One of our newest releases, Hollistic Anatomy: An Integrative Guide to the Human Body, provides an easy-to-read, yet comprehensive overview of the systems of the human body, and how these systems work together. The chapter on skin and its functions contains a section that struck me as fascinating, and quite relevant for daily life. Author Pip Waller writes:
It might surprise you to learn that drugstores and beauty shops are full of products that supposedly make you look beautiful and keep you youthful-looking, but which actually harm your skin as well as our environment. Some of these products are considered more toxic even than some pesticides.
Waller goes on to discuss various ingredients, such as talc, that are commonly used in beauty and grooming products, that can harm the body by being absorbed through our porous skin. Another toxic ingredient she lists is sodium lauryl sulphate, a detergent known to cause skin and eye irritations. Surprisingly, sodium lauryl sulphate is a common ingredient in most name-brand shampoos! The problems associated with this and other common shampoo ingredients have given rise to a new trend called the “no ‘poo” movement.
I first learned about the “no ‘poo” movement from an NPR segment that discussed this new trend. After some research on the topic, I learned some interesting facts:
- Many people switch to “no ‘poo” for the environmental benefits (using less plastic shampoo bottles, less chemicals going into the water).
- It seems to be most popular with women who have curly/wavy and thick hair.
- While its proponents say it makes their hair shiny and soft, some opponents say that limiting hair cleaning routines to baking soda and apple cider vinegar (as prescribed by the “no ‘poo” movement) leads to greasy and smelly hair.
The basic premise of going “no ‘poo” seems to be that by stripping our hair of its natural oils on a daily or every-other-day basis (via regular shampoos), we actually cause our scalp to produce more oils, thus making our hair and skin greasier and less healthy in the long run. Some people, such as the author of this article in the Boston Phoenix, swear by the shampoo-free method. Others have found that using organic or all-natural shampoos, free of ingredients like sodium lauryl sulphate, has helped improve the condition of their hair while allowing them to continue their regular hair care regimens.
As for me, I think it’s an interesting idea, but the adjustment period for your hair—from a few weeks to a few months—scared me off. Being a native Californian, the idea of going more than a couple days in the hot, sweaty summer without shampooing my hair not only makes me start to itch, but makes me think that the people around me wouldn’t be so happy with it either. Plus, I have thin and relatively straight hair, and the results for my hair type are pretty mixed. I might give the natural shampoos a try though, and see if those make any difference for me. Either way, the no ‘poo movement is certainly an interesting idea, and if it really does make hair healthier and softer, while still smelling good, it could be worth a shot!
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