Put It to the Test!

I love these guys. Also, they're totally on the right track. When in doubt or when curious about something, put it to the test!

Over the past week or so, Jenn and I have been alternately terrifying ourselves and soothing ourselves by continuing to seek out and read others' recaps of their experiences with going no poo/shamphree (depending on which term you like best), including those who have, per the title of this post, put this method to the test. The biggest scare? The chemistry of what we're doing.

Baking soda is an alkaline substance, which makes it great as a cleaning agent. Apple cider vinegar is an acidic substance, which no-pooers use to neutralize the baking soda and return your hair to a good balance. Here's the thing, though—when they say that baking soda is alkaline, they mean REALLY alkaline.

Here's one of the best blog posts I've found that actually walks through the pH ups and downs of the BS/ACV technique, the not-at-all-scary-sounding Baking Soda Destroyed My Hair. (Seriously, go read this.) Basically (hehe), the sebum coating on human hair has a natural pH of somewhere between 4 and 5 (slightly acidic). This protective coating keeps your hair healthy and shiny. ACV has a pH of 2–3 (very acidic) or 3–4 when diluted, which makes it great at neutralizing a highly alkaline solution. An alkaline wash like baking soda cleans your hair by opening up the cuticles on your hair and an acidic rinse like apple cider vinegar closes them back up. Simple. Here's the thing, though—that opening up of hair cuticles that baking soda does? That's exactly what you do to your hair when you get it dyed—opening up the cuticles allows the dye to soak into your hair, resulting in longer-lasting color. And what happens when you dye your hair frequently (say once a month)?

Yep, exactly.

Now imagine doing that to your hair once a week. Oh, dear.

What this means for me, I have yet to determine. Jenn is trying some alternatives right now (but I'll leave it to her to update us all), and we've both been eyeing interesting posts about the benefits of rye flour. In the meantime—again, back to the theme—I still plan to test the pH of my own solutions. I wonder where they'll land... I, meanwhile, am bound for a 10-day vacation in a week, so I need to figure out a travel solution soon, if only because I don't really care to carry baking soda and apple cider vinegar with me (the logistics of the vacation make it somewhat impractical to mix on the go). Perhaps a low-poo for travel?

That said, I feel like my goal is clearer now: Reduce dependency on any kind of shampoo (no-poo alternative, low-poo, or other) to about once per month. I'm tracking at about a week's worth of water-only rinses right now before I'm fed up with oiliness, so I'd definitely like to extend that.

Edwina's current status:

# of days since last commercial shampoo: 20

# of days since last naturoo (BS + ACV): 6

Significant Other Check: "No, it doesn't look oily, just unkempt." (In response to my request for a check shortly after waking up.)

Public Perception Paranoia Check: 3/10