Day 10: Still gross

Effects of the dry shampoo were temporary. Mayo mask still dominates.

Day 9: Dry Wash

Ok. The post mayo-hair-treatment-dripping-with-mayonaise-scented-oil situation was becoming too disgusting for my sensibilities. I am convinced that the mayo mask should not be done during the transition period of going no poo.  I took one last stab at managing this situation without shampoo: I tried a baking soda to do a dry wash. I had never taken a "dry shower" or done a dry wash, and must admit the results were better than I anticipated. My hair still does not feel "normal," but the wet clumps spread out a little and look a little more reasonable, and I feel a little more optimistic about handling this mess without shampoo.

Before (left) and after (right) results from a dry shampoo with baking soda. 

Day 9: The Wet Look

My hair hasn't looked or felt dry in two days. It smells like old oil. My skin is starting to react to the close proximity to my intensely mayonaise-y hair. This is not good. Lesson learned.

Veggie garden litter box

One recent day I discovered that the beautiful raised garden beds that I built this spring had been enthusiastically transformed into a fecal trophy case for the neighborhood cats. It seemed a good half dozen large sized deposits were left over night next to my just emerging seedlings and more were arriving daily.

After googling "How to stop cats from using raised garden beds as litter box," (and reading some interesting ideas: habenero smoothie applied to the soil, small picket fence, blackberry canes on top of the soil, chicken wire on top of the soil, bird netting, citrus peels, etc) I decided to use a different, more midieval method: decorating my beds with 300 pointy sharp shish-kabab sticks.

I can imagine the irritation of the dignified feline visitor attempting a daily constitutional amid this maze of sharp daggers.  

Day 8: Ol' Mayo head

After yesterday's dry hair, I decided to give myself a much touted "mayo conditioner treatment" to soothe and soften my transitioning ends. I generally find mayonnaise to be relatively repulsive, and bought a small jar specifically to use on my hair. Last night I worked a big handful into the hanging part of my hair (I tried to keep it off my scalp), rinsed it as best as I could, put a hat on to protect my pillow, and went to sleep. This morning I continued attempting to rinse it out with three baking soda washes and a vinegar rinse, but all this did was turn the floor of the tub into an oily slip'in slide. Most hair mayonnaise mask treatments involve shampooing thoroughly afterwards, and I realize now that it was foolish to "pamper" my hair so lavishly in extra oil (after all, mayo is more or less oil, egg and vinegar) while also being committed to going without shampoo. I'm not sure quite how I'm going to get the mayo out at this point. I'm considering a swim in a public pool. I realise that this is not very civic minded.

Mayo mask no poo results. This is my hair after it air dried: not a good scene.  It smells faintly, grotesquely, of mayo.

Day 7: One week

Made it a week. My hair felt rough, dry and dull today. Gross.

Day 6: Getting Greasy

I did not do a baking soda and vinegar rinse today, and my hair was feeling duuurty by the end of the day. It was so greasy that I was able to comb it back into a mullet and it stayed molded in that position (sorry, no picture).

Day 5: Lovely

My hair was incredibly shiny today, and felt silky silky silky.

Day 4: Not Bad

Did a baking soda and vinegar treatment this morning. Hair felt hefty, soft, and free of tangles.

Day 3: First picture

Today was the first day I documented. My hair felt generally limp, slightly tangle-y, and a little greasy.

No Poo

I have recently embraced the horribly named "No Poo," movement (no poo = unfortunate abbreviation for  "no shampoo.") The general idea behind the movement is that shampoo isn't necessary (and didn't actually come into use until the 1930s... these details can be read here), and that the regular use of shampoo perpetuates a need to use more of it (selling more products in the process). Somebody (not me) made a cute diagram to explain the cycle:

This is popular all over the internet, and there are plenty of attractive-haired young ladies describing their journey into the movement. For example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs3sWlFi8eY

The jist of the process involves eventually having awesome feeling/looking hair by periodically washing it with a baking soda and water mixture, and conditioning it with an apple cider and water mixture. It also involves braving a greasy, unattractive "transition" period (ranging from non-existant to many many weeks) during which time your scalp readjust to making appropriate amounts of oil. The claim is that if you can brave the transition period, the eventual result is soft, shiny, clean, healthy hair that requires very very little care. You can easily google the details and find a variety of ways that people go about this.

This idea appeals to me for all of the same reasons it seems to appeal to everybody who does it:

1. Cheaper than buying hair care products

2. Exposure to fewer and simpler chemicals

3. Shorter showers

4. Need for fewer products

5. Stepping outside of a commercialized trap

6. Allowing my hair to reclaim its natural beauty

Many of the gals showing their process have curly hair, and I definitely do not. My hair is fine and strait, and feels and looks different based upon what I've washed (or not washed) it with. I love a good before and after photo, and am keeping track of my no poo results. The pictures I take may not be taken under fully consistent conditions (varied lighting and various states of having been in a ponytail, bun, etc), but I'll do my best. (Note: looking back over the first week, I am amazed at how different my hair actually looked and felt on the various days, not just as a result of the photography).