I can’t believe it’s already been 4 months since I quit shampoo and started “no poo,” and 3.5 months since I went water-only! I am definitely out of the oily transitional phase and still going strong on water-only, so figured it was time to post an update to my Ultimate Water-Only Hair Washing Routine.
These pictures were all taken in the same lighting, room, and with the same camera as the pictures from the Ultimate Water-Only Hair Washing Routine post for an accurate assessment of progress.
Water Only Hair Washing Progress
How often do I wash my hair now? Once every 7-10 days with just water.
How long can I go between water-only hair washes before my hair looks oily now? My hair actually doesn’t get oily anymore, not even after 10 days of not washing it! :D
How long did the oily transitional phase last? / How did I get out of it? It took me approximately 2 weeks to stop looking excessively oily and about 2 months to get completely out of the initial oily phase to the point where my hair just doesn’t get oily anymore. I followed these tips from my other post to get through the oily transition as quickly as possible.
What does it feel like? My hair feels different… definitely softer and more hydrated, slightly heavier, and it’s a little harder to run my fingers through my roots than if I used shampoo. But I really don’t mind the new texture! It gives my hair more body, thickness, and volume at the roots!
Do I still get split ends? I got my hair trimmed right before going no shampoo (~ 4 months before these pictures). With shampoo, my ends would definitely be split, dry, brittle, rough, scraggly, and in need of another trim at this point, but with water-only, they are just as hydrated as the rest of my hair. They are soft, shiny (I’ve never had shiny ends), and I have very few split ends. (Pictured Below)
Growth? It has definitely grown ~2 inches over the past 4 months. This is a good rate of growth, but I also eat a lot of fruits/veggies/nuts and a daily multi-vitamin so this much growth is normal for me. :) The difference here is that my ends didn’t dry out so I can keep growing it without having to trim off the new progress.
Does it smell? Okay so I’ve been doing routine smell checks since I started no shampoo (for science), :) because I’m paranoid about smelling bad. For the first 5-7 days after a water-wash without any fragrances added, my hair doesn’t smell like anything. That’s a decently long time! After that, I’ll sometimes notice my scalp (not my hair) smells like… well hair. It doesn’t really smell bad, but it doesn’t smell like flowers and dandelions or what I’m used to. So if it doesn’t smell that nice, then I’ll add a drop of a blend of really fragrant shea butter/coconut butter (that smells like french vanilla mixed with chocolate… mmm) to my scalp and hair and it completely refreshes the scent. No more scalp smell. Dry shampoo also deodorizes it very well, and this DIY recipe makes my scalp & hair smell like chocolate. Boar-bristle brushing also helps keep any scalp smells from building up at the roots. There are actually loads of ways to make your hair smell like flowers and dandelions or whatever you want while on No Poo / water-only, so I made a separate post for that.
How is my scalp acting? Great! No issues here.
Do I still have to boar-bristle brush it in sections every day? Nope! Spending time each day to section my hair and brush the natural oils through it was the one time-consuming side to water-only, but I really don’t have to do it anymore. Right before I wash my hair, I’ll still scritch & brush it to make washing easier, and I’ll probably scritch/brush once more during the 7-10 days between washes. But I don’t have to do it daily anymore since my hair no longer gets excessively oily. I do brush my hair every day for a minute just to soften the look and style it for the day. Most importantly, I keep my brush really clean between uses as to not add last week’s oils back onto this week’s hair.
How has my hair dye lasted? I got my hair dyed a semi-permanent dark color the day I switched to no-poo (4 months ago). With shampoo, the color would typically last me ~6 weeks and then start to fade. However, this time the color was strong for ~3 months, and only during this past month has it faded a bit. Pictured above on the left is what my hair color looks like when my camera isn’t beefing up the contrast to solar flare status. You can see my blondeish-brownish roots coming in. Pretty good for 4 months after a semi-permanent dye! Pictured right is a contrast-y shot.
Manageability? Styling? My hair is very manageable now. My natural hair oils act like a styling product. I can make my hair super voluminous with the flick of my hand fluffing it up, or flat to my head if I wanted. It’s like there’s a natural hairspray in it. I really don’t need to do anything to my hair anymore. It’s weird standing in front of the mirror expecting to have to do something to my hair, but there’s just nothing to do. Hallelujah.
Do I use any styling products? The only things I put on my hair now are shea butter (for added hydration on the ends of my hair or for heat protection) and the rare usage of homemade dry shampoo (like once per month maybe) just to make my style fluffier.
Do I use heat to style my hair? I don’t have to! And that’s certainly an improvement since going no poo. With shampoo, I had to use heat to tame my dry/damaged hair every time I styled it, but now I can let my hair air dry which used to be out of the question before. Now around 1-2 times per month I’ll use a flat iron, and I use shea butter as a natural heat protectant during those times. Check this post for natural heat protectants for No Poo.
Do I still use coconut oil to hydrate the ends of my hair? I actually switched from straight coconut oil to using a shea butter/cocoa butter blend that has some coconut oil in it. I prefer using the shea butter blend as it dries less greasy and works excellently to hydrate the ends of my hair in winter. I literally just slathered the shea butter all over the bottom 2/3 of my hair right before taking the Day 4 pictures so I could flat iron it a little bit to assess the length. It definitely dries much less greasy than straight coconut oil, and completely absorbs into my “low porosity” hair within a few hours.
Will I continue to use only water to wash my hair? YES. I am very happy with my hair!
Would I recommend others try water-only? YES.
How is water-only going for you? Post your update in the comments!
Check out these posts next:
I’ve been attempting to quit shampoo for a month-ish and feel like caving—-I am SO greasy. Been brushing with a BBB and a bamboo but damn—do you think this method just isn’t for some hair types (have I been brainwashed?!) I have fine hair and it’s just looking like a hot mess. How long are some people’s transitional phase? I don’t want to be a slave to shampoo but feeling less than presentable to the public at large…..any thoughts?! Talk me off the ledge:)
Does your hair stylist use only water after dye/color? If not, what product does he/she use and how does it affect your hair? Does it set you back any? I high and lo-light my hair and am wondering what I should ask my stylist for next time. By then, I’ll be a month or more into water only washing. Thanks!
Hi Larisa, From everything I’ve heard from people’s experiences with professional hair color and no-poo, stylists generally need to use shampoo to wash out chemical hair dyes. The good news is a lot of professional hair products have sulfate-free lines, so I recommend calling ahead and asking the stylist if you can have your hair color rinsed out with a sulfate-free shampoo. It should not set you back much at all. Just keep up with your BBBing for a week until your hair is coated in natural oils again. I haven’t had my hair dyed in 9 months at the time of writing this comment, partly for that reason!
The one major issue people run into at salons isn’t even sulfates, it’s the silicones that exist in conditioners, sprays, heat protection, and serums. It seems like they just pile layer after layer of those products on. You can ask your stylist to avoid using silicones/products on your hair. A lot of people just tell their stylists that their scalp is sensitive to hair products and they are trying to keep it as low-key as possible. You could even just say you are staying away from sulfates/silicones and not even have to mention the no-poo thing.
Hi!
I am enjoying changing my beauty routines to be more natural and healthier, but also to demonstrate how brainwashed we all are to believe that our bodies are dysfunctional and need products to be “clean”. I thank you, Becca, and all of the “rogue” health and beauty leaders who share their research and experiences, often by trial and error, to help us all be in better control of our own wellness.
About 1 week ago, I decided to try “no poo”, and luckily I came across the idea of WOW. I last washed my hair with shampoo 7 days ago, and I rinsed it with water 5 days ago. I used a homemade dry shampoo twice (just a little tapioca starch and cocoa powder applied to the greasy parts), and I have been scritching and brushing with BBB (not so much preening) in the evening, and only styling with a light scritch in the morning.
My hair is thick, somewhat coarse, medium brown (caucasian), shoulder length, and sort of wavy (not really wavy now without washing) and 5 days after the water rinse, it feels and looks fine. Obviously not like I stepped out of a Pantene ad, but willing-to-go-in-public. I haven’t even put it up yet (I use a hair fork). My scalp feels good, too – not really itchy at all. I am predicting a shortish transition period for me because I was already only washing 2x per week with a sulfate-free shampoo/conditioner, and because week 1 has gone surprisingly well. I have started an evening ritual of scritching and brushing while oil-pulling my teeth, and watching something good on TV.
I have a question for you, and any other WOWSERS who want to chime in:
Have you extended the WOW practices to the rest of your body?
When I rinsed my hair with water, I just scrubbed my skin with a microfiber cloth and water and used no soap, and I admit that I have not showered or bathed since then, only wiped the “smelly” areas with a wet microfiber cloth each morning. My skin feels fine. I exercise a bit each day and generate a bit of sweat. I also live alone and don’t have a boyfriend/partner. LOL.
Thanks again for the suggestions. I truly appreciate when others share their experiences and encouragement, which is why I posted here. Other non-conventional beauty practices I have started include oil-cleansing my face (waterless haha), dry skin brushing, and brushing my teeth with homemade tooth powder. I have also cut out most sugar and grains from my diet, eat mostly whole foods, eat pasture-raised local meat, and not afraid of fats anymore.
You’re beautiful on all grounds, not just your hair! You don’t happen to be single, do you? c:
This has been so helpful! I decided to transition to no shampoo after I shaved all my hair off, and with such short hair it’s impossible to see how it’s going to be with grease and things, it’s super reassuring to know that it’s going to be getting long after the difficult phase!
I feel like I’ve cheated the system, but have you managed to finish the post about happy, lovely smells yet? My hair reminds me of the smell of cats fur right now
Here is the post about how to deodorize and also make your hair smell good: https://justprimalthings.com/2016/05/30/how-to-make-your-hair-smell-good-diy-recipes-for-anyone-on-no-poo/