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

tyffdavi wrote:

I don't wash my hair often. Maybe once a week. I wear bandanas and things of that sort, with my long hair pulled up into a ponytail underneath.

I don't wear deodorant and I actually have grown to LIKE the smell of people - a real, earthy, organic smell which doesn't have an undertone of chemical. I'm mostly on a raw food diet, and I've noticed this has entirely altered the way my body smells. No more morning breath, and not bathing for days at a time produces at most an underarm smell that is similar to grapefruits (which...yes....I like).

I keep tea tree essential oil around for cleaning countertops, dishes, and mopping the hardwood floors.

Seems to all be working fine....here at Zen Forest we feel clean, healthy, and are never sick (with the exception of a few sneezes if I work with hay or straw). When others visit (such as our traditional and conventional family and/or neighbors) they seem a bit perturbed (though they try not to show it) by certain aspects, but I suppose we're used to this by now

How do you keep your genitals clean? If I don't bathe for days, there's definitely an aroma emanating  from my undergarments.
Do you bird bath?
Just curious...

Even when I do use soap I would never put there. A soak is more than enough for me personally though I don't have a strong body odor unless I'm eating grains, cooked food, dairy, etc. I like it when people smell like people though, we aren't supposed to be completely odor free. Just not stinky and even then that's completely subjective...

ndomorph wrote:

What body soap alternatives can you suggest? I'm still using bars of natural stuff like Grandpa's Pine Tar Soap.

Well, you could join the 'no-soap' bandwagon.  I've been soap-free for about 1 1/2 years and have no stinky pits issues.  My daily routine involves washing with a hand towel just as I did when I used soap.  Every 3rd day or so I use a pair of plastic scrubby gloves and exfoliate all over--with emphasis on my underarms.  Exfoliation makes the skin so smooth and soft and for the underarms seems like the key to keeping bad odors away.  After bathing I use home made body powders to finish off with a soft perfume-like smell instead of the cloying chemical aromas of body washes and soaps.

I'm a desk-jockey so no-soap works well for me.  When I know I'll have a sweaty day I use a rock crystal after the shower and that absolutely stops the sweaty-stinkies.  Being soap free and shampoo free makes for a very empty shower. My biggest challenge is remembering to put a bar of soap in the shower when I we have guests!

I've been soap free on my body for, well, as long as I've been alive. Gave up shampoo quite awhile ago, do weekly vinegar rinses, but that's it. My hair is straight and fine stranded, so I do start to look a little greasy towards the end, but it still looks fine if I comb it and braid it.

My arm pits have been kinda stinky the last few, but I think that's probably due to some foods that I probably shouldn't have eaten. Otherwise, I don't smell much, and when I do, I like the way it smells.

I've been trying the baking powder/apple cider vinegar and for myself and my kids and so far it's amazing. I really noticed the difference with my oldest, who always looked really greasy a day after a shampoo/conditioning.
Since switching to the no shampoo, her hair stays clean looking a lot longer.
I honestly can't believe how awesome it is!
I've been using it too, though I have short hair and I use gel so I don't notice all that much of a difference. I have recently started using a rough wash cloth instead of soap and so far I love it.
On the occasion where I feel like I would want something more to wash myself, I have some nice soap that was made locally by a woman at the farmer's market.

Also, I find that if I don't use soap on my feet, I get huge, painful cracks in my heels. Does anyone else find that too?

All that to say,  I love not using shampoo and soap!

I haven't washed my hair with any type of synthetic shampoo for about a year now. I have been using baking soda it works wonders. I haven't washed my hair since the 20th of April. My hair never gets greasy now. I wash it with water if I'm going out somewhere nice that is about it. Also it doesn't smell either (well at least that I can tell).

ape99 wrote:
Nice. Will have to try some of these alternatives to soap/'poo

Have been making really effective psoriasis 'poo by boiling up chinaberries (in the neem family), straining then using.
Works soooo much better than any store bought 'poos, even all then natural ones and it's effects last days longer.
Doesn't seem to keep well (week without refrig) but I just make smaller batches.

Everyone around here hates the chinaberry (invasive) but I'm finding many uses for it. Nice wood that cures up very light and is strong. Coppices and pollards like crazy and super fast grower.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melia_azedarach

Chinaberries contain a neurotoxin.  I would be very careful using them as a cleansing aid on the body.

I use a loofah and no soap on my body and only water on my hair.  I am almost bald on the top so I do have a problem with my sebaceous glands pumping out oil to lubricate hair shafts that have long since left on permanent vacation.  This discussion reminded me of when I younger and would go swimming in the river or a nearby lake.  My hair was always clean and neither oily not dry.  I like the stimulation from exfoliating with a loofah.  I make my own liquid soap using potassium hydroxide and coconut oil but only for laundry and household cleaning.
I also use a chunk of Alum for "deodorant."  It does a great job of preventing perspiration fermentation.

Dave Bennett wrote:
Chinaberries contain a neurotoxin.  I would be very careful using them as a cleansing aid on the body.

Hasn't effected me, besides the random twitching, I'm fine.

ape99

Just listening to Paul and Jocelyne talk about no soap no shampoo on the podcast.

Due to some serious skin problems I have not been able to use soap on my skin for decades.  I alternate between baking soda, sea salt and epsom salt for cleansing and grapeseed oil or other light food grade oils for moisturizing.

Occasionaly I forget, when I am at work in the bathroom and I squirt whatever hand soap is avail instead of my oil.  Get a nice rash for about 3 days.

Haven't tried the no shampoo thing - I'll have to read back over these posts to see how it is working for everyone else.

BTW, If you have a dog with skin problems the quickest way to give them relief is to stop all forms of soap.  My chinese crested hairless always has to go to the boarding kennel with EXPLICIT instructions not to use soap - I bathe her the same way I bathe myself and her skin is great.  Dogs with skin problems and hair can be scrubbed with conditioner only and thier skin will clear up and hair look great.

South Carolina wrote:
Just listening to Paul and Jocelyne talk about no soap no shampoo on the podcast.

Due to some serious skin problems I have not been able to use soap on my skin for decades.  I alternate between baking soda, sea salt and epsom salt for cleansing and grapeseed oil or other light food grade oils for moisturizing.

Occasionaly I forget, when I am at work in the bathroom and I squirt whatever hand soap is avail instead of my oil.  Get a nice rash for about 3 days.

Haven't tried the no shampoo thing - I'll have to read back over these posts to see how it is working for everyone else.

BTW, If you have a dog with skin problems the quickest way to give them relief is to stop all forms of soap.  My chinese crested hairless always has to go to the boarding kennel with EXPLICIT instructions not to use soap - I bathe her the same way I bathe myself and her skin is great.  Dogs with skin problems and hair can be scrubbed with conditioner only and thier skin will clear up and hair look great.

Have you tried Virgin Coconut Oil for moisturizing?  It works very well.  Smells great too.

Dave, I'm not sure if the coconut oil I cook with is virgin or not - but that is one of the oils I use on my skin; in addition I use the coconut oil to make a comfrey salve and this year I will start making one with calendula and coconut oil.

Cool.  I use coconut oil for everything that requires a vegetable oil  except mayonnaise.  I don't use it for mayonnaise because the mayo directly from the fridge is like cement.  Virgin coconut oil smell like coconuts and tastes like coconut too.  If it is virgin oil it will be very "foamy" when it is first heated.  I only use Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil because it is made by hand the "old" way.  I cook with Virgin Palm Oil (Red Oil) most often because it has a really high smoke point.  It has a unique flavor that takes a little adjustment though.  The reason I use it is because I buy it as my vitamin E source.  It has more vitamin E analogs than any other food sourced E and it is also a great source of beta carotene.  It too makes an excellent skin oil treatment.

Oh, commercial care products are a hoax. You don't need any of that stuff and really it makes any hair problems you have much worst.

I suffered from really greasy hair for years. Now since I stopped using that chemical junk that passes for "shampoo" its not nearly as bad anymore. i just use a little Dr. Bronner castille oil and my hair is fine.
http://pathsofnature.blogspot.com/2011/07/costoxic-ingredients-in-personal-care.html

jacque g wrote:
...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.

I gave up shampoo years ago. People ask me all the time how I have so much hair, and what do I use... 
My answer? nothing. I scrub it out with plain water in the shower and nothing else.

And for soap, I discovered Dr Bronner's about 5 yrs ago and have never gone back. A few drops in my hand, I lather my parts/pits, rinse, and I'm done. If I really need to wash my hair (after a long night at the campfire, if I’ve gotten grease in it, etc) I'll just use a tiny bit of Dr Bronner’s and rinse.

Occasionally I purchase the little $2 bottles of peppermint soap to give to people who seem interested. Never, and I mean never, has anyone who’s ever tried it gone back to using regular soap.
Dr Bronner’s company has impressed me greatly. If you spend a little time on their website, you’ll see what I mean: Fair-Trade, Organic, and ruthless fighters against the pseudo-organic companies.
Check out the ‘activism > overview’ section. This is the way all companies should be run.

John Polk wrote:
If we continuously wash our natural oils from our skins and hair, we are forcing our bodies to manufacture more to replace it.  Daily use of oil solvents on our bodies is contrary to nature's course.

Well stated John! If you strip your body’s oil, it tries to replenish it.
Leave it alone, it’s there for a reason. “It’s not nice to fool with Mother Nature”

I learned this lesson fighting pimples as a teenager. I constantly scrubbed and scrubbed my face and used alcohol based products to strip the oils off, and kept getting more and more pimples! Clearasil, Sea-Breeze, you name it, I tried it.

The one thing that worked: leave it alone. I started lightly washing my face with just water. I’d been fighting zits for years and once I quit stripping my face, the problem simply vanished.

AndreasBrevitz wrote:
...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!

I've been using Tom's of Maine original unscented for years. It has a slight 'froot-loops' smell to it, and I really like it. Their ingredients are listed on their website.
Tom's was bought out by Colgate/Palmolive a few years back. I hope that they can still maintain their commitment to nature and the environment. (I also use their fluoride-free toothpaste)

tyffdavi wrote:
...I make my own soaps...
    - I wish I had the time!
...I'm mostly on a raw food diet...
    - truly the key most of our health issues, including odor -
...I keep tea tree essential oil around for cleaning countertops, dishes, and mopping the hardwood floors...
    - me too. Tea-tree oil is amazing stuff.

And I have tackled some wicked baked food off the stove-top with Dr Bronner's too. I rubbed in, let set, rubbed in again, etc.

Also, my wife and I put a little white vinegar into a spray bottle and fill the rest with water. We spray it on the hardwood floors, and wipe off the dirt/food/whatever. Once it's there, you tend to try it on all kinds of things and it usually works just fine, even on windows.

Caleb Larson wrote:
I had dreadlocks for several years.  I never washed my hair during that time.  I went swimming a lot in the summer and rinsed them really well with hot water in the winter.
They never smelled, you can even ask my wife, she tells me when I smell bad.

Hot water a quality cleansing product.

Really?!?!  I hadn't used shampoo for about 2 years before I started on the dreadlocks.  Now that they are full blown, I've found over the last year that I NEED some deep cleaning that I've only been able to find from commercial shampoos.  I hate it.  Maybe it's just that dreadlocks and farming don't match with no shampoo.  They get DIRTY and it stays in!  No smelling, just filthy.  Yuck.  Well...it did take me 3 shampoos to get the buck smell out of them last time I had trim hooves while he was in rut...

johnnybrick wrote:
I gave up shampoo years ago. People ask me all the time how I have so much hair, and what do I use... 
My answer? nothing. I scrub it out with plain water in the shower and nothing else.

And for soap, I discovered Dr Bronner's about 5 yrs ago and have never gone back. A few drops in my hand, I lather my parts/pits, rinse, and I'm done. If I really need to wash my hair (after a long night at the campfire, if I’ve gotten grease in it, etc) I'll just use a tiny bit of Dr Bronner’s and rinse.

Occasionally I purchase the little $2 bottles of peppermint soap to give to people who seem interested. Never, and I mean never, has anyone who’s ever tried it gone back to using regular soap.
Dr Bronner’s company has impressed me greatly. If you spend a little time on their website, you’ll see what I mean: Fair-Trade, Organic, and ruthless fighters against the pseudo-organic companies.
Check out the ‘activism > overview’ section. This is the way all companies should be run.
Well stated John! If you strip your body’s oil, it tries to replenish it.
Leave it alone, it’s there for a reason. “It’s not nice to fool with Mother Nature”

I learned this lesson fighting pimples as a teenager. I constantly scrubbed and scrubbed my face and used alcohol based products to strip the oils off, and kept getting more and more pimples! Clearasil, Sea-Breeze, you name it, I tried it.

The one thing that worked: leave it alone. I started lightly washing my face with just water. I’d been fighting zits for years and once I quit stripping my face, the problem simply vanished.

I've been using Tom's of Maine original unscented for years. It has a slight 'froot-loops' smell to it, and I really like it. Their ingredients are listed on their website.
Tom's was bought out by Colgate/Palmolive a few years back. I hope that they can still maintain their commitment to nature and the environment. (I also use their fluoride-free toothpaste)

And I have tackled some wicked baked food off the stove-top with Dr Bronner's too. I rubbed in, let set, rubbed in again, etc.

Also, my wife and I put a little white vinegar into a spray bottle and fill the rest with water. We spray it on the hardwood floors, and wipe off the dirt/food/whatever. Once it's there, you tend to try it on all kinds of things and it usually works just fine, even on windows.

I used Dr. Bronner's soaps for years but I make my own soap now because it only cost me 1/2 what the "doc's" excellent products can be found on the websites with the lowest prices.  I only make liquid all purpose soap for me but I do also make hard bar soap to give as gifts because some people will always need some soap.  It is permanently implanted in their brain.  I sometimes use soap to wash when I have been turning wrenches or something else that needs an agent to cut grease. 

For those of you with chickens and a few extra eggs laying around:  Every tried washing with egg yolks?  I use them in my hair regularly in lieu of shampoo or conditioner.  They seem to both cleanse and condition at the same time.  The cleaning is not harsh the way soaps are, but there's a definite cleansing effect that removes grime and grease.  I don't use the whites, just the yolks.  The whites don't seem to do much(although I haven't extensively tested this), and seem more prone to just making a mess. 

Oh, and be quite certain not to rinse with hot water.    A bit warm at the most.  You probably don't want scrambled eggs in your hair!

darktwist wrote:
For those of you with chickens and a few extra eggs laying around:   Every tried washing with egg yolks?  I use them in my hair regularly in lieu of shampoo or conditioner.  They seem to both cleanse and condition at the same time.  The cleaning is not harsh the way soaps are, but there's a definite cleansing effect that removes grime and grease.  I don't use the whites, just the yolks.  The whites don't seem to do much(although I haven't extensively tested this), and seem more prone to just making a mess. 

Oh, and be quite certain not to rinse with hot water.    A bit warm at the most.  You probably don't want scrambled eggs in your hair!

I knew quite a lot of women back in the late 60's and throughout the 70's that used egg yolk instead of shampoo.  That "poultry" fat is good for your body inside and out.

      Every farmer's market has an old hippie who makes her own soap. It's pretty pure stuff and I don't see anything wrong with using it. The bars last a long time so it's cheap as well.

dale hodgins wrote:
      Every farmer's market has an old hippie who makes her own soap. It's pretty pure stuff and I don't see anything wrong with using it. The bars last a long time so it's cheap as well.

I am an "old hippie" except not a woman LOL plus I make bar soap for gifts and to sell at the farmers market.  I only use Coconut Oil for the bar soap so it is extremely hard and lasts for a very long time. 

      Point made. Buy your soap from Dave or someone like him and you'll be supporting local craftsmen without feeding the middleman. You won't be handing anything over to some imagined soap conglomerate and you won't smell like a buzzards crotch . Everybody wins.

dale hodgins wrote:
       Point made. Buy your soap from Dave or someone like him and you'll be supporting local craftsmen without feeding the middleman. You won't be handing anything over to some imagined soap conglomerate and you won't smell like a buzzards crotch . Everybody wins.

PS: I use organic ingredients including food grade Sodium Hydroxide for my bar soap.  Mixing Lye with fat seems weird using organic and food grade but I just like it better that way.  I have never tried to market my liquid household all purpose soap but I have never seen food grade Potassium Hydroxide or I would use that too LOL

Dave, do you do mail order?

I quit using shampoo and store bought soap a year ago I bathe everyday with warm water and sand. I keep the sand in a five gallon bucket. I take my wash cloth and grab a chunk of sand and just scrub really good my hair and body. I had went a few months without seeing anybody when I started this regimine. And my mother who could always tell when I skipped a shower. Did nothing but compliment me for months on my hair quality and skin healthiness.I have been experimenting wiith adding crushed mint leaves and a little cinnamon to my sand and my wife loves my odor but I cant convince her to go all natural cleaning products she claims to many years of use and that her needs cant be met my way I do use orange goop to remove oil and grease when i work on mechanical things. I did notice at first I was greasy  feeling often but not anymore that lasted about six weeks.It used to seem like everytime I got out of the shower I had acne but not anymore but I should note I also quit shaving and using aftershave and most of my acne may have been shaving related

Jeanine Gurley wrote:
Dave, do you do mail order?

I suppose I could mail order.  I never really considered it.  I was making soap for friends as gifts and one of them suggested I take some to one of the farmers markets here in the area.  There are lots of them here.  I took about a dozen bars of soap with me when I had excess tomatoes to sell and the soap sold like crazy, even faster than my tomatoes.  I have been selling my excess tomatoes for a very long time so a lot of people know about them.  I will be making soap again in a couple of weeks  and will let you know when it is ready. 

happyearthhomes wrote:
I quit using shampoo and store bought soap a year ago I bathe everyday with warm water and sand. I keep the sand in a five gallon bucket. I take my wash cloth and grab a chunk of sand and just scrub really good my hair and body. ....

I am intrigued by this sand alternative.  (Gosh, we have alot of that in these parts!)  I wonder though, is it hard on the drains?  What would I do to turn some of this sand that serves as soil in my yard into something I can clean with?

Great ideas in the above, I'll be researching some more... but will try it some day.

A caveat on the use of borax as mentioned by some: It's quite toxic and not allowed in use of even commercial cosmetics here in the EU. I have used it as a last resort antpoison once, and they popped their legs in the air within minutes of exposure...

I buy bars of Ivory soap because they're the cheapest ones in the store,  and I use them to wash both my hair and body. I shave with it too.  A diluted vinegar rinse gets rid of any soap residue in my hair, and the slight acidity seems to have cured a problem I'd been having with a flaky scalp.

I remember Dr Bronner's from my hippy days back in the Seventies, but haven't seen it in a while.  Good to know they're still around.

My family has been Poo free for about 6 months now, we use 1tbs baking soda to 1 cup water as a first rinse, followed up by 1tbs apple cider vinegar to 1 cup water. Works well, hair is much healthier, fewer split ends and clean feeling. I like it, we won't ever go back!

I'm wondering: most women here seem to have long hair that can be put up, braided or ponytailed on days the hair gets greasy. I've got a nice short do, so those options are out for me. How do men/women with short hair go trough the transition from shampoo to none? I've got a lot of dandruff going on and I almost always wear black, so a clean head is important for me.

I've figured out that I can buy the bronner's stuff directly from the importer here, so I don't have to pay retailprice. Placed an order just now.

Just heard about this thread on the podcast and wanted to add my testimonial. As part of my Primal lifestyle, I've been doing this for over 2 years. My barber tells me what nice hair I have!

http://theprimalprepper.com/primal-prepping/hilarity-at-the-barber-shop

My husband has short hair, well it is ringlets (now that we don't use shampoo). His hair really doesn't look greasy at all. Mine is long but we use our homemade shampoo on the kids (who both have short hair) and theirs doesn't look greasy at all.

You can sorta see my hair in the kickstarter video.  No soap or shampoo in the shower for, what .... six months?  I shower damn near every day with just water.

Here is another great documentation of a gal who went shampoo free and took pictures after each week.
Shampoo free hair

Heya, I realize this is an old thread but I just wanted to spread the knowledge/love.

I've recently started using 1 egg, some rosemary, mint, & a bit of vegetable oil, or just the egg by itself as an alternate way to clean my hair as opposed to commercial shampoo and it works wonderfully!

It is a bit strange pouring the egg mixture the first time you do it, but the benefits far outweigh that!

Most every commerical shampoo I have used in my life has made my head itchy and completely dried out my hair, but ever since I've been using this I only have to wash my hair two or three times a weak and it is not too oily, dried out, or itchy.

I have a few hens and grow rosemary and mint and the oil is really not necessary so it is practically free, not to mention natural, organic, local, etc.

I recommend everyone [especially those who have their own chickens or other egg layers] to try this out.

Honey is also an interesting addition. One love folks!

Shailor, do you just chop the herbs into the egg?

Tyler Ludens wrote:Shailor, do you just chop the herbs into the egg?

Yup.
If it's dried out a bit that would also help.

I've also infused some rosemary into an oil and then mixed that in with the egg, which gives the nice smell and some of the chemical properties without the pieces of the plant.

This morning I didn't use any soap just a loofah, hot water, and one egg [for my hair]. My skin feels nice and clean, not dried out or oily and my hair is fluffy, too oily or dried out. It feels very nice.
Day before yesterday I used a bit of commercial shampoo just to try it out one final time and when I woke up this morning my head was itchy.

Thanks so much everyone for starting and keeping up this topic

I met a Fairbanks character some years ago; he introduced himself as "Dirty Pete," and proudly announced that he hadn't had a bath in thirteen years. He went on to explain that our skin produces various oils and other substances which are for its preservation and maintenance, and that washing them off was a grave mistake. Most people would just blow that kind of advice off, but I'm open minded, and old Pete was 92 at the time (he also lived on a superfund cleanup site; he said that when the feds tried to get him to move off while they cleaned it up, he refused, declaring that he had "gone through three wives and thirteen kids" there, and that they all were fine), so I thought maybe there was something to it. When I visited him, he was driving a forklift around his scrapyard, and he had a pretty good handshake grip too. He lived to be 96.

A few years later, I had some horrible dermatitis, which made me really conscious of the importance of skin. So I thought I'd give Dirty Pete's method a try. It's been several years since I have used either soap or shampoo, and my skin, hair, and scalp have never been healthier. I rarely shower or bathe either, but I do sauna regularly. Dirty Pete did look the part; he was pretty grimy. I'll use soap for spot cleaning of grease or stains, but other than that, it's plain unchlorinated water or my own detoxified sweat.

Our skin is enveloped by an acid mantle. Per Wikipedia:

"The acid mantle is a very fine, slightly acidic film on the surface of the skin acting as a barrier to bacteria, viruses and other potential contaminants that might penetrate the skin.[1] It is secreted by sebaceous glands. The pH of the skin is between 4.5 and 6.2, so it is acidic.[2] These contaminants and other chemicals are primarily alkaline in nature and the skin's moderate acidity helps to neutralize their chemical effects."

Regular soap is highly alkaline, and destroys the acid mantle. This is probably the reason that some people experience a transition period when ceasing the use of soap, since it may take the body a little while to react to the new conditions, which don't require it to continually replace the acid mantle.

Dirty Pete was definitely on to something. Paul's onto something too--it's a win not to have to buy stuff that advertisers have persuaded us is necessary. Save money and have healthier skin by ditching soap and shampoo.

A about 2 years ago I tried a shampoo free life. In my experience if our dogs get exposure to some showers, and get brushed every so often, then their coats stay in good condition, non greasy and pleasant to stroke. So I thought it should work for me too !

I hate feeling unclean, and have a shallow bath once a day. My hair is rinsed in warm water once a day, twice in the summer, without shampoo. I have found that the easiest way to go shampoo free is to start with really short hair. When I did that I never noticed a greasy phase. The hair is definately not quite the same when it is regularly shampooed, compared to now when it is not. Its easier to cut hair when it is shampooed for example. So I shampoo before a cut is due. But the rest of the time the bottle is unused.

The hair definately does not feel greasy, and does not smell. I think the water rinsing is important though. I think the water you use might make a difference. Our tap water is acidic and untreated. I notice when I stay in the UK, in an alkaline chemical treated tapwater area (London), my hair does not feel clean.

Forgetting about any small savings I might make, or environmental benefits, I prefer my hair the way it is now. I recommend to anybody to give it a go.