*No Rinse Shampoo*
The PX has been selling this stuff for quite some time now, although I don’t know if there’s much of a market in the civilian world. The maker’s website implies that its principal use is in hospitals and other places that care for the invalided. Here at the PX it goes for about four dollars a bottle.
Q: What is it?
A: It’s a very thin, clear liquid, much thinner than normal shampoo-about as thick as bubble soap. It is not alcohol-based (I think it has glycerin in it). It has a not-unpleasant smell, although I can’t quite make it out. Clean-smelling, but neither fruity nor really soapy.
Q: How much do you get?
A: It’s about an 8oz white plastic bottle with blue graphics and lettering, with the kind of flip-spout type cap you see on some hand lotions. It’s about 6-1/2" tall by almost 2" diameter. Fits perfectly in the small hygiene kit I keep in my buttpack.
Q: How do you use it?
A: You simply wet your hair with the stuff, scrub it around a bit until you get a lather, and then towel it off. You may have to do this twice.
Q: How much do you have to use?
A: Depends on how much hair you’ve got. I have a military haircut (a little thicker than a high-and-tight), and I use maybe a tablespoon’s worth every time. As with all things like this, your mileage may vary.
Q: Where can I find it?
A: If you’re in the military or have a friend in the military, the PX/BX sells it. They go through a lot in Iraq. I don’t know where the maker retails it off-post. The manufacturer would make a killing if they sold it through a place like REI or Brigade Quartermasters. The website for No-Rinse products has a page to help locate retailers:
http://norinse.com/locateretail.htm
Q: Does it work?
A: About as well as you’d expect it to work. Don’t expect miracles. If you’re in the habit of using your hair to wipe off the wrench you used to change the oil on your car, this isn’t the product for you. It’s best on hair that isn’t very dirty/sandy. The label says that it’s used by astronauts on the Space Shuttle, and I suppose it works just fine up there; the Shuttle seems like a pretty clean place.
If your hair is just sweaty and a bit oily, the stuff does a good job. When I use it, my hair can be combed like normal and isn’t all oily and nasty. That’s enough in the field or in the desert. If your hair gets sandy, you’ll have to brush most of the sand out, and use a bit more shampoo.
BOTTOM LINE:
It’s not a perfect replacement for standing under a shower with a head full of shampoo/conditioner. But if you’re out in the backcountry where there is no shower, and your hair isn’t completely filthy, No Rinse Shampoo works and is worth the money spent.
GVI
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