Have you thought about going no ‘poo? Avoid these common mistakes of washing your hair without shampoo and your hair will be beautiful every step of the way!
Years ago I attempted an experiment to wash my hair with just baking soda and shampoo.
It lasted one day.
I attempted to mask my greasy hair by sprinkling some homemade powdered foundation at the roots, hoping the corn starch would absorb the grease, but all that did was garner funny looks and the comment “Did you put baby powder in your hair?” from a friend we saw at church that night.
Needless to say, I washed my hair as soon as we got home.
Four common mistakes people make when going no ‘poo:
1) Go cold turkey.
2) Expect hair not to be greasy.
3) Focusing all your attention on your hair.
4) Expecting a lather from baking soda.
People who have stopped washing their hair will tell you that there’s a transition period lasting anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months where your hair will look greasy.
They say to pull your hair back into a ponytail or a braid and just stick it out and then one day, it’ll all be better.
My experiment only lasted a whopping ONE day, but the brevity doesn’t really matter. If I can’t last one day, how in the world can I last 3 months?!
And what about people (like me) who have short hair? Ponytails, braids and “just wear a hat” aren’t viable options. And neither is just sticking it out.
I certainly didn’t want to give up on natural hair care, but I knew there had to be a better way.
Fast forward a few months, after my ego had healed and I attempted another experiment:
Washing my hair with goat milk soap
Long-time readers know that I LOVE Bend Soap Company’s goat milk soap. It’s been pivotal to clearing up my acne and it’s the base for my own homemade laundry detergent.
With a bar already in the shower (I make a separate liquid face wash for night), I figured what the heck – what did I have to lose?
Worst case scenario it would be a repeat of the baking soda fiasco and I would just rewash with regular shampoo, right?
Friends, my shampoo days were over because using goat milk soap as shampoo WORKED!
- My scalp wasn’t full of grease.
- My hair was clean.
- It lathered (superficial, but still a perk).
- I could comb my hair WITHOUT conditioner (I now use this homemade conditioner, but didn’t use any during this trial experiment).
With such great success on day one, I kept the experiment going.
But as I already mentioned, this is a far cry from how I first felt about going no ‘poo!
Despite being relatively new to the world of natural hair care, I’d like to share my advice to those who are traveling the natural living journey and struggling with the same issues I was.
4 Common Mistakes When Washing Hair Without Shampoo
1. Going no poo cold turkey
When you’re used to lovely locks each morning, skipping just one day is a huge shocker.
- Consider easing into the routine by washing your hair every 36 hours by washing one night (say Sunday), completely skipping the next day (Monday) and then washing it the next morning (Tuesday). Do this once a week for a few weeks, then twice a week. Eventually work your way up to washing one morning and going a full 48 hours without washing and continuing to stretch it out from there.
- Another option is use less shampoo. Most of us could get away with about a quarter-sized amount of shampoo, but try cutting it back to just a dime. This will force yourself to really work it into your hair. You might miss spots, or your hair might not feel as sparkly clean. But it won’t be as greasy as if you had gone cold turkey and that’s the whole point.
After awhile, see if you can cut it back even less. If neither of these options will work for you, I suggest washing with goat milk soap.
I originally started using it as a way to manage the in-between of shampoo versus no-shampoo, but found that it did such a great job that it became my new hair washing routine!
2. Expecting your no ‘poo hair not to be greasy
The ingredients in shampoo are designed to “clean” your hair by stripping it of the oils your scalp naturally excretes.
- It’s a very vicious cycle: Your scalp release oils, you shampoo to strip the oils and have clean hair, then your scalp in turn makes more oils to compensate.
- When you no poo, your hair WILL be greasy. It’s just the natural cycle!
- But I assure you, it will get easier over time and your hair WILL eventually stop producing so much oil. You can ease the burden by trying one of the techniques mentioned in point #1 above, or by following my advice in point #3 below.
3. Focusing all your attention on your hair
When you are doing the no poo method, your focus should be on your scalp, not your hair.
A healthy scalp will naturally lead to healthy hair, but it doesn’t work the other way around. Focus on scrubbing and cleaning the scalp to distribute the naturally occurring oils and your naturally beautiful hair will follow!
4. Expecting the typical shampoo-like lather
Friends, it was just silly of me to expect baking soda and water to somehow magically produce a lather in the shower. An unrealistic expectation will only lead to frustration and feeling discouraged!
Amidst my disappointment, I found a shining light: Washing with goat milk soap does create a lather!
This made the transition of leaving commercial shampoo so much easier and much more enjoyable. It’s just like the “old” days of shampoo, but without the chemicals!
How to Use Goat Milk Soap as a No Poo Shampoo
In the picture above, my hair was freshly washed with goat milk soap, rinsed with homemade conditioner and blow dried with my fingers. It’s the healthiest my hair has ever been!
It seems odd to not reach for a bottle of shampoo, and I had a hard time figuring out the best way to use goat milk soap as a shampoo. After trying a few options, the simplest method turned out to be the best!
Step 1. Cut a bar of soap in half. This makes it easier to hold, and stretches the life of the bar. (More tips on stretching a bar of soap.)
Step 2. After you’ve scrubbed your scalp, make sure your hair is wet. Starting at the front hairline and holding the bar in your hand, put the bar directly into the hair and start massaging it around. Continue this around your head until you have sufficiently covered the roots and your hair.
Step 3. Massage into the roots and cover all of your hair thoroughly.
Step 4. Rinse.
Step 5. Follow up with homemade conditioner.
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Well I guess the goat milk soap is way better than the chemical bomb in most shampoos but surely the word soap gives it away, it’s still a cleanser? I haven’t seen the product as I’m in the UK but the idea of no poo is no soap too? I’ve not used shampoo since May 7th this year when I had my hair cut short. It’s been pretty good just using water under the shower and I do try and give it a good scrub, now though I’ve suddenly got greasy hair! I have in the past used bicarbonate of soda but it seems to strip my hair and I end up with static which I hate. If there isn’t any soap in the goat’s milk then I’d be keen to give that a try.
Do you have hard water where you live and the soap bar still works? I’ve been using bend soap company and another companies goat milk soap for my body and I’ve tried the latter on my hair- it just makes it so waxy and nasty feeling, while bend soap I think leaves it clean if I really scrub? I do have a water softener but am not completely sure if it works the right way, just wanted to know how hard your water is if you have it and if you have any problems with it at all. Is it just the two week period of waiting and your hair adjusts to the bar even in hard water?
Our water in California was AWFUL, and yes it was hard. I’ve traveled with this soap all over the country, in various waters, and it’s always worked. The key is to scrub hard, and to be honest, Bend Soap Company’s soap is far better than a typical goat milk soap on a shelf. It’s not so much about the water – it’s about scrubbing hard and well until your hair adjusts, and using a good soap!
I was just reading some posts that had to do with goats milk. I just started using BEEKMAN goats milk shampoo bars but may just try one of their basic goats milk bar soaps. My question is about the conditioner. These shampoo bars do have some natural moisturizer but can you use just any store bought conditioner while using goats milk or does that totally mess up the whole no-poo method?
It kind of messes with the whole no-poo method Charlotte, since shampoo strips your hair only for conditioner to build on top again. I’d recommend this homemade conditioner if you ditching traditional shampoos: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2015/02/diy-homemade-conditioner/
After reading your post and then reading the horrifying ingredients of my two go-to shampoos, I ordered a bar of oatmeal and honey soap from Bend. In the winter my husband has very dry skin and eczema patches, so figured to kill two birds with one stone (or actually, one bar of soap :). Washed my hair with the soap the first time today, and was sooo happy not to have the mile high suds of a regular shampoo to deal with! Like others who have posted, we have hard water which makes it take longer to rinse out anything, but my hair was left feeling cleaner and softer than from the regular shampoos! Thank you so much for this post and for your blog in general! I have learned so much and look forward to trying more!
You’re so very welcome Valerie!
Hello,
Which bendsoap are you using for shampoo. ?
(Tea tree, honey …)
For the transition period can we use this soap every day ?
Would you recommend to finish with a cold rinse ?
Thanks.
Kevin
Hi Kevin! I personally like the eucalyptus scented soap, but you can use whatever you like. And yes, you can use this everyday! I don’t typically do a cold rinse myself, but you can if you want!
And here I was thinking that modern products were just bringing our hair to new levels that it would never have even gotten to naturally.
I’m interested to try goat’s milk soap instead of shampoo. Maybe I just didn’t see it, but does anybody have experience using it with dyed hair. I’m just not ready to be gray yet and wondered if it made any difference. :). Thanks!
I used to dye my hair Sherri, and didn’t have any problems. 🙂
Hi! I’d like to give this a try. I am wondering do you use any products for volume when you blow dry your hair? like what about volumizers or hair sprays? What would you recommend? Thanks!
Hi Jen! I don’t use any products in my hair at all. My hair has always been fine, so products never worked anyway. Sorry I couldn’t help anymore!
I have been using Bend’s soap for 5 or 6 weeks now and have enjoyed it. However, the last couple of weeks my scalp has been dry and itchy. I made my husband inspect my scalp today and says he see little dry flakes down at the scalp area. I don’t think it is dandruff but just dry scalp. What would you suggest? More of your homeade conditioner? I have been using it about once a week. Washing every 2 to 3 days. I am using g the honey oatmeal bend soap. Thanks you!
So glad you’re liking the soap Kerri! If you’re experiencing itchy in just the last couple weeks – as opposed to the entire time – my gut says it’s environmental. Could it be the season? Or allergies? Is your skin itchy anywhere else? Maybe try a different scent of soap? You could do also do a hair mask… maybe that would help?
Hi! I’m a little late to this, but I went and ordered myself some Bends for my eczema hoping it would help me as it has others. I fell across your blog and decided to test it out on my hair too. I tried going down the no poo path about a year ago (and by no poo I mean water washing which I was really hoping would work). Unfortunately I didn’t have it in me to get through the greasy stage and reverted back to shampoo. This, unfortunately, left my hair dry and brittle for some reason. Now seeing your experience, I decided to try out bends. I wouldn’t say it’s greasy, but it left my hair feeling quite waxy. Is it supposed to feel this way? Or will it go away over time. Also, do you use it on the rest of the hair or just the scalp?
Hi Mia! You could say my hair felt waxy… it was definitely different than “normal.” It was like it was clean, but not clean, and it’s hard to explain in words. If only you could touch my hair! Honestly, commit to using Bend’s soap for 2 weeks as you wash and if you don’t like the direction, you can always revert back. If you struggle with fly aways, dry hair or anything that seems out of the ordinary, use the natural conditioner method mentioned in the post. It really helps!
As for washing, I use it all over my head. I hold the bar in my hand, rub it on my head along my hairline first, then around my head in a circle, slowly working my way towards the center, like a concentric circle. Then I set the bar down and use my fingers to wash. When you first switch, it’s a lot of scrubbing all over. As your hair adjusts, you can almost get away with not scrubbing at all. Once my head is scrubbed and soapy, I put the length of my hair on my head and “wash” as if I was using shampoo. There are plenty of bubbles! Rinse, then condition if necessary. 🙂
Hang in there Mia – it’s strange at first, but that 1-2 weeks was one of the best decisions we’ve made for natural hair care. It’s so freeing to just use a bar of soap!!
Hello! Sorry for my English but I don’t really get what do you scrub your hair with? A brush? a special mix? I hope I’ll be able to find goat milk soap in my country and thanks for your tips)
No worries at – you scrub with your fingers!
Oops I just realized the answer to my question was a few comments up 🙂 sorry
When using the goat milk soap how often do you wash your hair?
I just wanted to say that I stumbled upon this and blog and I decided to try the goat milk soap! I live in Oregon and was excited to see the Bend Soap Company was the soap you used on your hair! I have used it once or twice a week for about a month now and I love it! My hair responded so well and I can not see myself ever going back to shampoo! I was curious which kind of soap is your favorite to use. Thanks again!
So glad you like their soap too Richelle! My favorite I think is a tie between lemongrass and the citrus mint. 🙂
Tiffany, if I may ask, how often do you wash your hair now? Or, more importantly, how long can you go until your hair starts to feel like the over compensating build up of oil is noticeable? Do you still deal with that? My desire is to get to the point where my hair is out of that routine and doesn’t get overly greasy. Ever. Maybe just a dream but oh well. My natural hair care journey is a long and detailed story, wrought with mistakes and learned lessons, as well as education about how things REALLY work (such as oil being your friend, not your enemy – both on skin and hair). Suffice it to say I get really excited when I come a cross posts like this. ?
Hi Heather! I wash my hair every day because it’s short and for preference, but I’ve learned that you can “train” your hair to be washed as often as you desire. So if I only wanted to wash every 2 days, I’d do that for a week or two and my scalp would start to compensate appropriately. I have noticed that some scents of soap dry my hair more than others (making it great for not washing as often), plus the weather and geography plays a part too (hello CA to GA in WINTER!).
I don’t think it will never ever get overly greasy. I mean, your scalp will continue to produce oils and at some point, it will build up. But I do think you could get it to 3-4 days. You might have to use a dry shampoo on day 3 or 4, and wear a bun/ponytail, but it could be done!
I don’t know what I’m doing wrong here, but I’ve been doing the goat’s milk shampoo for almost a week now and my hair is really heavy and greasy. Is it just like this for now and will it start to get better? My hair gets so greasy because it’s thin, I was showering once or twice a day with volume shampoos and it just made my hair so lifeless. I got the goat’s milk soap you recommended and I believe I followed your instructions correctly… but it feels like I just cannot get the grease out of my roots, and so my hair is stiff and heavy that it’s breaking because I can hardly even put a comb through it, it’s so thick! I’ve tried to scrub the oils out and let the water hit my scalp before and after using the goat’s milk soap, but it seems like it’s impossible. Do you know what I can do to make it lighter and move-able again?
Hi Maike! What you’re going though is very normal. Just keep going, and be sure to SCRUB your scalp good and long. I’d recommend scrubbing it before you wash, again while washing and then just be sure to rinse the soap out thoroughly. I’d also follow-up with a conditioning rinse that will help seal the cuticle and make your hair more manageable: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2015/02/diy-homemade-conditioner/
Don’t give up! You’ll get over this hump soon, I promise!