Using water only to wash hair seems to be the simple and obvious chore. But if you have never heard of the no poo movement. Then, the idea of using nothing but plain water to wash hair might daunt you.
What Is Water Only Hair Washing?
It is nothing but the process of washing hair with nothing but water. It could be rainwater, seawater, spring water, or from the lake/ river or any natural water body. Rather, it could be straight from the tap as well.
As you can imagine, water differs as per the source. Thus, the results of washing depend on the source.
Since water plays a 100% role in washing hair. It is important to know its quality to determine its effect on the hair.
Why Do a Water Only Hair Wash?
If you are years into a no poo routine. Then, most of your hair issues must have resolved. One of the benefits of a no poo is getting rid of the common hair issues. Thus, the next progression becomes using plain water to keep the hair clean.
Moreover, if you are worried about the nasty chemicals in the shampoo. Then, avoiding shampoo and other parabens, silicone, and sulfate loaded products makes sense. You can try no shampoo for a month to see if you can manage the no poo lifestyle.
How to Maintain Wash With Water Only Hair Routine?
Remember when you began doing no poo, it seemed a little overwhelming. But with time and experience, you must have gotten better.
That is how it happens with any new hair washing method. You got to start it once and be consistent with it. Then, within a month or two, your scalp and hair will adjust to this new hair care routine.
But you need to factor in the impurities and dissolved mineral in water, and also your lifestyle.
Water in my geography is hard, and I live quite an active life. That is why I was apprehensive about washing my hair with water. But I took the plunge and dealt with the challenges step by step.
The following resources were helpful:
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I love this one. Without this comb, I would never have thought about going water only no poo.
The beauty of this natural handmade comb is that it soaks up the oil from the hair. Also, it distributes the oil from the roots to the ends.
No other fancy comb made of plastic could achieve this feat.
Among natural handmade combs, boar bristles, and sandalwood are the other popular options.
But I am not comfortable using the one made of an animal body. This is even though I am a complete non-vegetarian. I have heard wonderful reviews of the boar bristle brushes. But the idea of using a body part of a dead animal freaks me.
The other option of a sandalwood comb sounds fantastic. Sandalwood is cooling and being wood, it will distribute and soak the oils well. But I have not yet found a trustful value for money resource of this aromatic bark.
That is why I am gung ho on the anti-infection properties of neem bark. It is efficient and also economical.
Soft Water Tap Extensions
Water being the cleaning agent, has to be pure. Else the impurities in it will make the hair dirtier instead of cleaning them.
You will get an idea about the purity of your water by looking at your metal taps. If they have a corroded green tint and white salt deposits, then you are safe to go no poo.
In that case, you could do the following :
- deploy a water treatment system
- deploy a soft water shower/tap extension
- use a filtering bottle
There is an adjustment period from traditional shampoo to a low poo shampoo. Likewise, there is a transition time from low poo to no poo.
Water only washing being the extreme form of no poo also involves some time to get used to the change.
During this transition period, you could experience no poo waxy hair. But since you cannot avoid it, the best way to deal with it is to hide it.
For that purpose, scarves work best. I use silk scarves to wrap and tie my hair. They do not tangle the hair, plus, they provide a sheath to the head.
How to Deal With Water Only Transition Period?
If you use the above mentioned 3 resources. Then, the switch to water only from no poo will be easy.
But the hair care regime cannot be the same for everyone. So, you might or might not face that exhausting and irritating phase when you want to give it all up.
But the good part is that if you stick through the cold turkey period. Then, you might end up having the most liberating experience.
You can wash your hair with water twice in a day if you end up with no poo greasy hair. Else you can cheat with the following methods:
Rice Water
Rice water is wonderful for hair. It not only cleans the hair but also helps in increasing the elasticity of hair. Thus, the hair breaks less.
You can collect the water from soaked clean rice. Then, after 2-3 days of fermentation, it becomes the hair rinse.
You can use this rice water to scrub your scalp and pour over your hair. After leaving it for about 5 minutes on your hair, you can rinse it with plain water.
Rosemary and Green Tea Rinse
I love the aroma of rosemary. When combined with green tea, it gives a nice detox to the scalp and hair.
For my waist-length hair, I steep about 5 g of dried rosemary leaves with a green tea bag. The boiled tea when cools becomes a wonderful hair rinse.
This tea rinse will leave your hair smelling fresh and clean.
Soap Nuts Rinse
This is the most common cleansing conditioner among the no poo generation.
It is a must after baking soda shampoo. But it works solo as well. Apple cider vinegar and water ratio will differ from everyone.
For me, a 1:5 ratio works the best. Unlike the previous two rinses, I do not wash this one-off. Mild acidity helps prevent scalp itchiness.
This acidic rinse is best for hair loss due to tap water. It helps loosen the gunk stuck on the scalp that blocks the follicles.
You can pick up any of the above rinses to add some creativity to your shampoo routine. Do let me know if you notice a beautiful shine after using these rinses.
Conclusion
Living a minimalist hair care routine is a pleasure for sustainable living enthusiasts.
Who would not love a 5-minute ritual to clean the hair?
The ability to wash hair with water only is the ultimate nirvana for a no poo lifestyle. Since the time I have got into it, my hair care routine has simplified. I no longer worry about what to wash hair with.
Now it is no more worrying about packing any hair care products while traveling. All I carry is my bottle with a filter and my neem bark comb. And that is all!
I would love to know where are you in your natural hair care journey. How are your water only hair washing results?
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