Confession Time
May 14th, 2010 by Ashley
Okay here we go.
Are you ready to know my secret????
Promise you won't stop being my friend?
This is my confession…
about a month ago, I quit washing my hair.
Are you shocked? Don't be shocked. It's not as bad as it sounds.
I still wash my hair, just not in the traditional sense.
Inspired by this post and others like it, I couldn't resist giving it a try.
And of course I had to drag my girls along for the ride. (Hombre kindly but firmly refused to be part of our experiment)
My expectation was that we would try it, our hair would be gross, we'd give it up. The end.
Only that wasn't how it worked.
Our hair wasn't gross. Our hair felt totally clean. And smelled totally clean. And was really soft.
And now these are my new favorite things:
Reasons I'm in love with this new hair care plan:
For my girls :
- prior to this my eight year old was developing a dandruff problem. Since we've been doing this that has pretty much disappeared.
- We have eliminated the need for tangle spray, which was an absolute necessity before.
- this is cheaper than the dye & perfume free shampoo and conditioner I was buying before.
For myself:
- It's great for curly hair. I just comb it in the shower before rinsing the vinegar and my hair is done.
- It's made my extremely dry hair feel less like straw and more like hair.
- Biggest reason: I'm in love with the simplicity. I have gone from needing dandruff shampoo + regular shampoo + high dollar conditioner + hair gel and/or frizz cream + hairspray, TO baking soda + apple cider vinegar + water. So much simpler. And cheaper too!
I can't say if it would work for everyone. I'm sure it's greatly affected by your hair type. Maybe it won't work forever for me. But for now I love it.
Don't think I'm crazy.
I promise I'm not a dirty hippy. 
Posted in About Me, Favorite Things
Ashley, you've inspired me yet again!! Ever since you told me I have been dying to try it! I finally went and bought the apple cider vinegar yesterday. I am going to try it right now. I am really hoping I love it as much as you! Your hair looks beautiful by the way!
Comment by Sarah — May 15, 2010 @ 9:12 am
Ok, it is a little weird. But I keep reading about this, and I must admit I am intrigued. Here are my questions -
First, how hard to you have to work to get the solution all over your whole head? It seems like it wouldn't slip around as easily as shampoo and would be more time consuming to make sure you're getting your whole head clean. Does that make sense?
Second, did it take a long time to get used to not having that lather? I think I would miss the bubbles…silly, I know.
Third, when you go get your hair cut, what do you tell the stylist when she wants to wash your hair? If you do use shampoo once in a while, do you have to start over detoxing your hair?
Comment by Deb — May 15, 2010 @ 2:55 pm
Deb,
I use the measuring cup for the baking soda and squirt bottle for the vinegar because it gives me a little more control.
1) it is really not that hard to use. Especially when you keep the idea in mind that the main area you are cleaning is your scalp. I mix the baking soda with water (1-2 tbsp. baking soda dissolved in 1 c. warm water) pour it over my head with one hand while rubbing it in with the other. Same thing with the vinegar. Although, I do make a point to spread the vinegar a little more thoroughly all over my hair to tame the frizz
2) I did miss the lather a bit at first, but not now. The baking soda does kind of suds up, but definitely not to the same extent as shampoo.
3) I am REALLY bad about getting my haircut. I’ve only had it cut twice in the last two years. But I think I would probably just wash my hair right before I go, so they don’t need to wash it. I’ve also wondered about having to start over after re-exposure to chemicals, but I’m starting to think maybe it’s not that big of a deal. I took my three year old for birthday pictures recently and covered her hair in hairspray of course, and I didn’t notice any difference after washing it. My big concern is seeing how it works with daily swim lessons this summer…vinegar vs. chlorine. We’ll see
Also, I didn’t notice a major “detoxing” phase for me or my kids, but I know a lot of people say there can be one, so you never know. Good luck if you try it!
Comment by Ashley — May 15, 2010 @ 9:17 pm
you are DEFINATELY more of a hippie than i would've guessed! but, no, you are not dirty!
i would've never guessed! might i try it???
Comment by Tara — May 16, 2010 @ 10:27 pm
I started doing this for my girls a while back and it has been great. I tried it on myself and it was not so great. I have very oily hair and I just turned into a big grease ball! I went back to shampoo and then two weeks or so ago I gave it another try…still pretty oily but I think I just need to get the right mixture. I cant put the vinegar on my scalp because that makes it more oily for me, I just put it on the ends…so I am going to try less baking soda to water and see how it goes.
Im so glad it works for you! I am hoping I can get the right mix!
Comment by Angela — May 17, 2010 @ 9:17 am