No Poo Recipe: The Basics

No Poo Ingredients

Cup for ACV, Metal Water Bottle, Baking Soda, Apple Cider Vinegar, Essential Oils, Coconut Oil


Going “no poo” can seem overwhelming, but it’s really not. Yes, it takes some slight preparation, but it really doesn’t take much time once you get into a routine. Plus I am able to wash only every 3-5 days at this point, so I don’t have to do it that often.

The method given in Diane Kidman’s ebook, “Hair Gone Wild,” gave me a great starting point, as well as recipes and tips on making the transition to “no poo” as easy as possible. But yes, your hair will be a little weird for awhile. However, this “new” method is way more like the “old” method…my mom says when she was a kid, they just used hot water to wash, and Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) as a rinse. Someone else told me they had used hand soap and ACV.

Just a word of warning, your head may get weird for awhile. The transition of going no ‘poo can take weeks to months, depending on your head and hair.  Your scalp has to “figure it out,” what your new normal is supposed to be.

No Poo Recipe

1 Tbsp Baking Soda
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
Water to dilute
Preferred Essential Oils (I love citrus scents)

As Diane suggested, I use an old stainless-steel water bottle for my baking soda, and an old plastic insulated coffee cup for my ACV mixture (I just happened to have them in my cabinet).

I have long hair, so I just dump about 1 TBSP or more of Baking Soda into the water bottle (you may need more or less of any of these ingredients depending on your hair length). In the cup, I put about 1 TBSP of ACV, and 2-5 drops of Essential Oil (my faves are the citrus scents, like Sweet Orange, Lemongrass and Grapefruit). If you wish you can add about 1 TBSP raw honey melted in warm water, and/or about 1 tsp of Argon or coconut oil. I found a good method of liquefying the honey using an empty honey container to put a little hot water in with the honey and shaking it, then dumping it in with the ACV mixture.

Once in the shower, after you have wet your hair nicely, squeeze out excess water and add some water to the baking soda in the water bottle, about 1/4 to 1/2 cup, and swirl to mix. Dump the mixture on your head, concentrating on the scalp. Let it sit for about 2 minutes, until it starts to feel a little “slick”. Rinse well.

Your hair definitely doesn’t feel the same as it does with shampoo–at times it feels good to me, and other times it feels a little greasy or weird–and it did at the beginning especially, as my scalp made the transition.

Next, squeeze the excess water out of your hair again, then swirl around your ACV mixture (add more water, at least as much vinegar as you put in there) and pour it on your head, concentrating on the ends more than your scalp. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes, then rinse well.

Some people have said they don’t rinse out the ACV, and just use it as a final rinse. I’m just not that fond of the smell! Plus I find if I don’t rinse the mixture very well, I sometimes end up with an itchy scalp.

Speaking of smell, your hair will smell like whatever you put in it, which can be a little weird at times (vinegar, plus essential oil, plus tea or coffee, etc). Reminiscent of a nice vinaigrette!

Once again, rinse well with water. If you are doing a coffee, tea, or other rinse, you can follow with conditioner, and style as usual.