Two Weeks Sans Poo

   So. Hello again. It’s the dirty-haired girl! And this time my hair is actually probably a little dirty because it has been over a week since I washed it with anything except water. Just plain. old. water. Some observations:

1. Color
I was worried my hair would get significantly darker. I had previously been using John Frieda’s “Go Blonder” shampoo and conditioner, which made me a sunflower blonde, but I noticed some darkening after week one along with the oily-straw phenomenon. Happily, I’ve seen that dialed back since. My hair is a bit darker, but still wonderfully blond, except at the roots where it’s a) always been darker and b) is probably the dirtiest right now.

2. Texture
The oily-straw sensation is gone. My hair feels...kind of like Barbie hair. It’s smooth, but not necessarily soft. You can run your fingers through it, but it kind of holds its shape unnaturally...like hair play-doh. I wouldn’t say it has the most pleasant texture right now, but it’s not unbearable. If anything, I’m not sure what to do next. To keep not washing it or to give it a bit of baking soda/vinegar treatment.

3. Attention
People continue not to notice. I’ve been told several times that my hair looks great, including this weekend while berry picking. There’s no smell, nothing all that different, really, unless you touch it, and even if someone did touch my hair, I’m sure they probably wouldn’t notice the difference like I do.

   In conclusion, my hair is fine. I will probably wash with baking soda tomorrow night and see how that goes in terms of cleaning the oils generated on my scalp. For the longer term, I haven’t decided how to move forward. I don’t have a great way of storing the baking soda mixture in my shower as the baking soda is more volatile than I’d like. I’m considering going “poo-light” with a shampoo bar or organic liquid shampoo in the future, but I think I need to stick this particular process out for a few more weeks before making a final decision.

   Until then: onward! And no poo!