No 'poo

It was about a year ago when I first started reading green blogs that I heard about the no 'poo movement. I was skeptical to say the least. Up until about two and a half years ago, I was obsessed with getting my hair squeaky clean. Two washes every time. And I used the worst shampoo, whatever was cheapest and probably most loaded with icky chemicals. Then I realized that squeaky clean hair didn't look any different than one-wash-hair and that in fact my hair looked better and less processed. That was the beginning of a metamorphosis, from everyday shampooing with Pantene or Herbal Essence to every other day shampooing with Giovanni Organic Shampoo and Conditioner. I feel like I've come full circle. Since I have found that alternative shampoo methods work for me, I figured I would give no 'poo a try. The premise is that there are enough surfactants in the conditioner to cleanse hair sufficiently. About 5 months ago I tried using my Giovanni Smooth As Silk Conditioner. The results were not ideal. My hair looked greasier than when I started and I ended up washing it again that night. I asked Allie's Answers about it and she thought the conditioner was too heavy for no 'poo. I was so turned off by the results that I forgot about it, but it was always in the back of my head. Today I tried it again with Avalon Organics Nourishing Lavender Conditioner. I'm not entirely thrilled with the results, but much happier than last time. First of all, while I was in the shower, it felt cleaner on my hair. I massaged it into my scalp and then rinsed it out, then got out and towel dried my hair. Normally I let it air dry, but today I decided to blow dry it. My bangs look a little off, like I put too much wax on them, but I think that should be solved with a little powder. The bottom looks better than it ever does when I wash it normally, soft and shiny and fluffy, thought that could have more to do with the fact that I blow-dried it instead of letting it air dry. I am definitely going to continue trying it. From what I understand it can take your hair a little while to adjust to no 'poo. The real test will be after practice tomorrow. Everyone always advises to only wash your hair once or twice a week, but I'm here to tell you that is not practical when you have practice 3 times a week. But the amount of time that was saved in the shower and water I saved, in addition to saving money and plastic on shampoo made it so worth it. Plus, since I dye my hair red, less chemical stress on my hair will make the color last longer. Any advice anyone might have is appreciated.