Tuesday, February 5, 2013

No Poo Balls: A Homemade Shampoo Alternative

There are basically two ways to grow dreadlocks. The one most people are familiar with is to put a whole lot of something into your hair. Usually wax. You force your hair into a manufactured look and have dreads immediately. Such methods often result in dread rot, mold or mildew, breakage, and the smell that has become widely expected of dreads - even if you use a product that allows for washing. The other method is to allow dreads to form naturally. Using products like wax or even common shampoos will slow down this process, maybe even prevent dreads from forming. This method can take anywhere from a couple months to a year, depending on your hair type and whether you did anything special to jump start the process.

You don't need dreads to go shampoo free. It is healthy, natural, and low cost for any hair type. It's by far the best option when forming dreads though. They will knot up so much faster if they are free from chemicals and conditioners.

There are a variety of different recipes and methods to go shampoo free. My preferred method is the baking soda method. The basic concept is to wash with baking soda and rinse with an acidic liquid. Most people use apple cider vinegar because it dries scent free, but some people prefer lemon juice. Figuring out your personal ratio is where it can get tricky. Too much baking soda makes hair dry and frizzy. Too much acid makes it oil and greasy. It's best just to experiment a little at first.

Everyone in our home uses this homemade shampoo alternative, and everyone needs different ratios. About once a week, I make up little balls of baking soda and each person can use as many as they like. This allows me to mix in some honey (makes hair soft and silky) and essential oils, too. I also make up a bottle of rinse for each person, to their specifications. I use the acid and essential oils they prefer. With minimal cost or effort, everyone in the house has healthy, beautiful smelling hair.



The recipe for No Poo Balls (we call them Shampoo Balls, but that's not truly accurate) is as follows;

1 tbsp Honey (if you're starting with raw, melt it first. It needs to be liquid)
5 tbsp Baking Soda
2 - 3 tbsp Water
5 - 10 drops Essential Oils (optional)

1) Mix the Essential Oils into the honey. The scent may be unpleasantly strong, but don't be concerned. It will be much more mild in the finished product.
2) Add 3 tbsp Baking Soda to the Honey mixture.
3) Mix in just enough water to make a creamy paste.
4) Mix in another tbsp of Baking Soda.
5) If needed, keep mixing in Baking Soda. The final consistency should be thick enough to roll the mixture into 1/2 - 1 inch balls, but not so dry that it cracks when rolled. Add a little more water, if needed, to accomplish the desired consistency.
6) Roll the mixture into balls. If you will be using these on a small child or toddler, make them approx. 1/2 inch in diameter. Adults can use multiple. Otherwise, most adults prefer balls 1 - 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
7) Set the balls on a plate to dry for 6+ hours. If they are still moist inside, they will be fragile. When dry, they are hard enough to be handled without falling apart.
8) To use, put a ball in the palm of your hand and add water. It will melt. Rub the resulting liquid into your scalp (just the scalp. The hair will come out clean in the rinse)
9) Rinse the Baking Soda mixture out with water.
10) Poor one cup of Acidic Liquid mixture over your head. Rub it into your scalp. (again, just the scalp. Trust me. It works)
11) Rinse the Acidic Liquid mixture out with water.

The Acidic Liquid mixture is super simple. In a cup, mix a little of your preferred acidic liquid with water. I recommend either lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, but feel free to experiment. You can also add a few drops of Essential Oil to this mixture, if you like.

I suggest starting with a ratio of 1 part Acidic Liquid to 4 parts Water for normal hair. 1:8 or even 1:10 for oily hair. 1:3 or even 1:2 for dry hair.

12 comments:

  1. How fun that you have a blog! Pretty interesting about the homemade shampoo. I like that idea! I'm curious to watch Cora's dreadlock progress. :)

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  2. How about dry flaky scalp (not dandruff, I know there is a difference and it's dry flaky scalp). Lots of home remedies out there, but I come to you 'cause you are actually educated in this stuff. :)

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    1. Clearly this comes from Mom's side of the family, because Cora has struggled with it since birth. lol I've found that treatments that are effective on eczema are also effective for her scalp. She's having trouble with the shampoo balls aggravating it now that she's working on dreads, but is using a liquid version (I'll blog that recipe this week) that works great. As for oils, there are a lot to choose from. Cora prefers a mixture of Lavender, Tea Tree, Cedarwood, Eucalyptus, and Bitter Orange. The first three are all good for eczema or dry scalp. I've also found Rosemary, and Thyme great, and Patchouli works very well for some people. If you're using a regular shampoo that the oils won't mix well with, you could mix a few drops of your chosen oils into a base of sweet almond or even olive oil. Message it into your scalp and leave it in for 15 - 30 minutes. Then, wash it out. You may have to shampoo a couple times to get it all out. It will also function as a conditioner and should leave your hair looking and feeling great. You might want to try just one oil at a time, or try multiple that appeal to you. I suggest smelling oils that are reputed for eczema treatment and choosing one or more that you find appealing. There's something to be said for our bodies' instinct to prefer things it needs or will benefit from in some way.

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  3. I love shampoo balls! We use them also! I use apple cider vinegar and mix it about half and half with aloe vera juice. not the gel but the juice. Its good for the hair,I also add Essential oils to it.
    I Love being soapless! With my allergies I have to be but I also prefer to be.

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    1. That is an excellent tip. I get a real sense of satisfaction when I use the products I've made myself. They work so well, smell so great, and were sooo cheap...and I did it myself! =D

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  4. Great recipe Kathleen! I had been Low Poo for a few years and I have just recently made the switch to No Poo. I'm currently using a basic water baking soda paste for cleansing and an apple cider vinegar rinse. I do notice an improvement in my scalp (much less itchy and NO residue), but I'm still working out the perfect ratio for my hair. I have fine straight hair and it FEELS nice and soft but it LOOKS dry. I can tell it's healthy but I need it to look like it feels. What would you suggest? xoxoBeccaxoxo

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  5. Have you tried honey? That's the standard wisdom. You can add it to your wash like I do or just wash your hair with a handful of honey from time to time. That's what Liam has always done. Aloe is also supposed to work well. Many people find that their hair goes through an adjustment period. Yours may just take a few weeks to get used to the new regiment.

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  6. Thank you for Sharing! I am 3 mths no poo and just just made my first batch of these little honey/bs gems! I can't wait to try them!I also feel a certain pride in using something that I made and usually the homemade alternatives are healthier and (a biggie for me being a stay at home mom of 3)cheaper! Thanks again

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  7. Hi I just made the balls and only 4 came out. Can I make larger batches? And how long do they last without going bad?

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  8. I have been no poo for 3 months using the bs avc method and have had little success because I have hard water. I was wondering if these shampoo balls would work with the hard water it leaves my hair with a waxy film that is hard to get rid of. I have super straight, fine hair, it's pretty healthy. Also do you use the shampoo balls everyday or can you go a couple of days without washing? I also workout 4 consecutive days and do sweat. Right know I am going 2-3 days without washing but am still having oiliness on my roots and some dryness on the ends. I am super frustrated with my hair but don't want to use regular shampoo please help I am open to other no poo alternatives thanks

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  9. Monica, I think the honey would help. I have also seen on other blogs that boiling the water before using helps too. You can also buy a shower filter head for around $30 that will help soften your water.

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