DAY 7

i can't say too much at this point because i dyed my hair. call it what you will, but i haven't "technically" shampooed my hair. my hair doesn't get too oily too fast, so i haven't had any problems as far as that goes. however, my hair, before i dyed it, was much more coarse than it is after i condition it. ashley and i have been using baking powder and water for shampoo and vinegar and water for conditioner. i feel that it works just as well, if not better, than shampoo and conditioner.

-K

Day Five

I've only been washing my hair with water and so far so good.
I've had a few oily moments but all and all not to bad.
Sara, my girlfriend, hasn't noticed my hair smelling and she is pretty particular about that.
I've noticed that it has made my hair feel softer than normal.
So far, so good.
- M

Day One

It's day one without shampoo. We've excitedly read and re-read blog after blog and comment after comment on "43 things" in support of this movement. We're doing it, and here's why:

I usually wash my hair every 2 or 3 days. Three days is pushing it. Sometimes I will close the bathroom door and sprinkle a little baby powder on my hair, patting, shaking, combing it all through in secret. I'm usually in a hurry and I'll be honest, I don't want to screw around with sopping wet hair when I'm trying to find my keys. Someone actually commented tonight, "Woah, I just got a whiff of baby powder. Weird." I don't like admitting that I'm too lazy to wash my head. Ladies like to be clean. I like to think I'm a lady. I can't remember the last time someone said, "Woah, I just got a whiff of Aveda!", though I don't know if people usually comment on the smell of hair in general. I usually get complimented just for managing to put on the occasional skirt. It's a small step. And now I'm digressing.

Apparently after 6 weeks, your head is supposed to go from being a total grease vat to silky smooth, PH balanced, luscious, cherubim nest of locks without any use for shampoo. So here we are, Day one. We'll each be posting our own photos and personal struggles and journeys throughout the 6 weeks. We've heard stories of emanating odors and being outcast socially. We've decided to risk it and give up the false cleanliness of overpriced hair crap and see for ourselves if our scalps really will "balance out".

Just as an aside, I would like to mention that we will experiment occasionally with the vinegar rinse (which supposedly helps to detangle) and baking soda (which supposedly helps to extract the excess of oils and odors from the scalp) should we begin to reek. I'd like to try it without at first... just for the sake of the experiment.

And you should also know that each of us have different types of hair, but all struggle with the oily oilies. I am the thick and straight and I begin to look homeless after 4 days. We'll see...

-A