No Poo Three Week Update : Back to the Basics

Ok, ok I know. I didn't make it! I tried to keep an open mind and think positively about this! I made it three weeks, then broke down and pulled out the shampoo. This method just didn't work for me. Here is why...

My hair seemed to feel brittle and I assume that was due to the baking soda. When washing my hair I like it to feel smooth and silky, not brittle and dull. The combination of the baking soda and vinegar just didn't cut it for me personally. It just didn't really feel clean, and way too much hair was breaking off!

I do like the fact that baking soda does deep clean hair and help remove excess product, so I will still use it once or twice a week in addition to my shampoo. Coconut oil will still remain a huge part in my hair care. It does some amazing things! I also use Cholesterol as an additional deep conditioner and love the effects of that as well.

I use the coconut oil and Cholesterol as a pre-wash deep conditioner. After that has time to soak in I shampoo. I will add in the baking soda to remove extra product once a week. Coconut oil helps coat hair naturally so the shampoo won't damage hair nearly as much and will also prevent breakage. I will follow with my usual conditioner, then style as usual.

What are your thoughts on this? Did you, or do you still use the "No poo" method or do you prefer regular shampoo? Do you deep condition or use baking soda to help in the shampoo process? I hope you are all having a fabulous day!

Testing the "No Poo" Theory

I have heard several things about the "No-Poo" hair cleansing method. Some were good, while others weren't so great. In my opinion the best way to test a theory is to try it yourself, so that is what I'm going to do!

What is the "No Poo" hair cleansing method ?

The "no poo" method is simply eliminating typical shampoo from your beauty routine. No,no I'm not telling you to stop cleaning your hair! With this method you replace the shampoo with natural ingredients. These will include : baking soda and vinegar for the basics. For normal to dry hair you will use apple cider vinegar and for normal to oily hair white vinegar. For deep conditioning I plan to continue my coconut oil method, which I will explain later.

Why "No Poo" hair ?

Typical shampoo contains harsh chemicals. These range from your cheap drugstore brands all the way to the expensive salon brands. Shampoos contain additives such as sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate.In addition many contain silicone. These will all damage and strip hair causing breakage and hair to have excess buildup leaving hair weighed down. Your conditioners are the same way. WHo really wants buildup and extra chemicals in their hair? 

What are the Benefits of "No Poo" ?

Keep in mind that your hair will have to get used to this and may take a week or two. When you first start you are cleansing your hair of the extra junk from these shampoos! Once you eliminate those you can look forward to :

• Hair that is much less oily
• More manageable hair
• Healthier hair
• Hair that will grow faster
• Hair with more body
• Less frizz
• Great for all hair types
• Great and SAFE on color treated hair
• Fewer washing's
• Actually clean hair 
• No chemicals
• Saving tons of money on shampoo and conditioner products

How do you "No Poo" ?

There are several methods I have heard about, but here is my plan :

You will need (the basics) :

• Baking soda
• Vinegar (either white or cider depending on your hair type.See above)
• Spray bottle
• Jar/container for baking soda

Additional for deep conditioning:

• Coconut Oil

To cleanse your hair :

1)Put a decent amount (quarter to half-dollar size) of baking soda in the palm of your hand. Add water until it forms a paste like substance and massage into roots. You can leave this on while you continue your shower. After the mixture feels "slick" in your hair you can rinse it out. The baking soda mixture only needs to be applied to the roots. 

2)After you rise your hair add your vinegar. In a squirt bottle mix your vinegar and water. I will be using 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water. Squirt this on your hair, finish your shower, then rinse. It is easy as that.

3)To deep condition hair I use coconut oil. I have been using this for quite some time now and love it! If you plan to use the deep conditioning method focus on the middle and ends of hair. You don't want to put a ton of oil at your scalp. Apply pure coconut oil to hair and leave on for as long as you would like. One hour is ideal, but most of us don't have an extra hour to condition our hair! I say a few minutes before your shower. Rise out well then apply your baking soda as you would in step 1. In addition to the deep conditioner a tiny (dime size) amount of coconut oil can be used as frizz control! Don't over do it though!

Keep in mind there are several ways to do this and today is day one for me! I plan to keep you updated each week on this method with plenty of pictures. I think that visuals are needed for this so you can see how hair will change through the process. Below are two pictures from my first "No Poo" cleansing. This was 24 hours after the first "No Poo"! Not too bad!

 

Check back for updates on how well this works!! Happy Thursday!

 

Xoxo,

Brandi

 

 

 

Testing a Theory : Coconut Oil and Beauty

I have heard so many wonderful benefits of using coconut oil. Its uses span from cooking and supplements to skin care and hair conditioning. I have only been using it occasionally since November of last year. I decided that I was going to test the theories of this magic oil.

I'm sure many of you have already heard of (or tried) coconut oil for one of many uses. If you have I would love to know what you use it for and the results! In the meantime here is my plan. I am going to stick to this for the next several weeks and will give you all a full update on the results.

Hair

In one of my recent posts I told you how I started using coconut oil for my hair. I just want you to know it is truly amazing! All you do is slather a decent amount into your hair and let it soak in. I usually leave it in for my entire shower and then wash as usual.

In addition to my research on the benefits of coconut oil I came across several hair care and beauty tips that I found super helpful! For years I have thrown my hair in a towel after getting out of the shower. Of course I know this isn't the best method for soaking up excess water, but I didn't really think about the damage it was causing my hair.

When you twist your wet hair into a towel or hair tie you cause breakage in the hair shaft. That can lead to further damage of hair and unmanageable locks. My new plan is to steer clear of this! It is also important not to harshly brush wet hair! Try to use a wide tooth comb to get out any tangles. I also use a heat protect spray before blow drying or using any heat styling.

My new plan is to use coconut oil regularly ( every other shampoo) and to absorb excess water I will separate my hair into about three small sections and lightly squeeze with the towel making sure not to twist and pull my hair! I have also been taking a biotin supplement which is know for aiding in hair and nail growth, as well as improvement of skins appearance.

Skin


I have combination skin. This means I have some areas that are normal and my T zone is a bit on the oily side. As a teenager I had very oily skin, but it has evened out. In my late twenties I started noticing frequent breakouts, and have still not found a miracle cure! I have tried everything on the market, so I decided that since none of those options worked it wouldn't hurt to try out this!

There have been several articles and blogs written about using coconut oil as a skincare product. I was a bit confused by this at first. Why would anyone with oily skin want to put oil on their skin? While reading up on all the facts I found that this oil is quickly absorbed and is a good oil. It does not leave your skin feeling "icky" or greasy. I tested this out for the first time yesterday, and guess what...they were right! Ha! I was quite happy about that.

In addition to this I read several articles on other skincare methods. My entire life I have washed my face at least twice a day, once in the morning then once at night. Several doctors and skincare specialists say that you shouldn't do this. Again I was blown away. The reason they say this is because if your skin is washed/cleansed before you go to sleep you will rejuvenate all your natural oils. This plumps skin and naturally fills wrinkles. Morning cleansing should just consist of splashing water of the face then patting dry. After that you should apply your moisturizer ( a dab of coconut oil is a wonderful moisturizer too) and makeup.

I really didn't know how I was going to feel about not washing my face in the morning. I hate the thought of oily skin. I tried this out yesterday and today. So far, so good. The water worked fine and I didn't have any excess oils. My husband also made a comment about how great my skin looked. In the two days I have done this I haven't had any new breakouts, and the ones I had are already going away.

For the next several weeks I will be using coconut oil with a dab of baking soda as my nightly facial cleanser. I am putting a hold on any other skincare products ...even my regular spot treatment creams. I am also skipping the morning scrubbing and will just stick to the water.

I have only done this for a total of two days, so I am quite curious if this is going to work. I want to see first hand if there are any improvements in my skin and hair. I've been on a mission to change several things in my life and this happened to pop up on the list. I'm excited to let everyone know how it turns out!

Xoxo,

Brandi

Get Amazing Hair : Quick Tips for Everyone

I have always been the kind of person to try out new products for my hair. I'm pretty sure I have tried almost everything there is out there from hot oil treatments to various hair masks and conditioners. If you looked in my shower and under the counter you would swear I owned a salon. The truth is I don't need half of what I have!

I've been on a mission to get the hair I want. I've had so many cuts, colors, and styles over the years. I'm currently in the process of growing it out again which has not been fun! I have gone from my natural dark blonde to bleached blonde then dark brown. Somewhere in there it has also been a deep red shade, had highlights and low lights, or even streaks. Currently I am back at my natural color.

Over the years I have learned what works for my hair and what doesn't! I have started a new routine recently and can already tell a huge difference in my hair. I must say there has been a great improvement! Here are a few tips to help you get amazing hair!

1) Find a Shampoo, Conditioner, or Cleanser that works for your hair. (Sleek, Curly, Volume, Clarifying, etc). It is best not to shampoo your hair everyday, but if you have overly oily hair sometimes you might need to. When skipping shampoos I've found that using a dry shampoo helps greatly! Spray the dry shampoo on your roots, rub in slightly, and you're done!


When I shampoo my hair I focus the shampoo at the roots where the oil tends to be. Conditioning is focused on the mid and ends. Conditioner can tend to leave your hair feeling heavier or weigh it down. Using it on these specific areas will help your hair look fuller and not leave your strands looking limp!

2) Ok, as I mentioned I've tried tons of various products. A few years ago I had an incident with over processing my hair (meaning I fried it and actually had a chunk fall out! This was bad!). While trying to find a "cure" for my mishap I came across Cholesterol. This is great for all hair types! This conditioning cream will work wonders! It is a great deep conditioner and will strengthen hair!

I use Cholesterol on my hair about every two to four shampoos. After I shampoo my hair I apply the Cholesterol. I leave usually leave it in my hair while I finish my shower then rinse it out and apply my regular conditioner. It leaves my hair feeling amazing!

3) Coconut Oil was something I really didn't think would work. You can find all natural/organic coconut oil anywhere from Walmart, Target, Grocery stores, or even vitamin stores. The cooking section will carry Organic Coconut oil and tends to be cheaper than other sections. Just make sure that there are no other ingredients except pure coconut oil!

I have somewhat oily hair so the thought of putting more oil in my hair didn't really sound like that great of an idea. Regardless I decided to try it. It couldn't hurt right? Wow! It was amazing! You would not believe how soft and manageable my hair was. There was no excess oil left in my hair at all and after the first use my hair looked great!

I applied the oil to the middle and ends of my hair and left it on for about 10 minutes. Then I shampooed like normal. You can alternate between Coconut oil and Cholesterol for some really amazing hair!

4) Biotin has been known to strengthen your hair and nails. It also helps to improve the look of your skin. Not only does it help the look of your hair, but also helps in the growth process. You can pick this up at your local grocery store, drug store, Walmart, or vitamin shop. All you need to do is follow the directions on the bottle! That's it!

5) I have tried tons of smoothing creams that claim to help frizz. What usually happens is my hair ends up looking greasy and gross. I really love the Not Your Mother's Smooth Moves cream. I apply a little dab and it really controls the frizz!

Any frizz control cream can cause your hair to look oily if not applied properly. Just remember a little goes a long way!

I hope some of these tips help! Let me know if you try them out and what your results are! I will do a post on styling product I love too so check back for that!

Xoxo,

Brandi