Happy Hair

/ HAPPY HAIR / 1
/ HAPPY HAIR / 2
Copyright © 2014 Lucy AitkenRead

All rights reserved.
ISBN-13:978-1500640347
Further information can be found at my website:

Lulastic.co.uk
/ HAPPY HAIR / 3
For my Granddad Derrik upon whose shoulders I spent many a happy childhood
hour, festooning his locks with quiffs and ribbons and plaits until it was gloriously
ridiculous.
/ HAPPY HAIR / 4
Introduction
Chapter 1 But WHY?
Chapter 2 How it Works
Chapter 3 Coping with the transitional period
Chapter 4 Natural Alternatives to shampoo
Chapter 5 Natural Alternatives to conditioner
Chapter 6 Natural Alternatives to styling products
Chapter 7 Hair troubles during transition
Chapter 8 Frequently Asked Questions
Chapter 9 Conclusion
Extra Resource The Six Week Fail-Proof Transitional

Period for No Poo Success!
Author page
More natural beauty resources
References
/ HAPPY HAIR / 5
Introduction
As the global beauty industry balloons into a vast and profitable area of
commerce there is a whole movement of people turning their backs on it. At
perhaps the more extreme end of the natural beauty spectrum are those that give
up shampoo – people like me. There are crowds of us eschewing products often
assumed to be essential and discovering that our bodies absolutely thrive
without them.
Shampoo is a relatively new product, the goop-out-of-a-bottle stuff only

replacing basic soap at the beginning of the last century. And back then people
were advised to wash their hair only a dozen or so times a year. In a 1908
article, How to Shampoo the Hair, in The New York Times hair specialists
recommend; “the shampooing of the hair as often as every two weeks, but from
a month to six weeks should be a better interval if the hair is in fairly good
condition.”1 Over the last few decades shampoo has been gradually crafted to
ensure a pretty unhealthy dependency. These days it is not uncommon for
people to use this modern goop every single day.
However, there are increasing numbers of people giving up it up and

enjoying more cash in their pockets, fewer chemicals in their systems and
healthier hair on their noggins.
The shampoo-free community commonly and fondly refer to this as going

“No Poo” and of being a “No Pooer.” (This term originated in the States where I
think they had less of a problem with it being taken as Too Much Information
About Bowel Movements.)
No Poo = giving up shampoo. Not constipation.
Whether you have already taken the plunge and want recipes for more
natural alternatives for cleaning, conditioning and styling, or whether you are
carefully considering giving up shampoo and want every bit of information you
can get your hands on, this book is for you.
It’s also possible that you simply want to chortle at the ridiculous stories of a
No Pooer who dived in WITHOUT a book to guide, in which case this book is
also for you.
“I totally love this No Poo method. My hair is looking better than it has
looked since I was six years old! I am thrilled at minimizing all the plastic
packaging that store bought hair products are contained in.”
~Ella
/ HAPPY HAIR / 6
But WHY?
I gave up shampoo two and a half years ago primarily as an experiment in
thrifty living. At the ripe age of thirty I had decided that my dependence on
shampoo costing me precious pennies. I needed to wash it every second day or
I’d be hounded by the Hairy Grease Monkeys (they ride Harleys the size of nits
and rampage across scalps dripping oil and cigarette butts). I was also on a
massive mission to detoxify myself after reading about the enormous number of
chemicals the average woman adorns herself with.
So, my inner cheapskate got together with my inner hippy and persuaded me
that the shampoo had to go. With typical rashness I decided to say goodbye to
shampoo the week that I began a brand new job in a brand new office, having
done no research at all about what to expect. (With my hair, that is. The job, I
had my head around.)
Oh, crikey. It was grim. In fact, one week into the experiment my mum tried
to convince me to stop, telling me that it looked as if she’d be able to fry some
chips on my head. (Mums: saying it like it is since forever.)
But I soon figured out how to tie a good headscarf and began trying out some
natural shampoo alternatives and within a month things started looking far less
fast foody.
Before long I was like a beauty from a tampon advert prancing about,
shaking my luscious locks smugly. My hair was voluminous, glowing and took
three times as long to get greasy. I was even able to give up styling products
completely.
I was finally happy with the natural state of my hair.
Gobsmacked that it was actually working I told everyone I met about my
experiment. I’d start conversations with friends that just began with the current
number of days I’d been without shampoo. I’d sidle up to them and say “23
days” and waggle my eyebrows meaningfully.
I’d explain the concept to strangers in the pub, like a No Poo evangelical
and, invariably, they’d look a little skeptical and ask “But WHY?!”
“Well!” I’d reply, straightening my polyester tie, pulling seven kinds of glossy
tracts from my briefcase, and leaning in with the wide-eyed gaze of a zealot
“There are several reasons one might give up shampoo…”
Release your hair’s natural beauty

It was a trip to the hairdressers that confirmed for me that we are all being
hoodwinked by the beauty industry! It was my first visit since giving up
shampoo and I was nervous about having to ask her to forgo the products when
washing my hair.
I was imagining a dropped comb, a face contorting with repulsion, and, as

the full realization of having massaged the scalp of a head that hasn’t seen a
single goop of shampoo for over a year, projectile vomiting into the mirror.
Marvellously, that scene didn’t happen.

/ HAPPY HAIR / 7
In fact, she barely blinked.
(Mind you, this salon is based in particularly wild corner of South London,
where one infamous resident has taken to squirting pedestrians with her
breastmilk. You’ve really seen everything in Peckham.)
As the hairdresser began cutting my hair she explained that she was
“thinning it out”- I guffawed (glamorously) in shock. My WHOLE life
hairdressers have been trying to cut my pathetically lank hair in a way that
would add volume. With the hushed, secretive tone of a whistleblower I
explained that I was sure giving up shampoo had actually improved my hair. She
looked at me as if I was an idiot “Of course it would! Using shampoo regularly
just totally strips your hair out!” I was astonished that a hairdresser would so
passionately admit that shampoo may not be bringing out the best in people’s
tresses.
Tons of people are finding that giving up shampoo has uncovered a new,
better side to their hair. Dull hair has become glossy, frizzy hair curly, lank hair
voluminous. (If you originally had dull AND frizzy AND lank hair you now look
like Diana Ross!)
“I stopped using hair products a year and a half ago and curly hair takes to it
very well! However the most satisfying thing is loving my hair in its most natural
state, without needing products to change or “improve” it.”
~Amy
“Since going from chemical heavy shampoo products to a bicarbonate of

soda and coconut oil routine, my hair, which had been falling out A LOT,
became easier to manage and stopped depositing itself all over furniture, clothes
and bedding.” ~Carly
Save Money
It isn’t the ticket to becoming a millionaire by age 33 (unless, of course, you
write a book about it *evil billionaire laugh*) but giving up shampoo can
relieve a tight budget.
Even if you use the traditional alternative to shampoo – a bicarbonate of soda

wash once a week – you will only get through one jar every two months. If you
throw in a weekly cider vinegar rinse too you’ll probably use up a bottle every
three months. Depending on where you shop that is a mere £8-13 a year on hair
washing paraphernalia.
Moreover, loads of people manage to wean off using natural alternatives

/ HAPPY HAIR / 8
regularly so end up spending far less than that. Inconceivable!
In our home we were using a bottle of shampoo and conditioner every

month at a cost of £5. We now use water and are saving £60 every year. It
doesn’t sound like a big deal, but when we are old fogeys we will be able to go
on a luxury £3000 cruise with the savings! Wahey!
“I have to admit my reason for going poo-free was monetary! I have been
surprised at the results of using nothing and comments of how wonderful my
hair looks! Both my children never shampoo their hair – they are 3 and 6. The 3
year old only ever washes her hair occasionally and it looks beautiful. The 6 year
old has her hair washed occasionally by the grandparents and it totally destroys
the natural beauty and lustre of her hair. It takes a few weeks for it to come back
to normal.” ~Penny
Eliminate Toxins
I gave up shampoo about a week after reading the research published by
Bionsen that revealed the 515 chemicals women put upon their bodies daily.2 I
initially thought “Ha! They didn’t research ME!” but then I looked at the back of
my shampoo bottle and realized that in my shampoo alone there were about a
billion items I didn’t recognize in the slightest.
The scariness of these chemicals is hotly debated. One side of the debate
asserts that the dodgy chemicals are so microscopic as to be utterly harmless or
that natural beauty fanatics are using old research to perpetuate myths. And on
the other side of the debate people feel there is an almost conspiracy like silence
on the negative health impacts of these chemicals.
I have to admit to erring on wary. Ideally I wouldn’t put anything on my body

that I wouldn’t put in to my body, via my hungry gob.
It is not in my nature to lob imposing names out there like big fat toxic
grenades. It is fear mongering and I’d really rather talk about the magnificent
simplicity of taking a lemon from the fruit bowl and cleaning our hair with it.
But we do need to ask ourselves some questions about what we readily pour
into our pores. Here are just a few of the most common ingredients of shampoo
highlighted as Chemicals of Concern by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.
Quick! Take cover!
Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulphate cause shampoo
to be lovely and bubbly but are also skin and eye irritants that come with major
warning labels.3
/ HAPPY HAIR / 9
1,4-dioxane was found to be in 46% of products on shelves by the

Environmental Working group. You won’t find it on the label though as it is
produced when ingredients such as SLS are mixed with other chemicals during a
process meant to make SLS less harsh! The Environmental Protection Agency
classifies 1.4-dioxane as a probable carcinogen.4
Cocamide diethanolamine was found to be in 98% of the shampoos

available on the high street. Cocamide DEA is not only an allergen with high
potential as an irritant but it is known carcinogen and banned in some States.5
Parabens have been connected to higher estrogen levels, which wreak

havoc with the hormones. They’ve been found in breast cancer tissue, revealing
that they can indeed migrate through skin into tissue. Further research is
required as to what exactly the relationship is between these two things.6
Quaternium-15 is a preservative that discharges formaldehyde. It is an

allergen that can cause dermatitis as well as having been linked to cancer,
particularly leukemia.7
Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) has been connected with neurological damage

and Alzheimer’s disease.8
Almost all commercial shampoos involve mineral oil, a byproduct of

crude oil being turned into gasoline. It is pretty much the leftover sludge.
It is in many shampoos and actually sort of acts like a sludge on your hair.
It coats each shaft, indeed adding a glossy sheen, but also preventing any
toxins and excess oils ever leaving your hair.
Take a look at CampaignForSafeCosmetics.org to find out more about what is

in your own shampoo bottle.
“I’ve been using bicarbonate of soda for 8 months now. I had been getting an
itchy scalp with regular shampoo but since going poo-free my scalp is itch-free
and my hair is lighter and more healthy. I think my natural colour is more vibrant
too. My husband and son both had eczema but since our whole family of five
has gone poo- free they no longer have eczema. Best move ever.”
~Breanna
/ HAPPY HAIR / 10
How No Poo works
The simple explanation

Regularly using shampoo and conditioner washes out our hair’s natural oils
and forces our hair to act strangely – most commonly massively over-producing
oil resulting in hair that gets greasy really quickly.
Cutting out shampoo, either gradually or swiftly, gives our bodies chance to
produce the correct amount of oil. This may happen in a couple of weeks or a
few months- but eventually our hair gets with the program.
People tend to find a natural alternative to shampoo and conditioner –

something that is a little more gentle and that supports good oil production –
and often find more brushing and massaging the scalp helps too.
Turns out I have spent much of my life looking like I’ve been deep frying
doughnuts on my head under the hood of a car in Greaseville primarily
BECAUSE of the regular washing.
These days I am able to go at least ten days before I feel the need to use an
alternative to shampoo.
My scalp is sighing in relief now that it is left unaided to produce its own
oils. It is totally powertripping up there.
The science
There is rather a lot of complicated chemistry behind No Poo and I’m no
scientist. However, because it is so convincing I’ll explain it all just a little bit
deeper, for those who want to know.
There are a few interweaving factors – sebum, surfactants, hair structure and
pH balance.
Let’s start with sebum. Sebum, the produced from our skin, has quite
wonderful properties that essentially mean that the urban legend we all heard
about hair washing itself is true. (It also can be a bit of a pain, acting like a sticky
dirt magnet. Hey, there is good and bad in all of us, right?)
Sebum and sweat mix on your scalp to produce an “acid mantle” – the role
of which is to protect our skin and hair from everything out there. It guards
against the seasons, and it inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi.
When this acid mantle is messed with the skin is more vulnerable to infection or
damage.9 Commercial hair products tend to be judged on their ability get rid of
all the sebum.10
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However, getting rid of all the sebum impacts the protection of the acid
mantle and also fails to recognize the other vital qualities of sebum.
The most important component of all shampoos are the surfactants –

“surface-active agents”- they are chains of atoms, one end of which is
hydrophilic (water lover) and one end of which is hydrophobic (water hater, oil
lover.) These excellent atoms clean the hair by the oil loving end clinging to the
grime and the water loving end clinging to the water rushing over the hair
shaft.11
Sebum is an incredibly mild surfactant that, upon meeting water, dissolves

not only itself, but all the grime smeared upon your hair shaft.
The alternatives to shampoo used by No Pooers create processes that

produce surfactants for a turbo boosted cleanse.
As an example, the salts produced when the alkaline bicarbonate of soda

(the classic No Poo Go To) combines with the sapienic acids within sebum are
quite powerful surfactants. Which is why No Pooers hit up those tubs of white
powder hard. (If you call a teaspoon in a cup of water thrown on the head once
a week hard.) The perfect amount of bicarbonate of soda is enough to convert
the sebum into this surfactant soap, without converting up every single bit of
sebum. Of course it IS possible for bicarbonate of soda to act just like shampoo
– stripping all the serum out. No pooers must be quite prudent with the amount
of time it is left on the hair and the quantity of it to ensure against that.
For if we strip the hair shaft of all the protective sebum then the outside layer
of the hair is exposed. This layer, the cuticle, is made up of cells that are almost
like overlapping scales. Damaged hair has scales that are ragged and open, and
without sebum to smooth the cells over, they are more vulnerable to damage.
The scales close down – a good thing- with PH balanced substances, between 5
and 8.12
The most common ingredients for No Poo, bicarbonate of soda (used first, a
pH of 8, slightly alkaline) and apple cider vinegar (used as a rinse, after the
bicarbonate of soda, a pH of 4, an acetic acid) aim to restore the hair’s pH
balance and keep the hair shaft smooth.
This also explains why it is tricky to give one single No Poo method – the
very water we use in our shower has differing properties. If your water comes
from a river (like mine) where there are lots of leaves shedding their acidic
tannin into it this will alter the water’s natural pH levels. If you are in a chalky
beach town, or an urban centre with filtered water or added chemicals, this will
impact your hair’s eventual pH balance.
/ HAPPY HAIR / 12
No Pooers find that the longer they are without shampoo, the more effective
and protective their sebum is. Hair seems to get healthier with every passing
month, hair with damaged cuticle layers is gradually replaced by hair with intact
scales and a hair shaft fully coated with sebum.
Eventually, it is entirely possible, with the aid of some fingers prepared to

massage the sebum down the hair shaft, for water alone to be enough to make
this (scientific) magic happen.
Your hair will be washing itself.
And still, there is your scalp, feeling like the Boss, going it alone and getting
stuff done.
What you will need

There is very little you “need” to give up shampoo. You are gliding under the
consumerist radar, sticking it to the man. But there are a few things that will
make it easier.
A brush – not a comb but a nice bristle brush. This will help distribute that
pesky yet healthy sebum.
A few ingredients from the alternative shampoo and conditioner chapters.
A squirty bottle. It seems ridiculously trivial but for people with thick/long
hair, using an old drinks bottle with a squirty function will allow you to
squirt your mixes and rinses straight into your scalp or the bulk of your
hair. It could make all the difference.
An iron will. It is quite possibly gonna get nasty up in there at first. You are
going to need a certain stubbornness to get through it. Courage, friends,
courage.
“One thing I found especially helpful was the use of a squirty bottle, just an
old water bottle, really. I would make up my bicarbonate of soda mix in one
bottle and an apple cider vinegar mix in another. I could squirt it all over my
scalp and the vinegar all through the length. I have quite long thick hair and if I
just poured it straight on my hair it would run off before getting into the scalp at
the back effectively. The squirty bottle made the difference for me – things finally
started working.” ~Jo
/ HAPPY HAIR / 13
Coping with the transitional stage
I am fairly confident that if everyone could get through the transition period
no one would ever use shampoo again. Life would basically be one massive,
long, global tampon advert – everyone, everywhere shaking their new, natural
tresses in triumph as they leap through fields of daisies.
Every scalp would be shouting orders as they decide to set their sights higher
than simply singlehandedly producing hair oils. It might be a bit scary actually.
However this transition period can be a total nightmare. (Worse than even a
meadow of bossy scalps.)
I definitely don’t recommend trying to do it while you begin a new job at a

nice new office…
On average this period of adjustment should last six weeks. Some people
have kind hair that sorts itself out within a week (anecdotally I think people
with curly hair find this to be the case) but some people have hair that is quite
stubborn and it has taken them MONTHS to sort it. I have one friend whose
hair didn’t adjust for three months.
However, even that friend, the one whose scalp didn’t quite step up for a
whole quarter of a year, still hasn’t gone back to shampoo – she is now happy
with her hair.
“I have been no-poo for a year now. It has been a long road finding out
works for me but hair is now thick, long and shiny.”
~ Heather
“I switched from shampoo to bicarbonate of soda about a month ago and my

hair is healthier and shiner than ever! I also had no transition period, which was
great. I was worried my hair would be greasy as I was used to washing it every
day – but it just adjusted. I love the No Poo method!”
~Laura
There are some things that will ease your passage to your own shampoo-free
life:
Working out the natural alternative for you

Some people reckon that going cold turkey gets you through the transitional
stage quicker. This has to be your call, but I am not sure it is worth it. I suggest
that whatever day you are used to washing on try and add one more day each
time. This way it doesn’t feel too daunting but it feels as though you are making
process. There are HEAPS of natural alternatives that work with your hair’s
/ HAPPY HAIR / 14
sebum, have a look through the following chapter for all of those. I recommend
starting with the bicarbonate of soda as this seems to be the most successful.
Brushing your hair thoroughly at least once a day

I seem to remember that there were many hours of scenes in Little House on
the Prairie where they’d sit in front of the fire brushing out their hair. Because,
clearly, they were No Pooers! If you are only having a bath three times a year as
those intrepid pioneers were, you need methods for keeping your hair looking
good, right? The brushing helps bring the oil away from the scalp and moves it
all the way along the shaft of the hair. It also simply sweeps out muck. Being the
mother of two small children I have brushed out of my locks a myriad of things
from porridge to paint to poo (and not the shampoo kind…).
It is worth buying a good bristle brush for this task. A boar bristle hair brush is
ideal and it seems to be the case that these brushes distribute sebum the best
and very rarely damage your hair. I use Kent Brushes who have an amazing
ethical record. They’ve been making boar bristle brushes since 1777 and I
personally use a barrel brush I inherited from my Nana- it must be forty years
old! I can therefore HIGHLY recommend the Kent barrel brush but there is a
huge range - both the Moroccan Oil and Christophe Robin brushes here are
pure boar bristle too – they are pricey but consider it an investment in natural
beauty that will last your lifetime. Or until you lose it.
And do stick to brushing your hair before you go to bed. This gives hair time
to settle and the redistributed sebum to soak in before you have to go out and
about.
Here’s a very thrifty tip for you: a super cheap way of finding one of these is
picking up an old shoe polish brush from a second hand shop. These are top
quality hog hair and with an intense clean are ideal for your hair! It is very
common for elderly relatives to have a really mint boar bristle brush too – my
own brush is my Nana’s and it is fabulous.
Cleaning your boar bristle brush

Wash your brushes whenever they need it- it becomes quite obvious when
they have a sebum/ muck build up! Pull out any hair, using a bobby pin to really
get in there if needed, and use dishwashing liquid/ old shampoo/ soapnuts
solution to give them a good soaking. Lay them bristles down in a flattish bowl
so the bristles are submerged but not the handle. Rinse and allow them to dry
before using them
PSST- if you have curly hair and have never brushed your hair, now possibly
isn’t the time to start. You will cope with transition without brushing, you lucky
curly haired devil. If you do want to try the brushing method, do at night so your
hair settles down.
/ HAPPY HAIR / 15
“We have been totally conned into thinking we need shampoo! I haven’t
used it for four years now and my hair just always looks great! Go to an 8-day
festival – no worries, the hair looks the same at the end as it did at the start. It
was a pretty painful first two months but then all of a sudden it just came right.
Very important to brush a couple of times a week with a boar bristle brush to
move the oils from the scalp to the ends of the hair.” ~Jessica
Massaging your scalp and scrubbing your tresses to help distribute the oils
A daily massage whilst your scalp is adjusting to its important new role can
help things along. In theory, just as massage works else where on your body, it
gets the blood pumping to that spot and can encourage pores to activate
quicker. It also helps with the distribution of oils and can lift the roots of your
hair from your scalp- which is the number one thing that can make hair looks
greasy.
You will soon get used to the “scrubbing” motion required from your hands.
You are essentially moving all that sebum down your hair shaft using your bare
fingers. A good scrub can really liberate that stuff.
A leather chamois
I recently read an old school hair and beauty book that advocated throwing
our shampoo in the bin and instead buying a leather chamois to move the
grease away from our scalp. Doesn’t that make perfect sense? I survived
transition without it, but I think it could well be worth a crack for those with
especially greasy hair.
Water washes
Daily water washes won’t interfere too much with the natural oil producing
process you are trying to achieve. A water wash during days that you are not
using a shampoo alternative does help with generally feeling a bit clean, and
seems to add a bit of life to hair that seems a bit sad. However, if you live in a
city with highly treated water you might want to forgo these in between water
washes. Hard water and chlorine treated water can make your hair extra waxy
and your scalp extra itchy (it gives your acid mantle a bit of a pounding.) You
will soon find out if your hair likes the Water Only washes or not!
Backcombing the roots of your hair

Combing the greasy roots back towards the scalp a little and then smoothing
over the top layer of hair can disguise the most greasiest of heads. This was a
little hair hack that got me through many a gnarly transitional day.
A natural dry shampoo

Before I knew there was anyone out there inventing dry shampoo using
kitchen ingredients I did a foolish amount of quite haphazard research. One of
/ HAPPY HAIR / 16
my worst No Poo moments was being at my Nana’s funeral and feeling some
cocoa and flour dripping from my hair line down my forehead. It was hot, I was
sweaty and the result was chocolaty mayhem on my face. MAYHEM, I tell you!
Quite a few things can make a good, basic dry Shampoo:

Arrowroot Powder
Cornflour
Finely ground oatmeal powder
Finely sifted rye flour
For dark or red hair add an equal amount of ground cinnamon- for 3
tablespoons of arrow root add 3 tablespoons of cinnamon.
Sprinkle a few drops of your favourite essential oil into the jar.
Use a large makeup brush to give a little dusting in your greasiest patches.
It may be tempting to go nuts with the dry shampoo but I suggest you use it
sparingly and not as a regular feature of your regime. It can absorb sebum just as
effectively as shampoo strips it – potentially elongating your transition phase. It
can also disrupt the subtle workings of your brilliant acid mantle and if your
scalp gets a bit itchy it is a good sign to pull back on the dry shampoo for a few
days!
How to tie a headscarf

It is very handy to learn how to tie a gorgeous headscarf. I had never been
one for headwear but my transition period catapulted me towards the retro scarf
and I have never looked back!
Take a square cotton scarf. (Not silk or polyester or anything slippery!) Fold it
corner to corner so that it becomes a triangle. Fold the point in towards the hard
edge a couple of times so that you have a long strip of scarf about the width of
your head. Place the scarf fold side against the back of your neck – with the hard
edge on the bottom; eventually that hard edge will frame your face. Hold an end
in each hand and pull them over your ears towards each other, so that they meet
at the top of your head. I tend to keep all my hair off my face, under the scarf
and pull a little bit through to make a quirky wee quiff. Tie a knot and tuck the
flapping edges back into the scarf so that you don’t have bunny ears. (Or keep
them out, if you like bunny ears!)
Got it?! No? Too many words, not enough hands? You need a demo. Youtube
“Happy Hair Headscarf” for the best action video out there – made just for you
(in one take.)
/ HAPPY HAIR / 17
Natural alternatives to shampoo
If there’s a small chance something might have cleansing properties I have

tried it on my head. Oh, yes. Very little has been left untried in my research for
finding the perfect natural alternative. It seems almost a waste of all those funky
mustard and conker brews I slathered upon my head that I mostly just use water
now. In my trials I have discovered there are many things that will get your hair
SQUEAKY clean whilst being incredibly gentle.
Whilst I would love to hand over the perfect guide to washing your hair
naturally, alas and alack, it can’t be so. Every head of hair is different and every
head of hair reacts to stuff differently and every head of hair lives in a different
water supply region – which seems to be one of the biggest factors for what
works or not.
You must simply press forward in courage and give some of these a bash
yourself…
Many of these have been used for eons by different societies but seem to
have been forgotten in shampoo’s relentless march into our showers.
And, just to clarify, all of these alternatives are used at the point at which you
would normally use shampoo, half way through your shower.
Bicarbonate of Soda/Baking Soda (BS)

Perfect for: the transition phase
Avoid if: your hair begins to show signs of damage
Bicarbonate of Soda, the first and often ultimate No Poo solution, is a

chemical compound that also naturally occurs in mineral springs as nahcolite. It
is the perfect substance, as a mild alkali, to interact with our natural sebum to
make a rudimentary soap. You want just the right amout of bicarbonate of soda
to make this process happen, but not too much to vacuum all the natural oils
out.
During transition you are aiming to strip your hair of all the leftover silicones
hanging about from any chemical ’poos so I suggest you leave this mixture on
for a few minutes when you wash. As you move out of the transitional period,
once your hair has adjusted, you can begin rinsing it off almost immediately
and move gradually towards using less and less until you have got it down to
one teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda per cup. (Otherwise it could well keep
converting your sebum into soap, and your sebum is a beautiful thing!)
HOW TO: Put 1 dessertspoon of bicarbonate of soda (decreasing over time to
1 teaspoon) in 1 cup of water
/ HAPPY HAIR / 18
Mix well and pour on to your scalp – don’t use it all if you don’t need to!
Its effectiveness is also impacted by the levels of lime scale in the water
supply – if you live in an area with hard water you could use boiled water for
the wash, or add one spoon extra to counteract that.
For people with long hair, bicarbonate of soda needs to almost always be
followed up with a conditioning rinse to restore pH levels (see the next chapter)
otherwise the ends can get tangled easily or feel brittle.
It is also, essentially, a mild bleach and you may find your hair lightening a
bit. Some people can find bicarbonate of soda a little harsh…
BAKING SODA RUINED MY HAIR!

The internet is awash with anecdotes about people whose hair became
damaged as a result of baking soda. This is a crying shame as for the detox
period there is very little that rivals baking soda for getting your hair REALLY
clean. It also does a good job of stripping out leftover chemicals on your hair
from your ‘Poo heavy days.
However, if you are using baking soda as regularly as you were using
shampoo (every one or two days) then you ARE over doing it. The point of No
Poo is to extend your days using any ingredient so simply replacing one for the
other will not reveal the healthy tresses you aspire to.
Once you have been through transition do try and move onto a nourishing
shampoo alternative too. I tend to use baking soda only once every six weeks as
my hair prefers more gentle alternatives in between times.
And remember, observe, observe, observe! If you hair shows signs of damage
it is time to give something else a crack….
Egg
Perfect for: extra conditioning
Avoid if: you are vegan or have brittle hair
This is one of my favourite things to wash with as it is like a two in one
shampoo and conditioner. The protein in the egg seems to fortify hair too.
HOW TO: Simply beat a whole egg and then massage into your wet (but not
warm!) head. Leave it for five minutes and then rinse it out with cool water. The
fresher the egg, the less the leftover aroma. If you do have a bit of a whiff about
your hair simply rub in a small amount of Essential Oils such as lavender or
rose. I have found my hair to be clean, soft and shiny after doing an egg wash
like this. However, I know many people that have just ended up with scrambled
egg on their head after using hot water to wash it out. And some people’s hair
/ HAPPY HAIR / 19
has overdosed on the protein of too many egg washes so this one comes with a
warning!
Egg Hair Wash – a cracking alternative to shampoo

An excerpt from Lulastic.co.uk
The most trouble I ever got in to at primary school was when I placed some
hate mail in a classmate’s tray, aged 10. I scrawled it out, making every effort to
disguise my handwriting. In it I threw the most offensive accusation I thought
possible at the time; “You smell of egg.”
Somehow, I will never know how, my teacher busted me and my parents

made me miss watching Neighbours on the telly for a WEEK.
How things have changed- since giving up shampoo almost three years ago I
have come to love the humble egg and have incorporated it into my hair routine.
A transformation from greatest insult to best beauty secret.
I still can’t remember how I came to learn about egg as a natural alternative
to shampoo but I know it was one of the first things I tried as I weaned off my
every-other-day shampoo habit. I was gobsmacked with the results and it
became a bit of an old faithful - producing soft, clean, shiny hair each time.
With only ever a very occasional slight whiff of raw egg.
And I’ve only had one scrambled egg stuck on head scenario.
Eggs work as a cleaning agent because of the lecithin they contain, and it can
produce healthier tresses due to their high volume of protein. Essentially an egg
is nature’s two in one shampoo and conditioner. Eggcellent. (Sorry not sorry.)
It is thrifty. It is chemical free. It is in your kitchen right now. This nourishing

natural hair treatment is b-egging to be whipped out and used on your locks.
(Sorry not sorry.)
And, if you don’t quite manage to eradicate the smell of egg completely and
then you get an anonymous letter on your desk… it wasn’t me.
Soapnuts
Perfect for: hair that just feels like it needs a WASH
Avoid if: you want more volume
It is pretty hard to resist wanting to wash your hair with a SOAPNUT. Like
God said “Hmmm, these folk will need something to wash with! I shall plant a
tree that grows soap!” Soapnuts are a berry and can be used to clean anything
at all and they act a little like soap too, foaming slightly and stinging your eyes.
HOW TO: Boil four to six soapnuts up with two cups of water for ten
/ HAPPY HAIR / 20
minutes. Give them a mash with a potato masher to release their juices and then
use a sieve to pour the juice into a cup. Massage this liquid onto your hair.
Depending on how long your hair is you might need 3 table spoons or all of it!
Massage the liquid onto your wet hair – without letting it drip into your eyeballs,
they will scream.
And you can dry your soapnuts and use them once more. Find a supplier
easily online. Hair will be glossy, shiny, super sleek and clean as a whistle.
TOP TIP: Freeze leftover liquid in an ice cube container and then when you
want to do another soapnuts wash simply defrost a cube.
Soapwort
You can also grow soap in your own garden, a soap flower. (Although, as a
name, soapwort could be improved upon, I think.)
HOW TO: Boil a teaspoon of dry crushed soapwort root in a cup of water for
10 minutes, strain it through a cheese cloth and pour and massage the liquid
into your wet hair. If you are a garden whizz, grow your own or simply order
some in from the magical internet.
Rhassoul Clay
Perfect for: hair that needs more volume
Avoid if: you want sleeker hair
To feel like your hair is being cleansed and truly nourished, rhassoul clay is
the treatment.
HOW TO: Put a heaped spoon of it in a ceramic bowl and pour half a cup of
boiling water on to it. When it is cool, pour and massage it into your wet hair
and leave for five minutes. It can also be used as an effective and moisturizing
bodywash. It is lovely, lovely stuff but it is slightly expensive.
Ayurvedic Herbs
Perfect for: thick, big hair
Avoid if: you want more volume
Ayurvedic herbs are an ancient hair care product from India. They tend to be
mild so support the production of sebum, and some such as neem work
excellently on troubled scalps. The most popular variety is shikakai.
HOW TO: Take a table spoon of the powder and mix it with enough water to
make a paste. Massage it into wet hair and leave for a few minutes. Rinse well.
Be particularly careful about not letting any drips get in your eyes as it can sting!
Buy them from your local Indian shop or online.
Bentonite Clay
Perfect for: hair that needs more volume
/ HAPPY HAIR / 21
Avoid if: you want sleeker hair

Bentonite clay works similarly to rhassoul clay, but is known more widely as
an effective detoxer. It will draw out any toxins in the body so will make a
fantastic treatment during transition.
HOW TO: Make a paste with a heaped table spoon of the powder and leave
it to activate for at least 24 hours. Massage into the hair and leave for 5 minutes.
Rinse well. Other, local clays can be used in a similar way. Clays make a
wonderful volumising wash for thin or limp hair – similarly if you have naturally
thick hair watch out!
Applesauce
Perfect for: waxy, transitioning hair
Avoid if: you don’t have a good cheap source of applesauce
An applesauce wash is a shampoo and conditioner in one, perfectly

balancing your pH levels and leaving your hair soft and shiny and clean.
HOW TO: Mix a 1/3 cup applesauce with 1/3 cup water, massage into the
hair, leave for two minutes and rinse out well in warm water can really impact
waxiness and grime. There may be extra lumps of apple but these will brush out
when the hair is dry.
Rye Flour Paste

Perfect for: damaged hair
Avoid if: you have Celiac disease (gluten alert!)
It seems to be the pantothenic acid that occurs naturally in rye flour that
makes this such a nourishing shampoo alternative. It also has the same pH level
as our hair making it a most perfectly balanced option.
HOW TO: Put 2-3 heaped teaspoons of your top quality, organic where
possible. Finely ground flour. Mix with water until it is a smooth, thin paste.
Massage it through your roots and leave it for a couple of minutes. As with all
these alternatives, rinse it really well. If needed, brush any leftover husky bits
out.
Rice Water
Perfect for: people who eat a lot of rice and want more shine
Avoid if: you want the least faffing about
This ancient hair care practice hails from the Far East – rice water is packed
with vitamins and minerals, and fermenting it makes the liquid pH balanced.
The internet reckons Rice Water is Asia’s top beauty secret! Although it seems
like a bit of a process, like most of these things, if you can incorporate it into a
weekly routine, it doesn’t seem like much of a big deal at all.
HOW TO: Soak ½ cup of rice in two cups of water for an hour. (Soaking rice
/ HAPPY HAIR / 22
has great benefits such as lowering its phytic acid and making it quicker to
cook!) Strain the rice off and cook as usual. Meanwhile, use the cloudy rice
water straight away or store it in a jar for a day or so – until it sours. Keep in the
fridge until you are ready to use it. Massage it onto the scalp and through the
hair. Leave it for 5 minutes and then rinse well with cool water.
Water (WO)
Perfect for: the super thrifty
Avoid if: you have hard water and can’t be bothered to treat it first
What sort of an valid alternative is that, eh?! Before you ask for a refund, let
me explain. In some regions, where the water has a neutral pH level and isn’t
packed with limescale, water can activate sebum and give hair as good a clean
as any of the above. Some people swear by using boiled water that has cooled
as this can help get that elusive perfect pH level.
And if you are really committed to being Water Only but only have hard
water do consider buying a filter that fits on your shower head. They can be life
changing!
HOW TO: Use hot water – but not damaging hot- and really scrubs at your
roots and massage your hair from scalp to the ends. Hot water opens up the
surface of your hair shaft, giving it a good clean out, and scrubbing moves the
sebum out. Finish with a final cold rinse to close the shaft up again.
Others swear by the Mexican Flannel Method – using a flannel to help scrub
the sebum from the roots to the ends.
I feel incredibly fortunate to have a water supply from a creek. With a good
scrub my hair now feels as clean as it ever has.
Sebum Only (SO)

Perfect for: the super, super thrifty
Avoid if: you don’t think you’ll ever get in a brush-every-day habit
The fact is that our hair and scalp (indeed our whole bodies) are made up of
perfectly balanced bacteria. If we live healthy lives our bodies are quite able to
take care of themselves! Sebum is one of the things that keeps our hair clean –
some hardcore No Pooers leave all these alternatives behind and let their
sebum, and boar bristle brush, do the work. This works particularly well for
people in cities who don’t want to put the highly treated, hard water on their
hair.
HOW TO: Brush your hair nightly, section by section if you have thick or
long hair, ensuring that you are even distributing your sebum from your scalp
along your hair shaft. Your hair will eventually stop producing the vast quantities
/ HAPPY HAIR / 23
of sebum it usually does. If necessary at first, sprinkle a little sifted rye flour
through the roots and brush well, to soak up any extra sebum.
“I’ve gone without shampoo for two years now and my hair is in better
condition than ever. I’m amazed at how utterly unnecessary shampoo is.
Washing with water alone now has the same effect on my hair that shampoo
used to.“ ~Emma
/ HAPPY HAIR / 24
Natural alternatives to conditioner
Just as there are umpteen healthy and natural alternatives to shampoo there is
a myriad of alternative conditioners too. These tend to restore healthy pH
balance, smoothing down those ever important scales on your hair’s cuticle
layer, or acting like a smooth coating of sebum.
If you have damaged hair or longer hair you’ll almost certainly have to bust
one of these out in order to keep your hair manageable. The good thing is you
quite possibly have them all sitting in your kitchen cupboard…
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)

Perfect for: long hair and people using baking soda
Avoid if: you don’t want to possibly lighten your hair
Apple cider vinegar is to bicarbonate of soda what Hardy is to Laurel. They
are BFF’s. Indispensable to one another. Together they are able to restore your
hair’s pH balance. Apple cider vinegar is one of the milder vinegars out there,
providing the much needed acidity element, but not in doses that will eat away
at your hair.
Apple cider vinegar does smell vinegary whilst it is being mixed and poured
onto your hair, but as your hair dries the smell will leave, banishing all other
smells with it.
HOW TO: Make a rinse for your hair using a tablespoon of apple cider
vinegar in a cup of cold water. Some people, those with thicker hair or harder
water, may use up to a quarter of a cup of apple cider vinegar in a cup. Pour it
through the ends of your hair and leave for 2 minutes and rinse off. Some people
also leave it in their hair – depending on the nature of your hair this will leave
your hair superbly glossy or disastrously sticky!
If apple cider vinegar becomes a regular part of your No Poo routine it may
eventually lighten your hair. If you don’t want your hair tones to change shade
then I suggest you use something with less acidity such as oils.
Lemon Juice
Perfect for: hair on which ACV doesn’t work
Avoid if: you don’t want to possibly lighten your hair
Lemon juice does the same work as apple cider vinegar but even less harshly.
Where apple cider vinegar can sometimes make the ends of hair feel slightly
brittle, lemon juice can make it feel much softer and will eliminate any
frizziness.
HOW TO: Squeeze half a lemon in a cup of cool water and pour it over your
hair, then rinse – or leave it in as an experiment!
/ HAPPY HAIR / 25
Like the vinegar this can also slightly lighten your hair.
Honey
Perfect for: long hair that tangles easily
Avoid if: the first time it ends up sticky
Honey is jampacked with properties that make it a perfect substance for hair.
It is antibacterial and antifungal and smells goooood! Some people report that
they can never quite clear the honey – perhaps people with pourous hair should
avoid.
HOW TO: Melt a teaspoon of it in a warm cup of water or in your Apple

Cider Vinegar rinse, pour on the middle-ends of your hair and rinse out. It will
nourish and protect your locks.
Tea
Perfect for: people with sensitive scalps, dandruff or itchiness
Avoid if: your hair is already waxy
Tea works in a similar way to apple cider vinegar, in that it is the slight
acidity of it - via the tannins- that helps pH levels along. It is less harsh, seems
to cause less waxiness and adds much more shine. The only drawback is in the
preparation – it is slightly more effort than apple cider vinegar!
HOW TO: Steep three bags of black tea in a cup of boiling water. Leave it for
an hour and then pour it through the ends of your hair. This will bring out the
darker tones of brunette hair.
Steep three bags of green tea in a cup of boiling water if you don’t want to
bring out darker tones.
Whilst not having any tannin and technically not a tea, people have had
wonderful success making herb teas. They are slightly alkaline, so work well
with the hair’s natural sebum and they are often nutrient rich. For example:
Chamomile is an excellent softener. Steep three bags of chamomile tea in a

cup of boiling water for one hour to bring out blonder tones.
Tarragon can add volume to limp hair. Steep table spoon of dried or fresh
tarragon in a cup of boiling water for an hour and rinse hair with it.
Rosemary is great for dandruff, to bring out darker shades in the hair and for
hair growth. Steep a tablespoon of dried or fresh rosemary in a cup of boiling
water for an hour and rinse hair with it.
Stinging Nettle grows abundantly in the wild and is also effective for dandruff
and to add shine. Steep a cup of them in a cup of boiling water and use the
/ HAPPY HAIR / 26
liquid as a rinse. Use gloves to pick them but they loose their sting once boiled.
Coconut Oil
Perfect for: People with curly hair
Avoid if: your hair is lank
Coconut oil is the oil squeezed from a walnut. HAHA!! I JEST! It is the oil of
a coconut and is the primary ingredient for anyone trying to do more natural
health. The medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) found in coconut oil make it
antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral. Use it everywhere, internally and
externally!
But, yes, that’s right, this is a HAIR book. Stick it on your hair!
HOW TO: Smooth quarter to half a teaspoon or so through the ends of damp
hair, using more for mega curls. Be sure to find the raw, organic version as there
is cheapo stuff about which isn’t quite so potent.
Jojoba Oil
Perfect for: people with fine hair wanting more shine
Avoid if: you have porous hair- this will disappear!
Jojoba oil is one of the lightest and least expensive oils out there and I have
discovered that it works WONDERS for my fine hair.
HOW TO: Add two or three drops to your hands and spread onto damp hair
– preferably before you head to bed.
Argan Oil
Perfect for: people wanting super gloss
Avoid if: you can’t find one without the added keratin or other extras
Argan oil is the precious oil squeezed from the argan berry of Morocco. It is
a naturally dry, easily absorbed oil and works wonders on brittle ends. It adds a
whole load of shiny pizazz to any head of hair.
HOW TO: Add two or three drops to your hands and smooth through the
ends of your hair weekly.
“I have been 'poo' free for over a year and I LOVE it. I use bicarbonate of
soda to wash my hair and put a little bit of argan oil through my hair to keep it
soft and shiny. I only have to wash once a week too which is super handy with
long hair. I have significantly less dandruff and my hair looks less dull. It's
cheaper too so I couldn't recommend it more!” ~CJ
Aloe Vera Juice

Perfect for: dry, damaged hair
Avoid if: you don’t have a good source of juice
/ HAPPY HAIR / 27
Aloe vera is an incredibly nourishing plant and small amounts of the gel can
be added to tea rinses or apple cider vinegar rinses for the hair. However, as a
monthly treatment for long hair aloe vera juice is quite miraculous!
HOW TO: Take enough aloe vera juice to cover your hair – half a cup for
shoulder length hair. Massage it in and leave it on for 5 minutes. Rinse out and
you should have glossy locks. Aloe vera juice keeps in the fridge for a fairly long
time.
Aloe Vera Gel

Perfect for: short hair that needs a bit of styling
Avoid if: your hair has a tendency to be a little stiff
If you can get hold of aloe vera gel without the additives that the after-sun
varieties often have, you can brush this through your hair. Many No Pooers find
this excellent as a leave-in conditioner.
HOW TO: Brush it on after a wash and leave it in.
Occasional Hot Oil Treatment

For people who dye their hair, or swim in a chlorinated pool, or generally
struggle with brittle hair, this hot oil treatment used once a month could well be
the ticket. I have begun doing six weekly oil treatments and my hair has never
be better!
HOW TO:
1 table spoon of coconut oil
1 table spoon of olive oil
3 drops of tea tree oil
3 drops of lavender oil
Put all of these in a bowl and melt them gently (on top of a radiator or using
boiling water in a bigger bowl, the small bowl filled with oils sitting inside it)
and mix well.
Begin massaging them in to your dry hair- from scalp to the ends of your
hair. Wrap a hot, damp towel around your head and leave for an hour.
You will need to use 2-3 egg yolks to wash this out. Cover every strand of
your oily hair with yolk and leave for ten minutes. Wash it all out with cool
water - your hair will feel deliciously soft and glossy.
Also, er, as you can imagine this gets super messy. Use an extra dash of
bicarbonate of soda to wash the slippery oils out of your bath afterwards.
“I have gone without shampoo for about a month now and my hair feels a lot
healthier and less greasy. Also I don’t have to worry about ever buying or
/ HAPPY HAIR / 28
packing shampoo, which is great!”

~ Haili
/ HAPPY HAIR / 29
Natural alternatives for hair styling products
Lots of people find that going No Poo makes their hair much easier to style.
Others still want to puff and slick and quiff their hair but would like to have
more natural options, ones that won’t interfere with that precious acid mantle.
(You DID read that science section, right?)
“I have been doing No Poo for about three months – my hair is much more
tame and moldable.”
~Ji
Since giving up shampoo I have had seven million different hair styles,
ranging from a long, long hair that I wore in a beehive for a steady three months
(what, don’t tell me YOU didn’t have a beehive stage?) to a three centimetre
short crop. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen concocting these potions up
mostly from my fridge…
Homemade Wax
This is a beautiful smelling, very effective wax which I relied on heavily for
my short hair. You can also adjust the proportions a little – if you want a really
firm hold, up the bees wax (but steady, as it does get a firm grip on your hair!) or
if you want something sleeker, up the coconut oil. If it doesn’t turn out exactly as
you’d like it you can re-melt it all.
HOW TO: Melt one cup of coconut oil in a saucepan with a quarter of a cup
of bees wax.
Melt together and pour in a jar to cool. Use sparingly as it really works! It
smells DELICIOUS and the coconut oil acts as a conditioner and the wax holds
your style. Blooming brilliant.
Citrus Hair Spray

This hair spray is wholly natural and works a treat as a flexi hold spray.
HOW TO: Take one orange (or lemon if you don’t mind possible lightening.)
Squeeze into two cups of water and add a teaspoon of sugar. Bring it to the boil
and then simmer until the juice has reduced to half its volume. Add in two
spoons of vodka and a couple of drops of any essential oils you fancy. Pour into
a mist sprayer and use as you would hairspray.
Flax Seed Gel

Flax seeds (linseeds) are those tiny brown seeds that health nuts sprinkle on
their breakfast. They also make an excellent gel – particularly good for crispy,
perfect curls.
/ HAPPY HAIR / 30
HOW TO: Put a quarter of a cup of flax seeds into a pan with a whole cup of
cool water. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally – a whisk makes the perfect
stirrer. Once boiling turn down the heat to a simmer and keep whisking until it
turns in a gel like substance. Take it off the boil and decant, through a sieve, into
a jar.
Aloe Vera Gel

If you don’t really fancy the “Hubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble” element of
these but just want something to give a little hold then I recommend buying a
tube of Aloe Vera gel from the health shop. It is perfect and inexpensive and
clean and green. Really, it is green.
Heat styling- or not

I entered a new phase of awesome no-poo hair once I stopped using a hair
dryer on hot and flat irons. Having done the research on the mechanics of hair I
am pretty sure that a super successful nopoo journey is tied to general, healthy
hair and the cost of this is avoiding damaging heat. It is the price to pay for great
looking locks.
I have instead learnt to love my hairdryer on the coolest setting and also very
retro Velcro rollers. I put massive ones in my slightly- damp hair for great
volume, and I use smaller ones for curls. People have great success with
overnight headband curls too. Get on Youtube for a demo.
“I love how soft my hair is after I wash with no-poo, and always get
comments about how good it looks. I love not having to worry about running
out of shampoo and conditioner.”
~Niki
/ HAPPY HAIR / 31
Hair troubles during transition

My hair is waxy
*Sings* I’m too waxy for my hair, too waxy for my hair… Yep. If there is one
fairly inevitable state your hair will reach it is the waxy state. Waxiness can be
caused by three things – hard water depositing limescale through your strands, a
build up of bicarbonate of soda, or the natural process of excess sebum just
hanging about stubbornly. There is a while in everyone’s transition period that is
Wax Hell – waxy hair, grey scum on the hairbrush, it is a common, yet rubbish,
No Poo experience.
You know what they say, to reach the brightness of morning, you must go
through the deep darkness of night!
Simply switching your shampoo alternative may work – try something else
from the list. If you are using bicarbonate of soda reduce it to one teaspoon per
cup.
Miracle wax busting treatment!

Mix two egg yolks with the juice of half a lemon and massage it through your
wet hair and let it sit for ten minutes. Rinse well with cold water and then add a
cup half filled with water and half filled with white vinegar over your whole
head. Let it sit for one minute and then rinse with cool water. Allow your hair to
air dry and it should be soft, sleek and shiny!
My hair smells
My husband admitted to me just last week that my hair smelt quite badly
during my transitional period. He explained that he had to bury his head in the
pillow as we went to sleep spooning. What a loving guy, to wait two and half
years to confess that!
During transition it is possible that your hair might smell- remember it is not
able to do the whole self-cleansing just yet, so it needs a bit of help.
Essential oils will really help with this. Remember they are quite strong
though, so just put one or two drops in half a teaspoon of jojoba oil and work it
through your hair. Lavender is a beautiful oil to use on your hair and peppermint
is a great, refreshing one to add.
My hair is dull
If your hair feels a little lacklustre then it could be that you have too much
bicarbonate of soda in your mix. Reduce it to half a teaspoon in a cup. Also,
really rinse the heck out of your hair, don’t leave any bicarb hanging about.
It could also be that your hair isn’t responding to apple cider vinegar very
well - trying a different rinse can work. A teaspoon of honey in the lemon juice
rinse can bring out a wonderful shine. Or switch to an altogether more
/ HAPPY HAIR / 32
nourishing shampoo alternative from the list.
My hair is knotty
If your hair is particularly knotty it is likely that your washing routine is
opening up the scales on your hair shaft, making them more likely to tangle up.
When you rinse, rinse with cold water. This will smooth your hair shafts, much
like how it closes pores on the skin. A tiny amount of coconut oil – half a
teaspoon- massaged through damp hair also works as an incredibly effective
detangler.
God’s Own Detangler
1 tbs Aloe Vera Gel, 4 tbs boiled water, 2 tbs jojoba oil, ½ teaspoon vegetable
glycerine. Shake together in a spray bottle and keep in the fridge for up to a
month. Spray on damp hair when you need to detangle!
I have flyaway hair

Some people complain of flyaway/static hair. Try adding one teaspoon of
honey to your apple cider vinegar rinse. Or swiping it with Argan Oil while
damp.
I have dandruff
Many No Pooers report that their new hair care regime has fixed their flaky
scalp. However, there are a few who find that it is exacerbated. If this is the case
for you try a few of these remedies:
An ancient folk remedy for dandruff is making a tea with rosemary or nettles
–steep in hot water for twenty minutes before rinsing hair and scalp with it.
Doing this once a week until it has gone should sort drandruff out – and then
follow up forever more with a once a month tea rinse.
Aloe vera juice (not the gel) is an effective treatment for dandruff. Massage it
into wet hair and leave for a few minutes and rinse off. Use weekly until the
flakes are gone. Use monthly to keep on top of it.
Egg yolk can be a particularly effective dandruff shampoo. Try mixing

together 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon of melted
coconut oil and 1 teaspoon of water. Massage it into the scalp and leave for 5
minutes. Wash off with cold water.
Tea tree oil is effective for many scalp issues as it will tackle any fungal
movement. If your scalp is scaly in patches apply it using a Q-tip/cotton bud
directly. If your scalp is too raw for something this direct, mix three drops with a
tablespoon of coconut oil and massage that in. Wash with hot water.
/ HAPPY HAIR / 33
You may need a milder shampoo such as shikakai or neem. (See the
ayurvedic herbs section in the chapter on Shampoo Alternatives.) Neem oil can
be found in most health shops and is fantastic for scalp problems. It has quite a
strong smell so mix 3 drops in a spoon of coconut oil and with 1 drop of
lavender.
I live in an area with extremely hard water – do I need to adjust anything?

It must be said, those No Pooers stepping out into this strange new world in a
region with hard water are the bravest. Hard water can cause havoc to hair! Take
heart, however – I first began this journey in London, a spot with the hardest
water in the world and it took some time, but I made No Poo work for me. Now
I live on a farm with a water supply straight from the creek and it is a complete
breeze.
Firstly, consider using boiled water on your hair. Boiled water (or shop
bought distilled water) breaks down the limescale in the water (see how it is
stuck on the inside of your kettle instead?!) So instead of a spoon of bicarbonate
of soda in a cup of water use a spoon of bicarbonate of soda in a cup of BOILED
water – likewise with the rinse.
Secondly, up the amount of bicarbonate of soda. Add a couple more

teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda into your wash. Also, consider breaking up the
harshness of your bicarbonate of soda routine by making every third wash an
egg wash, or an ayurvedic herb wash.
Thirdly, consider leaving your ACV rinse on! This sounds bonkers but is the
thing that works for me whenever I go back and visit my family in London.
Instead of washing out the ACV rinse I pour it on my hair and leave it in, making
sure no water from the tap touches my hair because it turns it instantly waxy!
Fourthly (fourthly is such a strange word, don’t you think?) consider investing
in a Showerstick. They are the only water filter that actually softens hard water as
well as filtering out chemicals. They are pricey but if you live in a city could well
be a great investment for our hair and skin. (Check them out here using an
affiliate link of mine.)
The possibility of using water only may elude you however – but hey,
washing once a week with a of natural alternatives in it? Still AWESOME. Still
totally working with your hair’s sebum and not putting a load of chemical gunk
on it.
My hair has suddenly stopped responding to my No Poo routine

Every so often tragedy strikes and your hair will get pre-No Poo greasy. Yeah,
grease! Remember that stuff? Don’t panic! It probably just means you are
pregnant! Ha, I jest. It could be any number of things.
/ HAPPY HAIR / 34
Have you changed your diet? Our internal health has an enormous impact on
the health of our hair.
Have you changed region? If so, the water could be too hard or too soft for
what it has adjusted to and you may need to tweak your routine.
Have you changed brands of bicarbonate of soda or apple cider vinegar? It

could be that it isn’t doing what it normally does!
It could also genuinely be hormonal changes and soon things will get back to
normal.
I think No Poo is giving me spotty skin, is this possible?

There could be two reasons your skin is reacting to your new regime. It could
be adjusting to the new pH levels. As your hair adjusts, surrounding skin will
need a transitional period too. It could also be reacting to the excess sebum
being encouraged from your scalp down to the ends of your hair.
Treat your skin as you are treating your hair – gently! Use water and a flannel
to clean it, and coconut oil to restore the balance. During the waxy transitional
period keep long hair up, away from your neck and fringes clipped back from
you face. Change your pillowcase every couple of days at the start, as much of
your excess sebum will be deposited on your bedwear.
“I went poo-free a year ago after having shampooed daily. Just recently I was
at the hairdressers and she told me she was thinning it out, I have short hair; this
has NEVER happened before! Now I just wash once a week with bicarbonate of
soda.”
~Magdelene
/ HAPPY HAIR / 35
Frequently Asked Questions
Will No Poo work on short hair?

I began No Poo when my hair was super long, right down to the bottom of
my back. It went superbly but then on a whimsical urge I chopped it all of to
within two centimeters of my scalp. And it also worked magnificently. There is
really no optimum hair length. It just requires different things.
In my experience, when my hair was longer I had to be more careful with

using a conditioning rinse and brushing well. Once it was short it took virtually
no managing at all.
What hair do you have on your head? Oh THAT, well, THAT is IDEAL.
Will No Poo work on curly hair?

Will this work? Will this WORK? You don’t know how lucky you are my curly
haired friend! If you are blessed with curls you will find hair HEAVEN in No
Poo. However, people with really curly hair recommend leaving out any of the
shampoo alternatives and working with the conditioner alternatives alone. Use
water to wash, and then run coconut oil through your curls. People are
discovering these crisp, bouncy , perfect ringlets have been hiding behind an
unmanageable bouffant their whole lives.
“My experience of No Poo with my thick curly hair has so far been entirely
positive after four months. I started out doing baking soda washes about once a
month, rinsing my hair thoroughly approximately every 4 days. When I rinsed it I
pulled my hair through my fingers, and after doing it for a while it was like it
magically got soft all of a sudden! It also served like brushing, as I NEVER brush
my hair. After that, while still damp (towel dried) I would put some coconut oil
with one drop of lavender oil in to my hair, while dangling my head upside
down. That's all!
My hair is much less frizzy, and holds it's curl well. It doesn't smell badly at
all. My scalp has never been better. I reckon that my previously flakey scalp was
a result of the 'natural' shampoos, and their effect on my skin.
I wish that I had known how to manage my thick curly hair when I was a
teenager! I had that strange belief that hair needed to be washed and brushed,
and that I was simply unfortunate to have the kind of hair that responded to that
kind of treatment by becoming a great big frizz ball!” ~ Rebekah
I exercise a lot every day – what should I do?

I often get asked about whether No Poo would work for athletes – doesn’t all
that perspiration mess with things? Well, remember that one’s precious acid
mantle is made up of sebum AND sweat – your perspiration is actually a pretty
critical part of your hair care! I have one friend who is a fitness fanatic – you
know that heavy Cross Fit shenanigans? – and she was unsure about starting No
/ HAPPY HAIR / 36
Poo. She soon worked out what her scalp needed from her, which, invariably,
amongst athletes seems to be doing a water wash after exercising.
I swim in a chlorinated pool all the time!

First of all, YOU MUST WEAR A HAT! Yes, they make you look like the evil
dude from Austin Powers but if you swim regularly and care for your hair you
must make this sacrifice! Secondly, duck your head under the shower before you
swim. Filling your hair shaft with fresh shower water will leave less room for
chlorinated water to get in.
Thirdly, you are going to need some deep down nourishing. Consider using
the egg or applesauce washes and leave them on for five minutes- these are the
most moisturizing of the shampoo alternatives. If they don’t quite get rid of that
chlorinated smell go for the standard bicarbonate of soda and apple cider
vinegar combination but throw in two drops of lavender essential oil in each.
This works for most people.
Fourthly, whenever you can be bothered, once a month at least, mash a

whole avocado with a big spoon of honey and mush it throughout your hair.
When it comes to a nourishing treatment, avocado is bringing out the big guns.
(It is also quite oily! I do recommend washing it out with two or three egg
yolks- try and coat every bit of your hair with the yolk and leave for ten minutes.
Wash it all off in coolish water.)
Can I still dye my hair?

It is only in recent years that I have discovered there has been a redhead
inside of me wanting to burst out my whole life! I know exactly what it is to
want to be as natural as possible, whilst needing to stay true to your inner ginger
ninja.
I use an organic henna powder – the mud, sticks and straws variety! – once
every six weeks to make my tresses copper but also to provide a deep clean. I
find a good strong water rinse is enough to get it nearly all out, and a hefty brush
through afterwards makes sure every speck is out.
Henna is a traditional mix of herbs and flowers that will permanently dye
your hair whilst maintaining the integrity of it. If you can find a henna hair
colour that suits you then I’d suggest this is far preferable to other commercial
dyes.
If you are addicted to a certain colour or brand and can’t imagine giving it up
then try and forgo the conditioner that comes with it – this will be full of
silicones that could cause chaos with the equilibrium you have found! Instead,
use coconut oil to give a deep condition to your dyed hair.
/ HAPPY HAIR / 37
Many No Pooers regularly dye their hair with the Mega Toxins Galore variety
and don’t encounter any problems at all. But do be prepared, just in case, to
accept that No Poo could be trickier to work out because of a damaged cuticle
layer.
If your dyed hair is dry and brittle as a result of dyeing try using the more
moisturizing shampoo alternatives such as egg or applesauce. Also consider
doing an occasional hot oil treatment such as the method mentioned in the
chapter on Alternatives to conditioner.
What about my hair straighteners/ curling tongs?

In theory, healthy hair is dependent on an intact cuticle layer, and damage
makes those scales all ragged. This causes friction amongst the scales and also
causes the things we put on our hair to act differently.13
I have recently stopped using direct heat on my hair as I am convinced direct

heat burns off my lovely sebum, harms the cuticle layer and makes my water
only washing/ No Poo alternatives much less effective.
Part of me wonders if those who have struggled to make No Poo work for
them have been slogging it out with hair that is extremely heat damaged.
On the other hand, I know that other No Pooers have success with heat
styling and simply use oils and alternative conditioners to mitigate any damage.
Personally, I gave up heat and now get AMAZING results using Velcro rollers
(old school!) and overnight headband curls. Visit Youtube for a tutorial on how to
do this for perfect curly locks.
It must be your decision.
Can I do No Poo with my children?

Absolutely. In fact, considering Johnson and Johnson only agreed to take
listed carcinogen, formaldehyde, out of their baby shampoo at the start of
2014,14 I highly recommend considering going No Poo with your little ones.
Lots of people (including myself) don’t use any alternatives on our children’s
hair. Just water washes and the odd bit of coconut oil for the tangles. But if your
kids live a Neverland kind of existence filled with messy high jinxes and japes
you may want to bring out the bicarbonate of soda for a deep clean. Do be
careful though as a few of these natural alternatives could sting the eyes.
My children get cradle cap though?

Cradle cap is entirely normal for some kids – they will get it no matter what
products are used. The most gentle method for getting rid of it is to massage an
oil in to the scalp and leave it to soak in for an hour, and then brush it out with a
/ HAPPY HAIR / 38
load of warm water. Doing this at bath time once a week will clear it within a
month. Repeat if it comes back.
What about headlice – must I stop No Poo?

If you catch head lice earlier enough you may have luck with using coconut
oil to treat it. You need a load of coconut oil and a nit comb. Each evening you
must dowse your hair with the coconut oil and diligently comb out all the eggs.
Wash the coconut oil out with a bicarbonate of soda wash. It should take a
week to make sure no new head lice life cycles have begun on your hair. This
method will have no impact on your No Poo schedule.
If things are out of hand, however, and you need to go with the full chemical
solution, use a strong bicarbonate of soda wash to get the extra chemicals out
afterwards, and the apple cider vinegar to restore your hair’s pH balance. You
may find your hair takes some readjusting back to No Poo – things may be a
little out of kilter. It won’t be like beginning anew, but it could be frustrating for
a little while.
I have dermatitis on my scalp – will this help?

Lots of people arrive at No Poo after a pretty horrific journey with their
scalps, they get here and like a ship-wrecked desperado they find relief in the
tranquil shores of chemical free hair care! People have found their dermatitis
miraculously healed.
People with dermatitis need to take care to ensure those troublesome patches
are cleaned especially well – making a paste with the bicarbonate of soda,
rather than pouring a cup over the hair, can help with that. Squirting the apple
cider vinegar rinse on the itchy patches directly can help, as can applying
grapeseed oil directly. Both of these may burn a little at first.
First shampoo, what next?

For me, giving up shampoo was totally the gateway drug. It made me to
consider a whole new approach to skin care products. As I learnt about the acid
mantle I saw that I was using things that weren’t working with my body’s natural
ability to thrive.
I slowly weaned off shower gel and now use bicarbonate of soda.
I also stopped using deodorant and now swipe on coconut oil followed by a
dusting of bicarbonate of soda.
I quit the pimple eliminating face wash and now just use water and a flannel
with a weekly bicarbonate of soda exfoliation.
I let my moisturiser languish in the cupboard and instead massage in coconut

/ HAPPY HAIR / 39
oil every few days.
I have managed to distill all my different lotions and potions down to two
vestibules, one of bicarbonate of soda and another of coconut oil!
My skin has never looked better.
After a lifetime of acne, grease, dry and patchy skin I am now wholly satisfied
with how clear and soft my face and body is. I am especially content with how
little time, effort and money it costs!
Other won’t feel as confident about shutting the bathroom cabinet door on
their bottles once and for all. And that is fine.
Giving up shampoo isn’t the first step towards life as a dirty hippy (although;
RESPECT) but it may be the first step to a life less chockablock with chemicals!
I see now that this chapter could have taken the form of four words: Put
Coconut Oil on it!
/ HAPPY HAIR / 40
Conclusion
When I was ten I got it into my head that beauty belongs to those with skinny
eyebrows. I found my mum’s razor and began shaving off the edges of my brows. I’d
do a bit and see that it was a slightly uneven on the other side, so I’d shave a bit off
that side to correct it. They got wonkier and wonkier and skinnier and skinnier, until
they completely disappeared. In five minutes I had shaved off my eyebrows. In a bid
to become beautiful I had done the exact opposite – I looked like ET.
I believe we are being quite bamboozled by the beauty industry. We are being sold
products that do the very opposite of what they are meant to do. Instead of making
our hair better, they are making it greasier and pushing us into an unhealthy cycle of
dependence. We slop some carcinogens onto our scalp, add a dollop of conditioning
formaldehyde; slap a slick of crude oil waste in to moisturize, wax to polish, clay to
take off the sheen, and a spray of fake sea mist to make it look more natural… until
our hair is a frazzled shadow of its former self.
I feel more passionate about giving up shampoo after writing this small book than
ever before. Hearing so many stories from people who have given up shampoo and
have found all these extra health benefits has been astounding. Quotes such as that
from the father and son cited earlier whose eczema disappeared after going No Poo
has made me consider No Poo as a much farther reaching health issue.
I am also sure that the No Poo community hold a significant place in the
environmental movement. We are challenging an industry whose reliance on heavy
packaging and damaging chemicals is draining the earth’s resources.
I hope this book has given you the confidence to break the cycle of dependence on
shampoo. It can be a bumpy road to begin with but soon you will be rocking your No
Poo hair with aplomb.
Perhaps you feel you can’t go the whole hog – if this is the case, I urge you to just
simplify your hair care regime a little. Every bit counts and perhaps you will gain
courage as you go!
May you discover your natural tresses and forever gaily prance through meadows,
waving your locks smugly.
And don’t ever shave your eyebrows off.

/ HAPPY HAIR / 41
The six week guide to giving up shampoo!
I would be a dodgy dealer, a chancer, if I tried convincing you that this formula is a
fail proof plan for No Poo Success. The thing is, there is no straightforward method.
Every head is different and you must find your own way. However, I know that when I
began I did fancy some kind of guide to the transitional period. I wanted to be able to
imagine what the first six weeks might look like, trying different things and stretching
out my days. So here is what it could look like, for someone wanting to move on from
an every-other-day shampoo habit:
Day 1 Bicarbonate of soda and apple cider vinegar rinse

Day 2 Brush, brush, brush!
Day 3 Water wash, with a good scrubbing from roots to tips. If you are not happy
with how it looks, try tying a head scarf.
Day 6 Water wash
Day 7 Brush, brush, brush! With a slight dusting of homemade Dry Shampoo if
needed.
Day 8 An egg wash
Day 10 Water wash
needed.
Day 14 Water wash
Day 16 Water wash. HEAD SCARF DAY! (Most likely!)
Day 17 Egg wash/applesauce wash
Day 19 Water wash, with a slight dusting of homemade Dry Shampoo if needed.
needed.
Day 21 Water wash
Day 22 Bicarbonate of soda and apple cider vinegar rinse. If hair is smelly try adding
a few drops of lavender oil to your rinse.
Day 24 Water wash
Day 26 Water wash
Day 29 Water wash
Day 30 Brush, brush, brush! Need dry shampoo?
Day 31 Water wash. Get that head scarf on!
Day 32 Brush, brush, brush! Try a little back combing!
Day 33 Water wash. Head scarf day!
/ HAPPY HAIR / 42
Day 35 Hooray! You have gone a week without even an alternative! Celebrate with a
rhassoul clay wash!
Day 40 Brush, brush, brush! Beehive day!
Day 41 Chose your favourite wash so far or experiment with a new one
Day 43 Water wash.
Day 44 Brush, brush, brush! If you have an epic waxy build up try using applesauce
or the recipe offered in the Waxy Hair section.
Day 45 Water wash.
Day 47 Bircarbonate of soda and apple cider vinegar
Day 48 Water wash.
Day NO POO NIRVANA! Just kidding, it obviously doesn’t work quite that way. Some
of you will have reached this back on Day 26 and some of you might still have to get
to Day 78 before your hair wises up to this No Poo business. But you’ll get there, you
will!
/ HAPPY HAIR / 43
Author Page
Lucy Aitkenread is an activist, mother and writer who recently moved her
family from London to a forest in New Zealand. To live in a yurt. A yurt with
wifi. It’s ridiculous really.
You can find her all over the internet:
Lifestyle blog - Lulastic and the Hippyshake

Youtube Channel
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
No Poo Hair blog - Happy Hair Guide

Facebook and Instagram
/ HAPPY HAIR / 44
If you liked Happy Hair you will LOVE Freedom Face! Freedom Face- a beauty
guide free from toxic ingredients, expensive gloop and self-hating bullshit is is
my latest ebook and includes a stack of recipes for homemade health and
beauty. It is all packaged up in a message of self-love. Be a beauty rebel! Find
out how to buy here or check it out on Kindle.
Want more support?
I also offer an online course designed especially to help readers who want to take
this leap into beautiful, natural hair but want more support.
The course includes 8 video classes, accompanying interactive worksheets and a

brilliantly helpful peer to peer support forum moderated by me and full of people
ready to hold your hand through the tricky phases.
Sign up here and use the code HAPPYHAIRGUIDE for a 50% discount.
/ HAPPY HAIR / 45
References
Chapter 1
How to Shampoo the Hair (May 10, 1908) The New York Times retrieved from http://
query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?
res=9904E5DA143EE233A25753C1A9639C946997D6CF on July 20th 2014
Jamieson, A. (2009, November 19) Women put 515 chemicals on their face and
body every day in beauty regime retrieved on July 21 2014 from
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6603483/Women-put-515-chemicals-
on-their-face-and-body-every-day-in-beauty-regime.html
Chemicals of Concern, Campaign for Safe Cosmetics retrieved from http://
safecosmetics.org/section.php?id=46 on July 14th 2014 I appreciate that this isn’t a
peer-reviewed paper but I am confident in Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the
Environmental Working group as a robust source. They have years of research in
chemicals within their database.
safecosmetics.org/section.php?id=46 on July 14th 2014
Chapter 2
Center for Environmental Health (2013, August 27) “Lawsuit Launched as Testing
Finds Cancer-Causing Chemical in Nearly 100 Hair Care and Personal Care
Products” retrieved from http://www.ceh.org/news-events/press-releases/content/
lawsuit-launched-testing-finds-cancer-causing-chemical-in-100-shampoos-haircare-
products/ on July 21st 2014
Hiscock, J., Stoddart, E., Connor, E., (2004) Beauty Therapy Level 2, Oxford:
Heinemann Educational Publishers
Draelos, Z. (2010) Essentials of Hair Care often Neglected: Hair Cleansing in

International Journal od Trichology, Medknow Publications
Schwarcz, J (December 9, 1998) Secrets of Shampoo, The Washington Post
retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/horizon/dec98/
shampoo.htm accessed on July 23rd 2014
NB: This is an absolutely fascinating article written by a Professor of Chemistry at
Vanier College and McGill University.
Chapter 8
/ HAPPY HAIR / 46
Thomas, K. (2014, January 17) The ‘No More Tears’ Shampoo, Now With No
Formaldehyde retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/18/business/johnson-johnson-takes-first-step-in-
removal-of-questionable-chemicals-from-products.html?_r=0 on July 1st 2014
/ HAPPY HAIR / 47
Disclaimer
The material provided in this book is for informational purposes only and isn’t
intended as medical advice. It comes from people’s own experiences rather than
advice from health care providers. Don’t use this information to diagnose scalp
conditions- please consult a medical professional if you are really worried about
something. Use of the information contained in this book is at the sole choice of the
reader.
1 Chapter 1
How to Shampoo the Hair (May 10, 1908) The New York Times retrieved
f r o m h t t p : / / q u e r y. n y t i m e s . c o m / g s t / a b s t r a c t . h t m l ?
res=9904E5DA143EE233A25753C1A9639C946997D6CF on July 20th 2014
2 Jamieson, A. (2009, November 19) Women put 515 chemicals on their face
and body every day in beauty regime retrieved on July 21 2014 from
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6603483/Women-put-515-
chemicals-on-their-face-and-body-every-day-in-beauty-regime.html
3 Chemicals of Concern, Campaign for Safe Cosmetics retrieved from http://
safecosmetics.org/section.php?id=46 on July 14th 2014 I appreciate that this isn’t

a peer-reviewed paper but I am confident in Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and
the Environmental Working group as a robust source. They have years of
research in chemicals within their database.
Chapter 2
5 Center for Environmental Health (2013, August 27) “Lawsuit Launched as
Testing Finds Cancer-Causing Chemical in Nearly 100 Hair Care and Personal
Care Products” retrieved from http://www.ceh.org/news-events/press-releases/
content/lawsuit-launched-testing-finds-cancer-causing-chemical-in-100-
shampoos-haircare-products/ on July 21st 2014



9 Hiscock, J., Stoddart, E., Connor, E., (2004) Beauty Therapy Level 2, Oxford:
Heinemann Educational Publishers

10 Draelos, Z. (2010) Essentials of Hair Care often Neglected: Hair Cleansing
in International Journal od Trichology, Medknow Publications

11 Schwarcz, J (December 9, 1998) Secrets of Shampoo, The Washington Post

/ HAPPY HAIR / 48
NB: This is an absolutely fascinating article written by a Professor of

Chemistry at Vanier College and McGill University.

Chapter 8

14 Thomas, K. (2014, January 17) The ‘No More Tears’ Shampoo, Now With
No Formaldehyde retrieved from

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/18/business/johnson-johnson-takes-first-
step-in-removal-of-questionable-chemicals-from-products.html?_r=0 on July 1st
2014

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Copyright © 2014 Lucy AitkenRead

Further information can be found at my website:

Chapter 1 But WHY?

Chapter 2 How it Works

Chapter 3 Coping with the transitional period

Chapter 4 Natural Alternatives to shampoo

Chapter 5 Natural Alternatives to conditioner

Chapter 6 Natural Alternatives to styling products

Chapter 7 Hair troubles during transition

Chapter 8 Frequently Asked Questions

Extra Resource The Six Week Fail-Proof Transitional

More natural beauty resources

Shampoo is a relatively new product, the goop-out-of-a-bottle stuff only

However, there are increasing numbers of people giving up it up and

The shampoo-free community commonly and fondly refer to this as going

No Poo = giving up shampoo. Not constipation.

Release your hair’s natural beauty

I was imagining a dropped comb, a face contorting with repulsion, and, as

Marvellously, that scene didn’t happen.

In fact, she barely blinked.

“Since going from chemical heavy shampoo products to a bicarbonate of

Even if you use the traditional alternative to shampoo – a bicarbonate of soda

Moreover, loads of people manage to wean off using natural alternatives

regularly so end up spending far less than that. Inconceivable!

In our home we were using a bottle of shampoo and conditioner every

I have to admit to erring on wary. Ideally I wouldn’t put anything on my body

1,4-dioxane was found to be in 46% of products on shelves by the

Cocamide diethanolamine was found to be in 98% of the shampoos

Parabens have been connected to higher estrogen levels, which wreak

Quaternium-15 is a preservative that discharges formaldehyde. It is an

Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) has been connected with neurological damage

Almost all commercial shampoos involve mineral oil, a byproduct of

Take a look at CampaignForSafeCosmetics.org to find out more about what is

How No Poo works

The simple explanation

People tend to find a natural alternative to shampoo and conditioner –

The most important component of all shampoos are the surfactants –

Sebum is an incredibly mild surfactant that, upon meeting water, dissolves

The alternatives to shampoo used by No Pooers create processes that

As an example, the salts produced when the alkaline bicarbonate of soda

Eventually, it is entirely possible, with the aid of some fingers prepared to

Your hair will be washing itself.

What you will need

Coping with the transitional stage

I definitely don’t recommend trying to do it while you begin a new job at a

“I switched from shampoo to bicarbonate of soda about a month ago and my

Working out the natural alternative for you

Brushing your hair thoroughly at least once a day

Cleaning your boar bristle brush

Backcombing the roots of your hair

A natural dry shampoo

Quite a few things can make a good, basic dry Shampoo:

How to tie a headscarf

Natural alternatives to shampoo

If there’s a small chance something might have cleansing properties I have

Bicarbonate of Soda/Baking Soda (BS)

Bicarbonate of Soda, the first and often ultimate No Poo solution, is a

BAKING SODA RUINED MY HAIR!

Egg Hair Wash – a cracking alternative to shampoo

Somehow, I will never know how, my teacher busted me and my parents

It is thrifty. It is chemical free. It is in your kitchen right now. This nourishing

Buy them from your local Indian shop or online.

Avoid if: you want sleeker hair