Are you struggling with your hair? Looking to cut back on harsh chemicals, synthetic scents, or find a cheaper option?
I was too! Roughly one month ago, I began the ‘no-poo method’ of hair care using only besin flour, water, and an apple cider vinegar rinse! (Check that post out here!)
Many have inquired about how the journey has been going, so I plan on doing monthly updates during this 3 month commitment!
The photo on the left is my current hair status. Two days post-wash. Still super shiny, light, and much curlier than it has been in years. While there is some frizz, it’s NOTHING like what it would have been two months ago. I’ve already started stretching out my washes from every 3 days to every 4 or 5. I do use the ACV every wash, at some point I will switch to alternating with an herbal rinse or foregoing sometimes. The photo on the right is a base point of where I started.
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This first month:
“But wait!” you might be saying. “Your hair is short now!”
Yes. That has been a *drastic* change this last month! I cut 6-7″ off about a week into the “no-poo” method. This decision had no correlation to my ditching shampoo endeavors and was solely an impulse decision! She did a dry cut on my hair and they used a sea salt texturizing spray to style it. (Which did have some hairspray and extra ingredients I generally try not to use.)
Even with the product from the hair salon, the besan (also known as gram flour or chickpea flour) washed out easily.
I did not color treat my hair.
There is a confession I have to make, I did use a generic shampoo while on my mommy-cation last week. Oil had gotten into my hair and I couldn’t get it out with hot water. I used some of the shampoo provided and it turned into a thick, coated mess! I was pleasantly surprised when my hair felt extremely clean after washing with the chickpea flour routine. After doing two “washes” with the besan powder all the built up grime felt clean.
What I like:
- My hair feels light without getting frizzy.
- I can go longer in between washes. I don’t have to use dry shampoo or feel like I need to wear a hat on washday to cover it.
- My curls are coming back! I used to have almost ringlet curls growing up, but as I entered my early twenties and definitely after having children, they’ve relaxed quite a bit.
- Soft. SO. STINKING. SOFT! I’m currently on day 3 of no wash, and I can’t stop touching my hair as I’m writing. While it is still soft without the apple cider rinse, using it takes it to a whole other level! The ACV rinse helps with shine, detangles, and contributes to the softness. I also started using a small pitcher to mix my ACV rinse in. It helps to control where it goes (and avoid my face!).
What I don’t like:
- It’s messy. Washing out the besan powder well is imperative. If you don’t rinse it all out, it flakes off as your hair dries and has a disturbing resemblance to dandruff. There always seems to be chunks of chickpea on the walls/floor of the shower. I ground this second batch up finer than my first round, and this seems to help with washing out and cleaning up.
- Time consuming. For some reason, I didn’t think it would change the time of my showers. To really work the besan powder into your hair and scalp, you have to massage it in well for several minutes.
- Grinding the chickpeas to a flour consistency is also time consuming (and loud!). My first batch was done in an electric coffee grinder and the chunks were fairly large. The second round I did in our Ninja Food Processor. It gave a nice, fine powder but took a long time to get there. After this is used up, I’m switching to bulk purchasing already ground chickpea flour.
- Make sure to not overdo the ACV rinse. I noticed if I used too much or did not fully rinse it out, my hair would get greasy fast. Currently, only a small cap full of ACV to 2 full cups of water poured over my hair and gently massaged in work very well.
Next Month:
Since the cut and switching to “no-poo” my natural curl has started coming back! (Still regretting all those years in high school and college using a flat iron.) A lovely friend told me about the Curly Girl Method. Her hair speaks for it’s self! Long, healthy, beautiful hair full of curls fit for a romance novel! (Yes, you Erin!)
I think the key to managing my natural curl would be to add some type of hold to my hair. The challenge will be to find something natural based, inexpensive, and will washout easily with the besan powder and apple cider vinegar rinse.
*Check in this Monday for my first attempt at a homemade curl product!*
Do you have a plant based hair regimen you follow? I’d love to hear your journey!