UPDATE: Over a long amount of time rhassoul clay does break the hair down and dries out the scalp - it’s a great method for getting yourself through the detox period if you get really greasy, waxy and gunky, but keep an eye on how it affects your hair.
For a gentler cleanse that’s more suitable for long-term use, check out my neem, amla and reetha shampoo recipe here.
Those are Indian herbs, by the way - I’ve also got a guide to which herbs might be best for your hair needs, as well as another handy guide to where you can buy them from online.
Soooo hey there beautiful people. It looks like my little splash in the national press has got a few of you interested in going shampoo-free.
Well first of all, bloody good for you!
I’m no scientist but it’s been my personal experience that cutting down on *potentially toxic* man-made chemicals and reducing my overall toxic load (shampoo, processed food, blah blah blah) is the best thing I’ve ever done for my health.
Sure, I could have started my green living journey by I dunno, cleaning my bathroom with some vinegar and baking soda - but no, I jumped right in there and started bunging the stuff on my head.
As one does.
When it comes to ditching shampoo, I’ve said in the past about the amazing benefits I’ve experienced like how it made this longstanding rash behind my ears clear up as well as making my hair generally quicker and easier to manage.
A lot of people message me asking for my “recipes”, so I thought I’d jot down some pointers for using rhassoul clay and apple cider vinegar as a no ‘poo method.
This particular no ‘poo method might not work for you - everyone’s hair type differs and there are a ton of blogs and resources online to help you figure out your own hair type and the best method for you.
This Facebook group has loads of helpful files and helpful members if you get stuck.
I used this mix of rhassoul clay and apple cider vinegar for about 2/3 months before it was noticeably breaking the hair down around my hairline and drying out my scalp - so, while it got me through the detox, I shouldn’t have used it for as long as I did.
Where to buy hair clays and apple cider vinegar
I buy rhassoul clay from Amazon UK - I didn’t really research my brands to be honest, but personally I use Mystic Moments.
I was using Aspall’s organic apple cider vinegar (ACV) before bulking up with a 5lt bottle of raw organic ACV from Biona (on Amazon UK) to cut down on packaging waste and cost. But there’s not much difference between the two in how it effects the hair tbh.
Mah rhassoul clay and apple cider vinegar shampoo recipe and instructions
How much you need depends on the hair density on your scalp, but start with around a 50ml spoonful of rhassoul clay and see how you get on.
Apparently you can’t let ANY METAL touch the clay, something something science zzzzzz. So, plastic, ceramic, glass or wooden spoons and bowls are best to use.
Use ACV to help balance out the alkalinity of the clay, but if you’re unbearably greasy then you can mix it using plain water.
Then slowly mix in your water/ACV until the clay’s absorbed and you have the consistency you want - just add it really slowly so you don’t end up with a runny mess.
The ACV fizzes up a bit, so the final result looks like a mix between poo and mousse. Mmmmmm.
Hop in the shower, get your hair wet, and work the clay through your hair.
Then rinse the clay out - don’t forget to rinse your ears!!! - then I give my hair a quick towel dry then let it air dry.
Once it’s dry the vinegar smell is completely gone, honestly, it smells of literally nothing.
A few troubleshooting points
If you jump head first into this no ‘poo thing without doing your research, be prepared for a nasty shock if and when your hair starts getting funky!!
Greasy and waxy?
If you get really greasy/waxy, you could try mixing the clay with water instead of ACV and leaving it in your hair for a while under a shower cap - I wouldn’t like to say how long for because going for too long will potentially dry it out too much, but you want to leave it long enough to draw the muck away. DO NOT let it dry in your hair though whatever you do, you don’t want it breaking your hair at the roots.
If that doesn’t work, you could try using bentonite clay with water instead of rhassoul clay - more pricey and I don’t like its end result as much as rhassoul, but it’s grittier than rhassoul and worked for me in the past to strip gunk out. I find it more drying than rhassoul so work your way up to leaving it in as a mask slowly, you might not need to leave it in for as long.
You could try egg to remove waxy build up, just be prepared to ventilate and clean your bathroom a lot… I also hear applesauce is good for waxy build up as a vegan alternative, but can’t say I tried it myself.
Another short-term fix is to try a baking soda and water paste as a hair mask. I’ve never done it and people raise concerns about the pH level being too alkaline long-term but as a one-off during detox I imagine it has the same effect as clay so if you brave it let me know the results!
Above all, be patient - your hair is detoxing years of chemical build up and needs time to rebalance itself. Try to be kind to it and only wash it when you’re absolutely desperate to minimise damage.
Dry and static?
My scalp got dry because of the prolonged use of apple cider vinegar in my mix - while it’s softening on the hair, it was too acidic for me over long amounts of time. So try cutting that out in the first instance.
It also could mean the time has come to move onto a new method. Personally I love using different mixes of all these Ayurvedic herbs - some have drying properties, others have conditioning properties, and none of them have given me static.
If your scalp gets dry, don’t leave your method in for too long - just enough to scrub then rinse.
You could also try using a t-shirt to dry your hair - it tugs on the hair less than a normal towel and I’ve heard good things about it.
As the air is drier in Winter, you could try using a cruelty-free silk pillowcase which minimises tugging on the hair at night, as well as a humidifer.
You also need to deep condition from time to time - I talk about what no ‘poo-friendly conditioning methods I use in my FAQs.
Hard water?
I dunno about this; a lot of no ‘pooers find hard water a nightmare for their hair no matter what method they use, and I’m sure I’d respond well to softer water, but I’ve not had any difficulties at all so I’ll leave that to you to research and decide for yourself.
I hope you found this helpful, good luck you beautiful buggers!
