Have you heard of "no 'poo" and scratched your head in wonder about what this means? While the term is definitely not my favorite, the philosophy behind it is worth exploring. It refers to moving away from using expensive commercial shampoos and conditioners, which often contain harsh synthetic fragrances, sodium laureth sulfate, propylene glycol, and other creepy ingredients from mystery labs around the world. Because we trust that such products will make our hair gorgeous, we drench ourselves in weird chemicals without knowing how they affect our overall health. Plus, think of the millions of plastic bottles from all the hair care products we use that end up in recycling bins or landfills.
But we HAVE to use shampoo, right?—Wrong!
Shampoo manufacturers have been telling us to "lather, rinse, and repeat" for decades, and with dreams of healthy, shiny, flowy, bouncy perfection, we have complied. But what happens? The first day after a wash, your hair is kind of frizzy and dried out. On the second day, it's looking pretty good. By the third day, it's a greasy mess, and we are back to the shampoo cycle. Many people don't realize that this cycle only happens as the scalp desperately tries to rebalance. Most shampoo strips our hair of sebum—the natural oil produced by sebaceous glands to help condition and protect each strand. When we wash sebum away, our glands sound the alarm and make even more sebum to compensate for the sudden loss of protection. Using gentle cleansers and washing less often allows the body to function how it was meant to.
Going "no 'poo" is a different experience for everyone, depending on your natural hair and scalp condition. I have fine, wavy hair with a normal to dry scalp, so the transition was super easy for me. I started using the Chamomile Rose Rinse recipe below just once a week. My hair immediately looked so much healthier, and had more body and shine. Suddenly, instead of one good hair day a week, my hair was consistently awesome, with less frizz and no scalp irritation. Other people with thicker or oilier hair may go through a not-so-fun "balancing" phase where the sebaceous glands continue to produce more sebum in anticipation of that regular shampooing. If they can stick it out, the process eventually finds balance, and sebum production reverts to normal. Usually, this only takes a few weeks and is well worth the wait. It's nothing a good hat can't help you get through!
These herbal hair rinses are easy to make and leave your hair feeling soft and your scalp clean and revitalized. Use once a week to replace your shampoo for good and allow your natural oils to condition each strand from root to tip.The deep golden yellow produced by the chamomile flowers makes this a wonderful choice for light-colored hair or to enhance natural highlights in darker hair.
Rosemary is a classic herb for hair health. It helps support scalp circulation and healthy follicles. The natural conditioning cocoa butter fats found in cacao nibs will leave your hair feeling soft, and the chocolate-colored infusion is perfect for all shades of darker hair. Peppermint oil adds an invigoratingly clean scent and is excellent for oily or sensitive scalps.
Nettles have been long used to grow long and silky hair. Lavender essential oil helps normalize both dry and oily scalp conditions, and its soothing nature makes it a nice choice for sensitive scalps too. This formula is perfect for all hair colors and types.
Feel free to experiment with other herb and essential oil combinations. For more information and guidance about what herbs are good for hair care, check out Naturally Healthy Hair by Mary Beth Janssen.
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