No Poo Shampoo?

**Happy Valentine's Day everyone! <3

I've been an avid Stumbler for a year or two now, and in recent months I have been learning more and more about homemade beauty products and how much better they are for you than everything else.  Everything from sugar scrubs to alternatives to shampoo.  Which brings me to my next subject.  No Poo Shampoo! As weird as this sounds, I've decided I'm going to experiment with this: a) to save money and b) why not?  James will also be accompanying me on this experiment because he has extremely greasy hair and dandruff to boot.
So, it's pretty simple, going cold-turkey on using shampoo.  Now, I understand what you're thinking: "Wait WHAT?! No shampoo! I can't go a day without feeling greasy.." And I totally understand.  My hair is greasy by the end of the day and it BUGS the hell out of me.  I have short hair, so it's easier to manage but being part Italian, I've got naturally greasy hair.
So what does this No Poo Shampoo experiment consist of? Well, DUH no shampoo. Silly goose! I've done a little research and after quitting shampoo, the natural balance of your scalp begins to recalibrate, and thus you will experience horrible hair days for a week or two.  Maybe three or four.  But you definitely get results after just a week, and there are ways to remedy the greasiness.
Now of all the websites I've researched, they've all agreed on the ingredients, but not on how often to use them.  Really, it all depends on the chemistry of your skin and hair, so it's up to you to figure out the best combination.
So enough chatter: here's the general idea:

The Goods

1. Stop using shampoo!

2. Buy yourself a box of baking soda ($1), a bottle of apple cider vinegar ($3 for a giant bottle at Target), a spray bottle ($1 in the travel section) and some tea tree oil as well, if you can find it.
[[A total of $5? Steal. I spend that much on just shampoo once a month]]

3. Combine 1/4-1/2 tablespoon of baking soda with a little bit of water, until you get a paste-like substance. (Remember that glue stuff we all liked to eat in our kinder years? Yup.)

4. Rub that pasty stuff gently into your scalp, massaging as you go.  This will intially make your hair feel dry and cottony while in the shower, but it should feel soft once it is dry.

5. Follow with a ACV rinse by spritzing it on the ends and rinsing it out after a few minutes. If you experience itchiness, add a drop or two of the tea tree oil once a week.

You can do this once a week, or even every day until your hair and scalp starts to gain back its natural balance. I personally am going to use baking soda every day until my skin is back to au-natural.  If your hair begins to dry out, try using a little olive oil.  If it becomes frizzy, use less baking soda and add some honey. If it becomes overly greasy, use a little bit of lemon juice.

What are the benefits? Well, for starters, money saved on expensive and ineffective shampoos and conditioners.  A healthy way of life, considering that beauty products are full of disgusting and unpronouncable chemicals that are doing long-term damage to your skin, the biggest organ in your body.  Saving the environment one plastic bottle at a time! And healthier hair.  Try it out! Let me know how it works for you, or if you're interested in trying or are already a No Poo freak!

So, here goes my experiment! Promise, I'll be posting picture updates and such.  Scrub a dub dub! Don't forget to wash behind your ears!


Here is the link to my updates on how the experiment is going.  Click! Click! CLICK!


Special thanks to FulfilledHomemaking, Nature Moms and WiseBread for their No Poo stories and recipes!