stuff.

Some of you may be grossed out initially at learning this: I basically stopped using shampoo over 2 years ago. But let me explain. This isn't a comprehensive look at the no 'poo movement, just my experience with it. For more information and other accounts of the experience, just look it up on the internet.

Why?

• Environmentalism. We don't really need it. People have done just fine for millennia before shampoo was invented. We don't really need plastic bottles full of chemicals to wash the natural oils off our heads. Plastic bottles that go into "recycling bins" and then get down cycled or shipped to rot in India. Chemicals that will spring up conflicting and controversial information if you look them up. I don't want a debate about whether the ingredients are safe, so interested parties can go do some research for themselves.
• I'm cheap and I don't want to pay for something I don't need.
• My hair has never been better. The thing is, the human scalp under normal circumstances produces just enough oil to keep hair hydrated and shiny and protected. When we use harsh chemicals to wash off our natural oils, hair gets dry. Then, the scalp will over produce oil to try to fix this. Heads get greasy and itchy. Hair looks dull. And people with wavy or curly hair tend to get frizzy flyaways. That's why most people in the North America can't go a day without shampooing.  But after some time of not using shampoo, your body's natural oil production process will resume and your hair will feel clean and well moisturized for weeks on end. 

How'd it go?

Straight hair allows oil to travel down the hair shafts faster, so most people with straight hair tend to have greasy hair sooner after a wash. It takes longer for oil to move down wavy or curly hair, so people with these hair types get oil collected near the roots, leaving the length of the hair dry. Shampooing too much makes this worse, with some people ending up with frizzy hair, me being one of them.

When I started this no 'poo thing I just went ahead and stopped using shampoo. I washed my hair in warm water often - everyday-ish at first. (Hot water, or heat in general, can damage hair, so it's best to wash in the coolest water you can shower with and still feel warm.) It took a little longer to get  good rinse 'cause of the extra oil, but that's just temporary. So for a few weeks I had slightly oily hair but it was winter and I was still in art school (no dress code whatsoever haha) so I just wore a hat often. And oh yeah, I didn't use styling products either - if you use products you must wash it out with shampoo or else it just gets all gunked up on your head.

Rinsing, with my hair long, was easiest in a sink full of water. I'd just dunk my hair in and shake it around. This was more effective and more efficient than standing under the shower.

After about 6 weeks my scalp was less oily and I only needed to rinse twice a week.  But my hair was so badly damaged from before (contrary to what the shampoo commercials say, you cannot repair damaged hair. you can temporarily make it slightly shinier using conditioner but the effect doesn't last very long), I decided to cut the damaged hair off. I had sort of a pixie cut... or a boy cut... just short. The new hair that grew back is nice and silky since it hasn't been exposed to a lot of shampoo and hot water. Now, 2 years later, my hair has about 90% less frizz than before I started this.

Nowadays I do use shampoo... but only about once a month... and that's only because I got too lazy to rinse at all in between (I should change that haha). I got back into using shampoo 'cause of the wedding and all the hair spray, and all the swimming in the salt water in Cuba. When I do use shampoo, I use only a nickel sized blob of whatever the hubby currently has in stock. I massage it into my scalp and try to avoid getting it on the rest of my hair. I think I'm gonna look into all natural shampoos for both of us to switch to. I don't want him rubbing potentially cancer causing stuff into his head everyday!


Doesn't it smell or itch?

No, it doesn't smell. If you sniffed my head up close, you wouldn't smell any fragrance that comes from shampoos. Instead, I smell like a human being. But you really wouldn't smell anything unless you sniffed my head directly, and it's not a raunchy smell. Just smells like me.

It did itch more than normal initially. But rinsing often takes care of that and it'll go away within few weeks.

But I can't speak for everyone. Some people might smell or itch more. If this is a concern to people who are thinking of giving no 'poo a go, there are some alternatives:

• "dry shampoo", which is essentially starch. There are commercial dry shampoos available, but it's the same as putting a teaspoon or so of cornstarch on your head. Spread the starch around the scalp and leave it in for a few minutes to absorb the oils. Then brush it out.  This is really only good for people with lighter coloured hair though, since it's difficult to get all the starch out without spending a LONG time swishing your hair around. And this can't be the only thing you do with your hair all the time, for the same reason.
• Some people like to use a baking soda solution to absorb excess oils.  After a baking soda rinse, you should neutralize it with an acidic solution like diluted vinegar with a few drops of essential oils or spices (these will get rid of the vinegar smell). 
• Use only conditioner, not shampoo. For someone who is doing this purely to improve hair quality, using a conditioner instead of shampoo could work well. Many people suggest this for curly/wavy hair types that are prone to frizz. Conditioners contain surfactants just like shampoo,  just a lot milder. Use only a little bit and work it into the scalp. Rinse it out really well. Use warm water only and never use hot styling tools like a blow dryer or curling/flat irons. Towel dry only, using squeezing motions working from root to tip - no wringing!  Don't use styling products, especially anything with any ingredients with a name ending in -cone (these ingredients cannot be washed out without shampoo). Instead of a brush, use a wide toothed comb, which puts less stress on your hair. And when combing, start with the tips. Then slowly work upwards. (And I don't mean comb upward 'cause that doesn't make any sense!)

Here's one maternity dress I finished and wore out today. Yeaaaaahhhh.... it is THAT nice outside. I even broke out the flip flops.

When I'm bigger I'll probably have to fold up the waist a little. But that's ok - I didn't want the waist to be too high so that I can still wear it next summer when I'm hopefully NOT pregnant. I've been making most of my dresses with high-ish waists, with a poofy skirt. That way, I can still wear them later with a wide belt at the normal waist level. (I hope that made sense.)

I also wore this tiny purse out today:



Detail shot:




When I walk though Bayview Village to get to the grocery store, sometimes I wish I didn't have to worry about saving money, and just go ahead and get nice things for myself. It's a girl thing. But then, I remember that buying as little as possible is for good causes:

• So that we can afford to get a mortgage for a house in the not-so-distant future, and still have all the daily necessities, and so that I can stay home during our kid(s) early years and provide the nurturing of a full time family life. (It really made a difference during my childhood to have a parent at home often.)
• To minimize our participation in commercialism, the destruction of the environment, and exploitation of the down trodden around the world. This is part of the reason I like making clothes. If I'm the one doing the labour, I know kids in India or wherever aren't suffering for what I put on myself everyday. With that said, I still can't be sure that the fabric I bought is exploitation free, but at least not having a poor kid sewing my clothes for next to no pay is a start.

Hmmm... I should use fabric / bedsheets from thrift stores more often... 2nd hand is good. Buying 2nd hand means

• Not using up more natural resources and energy to produce more goods
• Taking something that somebody else doesn't want - that way less end up in landfills
• Giving local under privileged people a chance to develop job skills - a lot of thrift/charity shops exist for this purpose.

Ok... that's all for now.

Just lugged about 20lbs of groceries home... walking. Who needs the gym when you can get free weight training plus cardio workout with the purchase of your food?

And now time for some R&R on the couch, with my laptop on and an orange peeled on the coffee table. And a hot tub of water for my feet and my pedicure tools waiting.

These are not great pictures but here are the quilts :) I was waiting for the sunny days to take pictures but when they came, I was too busy enjoying the weather outside. The colours are much more vibrant in real life.