This homemade shampoo recipe is a little different, but my experience with it has been very good. Before I share the actual recipe, here are some details about how and why it works and what to expect if you decide to try it.
Years ago, I mentioned in a post about how I had a great aunt who was about 90 years old and had never shampooed her hair and everyone was horrified at such a thought. Even when I mentioned that I only wash my hair twice a week they thought that was awful.
Well guess what? The latest new buzz phrase is “poo less hair”. The people that talk about a homemade shampoo recipe and think they have invented a new thing. They have “discovered” what my aunt knew almost 100 years ago – You don’t need to use shampoo or soap to clean your hair.
Actually I have thought about trying it myself for quite a while and I’m not sure why I didn’t just jump in and do it a long time ago. But I finally did and I love it.
No more shampoo or conditioner for me. I have been using homemade shampoo for a couple of weeks and still can’t get over how great my hair looks.
Now I can hear some of you saying, “No way. I have oily hair and have to wash it every day and need the shampoo to get rid of the oil.” Please read on and consider what I am explaining.
I have very oily, fine, limp long hair. At times I have to deal with fuzzing and all kinds of weird things. To comb my hair out is a pain because of tangles. That is why I am so in awe.
How it Works
It works on the principle that the more oil is stripped from your hair the more oil your body will produce to replace it. It is a cycle. It works something like nursing a baby. The more you nurse the more milk you produce and when you stop all your milk goes away.
We have gotten into a shampooing frenzy, shampooing our hair every day to clean it, so we have started an awful “not good for our scalp” cycle with our bodies. Most shampoos are really bad about stripping the oils out of your hair, causing your body to produce more.
Guess what the number one selling hair product is on QVC (or home shopping network)? Wen. It is a “no shampoo” treatment for your hair. The price? Almost $35 for 16 oz. (about 2 cups) and for long hair you have to use 48 pumps of it. Do you know how expensive that is?
The homemade shampoo recipe I’ll share below does the same thing at a cost of about 3 cents for the same amount and you use significantly less of it.
What’s The Worst that can Happen?
I asked myself, “Why did I put this off so long? What is the worst that can happen?” I might have oily hair for a week or so and have to wear my hair in a pony tail. It won’t cost me a thing.
What do I have to Gain?
I will have healthier hair and save, in some cases, lots of money on shampoo, conditioner and hair products for the whole family. I am finding that I don’t have to use any products like mousse or gel because my hair is holding its curl better. This means I will save by not having to use or buy other products and I’ll also save time. Usually, within an hour, my hair would have lost all it’s curl and if I was going someplace later I would have to curl it again, damaging my hair more.
I Did It.
I jumped in and did it. The only thing I regret is that I didn’t do it years ago. Some people say their hair needed a 2-6 week adjustment period but I didn’t need one, even with my oily hair. The first time I didn’t use shampoo my hair looked even better than before. It combed out more easily with almost no tangles at all and it looked unbelievable. As I said, an added side bonus I hadn’t expected is that it keeps the curl and style better than it did before, so I don’t have to mess with it as much.
I am also going a little longer in between washing it and this is only after two weeks of doing this. I can’t wait to see what it will be like after a couple of months. This has been one of those things that has changed my life. I know that it may sound silly but you know how having a bad hair day makes us ladies feel. I don’t think I can ever have a bad hair day again!
What Do You Do?
There are different ways of doing this but I like to keep things simple so this is what I do. I also brush my hair before I start.
Homemade Shampoo Recipe
- Mix 1 Tbsp. baking soda with 8 oz. hot water and stir or shake until well dissolved. You can use a funnel and put this in a container like a squirt bottle.
- Mix 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar in 8 oz. water. Again mix and store in a squirt bottle.
Essentially, you just replace the baking soda mix for shampoo and vinegar for conditioner. Wet hair well, rub in some of the baking soda and mix into your scalp well. Rinse. Then squirt it with the vinegar mix, rub it in and rinse.
I have long hair and the 8 oz. lasted me about 4-5 washings. If you use the same proportions, you can mix a larger amount and keep in a larger bottle if you want.
Questions Answered
My hair feels icky and like straw. If you have very hard water you may need to use a little more baking soda. You can tell you have the right amount because your hair will feel slippery.
If your hair seems a little oily, only add the vinegar rinse to the ends of your hair. You could also use lemon juice instead of vinegar.
If you see a white residue, you may be using too much baking soda in your homemade shampoo recipe. The proportions I listed seem to be just right. Some people place the baking soda in their hand and make a paste to rub into the scalp but it is hard to get the right consistency and I think it is harder to distribute evenly on your scalp.
Some people have found after using this homemade shampoo recipe for a while that they only have to rinse their hair with water because the ph and oil becomes so perfectly balanced. I haven’t been using it long enough yet to know about that.
I know some of you have used regular or apple cider vinegar for a rinse and liked it, and I have too, but adding the soda for shampoo is wonderful.
In Closing
Try the homemade shampoo recipe and see if you like it. If you are still too afraid to do it, try it on your children or husband for a week or two and see what happens with their hair.
It isn’t like you are investing large amounts of money or time into something. It is very simple. All I can say is I can never go back myself. My hair is so much more manageable and looks so good now that I don’t want shampoo near my hair.
I hope you give it a try!
-Jill
We have had many different questions about different hair types and how this works for them. Here is a comment from one of our readers that I thought really covered many of those questions.
From Cheri
Thank you Jill for posting this homemade shampoo recipe! I am weaning my house off of most commercial products and didn’t know what I was going to do for hair care products. I found your article and tried it. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER SHAMPOO OR CONDITIONER OR OTHER HAIR PRODUCT AGAIN!!! I love it! I have struggled with my hair my entire life.
I have medium length, dyed, naturally curly hair which tends to be very dry. I hesitated using this, thinking this might destroy my hair – most comments were from people with oily hair. It did the opposite! My hair has NEVER looked this great! And it actually looks good for a few days. I usually have the worst bed head (comments have been made that I looked like a Troll Doll on crack). My curls no longer turn into frizz and I have less maintenance then ever. I blow dried my hair straight today, and it actually shined without any other kind of product!
I can’t believe the number of years, the number of products, and the mountains of cash I have spent trying to find the right products for my hair. The only thing I did slightly different, just for the fun of it and found good results…
I used the vinegar mixture to rinse the baking soda out. It does that foaming action the two combined do and seems to reduce the baking soda residue. Then, I rinsed it all out with water. It feels really good and my kids have a great laugh watching it! 
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
What to do with stockpiled shampoo
- To wash dedicates like undies or sweaters
- Wash brushes and combs
- Clean your tub and bath with it. It does a great job getting rid of soap scum.
- Use it as a spot cleaner on your clothes for spots like ring around the collar. If you think about it, shampoo is made to remove human body oil from hair so it works great on body oil on clothes.
- You can use extra shampoo for cleaning woodwork, leather, carpet stains and almost anything you would use soap on.
- Leftover shampoo is a great degreaser so it works really well in a kitchen
- Shampoo works well on paint brushes, too!
- Use it to shave your legs or as a body wash
- Use it for bubble bath
- Save shampoo for washing the dog
- Shampoo makes a great soap to use to wash your car.
For lots of easy homemade bath and beauty recipes like this homemade shampoo recipe, check out our Dining On A Dime Cookbook!
photo by: jessicamullen
What if you have dandruff? Is there anything else that should be mixed in to this “non-shampoo” mixture for dandruff?
Jamie this should help with the dandruff too. It balances the ph etc. on your scalp so well it gets rid of many of these problems. You might be sure to use the apple cider vinegar at first because if your dandruff is fungal then the vinegar should help with that too. Try it and just see what happens. It might take yours a week or two to get balanced if it is bad. I told myself what is the worse that could happen after 3-4 of weeks I could just start shampooing again.
I got a call from my brother (you know brothers they believe nothing sisters say) but he did start this about a week ago. I knew he thought I was crazy. Well anyway he was on the phone almost 30 mins. long distance with me because he was so excited about how well this was working on his oily oily hair. He has really sensitive skin (can’t use deodorants etc.) and he kept saying how soft it made his hair and even his face when it rinsed down it. No oil and he hair has never looked better. I laughed because I and everyone is the same way. So hard to believe it and yet are amazed and so excited when it works so good.
tea tree oil and coconut oil is an antifungal. A few drops of tea tree essential oil into your mix of baking soda and water. Or you can rub a VERY small amount of coconut oil into your scalp. Too much coconut oil will make your hair look oily. If this doesn’t work, then it’s probably not dandruff but instead dry scalp.
actually, using shampoo and conditnor makes dandruff worse….beleive it or not, dandruff shampoo is even worse. My friend had a dandruff problem for years and was using all the dandruff products. Once he starting using baking soda method, he hasn’t had dandruff since.
Maybe I missed it, but how often do you use the baking soda “shampoo”? Is it daily or weekly? I love this idea, and going back to living life more simply.
The first week or two wash as often as you normally do then start skipping a day. After another week or two try to add another day.
I only wash my hair twice a week. So that is how often I do it but you can do it more. I have been doing it for almost 3 weeks now and I have noticed I can go 1-2 days longer now with it looking fine. Eventually you should be up to once a week “pooing” and then if you want just rinsing in the shower with water in between if it needs it.
Eventually they say it will get where you only need to “poo” once a month and rinse with water once in a while in the shower.
I love using a baking soda hair wash. I use 6T of baking soda in a quart spray bottle. I do add a few drops of essential oils. For the rinse I use 1/4 cup of Raw ACV in a quart spray bottle. My hair was super dry. I went through a few weeks of it being very oily as my scalp readjusted itself.
Raye Ann, which essential oils do you use?
I am going to try this. I have thick but very fine curly hair. No matter what I use it always seems as though my hair is very dry.
Jaime, I can remember my grandma using vinegar on her hair for dandruff. It seemed to work.
Can u do this when u color your hair
I usually use only Shampoo & Conditioner for color hair
any advise greatly appreciate
thank u
Phyllis Supa
Yes.
So far from what I have found out this works really good for color treated hair because it doesn’t strip the hair like regular shampoo. That is why you have to use special shampoo because regular strips is so bad but even the special strips it more then the baking soda.
Also you don’t have to use the Apple cider vinegar because it is more like a conditioner but I do because I have long hair and it does make my hair unbelievably soft.
I was wondering about hair color. The Wen product you mentioned is supposed to help preserve hair coloring and also preserve and/or bring back your own hair color.
Baking soda does the same. We have had many readers who have used Wen but liked the baking soda better because it does even better then the Wen and is cheaper. Because it doesn’t strip your hair like shampoo the color stays in longer.
I was wondering about hair color. The Wen product you mentioned is supposed to help preserve hair coloring and also preserve and/or bring back your own hair color. Will the BS shampoo eventually restore your own color as it grows out? According to WEN, regular shampoos strip your hair of color as well.
I’m not sure exactly what you mean Jeanne but if you mean something like if you are gray and it will return you to your natural hair it won’t do that but I’m not sure anything will do that. Sorry I may have miss understood you.
Can this be used on color treated hair?
Will it hurt bleached or treated hair? could the vinegar or soda turn the color?
I LOVE the idea of not buying hair products. the money you can save, you can go out to eat with !!!!
Jill, do you use hairspray on your hair? I do and I am wondering how this would work on that?
I do sometimes but this should take care of that too. One thing that amazes me most about this is how I don’t really need as much for other hair products because my hair is keeping it’s curl so much better and is just more manageable.
It is pouring down rain here today so I thought this will be a good test for my hair. Usually it would be fuzzing up to high heaven but I just got home and it looks just as good as when I left 4 hours ago. I am so surprised. The lady who went with me after seeing mine said I am going home and try this because my hair looked so good to her.
If you are interested Lisa there is a recipe for simple hair spray on the Wellness Mama blog. Just search ‘hairspray’ she also has a list of other home made products.
i’m sorry, who are you saying yes to. Yes it can be used on treated and/or bleached hair OR yes it will hurt and turn color on treated and/or bleached hair????
Sorry Roxanne, the order was messed up. Yes, it can be used on color treated hair and I’m pretty sure on bleached hair too. There’s no chemicals in it so it shouldn’t change the color.
Got headlice while babysitting and was worried about spreading it to my husband and daughter. Spent around $100.00 on chemicals and an electronic comb for nits. After using products effectively and finding they were not helping, i tried saturating everyones hair with olive oil. This is instant death by suffocation for the lice. The olive oil washed out over 2-3 washings and left hair nice and shiny. As an added precaution ran everyone’s pillows and bedding through a hot dryer.
I’m going to try the baking soda. When I was growing up and my Mom was “in charge” of my hair she always washed it once a week and always rinsed with vinegar. My hair was beautiful, shiny, thick and yes kept curl. On wash day she rolled my hair with sponge curlers and usually once during the week would just wet my hair and recurl. When I took charge of my hair I started washing too much, now I have fine, limp, oily hair! I’m excited to try this! I think I’ll start today!
Kim I remember the sponge curlers too. That was all we had. It is hard for this generation to even image life before hot rollers, curling irons or blow dryers. We would have to curl our hair and leave it in curlers for hours for it to dry. We had all different kinds of “fluffy” caps we wore to bed and the special ones we wore during the day to the store to cover our curlers with.That was part of the reason you only washed your hair once a week or a couple of times a week because it took so long to dry.
I have gone back to the old ways about a month ago and started rolling my hair (dry) in 4 large pin curls and sleeping on them. They don’t hurt and in the morning I get up pull out the curls and I am ready to go. It is so easy plus an added bonus is the curl stays in all day compared to the 1 hour when I use a curling iron.
This sounds great. Jill, you made me laugh when you said “try it on your husband first.” You are too funny.
I wondered if anyone would notice that and laugh Bea. You were on the ball or know me too well now.
:)
I tried this a few years ago but couldn’t comb my long hair out afterwards. Any suggestions? Thanks. Oh, we did the olive oil treatment for lice a few years ago and it worked well for us, too. I also added a few drops of tea tree oil.
Mim did your use the apple cider vinegar or just vinegar. Another thing I do brush my hair well before I shampoo it and I don’t really scrub the long part of my hair just my scalp. As it rinses everything runs down the long part and rinses it clean so you might try not be too vigorous with it. I just gently rub it into the scalp.
I’m guessing y’all already know this, but my mom says you should use vinegar instead of liquid fabric softener. She says that the vinegar gets the soap out of the clothes, and that is what makes them soft. Using vinegar as “conditioner” made me think of that.
Is that apple cider vinegar or white vinegar for the clothes Does it matter? Thanks.
white vinegar. Usually apple cider is used mostly for cooking and for things like skin and hair care.
Your mother is right. I started using vinegar in my wash. Hardly any static cling, and I do very large loads. I’m looking forward to trying this. Dandruff is terrible in our home.
Poo free is the way to go. I’ve been using the baking soda/acv method for over two years, and my hair is in the best condition ever. It’s long and naturally curly. There’s no more frizz…just curls and shine. For people with dry scalps, add about a tablespoon of oil like extra virgin olive oil or even baby oil into your vinegar rinse.
Are you kidding? I tried it this morning and my hair was a ball of frizz once it dried! I did both the baking soda then the apple cider vinegar. As it dried it grew in size and puffed like never before!!!! YIKES!! I had to soak it in texturizing glaze just to be able to fit through the doorway!!!
What’s the deal. Curly, fine, long hair! Now I am a human brillo pad!
HELP!
I have short hair and have to use all sorts of products to “spike” it up a bit, along with lots of hairspray to hold it all in place. Would I then need to use this every day? It seems like I would need to in order to get all the gel and hairspray out.
Deborah if you shampoo it every day normally then you may want to do that at first. Try it and see if on the second day it looks ok. When I used products to spike my hair etc. (before no poo) sometimes the next day I just needed to slightly wet my fingers with water to respike and not add more product. All hair is different so it is hard for me to say. Bottom line is just to replace your shampoo and conditioner with the soda and vinegar and do everything else the same. After a couple of weeks or when your hair is balanced then start experimenting with shampooing less, using less product etc. I think what will happen is you will find that it takes less of any of the products to achieve the hairdo you want.
Does the vinegar leave your hair smelling like it. I like the idea of this but don’t want to smell like vinegar. I love hearing ppl tell me how good I smell when all it is is my shampoo and conditioner no perfumes
Oddly enough it doesn’t but just smells fresh and clean. I saw a video of a newscaster who was trying this method and went up to a couple of women at an airport and asked them what they thought of her hair and they loved it. The two things they mentioned was how soft it was and that is smelt so good like a spring rain.
Thanks for all the tips. I’ll have to try this. Funny thing is I just stocked up on shampoo when I found it on sale for $0.66 per bottle. Well maybe trying this method will make my real shampoo supply last longer.
The only thing Jaime is when you use this method you need to stick with it. If you do it for a few weeks and decide to go back to shampoo you have to start all over again balancing you scalp. Actually though now that I have tried it and so far 99% of the people who have say the same you won’t to ever let shampoo touch your hair again. Even if I go to the hair dresser I will take my soda with me because this is so wonderful.
That’s good on the shampoo buy if you decide you like this method you might try using the shampoo on the dog, give it to a shelter or use it for spot remover on clothes.
I tried it this morning and I love it so far. My hair is so soft. I have fine, oily, limp hair, but have to use conditioner because of the tangles. I brushed my hair first, wet it, put some baking soda in my hand with some warm water and rubbed it all over my hair. I rinsed it out and added just a little lemon juice, then rinsed that out. When I combed my hair, I didn’t have a single tangle like I usually do. I blew it dry and then sprayed a little hairspray in it. When my husband got home from work, I asked him what my hair smelled like. He said it smelled like shampoo. I couldn’t help but laugh. When I told him what I had tried, he said that he wasn’t going to try that. Who knows, he may change his mind. I’m definitely going to have my teen daughters try it, because they both have extremely dry scalps.
Thanks so much!
Oh Penny I am so glad it worked for you. I hold my breath each time I post something like this. I would love to hear if it works for anyone else.
I can’t remember if I mentioned you can dissolve it in your palm if you want which some people do. The only thing doing it that way if you sometimes see white powder in your hair it is no big deal you just need to dissolve the baking soda more. That is the main reason I use it in the water.
Jill, I do notice your sense of humor a lot and I like it. You are a riot. Love all your advice.
Hi, Can I use regular white vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar? I have white vinegar but not the ACV. Thank you.
Yes I think you can. I would just try it and see. If you have long hair, like I said before brush it first and then gently rub the soda and then the vinegar in and your hair shouldn’t tackle. I used regular vinegar for years to get my hair squeaky clean. I think the apple cider has something in it which seems to soften it ever so slightly more.
If you have short hair you may not need the vinegar at all. My brother isn’t even using the vinegar.
Have you had anyone with curly hair try this? I would love to do this, but my curly locks – well let’s just say they are sensitive and have a mind of their own.
Christine my brother has curly hair and really loves but of course it is shorter. From the things I have read about it for others it seems to work really good. I don’t have super curly but I do have problem with fuzzing, flyaway and my hair having a mind of it’s own. The surprising part of this which I hadn’t planned was how much more manageable my hair is. We have had rain 2 days ago. Normally within 30 mins. my hair would have instant fuzz. I was out running around in it and everything and my hair looked as good as by the end of the day as it did that morning.
How much nicer and more manageable my hair is really a nice side bonus. It’s like I say try it one day. What do you really have to loose? You can always wash with shampoo again. I would be sure to brush it before you poo it and only rub the scalp.
I’ve been no poo for about 3 years now. At one point I had hair down to my knees and it’s now below my butt again (bad hair cut!!!)I have thick amounts of hair, but my individual hair strands are very fine – I have trouble keeping barrettes and pony-tail holders in my hair. It is also prone to going into ringlets anywhere the hair is shorter- like around my neck and face – so I’d say it was curly.
I will never go back to the hassle of shampoo and conditioner again! My hair is easy to comb out, easy to “wash” and feels silky. So yes, it works on curly, thick, long hair without drying the hair out.
Like Jill, I don’t wash the hair, only my scalp. I do use the ACV/water on my scalp as well as th ends because my hair is thick and I want to make sure I get all of the Baking soda out of the hair on my scalp.
And this is a very forgiving recipe. I put the BS in one tumbler and the ACV in another. I turn on the shower, wet my hair, partially fill the BS tumbler with warm water and swirl it around to mix. Then I finish fill the tumblers with warm water and use them. That way, I don’t have to contend with “cold” hair product on my head.
Darlene that is a good idea on adding the warm water because that was the only down side was the cold solution going on to my scalp.
Although I haven’t tried this it appears logical that these system will preserve chemically treated hair because it contains less of them than commerical hair products do. I would imagine that hair products are designed to strip chemicals (including color and perm) from hair to encourage you to invest in additional of the manufacturers products. Think about it, do you think the Amish and other poor or frugal women spends big $ on hair products? No and their hair looks fine.
Jill, I tryed the baking soda and vinegar on my hair yesterday and I love it. It made my hair feel silky, liked I washed it in rain water. I have a book I bought at a used book sale about a year ago, about ALL the uses of baking soda, so I went and dug it out of my closet to see what it says about it, and I learned some interesting things. It says, “Baking soda is the common name for sodium bicarbonate, a natural salt that touches your life from the inside out. It is above all essential to the functioning of the human body. It helps to maintain the proper acid/alkaline balance of blood. It is the major vehicle of carbon dioxide transport from body tissues to the lungs. It is a primary component of the duodenal fluid that neutralizes stomach contents before they enter the intestinal tract. Sodium bicarbonate is also a component of saliva, where it helps to reduce the attack of orally generated acids on tooth enamel. It is found naturally in briney lakes, lake sediments and in oceans. In the blood it is the bicarbonate ion that maintains its delicate acid/base balance. Also most dirt and grease contain fatty acids which react with baking soda to form a natural soap. While stronger alkalis, like lye-based soaps can produce more cleaning power, they generally are toxic and irritating, and not nearly as safe as baking soda on everything from soiled surfaces to human hands. I think this is why my hair felt liked it was washed in rain water. It worked beautifully Jill, so thanks for the info.
Bea I am so glad you like it. It was interesting reading your stuff on baking soda. I wonder if there is any connection between it being a natural salt and the fact they use salt in water softeners which makes your hair and skin softer.
Jill, I don’t know, but the book I have says that sodium bicarbonate is used commercially in municipal water treatment plants to cut down on lead, and too much acid in water. Also, sodium bicarbonate is used in waste water treatments in sewage treatment plants, to ensure proper biological control in waste digesters. Waste-digesting bacteria need a slightly alkaline environment to work effectively. I’m glad you put this hair washing technique on your blog because I got a real nice education on how nature uses sodium bicarbonate, and it’s many uses. Farmers even use it to help cattle digest food because it’s a lot like saliva. So interesting.
I have long hair and it has been colored and even partially bleached as I had highlights put in. I am loving the baking soda / vinegar. My hair and scalp feel so clean, the minimal tangles are worth it. Though I must say I had less tangles today than when I would use a conditioner as well as a leave in conditioner so for me I am no worse off. I just want to add that the last time I purchase the special made for color shampoo and conditioner and leave in conditioner it was more than $60.00 and that was “on sale” for the buy a shampoo get half off the conditioner. You can only imagine how happy my bank account is going to be not having to put out that kind of money anymore! Also, when I go in for my next cut it will be interesting to hear what type of comments my hairdresser will have. I also bought some hiarcolor this weekend, time to try doing my own. I don’t expect miracles at first but I am going to start to figure out what type and color looks good on me, your newsletter has given me so many wonderful helps and courage! Thank you so much!!
Tami I love how excited you are.
Can’t wait to see what happens with your hair coloring this week end. Like I said it really is easy the hardest part is just deciding on the color. I how it all works out. I know it maybe shallow but the way my hair looks is the way my world looks for that day. 
So I wish you the best. 
:)
I have been doing this for 3 days now, and just want to confirm a couple things. So the first couple weeks your hair could be more oily? Also my scalp seems to be kinda itchy. Is this also normal at the beginning?
I also was wondering if anyone has some homemade ideas for a good facial cleanser?
Tasha the itchy maybe a little normal. One place said if you do have a problem with itchy then to once every couple of weeks rub in some coconut oil or jojoba oil. I would try it for a week or so before adding the oil and if you do decide to use it.You may have to do washing with the baking soda if you do this. I’m not sure because I haven’t done it. I am pretty new to this too.
If any one else has any suggestions please jump in. Plus you can google it if you want. There is a lot of info out there on it.
I have psoriasis on my scalp and have to use shampoo for that.. will this soda and vinegar work for me? Will it burn?
Nikki I really can’t say and would hate to because I am not a doctor and don’t know. Sorry this is one I’m not sure of.
Nikki, I am going to put my personal experience in here. I don’t know if you have dark hair, but if you do this might work. I have psoriasis on my elbows and I am an alternative medicine student and I just recently learned that iodine brings new I damaged skin to the surface, plus is good for the thyroid. I bought some iodine from the store and put a coat over the entire area where I had the problems on the elbows. By the next day it was all absorbed and my elbows continue to look better every day. I have done this twice now with about a month in between applications. The results have been amazing. You may want to give this a try, and if you have dark hair color no one will know you put iodine on you scalp.
Also for you blondes they do have clear iodine now.
I also have Psoriasis on my scalp. I use the baking soda and apple cider vinegar in my hair with no problem. I would suggest though that you ask your doctor for a prescription for a tube of Dovonex CREAM (not ointment, it is like vaseline and hard to wash out). The Dovonex is a vitamin D product and keeps the scales soft so that as I brush my hair they flake off and never accumulate thickly. I sometimes add a little extra baking soda and scrub the affected area also. The abrasiveness scrubs the scales off and feels good too! I apply the Dovonex every day with a cotton swab so sometimes my husband will rub it in for me. This keeps it under control. I love the poo-less routine. Give it a try!
Correction: should be OR. I apply the Dovonex every day with a cotton swab OR sometimes my husband will rub it in for me.
Idk how old this thread is but I’ve read about many essential oils being good for psoriasis and eczema (sorry can’t reneged what ones just google) maybe you could add. I have my own concoction that’s bs based with essential oils added. I had no transition time but does seem to feel dry sometimes but I’ve used everyday I’ll have to try just rinsing some days. Added ACV to my conditioner concoction and that made my hair look an feel terrible.
Nikki,
I will second Jill’s advice and say ask a doctor to be sure.
I’ll throw in my two cents though and say that no, the baking soda and vinegar will not be a good thing for you since you have psoriasis. If you are using a shampoo for psoriasis it probably contains coal tar or salicylic acid (two things I know are used for treatment of psoriasis). These ingredients are used to remove the scales associated with psoriasis and also to help with the itching.
Again, check with your doctor to be sure but it doesn’t sound like a good idea.
Jill, I fixed the BS/WATER and vinegar/water this morning. I had 2 different brands and types of shoompoos and conditioners that had half in each of them. I took and poured one bottle of shampoo in the other and did the same with the conditioners. I then washed the empty bottles real good and put the BS mixture in the empty shampoo bottle, then I put the vinegar mixture in the conditioner bottle. When I wash my hair in the morning I will use the new poo and rinse. I don`t think I will be disappointed.
Jaime – you might also use the shampoo as a body wash. I did this one weekend several years ago when I helped my daughter, who lives another town, move. After we got through moving her, I decided to take a bath and wash my hair. She had a bottle of shamppo sitting on the bathtub and I washed my hair with it; when I got ready to bathe, I couldn`t find the soap or body wash, so I used the shampoo as a body wash, and worked just as good as soap or body wash.
You can also use it to wash your delicate things that you don`t want to put in the washer; also you could use it to wash your combs and hair brushes. Another thing to do with it is to clean your bathtub / shower, bathroom sink with it, and swish the inside of your commode.
Yvonne great suggestions. I need to give everyone a heads up I had been doing great for several weeks now with my no pooing but one day Tawra called and she had tried it and it left her hair a oily mess well the very next day I washed mine in the sink and it did the same thing. But I am back on track this morning with it doing great. I think if you have a problem be sure to use the vinegar on just the ends of your hair or don’t use it at all.
If anyone else out there who has been doing this for quite awhile has an idea what we did wrong let us know.
A few years ago when our family was in the Philippines for almost 9 months (and shampoo was so expensive) I decided to try a baking soda shampoo. At first, I liked it, but then my hair started looking very oily. I finally switched to an organic shampoo. I had wanted to try the baking soda shampoo again, but I had hair stylists tell me not to do so b/c it was harsh and would strip color from my hair (making it look dull instead of vibrant).
After reading so many comments, however, I’m thinking of trying again (maybe during the summer when I’m not teaching). I currently use organic shampoo I get from Vitacost. It is free of chemicals and doesn’t sud, but works well for me and is supposed to be safe for chemically treated hair.
Are there any African American girls that have used this. please give me your take on it. Thanks,
I want to say this is working fine for me. So easy, and my hair doesn’t get tangled. My hair feels and looks real nice. I can’t believe something so simple and frugal is better than any expensive shampoo I ever tried.
I know Bea isn’t it something. My hair is so fluffy (not fuzzy) and just feels fuller. I love it too. I did have two times I washed and can’t figure what I did wrong but now it’s back to looking great again.
Jill, I used the bs/ water shampoo and vinegar/water conditioner this morning. It worked great. My hair is oily and everytime I used regular shampoo and conditioner it would still look and fell oily and look flat. After it dried I noticed it wasn`t oily and it didn`t fell it either. Also it looked and felt fuller. I will be using this from now on.
Do you have any suggestions about what I can use the store bought conditioner for? I don`t want to pour it down the drain, for that would be money down the drain. Sorry about the pun.
Yvonne, I do believe you took the words right out of my mouth (or I took them out of yours). I posted my comment to Bea about my hair being fuller and then looked and here was yours using the exact same words. too funny.
You know I’m not sure what to do with the extra conditioner. I’ll have to look into that one or if any one else have some ideas feel free to jump in.
Just looked it up and here are some things you can use the conditioner for.
Shave your legs.
Soften leather items
Polish silver or chrome – faucets, golf clubs, silver items – polish and buff
Makeup remover
Remove stuck on rings
Cuticle softener
Fabric softener for delicate items
Rub on garden tools to keep from rusting
Soak feet in to soften
Jill, I guess I took the words out of your mouth and didn`t even know it. (smile)
And thanks for for everything you do here to help us be frugal. You`re the greatest.
Longtime reader, first time commenter.
When I first read this post, I thought, “Huh, interesting, but that’s one tip I won’t be using!” Then, lo, when I got to the bottom of my shampoo bottle and added some water to the bottle to extend it for another week, my hair got just as clean. No big deal. Do this all the time.
But when I got to the bottom of the bottle again, I thought about this post and added some more water… And my hair started looking better! LESS oily, MORE full, and it stays clean-looking at the end of the day when it used to start looking greasy.
It’s amazing how hard-wired “more cleaning is better cleaning” is. (It took me months to accept “less is more” when it comes to laundry detergent, too.)
Thank you for all the tips, and keep up the good work.
Tory you are so right. I was the same way. It is so hard to think differently about these things. We do the same with everything. We use way more cleaning products, toiletries etc. just because we are use to it. This morning I put my lotion on and I thought I wonder how many people spend ages rubbing in and rubbing in lotion and not realize that all that rubbing is because they have used way too much.
Loved your story we love hearing from our long time readers and thanks for sticking with us all of this time.
Hi all,
I love this tip! I sure hope it works for me. I am going to try it starting tonight. I’ll let you know how it goes. I am new at the frugal thinking and finding it hard to wrap my thoughts around the basic “less is more” thinking.
I am totally a stay at home mom now and I am looking for ways to cut the shopping budget.
Love the concept…i’m a little concerned. How does it work with color treated hair? My hair is so dry from coloring it. I’m afraid I’ll wind up with a giant frizz ball. Any suggestions?
Works especially well on color treated hair and does better at controlling frizzies then anything.
Does this work on color treated hair, or does it strip the color?
Works great on color treated hair even better then shampoo because shampoos strips oils and everything that is why they are now having to make special shampoo for color treated hair. This method strips nothing also this is why it helps with the frizzies.
Jill,
This is so exciting. I just read this to a friend over the phone and she said her grandma did this yrs; ago and had gorgeous hair!-but, she had forgotten until I read this-like it was big news:)
Thanks SO much for sharing all of these tips with us. I have been MIA for several wks. I sold my house, trying to pack, have a sale of my extra stuff, and buy a new home. I’m in a “moving” fog-it must be spring, though..my daffodils are out:) Are you and Tawra doing ok? Sure hope so!
Blessings!
We’re doing fine. It[‘s been a little hectic. My folks have been visiting from colorado all week then this morning we were getting ready to come to Tawra’s for church and she called and said we got a contract on our house so we are leaving in an hour to go to CO to look at a house (it’s involved but they had to look at it by tonight) Talk about flying in gear. We had my folks to pack up because they were following them, me to pack up because I was coming out to Tawra’s to stay with the kids, and 2 cars to load to the top because they decided since they were making a trip anyway they should move a few things. I’m not sure I know what end is up. I hated to see them go because it is snowing all the way across I 70 all day.
I am so glad that you published how to go shampoo free. My teenage daughters went along with me on this after seeing the results on my own hair. I just love it! And I think that my skin is actually softer since I don’t have shampoo running down my body. What a difference. Thanks so much. Now I need to find out what to do with all the shampoo I have stock piled!!
Francesca I am glad you mentioned your skin being softer. My brother has started using it and he keeps saying he can feel a difference in his skin and didn’t know if it was that or what.
I was reading back on the posts about what to do with the leftover conditioner. I just read somewhere last week that if you have accidentally shrunk a sweater (or some other clothing article) made out of wool, a cool bath in water/hair conditioner will relax the fibers and “unshrink” the wool. You then reshape the sweater, roll in a towel to pull out water and then leave stretched out to dry in a place at room temperature.
Jill,
I love coloring my hair on my own! I now have some extra money to use for other things, and what a timesaver too! I love that in just 10-15 minutes time I have washed that gray right outta my hair! No need to hassle over making the appt and then remembering to actually get there on the day it is made for and on time or stress about paying for the initial color then the endless root touch ups, no offense to any hairdressers I know you all spend hours and hours doing great work and you all work hard. But what FREEDOM! I am thankful for this newsletter and the wonderful information you girls give us.
Tami you are right I never thought about the hassle of hair appts. and driving there and the time that all takes. Thanks for pointing that out.
I was wondering if anyone has hard water and if this makes a difference? I just started today on the “no poo” system and I really hopes it works for me. I plan on switching my whole family to this if it works.
If anything Carie it softens the hard water. In sort of the same way washing soda softens hard water for clothes and rinses them better.
Great shampoo!! have been using it for 2 weeks now and am delighted with it! I will also try the apple cider vinegar conditioner as well. Thank you for such an interesting and helpful newsletter!
I am now also enjoying Rob Coy thanks to you.
x Reta
I have to admit that I broke down after 4 days (my hair being a gresy mess) and washed it with shampoo and conditioner. I am wondering if I did something wrong? I followed the formula you listed and on the 4th day just put the vinegar on the ends but still it was really awful! I work at an office and I can’t have my hair looking like that! I am so upset.
Carie I am so sorry it didn’t work for you. So far most who have tried have liked it but Tawra did have trouble too (she just recently tried it). We can’t figure out what she did differently. The only thing I can think of is she usually washes her hair in the tub where I stand in the shower and the water washes everything down.
It is hard to say. My 16 year old grandson who had oily hair before becoming a teen and now really has oily hair, it worked fine for him. Where Tawra’s hair isn’t nearly as oily as his.
Now I do wash mine on my normal schedule but I just use the soda instead of shampoo. If you wash your hair every day it will take longer for your hair to adjust and if you have to work then you maybe need to wait and try it when you are on vacation or off of work. It does take some peoples hair as long as a month to adjust.
Carie, I had the same problem as you. Back in 2009/2010 I tried the basking soda shampoo for several weeks. The first few days, it seemed ok, but then my hair was looking so oily. (I wasn’t certain if it was because of the very hot, humid climate of the Philippines.)
Now, I’m back in the States, and I color my hair to cover the gray. I don’t know if I should try the baking soda again or not. I think I’ll wait until summer when I’m not teaching if I try it again.
I have been using this method for weeks now and it works great for me. I do use 2 tablespoons of baking soda though, to 16 ounces of water, per washing, because my hair does tend to be oily. I think you can just feel the amount of cleanliness when you pour the solution on your hair, AND if it feels greasy add more baking soda to the water. I can feel the cleansing happening on my hair while touching it, so I know it’s working as I do it. If your hair feels oily after dumping on the solution then just add more baking soda, or do it twice until your hair feels clean by touch. Then add the apple cider vinegar rinse. It should work.
My hair was an oily mess for quite a while after using the BS mixture. I’m sure it was about 6 weeks and I was about to give up when it finally kicked in. I couldn’t use the ACV or lemon juice because it made it worse. I do occasionally use a tiny bit of conditioner but have given up shampoo. I also color my hair at home. The BS mixture worked better after coloring, too.
Wanda, I had the same problem and did give up after 4 weeks. I might give it a go again though after hearing your story!
Maybe that’s what I need to do. Try again. (I just don’t like the idea of going to church with oily hair since I’m up front for choir in the morning and praise team once-a-month Sunday nights.)
I have heard success stories from people with curly hair and wanted so badly for this to work, but it just didn’t. I tried for 6 weeks. My hair is normally very dry, so I didn’t think oiliness would be a problem. The first week it wasn’t bad, but then I reached a point where my scalp was oily and itchy, but my hair was a wildly frizzy mess. I tried keeping it up while waiting for it to adjust; any hair too short for the bun literally stood on end. I tried brushing it a lot in hopes of spreading the oil from the scalp down the hair strands. Nothing worked. After a co-worker commented on my unusually unkempt appearance, I gave up. I may try it again over the summer when I’m not working. Is there anyone with dry, curly hair who has done this successfully? I need some tips!
I don’t have dry curly hair so if anyone out there does and can give Jodee some tips of what helped you please do.
I tried this a few years ago and had the same problem. I am Native American with dark thick curly hair (spiral curl). It caused my hair to be so frizzy and unmanageable. My hair looked so embarrassing. Maybe some of us aren’t meant for it.
I was telling a friend of mine yesterday about the baking soda shampoo and how I’d used it once or twice and found my hair was so soft, so I’m glad I’ve been able to find it on your site again! We’re both going to make some up and give it a go on a regular basis and see how it goes! My hair is normal (I would say) but I do find that shampoo strips the oil out and if I don’t use a conditioner to put it back in again then it’s so hard to brush through afterwards!
Mari I have really long hair that tangles badly so I found that if I brush it good before I get in the shower and then just massage the baking soda stuff into my scalp not the bottom of my hair and rinse it is almost tangle free. The cider vinegar helps with the tangles too.
What I love the most is to rinse my whole head in rain water. There is nothing like it for softness.
If your hair tangles brush it before you get in the shower and after your shower is done stand in the running water and comb your hair before getting out of the shower.( While dryingyour hair) Don’t rub the towel around the hair just pat it dry and comb again. I have long hair and alittle curly and I have never used conditioner. Something about the running water flowing down my hair just combs out great. Jill I just tried the baking soda yesterday,my hair seems alittle oily, I ususally only wash my hair every 3 or 4 days. So I can’t wait for the two weeks to be up. Thank You.
You are so right about the detangling tips Teresa. I am holding my breath and hope it works for you because it is a great way to do hair if it will. I realize for some reason it doesn’t work for all like many things but it has worked for most and the love it so much.
This is really getting back to basics. My mother always rinsed my hair with vinegar as a child and my hair was always soft and shiny. I can hardly wait to try this in the morning.
@Nikki with psoraisis – my husband has the same condition on his head and uses medicated shampoo’s. However, they don’t always get rid of the itching. I have him use a baking soda “scub” about once a week after he’s washed his hair and it really seems to help.
My 16 year old daughter has always had oily hair around her face and as a result, her face would break out. She started using baking mixed with her shampoo and both her hair and face cleared. After reading all this, I may try switching her to just baking soda (without the shampoo) and see if it makes it even better. She spends a lot of time in the sun and pool as a lifegaurd over the summer and her hair usually looks like straw come August. The baking soda paste really helped last summer.
I have been using the BS no-poo shampoo for 4 weeks now. My hair is shoulder length, very thick and it is colored. There were 2 instances where I had some greasiness but found I needed to add a bit more baking soda and “washed” until clean. At first I thought “this is never going to work” now I receive compliments on my hair. It is amazing to be able to put your fingers through your hair without tangles. Not sure about anyone else, but my hair also seems to dry in half the time now. Oh, I also only use the vinegar (when I use it) on the ends of my hair. It holds a curl like crazy and it is so much healthier. No more itchy dry scalp or flakes. Thanks for posting the recipe!
Ok…. I love this. I started out just using the ACV as condition while still using my regular shampoo. My long, thin hair was so greasy. Last night I started using the BS mix as shampoo and today not only is my hair not greasy, neither is my face and body. My only issue is that my ends are super, super stiff. Why is that? Any way to make my ends soft? I recently got a haircut, so no split-ends. Thank you in advance. I am from KS, too
Jennifer you may have to adjust the amount of BS or try not using the ACV. Just keep working with it and adjusting it to your hair.
I’ve been doing this for some time now.I have very long, very thick,very course hair and we have very hard well water. I do make a paste myself, I have psoriasis and it helps me personally to have the scrub effect. I also use some of the paste on my face and neck…so smooth! My husband and son stroke my hair now, it doesn’t smell and my hair has NEVER been this tangle free in my life! My hair is happy!
How do you get rid of the tangles? My hair is long. I have been doing this for over a week now and the tangles are about to make me give up. SOS!
If you have tangles that you just can’t seem to get out, try this remedy:
1-2 tsp conditioner
32 oz spray bottle
Put 1 or 2 tsp conditioner in a 32 oz spray bottle and fill with warm water. Shake to blend well. Spray hair lightly, then comb through and style as usual. Hopefully this will get you through the adjustment stage of switching to the Baking soda shampoo and ACV rinse.
I tried this and either I am doing something wrong or I’m not getting it at all. I really want this to work. I tried it the first time and my hair looked beautiful but after that it was so oily and I haven’t got it to look as good. I am not sure how much to use of the baking soda and water on my hair. I have placed it in a squirt bottle and applied it liberal and then conservative. I didn’t try washing it everyday yet, but everytime I go to dry my hair is so oily. I am also using the ACV as well after only on the ends. Help please.
Crista, it is hard to tell what is wrong for sure but maybe if I tell you what helps me it might work for you. I went 4 weeks with this working great and all of a sudden it didn’t work for me a couple of times. It is now back to working great. These are the only things I can figure I maybe did wrong.
It doesn’t seem to work quite as well if I wash my hair in the sink or bathtub. Letting the shower water stream through it with my head tilted back seems to wash things away better.
I measured mine exactly – 1 Tbsp. baking soda per 1 cup water, 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar per 1 cup of water. Now some people have been adjusting that a little for their hair so you may have to do that too.
The vinegar makes your hair oily in the same way regular conditioner does so I only put it on the ends and before I go my perm I didn’t even use it every time.
For those of you with questions about tangling hair, I brush mine real well before I get in the shower. I then gently pour the stuff on my head and gently massage it in. I then hold my head back not forward and let the water run through it.
I then pour the vinegar on the very ends of my hair and rinse again.
Try try and try again but if it doesn’t work don’t worry about it this may not be for you.
I didn’t say exactly what I do to make my hair detangle so easily. I always comb my hair before washing.I use a plastic cup and put about (I don’t measure anything,just kind of eye it)1/4 cup of baking soda, then use the hot water in the shower to make my paste (I hate cold,so I make it up fresh every time), rub a bit on the psoriasis on my scalp (it’s not totally covered with patches), I add more water to the mix and pour it over my hair and rub a bit,then I put my head back and let the shower rinse it.I don’t tangle it up alot with washing. I put about 1/4 apple cider vineger in my cup and fill it with water,and pour it over my hair, I do this twice, I have ALOT of long hair! Again, I put my head back and let the shower rinse it. This has worked so much better then conditioner for me, whether expensive or cheap, none of them really got rid of the tangles well.Maybe it’s because I don’t do ‘tv’ washing…you know, on the commercials where they pile the hair up on their heads and rub it all around, I pretty much just rub it where it hangs…LOL!I also air dry my hair, no dryer, maybe that makes a difference?The next best things I found to detangle my hair were in the aisle at the store where the relaxers and such were…lots of natural detangling products were there, I do like this better though.Every ones hair is different, I’m just thankful to have found this really works well for me, it just took a few weeks to figure out what exactly I needed to do.
Hi There, I just started with the baking soda today… and I noticed that my hair still looks dirty, and the texture is very different. Do you think that I used too much baking soda for the 8 oz. of water? Or perhaps I used too much of it on my hair? I would love some advice!
Change the amount you used and see if it makes a difference. I also make sure I wash my hair in the shower with the water running through it real well to rinse over washing it in the sink or tub. Every once in awhile mine does the same thing but then I wash it again the next time and it does fine so if anyone else has an answer give us a holler.
Hmmm. I wonder if the shampoo could be mixed with ten parts water like hand soap in one of those foaming dispensers to extend it? Started doing it with hand soap, but never thought of using it for shower gel and shampoo.
Yes I have done that for years with all kinds of things including laundry detergent, liquid fabric softeners, any liquid soaps or gels. One thing though I have found which I do more now but maybe wouldn’t work unless you have a well trained family is instead of diluting everything I just use a tiny and I mean tiny amount of every thing.
I learned this when I was selling Mary Kay. They told us a pea size or smaller of lotion or cream works just as good and in some cases better then globbing the stuff on but they said people still think more is best and slather the stuff on. Which is good for the cosmetic companies because people have to keep buying way more then they need.
If I buy cream for my face and they say it is a 3 month supply it usually lasts me at least a year.
I am so thrilled with the results of the baking soda shampoo! As I have aged, my hair has changed dramatically. Thin and oily on top curly in the back..and pretty much bushy-looking…not pretty at all! After one use of the baking soda shampoo..no oiliness and my hair isn’t frizzy..it’s softer than it has been in years and now it looks like (what I call) normal real hair! Thank you so very much for sharing the recipe! I will never go back to commercial shampoos or conditioners again!! This is wonderful stuff!!
I know what you mean Donna. I broke down and had my hair trimmed this past week and they used shampoo on my hair at the beauty school. I had forgotten how bad shampoo was on my hair. I can see a difference just using it the one time. My hair is so much oilier. Ugh.
When I had my hair trimmed about months of using the Baking soda and apple cider vinegar the woman cutting my hair said, “OHH your hair is SOOO soft.”
I didn’t know you had been using the baking soda Bea. I sounds like it has been working for you too.
Yes Jill, I’ve been using it almost since you posted about it and I love it. It really does work, and makes my hair soft and healthy feeling.
Hi- I really love this idea, as of right now my hair can become very frizzy so I use a flat iron to help calm it down, I know this is damaging to the hair but it is a cycle that has been hard to break. I was wondering what others do as of styling once they begin using this system? Hair dryers? Styling products? Does anyone have any experience with this? Thanks so much and looking forward to trying this out.
Jackie you still use the same styling products or style it the same way. Just think of this as a different shampoo and you can do everything else the same. The only thing you might find is you can use less styling products and maybe none at all and because your hair should be more manageable it can take less time to style it. My hair isn’t as fuzzy or fly away as it was when I used shampoo. Of course everyone’s hair is different but so far the majority of people who do this have just found their hair to improve.
I haven’t used regular shampoo in about 4 years. I started trying to get away from as many chemical ladden products as possible. I was spending a fortune on “botanical” products until I read about removing all the styling products and build up with diluted apple cider vinagar. I began using just the vinagar and my once coarse, almost impossible to manage hair has become silky soft. I only wish I had known about this in high school.
In reference to the less is more post, here is my thought.
Whenever I get “special” hand soaps as gifts, I pour 1/2 into another container and dilute each one with water. It cleans just as well. The important thing is to shake it just before using it each time to mix it but otherwise, it works great. Also, my dentist told me that we use way too much toothpaste whenever we brush. That you only need a dot but the toothpaste commercials show people filling up the entire toothbrush so that is what everyone does. He said that even if you use more paste you are not cleaning any better because half falls into the sink. The only person this benefits is the mfg who is making money on the extra toothpaste we waste. Just a thought.
This is true Maggie. I have mentioned before that we use way too much of all our toiletries. I use a dot the size of a small pea of toothpaste and a normal size tube lasts me almost a year. When I was selling Mary Kay one of the things they taught us was when putting things on like face cream or lotion most people felt if they glop a bunch on it will work even better but the truth was a very very thin layer of anything works just as well. Although it did help with my sells because people wasted so much. I have bought creams and they say this is a 3 month supply for most. For me though I usually get 9 months or more out of it.
If everyone one would just try using less of everything they would probably save 50% of their monthly money just by doing that.
After several of my bosses told me that men “hate” excessive and strong perfume, I learned to dilute even my cologne, so now a bottle lasts me years, and I learned to go very light on the scent. I had no idea how sensitive and allergic some people are to scents, so I became very careful. I’ve had the same cologne now for about 3 years, and there’s a ton more!
I like subtle scents too. I can’t stand it when you are in church for example, trapped in a pew, and some woman can be smelled (perfume) rows away, and it makes your eyes and lungs almost burn from the smell. It’s scent pollution. Some people just crave attention, even if it’s negative, by wearing heavy scents, or sounding like horses when they walk with those high heels that sound like horse shoes.
Bea, you are so right! My mother used to work with a lady who wore “Youth Dew” to the point of bathing in it. It’s a very heavy scent. When the lady left the job, mom said if she never smelled it again, it would be too soon! My dad hated perfume and said he only liked the smell of ivory soap! (so of course, to this day, I HATE the smell of ivory!)LOL
Donna B, I like very soft scents, if I wear one, which most of the time I don’t, but something like Vanilla, or a lotion with a subtle floral scent is nice. I once was told that if you like a scent buy the lotion version of it, because it doesn’t have all that alcohol in it, which makes perfume strong. So I buy the lotion because it’s a softer scent. I like Ivory soap too, but I can understand if you used it all your life you might get tired of it.
I agree with your mother. Some women bathe in strong perfume. Even though I am a woman, women get on my nerves sometimes. They want way too much attention instead of letting people like, or not like them, for who they are inside.
Bea,
I think my trauma might just come from the one time my mother made me wash my mouth out with soap! LOL! I was 6 and it never happened again!
Donna, I made my children wash out their mouths with apple cider vinegar. They hated it, but I knew it wouldn’t be bad for them if they swallowed. It only took once.
there is a product we sell and for the introductory trial package its so small but u only need a pin drop (and even that can be too much) for this to work .. its so highly concentrated its not even funny .. but a pin drop is all it needs to work on ur face ..
same thing with butter and mayo .. some people like it glopped on to the point its dripping .. (i have seen this at the local deli dept where we can get subs) .. and me? i like the thinnest layer of the mayo (and butter too) .. i think it tastes better .. but thats just me .. of course growing up, we were so poor, we had to make the mayo and butter last a full 30 days . .mom only went shopping once a month .. and that was it ..
After years of trying everything to get rid of my eczema this has been my saving grace. Steroids, creams, lotions, ointments nothing worked. My Dr.told me it was time to try something else, he told me about the baking soda but also had me add in a little tea tree oil. WOW! All my sores and blisters are gone. My head feels so much better and my hair looks great! I also use this on my body twice a week and my skin is not on fire anymore. I also use grapefruit seed oil on my skin and 100% shea butter. I have the skin of a 30 year old and I’m 49. Strangers in the store have stopped me to ask what I use on my skin. I was always the one to hide because of my severe eczema. I’m so proud as I only need a little mascara and blush, I also have saved a fortune not having to buy so many un-needed products.
Thank you for the bicarb shampoo recipe…I have been using it now for about a year or more and it really is wonderful! My hair has gone from really fine and having no body to being much thicker with more body and volume. My family is also using the recipe too with good results. Just have to get our oldest granddaughter to try it!!
Donna B, Now I understand why you feel the way you do about Ivory! Yuck. Glad it worked though.
Rose, can you reveal the product you’re talking about?
murad resurgence skin care .. its a wonderful product .. awesome product ..
Thank you for the recipe. I will never go back to shampoo again. My hair feels and smells cleaner. For the conditioner I use a mixture of water,honey and lemon juice. I have thick hair about two ft. long. Use to use alot of conditioner and hair detangler. Not anymore. Also my brush isn’t full off hair when I’m done with it. I couldn’t be happier with the results.
I have been doing this for over a month and my hair is starting to get a lot of static, I just reduced the baking soda to one Tablespoon for 16 oz rather than two to see if that helps. Do you have any ideas? Thanks
do you have to use ACV or can you use the baking soda alone?
No you don’t have to use ACV. It is really more of a detangler and I just used it on the ends of my hair. But the past 5-6 times that I have shampooed I haven’t used the ACV and you know I can’t really tell any difference as far as my hair being less tangled so I think I won’t use it any more.
) my hair because when I rinse my hair the soda water rolls down my face and makes my face feel so soft.
One thing I do is I wash my face first and then shampoo (or no poo
“I have long hair and the 8 oz. lasted me about 4-5 washings. If you use the same proportions, you can mix a larger amount and keep in a larger bottle if you want.”
Is this for the vinegar conditioner mix, or for the BS Poo mix as well? Or do you use the whole 8oz. bs mix when you shampoo?
It was for both Jeanne but I have recently started using the whole amount of the BS because it is winter and if I leave it sit in the bathroom it is really cold when I pour it on so now I just put a tablespoon of BS in a glass and then fill it with the warm water from the shower. The Vinegar I use for several shampoos because I just pour it on my ends and that isn’t too cold for me.
I’m definitely going to give this a try. It’s just a matter of when. I have silky/oily hair…It’s a fine texture, but a lot of it
So I’m a bit nervous about my hair looking diryt when I go to church…so I might start this on a Monday 
Thanks for the information and the recipe 
I really like how non-toxic it is..and I LOVE how inexpensive it is, too 
Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 
Heather I know a lot are afraid to try it but what happens is if your hair is still oily when you get it dry then there is nothing to say that you can’t shampoo it with regular shampoo again right away. My hair too is very oily, fine texture and long and it worked for me. I didn’t realize how well it had until I forgot my BS and had to use some shampoo I keep in the shower for guests. Boy I couldn’t wait to get back to my BS. The texture of my hair is much fuller, fluffier, not so fly away and less tangled. I hope it works for you.
I did once wash my hair in the sink and it didn’t turn out. I don’t know what I did wrong but I haven’t had another problem in over a year.
I’m going to try this on my hair. What have I got to lose? My mom always rinsed our hair with white vinegar and we yelled if she didn’t cause our hair tangled so much. Now, here’s another idea for you with the psoriasis. This came from a magazine like Organic Gardener or something like that. They said to use the old Lysterine brown mouth wash as a final rinse on my hubby’s hair. I thought it was worth a try and bought a big bottle of the stuff and did it stink! He was very skepticle and truthfully, I was too. He had used everything over the counter and at least 2 or 3 prescriptions from different Drs. The first time or two he squealed when I poured it on and kind of rubbed it in as it tingled. He said kind of burned but more tingled but he was desperite enough to try it anyway. After a day or so, he could see a big difference and so could I because all that shedding of skin stopped. It used to look aweful especially in his side burns. You know, it worked. It went away completely and never came back. We had that big bottle under the sink for years and I finally threw it away after he passed. I’ve told others about it and it seems to work for everyone. I have no idea of the science behind it, just one of those old time cures that work.
I have heard of it working too before. Listerine is really good at killing so many bacteria and fungus that is why it works for this. Many of the flakes you get on your scalp is caused by bacteria or fungus that normal shampoos can’t kill. Old Listerine has all the right combination of ingredients to do this.
Hello and congratulations on your wonderful posts!
My hair is long and thick, but I need to color it frequently, cause it has a big percentage of white, and my roots start to show after 15 days Do you think it’s safe to use the no poo method on my colored hair?
Yes you can use it on colored hair. The thing is the poo shampoo doesn’t strip your hair of color the way shampoos do and perms and color lasts longer I have found with the poo shampoo.
I loved the baking soda shampoo but I also tried the vinegar conditioner and I couldnt even get a brush through it. What am I doing wrong. I almost jerked myself bald and my hair is major frizzy. Help.
I couldn’t tell if you used white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. White vinegar doesn’t work as well for my long hair. The apple cider does better but you know just the past month I have started not using the vinegar at all and have found using just the soda alone works great. Here are to things you might try. First I brush my hair well before I get in the shower then I wet my hair but letting the shower just run down my head – no rubbing. I then pour the soda water on my scalp just massaging my scalp gentle – no rub a dub dub with the bottom of my hair or anything like I did with shampoo. Then again let the water just run through my hair to rinse. I really am not touching the bottom of my hair at all except to maybe gently squeeze the soda water through it. The soda water and water rinses through the ends of my hair enough to clean it well.
Try this first. If you still have problems then you may have to just use a little regular conditioner on the ends. It takes some getting use to but when I stopped trying to “suds and scrub” my hair up like I did with shampoo I stopped having as much trouble with tangles.
[...] Livingonadime.com – “Homemade shampoo recipe” [...]
I tried this for a few months, and my hair became extremely staticy (sp) I tried lowering the amount of baking soda and wasn’t really using the ACV and the static never went away. It was so bad, I barely got a brush close to my hair and my hair would lift up. I had to stop using it and go back to organic shampoo/conditioner.
If anyone else has this problem but still wants to try the soda use the soda for shampoo and then regular conditioner for the static. The conditioner will control the static and the soda will still clean you hair and not strip it like regular shampoo would.
I have tried no poo a couple of times and while my hair looks lovely my scalp becomes an itchy mess. I’ve finally taken to using a small amount of shampoo on my scalp only and it keeps the itchies at bay and leaves my hair silky smooth. I wish I could love no poo but my skin isn’t fond of it. I don’t use soap on my skin except for the stinky parts so I don’t know why my scalp isn’t as agreeable.
I have read about this type of thing in a book I bought of homemade remedies and recipies but my concern is that I have an oak allergy (thats what a doctor told me it was anyway) and if I miss one day of washing my hair, my scalp breaks out in an angry, itchy rash. I have been tempted to try it anyway to see if the rash would subside after a time but it would be pure misery to begin with.
I have colored hair, will the baking soda or vinegar damage it?
Laura, no it won’t.
I’m going to try this, starting today. I have dry hair, and I use gel to style, so it will be interesting to see what results I get. Thanks for sharing the recipe
[...] recipe is also great for those of you who have started using our homemade shampoo recipe and have a bunch of conditioner to use [...]
I can’t wait to try this!!!
I had the hardest time not having a nice scent to this shampoo so I added Essential Oil to the vinegar rinse. Works like a charm. By the way I was a WEN customer before I decided to try this. I am completely amazed at the results.
That is really good to know Laura. I have been watching Wen for quite awhile and wondered how this would compare.
Thank you Jill for posting this! I am weening my house off of most commercial products and didn’t know what I was going to do for hair care products. I found your article and tried it. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER SHAMPOO OR CONDITIONER OR OTHER HAIR PRODUCT AGAIN!!! I love it! I have struggled with my hair my entire life. I have medium length, dyed, naturally curly hair which tends to be very dry. I hesitated using this, thinking this might destroy my hair – most comments were from people with oily hair. It did the opposite! My hair has NEVER looked this great! And it actually looks good for a few days. I usually have the worst bed head (comments have been made that I looked like a Troll Doll on crack). My curls no longer turn into frizz and I have less maintenance then ever. I blow dried my hair straight today, and it actually shined without any other kind of product! I can’t believe the number of years, the number of products, and the mountains of cash I have spent trying to find the right products for my hair. The only thing I did slightly different, just for the fun of it and found good results… I used the vinegar mixture to rinse the baking soda out. It does that foaming action the two combined do and seems to reduce the baking soda residue. Then, I rinse it all out with water. It feels really good and my kids have a great laugh watching it!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
i have used that combination for years…not in the same proportions but the same products…we use to wash the chlorine out of our hair in the summer from the pool…also, to strip out the hard water from our hair…we have well water, so it is a normal thing in our house to use it…only thing is i mix it….i use the lemon juice mostly, as i cant stand the smell of vinegar…..the lemon juice will also lighten your hair if used on a regular basis….also, put it in your hair and go in the sun for the day, and you will get natural sun highlights in your hair…..light colored hair will have bright blonde streaks….
just saying…
jane gordon.
I tried this for a couple of months. But my hair got so much static in it, I had to stop using it.
LOVE THIS STUFF!!! I have been using the baking soda/water in a spray bottle for several months. I use 1 T lemon juice w/8 oz. of water in another spray bottle as a conditioner rinse because I have white-blonde hair and the lemon takes the “yellow-brassiness” out. I have also been making my own laundry detergent and gave some to my son who farms, welds and does mechanical work who proclaimed, “Mom, this is the best stuff on the planet for all the grease, blood and stuff I get into!” nuff said…
I was wondering if you are using any hair products now? I have naturally curly hair and normally use gel/mousse and hair spray….I am really looking forward to trying this, but I want to be prepared with a styling product that won’t mess up the results of the bs/acv… Thanks in advance!
Alison the main thing to know is this is no different then using regular shampoo except it won’t strip your hair and hair color if you use it, as bad. Because of this many people find their hair more manageable and need to use way less of other products like ones that control frizz or even as much hair spray etc. I have for the first time not had to use cream rinse – I don’t even use the acv any more. This doesn’t mean you won’t need any products at all or for example if you are using the gel for a scrunch look you will still want to use some gel. It also doesn’t inter act or anything with the bs/acv as a matter of fact I think most things inter act better and that is why you can use less of them.
Hope this helps answer your question.
Well, I tried it this morning….and I LOVE it! I can already tell a difference in my hair! I can’t wait to see the results after a week or so! I styled my hair like I normally do today, but I’m going to try no product and straighten it the next time! Thanks for your help!!
Isn’t it something. So many are afraid to try it but it is like I say what is the worse that will happen? You will just have to reshampoo your hair if you don’t like it. You are like me. I couldn’t believe it after the first time I did it because it was so nice. Glad it worked for you.
Is there anything we can add to thicken it up a little? So it’s not something that needs sprayed and can be pumped? I’m making my own laundry detergent now and I think this would be WONDERFUL for my and my husbands hair as we both have dandruff… I can’t wait to start.
I wasn’t sure if I understood your question right or not Shan on what you wanted to thicken up. I don’t spray or use a pump to put the baking soda water on. I just pour it on my head and massage it in then rinse. My brother just wets his hair real good and rubs the baking soda in with out diluting it and that works for him but I haven’t tried that yet.
Sorry, I guess I wasn’t clear enough. I want to thicken up the baking soda mixture, and possibly even the ACV mixture too. I have pumps in my shower and I’d love to not have to get rid of them. I plan on trying both this morning for the first time. I’m really excited, and my husband is totally on board too!
Shan if they don’t work in your pumps (I think the ACV would even if it isn’t thick) then maybe you could use the pumps for body wash or even some place else for hand lotion. I do hope you like it.
I decided to avoid the pumps and instead got condiment bottles at our local store (you know the kind… tall with a pointy tip). I premix the solution (although I use a little more baking soda) and keep it in the shower. It’s made it easier to apply, and I find I have to use less of the solution as I can apply it exactly where I need to with the bottle.
It also helps us keep the vinegar off our face; that’s so gross! We are on day 4, and I’m extremely happy thus far. Frizzies are down, and unless I’m being crazy picky, I don’t even need to use my straightener. I have a long pixie cut and my bangs are kind of kinky. I haven’t had the kinking problem hardly at all! I know I still have to go through a transition around the 2 week mark or so, but I’m going to stick with it for as long as I can. My husband likes this too!
Good idea using the condiment bottles. It the vinegar is bothering your eyes your really only need it on the ends of your hair it that helps and I have stopped using it all together because the baking soda seems to detangle just fine for me.
My hair is pretty short, so if I get it on the ends, it’s almost inevitable that it will go onto my face. I tried without the rinse, but I find that it really does make my hair feel a lot softer.
And since the bottles make it easy to apply, I don’t have any problems now.
An update! My husband and I have been POO FREE since April 14, 2012. That’s about 4 1/2 weeks. We’re REALLY happy with how healthy our hair looks and feels. I have VERY oily hair, and can barely go 24 hours between washings… until now. I actually tested my hair by skipping a couple of washings (and rinsings) and my hair was still going strong! We haven’t experienced any kind of ‘transition’ yet, but even if we do, we’re going to stay strong. We’re thrilled with how easy it is, showers take much less time, and we feel good knowing we’re keeping so much bad stuff off our heads and hair.
We’re going to have our two boys use it someday too. They are a little too small right now and don’t actually keep their precious little eyes closed… But one day.
I’m getting a lot of friends to try it too.
I would never have been brave enough if I didn’t see this post and read so many testimonials!
I love elimating costly products with all the chemicals in them from my life, so, of course, I was excited to try this. When I used it it made my hair feel sticky after using the bs mixture to clean with. It felt stiff and gummy. I rinsed with the vinegar solution but it didn’t help. When I combed through it there were no tangles, and I blew it dry but it was stiff feeling and very flattened to my head. I tried this for almost two weeks and couldn’t take any more. I went back to shampoo and conditioned and my hair is soft and fluffy and shiny again. My hair was dull and not shiny on the baking soda/vinegar regime also. What could I have been doing wrong? I did it in the shower, and used the exact formula. I really wanted it to work.
Jane I don’t know what to tell you to be honest. There have been literally thousands of people that this has really worked for and worked well and it has worked on all kinds of hair types too. Oily hair, dry hair, colored hair, curly hair etc. Now that doesn’t mean I think you are crazy because there have been just a handful who has had exactly the same thing happen to them. Tawra is one of those people. She and I have the same type of hair – oil level, thickness etc. and it worked great for me but the same thing that happened to you happened to her so I am not sure what to tell you.
The only thing I can think is maybe there is something some peoples hair or scalp produces that reacts to the baking soda or something. Maybe some chemistry major out there would know more. Sorry I can’t be of more help other then to tell you Tawra did have the exact same reaction so it isn’t you or in your head. No pun intended. : ) : )
I couldn’t use the baking soda either. My hair was a static mess from it. But, I now use RENPURE ORGANICS shampoo and conditioners. they are sulfate free, parabens free, gluten free.. It’s an amazing product. You should try it. You can get it at Krogers, Fred meyers is where I get it. WalMart doesn’t sell it. But you can also get it at renpure.com or amazon.com
Hi I just came across your site. I have tried no poo & had the same problem. I have a book on my Kindle called “Hair Gone Wild” it was a free book. It has alot of different recipes for natural shampoo. For example using 2 egg whites for an itchy scalp. So Jane you may want to try using Greek yogurt, after washing & towel drying,slap it on and leave it on for 15minutes then rinse out.
This comment is to Christa. I see you have a Kindle book called “Hair Gone Wild”. It is no longer free. Would you mind giving me a copy?
Thanks, Jill and Kassie for your help. I will try the products you recommended, Kassie. You know, I take some medications….I was thinking maybe that has something to do with the reaction. I may try it again before I give up all together. My hair is very dry, I may try cutting back on the amount of baking soda to water ratio. Jill I would like to thank you for your wonderful website. I recently found it, and love your guidance in saving money. My husband has a lot of health problems and medical bills, so saving money is a must for us. Thank you for all your hard work!
i cant wait to try this- i was looking for haircuts for sorta wavy sorta curly hair (i have mixed hair, white black and asian) and one site had a little thing on the side talking about homemade shampoo helping with revitalizing curls. afterwards i looked up some recipees and am very excited to try them!! thanx for caring so much as to posting a recipe and the outcomes!
I have been using this for 2 months now and continue to be pleased. I do add a few drops of essential oil to the vinegar, but my hair looks great, and this even gets out the residue from the very strong spiking gel that I use.
I’ve had great luck so far with using 1 T baking soda and 1 C water for shampoo. And 1 T apple cider vinegar to 1 C water for a rinse. I was amazed at how the vinegar softens! I keep my eyes closed! I found it was easier for me to put the “shampoo” on my dry hair so I could tell where I was putting it. I normally mix up 1 & 1/2 batches of the “shampoo” because my hair is thick. I’ve been doing this for months now and I love it. It always tickles me to tell people what I use…and how cool is it that it costs so little?
Me too Debbie. I love telling people what I use and watch their reaction. What is even neater is how so many people are so skeptical and scared to try it (I was the same way) and then when they do break down and use it how excited and amazed they are. It is the coolest thing like you said.
I am loving this! I was wondering though if I could use it on my dog. He is really old and has nasty skin and fur. I can’t bath him because he is allergic to most dog shampoos and even when I do 20 minutes later he smells. Vet doesnt know why.
I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work on him. We use to soak the kids and anyone for that matter in a baking soda bath when they had chicken pox or itching skin to relief the itching and sooth them so there is nothing harsh or harmful in using baking soda. When my dog had this problem my vet said it was just what happens to their old skin. I wish I had thought about using the baking soda on him. I don’t of any reason it would work. I wouldn’t use the cider vinegar because it might cause a burning sensation if he has any raw places but the soda will just sooth.
I loved your post! I immediately got excited and started the “no poo” treatment! After a couple times of washing though I realized that my hair was harder to comb out. More hair comes out in my comb too. Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks!
Part of the reason you are having more hair come out in your comb is maybe because it is harder to comb and you are pulling more out because of that. As far as tangling goes here is a couple of things to try. First be sure not to scrub your hair real hard. When we use shampoo we tend to pull our hair up and rub a dub dub it as hard as we can which can tangle it. When you use the soda brush your hair real well and get the tangles out before you wash it then let the water run through it in the shower (no rubbing needed), pour on the soda water and gently massage your scalp (not the ends of your hair) rubbing in the soda water then rinse. You really don’t need to even touch the ends of your hair at all just let the water and soda water run through it.
If your hair is still tangled after this you may have to use a little conditioner on the ends only. The main thing about using the soda is it improves the ph of your scalp which balances your oil production and all and helps your scalp become healthier with better looking hair so by using the conditioner on just the ends you get help detangling and you still can get the “good” stuff that your scalp needs from the soda.
It works!
I have to admit I was skeptical-but everything you wrote made perfect sense so I decided to give it a try. I mixed the baking soda with water and applied to my head. It didn’t feel like it was coming clean at all so I rinsed it out then poured some directly into my hand and made a pasted and applied it to my scalp. Since I don’t have a lot of hair and it’s so fine it was easy to make direct contact with my scalp. I massaged it in then rinsed and applied the ACV and rinsed.
I just dried my hair and it looks amazing!
HAPPY HAPPY DANCE DANCE
You are the bestest ever-thank you!
I had to chuckle at your post Cyndy. The world is so wonderful for us ladies when we are having a good hair day!:)
I shouldn’t laugh at you because I reacted the same way the first time I used it and to this day it still amazed me it works and to think I went so many years not trying this.
Okay, you all have convinced me. I have not tried this yet but just ran out of my volumizing shampoo and don’t have time to get to the store where this special shampoo is sold. I just purchased a new box of baking soda for the house and I have some vinegar already so will try it tonight. I have very short hair that is very fine so according to all your reports, I should love it. Stay tuned. I’ll let you know tomorrow.
Be brave Maggie. The worst that will happen is you will have to just go buy shampoo if you hate it.
@Maggie – Let us know how it works for you. Please?
@ Jill – A good hair day is a glorious thing-and laughter just makes it all the better!
I spent part of Mother’s Day educating my three sisters as to this wonderful discovery.
The older sis is extremely extremely wary of change.
The younger sis is tepid with an “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” attitude.
But the middle sis is willing to test it out.
If she ends up jumping on board I know it will sway at least one of the other two.
I’ll let you know what happens.
I love hearing how these things work for you guys so be sure to let me know. It also helps the other readers too. Having different sisters try it should be even more interesting.
Hi,
I have been using this shampoo now for just about a year or so and I find it wonderful!
I had very fine hair with no body in it at all but now somehow my hair is much thicker and in better shape!!! It is hard for me to believe but the results have been magnificent!
Thank you for sharing about this.
Best wishes
Reta
Hello,
I have been using baking soda wash for my hair now going on 3 months. I love it. I have however added a few things. My hair is down past my waist and oily on scalp yet dry on ends, so I make the batch of baking soda shampoo but I use 2 camomile tea bags per batch and 1/2 cup of coconut milk. It smells wonderful and makes my hair clean with out drying out the ends. I use the acv rinse only on my ends since I don’t want the extra oil it gives my hair at the scalp. In essence I love my hair now. Since my hair is blonde the camomile doesn’t affect it. Before I started the no poo way my hair is healthier. Literally I had white hair, not blonde. I believe, of course this is my opinion, that the chemicals in the shampoos where making my hair white instead of the natural color of golden blonde it is suppose to be. Yes I am 49 years old but I can still learn. Thanks for getting me started on the road to healthier hair.
This makes sense because camomile tea is used as a natural dye for blondes so if you are wanting to dye your hair naturally you might try this.
I stumbled upon this post 2 weeks ago. It took me a few days to muster up my courage but, a week and a half ago, I gave it ago. I LOVE IT!!!! My hair feels great! I have short naturally curly hair and I was worried about it getting dry but it is working fabulously! I am using less product and it looks so shiny! Thank you for posting this article!
Hi, I love the idea of going poo free and getting away from all store-bought products. I have a question, though (and I’m sorry if anyone else has already asked this, I haven’t read through every single comment).
I am an athlete who works out intensely 6 days per week. This means I sweat a TON and shower every day. Do you think this method would be good for someone like me who sweats a lot every day and showers every day? I currently am using a natural shampoo and have already been using ACV as a conditioning rinse instead of conditioner (I have fine hair that tends to be limp and greasy). I currently find that when I skip a day with the shampoo, but just rinse with water, it is not as clean feeling and more weighed down. But I don’t like the idea of using shampoo every day, because it is stripping the natural oil and making me produce more oil. But will using baking soda every day also be stripping?
Are there any sweaty athletes here who have tried this?
Thanks!!
The baking soda would be perfect for you. One of the main pluses of baking soda is the fact it doesn’t strip your hair of natural oils and helps to balance the ph so that you can produce the right amount of nature oil. To show how mild it is many people love it because it doesn’t strip the color out of their hair and helps perms to last longer because it doesn’t strip at all. My brother sweats terrible and works outside alot and has oily hair. He was so excited to use this because he can use it everyday.
Thanks Jill! I have begun to use it, with ACV as conditioner. Feels great, and I am glad to be using something so easy and economical. I have added a few drops of Tee Tree/Lavender essential oil blend, so it smells nice and fresh. So far so good!
Just found this website while searching for “homemade shampoo”, thought I’d leave a quick comment..
I’m 27 with medium length, dyed hair. It’s slightly wavy and quite frizzy/dry at the ends with lots of breakage, and very oily at the roots.
About 4 months ago I started having scalp problems, it became itchy/flaky and I kept scratching/picking at it, which made little sores/scabs. It was driving me mad, I couldn’t help but pick, just making it worse. Yuck! I kept checking my hair for lice but found nothing.
I tried 4 different dandruff/medicated shampoos and they didn’t really help. Stinky and expensive. Tried rubbing olive oil with lavender and tea tree oils, it helped a little, but still I kept picking.
I was getting desperate, terrified I was gonna end up bald. I would itch and pick in my sleep. And during the day I kept catching myself doing it. Ughh.
Last week I bought a bottle of apple cider vinegar and mixed it in a spray bottle with water 1:3 ratio. Sprayed it all over my scalp and left for 1/2 an hour then rinsed out.
Wow what a difference, the itch was pretty much gone after just that one application, and my hair looked nice and shiny. I have been spraying it in my hair every day now, just while in the shower and only leaving it in a few minutes. In just a few days of use the scabs/sores on my head are healed. I have not used shampoo or anything else but ACV and water for the past week, so my hair is starting to get a little oily, I will be trying the baking soda wash today. And I’m gonna get rid of all my other shampoos, conditioners, leave in products etc. Have also ordered some henna and indigo powders to use instead of the usual hair dye.
Anyway thanks, great post. ow off to read the rest of your website =)
I have a question about this. Is your hair supposed to be very uncooperative after you’ve used the baking soda? I mean, it felt very clean and very nice, but, I couldn’t get my comb through it to save my life, and when I ran my hand down it when I was still in the shower, my hand kind of stuck to it like it would if you were running your hand down a frozen piece of glass. When I finally did get my comb through, it kind of gave my hair little frizzies at the top. Maybe this is just a side-effect from just starting it?
You may have to do one of two things – try apple cider vinegar on the ends which works as a detangler or use the baking soda and then some regular conditioner just on the ends of your hair if it is really bad.
That’s interesting. When I use the baking soda, I find my hair gets softer and I can easily run the comb through it when I am still in the shower. It gets even softer and easier with the ACV, but even with the baking soda I can comb through it pretty easily. Maybe it has something to do with the state of the water, or different hair types?
Won’t this method mess with the ph of my hair? Baking soda is a base, and vinegar is acidic, so I’m worried about it putting my hair through lots of damage. It might balance it out by the end, but won’t doing this every other day or so eventually tire out my hair?
We haven’t heard of any problems using it.
Using shampoo is what messes up the ph balance on your hair that is why every one is so excited about using the baking soda because it balances the ph and doesn’t mess up or strip your hair.
I am SO excited to start this! Being a new college grad with many other expenses, I would love to save money from not buying expensive shampoos, conditioners, detanglers, etc. My hair is extremely thick and long, with lots of breakage. The majority of the reviews seem wonderful and I am looking forward to giving this a try! I will let you know how it works for me! Thank You!
This is so funny. I was a swimmer for many years, and this is how we were told to care for our hair (to prevent the green overcast from chlorine). I “washed” my hair in baking soda with vinegar rinse for many years. I have dry hair, and the chlorine didn’t help in that area, so also had to give myself hot olive oil treatments once a month. But I can say, for many years I rarely used commercial shampoo. Baking soda, vinegar and olive oil were all I needed. I have since fallen back into buying commercial products, but I’m going to try this again. Thanks!
I use to wash my hair every day but I would get static in my hair, especially in winter and frizz, even with oily hair, but discovered that hair doesn’t have to be washed every day. Two or three days in between works better. Too much washing strips hair of oils and damages it.
I tried this for 4-6 weeks and did not like the way my hair felt. It was grimy and looked dirty. I did some research because I have very hard water and thought that might be impacting my results. One website suggested boiling the water before adding the baking soda and using the vinegar undiluted. I tried both these tips and low and behold, my hair is almost back to “normal” after one wash. I am looking forward to seeing how much better my hair gets with this regular treatment! I thought your other readers might be interested in this tip.
Thanks for the tip Katy. Every once in a while someone will say that this doesn’t work and it might just be the water. To those of you just trying it use it with your regular water and then if you have trouble like Katy try boiling the water.
You can also use distilled water- same point as boiling the water- to remove the extra minerals.
does anyone know of a scent free shampoo that won’t kill the budget.
any scent attracts the biting insects and make my life miserable.
They love apple cider and the fruit and flower scents. I live outside in the summer and it would be nice to not comb my hair and pull out dead black flies.
any help would be appreciated.
I had a friend that started doing this a couple months ago and I thought she was crazy- of course I didn’t tell her that. I’ve really been trying to find better ways of spending my money (I found a D.I.Y. recipe for facial toner last week) and this week my mission for hair care was a success! I am so excited to try this- do you know where you can purchase the bottles to hold the fluid? I haven’t been able to find them at walmart, I was wondering if you got them from the dollar store/ 99cent store? Also, once my hair gets used to it the mixture do I just do it every other day or every two days? *Faye
Faye I don’t even put mine in a bottle I just use a plastic glass but if you do want a bottle you can get them at most dollar stores but what I would do is buy a small bottle of dish detergent and use that bottle. Doing it this way you get the dish detergent for the same price you would pay for just a bottle.
Different hair types do differently. I do my hair every 3 days. You will just have to judge your own hair. Try washing every other day for a couple of weeks then every 2-3 days etc. Even if you still wash your hair everyday you are saving money and not stripping your hair which means you should be able to get by with less hair products for conditioning your hair.
Thank you so much for the recipe! I want to give it try, it never hurts to try.I just have one question how often do I use it on my head? I currently wash my hair everyday. Thank you so much!
To start out Maria wash everyday if you want. What you need to do is just watch and see – does my hair look ok this morning and if it does then skip a day. It does take a little time for your ph to balance out and your hair to stop producing to much or too little oil. At the risk of sounding indelicate it is like nursing a baby, the more you nurse the more milk you produce the less you nurse the more you start to dry up and the same principle applies with your scalp. The more you strip your hair with shampoo the more oil your scalp thinks it needs to produce and once you stop stripping it it takes a little bit to get it regulated.
Thank you so much for the reply… Im super excited to give it try!
I have tried your poo free recipe and am thrilled. I have always had good nails and good hair – got it from my mother. I have abused my hair over the years – color, perms I didn’t need, etc. After giving birth to my daughter it began to curl a bit. In my thirties, I gave into the natural color and curl of my hair. I was surprised to find that I did not miss the color, the perms, the other. About a month ago, after reading many blogs, including your own, I went poo free. I love my hair! Thank you. I will be blogging about it soon and sending my readers your way. Thank you for the inspiration to let my hair be what it is. ~Kelly
unDeniably Domestic
I am so glad it worked for you Kelly. Good point too. Sometimes we perm and color our hair all the time just because it is what we have always done and you might be surprised how much you like you natural hair if you stop. It sure would save a lot of money for many.
Hi,
I forgot to say on another post about the shampoo that when we go to Malawi it is great to not have to carry bottles of shampoo out with us…less weight and more room for items which we need to take to people out there. I simply get B/soda and there we are!
Brilliant stuff!!!
I always put essential oils usually lavender into it as well.
Thanks for a great and useful recipe that really works.
xx Daisy
Tried this trick yesterday. I mixed up two Tbsp of baking soda in a 16 oz cup. I had been swimming, so I wanted to make sure the chemicals were out. I also did the two Tbsp of ACV in 16 oz of water. Wow!! I usually have thin, flyway dry hair. It seemed thicker and more in control. It also seemed to take out the brassyness. I am so happy with it. I am going to use two of those pesky water bottles to make the stuff. I will use the regular amount the next time. But I am very happy and I have hated my hair for years. My seven year old hates hair washing and is really interested. So we are going to do her’s next. I just got on my knees and did it under the faucet after I let my bathwater out. I made sure that I rinsed well both times.
I will be posting a link to my blog also!!
My hubby even noticed something was different. That is really something. LOL
Does it matter if the baking soda is expired?
Nope.
Hi Jill,
I am so very intrigued by this! Thank you for posting! I have had extremely thin and oily hair my whole life, to the extent that it gets oily in like 12 hours or less. Anyway, I was just wondering if you (or anyone else who is reading this and is now “poo” free) ever use any other type of homemade deep conditioners (even if it was once every few weeks)?
Or do you not feel the need to do anything else to your hair because the condition of your hair “poo” free is so great on its own? I’m not talking about store bought stuff, but natural recipes I’ve found such as using avocado, etc. I just thought I’d ask. Thanks!
I have made use of ACV as a hair rinse since 1980 and used it on my children when they were young. They didn’t care for the smell of ACV going on – - as others have shared, the odor is not a problem post-treatment. The usefulness of baking soda as a cleaner: it was the only thing I found that worked to remove pine sap from my
tree-climbing children’s hair.
i was very apprehensive to try the baking soda shampoo and terrified at the thought of putting vinegar on my waist-long hair. but…let me tell you this- once i had the baking soda mixture on my hair – it felt so freaking clean that i actually got out (mid shower) and dumped out a handful of the dry baking soda and worked it through my hair. AMAZING!!! i just could not stop washing my hair. for some reason the gentle/ natural abrasiveness was wonderful. i was brave and used the vinegar mix(which made me crave a salad) and it wasnt horrible like the image i had conjured up in my head, but we shall see how i feel about this “go natural” kick i have ventured out on once ny hair has air-dried
Hope you are still as happy when it has air dried. I was even more impressed after mine dried because it had – like the commercial says – so much more body and bounce and it wasn’t near as fly away or out of control.
I recently decided to try to make my family as chemical free as I can and the baking soda/apple cider vinegar was my first attempt at an all natural cleaner. I held off on washing my hair for about 3 or 4 days and today when I showered, I tried it out. I am thoroughly amazed! As someone who uses leave in conditioner religiously, I can say that my hair is SO soft after trying the apple cider vinegar!!!! So far, I love this.
I do have a couple questions though…A lot of people said their hair was really greasy for a week or two. Was this after switching to the BS/ACV method? Or was this while spacing out washes?
Also, when using this method on children do you need to use the BS every time or just the vinegar?
Thanks so much for posting this!!! So glad I tried it
Natilie each time you shampoo it will turn out like it did today for you. About 3 times in the 1 1/2 years I have used it it didn’t quite get clean for some reason – usually it was when I washed my hair in the sink instead of the shower. Can’t figure out why but I just rewash it and it is fine. So what they are talking about getting greasy is they are the ones who are trying to go longer and longer in between washings. I still shampoo the same as I usually do just because I only shampoo twice a week any way so it is no big deal for me to keep doing that. I have noticed how ever that with shampoo by day 3 my hair was starting to look rough with baking soda I can go 4-5 days before it looks rough.
For kids I would just use the baking soda and yes use it every time you shampoo but you don’t need to use the vinegar on them unless you have a little girl with long tangley hair. The vinegar doesn’t really clean as much as it is like a conditioner/detangler. I don’t even use the vinegar now because I am finding the baking soda does a great job of detangling and making it soft.
I have been using pooless for a good two months and with grey white hair that had a mind of its own…I now have controlled hair. I love it and I too like Laura wanted a scent so I will do the essential oil with vinegar solution. Thanks so much for all the wonderful things that you bring to us and make us aware of simplicity. The hair is fuller, in place, soft, shiny and with little or not cost!!!!!Love and prayers!
[...] recently switched to homemade shampoo, conditioner and deodorant, recipes courtesy of these lovely blogs. I’ve been using Basis sensitive skin [...]
I have been trying for a few years now, especially back when we had a budget of $800/mo for a family of 3, to get more natural, affordable products, but every time the paycheck would increase a little it would be pushed by the wayside. Now, even though we are financially better than before I want to get rid of a good lot of chemicals from our household and lifestyles. And, since my hubby is deployed…I think it will be a good time to give a few homemade recipes a shot…maybe he’ll be more willing to accept them when he gets home if he sees that we’ve done well with the changes over the last year.
Thank you…and this site. Amazing ideas.
Can it be used on babys? I have a 5 month old and her shampoo isnt cheap either
It might sting a babies eyes if you got it in there.
Hadn’t thought of that, thankyou
I used it on my 2year old and she didn’t mind it. Regular shampooing is cause for screaming fits. I also used it on myself last night…the baking soda didn’t bother me but the vinegar caused a little discomfort…more of a warming sensation then burning/stinging though (I’m a klutz and always getting soap in my eyes). If nothing else…just skip using the vinegar…babies hair is so fine anyway…you really don’t need a conditioner. If your little one has dry scalp or Cradle Cap, try using some coconut oil as a “conditioner”.
I tried this last night and am pretty amazed at how good my hair looks today, although I added Argan oil afterwards because my hair felt dry. As far as color treated hair goes, I have read conflicting things. Some articles say that baking soda and acv strip the color right out of your hair and some say that it is better for your hair. Can anyone with color treated hair let me know what their experiences have been?
Most all our readers who have had perms or color treated hair have said it makes the color last longer and doesn’t strip it.
Thanks, Jill!
I used this the first time last night and am pretty happy with the results. I blow-dried my hair after washing (which I normally don’t do-I was anxious.) and it seemed to dry a lot faster than usual. Today it feels a little oily, but to the touch it’s soft and smooth, and it looks like I have just enough product in it to keep the frizz away.
Can’t wait until everything evens out.
I also used it on my daughters today and, other than the complaints I figured I’d get (“It tastes funny…It doesn’t get foamy…It doesn’t smell flower-y.” That kind of thing) it went quite well, especially for my 2 year-old who HATES having her hair washed.
I just tried this “shampoo”. I admit it felt strange to wash my hair with non foaming liquid
. I did add some aloe gel into the mixture because my scalp is itchy and I have dandruff. I’ve tried lots of shampoos with no real success and have reached to the conclusion that this condition might be caused by the water, because when I was on vacation there was not even a trace of the flakes. So I am in a search for what will work the best for my hair with the water we have here.
What came as bonus while washing my hair with the mixture was that it spilled all over my face and body which can be good having in mind I have added aloe.
Thank you very much for the article and all the comments. You all helped me a lot.
Hope this works for you Aylin. If you still have the dandruff you might eliminate the aloe gel and use the straight soda. We have had many people who have had a real problem with dandruff and have found using just the straight soda fixed the problem. My brother has very sensitive skin and he too loved it when the soda water ran on to his face because he said it softened it and made it feel so good.
I just tried this today, I put 1tbsp of bs in a cup and mixed it with water in the shower with a spoon, but found no matter how much I mixed, it didn’t dissolve… So I pored on the water then applied the rest as a paste onto my scalp. I scrubbed it in, then rinsed it out and let the water run through it for a bit for good measure. Next I applied 1tbsp acv diluted from a squirt bottle, left it for a short time. Then rinsed. I have hair that is regularly bleached and down to my shoulder blades. Because bleaching tortures my hair soo much (yes I know.. I shud stop. But I’m addicted lol) I usually use a leave in conditioner to make it easier to brush/style/and look healthier, I didnt use it today… Right now my hair from midshaft to ends looks fried!! It looks like I never even used a conditioner at all! More than that, it’s dry, it feels like straw! I’ve never had this with my salon shampoo & conditioner… This is the worst condition I have EVER seen my hair in.. Will it get better? Does my hair need to adjust, did I do something wrong? Or is this just not meant for bleached hair? Should I be using my leave in conditioner? SOS
Oh my Melanie. I have never had anyone have this problem before. The part about the soda not dissolving is odd too. I’m not sure about the chemical reaction with your bleached hair. This won’t make any difference in the straw like part but you don’t let the acv sit on your hair like you would regular conditioner, you just rinse it right out. Plus you said you applied a Tbsp. of diluted acv but I use at least 1/2 cup of diluted/with water to my hair. Sometimes changing things even the smallest amount can affect the way it works. You could try it again with fresh soda and dissolved in warm water, using more or none at all of the acv.
Maybe someone else out there has had this happen and give their two cents worth and what they did or this may not just work for you. Not everything works for everyone.
Thanks Jill, I will def play around with the acv and rinse it out right away, hopefully I get better results next time
Melanie you may if your hair is super dry too have to use some regular conditioner on the ends for awhile too which is nothing wrong with that. It is your scalp that you are trying to balance out. Also I did my hair the other day and it looked good and all but it felt different I made me think that if we get used to the feel of stripped hair it might take a bit to get use to the feel of hair with natural oil. Sorry you are having trouble. I remember once when I was young and went swimming everyday the chemicals in the pool reacted with my hair and it turned to straw too and green. Very scary.
Thanks for your help Jill, I actually hopped back in the shower and doused my hair with more acv, it’s doing better now! Still a tad dry but this is more along the lines of what my hair looks like with just a washing w/ shampoo & conditioner without any extra product. My hair feels a bit “heavier” than when I strip it with shampoo, which makes sense, however it looks clean.
I think I will try adding some extra conditioner (as you suggested) or my leave in to just the very ends for a while.
Oh good I’m glad it is doing better for you. If your hair is over processed in may take a little conditioning while it is getting balanced out. So glad it is doing better. Nothing as bad as a bad hair day. : )
Hi, I just recently started this and the baking soda has made my hair look thicker but it is so tangled and a bit sticky. Could I be using too much baking soda or is this normal as part of the adjustment period? Or could the problem be that I’m leaving the soda on too long?
If I use too little it just doesn’t clean my hair efficiently. Any advice would be greatly appreciated since I have struggled with my hair all my life. Nothing I do seems to work.
Faith I’m not sure why but every once in awhile someone does have trouble using this. I don’t know if it is the way they are using it, the water or what. One thing try to use exactly 1 Tbsp. to 8 oz of water. You don’t leave it on, just pour it on your scalp and massage it in like you would shampoo then rinse. For the tangles you might try a couple of things. I brush my hair well before I shampoo it, I have better results if I shampoo in the shower and when I pour on the soda water I don’t scrubba dub dub. I just gently massage it into my scalp and not bring the ends up and scrub it all in one big mass like I did with shampoo. I let the soda water just run down to the ends of my hair.
If none of this works for the tangles you could use some conditioner but just on the ends of your hair for awhile.
This is going on week two for me and it is a bit of an adjustment. The first week was horrid. My hair was greasy, but dry. I played with the amounts and left the baking soda in my hair (after massaging it for a few minutes), for about 10 minutes while I shaved my legs and showered. To the acv mix, I put about 10 drops of essential oil that is lavender and tea tree oil. It looks much better this week! I colored my hair on Saturday and no color stripping. The only issue I have is that my hair feels “grainy”, even after rinsing it for at least three minutes. Any suggestions on how to get rid of the grainy feel?
I’m not sure what to tell you Kristin but for some reason everyone is wanting to leave the soda sitting in their hair. The soda does not condition your hair so leaving it sit in there doesn’t do any extra good so I would say start by rinsing it out right after you massage it in which should only take about 1 min. I’m not sure but if the essential oil is not mixing with the acv. If you think about it oil and vinegar do not mix when making salad dressing so the chances are they won’t mix on your hair. I wouldn’t use both just one or the other and then only put it on the ends of your hair.
Thanks for your advice Jill. I really want to make this work because I am deeply dissatisfied with just about every shampoo I’ve tried. They all leave my hair flat and limp or if I try to wash less my hair just gets so greasy. Hope this works:)
Hello Ma’am,
First of all thank you so much for this Healthy-
Happy hair care Formula. I am very impressed with your Idea.
My hair are very stiff and thin, should i apply this Baking soda shampoo on my hair?
Thank you
It won’t hurt to try the soda. There is nothing in the baking soda to damage or hurt your hair so I always say don’t be afraid to try it. The worse that will happen is you just don’t like it so all you have to do is to reshampoo with your regular shampoo if you hate the way your hair turned out. It isn’t like dyeing your hair where you have to let your hair grow out or recolor to get rid of it.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
For a long time I was worried,despite considerable efforts
for my hair but yesterday when I washed my hair with Baking soda
it’s feels wonderful and i am totally pleased now.
One Important thing I want to mention that first time got Volume in my hair and i love it.
My hair are delighted and want to say A BIG THANKS to YOU.
With all my Energy and love i wish you a great,Happy and prosperous Life.
This is the third week that I have been “poo free.” The first two weeks were a greasy horrible mess. Last night, I washed with baking soda and used a regular conditioner as my hair had been dry. My hair looks AMAZING this morning! It has body and the natural waves are popping! I noticed that the conditioner really weighed my hair down and made it feel thinner than it is. Next time, I will just condition with the ACV and use some of my lavender/tea tree oil in the conditioner’s place. Thank you, Jill for this blog!
I’m looking for a no rinse shampoo recipe for someone that is bed ridden. The no rinse that you buy is so expensive. any ideas?
I have not used it but I know of an elderly aunt who had beautiful hair and never used any shampoo on it at all. She would just sprinkle her hair with cornstarch and brush it through. I have also heard of mixing equal parts of baking soda and oatmeal. The whole principle is that these absorb the oil.
I didn’t see where anyone answered about using this on African hair. Has anyone done it?
J it seems like someone did mention they used it on African hair but I can’t be for sure. What I tell everyone who is hesitating is to just one morning try it. We all have baking soda on hand so you won’t be out any expense. It isn’t like hair color where you are stuck with the color for weeks. Baking soda is so mild that it can’t do any harm at all no more then using plain water. It is really like trying any new shampoo you buy at the store except this doesn’t cost you anything. If you wash it and you hair doesn’t look like you want it to then just rewash with your regular shampoo.
I’m going to try this, starting today. I have to wash my hair every day because it’s oily, and I wear a mask for my sleep apnea, so “troll doll on crack” is really close, LOL!
A note about apple cider vinegar… this is awesome stuff! I’ve used it as a rinse (great for removing shampoo residue, and very softening for hair). PLUS when my daughter was a wee babe and had cradle cap, I diluted apple cider vinegar about 10 parts water to one part vinegar and rinsed her head with it. Cleared the cradle cap up right away!
I’m really psyched about going no-poo! Thank you!!
While in college, many, many years ago…my roommate heard about mixing baking soda in conditioner to breakdown hair product build up. It was the 80′s and big hair was in style, it worked like a charm, not sure why I stopped using it. Can’t wait to try your suggestions, I’m ending one year of treatment for breast cancer and going “natural” with everything that I can. Thanks again.
OMG, Jill, this is absolutely, positively unbelievably fantastic!
I mixed my stuff up last night, planning to use it before bed. I couldn’t find my squirt bottles, so I left it in 2 cups. But I was too tired to shower. I’ve had a bad head cold for a week, and haven’t washed my hair for 3-4 days. I usually wash every single morning to counter awful ‘bed-head’ from heavy night sweats and wearing a mask for sleep apnea. Usually I wash in the shower, condition, comb the conditioner through my short hair (baby fine) that tangles if you look at it cross-eyed.
I did NOT believe this would work for me. But I was willing to give it a try. Now, I’m telling you my hair was super oily. Well, can you say squeaky clean?? That was a pleasant shock, cause I’ve always loved my lather!
I didn’t want to leave unlabeled cups in the bathroom, so I actually used all of both containers, only remembering at the last minute you suggested just using the vinegar rinse on the ends of your hair. I picked up my comb, prepared to struggle with the tangles I ALWAYS have, even with the conditioner in my hair. NO tangles! Not a single one! I rinsed with warm water, then gently dried my hair a bit. I absolutely can not believe how my hair sparkles! No tangles, sooo soft and clean-looking! I am definitely a convert! Thank you so much for sharing this with us! HUGS!!! Sunny : -)
I love doing this. Not just is it economical but healthy. You can go with oh the bad things about the chemicals in the shampoo, but some of us really have sensitive enough skin that the chemicals were an obvious problem.
Yummy smelling products are really the rage, but at what price? Everything with all it’s artificial fragrances and it being so much higher up the list than it used to be (more in the product), I have had a lot of reactions. A big one was to shampoos and conditioners. After using a *I’ll not post the name* popular name brand shampoo seen on tv a lot, I had to get up one night and wash my hair at one o’clock in the morning because my head was itching so bad. It was the first time I had ever even tried that product.
I had had some itching before but thought it was dandruff. Not long after that incident I went no ‘poo. Thank God (I don’t mean that in a swearing way, but literally) I found this. Saved me from scratching my head until it was bleeding! Turns out I don’t have dandruff.
Really it makes sense, I learned years ago not to strip my face of it’s natural oils because it made my acne worse. So why didn’t I apply that idea to my scalp which is attached to my face?!
REALLY JUST TRY IT!
Jill, could be that heavy layers of leftover hairspray in hair causes the hair to be sticky and heavy after the soda poo. (Commercial shampoos are harsh enough to strip it out where the soda poo might take a few more washings). Some hairsprays are really hard to get out of hair. I am anxious to try the soda/vinegar poo. Tommie
That could be a possibility Tommie. Your comment reminded me of in the early 70′s we use to drive across the border to Mexico to get our hair done for special occasions (it cost a whole $.50). They would take a spray our hair with lacquer to make sure it stayed in place and boy did it stay in place. I remember wrapping it in toilet paper at night to help it too. Can’t believe we did that. What a crack up.
I have been reading and reading and had to skip to the bottom. I look forward to trying the Baking Soda and maybe the vinegar or lemon juice. I currently have short hair after having long hair my whole life. MAINLY I WANT TO SAY – if you have STATIC in your hair, put a little hand lotion on your hands rub it almost all the way in and then lightly (very lightly) touch your hair where you are having fly aways. It has worked for me for years and I have tried it on the seniors that I am a caregiver for and then they can go an extra day or two between showers since they hate showers most of the time, (It is a fall risk and sometimes tramatic to be cold and undressed). Anyway, if their hair looks nice and a little baby powder on their backs, underarms, under breasts and they are good for another day. I’m sure it works with little ones who aren’t fond of bathing also. Wendy
[...] ‘Poo-free, if you will. I’ve eliminated washing/conditioning my hair. After switching to henna color, I [...]
I didn’t want to comment until I experimented with it for awhile. Now I too am ‘poo free’ (hee. hee.) The first time I tried baking soda, I made a paste as instructed by another site. It made my hair feel really stiff & I probably didn’t rinse it all out. I read the recipe and instructions on here and tried it like a month ago. So easy and no more ‘bad hair days’. My hair has always been brittle in texture, but it’s seems to be getting softer each time. I alternate between the whole head and just the ends on the apple cider vinegar rinse. I notice that instead of vinegar smell I catch a slightly floral scent to my hair.
As for dry shampoo mixtures, I found an old home ec text book, when I was first starting out. Cornmeal really does work when your out of shampoo. I also used a cornmeal/powdered Tide mixture described in the book.
My husband has noticed how much healthier my hair looks and is going to give it a try too.
I only wish I knew this years ago…the money I could have saved on all the expensive shampoo and conditioners…my first apartment building is up for sale…I probably could have paid cash for it today if all that money went in the bank instead. LOL! Thanks, again for another awesome money saving idea!
Too funny Cat. We all could have paid off our homes earlier with what we spend on hair care products. I also tell everyone cut back on the amount that you use on any of your toiletries. For example if you are forever rubbing and rubbing your lotion in you are using too much. More does not mean better. You just need a thin layer of anything like this including face creams, body wash, shampoo, toothpaste, mousse etc. If ever you are finding yourself using huge amounts of anything it is usually because the product is not working so you need to buy something different not use more. I have long hair and when I used shampoo one bottle would last me at least a year because I only suds up once (why suds twice? We don’t wash our dishes or clothes twice) and used very little shampoo.
I am so glad you kept trying this method Cat. Some people try things and it doesn’t quite work then just give up. That is why I say keep trying on anything but adjust it for your own needs. I wonder if the fruity smell is just the scent of the apples that is what the cider is made of?
I’m sure the scent must be the apples. It’s inspired me to soak a few rose petals and other flowers in my next batch of vinegar rinse. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
That made me think Cat – I wonder if you don’t need the vinegar rinse for detangling if a person just soaked the rose petals in some water and used it for a final rinse if that would work. Great idea Cat.
Bless your heart Jill, your fingers must be cramped up by now answering all of these questions..lol. I am intrigued by this idea, I haven’t tried it yet, but am seriously thinking about it. I have short dyed blonde hair, that has some grays and have considered stopping the dying altogether. I have a feeling that this would help my hair to look nicer even without all of the dying stuff. I’ll let you know how it turns out. Hey maybe gray will become the new ‘in’ color for the season.lol
I’m with you on that Stacey. My hair is gray blond and I too hope that grey will be the new season color. I hope it works for you. I always tease everyone and say be brave and try it. If it doesn’t work the worst that will happen is you will have to reshampoo it. Now if I was telling you to dye it or cut it that would be another whole scary ball game.
Jill, Your idea of soaking rose petals in water sounded lovely so on my walk yesterday I picked up some rose petals I saw laying on the ground and when I got home rinsed them off and put them in some water for a few hours and used the water to rinse my hair after doing the baking soda thing and the water did pick up a slight frangrance of roses. Nice. Plus seeing the roses in water looked nice.
My hair has had some grey in it since I was in my mid-20′s and I used to frost it to make it less visible but since my liver transplant in 1997, I have been unable to put dye or frosting on my hair due to the immunosuppressants. My hair is now nearly grey overall but I have had people ask my hairdresser to make their hair my color because they thought I had frosted it. So, grey WILL BE the 2013 color of the year. Enjoy it. Life is too short to worry about hair color. And spend your hair coloring money on something fun to do with your grands.
I’ve tried the no poo but the baking soda dried my hair out. I even tried ACV alone and it still was not enough moisture for my hair. I have very thick, wavy, dry scalp, and hair. I am still looking for a solution. Anyone have any suggestions?
I am interested in trying this, but I was wondering if this will make my hair or head stink or smell weird? I have a thing about how my hair/head smells and I don’t want it to smell dirty or funky and have to be self-conscious of that while I’m snuggling up to my hubby:)Thanks!
It doesn’t smell at all just very nice and fresh. Some who have used the apple cider vinegar say that they have a nice fruity scent but I usually smell nothing but fresh. Try it once and see what you think. If you don’t like it you can always just shampoo it again.
My husband didn’t even know I went no poo and he is all about smell. If you use perfume, it won’t have to compete with your shampoo’s fragrance now!
I have to agree that you won’t smell anything but fresh. Enjoy!
I have been doing the no poo for about 5 days now and see increasing oil on my scalp. Im about to give up how long does it usually take to balance your ph level??
I really can’t say for sure Stacy. I think each person is different. If you have oilier hair, drier hair, do you wash and strip it of its oils everyday or only wash it a couple of times a week. All those things factor in. I have know many people say it took almost a month. They usually washed their hair every day. I and many others have seen a difference the first time we used it and had no problem. I have oily hair but didn’t wash it every day. There are so many factors. Be sure to brush your hair well before you shampoo and often. This helps to distribute the oil some and may help until your hair balances out.
I know if can be frustrating because there is nothing like having a bad hair day but I would give it at least another week if you can.
Thank you!I will keep on keepin on. Ive dyed my hair for about 16 years now,and would only shampoo every 3rd day….so it looks like it may take me longer for things to balance out!
Stacy! Don’t give up! I had very oily hair. I was striping it everyday and would be greasy by late afternoon and it didn’t know what to do when I went no poo. I had a bad deal for probably a month. Lots of pony tails. But now, it’s so much better! It would take me days to get greasy.
My scalp is a much happier place now. I was having a lot of bad reactions to regular shampoos. A lot of itching (with no dandruff). I don’t get that anymore and my hair is awesome.
Hang in there. It’s worth it. Oh my hair is a different texture now and I had to learn to deal with it differently, but it also quit falling out and is thicker too.
Good Luck. Rayna
This sounds really good, I’m getting ready to go mix these up and use them!! Just wondering if I have to rinse out the apple cider vinegar/ water mix? I remember reading somewhere that you could just not rinse it out.. Thanks for all the great tips/ articles!
One easy way to think of these Karin is the soda you use just like shampoo and vinegar just like conditioner. So in the same way you rub regular conditioner in and then rinse you do the same with the vinegar. After you pour it on rinse it out. You also rinse out the soda after you rub it in. I have long fine hair that I always had to use conditioner on to help with tangling and at times I still had trouble combing it out. One day I forgot my vinegar and was already in the shower so didn’t use it. My hair combed out beautifully with out it. I haven’t used the apple cider vinegar for a year now and my hair is easier to comb then when I used conditioner.
Day 1: Hair seems smoother but feels really dirty. I guess it’s gonna be a ponytail kind of week for me
I really do hope this works!
Lori I have to give you an A+ for attitude. It is so refreshing to have someone say will give it a try and hope this works and will just wear a ponytail for a week instead of tittering (sp) back and forward worry about whether it will work or not. I guess when I tried it I thought if it works this will be wonderful if if it doesn’t I have lost nothing really.
For those of you like Lori, that after using the no-poo, have the feeling that their hair is dirty or grimy feeling, please don’t forget about boiling the water first. I was using this no-poo method for abt 6 mos w/the sticky, dirty, grimy feeling on my hair before I saw the post that someone wrote a few mos ago about boiling the water first. Many of us live in hard water areas and this may be the cause of the grimy feeling on our hair after the no-pooing. I’ve been boiling my water first ever since I read that post, and the results have been miraculous! I have the MOST difficult hair in the universe! Thick, frizzy, some pieces straight, some curly. My hair is now still the worst hair in the universe, but is now more managable! Jill, I noticed that when that person posted her comment about boiling the water first, you responded by telling all of us to keep that in mind if we were having that grimy feeling after the no-poo. But when people have commented recently about having this problem, you haven’t been reminding them about the bringing the water to a boil first, and I think this may be the problem for most of those people. I’d hate to see them give up on this method when there may be a simple solution. It’s a pain to have to wait for the water to cool down, but well worth the wait! To alleviate the ‘waiting’ problem, what I do is boil my water ahead of time, like a day or 2 before I wash my hair. I wash my hair every 4 or 5 days. Then when I’m getting ready to get in the shower, I just heat the water back up to the temp I want it to be. I guess you could use the water room temp. but I like it to be warm, almost hot. I feel it cleans better that way, and the warm mixture is so soothing on the scalp. Then, I pour it into a very large empty ‘body wash’ squeeze bottle I have along w/the baking soda, and whallah! I have my ‘shampoo’ ready to go!
Day 2: This is actually the 3rd day for me, but I skipped a wash yesterday. Still the same results, but I’m keeping the faith. I have really hard water, so I will boil my water from now on. I really hope this works, and I will keep you posted
Please do Lori. I’m sorry I have to chuckle a little it sounds a little like the Diary of a Mad Housewife but instead we could call your postings a Diary of a Woman Having a Really Bad Hair Day.
I shouldn’t laugh because I know you want to make this work but I love your tenacity.
Day 3: I’m beginning to lose hope. I boiled the water and to my dismay I’ve achieved the same results
Am I destined to use shampoo forever? Maybe I’m doing something wrong, but the instructions seem pretty simple. I will continue this method because I am not a quitter! How long did it take everyone else to see the magical results we’ve been promised?
P.S. Thanks for your replies Jill
Lori I am now starting to feel your pain so bad now. I almost hate to answer your question but it has taken some people 3-6 weeks. I wasn’t sure if it was the hard water or not although sometimes it does make a difference. See I have soft water and about every 6-8 shampoos out of the blue mine does the sticky residue thing too and for the life of me I can’t figure out why. Mine is never so bad that I can’t make do (hair “do”)(little joke there) with it. I just don’t know what to tell you.
i wonder if you use shampoo every other time or once a week and the rest soda. I don’t know. It is really weird because I notice mine has that same feeling when I shampoo in my kitchen sink. I think some people have tried rubbing the soda in dry then rinsing it. I did see a video once of a newscaster who did it and it took her over a month. It was a “hair raising”
time for her. I shouldn’t tease because I don’t know if I could have stuck it out if mind hadn’t worked out first try.
Don’t feel bad if you have to give up. Here is a video of a gal who said she used lemon juice and that seemed to help with the greasey build up. You might try that. Here it is to watch if you want No poo
Don’t give up! We have horrible hard water too and it took a couple of months to figure things out. Boiling the water didn’t seem to make a difference. It came down to adjusting the amount of soda inthe water. We premix it and leave it in the shower. At first I was using a paste once or twice a week and really taking my time rubbing and massaging it in. That always seemed to take the grease away and do well. Now, its been 7 months and we are soo happy! Its true not to give up, but you may need to get creative with it. I have recommended for all my long hair friends to slowly ween yourselves off shampoo so your head isn’t as shocked. And weather can play a role too. We needed more baking soda in our water in the summer.
Good luck!!!
Oh Lori, I’m so sorry this didn’t work for you! But, there is something I didn’t mention because I didn’t think it mattered. I don’t know how long you let the water boil, but I boil it for 5-10 mins. I don’t know why, I guess I just thought that the longer the better. I’ve read that it shouldn’t matter how long you boil your water, and I’ve also read that it does make a difference. Here is a post that mentions it should be brought to a rolling boil for 10 mins before using it for the no-poo method. I know that I have extremely hard water, and as soon as I starting boiling my water that grimy feeling was gone. Here’s the post: http://www.how-to-boost-your-immune-system.com/no-shampoo-method-with-hard-water.html
Correction Lori. I just noticed that the post mentions that the water should be brought to a boil for at LEAST 10 mins. So try that. Also I keep my water covered while it’s boiling. It keeps the evaporation to a minimum. But I do put in a little more water than what I need because it does tend to evaporate a bit. I actually use 3 cups of hot water (I need a lot because my hair is extremely thick) and only 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda. I know the receipe is 1 tablespoon baking soda for every cup of water, but the 2 1/2 teaspoons to the 3 cups of water seems to work for me. I don’t use the vinegar rinse anymore. Didn’t work for me. I just use the conditioner that comes in the box of Loreal excellence color that I use to color my hair. Then I comb my hair thru w/a wide tooth comb w/the conditioner still in my hair, then I rinse it out and towel dry. I don’t have to use any products on my hair anymore. I’ve never been happy w/my curls until now. Just wish I knew about this when I was growing up. Thank you so much Jill for sharing this w/all of us! And I hope this works for you Lori!
Ok, so the posts are a little late, but I had company over the weekend and didn’t have time.
Day 4: I was desperate for this to work so I tried some of the suggestions and just put the baking soda in my hand and rubbed it on my scalp to get my hair clean. This did not work, and made my hair even more stiff. I didn’t use the ACV either hoping that was the reason my hair felt gross, but I think I just need to give it some more time.
Day 5: I caved and used shampoo, only because I had family visiting for the weekend. I will go back to pooing, thanks to everyone that told me it can take up to a month to work. Luckily I’m on maternity leave and all I’ve got is time and patience. Thankfully my new baby is to young to judge my fro
You know Lori, I wonder if you used a little less baking soda just because the straight soda made it worse I wonder if you are using too much and maybe need less. I don’t blame you for shampooing with company coming.
Any time i use a paste it is imperitive that i use the ACV rinse; its really softens the hair. I have very short hair and My style shows EVERYTHING! Without the ACV, it looks and feels terrible. I tried going without for a while to see the difference and realised that was a mistake. glad to see your still trying!
Hi JilL!
I have colored hair and I’m wondering if you know if this strips color out. I did this a while back with my naturally colored hair, but right now it is BRIGHT red and we all know how fast red fades. I love the color I’ve achieved, and don’t want to strip it by using this mixture, but I love the mixture!
Any thoughts?!
Thanks!
~Abi
So far Abi everyone I know who uses this and has colored (or permed) hair says that not only does it not strip the color but it lasts longer because most shampoos are very bad about stripping your hair of many things and baking soda doesn’t.
I have been poo free for about 2 1/2 weeks now. My hair is clean and doesn’t seem as dry and brittle. I am having one problem though. After blow drying, I have static electricity. Has anyone else had this problem and is there anything to do about it?
Sharon the poo free method works on your scalp and the oil on it, if you need to use a little conditioner rubbed on the ends for static it won’t affect the poo freeness at all. You of course could add a small amount of other hair oils (rubbed in the palm of your hands) or other hair products but a little conditioner works just as well and is less expensive then many of the fancy oils people are now using. This time of year some do have to fight static electricity.
My mom used lotion on her hands and after it was mostly rubbed in, she would just rub her hands on her hair and all the static would be gone. Now, you don’t want to do this with a lot of lotion on your hands but just after it is almost gone from your skin. This is really a free solution since you are using the lotion anyway. I never noticed that it gunked up her hair and I’m sure she did not wash it everyday. Also, mom always used vinegar to rinse our hair even after using shampoo. She kept it in a large bottle in the bathroom and just poured it over our hair at the end. I remember it was very cold since it just sat in the bathroom. we would go outside in the summer and let our hair dry and mom always said it would bring out the blonde highlights. What teenage girl didn’t want blonde highlights. What I noticed was that it made the red show up more but that was still prettier (I thought
) than just plain brown.
Thanks Jill & Maggie!! I will be trying that. Today I sprayed a tiny amount of hair spray on my fingers, rubbed my hands together and “combed” through my hair. It worked like a charm. And since using the baking soda, I no longer have hair spray build up in my hair. Another plus – we just had our sales tax raised and now my “shampoo & conditioner” are non taxable food items.
My hair is very fine and frizzy. I did the baking soda and ACV. I air dry my hair and it is still frizzy. How long will it take before I can see a difference?
Gail some people take four – six weeks but don’t panic just because you use baking soda in place of shampoo doesn’t mean when you style your hair you can never use any other styling products again. Like I said before if you have static in your hair or frizzies you can us some conditioner or other type of product if you need to on the ends. You can even use hair spray, mousse or gel.
The main thing to remember is the whole purpose of the soda is it doesn’t strip your scalp. The striping of your scalp is what causes you to produce excess oil and dry out your hair. It doesn’t matter if you use other products after you “no poo”. I have just found that after using the soda for several shampoos I don’t need to use near as much styling or other products on my hair.
I just found this site and really want to try! One question… I’ve been using Wen for the past 15 months and love the way my hair color doesn’t fade. When I color I only do the new growth so I’m no longer running the dye through the length of my hair. Has anyone tried just dying their roots after using poo for a while? How has that worked?
I don’t know about dying the roots only but no pooing helps the color last longer. Like Wren it doesn’t strip the color or perm from your hair the way shampoo does.
It doesn’t matter how you wash your hair; anytime you’re dying roots your color will turn out fine. Just comb the color from your roots down in the last 10 to 15 minutes of processing.
Poo Free Rocks!! My husband and I been doing it for 8 months and we are very happy. I have converted my HAIR DRESSER, cousins, and friends.
YAY!
@ Sue-
I’ve been using the no-poo method since Mother’s Day of this year.
And… I use permanent hair color, and I only put it on my roots, not my whole head.
The results?
Superb!!
My hair color looks fabulous from top to tip.
And, I have the additional bonus of not having to wash it daily because the no-poo method has regulated my scalp oils so that they’re not producing as much oil. And when you’re not shampooing daily, you’re not (at least in my case) subjecting your hair to the harsh heat of a blow dryer, and so it’s altogether healthier for the ends.
I’d say it’s what is called a ‘win-win’.
Hope this helps… and good luck!
Cyndy- Thank you so much! That’s what I was hoping to hear! I just used the no-poo and dried my hair. I have baby fine hair. Feels just as good as usual! I used to wash it daily when I used shampoo. As I got older(-ish) I was able to wash every other day. With Wen I’m still washing every other day but the days I wash it takes a lot longer to rinse out of my hair so I’m using more water. And Wen is not cheap although it’s been my little indulgence (mmmm…lavender!). I feel a bit guilty every time I order it. That money can be better spent elsewhere. Like shoes! LOL!
@ Sue – Glad to hear! Your hair will now just keep getting better and better.
And just think how wonderful you’ll feel with your gorgeous hair, and your new shoes.
Its not working for me, what am I doing wrong? Normally I have oily hair on my scalp but the rest of my long hair is dry. after washing my hair with the baking soda was and acv rinse all of it is super dry and very very tangled.
Lately I have been cleaning with baking soda so I thought I would see what else it is good for….and I came across your article.
Today is December 10, 2012 and from this day forward I renounce all shampoos and conditioners!!!! I think I spend around 250€ per year on hair treatments and now I am guessing that will go down to about 20!
The savings is important obviously, but the vital issue is that this really works. My hair feels clean and healthy….and maybe it is the morning sunshine, but I feel like my natural highlights are more visible too.
The only downside is that I have an extremely acute sense of smell and I can still smell the Apple Cider Vinegar but that is not a big deal. I will get over it.
Thanks for this
Stephanie you might try not using the vinegar. I have long hair that gets pretty tangled when I shampoo it. I was using the vinegar too but one day didn’t have any in the shower with me so did with out. My hair wasn’t tangled at all and combed out just as easy using only the soda. I do brush my hair well before washing it and then when I use the soda I just gently massage it into my scalp instead of the hard rub ba dub dub I use to do when shampooing which means there is little if any tangling for me.
I was looking at buying the wen shampoo and thought I would reseach if there was any cheaper brads online and I came across your wonderful homemade set that sounded really good (this was around 11 am EST). I had the stuff and thought there is no time like the present so I washed my hair with the bs and did the acv on my ends as you suggested. I just got done and my hair is not dry but I can tell a differance, it does not feel weighed down or heavy even though it is still wet. when I did the bs mixture it seemed watery, i did 1 tbsp bs and 1 cup water do i need more bs or less water? Thank you so much I am going to check out the rest of your blog now!
No Amanda you don’t need more baking soda. It will seem watery. It doesn’t have any of the added things that shampoo has. It does seem strange at first when using it because we are so conditioned to expect things to be a certain way that it feels funny. The same way it isn’t that suds in shampoo that cleans our hair but I know I always felt if a shampoo had less suds it didn’t clean as well. It was all in my head.
Do you think this will work even if you have dreads???
I am not sure Samantha.
I’ve been poo free for like a month now. My hair feels soft. No tangles. Better condition. But it looks greasy. Its driving me nuts. I’m trying to be patient. And wanna keep this up. Please tell me the greasyness will end soon? Other than being greasy I love being poo free.
I started new method but forgot to
rinse out AVC conditioning
Will my hair be okay untill tomorrow ?
I don’t really know. It won’t hurt it and the texture may just be a little different is all.
I have very thin and fine hair. My scalp is oily too. I have to wash my hair daily. My hair is falling out too. Do you think I can use the bs & acv to replace shampoo and conditioner.
My hair is exactly the same and it works fine. If anything it should help you to do better. What happens is the shampoo strips your hair of all of it’s oil from washing it everyday so your scalp kicks in gear a makes even more the next time which means you have to shampoo more often which makes it produce more oil. You need to break that cycle. For some it happens right away for others it may take a few weeks. I do know my hair is so much better then it ever was before and if you read the reviews a majority of the people have the same experience. I guess I figure it isn’t like permanently coloring your hair so what does it hurt to try it. It certain has nothing in it to hurt your hair.
Thanks Jill. I tried it this morning and I feel fresh after the hair wash but hair still fall out. Hopefully the hair fall will stop after following this regime regularly. Will keep you updated. Thanks again.
Shamla glad it worked for you. You hair falling out may be caused by several other things though too. For example if you are on certain medicines or have an illness like we do or thyroid problems etc. If it keeps up you may have to check with a doctor.
I tried it this morning and my hair still did not feel clean. How long do I have to use it before I can tell a difference ? My husband thought I was crazy..hahaha.From now on I just want tell him.LOL. Because I am thinking about making the laundry detergent and that will be my little secret.
Connie some say it takes 3 weeks or so for your body and head to adjust it’s oils. It worked for me the first time but so many people are different. I would say try it for a few times until you can’t stand it any more and if it isn’t there is nothing that says you can’t go back to shampoo. I have found though about 1 once a month for some weird reason that I can’t understand it doesn’t feel the same. I don’t know what I do different that one time. Also I don’t use the apple cider vinegar even though I have long hair. It tends to leave a coating on my hair that isn’t bad but I just don’t really need it. Try it a couple more times if you can and see what happens. Be sure to massage it in good and to let the water run through it well before you use the soda.
Thanks so much for the reply. And I’m not giving in that quit, I will be trying it for a while. So maybe if I don’t use the vinegar rinse, maybe my hair will feel better. Gonna try it….
Have you or anybody ever used it on there dogs ? My dogs have dry skin and I was wondering if it would help ? I have 2 pomeranians(black).
Yes I have known people to use it on their dogs and says it works great. My brother has very very sensitive skin and he was using soda as a shampoo and one of the side benefits of it was when it ran on to his face from his hair it made his face feel so good and soft. Since my brother is a pretty macho guy it took a lot for him to confess that to his big sister.
Oh not that I’m comparing my brother to dog of course. 
Thank you !! I love this website <3
I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis several years ago and after battling it for a long time (and finally getting it under control) my body has gone into a phase of readjustment. My hair falls out (I am not going bald- but I feel so bad for my husband when he pulls out hunks from the drain each week and says he found a wookie in there!) and I have HORRIBLE dandruff! It is sooo embarrassing. All I do now with my hair is put it into a pony tail as if that would hide all of those white chunks! So tonight when I found this posting and I began to read, I finally had hope again! You see, I have tried the shampoos, medications, and I already wash my hair every 2-3 days- none of that worked- the WHITE FLAKES are still getting worse… so, I read a lot of what you ladies have been posting, and then read some more, and then went to my cupboard to see if I had on hand the items I needed. I took my first shower using the baking soda just and ACV mixtures and as I sit here letting my hair dry and feeling how soft it is, I have hope that I may have found something that will work against the dandruff! I am not too picky if my hair fuzzes up over the coming weeks… I only care about making those embarrassing flakes go away. So thank you ladies for all of your wonderful advice (and support to eachother)! It is nice to know I am not alone in these struggles!
[...] homemade shampoo. Mix 1 Tablespoon baking soda with 8 oz. hot water. Mix well. Put in a squirt bottle to use. Just [...]
Sorry if this already been asked, but do you know if this method would work on African American hair? I’d tally love to try it but I’m worried about the results. Thanks!
I meant *really
Kaylen I think it does and we have had African American readers who have said it works for them. Now of course everything doesn’t always work for everybody but the thing is this is not like coloring or straightening your hair – it isn’t permanent and you don’t have to go months with it until it grows out. If it doesn’t work then just go back to what you were using before. There is nothing to be scared of because it has never damaged anyone’s hair because there is nothing in it to do that.
I was so excited to try poo-free hair but now I’m not sure anymore. I have just “washed” my hair for the first time using the soda and vinegar and my hair feels really weird, very thick and cottony… (I have straight chin-length hair). It looks clean but doesn’t feel it. I ended up using the entire 8oz of soda and water mix to get it all over my head. Am I supposed to put it all over my hair? How do you Rub it in your scalp? Do you use a spray bottle instead of a squirt one?
Please help! I really want to make this work!
Every once in awhile mine will feel funny but I just rewash it. Although it has only happened about 3 times in the 2 years I have been using it. I do use the whole 8 oz. now too. I carefully pour part of it on the top of my head and rub a little, then pour a little on each side and rub then down the back, rub and then dump all the rest on top of my head and with my fingers gently rub my scalp all over then rinse. If you want you could use either a spray bottle or squirt one if you find that easier. I just dump it with a cup.
Be sure to brush your hair well before you shampoo and let the water from the shower run over it for a few seconds real good too. Also I found my hair felt more coated and like you are describing when I used the vinegar so I just use the soda now.
If you have hard water, you need to boil the water first to get out the minerals which prevent the baking soda from doing its job, or do what I do and buy a gallon of distilled water. The first few weeks that I tried the poo-free method, I didn’t know this trick and my hair was oily and my scalp a flaky mess. Gross! I find it helpful, as well, to put in the baking soda water and scrub my scalp like the dickens, then I brush out tangles, and THEN hop in the shower to rinse. I live in an area with a lot of limestone, so my shower water may as well be gravel. I also add a few drops of lavender essentail oils, but that’s just for the smell factor.
When it comes to the rinse, I don’t rinse it out. I used apple cider vinegar and a few drops of tea tree essential oil. Once the hair dries, there’s absolutely no smell and its super shiny!
I only use these products once a week. Otherwise, I just rinse with water.
I’m sorry, but this “shampoo” is horrible. Left my hair sticky and greasy….tried all different measurements and still was horrible
It doesn’t work for everyone but it’s worth a try!
I just stumbled across this post. I’ve been looking for a more natural/organic way to wash my hair. My hair (right now) is really short and very thick. After washing with regular shampoo it is dry for the first day and then oily the next day. When my hair is longer it is naturally wavy and after washing it is oily at the end of the day.
I just got the stuff to try this out. I’m hoping it helps!!
Tried it, and worked well for both myself (has thick, course hair) and my daughter (fine, limp hair)
I found that it worked well when I applied BS mixture then rinsed hair out with water then apply apple cider mixture then rinsed with water before towel drying. Both of our hair was tangle free, and very soft and shiny.
I am amazed and thrilled that this is an alternative to shampoo.
For those of you that like to use natural things for your body……..I use vinegar as a deodorant. White organic vinegar works best. I use a spray bottle and spray my armpits. You can also use cotton balls and wet with vinegar and wipe your armpits.
I am so glad I found this site. I use Wen on my hair right now, but I am going to try the Bs/water for my shampoo, and the vinegar/water for my conditioner.
I just tried this for the first time today. I just have 2 problems with it so far. I have yet to see the results because my hair is still wet. But, it’s so watery that I had trouble working it through my hair. I poured some in my hand and it just seeped right through my fingers. Also, I like for my hair to smell good. That’s why I always bought Garnier. Is there any way to thicken this suff up? What if I add olive oil to the vinegar rinse? Is there anyway to add a scent? I almost added some body spray for scent, but wasn’t sure if it would defeat the whole purpose of washing my hair the all natural way.
Amy it does take just a little practice getting use to it being thinner. I slowly pour it with one hand and massage it in with the other then I set the cup down and give it a good all over massage. I to like my hair to smell good but I’m afraid there really isn’t a way to add scent although it does leave your hair with a really fresh clean smell. I get my scent with a nice smelling hair spray that I use lightly or perfume. You might very very lightly try some body spray on it and see what happens.
Jill,
Just found this and am going to give it a try. I just recently began making skin care from the kitchen and love what it is doing to my 54 yr. old face! Check out http://www.savvyhomemade.com/homemade-facials.html
Thank you for posting this!
Loretta Sue
Is it supposed to look like just water?
Yes
My hairdresser eons ago told me to add baking soda to my shampoo or get a handful to clean my scalp. He also recommended acv rinse. I haven’t done it in a while. But your method is instead of shampoo/conditioner instead of clarifying. So excited. Baking soda is the best face scrub too. I mix with Cetaphil or vco. WIll use Virgin coconut oil (vco) for deep conditioning. Rub on scalp and ends of hair. put on shower cap or wrap in hot towel. Wash and rinse.
I used to use apple cider vinegar to rinse my hair. I have very fine and thin hair. I think it brought out the red highlights in my chestnut colored hair. Now my highlights are silver…
I will have to try the baking soda for shampooing. My scalp gets so dry at times, it hurts! This should be better. It might even cut down on all the hard water deposits on my shower door!
I like the rinsing the baking soda with the vinegar idea… Sounds like fun!
Thank you for sharing!
are you suppose to mix the baking soda and the apple cider vinegar together or separately in a bottle
No you mix the baking soda with 8 oz of water then rinse with the vinegar. Think of the baking soda in place of your shampoo and the vinegar as you conditioner.
Can people with black hair use the baking soda & vinegar? Would they use the amount?
Yes the color of your hair makes no difference and you use the same amount.
Been doing the baking soda & water poo. Hair looks great. Faced burned while shampooing. Anyone else have that problem? Is that why my face looks red? Advice?
Not heard of any one having that problem most have said they really liked it because the soda soothed and made their face feel soft. That is strange too because baking soda is often recommended for people to use in a bath when kids have things like chicken pox, measles or hives because it calms the skin and helps with the itching.
Hi Jill,
I just love this idea about using something so simple to wash my hair. I have very thick hair and have spent quite a bit having it colored once a month. I am very grey and want to cover my roots. I was wondering if this recipe would wash the color right out of my hair.
Thanks for any help.
Jan
That is the one thing that is super great about this if you can use it and that is it doesn’t strip your hair color at all. Unlike shampoo which strips oil and everything this doesn’t. It is a bonus everyone gets excited about when they use the soda and that is their hair color lasts longer and they don’t have to use as many styling products.
I saw a commercial for Wen Shampoo (actually a full 30 min show) on Sunday and the first thing I thought of was the baking soda and vinegar rinse that I read about here. I plan to tell all my friends about how inexpensive it is to just make up your own. Baking soda – about $1.00 for a 16 oz box and apple cider vinegar – $1.00 for a 32 oz bottle. This will last a very long time.
Jill and Tawra, thanks for sharing this great recipe with us. Wish I’d known about this when I was poor as a church mouse. Although, I will say that my mom always rinsed our hair with vinegar when we were kids and we thought it brought out the red highlights (which made us look better than just having plain brown hair).
It is good that you mentioned that about the highlights because it is suppose to do that. Now you don’t have to use the vinegar. You could use lemon juice too and it will bring out the blonde highlights when you use it.
I have been doing this for little over a year. I started just after I had my hair trimmed( I have always had atleast a half inch of yucky dead stuff to cut off) I went yesterday for my trim and she barely cut anything off, and there were no split ends or yucky stuff as usual. I however have found that my hair likes a tea made of rosemary and parsley instead of the vinegar. I use about a teaspoon of each with about a cup or two of boiling water, let it steep for a couple hours more or less, I pour it over my hair before I get out of the shower, no rinsing. I will never go back.
I just would like to say that I am so very pleased with the baking soda shampoo and vinegar rinse. My hair has so much more body without the greasy conditioner weighing it down! Also, after I shampoo and rinse, my hair feels so al naturale! I was very skeptical too about doing this and especially about not feeling all the “suds” but it truly works. I remember trying something in the past that didn’t work and I don’t remember exactly what that was but thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I will never ever go back to store bought shampoo again!!
Hey. I have very volumized, spiral curly, dark brown hair. I am 14 years old and have been using store bought chemicalized shampoo and conditioner all my life. My hair does have frizz and I just want to reduce that, and add softness. I just read all of the comments on this blog to make sure it is safe and I am looking forward to using this next time I shower. I was wondering if I can use normal vinegar as my conditioner instead of apple cider…? Thanks and please reply soon!
Yes you can Lizzie
Thanks so much!
I honestly hope it’ll work for me, and I’ll tell you the results
Ugh. It didn’t work for me! Well I think I didn’t use enough baking soda. It just looked like water to me! And it was like I was scrubbing with water only. My hair got greasy and wasn’t smooth. Am I doing something wrong?
You could try another tablespoon more of soda. You have to get over the idea of it being thick or sudsy. It will be very watery. Be sure you massage it in well too.
Hey. My family just ran out of baking soda, so I was wondering if I can use regular vinegar as a shampoo for a couple days.
You could try it but I’m not sure it would be the same in helping absorb the grease and get rid of the dirt.
Hi there, may be a silly question but are baking soda and baking powder the same thing? Decided to give this a go and went to the pantry to find I have loads of baking powder but no baking soda. Have googled it with some mixed results, some say it’s the same others say there’s a difference but all refer to using it for baking anyways so not sure if the differences referred to would affect it for this purpose. Thanks in advance for your help, can’t wait to give it a go.
There is a difference in them. For this too you should use baking soda and not powder.
For future reference for everyone, always use baking soda or baking powder when it is called for and do not interchange them in a recipe. They are both used as a leavening. Without getting into all the scientific stuff what it amounts to is when you use baking soda you usually have to mix it with something like sour milk, buttermilk, yogurt etc. to activate it (one of these are usually in the recipe). You also need to put them immediately in the oven to bake or baking soda will die and it will flop.
Baking soda has 2 levels of leavening. It starts activating right away but you don’t need to get it in the oven immediately because it will activate again in the oven.
Bottom line is use what the recipe calls for with these two.