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All About the No-Poo Routine

By Raquel Aguiar (HalfWavyHalfCurly on CurlTalk)

For long-time CurlTalkers, “CG” or “no poo” has become a staple of their vocabulary. But many newcomers may need a crash course in what exactly this term — used as both a verb and a noun — it means.

CG is a CurlTalk abbreviation for “Curly Girl,” a book written by Lorraine Massey and Deborah Chiel, which helps people embrace their natural texture. With that objective in mind, Massey describes a new and revolutionary routine to get healthy, well-behaved waves, curls and coils.

Here is a summary of how to do a no-poo routine:

Although the very best way to do this routine is AFTER reading the book, we understand that many people just can’t wait another day because their hair is begging for help, so in order to make this easier here’s the basic guidelines of the routine:

The first step is to either eliminate or seriously limit the use of shampoos with sulfates to cleanse the hair and scalp. The second is to use a clear gel to help keep frizz away. And the third is to handle the hair in a very gentle manner.

The premise is tri-fold:

1. Most commercial shampoos contain surfactants that are too harsh for our hair and tend to rob our hair of moisture.

2. Our hair tends to be more porous than straight hair, which makes totally rinsing out all traces of shampoo virtually impossible, and that residue causes frizz.

3. Most conditioners contain mild surfactants that, paired up with a little manual friction, are capable of lifting off dirt, debris and excess oil from our scalp and hair.

To make a no-poo routine work, you should eliminate the use of most silicones (or ‘cones for short) from your hair care routine because most ‘cones can only be removed from the hair with rather harsh shampoos. Washing with a conditioner while using them would cause them to quickly build up on the hair, which results in dull, matted hair and poor curl definition.

It is very important to choose a good conditioner for no-pooing. Here is what you should look for on the label:

1.) Emollients, which soften, smooth the hair and give it shine. There are hundreds of them, including such natural emollients as vegetable oils and nut butters. Widely used emollients include glycerides and liposomes.

2.) Proteins, which temporarily “repair” the hair and/or protect it. Occasionally proteins will build up on some people’s hair, especially on healthier hair. In this case, alternate with a protein-free conditioner. Examples of proteins include silk, soy, wheat, keratin or individual amino acids (components of proteins).

3.) Humectants, which absorb water and hold in moisture. They are absolutely crucial in a conditioner for curly hair. Panthenol, vegetable glycerin, sorbitol and honey are just a few humectants to look for on the label. Moisturizers soften and control to curly hair. Amino acids and aloe vera are two great moisturizers.

Here’s how to do a conditoner wash:

1.) After wetting your hair thoroughly, pour a dime-sized amount of conditioner in your hand and, using the pads of your fingertips, apply to one spot of your scalp and massage well, just as you would with shampoo.

2.) Repeat until you’ve scrubbed all over.

3.) Rinse all the conditioner off with plenty of warm water, still gently massaging with your fingertips so the friction will dissolve any residue.

4.) Pour more conditioner into your hand (sometimes another richer conditioner is necessary for this step), rub your palms together and apply over the length as you normally did in the past.

5.) Try to detangle with your fingers or with a very wide-tooth comb.

6.) For extra moisturizing, clip your hair up and continue with your shower, then when you’re done set the water as cool as is comfortable to you and rinse your head for just a second or two, gently squeeze the excess water off.

Styling your curls

• Choose a gel — must be ‘cone-free and preferably clear so it will allow the natural shine through.

• Don’t ever brush your hair.

• Detangle it only when soaking wet, using a wide-tooth comb or whenever possible just our fingers.

• NEVER rub our hair with the towel, but gently blot the water using scrunching motions.

• Gently apply product, preferably by scrunching.

• Air dry your hair whenever possible or diffuse only partially to avoid frizz.

• Don’t touch it while it’s drying.

Clarifying

Sometimes residue from your gels, oils, etc. may not rinse off with water and conditioner and we get a little buildup. Very often it’s easy to notice right away that your hair feels “gunk.” But other times, hair just stops responding to the routine. It may begin to tangle easily or curls loose definition and shine. Clarifying will refresh them and usually bring the bounce back. The recipes for natural clarifiers can be found in the forum section titled “Recipes – for hair and body.”

Modified No-Poo Routine for Wavies

The “Curly Girl” author concedes that some people may have to continue using shampoo (hopefully a lot less often than before) because of an oily scalp. This is usually more common in those with wavy hair. To avoid drying the hair, here’s the CG way to use shampoo:

1. Wet hair under a gentle shower.

2. Take a tablespoon of conditioner and using your fingers, lightly coat your hair from the ends to the mid-shaft. This hair has been around longer than the hair at the roots and needs more lubrication. The conditioner protects the hair by not allowing shampoo to penetrate and dehydrate the shaft.

3. If you’re using shampoo, squeeze a half teaspoon* (no more) onto your fingertips and apply it gently to the scalp and roots only. Don’t use your nails. Start at the forehead and work around the scalp, then rinse thoroughly.

4. Add a half teaspoon of conditioner to your hair and work it through with your fingers. Then rinse quickly, for just a few seconds. No you’re ready to blot-dry your hair.

*Diluting this amount in an ounce of water or so makes it much easier to distribute and gentler to the scalp.

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10 comments for “All About the No-Poo Routine”

1. So I have to say › wen hair care products…. weh. Says:
   May 13th, 2008 at 4:56 pm

   [...] is bad for your hair and that his products clean without stripping moisture. Sounds a lot like the deva curl system to me, which I never tried in earnest because I tried some of their styling products (like [...]

2. Day in the Life: Shower & Chafeguard « Living ~400lbs Says:
   September 24th, 2008 at 6:10 am

   [...] hair, which is also naturally fragile hair, which I’ve made more fragile by coloring it. Some recommend that you don’t use shampoo at all, set it with clips, airdry, use a diffuser, et cetera.  I could spend time and money straightening [...]

3. sweettooth Says:
   October 25th, 2008 at 3:20 pm

   Bummer… the links on this entry are broken. Who can we ask to have them repaired?

4. Katiemagic » Blog Archive » Where my curly girls at? Says:
   November 19th, 2008 at 12:53 am

   [...] Enter this tutorial. [...]

5. No Shampoo Routine | Hair On The Brain Says:
   December 3rd, 2008 at 2:26 pm

   [...] If you have curly or even just dry hair, you may not need to shampoo your hair. Sound crazy? Well, I’ve been doing the no-poo routine for six months now, and my hair has never been healthier. Really, it works! Read all about it here. [...]

6. haironthebrain Says:
   December 3rd, 2008 at 2:43 pm

   i’ve been doing the no-shampoo routine for months and loving it

7. Going without… shampoo that is. | Runaway October Says:
   January 16th, 2009 at 7:50 pm

   [...] All about the No ‘Poo Routine [...]

8. vanessa rogers Says:
   January 25th, 2009 at 7:55 pm

   I would like to start the no-poo thing but I need some advice and a little help.

   We are supposed to avoid products with sulfates in them correct? Do some conditioners have sulfates as well? And if so which ones don’t. Currently, I am living in South Korea teaching English, and everything on the back of my conditioner and shampoo bottle is in Korean so that means I can’t read it. I am using Pantene pro-v. Can anyone tell me if that is ok.

   Also I would like to clarify a couple of things. So in the no-poo method you wash your hair with conditioner once or twice a week, so the other days that you are showering, do you just use conditioner regularly? Thanx for the help.

9. Chantel Lace Says:
   May 4th, 2009 at 10:48 pm

   Do you no-poo everyday???

10. curlyfries611 Says:
    May 12th, 2009 at 6:46 pm

    I do- I’ve gone 8 years without shampooing my hair. Scrubbing your scalp with conditioner works well, as does the brown sugar scrub, and it doesn’t dry out and frizz up hair like shampoo does.

    It does take a while for the process to take hold, but once it does you’ll love your hair and never look back.

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