Paleodyssey

I began experimenting with eliminating soap about a year after starting paleo. If humans are not broken by default, then it makes no sense that our skin and hair require that we use harsh chemicals to strip them of oil each day and then fix any resulting problems with moisturizers and conditioners.

I started by transitioning to dilute Castile soap for washing and shampooing. I added more water to the solution every time I filled the container. Then, when I had a week off from work, I switched to using only water to rinse off. Nothing bad happened. No unusual body odor. No other problems. So I continued, using soap only to wash my hands.

Then the hair. I started washing it only every other day, with daily conditioner. I tried rinsing with a solution of water and baking soda, followed by apple cider vinegar. (Do not get A.C.V. in your eyes!) That worked OK.

Finally, I just went cold turkey. I had previously had fairly greasy hair that needed to be washed every day or it looked and felt gross. I had also previously had dandruff, which disappeared on paleo. For a couple of months I used the baking soda and cider vinegar treatment once a week, then every other week. After awhile I just forgot to do that and it was fine.

Now I shower every day with just water. That’s all I seem to need. I have less body odor now than I did before changing my diet and eliminating soap. I still use an aluminum-free crystal deodorant as I have a job involving lots of social interactions and, sometimes, physical activity.

Would this work for you? I have no idea. I am a Caucasian male with regular hair that I keep short, along with a short beard and mustache. This approach might work well for you, or it might transition you into social unacceptabiliy-ville. I’ve seen lots of discussion on going shampoo-free on various message boards; clearly some have more trouble with that than others. You may find that it works very well, or you may not.