First time doing the 'no-poo'

Water Only
#1

Hi guys, a couple days ago, I tried to do the ‘only water’ method when I was in the bath. After my bath and my hair dried out, the greasy feel to my hair was gone but felt dry. For my first time, i expected it get rid of the feel and look of grease and unwanted oils from my hair… Would you say this is apart of the transition stage? Any tips and suggestions on how to improve, anything will help!

Note: i searched for some baking soda but couldn’t find any or get access to any at the point In time I was looking… Would Bicarbonate of soda be as effective and or worse for my hair? Again, any suggestions, very much appreciated. Thanks x

#2

First off, welcome to the no poo community! I’m always glad to see a newcomer in the community, and if you have any other questions or problems, please don’t be afraid to ask!
Since this is your first time trying no poo, you may experience problems for a multitude of reasons. Sadly for most people, going and staying no poo isn’t a walk in the park: it’s a trial and error process with it’s own ups and downs. Whenever you encounter a problem and want to ask a fellow no pooer for help, please include as much information as you can. The more information you provide, the more likely someone can help you address the problem directly. Asking a general question will only get general answers, so try to give as much information as you can! Please include things such as: your hair type (fine, thick, curly), all of the ingredients in the wash you’re using (baking soda, apple cider vinegar, honey, clay, water only, etc), how long you’ve been doing no poo, how frequently you’re washing, the type of water you have (hard, soft), and what race you are if you feel comfortable in stating it (something that could work for negro hair might not work for asian hair).
If you want to try the water only method, there’s a lot more to it than pouring water on your head and saying you’re done. Doing the water only method is tough stuff, but don’t let that deter you from your no poo journey. Water only method usually contains frequent brushing with a boar bristle brush, scritching and preening, using the best water you can, and using special techniques for washing your hair with the water. If you think the water only method is not for you, you can try using other washes like the baking soda and apple cider vinegar washes, honey washes, clay washes, etc.

I’ll try to address your question with the information you have given me.

  1. If you used the water you bathed in to wash your hair, the water contained dirt from your body and you washed your hair in dirty water.

  2. If you have hard water, water only method is basically impossible. If causes your hair to be greasy and damaged.

  3. Technically I have to say yes that you are transitioning, however given the first 2 problems listed above, I don’t believe that transitioning is main the problem.

Try washing your hair with filtered, clean water, not bath water. Try searching for specific water only tips on the internet (since I’m not water only, I can’t give specific washing techniques). Buy a boar bristle brush (if you’re not vegan) and brush your hair daily to distribute oils in your hair. If you want to try baking soda washes, you need to buy apple cider vinegar as well. Baking soda is only half of the ingredients you need. Try finding baking soda if you can, because I think that soda bicarbonate won’t have the same cleansing effects as baking soda. If you want to try the BS+ACV wash, search for a good recipe and give it a try! Remember, Google is your friend!
I hope that helps :slight_smile:

#3

Hi there, I am also trying it first time.