The No 'Poo Experiment

I haven't shampooed my hair for 3 weeks.

If you know me (or even caught a glimpse of me,) you know that I am a fairly high-maintenance individual. My hair, for instance, takes quite a bit of styling to make it look artfully spiky. So, when I first read about the No 'Poo revolution, I was sure that I would never be one of THOSE people, i.e. crunchy and slightly hippie-ish freaks. (Side note: whenever I say "Never" begin betting that I will be doing that very thing soon.)

No 'Poo means refraining from using shampoo to wash your hair. At first glance, it sounds downright gross, or at the very least, not very hygienic. The theory: We wash our hair WAY too often and we strip our follicles of good oils in our effort to be extra clean. Hair is actually healthier, shinier and fuller if we let the natural oils stay. Shampoo is also full of chemicals, and while they might be perfectly harmless, they still are not natural, and could be a health hazard. I am slowly changing (while kicking and screaming) into a more health-conscious, natural, earth-conscious person. I decided to try and see if it worked.

Day 1: My last shampoo was on Sunday, May 1. I used Pureology Volumizing Shampoo. That night I rinsed my hair with water (during my nightly shower), used conditioner and rinsed my hair with water again.

Day 2: Morning shower, rinsed hair with water and scrubbed hair with fingers, working my hair like it was being shampooed, and then conditioning and rinsing. Styled my hair as usual. No difference in how hair feels vs. regular shampoo-ing. This is a surprise since I use A LOT of product on my hair (shortlist: Mousse, Forming Cream & Hair Spray).

Day 3 & 4: Same process.

Day 5: By Day 5, my hair wasn't greasy, but it didn't feel real clean either. So, I researched on-line what to do. I made a baking soda paste (1 tablespoon of baking soda & water) and put it on my wet hair and worked it around like shampoo. Then I rinsed with water and then rinsed with Apple Cider Vinegar. (Big Note: Make sure you get all the baking soda out. You know what Baking Soda and vinegar is like together. Now imagine that in your hair. I learned the hard way.) My hair felt squeaky clean, and I mean very, very clean.

Day 6: Repeated normal rinsing and conditioning.

Days 7 & Beyond: Once a week I've "washed" my hair with Baking Soda and then used Vinegar on it.

Verdict: It looks great! I haven't noticed much difference in the feel of my hair, besides the fact that it has TONS more volume. But isn't that the point? Being as vain as I am, you better believe I would be back to shampoo-ing if my hair didn't look good. I don't think this could be any more win-win: I'm saving a ton of money on shampoo (Pureology runs $26 a bottle), I'm not using a bunch of harsh chemicals AND I think my color is going to last longer since I'm not washing it!

Breaking in the Blog

I've wanted to blog for sometime now. Every once in a while, I will get a spurt of creativity and think about starting one. It always fizzles out. But not today. Today I'm writing in this blog. It's going to be a mish-mash of my life as a mother, my ramblings and possibly (and when I say possibly, it doesn't mean probably) some very deep and inspiring thoughts. Blogs are just personal diaries thrown open for the entire planet to read. So I'm going to try my best to utterly embarrass myself in front of everyone. The world's a stage...might as well dance on it.

As I watched my precious daughter run naked across her room this morning, I was struck at how fleeting time is. This is really cliched, but it seems like just yesterday she was a tiny infant, completely dependent on me and me, totally overwhelmed and floundering. Now she's a happy, healthy 14-month-old. She has such a spark of life to her, and I guess that's why I've named this blog "The Creative Spark." When I observe her it makes me want to write again; to document all that happens because time is fleeing and I won't get these precious moments back. She won't be calling "mama" from her crib much longer because she'll be talking and climbing out of bed. She won't be tottering around dragging stuffed animals, she'll be running and time will be passing. Soon she'll be dancing on-stage instead of just watching the others. I'm just an observer on her journey. It makes me feel very helpless and rather old.

Ella right after church on Easter!