There has been a lot of talk lately about going shampoo-free. Complete blogs have been dedicated to documenting it and new products have been produced to satiate the trend.
But where did this uprising suddenly come from and how factual is it?
In the early 00's there was a huge movement to stop washing your hair daily. (This was much needed and as any hairstylist will tell you today, it's best to go at least 2-3 days in-between shampoos.) Somehow though, this pro-longing of distance between washes eventually gave way to a new movement... the "No Poo Method" that has garnered a huge following today.
Refinery 29 just posted a great article on this very topic. You can read it here.
To paraphrase their findings:
- If you want your hair to grow and be healthy, you need to have a clean scalp.
- Exposure to the elements, the use of hair products and sweat all cause debris and dirt to rest on the scalp. So...you could go without shampoo, but you would also have to do away with hair products and workouts.
- The harshness of detergents in shampoos is a thing of the past. There is a huge plethora of sulphate and phosphate free shampoos and conditioners out there, you just need to find the one that's right for your hair texture.
- Cleansing Conditioners can work to cleanse the scalp, but must be thoroughly massaged in. (Which makes us wonder: what's the point of doing away with a shampoo only to replace it with a "cleansing conditioner?")
- "A lot of the fear of shampoo comes from misconception and fear, especially from people with thinning hair. They see shedding and loss, so they're afraid to shampoo. The assumption is that shampooing causes it, but in actuality, that's not the problem. Hair that falls today stopped growing 12 weeks ago." - Elizabeth Cunnane Phillips, a trichologist at Philip Kingsley 's Clinic.
- Think of your scalp like you think of your face. Would not washing it give you clearer, prettier skin?