I decided to try not washing my hair. I didn’t really mean to start the experiment, it just happened while we were in Kuala Lumpur. The shower flooded within minutes – barley enough time to wash one’s body. So I did’t wash my hair for fear of flooding the condo we were renting. It was nearly a week later when I realized my hair felt fuller and my curls more manageable.

That is when I decided to investigate whether or not one really needed to wash your hair on a daily basis. I found there is an actual movement called ‘No Poo’ that recommends that we stop washing our hair with commercial products and use only baking soda to wash and apple cider vinegar to condition. They also assured readers you won’t smell like a salad. I wasn’t about to do this, I mean we are traveling and carrying around Baking Soda and Apple Cider Vinegar was crazy.

Dirk decided to support me and stopped washing as well, but his hair was soft and looked amazing. No flakes he always complained about. That was when I realized he was running hot water over his head twice a day. I was already showering three times a day: Once in the morning. Again before dinner to remove sunscreen and sweat. Lastly, before bed to remove bug spray and sweat.

With hot water twice a day, I never got greasy hair at all. But if I missed a day of hot water, my hair was had to brush and the brush got really gross. So it increased my frequency of cleaning combs and brushes. Yes people, you need to clean these!!

Even allowing my hair to self condition, the sun was damaging my ends. My last hair cut was the day before we left Canada. I was adamant about not letting anyone but my hairdresser touch my hair. But as weeks went on, I could see that if I waited any longer, when I returned home I would no longer have long hair.

At a small shop in Ho Chi Minh City, I asked for a trim. They laid me on a bed with my head resting in the sink. They washed my hair for 30 minutes. I was wondering if this treatment was due to the lack of washing I was doing. I was assured by a friend that they just wash your hair that long, but not just my hair, they washed and exfoliated my face, neck and ears.

This ended my experiment and I am glad I tried it, especially in a country where no one would care or see me again. I think Dirk is happy it is over as well, I won’t ask him everyday, ‘Does my hair look greasy?’ or ‘Are my ends looking too frizzy?’.

I usually add a Travel Tip, but due to the post I have decided this tip more appropriate:

Your scalp produces an oil called ‘sebum’ that provides moisturizing and a protection barrier for the skin and hair. Washing your hair everyday will remove this much needed oil.

You need to clean your hair and scalp, it is just how often you need too depending on your oil production. If your skin and hair are anywhere from normal to dry, you probably only need to wash it once or twice a week. If you have a greasy scalp, you probably need to wash your hair more often.

Texture matters because it affects how quickly sebum works its way from your roots through the length of your hair. Coarse or curly hair slows down sebum’s spread, so you may only need to shampoo once a week. On the other hand, people with fine, straight hair will likely need to shampoo twice a week or more. 

In between shampoos, rinse your hair, massage your scalp, and apply conditioner to the ends of your hair.

Finally, use a good shampoo, not the crap at the drug store or supermarket.