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To shampoo or not to shampoo?

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  • Hi Shine72,

    I live in Italy and the water is definately hard here. I do not color my hair so I can’t help you with that. I also believe there is quite a bit of chlorine in the h20 here too.

    Well all, its 1 month now for me. I think my scalp is starting to detox…I have a waxy kind of sebum on my scalp but I just brush it out. I have been swimming all weekend and did the tap water coco oil treatment. I think I will follow yr advice Queenfluff and try wearing a cap on alterating days…and see if it doesn’t dry my hair out. This weeekend I went on a snorkeling trip on some friends boat so we were practically living on the boat, I used conditioner, could be that my hair is reacting to that.

    Anyway my hair is definately less frizzy, and more manageable since I stopped pooing just love that word lol :) All those chemicals, I am low on my lovely organic Nutiva coconut oil I must order it from the UK where the pound is 2 to 1 with the USD yikes it will cost me a small fortune but so worth it. I also used it on my skin this weekend and so did my SO and he did not burn as much as he usually does, we have thrown all our sun blocks out. Coconut all the way….yay! Love this raw natural life style :))) Blessings to all Dea, xoxoxo

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    Hi Deasmiles,

    Your hair will go through phases when you start doing the no poo – It will seem awesome and clean at times than get oilier. It is frustrating sometimes! Any sort of heat (or chemical like shampoo) will make your scalp produce a little more sebum. I have noticed that rinse with warmer water makes for more sebum on my head. Although the bad thing is that the cooler water, which helps NOT produces any more sebum, doesnt get the old sebum out.

    Another phase i have noticed is that it sheds more at certain times. Right now, I have alot more hair shedding than I like plus my hair is DRY. I have used the vinegar a few times and I think I will stop. I even cut a few inches off my hair yesterday (which I didn’t really want to do but I tend to do that when my hair sheds more because the ends get too dry – I kind of panic – can ya tell I’m a total hair snob?).

    Are you applying the coconut oil to wet hair or dry? I scrunched a tiny bit into my dry hair this morning. I am always afraid to use too much because it is so hard to get out and I have finer hair. I am bit afraid to comb it right now because I hate seeing all the hairs in the brush or comb(honestly I probably don’t even lose 100 hairs a day but I am so vain about my hair!). I have been using a new wooden comb which works great for getting the sebum out but I think I going to buy a wide-tooth plastic one again (mine just broke) because I miss it. It works better at detangling my wet hair.

    So, it seems so weird to me that my hair is still dry – I use no shampoo for over 3 months – I have only use vinegar a few times and very diluted – just water. I did use that benotite clay once and I wish I hadn’t because I don’t think my hair ever recovered from how dry it made my hair. It was quite thick and soft (although a bit sebumy) before that. So, not a good hair week for me….sigh.

    So, I think no more vinegar or anything for me – just water and coconut oil. I read on another boards that a woman with African America hair was using shea butter on the ends and she said it rinses out nicely – I think she was still using a diluted shampoo mixture though.

    Glad the coocnut oil is working on your skin deamiles. I use no sunscreen anymore either – don’t burn at all and I am very fair. Being all raw has much to do with it too – all those enzymes. :)

  • kauaigirlkauaigirl Raw Newbie

    I am so with you, queenfluff. Maybe it has to do with the moon cycle or something b/c I am having the exact same experience right now….dry and shedding. My roommate said her hair is shedding like crazy right now too. Weird.

    I tried the white vinegar rinse twice last week… I might have used too much? My hair hasn’t been as soft/curly/full as it was. I wish I could cut my own hair b/c I totally feel like cutting it off right now but afraid to go to a stylist and have them freak out or something.

    I will be going camping next week so I will be in salt water/fresh water/sun everyday…that should feel good.

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    Hi kauaigirl!

    Yeah, I don’t know what it is…maybe us girls have the same hair shedding cycles! I do have my period this week. The increased shedding just seems to have started in the last few days. I get so moody during my periods too (being raw has helped my cramps a bit but not my moods – I probably need to exercise more!) – I get mad if there isn’t EXACTLY what I want to eat in the house and I don’t eat – weird I know – probably not good for my hair to skip meals. :(

    I did have a bad detox (off of yeast) about two weeks ago and I didn’t eat anything for a few days because I was so nausated too. So I am sure that didn’t help my hair either. I am also uping my MSM in my panic. Hopefully that will help. I am going to order more.

    The white vinegar IS drying (so is the ACV). Use as little as possible (start with 1 tablespoon which should 1/2 ounce to 2 cups of water). I would experiment with not leaving it in and just rinsing it out right away than if your hair is still oily try leaving it in longer. The girl that gave me the vinegar advice said the oilier her hair is the more vinegar she uses or she leaves it in for a while before rinsing. I used some apple cider vinegar the other day diluted and rinsed it out right away. My hair did feel a bit softer and fuller but after that was when my hair started shedding more. Could just be coincidence. But when stuff like that happens I leave my hair alone – so no more vinegar for me for a while. :)

    Yes, it very nice to be able to cut my own hair. I save lots of money. My hair is just straight and all one length so it is easy to cut.I cut it dry so I can tell the length. I wouldn’t worry so much about the stylist – I mean, you are paying them so just ask them not to shampoo it and spray it down and cut it. Saves them money on shamppoo. When I did hair, some people would come in with the grossiest hair (old ladies that used a ton of hair spray and gel and didn’t wash their hair for weeks – all this cheesy buildup in the comb when you combed their hair – I had to throw my comb out!) – I am sure your hair is cleaner than theirs! :)

    I am actually going camping myself in two days. We will be canoeing on an unpolluted lake and be on islands where there is no plumbing. The lake is very clean there too. Have fun!

  • I’m just so excited I wanted to tell the whole world that yesterday I saw some hair “sprouting” at the top of my head! Hehe. My hair is finally growing back after all the misuse and abuse from years of dying it. It would fall and not grow back. So this is just so amazing and motivating. I’m not sure if its the raw diet or the fact that I’m no ‘pooing… but either way, its a small victory!

  • odalys, I am so happy for you :) probably a combination of both, not ‘pooing and being raw. Yay for you! Dea :)

  • kauaigirlkauaigirl Raw Newbie

    Wow, that is great odalys. I think our scalps really hated all of that abuse!Your scalp is HAPPY now;)

  • kauaigirlkauaigirl Raw Newbie

    Queenfluff (or anyone else)...what is your opinion on Dr. Bronner’s All-in-one Magic Soap? The ingredients seem like mostly oils:

    Ingredients: Water, Saponified Organic Coconut & Olive oils (w/ retained Glycerin), Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Peppermint Oil, Organic Mentha Arvensis, Citric Acid, Vitamin E

    Has anyone used this on their hair? Would in ruin our no ‘poo work?

  • kundalalitakundalalita Raw Newbie

    Ah! I cracked!

    I was having the same sebum/white fuzzies in brush situation. I go in the ocean almost everyday and i was able to get it mostly off my hair but it wouldn’t come off my scalp, just wouldn’t budge only getting worse over weeks. It was like I had a layer of sandy glue stuck to my scalp which i couldn’t get out with anything, and whenever i scratched my head there was all this gunk in my nails… anyway so I used some diluted shampoo (gasp!)... and conditioned with coconut oil… i have to say my hair feels extremely clean and moisturized, it was getting dry and falling out this past week as with you guys… I just want to know, does this mean I have to start the whole process over? would the gunk eventually come off the scalp on its own terms?

    Another thing, haven’t used sunscreen at all this summer and i go to the beach almost everyday- the white parts that haven’t seen the sun all year burned once and then never again. Sunscreen is so unnecessary and harmful! thank you so much queenfluff for telling about it!

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    kauaigirl

    For the dr. bronners soap here is what I understand about soaps and shampoos…. The coconut oil part – Regular Coconut oil (the stuff we eat) does not suds when you put it in your hair and rub it in. More than likely (depending on your water temp) it gets hard or it is just liquidy. The “Saponified Coconut Oil” in Dr. Bronners (and other products) is made chemically or changed chemically in a lab – which is why it suds and cleans – so it is not “natural” coconut oil.

    People do use Dr. Bronners on their hair but many say it is quite drying. I have never used it but I use it for doing my laundry or washing my hands. Yes, it would ‘technically’ ruin your no poo – but there are worse things you could use on your hair than Dr. Bronners.

    kundalalita -

    You probably could have used a diluted ACV or white vinegar to remove it from your scalp. Another thing that works is to use a fine tooth comb to get our the sebum – the brush doesn’t really cut it I have learned. You might have been rinsing in water too warm maybe? That will up your sebum production your scalp.

    Well yes techically you are starting over but it probably won’t be any where near as bad as it was before since you haven’t shampooed in so long. The ‘gunk’ (sebum) would have eventually balanced out but hey, don’t worry – I don’t think you will have the same sort of bad transition like when you began. You won’t have as much excess oil.

    I used some coconut oil many days ago and left it in for a day and it helped out with the dryness. Your hair will absorb a lot of it if you leave it in.

    Funny thing about the sunscreen – I have been tanning since late spring and I was all nice and tan and than it was cold for a while so I didn’t tan for many weeks and than this weekend I went to rough it camping and canoeing and I got bad sunburn! I look like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer! Well, at least it doesn’t hurt like it used to when I got sunburn. I think it might be because I haven’t been very raw lately too. But at least I didn’t worry about my hair on the trip (no plumbing so no way to do any hair stuff – just rinsing in the cool lake) – the no poo came in very handy! My hair feels clean!

  • kauaigirlkauaigirl Raw Newbie

    My no ‘poo came in handy while camping, too. I felt so raw, like a goddess with my hair all crazy and full. It FELT pretty gross though, and one morning as I was walking to the waterfall/shower and pondering my hair and why I was doing this…a lady passed me and said, “wow, your hair is so beautiful and I can’t even get a comb through mine.” Little did she know I couldn’t either ;)!

    I ended up using a touch of sunscreen b/c I was going to be in the sun for hours on end. I did get a little sunburn on my back where I couldn’t reach but it was gone in a day.

    Thanks for the Bronner’s insight, queenfluff. That was my concern, too. Where was the surfactant? May get some for body but sticking with nothing for now.

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    Hi Kauaigirl!

    That is so funny! I feel the same way. I am sure to others my hair looks good but to me – YUCK! Funny how I had an easier time getting a comb through when I first started than I do now! Another girl I went camping with who is also raw I found out only water rinses too – I didnt ask how long she has been doing it. I can tell she colors her hair though so although her hair looked relatively clean I wouldn’t say it was beautiful or anything. Definately some damage from the color.

    After I got back from camping I hadn’t brush or combed my hair in about 5 days! I looked like a fuzzy rat. Needless to say I had a lot of hair come out when I finally did. My hair doesn’t really feel any thinner or anything which is weird. The shedding seems to dying down a bit which is good and my hair has been pretty oily the last few days (no heavy sebum at the crown anymore but the oil actually seemed to go past my roots which was a first) – maybe another phase in my no poo (I am almost 4 months!)? So I did a very light (1 tea to 2 cup water) sea salt rinse today and it feels pretty soft and nice so far.

    I think I may start doing some herbal treatements and rinse. I used to use nettle juice on my hair (I bought it in a bottle – can’t remember what else was in it) and it used to make my hair really strong so I might make my own by boiling nettle tops if I can find them. I am also planning on make a rosemary rinse too. I have been reading lots of praises for rosemary sprays and rinsing on the no poo boards.

    Here is the link to the recipes -many of the them are raw and all natural: http://www.longlocks.com/hair-care-recipes-cook…

    I think I’ll rub some avocadoe into my ends tomorrow after I rinse too. :)

  • kundalalitakundalalita Raw Newbie

    Hi!

    Lol, i hope that girl doesn’t read what you said about her hair! or maybe she should so she’ll stop killing it hehe.

    So is the heavy sebum still there but further down on your hair? interesting.. but i guess it takes 4 months to get to that point. So the whole point of this is to make sure that the natural oil covers the entirety of the hair?

    Yea, this time my hair wasn’t Nearly as oily! Before if I went a day without shampooing it was like woo grease time but this time it was like a week later and there’s practically no oil…

    how often do you guys generally use a cleansing rinse? like tea, sea salt, or baking soda… maybe i was going in the ocean too much..?

    thanks for the link queenfluff, those look like some great recipes, as i get to know my hair more i realize that i really need the moisturizers! so maybe i will try the avocado too… i’ve been putting oils in my hair to moisturize it, but i recently went to a hairstylist who said that the oil doesn’t moisturize the hair it just coats it, and that what is needed is a water-based moisturizer so that the hair can absorb it…..i was actually seeing a hairstylist because my body was really telling me to cut my hair. she wanted to take off all the ‘dead’ ends which was about 5 or 6 inches that were pretty to have but so brittle, no resiliance and make crackling noise when you touch it… i decided to go for health over keeping them… :*( i haven’t had it this short since 5 years ago! i guess i should upload a new pic…

    it sure is interesting getting to know your hair… i don’t think i’ve ever paid this much attention to or talked to so many people about my hair!

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    Hi Kundalalita!

    I don’t think that girl uses this board. :) I think she colors it because it is grey. It was funny though – she uses coconut oil on her body but than again she was piling on the sunscreen (cheapie chemical ones too – I would at least use Nature’s First Law or something). Oh well – everyone is at their own place i guess. I refused to use any sunscreen (I didn’t have my NFL sunscreen with me) – I was already burnt and it was too late anyhow! Honestly I think sunscreen (at the cheapie ones) are worse than shampoo.

    Yes, I heard that to REALLY get to the natural balance of your hair it takes six months. I have seen that stated by several people on several boards. So, I got 2 months more to go. Yes, I am noticing I don’t have a big sebum buildup in just one area any more. I still have more oilness in the back of my head than I have in other places But I think it has to do with me not rinsing thouroughly there too. Which is something I did purposely last night. I actually clipped up the top section of my hair and did some scrubbing of the back of my head. I always use the massage setting on my shower head (I think this really helps to clean off my scalp – feels good too!) and I let it pound on my hair and soak a while. Hair feels cleaner this morning…which leads me to my second thing I did.

    Sunday I put a whole avocado in my hair! Boy, was it oily after I rinsed it out! I rubbed most of it into my ends and the rest on the other dry areas of my hair. Monday I rinsed good and the top part felt so soft and nice – the ends and back were still all oily and crunchy. Tuesday mostly just the back was oily and than I did the back of head super rinse last night and slept with my hair wet and the back feels a lot cleaner than it did before. So the avocado definately moisturizes but it is hard to get out. Next time I am trying banana!

    About your hair dresser, honestly she is just trying to sell you products. Did she try to sell you conditioner? Hair is dead matter really – it can’t absorb anything but water – once your ends are dead and dry – all you can really do is cut them off. Conditioners on the market today also coat your hair and they have certain chemical ingredients that will make your hair sleekier (mostly known as silicones – sometimes no poo-ers just call them ‘cones) or thicker – all of theses things are unnatural and cause build up on the hair.

    Your hair will eventually soak in some of the coconut oil or avocado you put on it and it will naturally rub off. Chemical conditioner don’t do that. When you use a chemical conditioner, what it does it coats your hair with cones or waxes and than in order to get it out you are supposed to shampoo the next day. That is the way the cycle works. Strip the natural oils (which your body has specially designed to protect and moisturize your hair) and than coat it with waxes and other things by using conditioner so it doesn’t look like a big dry brillo pad and you can’t comb through it. It gives a good illusion to making the hair look “repaired” and “healthy”. I know – I used to be a hair dresser and I had shelves full of products. I can’t deny that some of them seemed to work and made my hair more managable – but I realize now that my hair was just coated with waxes.

    I can’t deny that I have several times thought about using some conditioner on my hair during this whole no poo thing (and one in a while shampoo!) but I really want to do this so I am definatley waiting it out my last 2 months and see how it goes. It is amazing all the changes my hair is going through. I have seen some pictures of some girls with awesomely beautiful hair who have been on no poo for years and that is my inspiration for staying on this – plus, I don’t want to get into the expensive habit of product buying again.

    I know it is hard to cut those ends off – I just cut about 2 or 3 inches off mine. But when they are split, they will just keep splitting right on up the shaft causing more split ends. But the good news is since you are not shampooing anymore – your hair won’t get dry and damaged enough to get alot of split ends. My hair is just an inch or two past my shoulders right now and it is no where near how long I want it to be. I want mine to be about as long as yours in your picture – at least past my boobs.

    For the cleansing rinses, I just use when I feel I need it. I might use a sea salt one tomorrow depending on how much of the avocado is out of my hair. I have a job interview on Friday and I want my hair to look cleaner.

  • try just water and himalayan crystal salt it will work wanders.Don’t use normal salt from supermarkets, Your table salt is actually 97.5% sodium chloride and 2.5% chemicals such as moisture absorbents, and iodine. Dried at over 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, the excessive heat alters the natural chemical structure of the salt. Himalayan salt is the purest salt available on earth, is absolutely uncontaminated with any toxins or pollutants, is rich in minerals and contains all of the 84 elements found in your body.

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    Thanks dancharming10!

    Yes, many of us have been using the sea salt water rinse already or rinsing in the ocean. I can’t use it too often because my hair is dry – which is why water rinsing works out perfect for me. :) I never use regular salt anymore. I have both the celtic grey and the Himalayan. I use the grey for my rinses since I save the Himalayan for my food since it tastes better to me.

    To all -

    Update on my hair – I really believing the longer I do this the better it is getting. That sebumy area is totally gone now! It is now balanced out with the rest of my hair. I water rinse either every day or every other day (I definatley try to get the back rinsed well since that was the last “problem” area). On the second day it tends to start looking limp and a bit oily but nothing major. And there is hardly any of that greyish stuff in my combs and brushes anymore. My hair feels silkier too – not as dry. I am at 4 months now.

    I am pretty excited. I haven’t been shedding as much hair as I was that one week but I still want my hair to grow in thicker and faster so I am trying to up my MSM as I read that if you take a higher dosage that you get results faster. Has anyone who takes MSM noticed that to be true?

    how is everyone else doing on their “hair quest”?

  • Congradulations on hitting your 4 months no ‘poo queenfluff! Did you really have grey stuff in your comb for that long? I thought there was something wrong with me since I still get it in my comb every now and then. I dont know how far along I am, I started a couple of d ays after this thread began.

    This whole weekend I have been in the pool, which is rare for me. I did not know how to get the chlorine out, and I panicked so I used some diluted shampoo. My hair is extremely dry now, because of the pool and the shampoo, so it needs some emergency care! ...and a haircut. How often to you girls get hair cuts? I’ve heard anywhere from 3-6 months is ideal. I can’t remember the last time I got a haircut, though.

    dancharming10 – I tried doing a salt water rinse this past weekend using sea salt. (Himalayan is pretty pricey) but it didn’t seem to remove too much of the sebum that had built up. Should I be using more salt? Or is the sea salt rinse suppose to be mild?

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    Thanks odalys! I still can’t believe it has been that long!

    Yes, I seem to still have the grey stuff until up to maybe a few weeks ago. I did a white vinegar rinse and that helped to get alot of the heavy sebum out. They are drying though so I only did it twice and than it seemed to have gone since then.

    I avoid chlorine like the plague – even in any products. I would try a vinegar rinse to get the chlorine smell out. That is what I have read. One thing that made my hair really soft (although it will look oily for the first day or so) is avocado. That would definately help your dry hair. I just took a small raw avocado and rubbed it into my hair and left it on for 15 minutes and rinsed out. Your hair will still be oily for a day or too – just rinse really well every day for a longer period of time. It took about 3 days for it to be gone for my hair.

    I cut my own hair so I just cut it when I feel it is starting to look nasty. But the best practice is to trim once a month. If you don’t have split or dead ends, than you don’t have to worry about it as much. I probably trim one every other month now – it is easier for me though since I do it myself.

    Sea salt water won’t remove too much excess sebum. It might remove all over oilyness though. You have to leave it in for like 5 minutes and rinse out. The more oily your hair is the more salt you should use. Try 2 teaspoon to 2 cups of water. Make sure the salt dissolves too. The best for removing sebum is the white vinegar rinse (use 1 tablespoon to 2 cups of water to start – that is the lower concentration – leave in for 30 second to a minute if your hair is super sebumy before you rinse). Don’t use it too often though because it is drying.

  • Well Hi guys and gals, With Dancharming on this post I thought I’d be more gender neutral.

    After 1 month and 8 days ‘poo free I finally broke down 2 weeks ago monday and shampood my hair.

    Well the bottom line is that my car got stuck in the sand that day. Here is how it happened: As I was driving back from a trip that weekend meeting some girlfirends in a different town about 4 hrs away..I noticed on my way back a really pretty streach of beach and water from the state road..I wanted to enjoy the view girlfirends. So as I was driving back I thought I could stop for lunch there it was about 1.30 PM, I had some fresh figs and bananas I bought that day earlier in the car, I stopped and bought a bottle of water and saw how beautiful the water looked from where I stood so I said to myself…I am gonna drive there and stop to eat my lunch and enjoy the view. I was wearing my sunglass and did not notice where the quasi parking lot ended and the beach began, my car got stuck in the sand.

    I went to the beach kiosk near by asked for help and they told me nothing was gonna happen until after lunch generally 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm around here…so I waited and waited..meanwhile a sand storm happened and here is the hair part. This sand and grit got everywhere in my hair, in my clothes on my skin. By the time I got home my hair was stiff with dirt I had this crazy poofy pointy afro going on… So in the shower I broke down and washed my hair with a really neutral, natural coconut oil or saponified coconut oil shampoo…

    Dirt was streaming out of my hair but I felt bad, in that I broke my string of ‘poo free days…this situation was bad though I mean I was stuck from about 2:00 pm to 5:00pm in this sand storm kinda weather event and the grit and fine dust and sand made my hair stiff, I was hot and itchy when I got home and I managed to just wash my body with water and I used a vinegar and water solution for my neck and well…underarms but for my hair it was still stiff and icky until I washed it so I am on week 1 again ok sorry for the long rambling account bye all and thanks for the support… :) deasmiles

  • kauaigirlkauaigirl Raw Newbie

    I am having some issues with perioral dermatitis right now and I remember seeing on one of the no ‘poo forums that another girl was experiencing it and attributing it to the oils on the pillowcase at night.

    Queenfluff or anyone else….does this seem likely to you? Seems like it would be spread out over my forehead and cheeks if this were the case but mine is specifically around the nose and mouth. Red, slightly itchy, rash-looking bumps.

    I feel that it may be just detox, either in general or due to the no ‘poo chemicals coming out of my head ;) Still having lots of other detox symptoms…just got over another “flu” spell and having some fatigue, odor and achiness.

    Any thoughts?

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    Hi deasmiles!

    Are you going to start over again? I can understand getting all that in your hair and wanting to wash it though. I couldn’t imagine it would come out just using water. When I went camping a few weeks ago, I kept a hat on – more because of vanity than anything else. Well, long story, but we were canoeing and ended up dragging our stuff and canoe through a burnt forest. Can’t imagine how much black burnt tree I had all over my skin and under my nails. I ended up using soap when I got home (which I usually don’t do) to get it off! I didn’t get it in my hair really but I still noticed having it in my nails for a few days after I soaped up so I think it was coming from my hair. :)

    Is your hair really dry again? How does it feel now after the shampooing?

    Hi Kauaigirl!

    I never heard of that. I haven’t had it. Honestly, it doesn’t seem very likely to me. I have some skin problems too right now but nothing related to no poo at all. I would just try and keep your pillowcases washed either way.

    Things like dermatitis would be caused by something unnatural that is irritating your skin. I don’t see how your natural oils that are secreted by your scalp would not agree with your skin. It seems sort of backwords.

    Have you been using anything new on your hair or on your skin that might have done it? Or maybe briefly come in contact with a chemical (what sort of laundry detergent do you use on your sheets and clothes)?

    It sounds like some detox to me since you said you had some “flu” like symptoms. Your body still could be releasing all those product chemicals that were floating around in your blood stream. So, it could be old poisons coming out – but it is extremely unlikely it it caused by your natural oils. How is your hair shedding? Did it slow down?

    My hair is looking ugh the last week. The ends have gone very dry again and I am still shedding more hair than I want. I am very tempted to use a leave in condition on the ends. I haven’t been very raw lately either so I am sure that and other problems in my life have something to do with it.

    It is so weird how one day it can start looking so great and than go bad on me again and I haven’t been changing anything I do. It is getting very frustrating.

  • Hi Queenfluff,

    yeah I only washed my hair once with shampoo and it was last Monday so now that I think about it I am on week 2 of no poo. And yeas its dry and tough to manage again, by the time I was at 1.5 months of no poo my hair was so soft, shiny, and easy to style and comb. I would swim in the sea, put coconut oil on it and comb it out and braid it, come home rinse it with cold water and put coconut oil or shea butter on the ends and it would dry into these super soft curls…now its all harsh, and stiff and dry again so I’ve started my regime again. I only washed it the one time with shampoo after my ordeal that day, its no big deal I want right back to no poo. Thank you for taking an interest in my hair deal.

    Kauigirl- I think yr hair and scalp may be detoxing too, hang in there and I hope you feel better :) Deasmiles peace to all xoxoxo

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    Hi deasmiles.

    That is great you are back on your way to soft hair again! Yes, I was just curious because almost every story I read about people who have done no poo and than for some reason did a shampoo again said their hair was horribly dry and gross after they did it – worse than before they shampooed. That is one of the things that definately keeps me from craving in – I can just imagine what a big brillo pad my hair would turn into if I shampooed again. I shudder to think. :)

    Kind of seems similar to when people go raw for a long time and than eat something cooked and feel super ichy the next day. It is very interesting how the body reacts to some “bad” being introduced to it after not having it for a while. Even your hair! Good luck!

  • Hey QueenFluff,

    Yeah you got it, gross and brillo pad like, I will avoid shampooing for as long as possible. I don’t know what I was thinking, I didn’t even use a diluted shampoo and water mix, I just felt so icky that I caved…anyhow I am now almost 2 weeks ‘poo free and its starting to behave. :) Thx fr the input. Deasmiles xoxoxo

  • hi all here in no poo land,

    I’m just starting..detoxing and everything and going raw…I have thick hair, shoulder length which goes frizzy with everything I have ever used and I rely on a lot of conditioner. I have always managed to go for long period without washing with commercial stuff, but my scalp would get so itchy and dandruffy at a certain point.

    But now I am weaning myself off the chemical junk, and getting SOoo greasy…but it is not so itchy or dandruffy :)- I put an avocado mush in it and it will not come out, then used Dr. Bronners and its still oily, but I refuse to use “shampoo” to get it out – (two weeks into no poo experiment) – will try another sea swim tomorrow – or Baking soda – thanks for all the pointers here…

    I am travelling next week on long plane trip and may have to do something drastic !! :( or wear a nice scarf)

    Taizy

  • Up until a month ago i had hair down to the middle of my back. I never washed it whit shampoo or any natural things either. It oily but easy to brush and natural. Last month I shaved it all off. It was a very liberating experience. I just thought I’d put the idea out there because short hair is so easy.

    JAmes

  • stylistchickstylistchick Raw Newbie

    my two cent worth. i haven’t had a chance to read through to see if anyone has suggested it. i am a hairstylist and i own my own salon. the only product that i endorse wholeheartedly is PUREOLOGY. they are 100% vegan, and 100% suphate free, and organic. now admittedly, i can’t dicipher the whole label, and i’ve been meaning to ask the company for explanation of some of the ingredients. this is the only natural type shampoo that actually performs, and better than any other product commercially available. also there styling products are alcohol free.

    now, if you want something completely natural, terraessentials, is it for you. one of my clients has been using this for over 6 months. it is like mud, but i have to admit, his hair isn’t disgustingly oily, but not as clean feeling as i like.

  • stylistchickstylistchick Raw Newbie

    i just had another thought, for very oily hair, why not just use lemon juice?

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    Hi Taizy -

    Give the avocado a few days to get out of your hair. Of course, since you are the beginning of the no poo (the first couple weeks are the worst) you probably have not only the avocado oil in your hair (I used one about a week ago and it took a few days for all the oiliness to leave – but my hair was nice and soft after) but the oil that your scalp is still overproducing (it will take a bit for your scalp to get out of that over producing mode – just give it some time) – so you got extra oiliness going on. I would say don’t use any thing like avocado or coconut oil for a while except maybe a little on your ends if you need it (and use VERY little) because you will have plenty of oil and sebum to keep your hair conditioned for a while. :)

    Use a sea salt water rinse to get out oiliness. Try a 2 teaspoon sea salt and 2 cups warm water mixture ( Make sure salt dissolves). Put it in your hair concentrating on the oily part (avoid the ends unless they are really oily). Leave in for 5 minutes and rinse out. This will dry up the oil. Plus sea salt adds body and thickness.

    The sea swim is doing pretty much the same thing. While you are in the water try to concentrate on getting your hair saturated and maybe do a little scalp scrub (like you are shampooing).

    FYI, Dr. Bronners contains the some of the same ingredients that shampoos do. Anything that suds that contains coconut oil has been modified in a lab (real coconut oil does not suds – if you try pouring pure coconut oil in your hair and “shampoo” it you will see – doesn’t suds!)

    Scarf is a good thing to use during your beginning phases. Hang in there – it will get better. :)

    Hi Stylistchick -

    I used to be a hair dresser myself. Kinda weird an ex-dresser and product pusher not using shampoo any more.:) But I have to say that even the “all-natural, organic, vegan and chemical free shampoos” even left my hair thin and dry. I have tried lots of them – I never triede the Purology – probably because of the price.

    Even now in my 4 month of no shampoo – my hair is clean and dry but it is not thin feeling or limp. It is thick and it actually has some curl (unheard of before – I had stick straight hair!). And all this for FREE! The main point of this thread is to get off of shampoo and for us to save our $$$. :)

    For the terraessentials, I have tried it and, like with Morrocco Method (which has very similar ingredients), I was not impressed. It is super expensive and the ingredients are things I could buy myself and make the products myself. I guess I really didn’t see any difference between using those products and the first few weeks of going no poo. I just really believe that the products themselves don’t do anything to clean your hair and when people do notice their hair is cleaner it is normally 4 to 6 months down the road which is the length of time it takes for your hair to adjust to no poo (using water only in my case with an occasional sea salt water rinse).

    I figure why not save my money if I get the same results from just using water. It just takes time really – You just need to have some faith in the body’s ability to return to its natural state and not rely on chemical to keep it clean.

    For the lemon juice – you are correct that it does get rid of oiliness but most find it too drying so it isn’t good to use that often -plus people with dark hair, end up with lighter hair which is not good if that is not what they want.

    I noticed lemon juice (even diluted) made my hair very dry – I used it a couple times at the beginning of my no poo. The sea salt water works a lot better in my experience. Rosemary is also good for oily hair.

    Thanks for your input!

  • thanks Queenfluff,

    Yes I DID overdose on the avocado..went swimming today and stuck my head in and did a massage on my scalp. I had a meeting later and said I have just been swimming (three hours later !)..I’ll just say this to anyone who notices my greasy hair. I also tried baking soda rinse.

    Well Dr. bronners didn’t do anything with the avocado in it so I’ll just leave him alone…. I bought a nice hog hair brush and threw out all my old things..brushes, chemical conditioners etc…

    I will keep at it ..my flight is next monday so here’s hoping.

    :)..Btw I feel that the avocado is doing great stuff . no itchy scalp !

    Oilstick ,

    I will try the lemon. my hair is brown (and grey bits )but could do with a few blond highlights :)

    I had my haircut at a salon over two weeks ago, before I really got serious about “raw life” and they loaded my hair with glop….looked nice for… like two days ??!

    thank you both for advice

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