You've had a lo-o-o-ong day and all you want to do is get home, have a long soak and wash the day right outta your hair. A bit like this:
Washing your hair feels so good it should be illegal. It's like going for a pee when you're about to implode. But – and we're really not sure about this – there's now a movement that's encouraging you to ditch shampoo completely. Not just shampoo, either – they're cracking down on its fragrant sister conditioner, too.
Lifestyle blogger Lucy Aitken aka Lulastic has just released her first book, extolling the virtues of no hair washing and going 'No Poo', entitled Happy Hair: The Definitive Guide To Giving Up Shampoo.
'[The] science of No Poo... isn't just some hippy poppycock – it is a proper, legitimate process that genuinely works,' she explains in her blog. 'This book will help No Pooers get through the transitional stage, find an alternative that works for them (there are over 30 alternatives to shampoo, conditioner and styling products) and gives solutions for common problems encountered.'
She sounds so entertaining and jolly, does Lucy, that we'd happily pay £2.20 to read the e-book (available through her blog, or you can buy it from Amazon for a whole 70% more Lucy herself points out helpfully) but the question, of course, on everyone's lips is: why? Shampoo and conditioner aren't cheap, sure – but they aren't so expensive that we'd happily give up fresh-smelling hair for the rest of our lives. If you're a smoker, washing your hair is downright essential.
That said, there's been strong debate for many years that shampoo and conditioner strip your hair of its natural oils – and going 'poo' free is actually the key to healthier, happier hair. The Guardian's Sali Hughes says, 'The reasoning behind no-pooing is that chemical detergents in shampoo strip hair of its natural oils, causing the scalp to pump out too much, creating lank hair and a greasy scalf. Free of harsh chemicals, the hair restores its own balance, growing lusciously of its own accord. The claim is unproven but the anecdotal evidence is plentiful and compelling.'
Lucy herself is poo-free (washing her hair only with natural ingredients like, er, vinegar, egg or just plain water) and claims that if you can get through the initial couple of months – where your greasy hair will pong like four-day old garbage – your hair, like hers, will be 'nice-smelling and clean.' She's so happy with her poo-free hair, that she invites you to come 'nuzzle' it anytime.
It all sounds very persuasive, but the idea of ditching our regular shampoo for a bottle of Sarson's is about as tempting as throwing out toothbrush out the window and letting our teeth go green and furry. If you fancy giving it a go though, please do let us know what happens – like poo-free guinea pigs.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.