The rules are very simple: 30 days, no shampoo.

After seeing many "No 'Poo" challenge testimonials pop up on social media, I started to become curious how that would work for my hair and body chemistry. So, when we started carrying the "Flowers In My Hair" herbal hair rinse by Glorious Forest Apothecary, I was chomping at the bit to accept the challenge.

Here's a little rundown on my hair; it is bleached, dyed, fine and long. This requires quite a bit of upkeep, and it is a delicate dance between having too-oily hair and stripping it of the oils it desperately needs to stay hydrated. On average, I shower daily, but only shampoo and condition my hair every 2 to 3 days. When I started this challenge, I decided to keep this schedule and simply replace the shampoo with hair rinse.

Week One: Easy Breezy

The first week felt pretty normal. By day three, I was ready to use the rinse and was absolutely thrilled with the results. First, I rinsed my hair with hot water, scrubbing my scalp as if lathering with shampoo, mixed 2 ounces of the rinse with 8 ounces of water in a cup, and slowly poured the rinse onto my scalp, working it through my hair. The aroma was absolutely incredible. I love vinegar in nearly any application, so the smell of the ACV did not phase me. Instead, I noticed the hints of rose, rosemary and lavender.

I then continued to lather as if shampooing, and left it on my hair rather than rinsing it out. Because the ingredients are natural and simple, there is no need to rinse afterward and it does not leave behind any residue. Afterward, my hair was light and soft, leaving me more pleased with the hair rinse than I would have been with using shampoo and conditioner.

By day 6, my hair was more oily than it would have usually been, but I used the rinse again and viola, hair-perfection.

Week Two: "I'm Never Shampooing Again"

The excitement bubbled over from week one and coasted me into week two. My hair was still looking relatively "normal," in that passersby would not necessarily guess that I hadn't shampooed my hair in more than a week.

I was still able to style my hair per usual, wearing it up or down with out any clumps or visible oils. I was absolutely elated. I kept telling myself I would never shampoo my hair again.

While I have let my roots grow out and remain their natural color, the ends of my hair are nearly white underneath the direct dye, a feat I achieved after nearly a year of bleaching and toning it myself at a healthy, sustainable pace. Because of this, my hair is on the fragile end of the spectrum, and I know that regular shampooing does much more harm than good.

Most commercial shampoos contain sodium laureth sulfate, parabens and other harsh chemicals that eventually wear away at the hair follicle. Conditioner works to mask that damage in the short term, but the damage is still there!

I am constantly on the hunt for a shampoo that leaves out all these abrasive ingredients, but during this week, I was thinking, "why even shampoo at all?"

Week Three: "....Never mind"

This is where it all started to go downhill. It was as if my scalp just did not get the memo, and kept pumping out oils to make up for non-existent shampooing. While the ends of my hair looked normal, at the roots, my hair was clumped and visibly oily, more so on the days in between rinses.

I started braiding my hair or wearing it in a ponytail to avoid looking like I forgot how to perform basic hygiene rituals. I also started experimenting with how I applied the rinse.

During the oiliest days, I found I had the most success with applying the apple cider vinegar-based rinse to my hair while it was dry, and then rinsing with hot water, instead of the other way around.

Every day while I was getting ready, I found myself wondering, "is it over yet?"

Week Four: Space Buns 24/7

The funniest thing about this entire challenge is that week four is when I got the most compliments on my hair, and it was all because I broke out my go-to "my hair looks horrible today" hair style: space buns!

I wore them nearly every day the final week, and every day I got at least one compliment. My mouth said "thank you," but my mind said "if you only knew."

My hair was so oily that week. Because my hair is so fine, it was nearly unacceptable for me to wear my hair down to work in the shop. Lucky for me, I found a decent way to hide it. Most challenges talk about how you have to "get over the hump," and for me, that didn't happen in the first month. I do not know if it would have ever happened for me to be honest, and I am never going to find out.

I was so excited to be able to shampoo my hair. It was almost all I could think about. I will never take shampoo and conditioner for granted again.

The Verdict

While the "No Shampoo" lifestyle is definitely not for me, the herbal hair rinse by Glorious Forest Apothecary absolutely is! This rinse is the perfect short-term solution for me for use in between shampoos, as well as during festivals or camping trips. Because you do not have to rinse it out of your hair, you could easily use "Flowers In My Hair" without running water. In fact, I am taking some with me to the festival I am working this weekend!

What is the longest you have ever gone without shampoo? Would you ever try this challenge? Tell us in the comments.