The Low Poo technique consists of replacing washing hair with a regular shampoo with a shampoo free of sulfates, silicones or petroleum jelly, which are too aggressive on the hair, leaving it dry and without a natural shine.
For those who adopt this method, they may notice in the early days that the hair is less shiny, but over time it becomes healthier and more beautiful.
What is the technique?
To start this method, it is important to know which ingredients to avoid and to follow these steps:
1. Exclusion of prohibited ingredients
The first step in starting the Low Poo method is to ditch all hair care products that contain banned ingredients like silicone, petroleum jelly, and sulfates.
Also, combs, brushes, and pins should be sterilized to remove all residue. To do this, you have to use a sulfate-containing product that has the ability to remove petroleum jelly and silicone from these things, but you can’t have these ingredients in the formula.
2. Wash the hair one last time with sulfate.
Before you start using shampoo that is free of harmful ingredients, you should wash your hair one last time with a shampoo that contains sulfates but without petroleum jelly or silicone, because this step is precisely to remove the remnants of these ingredients, from the shampoo used in the Low do Poo method can not do.
If necessary, more than one wash can be done so that no residue remains.
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3. Choose the right hair care products
The last step is to choose a shampoo, conditioner or other hair care product that does not contain sulfates, silicones, petrolatum, and, if necessary, parabens.
To do this, it is better to bring a list of all the ingredients that should be avoided, which can be consulted below.
Some shampoo brands that no longer contain any of these ingredients are Novex Low Poo My Curls Shampoo, Yamá Less Poo Mild Shampoo, Botica Bio Extratus Low Poo Shampoo, or L’Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Low Shampoo, for example.
What are the prohibited ingredients?
1. Sulfate
Sulfates are washing agents, also known as detergents, that are very strong because they open the hair cuticle to remove dirt. However, they also remove moisture and hair’s natural oils, making it dry. Here’s what a sulfate-free shampoo is and what it’s for.
2. Silicon
Silicones are ingredients that work by forming a layer on the outside of the strand, called a protective layer, which is a kind of barrier that prevents strands from getting hydrated, leaving only the feeling of hair being more moisturized and shinier.
3. Gasoline
Vaseline works in a very similar way to silicone, it forms a layer outside the strands without treating it, and also prevents the hair from getting wet. Using products that contain petroleum jelly can cause it to build up in the hair for a long time.
4. Parabens
Parabens are preservatives that are widely used in cosmetics, as they prevent the proliferation of microorganisms, ensuring that the products last longer. Although there are many people who would rule out parabens from the Low Poo method, they can be used because there are not enough studies to show their harmful effects, but they can also be easily removed.
The following table lists the main ingredients to be avoided in the Low Poo method:
sulfatepetroleumsiliconparabens
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
mineral oilsDimethiconemethylparaben
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
liquid paraffinDimethiconolpropyl parabens
Sodium myeth sulfate
IsoprafenPhenyl Trimethiconeethyl paraben
ammonium laureth sulfate
vaselineamodimethiconebutyl parabens
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
Microcrystalline wax
C14-16 Sodium Olefin Sulfonate
vaseline
Sodium myeth sulfate
dodecane
Sodium Sulfate Tridceth
Isodecan
Sodium Alkylbenzene Sulfate
alkane
Coconut Sulfate
hydrogenated polyisobutene
Cocaine Ethyl PEG-15 Sulfate
Sodium Dioctyl Sulfosuccinate
tea lauryl sulfate
Tea Dodecylbenzenesulfonate
unwanted effects
Initially, for the first few days, this technique can leave the hair heavy and dull due to the lack of ingredients that give the hair an overall shiny appearance. Also, people with oily hair may have a hard time adjusting to the Low Poo method and so some people go back to the traditional method.
It is important for people who start the Low Poo method to know that after a while, by eliminating harmful ingredients from their daily routine, in the medium and long term they will have healthier, hydrated and shiny hair.
What is the No Poo method?
No Poo is a no-shampoo or Low Poo method. In these cases, people wash their hair only with conditioner, and also without sulfates, silicone and Vaseline, which is called the combined washing technique.
In the Low Poo method, it is also possible to alternate washing the hair with Low Poo shampoo and conditioner