Meet Tara Creel - The No Poo Method

I met Tara a few months ago online. She just emailed me one day and said “hey, I no poo, too. Nice to meet you!” I went to her youtube channel, watched a few videos, and fell in love! She’s adorable and her energy in her videos drew me in. So we decided to swap stories on our no poo journey. Here is her no poo testimonial.

Tell us about yourself

My name is Tara Creel and I am a wife, mother of two (ages 5 and 3,) and an entrepreneur. I run a YouTube channel under the name Tarav. You can find me on facebook here. I started my YouTube channel as a way to connect to other young women while sharing things I love. My husband is a Marine so he spent months at a time away from home which meant lots of alone time for me! Over the year my channel has gone through many different changes. I started as a young girl, married to a Marine and grew into a young mother sharing about life and parenting. As my children grew I became more and more passionate about healthy living and inspiring others. Today, my channel contains a wide range of topics including health, fitness, beauty, fashion, lifestyle, inspirational content, and more!

What made you decide to go “no poo?”

I had attempted the “no poo” thing in the past, but was never serious about it. I thought it was interesting and I’m no stranger to “out of the box” methods of caring for oneself. But for the longest time I didn’t have a strong enough “WHY” to stick with it. On September 9, 2013 I decided I was ready. I was sick of spending my hard earned money on products that claimed this thing and that with poor results. I was tired of using products that contained so many unrecognizable and unpronounceable ingredients. And honestly, I was over having 8 different bottles in my shower. I wanted simple. Effective. Plus, I like a good challenge! The simplicity of it all drew me in!

What is your haircare routine?

Since day one I’ve been water only. I “wash” my hair about once or twice a week (more often depending on how intense my workouts are and the amount of sweat they produce). While I’m in the shower I turn the water to hot, and run it through my hair as I massage my scalp. I do this for about 5 minutes. Before I get out of the shower I rinse with super cold water. This helps with shine and helps to seal the strands to prevent damage. Once I’m out, I wrap my hair in a t shirt for a few minutes and then allow it to air dry. About twice a week I spend 5-10 minutes brushing my hair with a boar bristle brush. This distributes the oil all throughout my strands. Also, about twice a month, I “preen” which means taking areas of the hair at my scalp, pinching with my fingers, and drawing the oil down the strands. (See more about scritch & preening here)

Recently I’ve started adding into some additional treatments. Once a week or every other week I add a baking soda paste to my scalp, massage, and rinse. I’ve also been using honey twice a week to add shine and moisture to the ends of my hair. The verdict is still out on those and I think I’ll be transitioning to other methods soon!

What is your process after showering?

After I shower I wrap my hair in a tshirt for about 30 minutes. Once I remove it I simply allow my hair to air dry. Occasionally I’ll “scrunch” with my hands to encourage some wave.

What about skin care/makeup? Do you use natural products for those as well?

I do, but I’m not a stickler. I tend to use more natural-based skin care products but don’t stress myself out if they aren’t 100% natural. I use a lot of Yes to Carrots products and am currently using their moisturizer. However, I also use coconut oil as a moisturizer and use olive oil as a makeup remover. Honey is great for the skin as well. As for makeup, I am SUPER passionate about makeup and beauty so I tend to stick with high quality products that WORK, whether it be natural or otherwise. I have tried a few different brands that are 100% natural but so far it’s been hit or miss with their products. I’m always on the hunt for new cosmetics to try!

Some brands I’ve tried and liked are:

How often do you rinse your hair?

It just depends on how I’m feeling. Usually once or twice a week, but if I’m active or bored with my routine it may be daily.

Quick tips or tricks?

Lots and LOTS of scalp massages, preening, and boar bristle brushing! These are the things that most people tend to skip out on and that’s why they struggle through the transition. It might take a few different brushes to find the one that works for you. I like this one.

Favorite natural beauty remedy?

Coconut oil. Every day. For everything. I use it as a moisturizer, makeup remover, lotion, mouth cleanser, I eat it, I cook with it, I feed it to my dogs. It’s the absolute BEST “all-in-one” product. I like this brand because it is organic, cold pressed, and unrefined.

Final words of advice?

I hear constantly that “I can’t do the ‘no poo’ thing because of X,Y, and Z.” The truth is, ANYONE can do it no matter your hair type, ethnicity, level of oiliness, etc. You just have to find the routine that works for YOU! Find a group (Facebook is great!) of individuals who are on the same journey. That support is crucial. Youtube is your BEST friend. there are TONS of testimonials from individuals with all KINDS of hair types. Here are my Youtube videos on no poo.