Fall in Melbourne, Australia is slowly but surely rolling in. The sun is setting earlier every day and temperatures are consistently getting lower. For me, this signals a need to switch up my hair routine for the changing weather. In cooler months, my hair is more prone to dryness so to protect it from excessive moisture loss, I opt to wash it without shampoo.
Now don’t get me wrong – shampooing your hair is an important step in maintaining a healthy hair regimen, but not always required. Shampoos are great for cleansing hair, but in the winter months, I find that they leave my hair feeling dry. When I want to cleanse my hair but don’t want to use a shampoo, I use these four DIY remedies:
1. Apple Cider Vinegar
This is one of nature’s best gifts to us. Apple Cider Vinegar has a pH level of 4.5-5.5, similar to that of a healthy scalp. To use ACV as a cleanser, I use an undiluted mix straight from the bottle. I pour it over the length of my hair, massaging the product into my roots and along the length of the hair shaft. If you haven’t used ACV before, you may want to start out with a diluted mix – just 2 tablespoons of ACV in a cup and then alter your recipe to suit your hair needs. For me, an undiluted concoction gives a deeper cleanse, but that’s just my personal preference.
2. Diluted Lemon Juice
I love all things citrus so this is easily one of my favorite ways to cleanse my hair without shampoo. I simply squeeze a lemon into a cup of warm water and make sure to remove any seeds or pulp that might get lodged in my hair. Then, I pour the diluted juice over my hair. Lemon juice, just like ACV, has a low pH which favors our scalp and strand health. I massage the juice onto my scalp and then rinse off with cool water.
3. Baking Soda
Baking soda has many popular uses in the home and it’s great for hair care too. To cleanse your hair with baking soda, put two tablespoons in a cup of warm water. Stir the mixture until it’s dissolved. Pour the solution liberally over your hair, focusing on the roots. Let it sit on your hair for 3-5 minutes, then rinse off with cool water before conditioning your hair.
4. Bentonite Clay
I’ve used bentonite clay in my hair and beauty regimen for years. I like that it draws out impurities on my skin and scalp without stripping my hair of moisture. To cleanse my hair with bentonite clay, I add two large tablespoons of bentonite clay into a plastic bowl. I then slowly pour some ACV over the clay until it has a yogurt-like consistency. I generously apply the mixture onto damp strands and then cover my hair with a plastic cap for 15 minutes. I carefully wash off the clay and proceed with my deep conditioning.
Do you cleanse your hair without shampoo? If so, how do you do it? Leave us a comment down below, we’d love to know.
Read next: All about the no-poo method
This article has been updated.
