Many of us wouldn't go for more than a few days without giving our hair a good shampooing. However, champions of the 'no poo' method have eschewed this everyday hygiene routine altogether, opting for more natural methods of keeping their hair clean.
Laura Ashley, 27, claims that strangers regularly shower her with compliments when they clock her long and curly hair, confessing that her secret doesn't lie in any corporate beauty product.
Laura, of Riverside, California, says she hasn't used shampoo for six years, and instead simply brushes her hair before rinsing it with water.
It's certainly not to everyone's liking, but Laura believes her hair is now far healthier than it was back when she used products on it.
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The vintage clothing business owner recently opened up about her alternative hair care regime on TikTok, where many left admiring comments about how "gorgeous" her tresses were.
However, others were decidedly less complimentary, with some pleading with her to wash her "greasy" and "crunchy" hair.
Despite having to field such harsh critiques, Laura remains unperturbed.
Although she's seen people rushing to her defence in the comments section, she says she couldn't care less about any negativity, reasoning: "They're doing nothing but boosting my page and getting me tons of interactions. I don't care".
She continued: "If people want to comment that I look musty or sticky, by all means, go for it. Because everyone has their own opinions on hair, so whatever. I've never been told I stink. Honestly, I get a lot of compliments on my hair. I'm not fazed by the comments on TikTok at all, they're hilarious".
According to Laura, her hair is the feature that earns her the most compliments when she's out and about in public, and she will get "stopped frequently" on the streets by strangers.
Laura said: "I get stopped frequently as people say 'Oh my god, your hair is so pretty'. I'm just like 'I just use water'. I do a hair mask once a week. It's still washed, it's just not done with a shampoo or a conditioner. So it's not like I don't put anything in my hair, that's a big misconception that people got from the video".
Being interested in all things healthy living, Laura was initially driven to make a change with her hair after learning about no-poo advocates online, a discovery that led her to explore the movement for herself.
As she explained, it was "kind of a DIY experimental thing" for her, and she began to question whether she really did need to splurge on manufactured hair products.
Laura went on to say: "My hair looks so much healthier now. It used to be pin-straight and I was constantly using heat on it and weighing it down with products. Now I've let all of that go, I've got curl in my hair. It's nice - I wake up, take a shower and I like my hair".
As well as noticing a physical difference, Laura believes her choice is also "mentally healthier" for her, noting, "It's important to be comfortable".
Laura no longer has to spend 40 minutes sorting her hair out in the mornings and has found that it "feels healthier and it grows faster too".
At first, she used to whip up a baking soda and vinegar concoction as an all-natural means of washing her hair. However, she eventually chucked these products too, keeping her hair fresh with a comb, water, and a bit of oil to massage into the ends.
Laura explained: "I stopped using shampoo from the shop because there's so much stuff added. My thing is if I can't pronounce it or I don't know what it is, I'm going to try and stay away from it. There's no way that we've been living all this time throughout history and suddenly everybody needs a corporate shampoo with 50 ingredients in it".
The staunch no-poo supporter believes her raw vegan diet of six years has helped her maintain a healthy barnet, remarking "everything I eat is fruit and vegetables, so not a lot of junk can be released from my body".
She added: "I just let my hair do its thing. I try to embrace what my hair is. I don't feel a need to style it. I just let it be. I think a lot of people aren't used to that. They're walking around with their hair heated and styled. People don't even know what natural hair looks like anymore".
Laura chose to share her routine to TikTok as she "wanted to inspire people but also have a little bit of a shock factor", with the hope of encouraging her followers "to have the confidence to try and take their health into their own hands".
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