“No Poo“? The advice came from a friend: stop using shampoo and you will have more natural hair. The American blogger Sarah Theeboom followed this advice and she has now gone six years without using any shampoo to wash her hair. According to her, the results are very satisfactory: her hair is silky, smooth and clean.
The “No Poo” movement (derived from no shampoo), has spread in recent years with many swearing by its effectiveness and even earning the favor of some stars along the way. Among the supporters of “no poo“, the most radical use water exclusively, while others prefer to employ DIY shampoos with water and bicarbonate (baking soda). The more creative types will use water infused with rosemary and mint, rye flour and vinegar to clean and rinse their hair as an alternative to shampoo and conditioners.
But where does the refusal to apply hair beauty products to the head come from? The blogger points the finger at the high content of chemical agents present in shampoo and conditioner, which are hazardous to the health of the scalp and in many cases the environment. Sarah says that difficulties may occur during the first 15 days or longer depending on how long it takes your skin to balance itself, but then she is convinced you will have made the right choice and never look back. Only running water was needed to restore the natural beauty of her hair.
The irritating action increases with foam
“The choice of this girl is not a rare case, but rather it is a habit that has found many followers. This is because many people think that shampoo is dangerous. We can agree and say that scratching the scalp after applying a detergent, is very bad”, says Professor Marcello Monti, Dermatologist at Humanitas Research Hospital. “The more massaging that we do with our hands to the head, the more the shampoo binds to the skin and causes greater irritation. The irritation stimulates the production of sebum and so we always have the feeling that our hair and scalp are greasy. If we wanted to minimize these effects, we should, after applying the shampoo, immediately rinse the head. It is the foam that is the real culprit. ”
Can everyone say “No Poo”?
“Maybe only those who have really dirty hair should use a cleaning product – adds the professor – if for example, their head is filled with dust, grease, or oil because of their job at a mechanical workshop then a cleaning product may be necessary. Others can use fresh running water for good hygiene on a daily basis, perhaps taking advantage of the fact that there is no need for shampooing and massaging the scalp with their fingers”.
Are all the products on the market equally damaging to the scalp?
“Not all of them. In a pharmacy, you can buy products that are less aggressive and morenatura, such as those that do not foam but wash the hair all the same. These products are priced higher than those of common use and therefore, they may not be for everyone,” concludes our specialist Professor Marcello Monti.
