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I am water rinsing every other day. Is this to often?
Queenfluff-How is your hair now? What is your daily/weekly process?
germin8-
Yes, sebum protects hair from getting to dry and brittle and it waterproofs it. Same thing with the sebum that secretes from the sebaceous glands on your skin.
A high overproduction of sebum can harden and cause the hair follicle to not be able to regenerate more cells. It sort of “sufficates” it and the hair will fall out. If you keep your scalp rinse well and clean, you should not have this problem. One key is to keep your scalp temperature high so as to “liquidate” the sebum. One way of doing this is to do scalp massages. This will loosen any sebum that you want to remove (works great if you have dandruff too) and you will easily be able to rinse it out. Scalp massage also increase the flow of blood to your scalp – carrying up those nutrients to the hair follicules. Don’t forget that sebum and dandruff are different. If you brush your hair and you get a whitish grey waxy feeling substance on the brush that is sebum. Dandruff will probably fall on your shoulders when you brush your hair too as well as on the brush.
Have you ever had dandruff before?
Hi nisolu -
No, that is not too often. Do it as much as you want too! I mostly do it everyday – once and while I skip a day if my hair feels clean. I am at 6 months no poo with mostly water only rinsing. My hair still gets oily but nothing like it did at the beginning. Around the 3 and 4 month, I had excess heavy sebumy feeling at my crown area that never seem to go away even though the rest of my felt clean. I used the white vinegar and now it is finally gone.
And right now, with it being hot and humid most of the time, I find I like to rinse more. I just like getting my hair wet honestly – it feels “refreshed” like I washed it. Now, I still get some sebum on my brush when I brush – normally I do it at night now. I use a few different combs and brushes. I have a fine tooth wooden comb, a wide tooth wooden comb, a wide toothed wooden brush and a boar brush brush (which is falling apart now – maybe it can’t handle no poo!). The fine wooden comb works great for distributing oil and if you want to “scratch” sebum or flakes off your scalp, it is good for that too. I use the wide tooth comb to comb out my hair when wet. I use the boar bristle brush to brush out excess sebum at night. I use the wide tooth brush to fluff and “style”.
My hair is all one length, straight (well now it has wave after going no poo! It looks like I might have used some product or something) and a few inches past my shoulders. It has always been on the fine side but it feels strong and thick doing no poo.
Right now, I am finding it easier to do my water rinsing at night and than go to bed with my hair damp. This way I tget his cool “bed hair” look. All fluffy and wavy. :) Plus, I can take my time and rinse as long as I feel like I need too and if I do a sea salt rinse or something I can have time to leave it on. I am in between jobs right now so I guess I don’t worry too much about looking perfect or anything.
Queenfluff – Where did you find these combs and brushes? A beauty supply???
nisolu – I got the boar bristle brush online (from Morrocco Method). When the bristles all fall out, I probably won’t buy another one. I’ll get something else. They are too expensive and I would rather have something vegan anyhow. I felt guilty buying it but I thought it was gonna last forever which didn’t happen.
All of the wooden items are Bass brand which I bought at Whole Foods!
Hi queenfluff. Thanks for the info. You have a wealth of hair information.
What I had was definitely sebum and not dandruff… I’ve never had dandruff. After, I washed my hair, I noticed my scalp was doing better. Now, it seems dry and some skin flakes coming off the top of my head… maybe my scalp is too dry now.
A nutritionist once told me to take 2 Tbs of flaxseed oil a day (for 2 weeks) for clogged hair follicles. I will try that again.
This weekend I’m cycling 134 miles and I’m sure I will be shampooing everyday. What do YOU do after you workout? After a sweaty workout (wearing a helmet), I’m sure extra washing is needed here.
I hope I dont’ lose that much hair… it would ‘worry’ me. Thanks again
hi gemini8-
That is very common thing to happen with people who try to do no poo and than shampoo again. People get worried or frustrated because of all the sebum and than they wash with shampoo and their feels nice and clean but their scalp gets super dry and flakey. That is your scalp responsing to the over drying.
Flax is good for hair. I don’t take it. I just take the MSM (and even with that I am not that consistent) and staying away from shampoo and do scalp massages.
Well, honestly, I rarely work out. I hate working out. I would rather get a work out doing something fun. But honestly, even when I do I hardly sweat so it isn’t a worry for me. My hair is still clean and dry. I tie it up in a high bun so stays out of the the way and stays clean.
But sweat isn’t dirt and it isn’t oil and if you are raw, your sweat is probably pretty clean – so water rinsing should be fine to get the sweat out of your hair and scalp. Actually the sweating is probably good for your hair – all that exercise gets circulation to your scalp. Is there a reason why you feel like you have to use shampoo if you are sweaty?
Try rinsing with just water once and see how it goes. The problem though might be that it won’t feel clean to you becuase you are still in your transition period which really has nothing to do with your hair getting sweaty but with your scalp still overproducing sebum making it seem “dirty.”
One girl who has very long thick hair and has been no poo for years says she works outside in a hot humid area where she sweats alot and she is always wetting her hair to keep cool and to keep sweat free. She said that keeps her clean. If it is possible, try rinsing your hair with water as much as you can to keep the sweat out.
Oh, I agree. I don’t workout unless it’s fun… and cycling, rock climbing, and hiking are fun for me. No gym workouts for me… boring and “suffocating”.
So simply water will help? WOw! I do a smell after workout :o( and I don’t know if my scalp will smell. hehe. If just water on my hair/scalp is good, I will try it. I jsut thought maybe I need to do extra cleaning… but, still, it sounds like water will do just fin.
And, what did you mean by “sebum is supposed to be there”? What is its purpose? Is it always “supposed to be there”?
Hi germin8 -
The scalp smelling thing is a main worry of most of the people who go no poo and almost everyones stories I have read said it never did! Me included. I don’t think any of the others on this site doing the no poo have had that problem either. Have a friend smell your head – I bet they will say it doesn’t smell. If you are worried it does or just want a nice smell, you can create a nice herbal spray for your hair in the scent of your choice. Lots of people use rosemary as it is good for the oilies as well. Lavender is also popular. (just make a tea out of the herbs and let it cool and pour into spray bottle – add a essential oil if you want too for moisturizing). Or you could rinse with ACV (make sure it is diluted).
Sebum is the body naturally produced “conditioner” – it is supposed to be there. It is a natural process and normal. The sebum conditions the hair and scalp and protects it from getting to dry and brittle and waterproofs it. So, if you have stopped using shampoo and you feel the sebum there, you are returning your body to its natural process. When you shampoo, you don’t notice the sebum because it gets stripped out when you shampoo.It is just when you first stop shampooing that you will notice TOO MUCH sebum – more than the body should naturally be producing. This is because of the overstripping action of shampoos – they cause the body to unnaturally overproduce sebum. Your body is still in this overproducing mode for a while when you first stop. Just like when you go raw and you detox and it takes a while – this is a temporary state until your body realizes the additional sebum is not necessary. Once it realizes this, the sebum production will slow down to a more miniminal production – enough to keep your scalp and hair protected and condition which should not be so much that you end with with a layer of sebum on your scalp or hair. So, it really just takes time and you need to tough it through the hard period. So, think about it like your scalp and hair are detoxing. :)
I did it! I didn’t shampoo my hair this weekend on my 110+ mile cycling trip. My hair was still a greasy mess toward the end. But, I did not notice any sebum build-up. Probably because I was “melting it away” with my all-day cycling (and helmet). Honestly, since 2000 I have been struggling with my hair. I started losing hair in 2000 due to some extremely high stress… of all the “high stress” things one can have… I was up there! ...and to top it off, I got news about me being adopted. I have recovered since then… (thank the Lord) ...but, still think often about my hair. So, the fact that I am losing hair due to “suffocating follicles” is not something I can ignore. I don’t have that sebum build-up, so do I need to wash with vinegar? (I’m hoping not.) I bought a new shampoo that uses oils… to replace my “semi-toxic” shampoo.
Also, what kind of brush do you recommend to brush the oil to the tips? I have a favorite brush that is falling apart… and I haven’t found an equivalent… and I don’t like ANY of the brushes I see at the store… but if there is one you recommend, I’m all for trying it! Thanks.
Just an update on my no pooing. I haven’t shampooed for about 2 weeks now. At first there was a little extra oil, but really not much. My hair seems to be a little oily about every third day….weird???!!! I am still putting a little leave in conditioner in after my showers just to control the frizz. This was a great decision and I recommend it to anyone who is considering it!
germin8 – my head hasn’t smelled at all!!! LOL I’ve had my husband smelling me daily, hehehe
Hi germini8-
Glad it worked! Suprising isn’t it? Don’t forget too hair loss can go in cycles so don’t freak out too much about it. Many factors can lead to hair loss – it is normal to lose up to 150 hairs a day and most of us don’t lose anywhere near that much. So, unless you notice huge bald spots developing, definatley try to relax about it. I highly doubt you will be losing any hair due to suffacating follicles after all that exercise! Just keep your scalp clean with massages and good rinsing and you be fine. :)
Well, the sebum build I was referring to is also the build up that can occur on your hair (mostly the root area). After you get more into the no poo, you might have some areas on your head that tend to feel “heavy” and might feel kind of like they have a coating on them (like sort of a waxy sticky coating) – the vinegar is useful for cutting though these buildups. I use some vinegar rinse the other day because my hair seem to be on the oily side these past few weeks. It helps to clear out the buildup – I haven’t had any on my scalp – mine tends to get on my roots mostly on the back area of my head.
For brushes, to distribute oil you need a natural bristle brush. Mainly that would be a boar bristle brush or any other brush that is natural and not plastic. Plastic brushes can not pick up and distribute oil. I found that my fine tooth wooden comb does great for moving sebum too. Another thing to do is when you brush or comb your hair roots, brush the ends right after. The sebum gets trapped in the brush and than you can get it in your ends.
Hi nisolu-
That sounds pretty normal – actually mine gets oily faster than that. But my hair is mostly dry on the ends and it seems to be oilier lately due to me not being very raw lately and it being so hot and humid out too. Glad the conditioner thing is working. What kind of leave in do you use?
Hi Queenfluff, what do you think about castile oil?
queenfluff – YIKES!!! You don’t want to know what leave in conditioner I’m using :-) Do you have any recommendations? Also, How do you get the sebum to condition your hair all the way to the ends? I really appreciate your help with all this crazy hair stuff! On my own I would have had no idea. Thanks Again!~
Lucy- i will use almond catille by brommers when I’ve been out getting really dirty (on my quad) but only on the scalp and not a lot. Otherwise I just do water rinses and an occassional acv rinse.
Hi Lucy!
Haven’t heard from you in a while – how is your no poo going? :)
Castile oil is contained in soaps. It is made from vegetable oil. My theory is – if it suds, it is modified in a lab and therefore not natural and created to clean like a shampoo and will strip your hair and scalp. I am pretty sure all castile oil is factory modified. Raw Vegetable oils by themselves do not suds and will not clean your hair – they might be good for some conditioning though.
shele mentioned Dr.Bronners – Dr. Bronners is a lab modified soap. I use Dr. Bronners for washing my hands or sometimes on my body if I need it and for laundry. But not in my hair of course. It is like using shampoo really.
Hi nisolu -
Ha Ha! That is OK. :) Actually I found out that Alissa Cohen, who does not use shampoo either, uses Ivory conditioner on her hair. Not the most natural stuff there. :) I would just try to get something as natural as possible if you are going to go for using a store bought conditioner. Avoid anything with silicones (the ingredient name will have “cone” at the end of it probably) as they are basically creating a wax coating on her hair. You can always look up the ingredients on the net too. Go for the conditioners you can buy at like Whole Foods or at your health food store – I think Burts Bees isn’t too bad. They have a nice Avocado Treatment. I used to Giovanni before I went no poo. Other than that, Morrocoo Method has a good spray leave in that might help with your fizz – I don’t like their shampoos but I did like their spray leave -in conditioners. They are pricey though. (and you might have to buy online). The line is popular with some raw foodies and it is completely natural. Have you tried coconut oil yet? Use a very little bit though.
Getting the sebum down to the ends is no easy task. For most people, it just takes time. Brushing with a natural bristle brush and combing with a fine tooth comb will help. Mine has never gotten all the way down to my ends. I am considering making myself a leave -in conditioner for my ends. Keep in mind too that your ends are dry from using shampoo. If they are very dry, they may just have to be cut off eventually. I have still been trimming mine.
My theory is that my best hair will be a whole new head of hair that has never been shampooed – which means I will have to eventually cut off my current hair growth once new no pooed hair grows in. I am not saying you should cut off all your hair (I am not doing that!) but most of us have hair on our hair that has been exposed to alot of shampooing, so therefore already in a dryer damaged state so it might just take a while. I have read a few stories of some girls who cut their hair really short and than started the no poo just because they wanted to start everything a fresh – in a way they have the right idea because you will be starting out with a whole new head of healthy non-pooed hair (virgin hair if you will).
Thanks a lot Queenfluff.Good talk with you again !!! My no-poo is doing good.I had to shampoo (just a little) my hair for some concerts(I’m a singer)but I use practically my own pee and that makes my hair very good. My hair is getting lesser oily and growing a lot. I was using MSM on my pee for a while,and taking 1 teasp a day too.The colour did come back to normal but still very,VERY fine.I would like to do something to make my hair a little more thick,but I have no idea what could I do. I’m folowing the no-poo as much as I can,though I was travelling and working,and got a huge back pain and had to stop evrything for while.Now I’m “back”. My husband was wandering about castile oil,thanks for the advise.And about castor oil?
Thanks Shele24.
Hey no pooers!
I have found a new thingy to no poo my hair with. I think someone had mentioned it towards the beginning of the thread but I didn’t get a chance to look more into it. Anyhow, on another raw board someone tried it and said it worked and I have been curious about it for a while so I tried it out.
They are called soapnuts. They aren’t a nut or soap. They are dried berries which are related to the lychee nut. They are recently being marketed for use as laundry detergent alternative but they have been used in Asian cultures for a long time as a cleaner. So, I have was curious to try them for my laundry but someone said they used it on their hair and it worked great!
So, I bought a sample bag of them as they have started selling them at my local co-op. I took two berries (the other person had used three but I wanted to start out with something lower and see how it went – there are no definately directions on the site or the package for doing it with hair) and soaked them in 2 cups of warmish/hot water for a few hours. It created a yellowish colored water with some slight bubbles. I used about 1/4 of the mixture on my hair and massaged it in. It does not suds – it like using a rinse. Then I rinsed out as good as I could.
So, my hair is pretty much dry now it feels pretty clean but still soft as it did not strip all the sebum out! My roots esp feel pretty clean. :) Also, I hadn’t water rinsed my hair in two days so it was getting kinda gross so I am pretty impressed by these nuts.
I wish they were a little more affordable though. I got five nuts and a little bag (to use in the washing machine) for 2.50$. But you can reuse the nuts a few times if you do not use them in super hot water. So, I set the nuts out to dry on a little plate and I will reuse them to make another 2 cup batch.
I think next time I will let them soak overnight though. As I searched on the net and a few sites said to soak them overnight. There are a few sites that say to use a blender too or to make the solution by boiling the nuts but I don’t think it is necessary..My hair feels pretty clean with just the soaking. Apparently the soaking in water releases a saponin (sp?) which is a natural cleaner. :)
What I like is that it didn’t take too long either. Normally, i spend like ten minutes water rinsing my hair to get it pretty clean which is not bad as it is sort of relaxing sometimes but sometimes feel like it takes too long. With the soapnut solution, I just poured it in and massaged it around a bit and rinsed out (I might have left it in for about 30 seconds).
So, I am pretty happy with this! I am going to try using it maybe once or twice a week and see how it goes. Next batch I might try 3 berries and soak longer. :)
Hey Queenfluff!
Thats so interesting. So it was a product or it was the actual lychee like in the produce section? I know lychee even just to eat can be pretty expensive…but it sounds like a great natural way to clean hair.
I know what you mean about water rinsing…sometimes it takes forever. Thats pretty much the only thing i use now, every few days. My hair is always the best the day after i do it. The first day i water rinse its stiff but then the next day its nice and tossled. I don’t post here too often so to answer your Q from before… my ends are staying soft yes, although i do feel them gradually getting a little crunchier. i want it to be long again so i try to take extra care of them w/ coconut oil. And the brush i use…i dont know what its called but its wooden and has plastic bristles.
so, can the thing you used be found on the internet… or do you just go to the store and buy lychee?
Hi kundalatia:
Yes, you can buy on the net too. They are called Maggie’s Soap Nuts. I have seen them on Ebay too in bulk. Here in USA I think you can just buy them at the store as the Maggie’s Brand or buy online. I haven’t seen them before otherwise. Maybe you can find them at an Indian store? They have been used in Indian/Asian cultures for years. They gather the soap nuts off the ground when they fall from the tree and use them to do laundry and clean house and clean humans!
They are not the same as the lychee nut but I guess they are related too it.
Here is the brand that is available at the store near me:
http://maggiespureland.com/
Wow, that’s so awsome. I’d heard of soapnuts for laundry, but haven’t gotten around to buying them. If they work for hair too that’s an extra motivation! I see they are pretty pricey at Maggies Pureland, I’m going to check the natural food store near my house and hope they carry them in bulk… if not I’ll request it! Here’s another place that sells them: http://www.zamuta.com/soapnuts/product_info.php… 1 kilo for 30 dollars
Ah, girls, I’m having such a bad hair day… I haven’t really had time to shower lately :| So my hair is VERY greasy.I’m also trying to stop depending on baking soda, and do only water rinsing and sea salt rinsing. Why oh why is this greasiness dragging on so long?! Sometimes I just want to lock myself up in my apartment, let my hair do its bidding, and come out what’s its sorted itself out, ha. Is it because my hair is REALLY thin and fine? Maybe that’s why the greasiness is more obvious for me… I don’t know.
I made a kind of shampoo with flax seeds+aloe vera+MSM and blended well on the vitamix and it is working for me.
Hi odalys!
How long have you been no poo? I am in my 7th month and I’ll tell you – it doesn’t really stop getting oily completely. You still need to rinse every couple days at least – well, I do at least. I can go for 2 days and than I have to rinse. I have been eating alot of non-raw greasy foods lately though – I am sure that doesn’t help my oilyness. I have read some stories of some people who rarely even get their hair wet and there hair stays clean and oil free but these are people who have been doing no poo for years. So, maybe it takes even years for the oilness to completely stop?
Yes, the oilyness is definatley more noticeable if you have thin and fine hair. You probably have a normal amount of oil for the transition but it just seem like a lot since you have less hair to absorb it. Thin and fine hair always looks oily the quickest. My hair texture is on the fine side too but not as thin so it doesn’t show up too much.
Well, after my hair completely dried last night, it started to feel oily after a hour or two so I guess maybe my solution wasn’t really strong enough (even though certain areas felt really clean afterwords) so I re-soaked my berries and did it overnight. I did three berries. So I am going to try washing again today and maybe let it soak in for five minutes and see how that goes. I hate massaging non-suds stuff in my hair – just doesn’t work as well. Online, I was seeing lots of instructions of boiling the berries and than mashing them up and straining it and using that mixture. Not sure if I want to boil them. But I am wondering if I blend the whole thing whether that might make the solution more concentrated.
Yeah, I wish they were cheaper too. Apparently you an grow your own soapnut tree but not sure if that can be done indoors or what. I plan on buying the box size next and see if I am lucky enough to get a seed inside the box and maybe I can grow a plant. :)
Hi Lucy!
That sounds like a great shampoo! Did you soak the flax seeds? Victoria Buetenko uses a soaked flax seed shampoo. Did you use fresh aloe vera? I only have the bottled stuff right now. Does the solution get the oilies out?
Hi Queenfluff, I didn’t soak the flax seeds,I did put them on the vitamix with aloe vera that I bought from www.garynull.com . You have to blend a little longer because the flax gets very jelly.Maybe you have to use more aloe if this happens,you will have a brown-smoothie like shampoo.Doesn’t take all the oil out of your hair,but my hair looks very good,beautiful and soft. I was thinking in adding some lemon juice too,what do you think?
Hey queenfluff – LOL – the minute you mentioned to grow your own soapnut tree I got really excited and googled it. Turns out soapnut trees are, well, trees! http://www.soapnuts.in/additional_information.html
They grow 15-20m tall so I definitely won’t be able to grow that in my future balcony (I’m moving at the end of the month).
wow it’s been 7 months ALREADY!? I started 2 weeks after this board started give or take, so I’d say end of may beginning of june. I think I expected no poo to be SUPER low maintenace, haha. OR maybe it does take years? All I know is that this is something I will definitely stick to and experiment with until I find a good, easy, and cheap routine. I’ve been wanting to take your advice and buy a spray bottle, fill it up with sea salt water and just spritz whenever my hair is feeling oily, haven’t gotten around to a dollar store yet.
Questions – Does aloe vera act as a moisturizer only or does it have cleansing properties as well?? I’ll have my own plant by the end of the month, and I know it’s very good for scars and all. (Not familiar with the hair benefits) Oh, does the smell of aloe stay in the hair once its been rinsed out?? I’d like to try lucy’s idea with the flax and aloe…
I just realized that between the two of you (lucy and queenfluff), you have so many no poo tips that I want to try them all!
odalys… I used to use a ‘natural’ shampoo that was mostly aloe vera, so it may also be a cleanser, but not totally sure.
I stopped using hair products about 3-4 weeks ago. My hair is still oily. I’m also in a profession that I’m around people a lot and wear suits etc., so it has been challenging. I don’t wash my hair until I absolutely have to, like going to a meeting, which is usually mon-wed evenings but I’ve been fortunate lately that I have an excuse to stay home and my husband goes instead! I’ve been doing baking soda as the cleanser then rinsing in a mixture of red wine vinegar and water. It keeps my hair looking clean for 4-5 days (only done is twice) After that I wear it in a pony tail or clipped up and you can’t really tell that it’s oily. It looks a bit shiny, but not gross looking as people can see the ends of my hair are dry, optical illusion!!
As long as my face doesn’t look greasy, I can get away with it pulled up.
One interesting thing that’s happened… I thought for sure I had split ends when I started this and now I don’t! I don’t know if they closed up (possible??) or just fell out on their own. My ends are a lot softer and being that I have my hair in a bun a lot, when I do wear it down it looks much healthier as it’s not getting damaged from sun and wear and tear.
I’m going to try the salt way next time. I would like to do lemons instead of vinegar but lemons are a buck each right now… so maybe when they’re on sale. Anyone used limes??
I have some soapnuts and am going to try making a solution when I go to bed at night for my morning shower – and then just setting the nuts out to dry for the day. I use them in the wash – they last for quite a few loads because I use cold water, so I’ll make my shampoo with cold water and just add a bit of hot to warm it up after I’ve removed the soapnuts. I’ll also add a drop of rosemary eo.
So far my hair isn’t too bad. I wash with plain water or baking soda, and sometimes rinse with a bit of white or acv mixed in water. The one thing tho, my hair isn’t shiny at all – doesn’t feel greasy, but doesn’t look bouncy either. Am wondering how long it takes to get a shine back.I have very thin, extremely baby fine straight hair. (it used to be very long, then I cut to shoulder length, now is just barely chin length). I’ve been at this about a month or so now.
Hi Lucy!
The lemon juice might help to remove more oil. Yeah, the soapnuts aren’t removing all my oil either. I tried again today with a stronger solution and even used more and left it in longer and it feels clean but not as clean as I would like it to be. Maybe it will just take a few times to get the sebum out. How do you use your flax shampoo? Do you massage it in and rinse right away or do you leave it in a while?
Hi odalys!
Yeah, I am wondering I would be able to grow the tree in a pot. I didn’t really look it up. But I know that in India they are basically picking up free soapnuts off the ground because the trees grown wild. yep, 7 months already. For the most part, it is easier and cheaper than keeping up a shampoo and conditioner routinue. For the aloe, I used to use a salon product that was a clarifying treatment and it had aloe as the main ingredient – I think it moisturizes but also cleansing. I haven’t used it but it sounds like from Lucy that it cleans good. Aloe vera also makes a excellent sub for hair gel too. :)
Hi chelly!
Split ends never go away until they break off or get cut off. You probably don’t notice them as much now because your hair isn’t as dried out from regular shampoo. Also you are keeping your natural hair “conditioner”, sebum, on your hair which gives your hair a nice protective coating so it smoothes out the split ends some. I notice that with some of my hair too – I don’t see all the breakage anymore. I have not tried limes before but I would think they would work similar to lemons. Let us know how it goes with the limes.
Hi rawlady!
Let us know how the soapnuts work for you. A light solution will probably work good for you since you have thin and fine hair. Mine is of a fine texture but not really thin. I am still working on the right concentration as I still feel like I have some greasies. I might try making a paste out of it as I read this online somewhere and see how that cleans. I wouldn’t say my hair is shiny (unless you count the oily areas!) either but it never has been really. Lemon rinse is good to add shine. Also rinse in as cold of water as you can stand for your final rinse. If you had shine before and were using conventional conditioner, than your shine may have been from the waxes or silicones in the conditioner. Ususally if your hair is dull, you have some buildup on it. You are in the early stages though so your hair is still getting rid of buildup. Shine on hair happens when the cuticle is sealed and smooth – cold water can help do that.
Hey you guys! I don’t have a computer anymore, and therefore haven’t been able to check in on the forum very often, but just wanted to leave a post to say that I still haven’t used any shampoo! I can’t remember when I started it anymore, but I think it’s getting close to 3 months..? more than 2 anyhow. It’s still a bit oily, some days more than others, but I must add that I haven’t been raw this period. Also, my scalp is quite sensitive, so if I don’t rinse it one day it will scratch. using baking soda doesn’t make it very happy eighter, so I’m trying to avoid it. But in general I am very surprised and pleased with the outcome so far. Maybe I will try the flax-poo :-)
Love and light.
Hi, after finding this forum two weeks ago, i decided to stop shampooing and see what happens. so far i hardly notice any difference at all. my hair isnt oily or greesy. it looks pretty much exactly the same. i guess i was wasting my money all those years of shampooing and conditioning. has anyone else stopped shampooing with no bad side effects? or is it just too soon to tell?
I’ve only been water rinsing for I think a week now… I would only ever shampoo and condition every three days before though, so I guess I kind of worked my way into it. So far no bad side effects, except maybe it doesn’t smell as nice as it would with shampoo. However, thats because my house uses well water and we’ve been having some issues with it smelling bad. :-/ Anyway its not noticeable to me, but my boyfriend said he could smell it when he like, went right up to it. So I still don’t count that as a bad side effect.
Mostly my hair is as smooth as it was before :) Today I think it might have been a little bit heavier than usual, perhaps from oil coming back, but not very noticeable.
EDIT: Oh, I should mention that I have short hair. I imagine that it must be a much easier process with shorter hair…