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I guess this is a question for the no-'poo brigade :0)

I can't get anywhere near the smell of acv (even with tea tree oil to tone it down) but would still like to use something like to it on my hair as a conditioner/rinse.

I'm using lemon juice at the moment but don't think it's as effective as the vinegar.

Can anyone suggest anything that will be effective but not leave me smelling of chip shop?!!

Thanks!

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Is it really necessary to use anything at all? – Matt May 8 2010 at 21:38
acv? I suppose that means apple cider vinegar and not acyclovir or actual cash value. – ScottMGS May 8 2010 at 23:00
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Well, I don't feel so bad now. I thought this question was gonna be all about constipation :-) – GHarkness May 8 2010 at 23:33
I thought the same! Perhaps someone should ask a constipation question, would be interested to see if that is a problem at all... – CT May 11 2010 at 9:57
what about white vinegar that's what i use. – Stacey Sep 19 2011 at 20:40

12 Answers

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White vinegar works just as well as ACV and is not quite so strongly scented, and it's scent wears off much faster than ACV. Here is a pretty good tute for going no 'poo http://babyslime.livejournal.com/174054.html and a great article for water only types http://thephoenix.com/Boston/Life/40141-No-Poo-Do/. In short the baking soda and water is meant to loosen dirt and debris and emulsify head oils so that they are more easily rinsed out and the vinegar rinse is to close and smooth the hair shaft and to carry residual oils down the hair shaft to moisturize and protect longer hair. Going no' poo isn't really a paleo thing as much as it is about avoiding extra chemicals and promoting a cycle that isn't good or even useful to the health of the hair. How you clean yourself shouldn't be based on what paleo man could or could not get his grubby little hands on, it should be determined by what works for your body and it's individual chemistry.

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I don't use anything at all. I haven't washed my hair since January.

I'd recommend using baking soda if you need something. I did this initially, to help the period where everything is super greasy. Make a baking soda and water paste. Wet your head. Smear the paste on and massage into your scalp.

Don't just replace shampoo with some other crap. That's not the point. The point is that you don't need anything. If you're switching to ACV because it's "more natural", then you're confused. Making ACV from scratch is hard! It's not just found on the ground like most things paleo.

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I've found I need acv when I use baking soda--otherwise my hair kind of explodes into a mass. When I use plain water, that is all I need. – Laura May 10 2010 at 19:45
Well, I am male and have about 1.5" long hair. I imagine it's different for women, but here's the thing: all primates have social grooming time. Grooming is expected. If I recall, you lady-folk need to brush your hair a LOT in order to spread the oils around – Aaron Griffin May 10 2010 at 21:40
I agree. I have been No Poo for a year. For most of that period I was using sodium bicarbonate and organic apple cider vinegar, but I had dandruff problems. Now I use a boar bristle brush twice a day, and I wash my hair with cold-ish water. My hair is clean and the dandruff has gone completely. – netmork Jan 9 2012 at 10:03
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Try coconut oil

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yep. coconut oil is where it's at. – Dan Gregory May 9 2010 at 4:50
Coconut Oil in the shower will not cause slippage and TBI from cracking the cranium on the shower handle???? – Bill1102inf Dec 6 2011 at 5:21
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The acid in acv smooths the hair, so I would think lemon juice would work--theoretically. You might want to compare the pH of the two. That might be the difference in effectiveness.

In my no-poo practice, I only use acv when I wash with baking soda. If I use plain water, I find I don't need it.

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I've been doing conditioner-only for a few weeks and my hair is so silky and wonderful! It sort of falls under the definition of no 'poo since you don't use shampoo, but some people might argue that using any commercial hair care product is not in the spirit. If you're not opposed to using an all natural vegetable-based conditioner, I love love love Hugo Naturals conditioner. It's a little pricey but you don't really need that much and it absolutely smells like heaven...never before Hugo Naturals have I been tempted to eat a hair care product.

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I went no 'poo at the beginning of the year, using baking soda and white vinegar with less and less frequency as time went on. Beginning March 1st, I totally stopped using anything but water on my hair, and after about a week and a half my hair has been amazing; I have always had really thin, greasy hair, and it now has body for the first time ever. It is shiny and lovely, and I am never going back!

But in the interim, I definitely found that white vinegar worked well without the smell issues that come with ACV. I can only suggest going all the way! Water works great, especially if you scrub your scalp and make sure to rinse with the coldest water possible.

Good luck!

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I occasionally use beer as a hair rinse. It helps give hair more shine and body.

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Have you tried diluting it down with water, with herbs thrown in (like cinnamon sticks or rosemary)? It leaves a nice smell and may have some ... herbal qualities for your hair.

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You could try a honey rinse. One part honey; nine parts water. Add it to wet hair, let it sit for a bit then rinse it out. You can even leave a bit in, but you'll know you've left too much when you get that sticky look.

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I've heard good thing about tea rinses, though I haven't tried it myself. I believe the basic method is to boil water 30-60 minutes beforehand, throw a tea bag in and let it steep right up until washing time. I hear green and black both work really well. Some people use herbal teas, but not all of them are acidic, so you'd have to check into that. And some herbal teas will change the color if your hair a bit too.

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I've used tea rinses. But be aware that they can change the color of your hair. Black teas darken and green teas lighten. I haven't noticed any changes myself, apparently they can take a while to appear. Brewed coffee can also be used as a rinse, what I'll do is reuse the grounds from coffee I drank, to make my hair rinse. Again, it will darken your hair. – Amanda Aug 25 2011 at 20:08
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Every time there is a mention of No Poo somewhere, there are tons of questions and comments from experience. So, I thought it might be a good idea to set up a question and answer site to help beginners, and kind of let everyone discuss the No Shampoo/Soap lifestyle, and all the different experiences and experiments we are doing.

I would like to invite you to come post on our forum to provide info and experiences.

So, if you are interested, go check it out: http://beyondshampoo.com

I'm not selling anything, and I would appreciate people participating in honest, good discussions.

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You can swap out a vinegar rinse with an ODOR FREE citric acid rinse. I've done both and find they are as equally effective in conditioning your hair, the only difference is that the citric acid rinse has no smell. :)

You can find the citric acid recipe I use here (scroll through the article it's about half way down): http://coderedhat.com/no-poo-method/

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