Two years ago, Liz Ladd stopped shampooing.

But the 24-year-old music publicist from Bloomington has washed her hair.

She's a member of what's known as the "no 'poo" movement -- a no 'pooer, if you will.

"It's a subculture," Ladd said. "The same people who are switching to organic raw dairy now might be switching to no 'poo in a year or two if they find that these healthier, simpler options work well for them."

Sure, it's prepubescently fun to giggle at the word "poo." But the movement is part of a larger lifestyle choice for those who want to cleanse their hair without harsh chemicals.

Most use natural ingredients such as baking soda, water and cider vinegar. But there's also an increasing number of 'poo products, such as the Deva brand, that condition and gently cleanse without the use of shampoo.

"It's almost always better to have one or two ingredients than six or 60," Ladd said. "My hair has more texture, and it's more predictable now. It's more convenient since -- while I used to have to wash my hair once or sometimes twice a day, now I can go on a long weekend trip or camping without having to worry about my hair."

Online communities, such as LiveJournal's http://community.livejournal.com..., allow the anti-shampoo-ites to talk about methods, reasons and techniques for managing a coif sans the 'poo.

Still, although there are nearly 700 members of the LiveJournal no 'poo community, it's a relatively unknown form of hygiene. Ladd first heard about it a few years ago through a different online group, where she learned that shampoo stripped her hair of its natural oils. Not only were common ingredients such as sodium laureth sulfate bad for her body, but bad for the environment, as well.

"I had been thinking about it for maybe a month as part of a larger long-term goal to simplify my life and make it more environmentally friendly," she said. "I decided to go for it after reading about everyone's experiences with it online. They were overwhelmingly positive and of those that had problems with it, almost everyone was able to find an alternative to using mainstream shampoo."

The most common alternative is a baking-soda-and-cider-vinegar technique, which Ladd uses. She often cuts her shaggy, chin-length hair herself, too.

"It doesn't smell or feel gross," said Ladd. "Sometimes if I go one day longer than maybe I should, I'll wear my hair up or in a scarf or dust it with cornstarch."

Every three days or so, Ladd combines a cup of filtered water with a tablespoon of baking soda and dumps the mixture on her dry hair, letting it sit for a minute. She'll then rub it into her scalp as if it were shampoo, and rinse it out.

For extra shine, she'll mix a tablespoon of cider vinegar with another cup of water and a few drops of essential oils, and pour it on her wet hair after washing out the baking soda. She'll rub it in and wash it out, similar to the first step.

Although Ladd washes her hair every three days, she gets it wet each day and brushes it with a boar-bristle brush to distribute the oils.

Most hair stylists can support the idea of less-frequent shampooing, but few are excited about not using shampoo at all.

David Lowry, owner of DL Lowry Hairspa Boutique at 1300 E. 86th St., said he tells his customers not to shampoo every day, but four times a week or fewer, depending on the hair type. Going full-on no 'poo, however, isn't something he'd recommend.

"It'd be great for the hair, but do you want to look like that?" he said.

No-'poo hair care

To cleanse:

Use 1 tablespoon of baking soda per 1.cup of filtered water (depending on length of your hair).

Mix; let baking soda dissolve. Pour onto dry hair and let sit for a minute. Massage into scalp, working into roots and gradually distributing throughout the rest of your hair. Rinse out.

To condition:

Use 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar per 1 cup of filtered water.

Optional: Add drops of essential oil, honey or lemon juice.

Mix products; pour it on and work it into your hair just as you did the cleanser. Rinse thoroughly.

(Note: Shampoo/condition only as needed.)

- Source: www.instructables.com

You should know

In 1905, most women washed their hair only once a month, using borax or egg yolk shampoo, according to "The Black Book of Hollywood Secrets" by Kym Douglas and Cindy Pearlman.