yeah, I think just about everyone would. however, the OP was asking how to clean WITHOUT water. an ocean is a pretty dang large body of water last I checked, so not really a relevant suggestion.

it's not the hair, it's the scalp that needs to be cleaned. and 30+ days without ever washing your scalp, in a SHTF scenario... I'm thinking that the 3-5 minutes it takes to wash it once or twice a week is a far better and smarter than risking an infestation or infection that will take twice the resources and time to cure.

or you live in the desert *cough* Arizona or Nevada *cough* jus' sayin

It just seems silly to me that some people are treating the OP's question like he/she is a vapid little flake who is just concerned with looking all prettys during the PAW. I think it's a valid question and those who are dismissing it either conveniently don't have much hair at all, or aren't interested in learning something that may end up being beneficial at some point. I mean, dweste is not asking about styling hair or how to maintain highlights or do a manicure or do makeup. The question was about washing, a basic function. And while he/she asked about washing hair, do we really need to focus on that little semantic issue because the word "head" or "scalp" wasn't used instead? It seems clear what the actual intent was.

As I see it, the OP is asking how to stay somewhat clean on a very basic no-frills level under circumstances where the usual conveniences of life don't exist. Isn't that the kind of thing we should know? Heck, if you don't have much hair wouldn't this be helpful knowledge to pass on to a wife, girlfriend, mom, sister, daughter, or friend that does? I know I'm new here, but I'm really not seeing the harm in this thread or the need for the snarks and dismissals to an earnest inquiry.

Sue, I love that you are "taking one for the team" here. ROTF. You are truly dedicated to the cause. I look forward to what will no doubt be an entertaining final report.

Okay, I spent 1.5 hours with the cornmeal under the shower cap.

A longtime (40 yrs) friend called and I told her what I was doing. There was a long silence.

"I don't think it was recommended for people. That's what they use on Old English Sheepdogs to fluff the coat and make it stand out for shows."

Oh. Maybe that was where I heard it. Anyway, on to the evaluation.

This was the semi-finely ground cornmeal, not as fine as flour, not as gritty as other cornmeal I've seen. I worked about a cup or so of it around my scalp, and then applied the plastic shower cap.

After 90 minutes, I took off the shower cap while hanging over the shower stall and worked out as much as I could by massaging it with my fingers and fluffing my hair. Then I took my bristle hairbrush and brushed while hanging my head down. When it felt like most of the crumbs were gone, I brushed my hair naturally.

Results: it was better than I had anticipated, but not really great (like shampooed hair). My hair is longish, gray, very fine and was flattened and somewhat greasy to start, and after I worked it over with the brush, it had fluffed up and looked like I had more hair (so I guess it does work on Old English Sheepdogs). I couldn't feel any more grit on my scalp, but I had the feeling that I was still shedding some corn dust.

I didn't have anyone to check the odor (or lack thereof). I guess it wasn't bad if you were desperate. If you have dark hair, it might not look as good, or might take a lot more brushing to get rid of the dusty look.

It was messy, so I would recommend doing it outdoors.

But since I had to take a shower anyway, I washed my hair the regular way.

Score: probably about 6 out of 10 for my hair, YMMV.

In the olden days, most women only washed their hair once a month or so. But they did brush it a lot, which probably distributed the oil the entire length of the hair shaft, instead of allowing it to collect and sit near the scalp.

Sue

ROTF. wheeze. LOLOLOLOL. OMG, I just laughed so hard at your story that I couldn't even breathe. You, ma'am, win the golden internet award for the week. whew. LOL. and I admire your willingness to shrug it off and keep going despite the dog thing and the mess. Hats off to you, Sue. Hats off.

I would shave my head. Considering I once elected to be fired rather than cut my hair, it would take the apocolypse, but being bald or having maggot... ewww...

Oh, for pete's sake, Ironraven, you're acting like a big GIRL!

*snickers*

Sue

If there were an effective way to dry-wash hair, I'd be much more likely to camp at campgrounds without showers. Perhaps I'll try one of the products in that regard that they sell at REI.

If things were so bad that hair washing was not doable then I'd be likely to at least cut my hair very, very short. Shaving it is a very reasonable alternative. I have lots of hats.

Or I could just use my dog's waterless shampoo. These products are popular at dog shows.

Please post a few pictures, white powder and a shower cap has got to be a priceless pic.

And i hope you feel better soon Susan.

I set up on the table in the middle of the sailboat cabin. I had a small round standup mirror, a couple terrycloth cotton towels, and a bottle of No Rinse shampoo. My hair is fairly fine and was a bit greasy after a few dats without shampooing.

I began working small palmfulls of the shampoo into my hair. following directions I first made sure the shampoo wetted all my hair. I used about six palmfulls to do that. Then I added a palmfull at a time looking for the lather point. At about 6 more palmfulls I began noticing a thin lather. I added another 3 palmfulls, the lather did not seem to be increasing, so I decided that was enough. I toweled my hair fairly dry.

My hair was no longer greasy but it was not as flyaway as my hair usually gets when it dries after a shampoo. My significant other [who I did not tell about the test]found the result entirely acceptable for running her fingers through and noticed nothing out of the ordinary.

Next time I will find something to measure the amount used more precisely. I think I will also use paper towels.

My verdict: very convenient, no mess, and acceptable results. This would be a nice morale booster at need. You could easily shampoo your hair this way in any confined space or place where you wanted mess at a minimum, without using or about heating water.

Edit: the weight and volume of product used was far less than the combined amount of normal shampoo and water required for even a sink / basin shampoo and rinse.

I apologize, but I feel it prudent to point this warning out as incorrect. The chemical used in the Chinese cough syrup and toothpaste scandal was diethylene glycol, not propylene glycol. Propylene glycol is the animal-friendly alternative to the toxic ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol used in engine coolant, and is generally recognized as safe by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) as an additive, usually as a sweetener I believe, to foods. It is also used quite commonly as a solvent in pharmaceuticals.

Read for yourself:

• Toxic cough syrup
• Diethylene glycol
• Propylene glycol

While I still wouldn’t gargle with the shampoo (too many bubbles ), it won’t be the propylene glycol that makes you ill if you try it.