http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/havent-used-shampoo-years-hair-has-never-looked-better-welcome/

Q1. Do you believe the theory that mentioned in this article? Would you like to try it?

Q2. Do you notice that people use any other unnecessary items in life? Please give us one example and explain why?

'I haven't used shampoo in years and my hair has never looked better.' Welcome to Britain's 'no-poo' movement

We’re a nation – a globe, in fact - that's long been obsessed with our hair. Analysts at Goldman Sachs previously estimated the global hair products industry to be worth $38bn (£22.6bn). There seems to be no limit on what we’ll spend to avoid a bad hair day. Right?

Well that might be set to change. Analysts from Nielsen have recently noted a drop in shampoo sales in Britain - a £23m plunge no less. They say that increasing numbers of people working from home, the smoking ban and more women growing their hair, mean we're washing our locks less often. Shampoo brands Head & Shoulders, Pantene and Herbel Essences - all owned by Procter and Gamble - have seen a fall in revenue.

It's something that will probably have devotees of an underground beauty movement cheering. Called 'no-poo', this group of women and men have ditched shampoo, and in fact all the hair products, for good.

The future of the nation's hair?

The ‘no-poo’ method involves using natural substitutes or just water in place of shampoo and conditioner, and has credibility within several circles.

Beauty insiders, including writers for women’s magazines and professional hairdressers, rave about how hair becomes thicker, fuller and more lustrous. While thrifty environmentalists rejoice at the lack of chemicals in and on their bodies - not to mention the impact on their budgets.

One devotee is trying to take it mainstream. Lucy Aitken Read, author of Happy Hair: The definitive guide to giving up shampoo hasn’t used shampoo since 2012 and her glowing auburn hair is visibly in perfect condition (see the photos if you don’t believe me).

You might be forgiven for thinking only radical hippies who don’t care about their appearance are motivated to give up shampoo. Aitken Read, 34, is certainly a committed activist, but an appearance-conscious one. She chose to ditch shampoo on the first day of a new office-based job in the charity sector, and confesses her biggest reservation was that, “I wanted my hair to look good”.

For her, the motivation came after reading a study that claimed women put 515 chemicals on their bodies daily. “I initially thought ‘Ha! They didn’t research me!’,” Aitken Read says. “Then I looked at the back of my shampoo bottle and realised there were loads of ingredients I didn’t recognise in the slightest.

“I have always wondered whether the urban legend that if you leave your hair long enough it will start to wash itself was true or not. And when I became a mother I felt I should start looking more at what I was putting on and in my own and my children’s bodies.”

The tough 'smelly' stage

The thought of being a chemical-free zone is appealing but what if the price is lank, greasy, smelly locks? “We are so used to perfumes equalling clean,” Aitken Read says. “My hair [now] smells like human!”

She does admit that she was worried about the lank factor. “My hair used to get greasy the day after I washed it and I was addicted to dry shampoo. Hand on heart, I wasn’t sure how long I would last.”

Paradoxically, it’s greasy hair that could benefit the most from giving up shampoo. The theory behind the ‘no-poo’ method is that shampoo strips the hair of its natural oils, which prompts the scalp to generate more oils to replace them. This results in oil overload – greasy hair – which we then attempt to ‘fix’ with more shampoo. It’s a vicious circle and quite a brilliant coup for the shampoo industry, because the more shampoo you use, the more you need to use and the more frequently you need to use it.

Left to its own devices or washed with natural substitutes, the scalp eventually theoretically returns to its natural balance, producing enough oil to keep hair soft and smooth without the associated grease-slick. The oils produced by the scalp – notably sebum – keep the shaft of the hair clean, smooth and protected, performing the role of ‘shampoo and conditioner’ far more effectively than the manufactured alternatives. The upshot should be healthier hair that is stronger, thicker and fuller as it is less damaged than shampooed hair.

But until this happy state is reached there is what Aitken Read calls ‘the tricky transition period’ in which the scalp continues to over-produce oils. This doesn’t sound great. Without shampoo to strip them away, there is a risk of greasy hair for a few weeks.

Going cold turkey is hard but worth it

Some – Aitken Read included – opt to go ‘cold turkey’ for as long as possible before using bicarbonate of soda or another shampoo alternative, in the hope the hair will rebalance itself quicker.

“There was a smelly stage when I was pushing out my days without any alternative for a while,” Aitken Read concedes. “I didn’t know I could use lovely things like essential oils. I didn’t know anybody else who was doing this so didn’t have anybody to consult or ask for support. It was largely my own stubbornness and seeing glimpses of it working that helped me along.” She says learning to tie a good headscarf – an art to which she has devoted an entire section to in her book – helped on the worst days.

Most ‘no-pooers’ use alternatives to shampoo and Aitken Read’s book contains 30 different shampoo, conditioner and styling alternatives. Put together, they read like a cake recipe – bicarbonate of soda, flour, egg, honey, lemon juice. But after a period of time most find just plain old water does the job fine.

“I use water on my hair every three to four days, and every 10 to 14 days I might use an egg on it, or some bicarbonate of soda,” Aitken Read explains.

That’s not to say that she hasn’t been tempted to go back to shampoo. “Once we were painting my house and I got paint in my hair and told my husband I was going upstairs to use his shampoo. He talked me down, because he knew I’d be disappointed afterwards if I did it. In the end I was able to just brush it out with a bristle brush.”

Tempted to go ‘no-poo’? Here’s your checklist:

Bicarbonate of soda. The traditional alternative to shampoo, cleans the scalp without stripping it of natural oils.

Apple cider vinegar. A popular alternative to conditioner, which works with the bicarbonate to restore the natural pH of the hair.
A bristle brush. Bristles stimulate the scalp and distribute sebum all the way down the hair shaft.
A hat or headscarf - for when it all gets too much.
Willpower. Brace yourself for a few difficult weeks – Aitken Read has heard of it taking up to three months for particularly difficult hair types to adjust – and keep your eye on the prize of healthy, glossy, lustrous hair with zero effort.