Getting Rid of Shampoo & Hair Products for Good

This is from Emily who contacted me recently after seeing the "My Way" post of G Living. She shared her story of going off shampoo. This really appeals to me, especially since I have seen such an improvement in my hair since going raw. I noticed I could go longer between shampoos and I didn't get the same oily residue I once did. So, now that I am embarking on the 80/10/10 lifestyle I can see how this can play into my beauty regime.

Here is Emily's story:

I have light brown, it was extremely straight and fine but lots of it -before going without shampoo ­ and it wouldn't hold a curl for anything. I was reliant on my blow dryer and products because if I didn't blow dry or use products in it it would slip out of even a bobby pin! Now my hair is thick and shiny, each strand is significantly thicker and I can stretch it for a long time before it breaks. It also has its own bounce and will hold a curl for two days without products! All I use is a boar bristle brush and water and this works much better than all the other things I tried and believe me, I tried them all!First, go and buy a 100% natural boar bristle brush‹it makes all the difference in the world and I¹m convinced had I done it in the beginning it would have saved me a lot of gross days! They make blonde and brown boar bristle brushes. If you have thick, coarse hair get the brown bristles otherwise the blonde is for you. The blonde seems too soft to move through hair but it¹s not. I brush in small sections that way all of my hair is sure to get coated with sebum.

The Process

The reason our hair gets stinky and greasy is because the natural oils gather at the scalp. The brush distributes it evenly from shaft to ends.The sebum is what conditions our hair, strengthens it, and gives it it's protective coating.The brush is actually doing the cleaning which is why you only need water after that. When you brush it loosens up dust, dirt, fuzz and then it can be washed out easily when you scrub your scalp under water. Never get your boar bristle brush wet. To clean it all you have to do is remove hair, run your fingers through the bristles vigorously (you¹ll see little particles coming out) and then it¹s ready to use the next time.Brush twice a day to keep the sebum from accumulating at the scalp. When you first brush it seems that your hair is really greasy, walk away from the mirror for 20 minutes and then come back and see that the oily look is gone having absorbed into the hair!

Transition / Detox Phase

If you use products you¹ll have to go through a couple of weeks of detox as the glues and thickeners are being stripped from your hair. The ends of your hair will be sticky and hard to comb though but will work its way out over a couple of weeks. During this period just hang In there and put your hair in a braid or bun and remind yourself that a little discomfort has a huge payoff!The brush should be sufficient to keep your scalp looking mostly clean during this phase but if you find you need a little more clean get an old bottle and dissolve 1 tbsp of baking soda to two cups of water and shake vigorously then pour over your head (I found for the long run this actually dried out my hair but for the detox it could be a life saver).Apple cider vinegar made my life miserable so I¹d skip that entirely. If you want some sort of conditioning look up herb hair rinses which make your hair surprisingly soft and smell nice. My favorite was sage. I'd boil water and pour over a handful of fresh sage leaves, let steep till cool and then pour over my hair in the shower.

I tried Yucca root to wash, which also made my hair really greasy.Shampoos strip our hair of its natural oils and it then has to over produce tokeep its pH balance and for the first couple of weeks of going without shampoo it will seem that your hair is actually more oily. This is the case since your body hasn't caught on yet that it doesn't need to overproduce but after a few weeks it will regain its balance and your body will actually produce much less oil all together. I used to have to wash every day but now only every other and sometimes I can go three.

This is the same phenomena as with oily faces. I've used only olive oil to wash and moisturize my face for several years now and olive oil as a moisturizer for my whole body and my skin has never been better. I stopped breaking out, have virtually no shine and survive east coast winters without any flaky skin. I use a lighter oil in the summer when the humidity is high like jojoba or just raw honey to wash.

Don't be alarmed if you seem to be losing a lot more hair at the beginning of your transition. The reason for this is because our products have glues and binders in them so it's actually kept broken or dead hairs in your head and these need to come out anyway to make room for the new growth. I lost a LOT of hair and got really nervous that I'd have to go for a few months with sparse hair before the new growth came in but this didn't turn out to be the case.

My routine now: Brush twice a day with the boar bristle brush from scalp to end (in sections). Massage my scalp vigorously under the shower every other day and let air dry before brushing. I don't comb when it's wet. To get out the tangles I just flip my wet heir back and forth until I can run my fingers through it. At least once a day I give myself a scalp massage just to stimulate the blood flow, which makes your hair grow faster. After I wash I usually roll my hair in socks (like you would rollers, just tie the ends like you would the beginning of tying your shoe) and sleep on them and have glamorous curls for the next two days.Your hair will settle into its original design and you'll look even more beautiful since each of us has been created perfectly and uniquely with no mistake, made to radiate beauty.

So, we're the ones who in our pursuit of beauty have actually gotten ourselves further from it and on this perpetual cycle of grasping for the next new thing that holds the promise for _____. As I've watched my life and look transform into exactly what I've been trying to achieve outside of myself for so many years. It has made me extremely passionate to inspire people to get back to their original design in a practical, very normal way. :)