The no shampoo at all thread

[sapphire kate]

I stopped washing my hair with anything in a bottle about 10 weeks ago. Since then I've used egg once, and baking soda 3 times. The rest of the time I just use water, once a week or so.

I have hair down to the bottom of my shoulder blades, so it's not short. I'm sure this would work fine if it was short (I know people who've not used anything but water for years but their hair is short).

So my hair has been quite oily in the past few months, but still manageable. I though that washing with just water more often would help but in the last couple of weeks I've been swimming most days (in fresh water) and found that in some ways it's worse. I've now resorted to baking soda a couple of times because my hair was staying too oily but I feel that using b.s sets me back as it strips the oil and so the scalp produces more oil to compensate.

I've been told that it takes a while for the hair and scalp to adjust to only water, but I'd like to hear from anyone that has actually done this successfully, especially if your hair isn't short.

[Judy L]

SK,

Have you considered doing a herbal vinegar rinse instead of the baking soda or egg while transitioning?

I found this worked much, much better for me ( hair past shoulders). I never could get off the herbal vinegar totally and just use water. Mostly b/c I didn't feel comfortable doing this while working in the environment I was in. It definitely took care of the oily problem tho w/o the feeling of stripping and I never felt a rebound reaction in oil production.

[sapphire kate]

What sort of ratio of vinegar to water do you use Judy?

Rebecca just did a blog post about this, and the point she makes about brushing seems important (brushing alot to distribute the oils once you've graduated off shampoo, b.s. etc).

http://crabappleherbs.com/blog/2008/02/ ... hair-care/


I stopped using egg at home because it takes so much water to rinse it all out, and I don't have a lot of water there.

[anita]

ooh nice link, sk. I like the transition suggestion. Sounds obvious, I know; but I didn't think of it the last time I tried and yup, oily hair. Mebbe time to go again.

[Willow]

Hello Sapphire Kate! I don't know if you are aware of the "No Shampoo Thread" started almost four years ago, but in case you don't, here's the link to it:
http://www.susunweed.com/weedforum/view ... poo+thread

[feminine_earth]

Hi SK! I have not used shampoo in over a year, and my hair has honestly never looked or felt better.

I do use handmade hair soap that I buy from Chagrin Valley Soap and Craft. She uses 100% natural ingredients (no fragrance oils or anything), and one bar lasts forever.

I follow up my washing with a very mild apple cider vinegar rinse: 1 tblsp vinegar in 1 cup cool water.

Good luck!

[sapphire kate]

Thanks Willow, I do know that thread. I haven't gone back to it because from what I remember it's mostly about shampoo alternatives rather than using just water.


Likewise f e. I'm trying to not use anything that strips the oil and makes the scalp produce more eg shampoo, soap, baking soda.

[catoosh]

I have'nt wahed my hair with anything other than water in over a year maybe once a month I will use a little conditioner as it's now much longer, even got my curl back very pleased all round with the results.

[Moonflower]

i like my hair better using a vinegar rinse, in large part because our well water is so heavy in minerals. don't feel like it strips the oil, tho...just makes it feel 'cleaner' and enhances the waves, so more manageable. i used baking soda for awhile, but found i didn't really like it for my hair.

over 3 years time my hair has gone from waist length to 2 inches long, now at chin level. you're right, i found when it was really short it didn't need anything but water, but the vinegar doesn't seem like a compromise to me. i don't measure the amount, just splash some into warm water...probably comes out roughly 1/4 or so acv to water

[nutmeg]

deleting reduntant link - won't let me delete post entirely

[sam]

washed my hair three days ago using a non sls shampoo, diluted to 1/2 strength.

hair felt nice, but still a bit oily.

today i only wet it, massaging well, then took a wide toothed comb to it while in the shower, and followed with a pint of chamomile tea mixed with a tablespoon of acv.

my hair is greasy as an old french fry, but i don't have time to do anything else to it. (pulled it into a pony tail)

[sapphire kate]

Sam have a look at crabapple's blog post. If you go cold turkey then you will have oily hair and will have to tough it out. But if you take time to come off shampoo over several months then it won't be so oily.

[anita]

i just tried cold turkey again (despite thinking i'd phase it out). my hair was oily but not ridiculously oily. at the end of 2-3 weeks my hair was still slightly oily, but approaching a more normal state. i was rather pleased with the way things were going. ahhh but then i spoiled the experiment by taking up an offer of a free cut (which included shampoo) and going swimming ... but i love to swim anyway, so i'm gonna have to see if it works with that too.

[sapphire kate]

Baking soda solution is a nice thing to use as a transition but it does slow the process down if you want to use vinegar only.

[MaDonaVerde]

Apparently, we're trendy....



"The Case for NOT Washing Your Hair"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/2 ... 87772.html

(click on the articles in the links too)

MDV
On about week three of no-poo at all and once a week or so vinegar rinse. A bit greasy the first week, still *some* but it's diminishing nicely.