In June 2023, I published a video on YouTube titled “Here’s Why I Quit Shampoo”. It was certainly very popular and currently has around 300,000 views. It helped that the topic was not censored like many of my other videos since the COVID-19 era. However, it may eventually receive a ban if the shampoo industry becomes negatively impacted!
When most of us hear “no shampoo” for the first time, we tend to think of a carefree travelling hippie, or worse, someone who has neglected their self-care. The latter can be a very off-putting thought for anyone thinking about giving up shampoo. The good news is that clean and tidy hair does not require chemical shampoos. In fact, your hair can be healthier than ever without the use of regular shampoo ever again — something I would not have believed unless I had seen it with my own eyes.
In our household, it started when I noticed how soft and fresh my husband Mark’s hair looked. He had stopped using shampoo in the previous month and emphatically stated that there was no way he would ever use it again. Even after using a chainsaw with his hair covered in sawdust and oil, all he needed to do was rinse it under a hot shower and it would be perfectly clean again. Our three boys then followed suit, all of them happily dropping shampoo from their shower routine.
In general, hair care is easier for males as most of them keep shorter hair. I have always had long hair and, like most women, have invested a lot of time and effort in order to make it look great. However, after researching the ingredients in most shampoos, I decided I needed to stop using these products due to their overall detrimental effects on health.
On this theme, you can also watch our presentations about why we now avoid deodorant, cosmetics, sunscreen and even most soaps. Unfortunately, these products and shampoos add to the toxic burden of chemicals that we are exposed to in everyday life. The supposed benefits of many of these things are non-existent and they come with hidden dangers. Thankfully, there are alternative options for all of them.
In addition to unwanted chemicals, shampoo contains detergents which strip the natural oils from the scalp and hair. This dries out the hair to an unnatural level so the “solution” offered by the shampoo industry is the application of ‘conditioner’ following the shampoo. Then they advise regular shampooing to remove the conditioner. It is a great business model for them but not good for your hair or head.
It follows that the ‘no poo’ approach saves a lot of money and it is certainly possible to bring your hair cleaning down to almost no cost at all. A further bonus is the significant reduction in soap residue in your shower, making bathroom cleaning much easier.
For those worried about the smell of hair without shampoo, rest assured that a healthy scalp and hair smells absolutely fine in its natural state. Which brings us to another problem with most hair products: the fragrance component can inadvertently cover up one of Nature’s warnings that there is an underlying issue. There is a similar problem with the use of fragranced deodorants to cover up unwanted body smells. It is much better to address the underlying reason(s) that have resulted in these odours in the first place.
Now, the ‘no poo’ process for my husband and three boys was very straightforward: they simply stopped using any shampoo and started washing their hair with warm water only. Within two weeks all of them had beautifully soft and fresh hair and have never used any hair products again.
With my much longer hair, I found that it was difficult to clean my hair with water alone. Still, I was determined to get away from chemical shampoos and found success with diluted apple cider vinegar. If this is not quite enough, another option is to use a “low shampoo bar”. This is a gentle cleansing product that does not contain harsh sulphates, insoluble silicones, and petrolatum derivatives, which can dry out or weigh down hair. I tend to use the bar about every third day and follow this with a diluted apple cider vinegar rinse.
Anyway, please watch my video “Here’s Why I Quit Shampoo” to find out more. You just might be the next person to join the millions of us that have escaped from the shampoo scam.
Dr Sam Bailey is a medical author and health educator from New Zealand. Her books include Virus Mania, Terrain Therapy and The Final Pandemic.
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