The natural hair experience!

    After three years of being in a position where I constantly had to be around people, look a certain way and supposedly act a certain way I decided to give up my shampoo.   Why?

       1.  I've been having issues with my scalp, flakes and acne like issues.
       2.  I'm through with being told that I need to act in a certain way.
       3.  We weren't born with shampoo in our hands.
       4.  I like experiments and "alternative", open minded ways of doing things.
       5.  I would like to be finished living a lab tested life.
     

So, here you go.....

BEFORE: with shampoo

An extremely GREAT hair day, make up and perfect lighting!

Day3, Sept 10 - Tonsberg, Norway

The hair was nice, wavy, still clean and had a lot of body.  Sorry the picture isn't better. 

Day 4, Sept 11 - after combing in the shower. 

I was a bit bummed when I thought my hair was going to dry extremely greasy.

I let the wind off the sea do the blow drying.

Day 4, Sept 11 - Wind blown hair

This day my hair actually turned out  very lightweight, and it was becoming a little less "silky" in a good way.  It was now doing cool things, like comfortably being in my face.  

The fourth day was much easier than days 1, 2 and 3... Just like the master cleanse. ;)

Day 6 , Sept 13- Cleaning my brush after one brushing session.

 It wasn't dirt.  Just lint.  I guess it looks gross to most but it was actually very clean hair and lint.  I didn't find it gross at all.  It was very new to me though.

Day 7

Sept 14 - Not the best hair pic...  I was off to see the rest of Norway.

Day 7, Sept 14 - Kongsberg, Norway

Yay!!  A hat!!! It was super cold...for me! 

I was thinking it would be easier for me to deal with the hair if I had a hat anyway.

Day 9, Sept 16 - Bergen, Norway

 I was feeling pretty gross by now.  I was very flaky and ichy!  Not the best!

Also Day 9 - Sept 16 - Bergen, Norway

Looking pretty, pretty greasy in the back but it was still drying an hour later!

Usually my hair will dry in 20 mins or 2 minutes with a blow dryer.

Well, actually this is the worst it ever got!

Day 9 - I get bored always taking photos of myself for the blog! - Sept 16

Still, it was very wavy and light in color when it dried. 

Day 12,  Sept 19 - Alesund Norway

Wet hair an hour and a hike later.  The oils had really started kicking in.   

Day 12,  Sept 19 - Alesund Norway

Still looks fine though.  It was still flaky and itchy then.  I was still very paranoid about it.

Day 12,  Sept 19 - Alesund Norway

On the right you can kind of see how the strands of hair sort of stick together making it much easier to style and put up.  That is also what makes it *not* annoying to have the hair in the face.  

It no longer feels like little whispy spider webs dangling in the face.  This occurred as soon as day 4.

Day 13, Sept 20 - Alesund Norway

Looking good!  Full off body, looking and feeling clean. 

Day 15, Sept 22 - on the way back to Sweden

Definitely starting to acclimate by now. 

Day 22, Sept 29 - Leaving Sweden to Copenhagen on  1hr of sleep

Still lookin' good!

Day 23, Sept 30 - Borrowing the loo at a hostel in Copenhagen

 By now my head was much less itchy and the oils were starting to do their thing.  

Things were looking good. 

Day 23 too. 

Purdy, soft, slightly wavy hair

Day 25, Oct 2 - I found a place to sleep with my tent in Hamburg city with "Occupy Hamburg"

Day 25, Oct 2 - Camping in Hamburg, Germany with "Occupy Hamburg"

I didn't really have a mirror or a bathroom for two days.  

Who knows what was really going on "up there".  :p

Day 26, Oct 3

Day 26, Oct 3 Sleeping two days straight, waking up looking like a million bucks.
As you can see I'm a morning person. 

I think the hair looks good though.  This was before brushing or anything.  

I was just lifting my head off the pillow. 

Day 28, Oct 5 - Hamburg after a proper shower.

I had just put it up to get it out of my face.  

Also, the oils were annoying me again. My hair was still slightly wet since it takes for ever to dry now.

Day 28, Oct 5 - After a blow dryer job.

This was the first time I had used a blow dryer since I decided to kick the shampoo.

Day 29, Oct 6

Kicking the face wash to the curb too.... no matter how "natural" it was. 

I had already cut down and my face seemed to be fine.  

The oils from my head were no longer weird and making my face weird with oils.  

$40+ USD saved!.. and less stuff in my backpack. 

Day 33, Oct 10 - Essen, Germany 

Right after my first bath on the road!  The hair is obviously wet.

I was losing a lot of hair especially when combing in the shower. 

Day 34, Oct 11 - Essen, Germany

Just after waking up! Sleeping on it and not brushing/combing.  

Still not washing my face with soaps, just water and a towel. 

Day 34, Oct 11 - Essen, Germany

After brushing.  The difference?  I guess, the body. 

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BOOM!    6 WEEKS!!    YAY!!!!!

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So then what?!   Everything is normal or what!!!????? 

 Well.....

Day 35, Oct 12 - Cheers to 6 weeks!

I was SO VERY close to washing my hair this day.  

I was so annoyed, felt gross and we were going to go dance!

I decided just to shower and make the best of it.  I mean, it's just oil right?! Plus,  I didn't do 6 weeks for no reason. When I got out of the shower the water was totally soaked with the oil creating this sweet pomade type texture.  I decided just to do a sort of over the top hair style like I would often do back home. It worked out SO WELL and I felt great!  Look at them curls!!

Day 36, Oct 13 - A day on the town! Dusseldorf, Germany

Look at that sexy, cooperative hair! :p

It has body and it's not greasy looking!

Day 36, Oct 13 - Dusseldorf, Germany

The camera snuck another view in....
The hair is definitely MUCH better than weeks ago when I was in Bergen!

Day 39, Oct 16 - Wuppertal, Germany

This is how cool my hair is when I wake up.  Whoops, I left in two bobby pins.  

Day 39, Oct 16 - Sexy eh?

This is what your shampoo can't prove after 1.5 days. Haha!  

I've started losing less hair.  I have also decided not to comb in the shower.  

The oils are basically completely balanced.  

My head is definitely MUCH less itch but still flakey when I scratch it.  

I've got to keep myself from touching my head AND face now!

Day 40, Oct 17  - Wuppertal, Germany - off to Cologne for the day.

Hopefully my skin will start adapting to no face wash soon.
Updates on that to come. 

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Conclusion on day 45

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     Everything seems to be balanced finally.  My hair is now just as soft as it was before.  It has more body, more curls, more wave and more texture.  Three or four days ago I received my first compliment from someone who had no idea what was going on.  I can wake up now, not brush my hair and it's not nearly as tangled as it would be if I was still using shampoo.  I feel good.  My face isn't bothering me because it's too oily anymore.  It's bothering me because I'm breaking out but that should pass. Although, I always broke out a little bit.  Even when I gave up gluten. 

    My current mission is to wake up feeling like I was nice to myself and treat myself better each day.  I'm not going to say what exactly I mean because I will jinx it if I do.  That's how I seem to work. 

    I'm happy.