How can I convince my mom that going no poo is good?

Denioc

Hey guys. So I told my mom that I'm going to stop using Shampoo and that I also need to buy some products for my hair that are good for my curly hair. She totally does NOT like this idea of not going without Shampoo. She thinks I"ll get lice. I told her that shampoo is bad for curly hair, especially, because it takes out all the moisture. She just won't listen to me.

What can I tell her so she stops freaking out about going Shampoo-less?

Laura Lee

Denioc wrote: »

Hey guys. So I told my mom that I'm going to stop using Shampoo and that I also need to buy some products for my hair that are good for my curly hair. She totally does NOT like this idea of not going without Shampoo. She thinks I"ll get lice. I told her that shampoo is bad for curly hair, especially, because it takes out all the moisture. She just won't listen to me.

What can I tell her so she stops freaking out about going Shampoo-less?

Explain the science of how your hair can get clean with conditioner washing (secondary surfactants). Also, show her the before and after thread. That's very persuasive
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curltalk/showthread.php?t=47609

CurlyCara

Lice PREFER clean hair as its easier to move around in. Also it's very hard to get lice unless you are around and in close contact with people who have it. Lice do not jump.

Boomygrrl

She's just being a mom, protective of her daughter. She also was probably raised in the generation that washing your hair everyday is important...wash, rinse, and repeat. If she's open to listening to you about it, you can explain how conditioner washing works. If she still won't listen and insists you use shampoo, then ask her if she will at least let you use more conditioner than shampoo during your washes...so she'll buy you more conditioner. Then you can use the shampoo as a body wash and continue to CO wash...using the shampoo to clarify if needed.

Morgan_Adcock

I think the key to explaining the CG method to people in a way they can accept it is to stress that you're giving up sulfate shampoos, not giving up washing your hair.

If your mother insists on your using a shampoo, try talking her into getting you a non-sulfate shampoo (Burt's Bees makes one that's easy to find), and a silicone free conditioner (Suave Naturals is easy to find, very cheap, and works very well). Anytime you do use the shampoo, make sure you coat your hair with the conditioner first, then use the pads of your fingers to apply and massage the poo into your scalp. Follow with an all conditioner application and scalp massage (i.e a co-wash), then a thorough rinse.

Perhaps you can talk your mother into sniff testing your hair. Co-washing should leave your hair clean and fresh smelling. As long as you can pass that test, she should be reassured.

wild_sasparilla

Morgan_Adcock wrote: »

Perhaps you can talk your mother into sniff testing your hair. Co-washing should leave your hair clean and fresh smelling. As long as you can pass that test, she should be reassured.

This is basically what I did. I did a co-wash, then asked my mom to feel/smell my hair. I did this twice just to erase all doubt since my hair was a bit wet the first time. She now believes that it works - for me, at least - though she says it "boggles her mind." :tongue3: I've since fallen off the CG wagon, but I am about to jump back on.

LisaF1163

wild_sasparilla wrote: »

Morgan_Adcock wrote: »

Perhaps you can talk your mother into sniff testing your hair. Co-washing should leave your hair clean and fresh smelling. As long as you can pass that test, she should be reassured.

This is basically what I did. I did a co-wash, then asked my mom to feel/smell my hair. I did this twice just to erase all doubt since my hair was a bit wet the first time. She now believes that it works - for me, at least - though she says it "boggles her mind." :tongue3: I've since fallen off the CG wagon, but I am about to jump back on.

That's a good idea, and also let her read some of the blogs that explain how to go CG and the principle behind it. The Before & After link that Laura Lee posted is also a good idea.

Also, don't forget to stress to her that by not using shampoo anymore, you're not just slapping the conditioner on your hair and letting it sit. One of the important things to stress to her is that you ARE washing your hair, you're just doing it with conditioner, and that the actual act of scrubbing your scalp with the fingertips is what's loosening up the dirt and debris. And the conditioner does help towards that - it's helping to clean your hair while you scrub.

Believe me, I can sympathize - I get all sorts of "Whaaaat???" from people when I try to explain. And really, you just have to experience CG to know how awesome it is. When I used to work at Lush, we had some CG's coming in to find out if our conditioners were CG friendly (they're not), and of course, they wouldn't listen to our sales-pitches about shampoo. When they explained that our products wouldn't work for them because they were doing the CG method, I thought they were crazy, LOL! I never thought a year later I'd be doing it too, and loving it.

kema1v

I'd take a different approach and compromise a bit. Ask if you can use a non-sulphate shampoo and conditioners without silicones. You don't have to use the shampoo every time you wash your hair, alternate it with conditioner washes so you're only using it once or twice a week and you don't have to tell her that you're not using it every time. That should keep your mother happy and it will probably be fine for your hair too. A lot of us here use low-poo on a fairly regular basis, you don't have to be hard-core CG to see an improvement in your hair.

And with time she'll probably come round to the idea when she sees how much better your hair is.

Denioc

Thanks for all the replies. I'll talk to her again tonight or tomorrow. She probably already forgot that I even mentioned anything about it so I might have a clean slate to work with. :P