Honey Is The New Shampoo: The Conclusion

I haven’t washed my hair with conventional shampoo and conditioner for almost one full month — and this will be my last week reporting on it. Why? Did I give up? Am I switching back to the (unnatural) way things used to be?

Of course not! It’s just the opposite.

Two days after I switched from washing with honey to using castile soap and avocado, I had a really good hair day. And I haven’t stopped since. I’ve come to a place where I’m getting a handle on how often I should wash my hair, how much castile soap I should use, where I should apply the avocado oil, etc. And I’m loving it. It’s at the point where people have even asked me if I started using shampoo again. They can’t believe I’m still not using shampoo because my hair just looks so good — and let me tell you, when you haven’t actually used shampoo in a month, that’s basically the highest compliment you can receive.

Red hair, mustard tights, crochet

I’m signing off on this after today because I’ve found a method that works for me, I’m sticking with it, and I don’t anticipate any notable changes in my hair in the near future. But if I do have any updates, I can assure you I will be back with more documentation!

I want to give a humongous thanks to all of you for following along and offering all of your support and advice. I know I keep saying this, but it couldn’t be truer: There is absolutely no way I would have done this without you all. I mean that. So thank you!

Natrual haircare products

My 3 natural haircare products.

Before I go, I want to leave you with 3 bits of knowledge that I’m coming away from this experience with. If you’re thinking about ditching conventional hair products and switching to more natural options… read on!

1. Do not give up. You can make the switch in one minute flat, but your hair isn’t going to be as quick to realize what’s going on. The transition takes time. Every time you feel like giving up, remind yourself why you started this to begin with — and remember that the transition period will not last forever. Stick with it, and once you figure it out, you’ll never be happier.

2. Listen to your body. Thank you to those of you who said this to me. Yes, things take time, but if your hair is telling you that it’s really unhappy, it just might be. What works for someone else might not be the best route for you. Experiment with different methods, different products, and different amounts, until you find what’s right for you. Just make sure you give a little time for your body to adjust every time you change something up — if you switch your method every day, your body probably won’t have a chance to adjust and you may never know what actually works for you.

3. Arrowroot flour, arrowroot flour, arrowroot flour. Even if you’re not ready to make the jump to natural hair washing, I still recommend using arrowroot flour to soak up extra oil on days that you skip a wash (best for light hair). It has seriously been my saving grace in this whole process for me, and I love it. You only have to use a tiny amount, and it works wonders. Plus, you can scent it with a bit of essential oil if you like!

Thank you all so very much for all of your help during this hair experiment of mine. As always, if you have any advice you’d like to share, please leave a comment! It’s so great to hear all of your experiences. :)

Read more from my Honey Is The New Shampoo experience.

Follow FP Brigette on Twitter.

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10 years ago

I have fine colour treated hair so i’m very scared to try anything. I’ve read a lot on bolts lately about switching and most people with my type of hair have brake age or a lot of greasy hair after. Would anyone have any advice?

Roxy xox,
Visit my store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HeartJewelryAlways

Byer
10 years ago

You have the raddest hair, ever. So beautiful!

10 years ago

Congrats Brigette!! Your hair looks amazing!!

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meg
10 years ago

Hmm….may have to try this if my hair can look as great as yours!

http://happinessiscreating.com/

Jessica
10 years ago

Your hair is looking gorgeous! Congrats! Does anyone know of an alternative to arrowroot powder that is best for dark hair?

Trish
10 years ago

WOW I cannot believe the dedication you have and the amount of suggestions by your readers! I have wanted to go shampooless for years but didn’t know where to start or what to use as an alternative and you have been nothing but inspiration and help for me..on more then just your hair blogs :) I want to thank you so much and look forward to more natural adventures in the future! keep it up!
PS: I absolutely love love love your hair.. the colour, texture, its fascinating.

10 years ago

Arrowroot flour or arrowroot powder? The only thing close to organic I found as far as arrowroot flour goes was “all-natural,” but that does not necessarily mean organic.

10 years ago

Any suggestions on an arrowroot flour equivalent for dark hair? Thanks!

ashton
10 years ago

i use dr. bronners as well but my hair always seems tangled without any conventional conditioner. what do you do for your tangles?

10 years ago

I’m def. going to give this a try- I’ve been looking for the perfect natural formula. Last weekend i did a blend of coconut oil and hemp oil. My hair felt pretty strong for a few days afterwards. Thank you for posting this! XO Jess Ps we have same haircut so i hope mine looks as fab as yours when i’m done!

10 years ago

Your hair looks incredible. Thanks for sharing and inspiring us with these natural techniqures!

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Tia
10 years ago

Shivani, I heard cocao powder works wonders for dark hair, though I have never used it myself so you might want to do a little researching.

And thanks Bridgette for all of this, it inspired me to try new things, and I can say castile soap works best for me also. Thanks again for posting throughout your no-poo experiments!

10 years ago

Jessica and Shivani- Try mixing a bit of cocoa powder with the arrowroot flour to tint it and then apply. works for me, and I have dark brown hair.

Milka
10 years ago

YAYYYY!!! I’m sooo glad you stuck it out. I commented when you started with this to stick with it for at least a month and it will change your life. I swear by avocado oil, it’s a great wrinkle filler by the way. 1-3 drops mix with your facial cream at night and be awed in the morning. Your hair look GORGEOUS Brigette! I’m so happy for you!

P.S. Those red lips!!! you’re killing it!

Milka
10 years ago

Roxy, try washing your hair with diluted castile soap and use henna paste as conditioner. There’s a henna hue for just about every single hair color variation out there, people even dye their hair with henna it’s a natural color enhancer, it is also a great deep conditioner. Good luck!

kat
10 years ago

your hair looks lovely! would absolutely be thrilled with a post on how you style it!

Rose
10 years ago

I’ve been no-poo for almost two weeks! I use a little Castile soap about twice a week :) So far I’ve been loving it, my “transition period” has not been rough at all. I might have to get some arrowroot powder after reading your posts :) And I totally know what you meant in one of your earlier posts about your hair smelling like… Hair. It makes me feel more like my hair is a part of me, not just something dead that sits on top of my head. Best of luck with the rest of this endeavor! :)

Elia
10 years ago

I did it for about three weeks and gave up! My scalp was so itchy and I got the worst dandruff :( ! I wish I would’ve found the right combo!

10 years ago

Oh thank you thank you for posting this! I haven’t tried, but I want to so much! Definitely going to give it a go over the summer.

xo, Juliette Laura
http://juliettelaura.blogspot.com

10 years ago

Just curious if anyone knows; is there a different between arrowroot flour and arrowroot powder? Thanks! I’m definitely going to be switching to some more natural products (instead of my usual Garnier, Pantene, and Loreal stuff (sulfates sulfates sulfates = ew).

Thanks again for your help and inspiration!

10 years ago

I love the idea of giving up on shampoo, however am still frightened about the transition. I have been easing into it, however, using coconut oil and eggs to moisturize my hair on some nights. Your hair looks stunning, I will give your mixture a go asap!

xx
Alex
http://freshhealthynatural.blogspot.com

10 years ago

wow girl., thank you for teaching me something new. I kind of want to try it but I am scared! what if my hair has hair color? I would love to know if it still works well. please get back to me here on on my blog if you have a chance
francesca from Frank Vinyl

10 years ago

I use cornstarch as dry shampoo and I have dark nearly black hair. Obviously you can’t just plop it on, you have to dip your fingers in it and then tousle it in your hair. Works just fine for me, I’ve been doing this for years now.

10 years ago

Great post! A good resource for honey DIY is another blog I read, http://honeyfanatic.com/

10 years ago

Great posts! As a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, when my clients have changed their diet they find that their hair, skin and nails are healthy in many aspects such as growing faster, more shine, less or no acne, reduction in dryness and less likely to get sunburn. Most who couldn’t go a day without washing their hair are now able too. What you put in your body is just as important as what you put on it. If you would like more information on how to improve hair and skin care through nutrition, reach out to me via my website http://evolvehealthcounseling.com/.