff, but both were much better than when I was using regular shampoo. What really helped was when I started brushing my long, thick hair more thoroughly. I use a boar bristle brush at it distributes oils more effectively than nylon bristles. I use the old fashioned 100 strokes a day method, attempting to draw my brush along the entire length of my hair from scalp to the ends rotating around my scalp to try to get every bit. This was the final step in my transition. I can go months with just occasional vinegar rinses if my hair gets smokey or sweaty. I only need to use the soap if I slack off on my brushing routine and a lot of oil and dead skin builds up. My hair is shiny and healthy looking and hairdressers usually compliment me on it's health. It doesn't look greasy or unwashed and I have very little dandruff anymore (I think diet might be the key to getting rid of the dandruff once and for all, but I'm not quite ready to part with my ice cream habit.)

As for soapless, I haven't gotten to that point, though I only soap my armpits with the aforementioned olive oil soap (that kind is the only one I can use without my skin drying or breaking out in rash or pimples.) I don't use deodorant so believe the soaping of the pits to be necessary in order to maintain my place in society. I also use the soap for shaving my legs as I don't find plain water to be very comfortable.
 
pollinator
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I have been poo-less for more than five years now, and I wish to report great results.  I will never go back!

I have naturally greasy hair, which I keep fairly short - the lady who cuts my hair says she visualizes George Clooney while she cuts it - and which has been fairly low-maintenance throughout my life.  For sure, if I don't shower daily, I LOOK very much like I haven't showered.  But I've never had scalp issues, nor have I ever damaged my hair with bleaches or dyes or other chemicals.  My hair is naturally thick but has gotten notably thinner as it has gone gray.  Funny how that happens.

At first, I experimented with a couple of different natural DIY shampoo alternatives and hair rinses.  I settled on one using teas and rye flower, as I had read about the long-term damage you can do to your hair with baking soda.  As others here have noted.  They worked well enough.

But in the end I got lazy and began using nothing: just 30 seconds of vigorous finger scrubbing and lots of hot water.  Towled off and air dried (an advantage of having short hair).  And guess what?  Just as good!

Then I stopped using soap in the shower: just hot water and a lot of attention to the important places.  And guess what?  Just as good!  The only time I ever use soap is while shaving or while washing my hands in the sink.

Showering is so much simpler and significantly quicker, not to mention, of course, less expensive.  I have now been years on my hot-water-only regimen, and I am completely happy.  And confident.  Nobody would ever accuse me of looking or smelling unclean, and my ex-GF would attest to that.  My hair is just as soft and easy to manage (or not) as it always was.

The only addition to my routine is that, when I'm home, I like to use this little scrubber instead of just fingers on my hair.  It feels so nice on your scalp!

Amazon link - hair scrubber
 
Matthew Nistico
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I'd like to add that I also only ever use natural deodorant.  And rarely at that.  At most, I would guess maybe 1 out of 5 days I wear any at all.  Not throughout the cooler months - there just is no need.  During the hotter months, only when I'm going out and I know that I will 1) be sweaty; and 2) desire to be presentable around people.  When I'm working at home, what do I care?  I just go ahead and sweat, and I can wash my pits at the end of the day in order to feel fresher.

A few years ago I bought a tube of homemade, unscented deodorant from a local couple at a craft fair.  Very simple ingredients list: coconut oil, sodium bicarbonate, arrowroot powder, shea butter, beeswax, tea tree EO.  And let me tell you, it works!  Odor protection under any circumstances for 48 hours.

I am recently run out, and am tempted to tinker with the ingredients in attempt to reconstruct the same product at home.  But then again, considering the last tube I bought for $7 lasted me 3 years, I might just track them down and buy another.
 
Myron Platte
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Katie Nicholson wrote:I started my transition to the no-poo method by doing a 50/50 vinegar water rinse every time I shampooed. This helped with build up and relieved some of the dandruff symptoms. Then I started extending the time between washes. If my scalp was itchy or greasy, I would add a vinegar rinse that day which aleviated itchiness and helped with the grease. I got down to shampooing once a month at which point I tried using my body bar (Kiss My Face Olive Oil Soap at that time, now the much cheaper generic version of that Pappoutsanos from Greece) on my hair and doing the vinegar rinse. It worked. I still had some issues with grease and dandruff, but both were much better than when I was using regular shampoo. What really helped was when I started brushing my long, thick hair more thoroughly. I use a boar bristle brush at it distributes oils more effectively than nylon bristles. I use the old fashioned 100 strokes a day method, attempting to draw my brush along the entire length of my hair from scalp to the ends rotating around my scalp to try to get every bit. This was the final step in my transition. I can go months with just occasional vinegar rinses if my hair gets smokey or sweaty. I only need to use the soap if I slack off on my brushing routine and a lot of oil and dead skin builds up. My hair is shiny and healthy looking and hairdressers usually compliment me on it's health. It doesn't look greasy or unwashed and I have very little dandruff anymore (I think diet might be the key to getting rid of the dandruff once and for all, but I'm not quite ready to part with my ice cream habit.)

As for soapless, I haven't gotten to that point, though I only soap my armpits with the aforementioned olive oil soap (that kind is the only one I can use without my skin drying or breaking out in rash or pimples.) I don't use deodorant so believe the soaping of the pits to be necessary in order to maintain my place in society. I also use the soap for shaving my legs as I don't find plain water to be very comfortable.


Bristle brushes are SO awesome. When I had long hair, a boar bristle brush was the only thing I used, and I can confirm that it makes hair really healthy.
 
Posts: 85
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Just chiming in because I see a lot of posts from people on the oily side of things,  but I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum. I have really dry skin and dry hair.  I also have baby-fine hair that can be really wispy, and have always had soooo much trouble in the winter with massive amounts of static electricity. Think balloon head! And those baby hairs that frame my face would just stick up no matter what I did.  Nothing has ever really worked. No amount of oil or conditioner would solve the problem.

Going pooless seemed counterintuitive, but I figured I'd give it a try. So in early December this year I started by doing baking soda followed by ACV.  And oh. My. God.  Why didn't anyone ever tell me it was this simple? My hair is ridiculously manageable. It feels clean and smooth. No trouble with tangles, like before.  My scalp is happier. But the BEST thing is that I actually have volume. No more super flat hair.  And not a lick of static. I swear, it's like I swapped hair with someone else.  I've even noticed less hair in my brush, yay!

Now I mostly just use ACV +water.  If I feel like my hair is really dirty from being out sweating a lot or whatever,  I'll use baking soda occasionally for a deep clean. Or I'll use it if I put oil in my hair, which I sometimes do, more for my scalp than for my hair.  It doesn't come out so well with ACV alone, so I'll use baking soda after an oil treatment.  Sometimes I just rinse with water when I'm in a hurry, but I like the way the ACV kind of conditions my hair.

I also suspect that this hair would actually take a curl, though I haven't tried.  But I am one of those people who could spend 3 hours curling my hair and have it gone in 30 min or less.  Curls just fall right out in the past, so I'm going to have to try an experiment... but I'm usually too busy digging in the dirt to worry about that sort of thing!

At any rate, I'm 6 months in, and you'll never convince me to go back. Never.  :)
 
pollinator
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I had been thinking about going poo-less for a while. Then I got pretty sick with covid. When I recovered it seemed like the perfect time to try it since my body had gone from being fairly oily to drier than dry. It's been a year and a half and my hair never did go through an adjustment period. In fact, I did use baby shampoo once I knew I was truly over covid just to feel clean and know I wasn't carrying any germs around. My hair was like straw! It had never been that way before, always moist and soft. I haven't used any poo since and don't see myself ever returning to it. I wash with water and brush through it with my plastic brush. That cleans my hair pretty thoroughly and the brush at the same time. If the water's too hot it still strips my hair and makes it hard to manage for a few days but nice warm water, brushed out under the stream of the shower and air dried. I'm SO glad I no longer use those chemicals on my head or contribute the massive amount of plastic they come in. I don't know if my body will ever produce the oils it once did, skin or hair, but that's ok.
 
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I stopped using Shampoo 6 months ago but as always there needs to be some context

about 15 years ago I was dealing with some troublesome dandruff, an acquaintance suggested using bar soap instead of shampoo. I tried it and the dandruff was gone ! Initially it was first a shampoo, then a second cycle soap bar wash. Later I started to develop some skin irritation related to Hashimoto and a terrible diet which cause some very bad inflammation levels in the blood. I know because I get my blood tested at least once a year, now its every 3 months. Anyway I switched from regular bar soap to "Ivory" as it claims to be 99% pure and was relatively affordable here in Japan.

6 months ago I stopped using shampoo altogether and went with 2 cycles of "Ivory" bar soap on my hair without much of an issue. I am currently growing my hair out to give as a wig for cancer patients and its very wavy stuff so it can be a struggle for people unused to caring for long hair. However the soap instead of shampoo works like a charm.

As an aside I want to add a traditional "cure" for skin troubles from the Italian side of my family back in the old country. First take a dip in the ocean, then lie out in the sun. Repeat. Do not rinse off the ocean water until later. The combo of the salt and sun kills most skin irritants. Since the ocean is a bit of a hike from my current abode, I substitute cheap ocean salt by the kilo from the local supermarket. Here in Japan we take a bath every night, so once a week whether I need it or not, I dump a table spoon or two of salt and get a good long soak. Voila. No serious skin troubles for since I learned the trick.
There is a reason people go to the Dead Sea for skin problems...

best of luck to us all

 
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egg yolk is the best and most nourishing shampoo, lathers too.
 
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Andreas Brevitz wrote:I shower maybe once every third day and then I don't even soak my hair. I am one of those doing the NO poo.  I "wash" my hair with water only maybe once every two weeks. It works great. If you try this you will experience a "transition period" like that described above. Oily hair and you should also expect some itching. After a while it feels great. I am not cranky.  I had no trouble going cold turkey, I guess because I had this grungy long hair thing going on anyways.
Don't get me wrong, if you use this method there will be people who think you look dirty. It probably won't ever be as if you used shampoo. In my view that's a good thing. It's all a matter of perspective, nowadays I look at shampooed hair and I think to myself; "Ew! That's unhealthy!"I also think that oily hair is not to be confused with dirty hair. The body produces these oils for a reason and when you get all obsessive about getting it out your scalp probably won't thank you. This irrational fear of oily hair is something people need to work on. Despite all of this my hair does not stink. People often tell me I smell nice.

I have one problem with my personal hygien. I've heard about people who stopped using soap on their bodies and instead scrubs with water and salt. Apparently after a while the body odor issues dissappear. This sounds almost like the method Paul is talking about. Water does the trick! My issue is swetty armpits. I have always been a "hot" person, no pun intended. In the winter I wear less clothes than others and in the summer I sweat more than others. On top of this I take a medicine and one of the side-effects is it makes me sweat even more. The thing is I can't seem to get rid of the need for deodorant. The deodorants I've found contain all kinds of nasty heavy metals and perfumes and shit. A bit of advice would be appreciated!

 
Meme grant
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Bicarbonate of Soda works well as a deodorant. You can use one of the soap plants to make soap to wash the smelly bits, which are all that need washing. I was my hair once a week, if I am able and it is not too cold. some of the soap left to dry under the arm pits will make good deodorant too. I use a natural soap.
 
ana wynne
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sorry. new at the quoting thing.

i use homemade pit paste. its quite effective.  you still sweat, but dont stink.

arrowroot powder (baking powder) , baking soda (cornstarch) & coconut oil. organic, non gmo all available.

lots of recipes use this as base

i add bentonite clay, vitamin e oil & tea tree oil.

i also add essential oils.  just for smell.  you dont have to. if you do, be sure to mix it in oils first.  then add dry ingredients.

we "tested" and it lasted 3 days without offending ourselves!!

you might notice your armpit hair gets softer and more manageable!  ha!
 
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jacque greenleaf wrote:"Like your hair was really oily for awhile?"

Yes. Many people experience this. The received wisdom is that, in an effort to replace the oil you lose by shampooing every day, ...


Why would anyone shampoo every day? I suppose it might be appropriate for someone with very short hair working in a dirty environment, but a hat seems better. I shampoo with a minimal amount about twice a week and still have a full head of (gray) hair at 76. The few times I've used so little that there was no lather at all, my hair started looking oily within a day or two.
 
Matthew Nistico
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ana wynne wrote:sorry. new at the quoting thing.

i use homemade pit paste. its quite effective.  you still sweat, but dont stink.

arrowroot powder (baking powder) , baking soda (cornstarch) & coconut oil. organic, non gmo all available.

lots of recipes use this as base

i add bentonite clay, vitamin e oil & tea tree oil.

i also add essential oils.  just for smell.  you dont have to. if you do, be sure to mix it in oils first.  then add dry ingredients.

we "tested" and it lasted 3 days without offending ourselves!!

you might notice your armpit hair gets softer and more manageable!  ha!


Yes, these are among the same major ingredients in the DIY deoderant that I use with much success.  Fortunately, I don't need to use it as often as you do, it would seem.  Having said that, I have noticed no long term side effects after years of use.
 
pollinator
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1 year on.

Still no poo. Water only about once every 2 weeks. Hair is still long and gets combed once of twice a day.
 
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I've just been using Ivory soap for everything for years.  Can't remember the last time I used shampoo.  I saw Paul's 72 steps or something like that.  I didn't even come to this thread, I just stopped using the soap.  Amazing how little difference it made.  Who needs soap?!?!?  Only thing is that around my ears and my nose, it still feels oily, so I've gone back to using just a bit in those two areas.  It works for me.  I enjoy a hot shower every night before bed.  100% poo free and 95% soap free.  My bar of soap is lasting like forever it seems.

As for deodorant, I found out years ago that what I eat seems to determine whether I smell or not.  Haven't used any deodorant for years either and no one seems to notice.  Other than when I was in training as a UAV pilot and away from home, eating who knows what from fast food joints and such.  Then I got complaints.  Same when I went to Afghanistan and ate military fare.  Same complaint.
 
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Ideas:
1. Simple unscented castile bar soap for washing hair (like kirks or bronners hard soap bars) works very well for both hair and body and does not dry out scalp. I use this once or twice a week. My facial skin under my beard gets itchy if I don't use soap on it say once a week.

2. Pine tar bar soap also works. I believe it is a good remedy/preventive for head lice as well. Used to use this once in a while when kids were small.

3. People used to oil their hair in lieu of washing it so much. Olive oil or coconut oil is fine. This might prevent dandruff too. Hair oil fell out of fashion after the "greasers" of the 1950s. It's been all about "body" (puffiness) of the hair since then, it seems. Time to change to a simpler fashion?

4. Saponins can be extracted by boiling horse chestnut meats, This can be used as a light body soap or shampoo. I've done this once, just as an experiment, and it worked, but it doesn't keep long before molding. Natives used to use this brew to stun fish in rivers for easy fishing.  I could be mistaken, but might acorns also have similar saponins?
 
pollinator
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Well, it is interesting to read all of these different takes on here.  Here is my two cents worth: Several years ago, my family of three went "pooless"; we used baking soda to wash and a vinegar rinse.  There WAS a definite adjustment period; but it quickly became easy.  We kept the baking soda in a decorative container on the shower soap shelf, with a wooden salt scoop in it.  To rinse, we used a plastic spray bottle with vinegar in it.  (because of the porcelain/hard surfaces, wetness, and etc. glass is not recommended here).  And all went well for a while.

The thing is, my daughter was a preteen at the time; she became aware that she didn't smell good, like the other girls...and in a while, we all noticed it: a kind of "warm animal" smell, like a woolen sweater worn all winter unwashed.  Like that.

We began to cycle the use of a soapy natural product in there every month or so, to strip the old and smelly oils, and then go back to the pooless method.  But in time my daughter discovered the plethora of inexpensive, natural products available at TJ Maxx; and we gave up the pooless.

Here is one observation I would like to make, not only about shampooing but Everything Permie: it is very important to learn deeply from the past, and not just lift out one practice: in the Olden Days, ladies with long hair (all ladies) would wear mob caps, kerchiefs, bonnets, etc to cover their hair.  OK, it was considered modest dress; but besides that, it had the important function of protecting the clean hair from food/smoke/barnyard smells and such things as dust and chaff.  In the evening before bed, ladies would brush out their hair carefully from the roots to the tips, counting 100 strokes.  The point of this was to remove dead hairs/bits and to distribute the hair oils all the way down the hair shaft.  Then they would braid it and go to bed, brushing again in the morning before putting it up for the day.  This way, a fresh cap/bonnet could be used and the hair wouldn't need washing often.  Many people went all winter without washing their hair; it just depended on whether you were able to stay warm while it dried, I guess.  So the brushing would be much more crucial in the absence of frequent washings.

Hair brushed were made of wood with hog bristles in them; these do wear, until they are too soft and whips to use on anyone's hair but a baby's; but they had the advantage of being gentle on the scalp while being also non-conductive of static electricity, and important factor in winter.  You can still get these; and there are also brushed with wooden-peg "bristles"; which I have not tried.  Expensive.
 
pollinator
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Since I own a soap business, I can't very well get totally behind soapless, but I can say my soap works excellent as a shampoo and because it contains no chemicals (I only use essential oils, not "fragrance"), it's harmless for the environment and very good for the skin. There is a woman who uses my aloe/comfrey soap because it is the only thing she's found that her severe eczema can tolerate. Even at that, she only showers once a week, I believe.

While I agree that in the "olden days" people had very different methods of dealing with dirt, now we have so much toxic ick around us that to me, it just makes better sense to get it off my skin without adding something else in it's place.
 
pollinator
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Since this thread was bumped by the daily-ish, I felt the need to post a reminder: baking soda is bad for plants, so I wouldn't use if you are watering with your greywater. Most commercial soaps and shampoos are also sodium-based; bad for plants.

I use Dr. Bronners on the rare occasion that I wash my hair at home. Other than that I deep brush my hair, keep it in a french braid, and occasionally brush an herbal conditioner through my hair. (My hair is dry and my scalp is not oily.)
 
Betsy Carraway
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Answer to the question, "Why would anyone shampoo every day?"  When I worked as a chef I had a very short hair cut; made it easier to wash every night when I got home.  That is one smelly job: you will smell like a mixture of foods, very strongly, by the end of the day; the overall effect is "garbagey"...I would guess that folks who work in construction, plumbing, and sanitation industries would shampoo and shower at least once a day.  I think some of these industries even have showers and locker rooms on premises so you don't have to get in your car with toxic goo or stenches on you.  How about your good old fashioned dairy farmer...

These days people are often sedentary and stay indoors; these are the ones who could take it easy on the shampooing and etc but it seems to be the opposite!
 
Matthew Nistico
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Betsy Carraway wrote:Answer to the question, "Why would anyone shampoo every day?"  When I worked as a chef I had a very short hair cut; made it easier to wash every night when I got home.  That is one smelly job: you will smell like a mixture of foods, very strongly, by the end of the day; the overall effect is "garbagey"...I would guess that folks who work in construction, plumbing, and sanitation industries would shampoo and shower at least once a day.  I think some of these industries even have showers and locker rooms on premises so you don't have to get in your car with toxic goo or stenches on you.


Very true.  I once had restaurant jobs, but one in particular was working the deep frier.  I came home smelling so nasty from that job my GF wouldn't let me near until I'd showered!

Kit Collins wrote:3. People used to oil their hair in lieu of washing it so much. Olive oil or coconut oil is fine. This might prevent dandruff too. Hair oil fell out of fashion after the "greasers" of the 1950s. It's been all about "body" (puffiness) of the hair since then, it seems. Time to change to a simpler fashion?


Hmmm...  If that works for you, then go for it.  But I think I will pass.  Especially when I can achieve 100% clean hair with ample body to meet current fashions using nothing but water.
 
Trish Doherty
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Update for anyone who cares, lol:

Yes, my hair will hold a curl now. For days and days. I don't have to use any products on it at all.  Previously, I could spend hours curling my hair and it would be gone in less time than I spent curling it. When I got my hair curled at a salon along with a bunch of other bridesmaids, the stylist who got me put so much hairspray on me that my hair made crunching noises (and still lost the curl).

Now, my pooless super-hair takes 5 minutes to curl and out the door. Just hair + heat. I always wondered how other women managed to get up 3 hours early to curl their hair every day. Turns out it's so much simpler than that!  Curls last until I wash my hair again. Yay.

 
Inge Leonora-den Ouden
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Trish Doherty wrote:Update for anyone who cares, lol:

Yes, my hair will hold a curl now. For days and days. I don't have to use any products on it at all.  Previously, I could spend hours curling my hair and it would be gone in less time than I spent curling it. When I got my hair curled at a salon along with a bunch of other bridesmaids, the stylist who got me put so much hairspray on me that my hair made crunching noises (and still lost the curl).

Now, my pooless super-hair takes 5 minutes to curl and out the door. Just hair + heat. I always wondered how other women managed to get up 3 hours early to curl their hair every day. Turns out it's so much simpler than that!  Curls last until I wash my hair again. Yay.


Trish, you are lucky! My hair never wanted to curl and still doesn't ... (although I am poo-less for years). I never had it curled at a salon and I never used hairspray. In my youth I tried sleeping with braids in, or with 'papillottes'... it didn't work. I always was jealous of people with curly hair.
 
gardener
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OK, I'm chiming in here.  

My wife and I tried going "pooless" after we got our Building a Better World in Your Backyard book.  No baking soda, no natural concoctions, just water.  Our hair tends to get greasy after a few days of not washing it.  After a short transition, our hair seemed to get less greasy between washings.  The most challenging thing for me is the feeling of my wet hair in the shower.  Something makes me feel like my hair isn't getting clean. But that's just a lifetime of conditioning to think that my hair has to be "squeaky clean" to be actually clean. Now I understand that this is not really true.  

When I blow dry my hair after a shower, it's amazing how much body and hold my hair has.  It looks and feels amazing... all for free!  

As for the rest of our bodies, no soap either, just a good quality Norwex washcloth.  My skin feels soft, and my hair feels great.  It's amazing how much we are conditioned by advertising to think we need certain things.  Thanks, Paul Wheaton and Permies!
 
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I have long thick hair, and have been using one heaping teaspoon of baking soda to 16oz. of water.

Having a bowl under my head, I pour the cup of baking soda water over my hair. Scrub a bit. Pour water back into cup and pour over again, and scrub. I work in the water to the scalp. I have found that the oils come out quickly and turn the water milky. Rinse thoroughly with clean water.

Washing my hair in this way once a week or less, and I can use less than a gallon of water total, washing and rinsing.
 
master steward
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Hi Lisa,

Welcome to Permies.
 
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I ran across this video today on Odysee about quitting shampoo.  Thought some here might find it of use.

https://odysee.com/@drsambailey:c/Here's-Why-I-Quit-Shampoo:b

The woman in the video has longer hair and found she got her best results transitioning with the use of the baking soda and apple cider vinegar where her husband was fine just going with straight hot water.
 
master steward
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I haven't gone soapless (yet), but I've not used shampoo since January (now November). In context our water is very soft (hill water, not council water) and I used to use baby shampoo once a week. We tend to bathe rather than shower. 2 in the bath is fun and saves water (also someone to scrub my back on hand :) )! I have greying, thick straight hair with a tendency to oily, with several sebacious cysts developed over decades on my scalp. The length is generally short - I cut it rather too short once every few months with a clipper.
I just stopped using the shampoo. I just massage hot water into my scalp and rinse well when we have a bath. No oil, vinegar or bicarbonate. I don't even remember having icky hair during the first month, and never think about it now. I've not noticed any changes in my cysts recently, and no new ones.
Next step soapless, which will be more of a challenge. Getting past the bad body odour possibilities, so I need a plan for this!
 
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