“What did you do to your hair? Why is it so deep dark black?”
That’s one of the compliments about my hair I often get asked.
Some of my friends even mentioned that it’s so black that it’s almost blue and asked if I use any dye. 

I’m in my mid-30s. I do not have any white hair. In fact,  My hair has seemed to have turned even darker than before.

I’ll let you in my secret: it’s not about using any hair dye or adding anything to my haircare routine. On the contrary, it’s about the art of using NOTHING and simply letting the strands of hair run as wild as they please. This is my No-Poo journey that I’d like to share with you!

Ever since I could remember, my hair has always been the source of nuisance. It’s not at all wrong to say that I am too lazy to wash my hair, wait for it to dry, and finally style it before going out. What ran the mind of a 10-year-old was ‘I didn’t have time for all of this every day for the rest of my life.’

So, ideally, I wanted to avoid washing my hair as much as I could. Although it became oily, dirty or smelly, I tried not to think about it too much and distracted my mind and attention to other things like playing with friends, drawing, reading, or watching cartoons.

So, regardless of what people said, I adhered to my mother’s advice about washing hair twice a week. 

Things got a little heated during my high school years when body image became the biggest thing for teens.

I noticed that my hair started to get oily on the second and third day after my wash day. It got so bad that my friends started calling me ‘Oily Head.’ And yet, regardless of how oily my hair became, I refused to change my twice-a-week hair washing routine although I chnged it from washing in the evening to the morning. So everyone could see me with freshly washed hair.

Yet, on the second day after the wash, the hair would become oily. As a result, that title has followed me from high school, all the way until university. 

After university, I continued my education in holistic nutrition and one issue that came up is about chemical use in our daily life.

I learned in more detail about the chemicals we use on our body and hair and how they affect our body functions and cause serious issues later in life. So, I started looking at all the labels before I buy things, food or consumer products. What I realized is that there are so many new toxic chemicals sinisterly hidden under different names. There is no real transparency in the beauty industry. Trust me. 

I became more wary of big companies. Looking at its many dimensions – ethics, economy, environment and health – I vowed to limit my purchase or use of any products produced under big brands in the consumer products industry. It has been seven years since.

Then, I started looking for alternatives to take care of my hair and body without chemicals.

In my research, the No-Poo method came up. Apparently, it was about how NOT to wash your hair so often and to allow your body’s natural self-cleansing mechanism to work its own way. It also entails using food, herbs or water only as natural cleansers. 

In a way, we are reconnecting with our roots and following the traditions that have been passed on for centuries before the shampoo industry exists.

For me, the No-Poo method is the most holistic approach you can get as far as wellness is concerned. 

It encompasses all dimensions of life and allows us to truly listen to our body, feel it deep down to the spiritual level, learn to adjust, and see which ingredients suit us best. Meanwhile, as we are avoiding using chemicals on our body, we are also creating less chemical runoffs in the environment as well. In this case, we are taking care of our body, mother Earth, and other creatures on earth at the same time!

Apart from its benefits, going No-Poo fits my super lazy routine. Now, I only wash my hair once a week or once every two weeks. Interestingly, my hair does not get as oily as it used to. 

In the next posts, I will share with you more about my personal No-Poo journey that actually started since I was a kid and how it actually influenced the decisions I made throughout my life. 

So, stay tuned for more to come!