Could Skipping Shampoo Help Your Hair?

You Should Know: “No poo,” which means giving up traditional shampoo entirely, has risen in prominence over the past few years. People who try it wash their hair with just water, or mix their own rinse from baking soda and apple cider vinegar. The appeal comes down to avoiding chemicals that strip natural oils from the scalp, along with curiosity about what is actually in our daily products.

Going Deeper: Fine or oily hair tends to struggle without shampoo since the scalp gets oilier faster. Curly or coarse hair often sees the biggest payoff, since natural oils smooth out frizz. For example, one writer at The Guardian went months without shampoo after his barber told him to stop using it. His hair felt dry and itchy at first, then evened out into something shinier and curlier than before. 

Takeaway: No poo works better for some hair types than others, and anyone with scalp or skin issues should check with a dermatologist first.

Bottom Line: Skipping shampoo might transform your hair. Or it might just leave it greasy (there’s no science confirming that scalps eventually produce less oil over time). Results depend on the hair you started with.