The #NoPoo Method Gains Steam: Why Some Women Have Stopped Using Shampoo And Conditioner

There’s a trend building on social media that is generating questions about what it is: The “no shampoo” or “no poo” method of hair cleansing. Some women have favored dry shampoo in the wake of giving up their normal shampoo, as reported by the Inquisitr, but questions about whether or not dry shampoo was the cause of one woman’s bald spot have encouraged certain women to completely give up shampoo and conditioner altogether. As reported by Marie Claire, Kayleigh Thomas has gone more than 18 months without shampooing her hair. In that time she has discovered that her hair has grown much faster and appears thicker with greater fullness after she stopped stripping the natural oils out of her hair with sulfate-laden shampoos.

The thought of someone going without a good scrubbing of their mane for days, weeks, months, or even years brings the immediate thoughts of grossness for folks who’ve never gone without shampoo for a few days. However, testimonies of women who’ve cleaned their hair without shampoo for long periods of time are making their way online — along with the claims that their greasy hair eventually gave way to a normalized scalp that helped produce even better looking, softer, and thicker hair. As reported by Elite Daily, going without shampoo does not mean the hair isn’t getting cleaned. Some women and men chose to use apple cider vinegar and baking soda to clean their scalps — whereas others rely on essential oils to naturally clean, deodorize, and moisturize their scalps and locks prior to rinsing their scalps clean with plain water.

On Instagram, the hashtag #nopoomethod currently enjoys 2,269 posts using that hashtag. The #nopoo hashtag has nearly 50,000 posts — with 49,768 posts currently on Instagram. Most users advancing the #nopoo method are like Instagram user “kaylaraeyoga_,” a woman who posted before-and-after photos of her hair and its improvements since she stopped washing her hair for one month. (Her post was published to Instagram four weeks ago.)

“This is my one month progress report. I’ve used the ‘no poo’ method since October 19th. I’ve seen so many positive changes in my hair! I DO wash my hair…just not with shampoo and conditioner. To answer your questions: yes, it did get really greasy really fast at first. Now it takes 5 sometime 6 days for there to be a noticeable amount of grease. No, it does not smell bad. It smells like hair. If I ever want it to smell really nice, I put a drop of my favorite essential oil in my hands, and pat in lightly over my hair. My hair is amazing now. So here’s to no poo! #nopoomethod #healthyhairjourney #healthyhair #worththegrease“

Some people using the “no poo” method are folks who have only given up shampoo and still use conditioner to wash and condition their manes — others are truly “no poo” in the sense that they don’t use shampoo and conditioner at all. The thought process is that the fewer chemicals one uses on their heads, the better — seeing as though a person could unknowingly be allergic to some of the chemicals contained in the products. Some folks could also be allergic to “natural” substances such as aloe vera, tea tree oil, or other ingredients; a period of trial and error could help them uncover those items that help clean their hair and scalps the best and assist in making the hair thrive.

By giving up shampoo and conditioner — and only using natural essential oils and such to cleanse the hair — the hope is that the “no poo” adherents can narrow down the amount of chemicals placed on their scalps, all the while adopting a method that helps their hair flourish.

[Featured Image by Nina Buday/Shutterstock]