Three Years of Water Only

  

Today we're going to talk about one of my favorite environmental subjects- my hair. Think how many bottles of conditioner, dry shampoo, and serum you've disposed of in your lifetime. If you're anything like me, and went through an Avril Lavigne-induced Tigi Bedhead phase in the early 2000s, that's a lot of waste sent to landfill or shipped overseas for recycling. In my case, that was also a ton of chemicals being dumped into water systems and soil, and a lot of innocent animals suffering so my hair could look good for a day, frizz, split at the cuticle, and smell. It wasn't worth it. I spent money I should have saved and ruined my hair in the process.

When I moved to Paris, I was struck at my new French friends' attitudes towards American beauty routines. Daily shampoos weren't a thing in a country where women still got blowouts weekly, then preserved them. My friends wore caps in the pool and rinsed their hair after class at Klay. They also rarely used conditioner, preferring masks twice a month, and were more apt to use kaolin or oils to enhance, not hide, their naturally fuzzy texture. It was freeing not having to shampoo everyday, but Paris' hard water wreaked havoc on my hair, as did an ill-advised Japanese straightening treatment that forced me to chop off most of its length. I was embarrassed to go out with scarecrow hair when everyone I saw was so beautiful, and ended up staying inside and wasting precious time in the city I love because I felt self conscious. 

So three years ago (well, in three months it'll be three years, but I need the content so just go with it) I got fed up and started scrubbing with water every week. That's it. No soap or baking soda or ACV. Three years of mermaid rinsing, scritching, and brushing later, I finally have hair like Gretchen Wieners. My hair doesn't shed in handfuls like it once did, and I don't ever need to brush it. My natural curls returned, and I can get a smooth or straight look without heat styling or products. I only wish I'd started sooner.

Hair is like a delicate garment- it wears out more quickly the more you wash it and loses softness and strength. So even if you can't do water washing, it's best to shampoo less frequently, if only for the health of your hair. If you're willing to try no poo methods, I don't recommend using baking soda, which is too alkaline and destroys the keratin in hair. Gram or rye flour, clay, aloe, a shampoo bar, or refillable soap free cleanser like Plaine Products would be bettern. I used to tell people to use bar soap, because my husband liked it, but others say it's too drying and coats their heads. Bar soap is far more alkaline than liquid. 

Start with little steps, like eliminating one product at a time. My friend Tori said she noticed split ends disappeared after she stopped using conditioner. My Parisian friends are very proud of never using it at all- only a little oil from Buly 1803 or Grand Cafe Tortoni before washing (in the US, you can get bulk oils from Refill Revolution). If you must use conditioner, apply before shampooing so it doesn't weigh hair down. That way you save water and wash less.

To start water only hair washing, dilute castile soap heavily in a spray bottle or color applicator so it reaches the scalp (I don't recommend buying clarifying shampoo for this purpose- castile soap strips silicone). After that, try either the mermaid method of water washing (dunking it in a basin or bucket, then scrubbing the scalp and running fingers through hair as if with shampoo) or simply scrub in the shower. Most people need to wash everyday at first. Gradually, with regular brushing and scalp massage, you can ease into every other day, then every four days, etc. Many can go a week without washing. The type of brush depends on hair texture- vegan tampico for fine hair, wooden pin brushes for thicker hair, and a fine toothed comb for curls seem to work best. Some people won't be able to brush- for instance, my curls get ruined if I brush them, so I part my hair with my fingers while it's wet, smooth out the baby hairs, and try not to touch it at all after (this is very important for textured hair. The less you touch it, the better, to prevent frizz). Try avoiding dry shampoo as much as possible, because the goal is to let your hair's natural oil production occur uninterrupted. Once hair is coated in sebum, it'll never be dry or smell again.

We're trained to prefer artificial fragrance over the natural non-scent of hair, so it's ok to spray essential oils or perfume when needed. You can also try lemon juice diluted in water in a spray bottle to refresh between cleansing. After working out, swimming, or pollution exposure, rinsing hair should be sufficient for most people to remove sweat, allergens, and odors. Just remember to tie up hair or protect with a cap or scarf beforehand. You may need to wear braids, a bun, or headbands a la Blair Waldorf to work for awhile, but my experience was no one really noticed my hair except me. Brushing oils, dragging sebum down the cuticle with your fingers, or using cornstarch, cocoa powder, and arrowroot can alleviate greasiness if it's really a problem. I've found that if I push through the oil one or two days, it disappears suddenly by day three (I don't get greasy anymore though). My hair doesn’t fall out in chunks anymore (it did when I used conventional hair products), but scalp massage or a circulation stimulating essential oil such as eucalyptus should strengthen hair (diet may play a role). NOTE: Hair falls out naturally, and the more you shampoo, the more regularly it falls out. If you decrease the frequency of shampoos, a few days' worth of hair may come out all at once. This is not necessarily cause for alarm, since this does not generally indicate excess hair loss.

The transition period varies for everyone. I think water only is suitable for all hair types, because people were water only for thousands of years, and we didn’t evolve to need Garnier Fructis over millennia. However, it’s not a quick fix by any means, typically requiring three months‘ transition. Some people, like my friend Helen, didn’t really have a transition period- they just quit cold turkey and their hair looked great automatically. Whatever your hair type, it requires a lot of patience, and you can’t psych yourself out and think someone will criticize your shampoo-free appearance. People for the most part don’t care. I even met hairdressers who supported my water only resolve. Two stylists recently told me it’s common for clients to bring their own products because of preference or allergies, and most blow dry bars I’ve been to are okay with simply wetting hair before styling. Shampoo chemically removes flakes, so you'll need to mechanically remove them with your fingertips (not your nails) if they're actual dandruff. If dryness is the issue, try drinking a spoonful of oil each day, or putting oil on your scalp the night before a wash. Eating lots of good fats and maintaining a plant based diet seems to help prevent greasiness, flaking, and hair loss, as does limiting sugar, if my Parisian friends are any indicator.

I don't own a hair straightener, blowdryer, brush, or curling iron. I like my hair's natural texture a lot, but it gets messed up after a few days, so heatless styling methods like my grandma's vintage velcro rollers or rag curls work best for me. When my hair is wet I can tie my hair in a bun or twist it all in one direction and secure with a ponytail holder to get a straight, smooth look. Pin curls are nice for tighter curls, but if I do them wrong, I look like Shirley Temple, and sometimes it takes days to loosen. Three years in, that’s the only major issue I’ve encountered, although now that I’m back in America, I psychologically feel compelled to wash more, and it’s making my hair drier than it ever was in Paris (I used to wash once a month- since August, I’ve been washing weekly or biweekly). But there’s no turning back now. Like I said, I wish I hadn’t wasted so much time coating my hair and obscuring my natural texture to solve imaginary problems. It’s so nice having one less thing to worry about in the morning, and everytime I toss my hair, it’s a giant, zero waste “told you so” to everyone who thought I was crazy for going water only. I am crazy, but for reasons completely unrelated to my hair.