Hair without shampoo, 4 week update

It's now been about 4 weeks since I've used shampoo or conditioner on my hair so how am I finding it?

It's been a bit trial and error but I think I've finally settled on a system that works for me. I've had to adapt my first methods that I outlined here. I think it's been a bit trickier because I'm also trying to treat psoriasis on my scalp. 

Initially, I was using bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar (ACV) as a hair mask. I had read good things about this and after a patch test on my face (without psoriasis) I gave it a go. The patch test ended up being a full on face mask as I have to admit, my skin felt amazing afterwards. It was a little pink for about 10 minutes as the clay exfoliates as well but it didn't last long. I'm definitely keeping the face mask for when I need a bit of pampering. ;)

When I tried the clay on my hair as a mask I found it to be too difficult to do. It was messy and with long hair I wasn't able to get it onto my scalp very well. My hair tangled a LOT and that's not a good thing as my hair falls out exceptionally easily, and this was one of the things I was trying to avoid. It wasn't pleasant and I felt like a family of rats had made a home on my head. Yuck!

My next attempt at using bentonite clay was as a dry shampoo. This worked better overall. I applied a light dusting to the roots of my hair with a makeup brush (as my salt shaker kept blocking) before bed the night before I washed my hair. 

The dry shampoo method worked better as it kept the oils more under control. Then it occurred to me that dry shampoos were not going to let my skin naturally adapt to producing less oils in the long run if I kept on sucking them up with bentonite. Hmmm. Also, my scalp started to hurt after the bentonite had been washed out as it was too gritty for my injured skin to cope with. 

Hiding my greasy roots under a scarf.

For the first 2 weeks I took to hiding my scalp under my trusty head scarves again while I tried to figure this out. The length of my hair was fine as the ACV was doing a great job but the roots were looking (and feeling) pretty grotty. 

After some more research I decided to stop the bentonite treatment and instead I switched to washing my hair with about a teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate in half a cup of warm water. This is working far better for me. 

Bicarb has to be kept in an airtight container, especially in a damp bathroom, as it absorbs moisture from the air and turns to rock! I have a small tub in the bathroom, which I take a teaspoon from into a clean glass. I take this into the shower with me now and use the warm shower water to mix it up as I was a wimp with the cold water that ran down my back. Brrr. It's not summer any more! 

First I wet my hair, then pour the bicarb water slowly into my roots. I massage gently into my scalp to cleanse my damaged skin. It's far gentler than the bentonite clay but still a mild exfoliator. It's pretty darn good at getting the dead cells off that are caused (excessively) by psoriasis. I leave it on for a minute or two then rinse thoroughly with water as the next step is the ACV and you do NOT want to have bicarb and vinegar reacting together on your head! I doubt it would do any harm but I don't think I'd want to try it and risk it getting into my eyes. Ouch! 

Since the weather has got cooler I've also started to take concentrated ACV into the shower. I pour about 2 tablespoons of ACV into my glass and half fill it with the warm shower water so I dilute it in the shower now. Again, this is my wimp factor and not liking cold water going down my back. Such a wuss! It works for me. 

I haven't changed the ACV rinse as it's worked really well. I gently pour the diluted mix through my hair and massage it along the length of my hair to the tips. Don't get it in your eyes. That will hurt. If you do, rinse immediately with water. I stick my face under the shower head a bit quick. I only did it once! I then leave the ACV on my hair for about 3-5 minutes while I continue to wash my body. 

Incidentally, I have only used water to wash my body for several years as soaps were aggravating my skin. This is why I'm now ditching shampoo too. I can safely say that I don't smell without soap. I have repeatedly asked Hubby and Missy just to check! On hotter days in the summer I did on occasion spray a bit of diluted ACV under my arms to kill any bacteria that could cause the body odour smell. ACV doesn't smell once it's dry so simply hold your arms up for a minute for it to dry. ;) Now the weather has cooled I haven't needed to use anything and Hubby still says it's fine and I trust him. I actually sweat less since stopping deodorant.

Sweat only smells when it goes stale. I wash under my arms every morning with water alone and that's usually enough. Sometimes on hot days I might need to wash again by evening (or use a little vinegar in the morning to prevent it). Either way, my skin and body are happier because I'm not using chemicals that make me sick and no one has ever indicated, politely or otherwise, that I smell. I'm usually the first one to notice at which point I splash some water again. It's only noticeable when I'm not well as sweating is different then and a sign of illness. These days I'm stuck in bed anyway when sick so not offending anyone with my smell. I also have bigger things to worry about than a little bit of odour so I cut myself some slack on these days. 

About 2.5 weeks ago, I did use a bit of soap on my hair after spending all day and night in A&E after a chemical exposure (to air freshener) made me collapse in the doctor's office. When I got home I was long overdue treating my skin and the psoriasis was so bad that I was forced to use steroid creams on it. The next day I needed something a bit stronger to wash out the creams. I opted for Castille soap that it chemical free. A tiny amount was all I needed, then I rinsed again with ACV. This was my only blip. They happen. Since then I haven't used the steroid creams but it's good to know that this works for when I can't avoid them. 

So after 4 weeks I've learnt a lot. I now have a routine where I wash my hair every other day with bicarb and rinse with ACV. I tried to go longer between washes and just rinse with water in between but this simply isn't possible with psoriasis, at least until I can heal it. 

I'm happy with this routine. My skin is feeling a lot less irritated and is less scaly. My hair is clean and shiny. Moreover, I'm using far fewer plastic bottles than I did with shampoo and conditioner as I bulk buy the bicarb and ACV that last so much longer as such a small amount is needed each wash. And a great bonus is that it's costing me pennies now. (They are affiliate links.) I also use them both for other things like making cleaning products and cooking with. Don't worry, they are kept in the kitchen not the bathroom! :) 

Here's a pic of my hair as it is today. Also, I haven't washed it today so I'm pretty happy. 

4 weeks without shampoo and conditioner.
I need to smile more. I think I was concentrating!