Personally, I like to skip out on shampooing as much as possible. I prefer to wash my hair with conditioner, which is called co-washing or "co-poo". This process cleanses my hair just enough while leaving it moisturized. Conditioners contain surfactants, so some of my build-up is washed away, just not as much as shampoo would get rid of. It works well, but when the build-up gets too heavy I have to shampoo. Curly Nikki has debated the topic as well and introduced various alternatives to shampooing.
- The Ultimate No Poo
- Shampoo Free Poo
- Co-washing
- Reverse shampooing
- Dry shampooing
- Alternate shampoos
- No-rinse shampoos
- Sulfate free shampoo
While I believe co-washing works well for me, I'd like to try alternate shampoos mentioned in the post. Nikki says you can use body wash to clean your hair, but I wouldn't suggest that at all. It is more harmful than sulfate shampoos and will leave your hair dryer than a regular shampoo would. Baking soda and vinegar are very popular substitutes that many have claimed helps repair damaged hair. In her blog Nikki says these ingredients are not ideal and can cause more harm than benefits. The testimonies I've heard are very convincing and these naturalistas' progression pictures are proof that it does work. Maybe there is a certain amount of the materials that should be used to avoid the harmful results. Sorry Nikki, but the proof is in the pudding. Baking soda and vinegar are adequate shampoo alternatives for many. Next step, try an alternate shampoo!
Signing off, a true naturalista.
