I just dont understand how to clean my hair

#1

Hello, first of all english is not my first language so I apologize if there is anything confusing.

I have been on no poo for 4 months I think, I never really keep track, and I never really researched too deep into it. I only know like mix water with baking soda and use it as a cleaning product, but I never really feel like my hair is clean after a shower. My head also feels itchy all over, just a day after washing my hair. I am a guy with a long hair, and using the baking soda thingy just feels it doesn’t clean my hair completely/thoroughly. Can you guys help me, how do I clean my hair? The length of my hair is about the half of my back. I mean it covers the upper half of my back.

Also how do I keep may hair smells good, since the smell long hair can be easily smelled from a distance. And I mean, actually smells good as if you are using shampoo, not just “not smelly” or “smell nothing” or “smells like hair”.

Thank you for your help!

#2

The way I clean my hair is I mix apple cider vinegar and water ~ 2 parts water, 1 part apple cider vinegar, and an optional drop of tea tree oil for its anti-bacterial properties. I add the solution to my wet scalp in the shower, and massage it around like with normal shampoo. Make sure to rinse it out really well, or you will smell like vinegar! (I usually do this once every 10 days or so, and in between every few days I just rinse with water and do the scalp massage). It’s also very important to brush your dry hair with a natural bristle brush every day at least once per day to spread your natural oils (sebum). If you want your hair to smell nice, I would recommend maybe getting a rose water spray for after the shower, or mixing a drop of two of your favorite essential oil and spritzing your hair with that whenever you like.

It seems like everybody has a slightly different technique for their no-poo method - there are lots of YouTube videos that might be helpful for you as well.

Hope this helps!

#3

What kind of hair do you have, OP? Wavy, Straight, or Curly? That’d help a lot in us helping you.

#4

No poo for about 14 years.

Initially I used baking soda (1/2 cup to 1 quart water) and a few drops of Dr Bonner soap because I just had to have some foam; after rinsing I used (and still do) apple cider vinegar (1/2 cup to 1 quart water) as a final rinse and I do NOT rinse this out. Yah, it smells like ACV until it dries.

I switched over to light rye flour about 4 or 5 years ago instead of the baking soda (although I still use it every month or so), order it off Amazon. Wash my hair 1 to 2 times a week, but shower almost daily - - maybe less in winter, oftener in the summer heat/humidity.

My hair is long, to mid-back, never used a hair dryer, never dyed or permed. Recommend scented soaps for the body rather than the hair. I’ve never heard hints or gossip of distaste regarding my hair other than the immediate post-ACV smell.