Best products from r/NoPoo

Oh I definitely know that pH struggle :/ I have damaged hair and while I am washing it may feel drying, but when my hair dries it's a complete 180. I believe the pH for Shikakai and Reetha are around 4-5, which is perfect for the hair cuticle. My bf suffers from acne flare ups on his scalp, and since I have started using this on his head, it has helped clear some of that up (along with a touch of castor oil!).

​

Here is the Shikakai powder I use: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0772XYVFS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

Here is the Reetha powder I use:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0773X1114/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

​

It may be a bit expensive upfront, but I am currently experimenting on using just solely Shikakai and seeing where that goes :)

​

My current routine is:

1. Scoop 2 spoons of Shikakai and 2 spoons of Reetha into a heat-safe cup. Pour warm or hot water into the cup so that it looks like a broth, not a paste consistency. There will be insoluble pieces of plant fiber -- this is from the Reetha.
   
2. Obtain a strainer and another larger heat-safe cup. Pour the mixture through the strainer into the new cup to catch the fibers. I then toss the fibers back into the original cup and fill with water to get any more suds/powder residue out. Then I strain into the new cup. I repeat these steps until the new cup is full.
   
3. Before I get into the shower, I lightly scritch my scalp and brush it to get the tangles out. I use a BBB to get out any lint and distribute any oils.
   
4. I throughly wet my hair with warm water to help soften the oils, then gently pour the mixture in different areas of my scalp and scrub. There will be small particles of the herbs that end up in your hair, and I think they make a great scalp exfoliant! :) Once I'm out of the mixture, I massage my scalp for about 1-2 minutes and leave it to sit in my hair while I do other things. This will burn your eyes if you're not careful. Like I said, since my hair is damaged, my hair feels dry under the water and with the mixture, but I'm not alarmed.
   
5. When I'm ready to rinse, I scrub as I run my head under the water. I try to rinse as throughly as I can, but if I don't rinse too thoroughly, it's not a big deal because it easily brushes out when my hair is dry. Finally, I air dry and then brush my hair and that's that! The mixture may smell like herbs, but once I rinse and dry my hair, I don't smell the herbs at all.
   
   I will note that this recipe makes for more than enough for me and my bf. since we shower together, I help rinse his hair and then do mine with plenty to spare. He has short hair and I have hair a little past my collar bone, so if you have shorter hair, you might be able to get away with much less powder than I use. And I think you will be able to make this and save it for later in the week, but I don't know what the self-life of this would be, so I usually make it the night or afternoon of.
   
   ​
   
   I hope this works out, im sorry for the long post! I know how frustrating it can be when you're experimenting with natural hair care!

It's hard to recommend one without knowing anything about the length, texture, thickness, etc of your hair.

As a quick side note, you've got a fairly large budget for one so even if you go outside of Amazon and pay for shipping you could still come in well under your price range.

From my small amount of research the two brands that seem to get mentioned the most are the top of the line, very expensive Mason Pearson brand that will last years and Denman brushes that are very affordable and good quality. I have not used either of these brands so can't comment. A lot of people just buy ones at their local grocery or pharmacy store and say they work fine too.

I ended up buying this one. This came in a clear bag and no other packaging like one might expect so I was a little leery. This company also has brushes that are nylon or a boar / nylon combo and I was worried they may have sent me the wrong one. Also, there was a review from a person claiming their brush was not 100% boar. I pulled out three different types of bristles from the brush and did the "light it on fire" test. Basically if it burns (as opposed to melting) it's real and not synthetic. All 3 bristles burned and I also tested bristles from a different nylon brush I own and those melted.

The brush handle is plastic. I was expecting better quality for the price I paid when it came to this. It's made fine but I worry how long it will hold up in the long run.

The bristles are spaced widely enough apart that I can actually brush my hair just fine and it pulls through nicely. The bristles are hard and sharp though. You have to be careful not to apply too much pressure or brush for too long because your scalp will feel it and can become a bit sore.

This brush would be good for shoulder length hair or longer that is about medium thickness or more. One of the hassles of BBB is that you have to section your hair to brush it which takes time. I don't need to do that with this one as it all goes right through. If you have heavy thick hair you'll still need to section but not as much as some other brushes out there. If you have short or fine, thin hair I would pass on this brush as it would be overkill and overpriced for what you need.

After I brush, my hair looks like it's gelled down to my head with oil. Just run your fingers through your hair a few times to break it up and then it looks great. Overall I'm happy with the brush. When it needs to be replaced I'm probably going to try the cheaper Denman to see how it compares.

I also bought a brush to clean my brush. I know this sounds stupid but glad I did as it makes cleaning it much easier. I went with this one but there are cheaper ones out there and other types too.

I also picked up a $5 Conair brand BBB from my local store. The bristles are much softer and easier on my scalp. I can only brush a small section at a time though. Hair definitely has to be tangle free though as the bristles aren't going to help work those out at all. I use this one more if I'm just looking to do the top layer quickly.

A couple things! So the healing benefits of using dried nettle products in hair is a real thing. My grandmother (Eastern European, lives in the country) has used the following 3 things as a staple to her hair for as long as I can remember: dried nettles, rain water (presumably because it's soft water), and vinegar for her hair. She doesn't keep her hair long because she's practical and likes it short, but her hair is thick, curly, and 75% still black... and she's in her late 70s. My grandfather's hair is equally dark and full, but straight, and slicked back like a Seattle hipster. So what I'm saying here is.. nettles and ACV have been used for a long time and have been known to have great hair benefits, and I never thought to combine the two in a rinse like that. I had previously bought a bag of dried nettles from Amazon (don't ask why.. looking for loose leaf tea on Amazon while drunk.. saw Nettle.. was like , "aww, grandma!".. 1-click purchase..) and now have a great reason to use it! Yaaaay, thank you for this post! :)

I added the link to the dried nettle I bought.

https://www.amazon.com/Starwest-Botanicals-Organic-Nettle-Sifted/dp/B00ZB8A5HY/ref=sr_1_11_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1525533731&sr=8-11&keywords=nettle&th=1

It sounds like you have very similar hair to me. I'ma 30 y/o male with shoulder length, somewhat wavy, thick hair. I just commented this same suggestion on another thread but I'll tell you the same. In my experience, COLD water is your savior. As u/NonoVirus says, avoid heat at all costs. Hot water and hair dryers are horrible for you hair. Here's what you'll want to do.

1- Purchase a bamboo brush or comb. This is the one I use and I love it. This is going to be the best way to exfoliate your scalp and detangle your hair. You can brush it during your shower, afterward, or both. You may even want to purchase the 2 pack, with the wide tooth wooden comb to run that through your hair first, depending on how tangled it gets. The comb helps draw the natural oils away from your scalp and out of your hair. You're going to need to get used to feeling like your hair is "dirty" after you rinse it. Once it dries though, it will feel great.

2- Apple Cider Vinegar wash every 2 or 3 days. I would recommend purchasing either a small spray bottle so that you can get all of your hair covered. This is the one I use. Or you can take perhaps the less efficient way... pour the rinse into a water bottle and then pour it over your scalp, massaging it through your hair during your shower. Use only about a tablespoon of ACV to every cup of water. Also, buy the organic unfiltered stuff. Never buy the clear, store-brand stuff.

3- Lastly, as I said above, the most important part of my nopoo routine (imo) is using COLD water to wash my hair. It may be difficult to get used to at first but it's definitely helped the condition of my hair and my scalp. You can try just washing your body in the shower and then washing your hair in the sink with cold water after. That way it's less intense than a full-blown cold shower.

The thing about damaged hair is usually once we stop using the silicone laden shampoo/conditioner we're looking at our actual hair. It's damaged sometimes. There are things we can do, like the ACV rinse to help, and oils and such but I think eventually it's probably better to just start cutting off the damaged parts or as much as we can until it's all fantastic healthy hair. I spent a lot of time trying to fix my damaged ends... I wanted my hair long and I didn't want to cut off that last 3 inches. So much time and money. Ugh. Anyway in the meantime, I'm thinking the ACV rinse sounds good, closing the hair shaft etc and some light oils. I like shampoo bars though, I dont know about chagrin valley as I'm an ACV Bar gal but the idea is the same, I presume. Natural ingredients that help your scalp...no sulfates and chemicals etc. If you decide you don't like the chagrin soap check out the shampoo bar I get on Amazon. I like it because it does a great job and I don't have to do the rinse afterwards cuz the acv is in it already. One less thing. :-)

Sure sounds like hard water. This is what you want OP. It's an inline shower filter. Affordable unit, economic filters and works a charm. I recommend it based on personal experience. I don't know if my link is the best price and you may be able to find a better version if you do some searching. Heres to happier hair!

I haven't been to a salon in years, last time I went I know must have been when my mom took me so I was still probably a teenager, I can't really afford it on my own. I started trimming my own hair because it's super easy and absolutely free. I use a pair of scissors that I've basically only ever used to cut my hair with, but I've never sharpened it and it's not like professional hair cutting scissors or anything.

​

I don't know what BBB is unless you mean boar bristle brush, I've never owned one of those and never wanted to because it seemed like it would never get any tangles out of my hair and only make it fluffier/frizzier. I know different now and when I bought my detangler brush I also looked for a boar bristle brush but they don't have a huge selection at grocery stores and the only one I could find was a nylon blend that was mostly nylon with like 2 or 3 boar bristles in each tuft. I also looked online for one but a lot of them seem to be fake and one I saw on amazon said 100% boar bristle brush but the pictures and reviews all looked/said it was a nylon blend,so I haven't got one yet. I thought I should probably buy one in a store so I can actually see if it's 100% boar bristle and not fake. But I don't want to spend $30+ on a hairbrush either.

​

Currently I am using Shea Everyday and Shea Moisture, specifically these: https://alaffia.com/shea-shampoo-lavender/

https://www.sheamoisture.com/raw-shea-butter-moisture-retention-shampoo.html

https://alaffia.com/shea-conditioner-vanilla-mint/

And actually what happened here was, I bought the Shea Everyday forever ago but it's a HUGE bottle so I never was able to use it all, especially because I never quite liked the way it made my hair feel. I ended up buying two bottles of Shea Moisture on sale, but I thought one was a shampoo and the other was conditioner.. then one day I noticed they were both shampoos! I stopped using both and only used the Shea Moisture one I thought was the Shampoo until it ran out. I didn't use conditioner during that time because the only one I had was the Shea Everyday and it usually made my hair oily. Now when I wash my hair, I first use the Shea Everyday but it makes my hair feel weird, like almost waxy immediately after I wash it out. I just use it to one, use it up and get rid of it, and two, wash out all the crazy oilyness from my hair. Then I wash my hair a second time with the Shea Moisture to get rid of that waxy feeling I don't like. Then I only condition the ends with the Shea Everyday Conditioner so it doesn't make the top of my head oily. Doing this my hair is currently not oily when it dries, but previous natural shampoos I have tried have left my hair oily, but I stopped buying those. Even so, I always put the shampoo right on top of my head and rub it into my scalp like my mom taught me, I don't think it's because I didn't scrub deep enough into my hair. I always just thought the natural shampoos with their natural moisturizing oils got stuck in my oil magnet hair and since they were too gentle to strip my hair of oils it just left my hair oily. That and/or whatever conditioner I used was too oily and left my hair greasy and wouldn't wash out completely no matter how much I rinsed.

ANYWAYS, I'm actually about to run out of the Shea Moisture in the next wash or two, and I already bought my next shampoo and conditioner which are these: https://www.amazon.com/Mill-Creek-Organic-Keratin-Shampoo/dp/B000FIJ24C

https://www.amazon.com/Mill-Creek-Botanicals-Aloe-Conditioner/dp/B00014H5VW?th=1

But now after reading more about hair recently, I'm worried that it might be too much protein? Will it even matter if I only wash my hair once or twice a week? Is the Aloe Conditioner enough moisture to balance out the protein? I haven't tried these yet so I don't know how it will affect my hair.

Yeah, it was sold out on Amazon and everywhere else I could find it for a long time. Until I could buy one, I used a brush with plastic bristles. It was less effective, but it worked okay enough to use while I waited.

Edit: Looks like it's sold out again, but here's the link.

Edit 2: Here is a direct link to Cebra Ethical Skincare. Seems like it's not sold out on their website, and they have a couple different brushes.

> https://www.amazon.com/AVEDA-Smooth-Infusion-Naturally-Straight/dp/B00KN0F4LC
> ^ this stuff its amazing! i used to have a super curly frizz fro. i never use it more than once a week. and have to be careful with how much because this can make hair perfectly straight.

I don't want to sound dismissive, but perhaps you should change your expectations of cleanliness? That squeaky clean sensation (which I dub the "scalp destroyer") won't be ever reproduced by our methods. The closest you will get is by using Baking Soda, which can be quite damaging to hair in the long run.

About the smell, maybe you are getting some form of buildup. This could be for not washing properly or having excessive production of sebum, which is usually the case after a day if you use regular shampoo.

Ask someone close to you to take a look at your scalp, to check if there are red spots or pimples. If that is the case, you will need to clean more thoroughly in the shower and distribute the oils more frequently by scritch/preen/BBB. A scalp brush like these also helps. To clean the present situation, you can apply a bit of ACV with a cotton pad on the spots before you sleep.

Another reason for a buildup is heavy water, so you should take a look at that as well.

Well, I was using a conditioner, but with this shampoo bar I've stopped needing conditioner (I think it's the shea butter that helps with that). My hair comes out with good volume & squeaky clean (think it's the ACV that's built in to this stuff). So right now I just shampoo when necessary, then hit it with some product. GL!

edit: Oops, didn't see that you'd asked for a link, sorry! Here you go: https://www.amazon.com/Wildland-Botanicals-ACV-Shampoo-Bar/dp/B0759ZNGJS/

I've been messing around with NoPoo for the past month or so and I've gotta say it has given my otherwise dry and wavy hair more shine and shape. Before I started trying it out, I used to use hair products pretty regularly, but now I get fairly similar results with no products.

I shampoo my hair about once per week (more often if I go swimming) and I use warm water to clean my hair daily. While washing my hair I use a scalp brush and a fine tooth nit comb to remove any flakes I might have. Seems to work pretty well for me.

Mason Pearson is kind of the gold standard, but has the price to go along with it. I have one I found for $80, and I'm a big fan. $80 has saved me years of shampoo, conditioner, and hair product use, so I figure it was worth it.

This one costs 10% as much and has good reviews.

I have this shower head adapter and it works pretty well. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P5LCJG5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Washing with soft water makes ALL the difference.

I use this dry shampoo because it doesn't have all the junk in it: https://dailydryshampoo.com/products/4-oz-dry-shampoo-deluxe-applicator

It seems pricey but it will last you for a long time and it's the best dry shampoo I have found to date. And I've tried a lot of them!

You're very welcome. In my opinion the lesser ingredients the better the product :-) To be safe avoid sulfates, parabenes, PEGs, silicones, quats, mineral oil,... To cowash you could use this conditioner from Weleda. It is safe (I used it when I was low poo) https://www.amazon.de/Weleda-Haar-Hafer-Aufbau-Sp%C3%BClung-Pack/dp/B00ANYAQTI

Try making your own 100% natural Shampoo consisting of Indian Gooseberry, Soapnut, Acacia Concinna (popularly called Shikakai), Curry leaves and fenugreek seeds. It has been traditionally used in India since ages and is known to be very effective in strengthening hair.

​

Sending you the link where you can buy

​

https://www.amazon.com/Yauvanya-Shampoo-Hairfall-sulphate-chemical/dp/B075PPTLPR/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=yauvanya&qid=1556008986&s=gateway&sr=8-6

I'd look on amazon for some wooden combs. In my opinion, they don't work as well and need to be cleaned more often and more carefully (no water, no wet hair, etc.), but it does help redistribute oils. A bamboo hairbrush might work similarly, but I don't really have experience with that.

Honestly, the only time I use my boar bristle brush is when I'm too lazy to thoroughly clean my hair/scalp. Otherwise I don't really need it.

Here's the same brush, but it appears cheaper (I don't know exchange rates). http://www.amazon.com/Friendly-Wooden-Vegan-Sisal-Brush/dp/B00BRHN5IY/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?ie=UTF8&ref_=ox_sc_act_image_1&smid=A2ZDZACAMBG9OM

Edit It seems to have several alternatives in the "Customers who viewed this also..." part of the page.

I had this exact problem when I tried switching to "natural" shampoo systems (i.e. honey shampoo & acv rinse and some others). I couldn't seem to get rid of it and it just kept growing and taking over my scalp. I finally got this liquid castile soap http://www.amazon.com/Desert-Essence-Castile-Liquid-Eco-Harvest/dp/B00C8RX4RE/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1458149861&sr=8-2&keywords=desert+essence+tea+tree+castile+soap and used it daily (I would really massage it into my scalp for about a minute). It took awhile due to the scope of the problem, but it got rid of the dandruff. The dandruff came back briefly (originating in the same spot as before), so I didn't mess around this time and I started mixing that soap in with my shampoo until it went away completely. I haven't had a problem since and am only using commercial shampoos now (my hair and scalp honestly feel so much better). If I remember correctly, tea tree oil has anti-fungal properties and since dandruff can be the result of a fungus, this could make sense. It smells awful, imo, but hey whatever works! Best of luck...hope this helps!

I have this sisal bristle brush I've been using it for 3 months now, and I love it! It's a cruelty free alternative to the boar bristle brush. It's made with a natural fibre so it does the same job as the boar bristle brush in distributing the oils down the length of your hairs

You can get an in-shower water softener that screws-on between your showerhead and the pipe coming out of your wall. The filters last ~6 months. It's fairly DIY item, and shouldn't violate any lease agreements (many people put their own showerheads on showers when they rent).

Here's one that I've heard is quite good for the price: http://www.amazon.com/Culligan-ISH-100-Inline-Shower-Filter/dp/B000MVYRWE/

I'm a nurse with seb derm symptoms and it can be hard to find something that works. I tried a lot of things, and asked a lot of doctors, but what ultimately worked for me was the ACV shampoo bar from Wildland Botanicals. The ingredients are wonderful. Neem oil, Shea butter, apple cider vinegar, etc. I use it now approx 2-3x a week. Itch is gone, dandruff is gone.

It's also on Amazon. Free 2-day shipping on prime. https://www.amazon.com/Wildland-Botanicals-ACV-Shampoo-Bar/dp/B0759ZNGJS/

L'Oreal Paris EverSleek Sulfate Free Smoothing System Intense Smoothing Conditioner, 8.5 fl. Oz. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0047ENQFQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_cRhztU5TDtoxe

Try this. It's working for me. https://www.amazon.com/Wildland-Botanicals-ACV-Shampoo-Bar/dp/B0759ZNGJS/

you try if a wooden comb works for you. ive also read about cedar brushes working similarly.

or this https://www.amazon.com/Cebra-ethical-skincare-Sisal-Brush/dp/B00BRHN5IY/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&ref_=ox_sc_act_image_1&smid=A2ZDZACAMBG9OM

I've seen several brushes with only wooden pins, however I have no experience with these, so I also have no experience if it's only wooden material. I've seen them going from 5 to 20 dollar.

Also when I Googled, I got on this brush, which is 'only' 30 dollar.

Are there any other chemicals in conditioner I should avoid? I'm about to wash it now, but I feel kind of sad about using chemicals on my hair after 3 weeks without them. The ones I know of are sulfates, silicones, and parabens.

This is the only one I have handy: http://www.amazon.com/LOreal-Paris-EverSleek-Smoothing-Conditioner/dp/B0047ENQFQ

And yeah, I know I have sebum because I'm still pulling it out of my hair, but it's not as bad as it was before.