I'm going to wash my hair with flax

[VeggieMel]

A friend told me that Victoria Boutenko recommends washing your hair with flax seeds. You soak the seeds in water overnight. In the morning, add water and blend in the blender. We'll see how it goes. Wish me luck!

[queenfluff]

You might be interested in the "no poo" method.

I have not shampooed my hair in 4 months. I use the water only method with an occasional sea salt rinse but others use methods like BakingSoda and ACV or some have tried the flax shampoo ( i heard mixed reviews on that).

Here are some links you might be interested in:

http://community.livejournal.com/no_poo/

http://www.goneraw.com/forums/6/topics/565

Let me know how the flax shampooing works for you . I didn't try it. Water only is much cheaper! :)

[Alba]

I'm no pooing as well - have been doing it since around July 1st.
I'm loving it - my curls are coming back and hair is soft, manegeable and shiny - I've been getting tons of compliments on my hair lately!
Love alba

[codajess]

I've thought about No 'Pooing, and if I was someone who left their hair natural to style on its own, I would. But I'm a blow dry & flat ironer.

[Judy]

I don't use anything as well, since a year or so. No fuss.
Never having to buy anything again. And it works fine,
it seems the same as when I was using organic shampoo (without soap).
Do share your experiences however.
If it gives you últra amazing hair, shining and sparkling like a beacon of light, I'd love to know :).

[VeggieMel]

queen, thanks for the links.
coda, can you not use a flat iron if you're a no-pooer? I did today. I hope I didn't damage my hair. The whole experience was interesting, I suppose. I blended the flax seed up pretty well, I thought, and then I "shampooed" with it. It took a long time to rinse out. I kept looking at the rinse water and seeing little brown bits of flax. After that, I did an apple cider vinegar rinse. Then I used my regular conditioner. My hair is okay. I'm not claiming spectacular results. Maybe over time, it would look better, but even after my hair was dry, I noticed little brown flecks of flax coming out of my hair!!! It's hard to get it all out! So I'm not sure if I'm going to do it again.

[Stina]

I"m thinking about trying the flax method but grinding it up to avoid that mess. It's hard enough to clean up soaked flax from a bowl but my hair?

[VeggieMel]

I did grind them up!! I put them through my vitamix and blended thoroughly. That's why I'm thinking I won't do it again. There were still so many little specks of it to get out of my hair.

[SmilingRawDancer]

I'm assuming that the benefits of the flax are solely in it's oils and lignans, so just use flaxseed oil mixed with something else :-\

I mean, the THOUGHT of putting oil in my hair freaks me out, but other people do stuff like olive oil all the time with great results.

I dunno if I could stand not 'Pooing...*giggles*...I like "'pooing" too much....*giggles and runs away..*

hahaha I might try a vinegar rinse sometime. I like the "clean" feeling of my hair, but without the "dry breaky" feeling blended with it. I've been using suave color-care shampoo...but I'm looking for a cheap natural alternative. Jason products are like, 7 bucks a can. Nooooo wayyyyy

[Judy]

Yeah, well, the flax seeds sounded like a lot of fuss beforehand...
I've heard of people who use honey or something, but that seems like such a fuss also (besides the fact how some of us look at the use of honey).
Years ago, I tried different herbs, I mean, you just make a strong tea out of it, let it cool down and rinse your hair with it, massage it in like a normal shampoo. But I found it a fuss also, to have to make the tea etc, the moment I felt like taking a shower. However, nettle tea worked great on my hair (and if you use bags instead of loose herbs, it's easier). Rosemary/thyme was a disaster though, my hair looked like rope after that.
As far as the no pooing goes, it's ok, however, sometimes I do miss the scent and feel of massaging a good organic shampoo into my hair.
Has to do with relaxation and some kind of a spa feeling I connect to it I guess. Maybe I should just imagine this wonderful feeling the next time I massage my scalp with nothing on it while under the shower :).

[tanawana]

Rinsing or spritzing with Distilled Water is probably the best thing I have ever done for my hair. I currently use Baking Soda and water every 2-3 days. I also use ACV as a rinse afterwards or as the shampoo substitute. Go easy on the BS till you find what is enough and not too much. I'm a guy with waist long hair and I think I have tried everything and there is a lot of everything to try :D

A great forum with some good info if you really wanna look into things:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/index.php?

[Noone]

or add a few dropps of lavender oil to te acv or baking soda....


LL

[Strawberry Smoothie]

My hair is naturally curly and I haven't used shampoo for at least 6 months. I scrub my scalp using water ONLY. I do have to condition, otherwise I look homeless. I use Aubrey Organics Island Naturals conditioner. It's the most natural one I can afford. I leave a little in when I rinse too, and it kind of keeps my hair somewhat under control. I stopped shampooing, not because of the vegan thing, but simply because my hair was coarse and wiry and someone suggested the Curly Girl book. And despite my hesitation, it has worked wonders for my hair.

[codajess]

queen, thanks for the links.
coda, can you not use a flat iron if you're a no-pooer? I did today. I hope I didn't damage my hair. The whole experience was interesting, I suppose. I blended the flax seed up pretty well, I thought, and then I "shampooed" with it. It took a long time to rinse out. I kept looking at the rinse water and seeing little brown bits of flax. After that, I did an apple cider vinegar rinse. Then I used my regular conditioner. My hair is okay. I'm not claiming spectacular results. Maybe over time, it would look better, but even after my hair was dry, I noticed little brown flecks of flax coming out of my hair!!! It's hard to get it all out! So I'm not sure if I'm going to do it again.

I didn't realize you were still using conditioner. Most No 'Pooers don't use either. That's why I mentioned that I blow dry & flat iron because I need the extra conditioning of shampoo & conditioner. That's all I meant by it. Sure you can use a blow dryer & flat iron if you want. I just wouldn't be comfortable myself since my hair is long and it wouldn't have any kind of extra protection except it's natural oils.

[ChaiLife]

You mean to tell me that you ONLY use water to clean your hair?:eek: :confused: Really? And that gets it clean? My hair is usually oily. I would think that using water alone would let the oil build up. heck I'll try it though!

[codajess]

You mean to tell me that you ONLY use water to clean your hair?:eek: :confused: Really? And that gets it clean? My hair is usually oily. I would think that using water alone would let the oil build up. heck I'll try it though!

Quite often it does build up at first, then you scalp starts to regulate your oil production and it balances out naturally & you end up producing less oil than you do now, since your scalp is trying to compensate for the oil you strip by shampooing.

[ChaiLife]

Aha, well I'll lock myself for a couple of days (or wear a hat) and try it out and see what happens. Would save some money. ;) I learn so much on this board!!!!!

[queenfluff]

You mean to tell me that you ONLY use water to clean your hair?:eek: :confused: Really? And that gets it clean? My hair is usually oily. I would think that using water alone would let the oil build up. heck I'll try it though!

The reason you get the "oil buildup" (which is actually sebum which your scalp produces naturally to condiition and protect your hair) is that your hair is in overproducing mode from being continually stripped dry by shampoos.

Shampoos (even the natural organic ones) are very stripping. Here is the cycle: You scalp produces the natural sebum (or oil as most people think of it) and the shampoo removes it - and usually over does it as that is why conditioner was invented - and than you need to use conditioner to put artifical moisture back in.

When you strip the sebum off your hair and scalp, your body thinks your hair and scalp are too dry and thus keeps producing a lot of sebum to compensate for it. Most people never notice it becuase they are continually shampooing it out. They only notice it if they stop shampooing their hair - than they think my hair is dirty because the oil is there and they go and shampoo it and think their hair has been "cleaned". Oily hair doesn't mean dirty hair.

Once you leave your hair and scalp alone, the oil production in your scalp will balance out and it will stop over producing and than no more oily hair. Most peoples hair doesn't get "dirty" enough to really need soap or shampoo. Water should rinse out any dirt (unless someone poured paint or something on your head!) you get in there on a daily basis. Most of us don't get that dirty on a daily basis to need a shampoo.

It normally takes around 4 to 6 months for ones hair to get through the balancing phase and to return to a normal sebum production cycle which is very little sebum. Nothing like you would experience if you are a regular shampooer and than didn't shampoo for a day or so.

You just have to get through the "detox phase", as some call it (just like when going raw) to let your balance out and return to normal. :)

[ChaiLife]

It normally takes around 4 to 6 months for ones hair to get through the balancing phase and to return to a normal sebum production cycle which is very little sebum. Nothing like you would experience if you are a regular shampooer and than didn't shampoo for a day or so.

You just have to get through the "detox phase", as some call it (just like when going raw) to let your balance out and return to normal. :)

That's some really interesting info. But would I really need to go around with oily hair for 4-6 months?! :eek: Hey, I'm gonna give it a try this week. I'll let ya know. ;)
Kelly

[Stina]

Well, I really want to do this, but the 4-6 months duration of oily hair is really a drag. I thought a couple of weeks.......
But I gave my shampoo away! And for this phase of my life, I'm just housecleaning, I don't have to have a professional hairstyle, so this is a good time to do it. I'm scared! But I kept remembering the best my hair ever looked was my two week vacation in Jamaica. I didn't shampoo and just swam in the ocean and my hair looked great.
I can sense shampoo is just chemically altering my hair and I don't like it.

[queenfluff]

Your hair won't look that oily for the whole 4 to 6 months. It the first couple weeks that are the worse actually. It won't be like that the whole time. Most people find that they are OK with their hair after the first month.

Another thing you could do is to just slowly wean yourself off shampoo.

If you are an everyday shampooer, start increasing the days inbetween shampoos and try to dilute your shampoo as much as possible (full strength shampoo is the most stripping.

Pretty soon you will notice that you can wait more days in between shampoos and the other days you can just water rinse (some people don't even water rinse in between shampoos - I usually do every day because I like the freshly wet feeling) and than one day you will realize it has been weeks since you shampooed and your hair still feels clean.

Those that do not shampoo every day normally have an easier time going no poo because their scalps are not as high into over producing mode as those who shampoo every day. They often don't have a high amount of oilness when they switch to no poo.

I was an everyday shampooer - I had alot of oilyness the first week especially - but my hair still had more body and felt thicker. It was like I had used hair volumizer or something. It is still like that too after 4 months. So, I dealt with the oilyness and just kept rinsing and got through my bad phases and stuck it out. Your hair will seem to go up and down a few times through the process. Sometimes it will seem super clean and awesome and than other times it will seem to get oiler and look bad.


Try a sea salt water rinse for the oily days. Or swim in the ocean if you are near one - it will help with the oilyness. I notice when it is hotter and humid out - I use the sea salt rinse more often. Heat stimulates more sebum production. Try to keep your water rinsing on the cool water side.

When you think about you have been shampooing your hair all your life for many years - 4 to 6 months really isn't that long considering how long you have been shampooing.

Once you get past the first few weeks, it won't seem as bad. Lots of people just either wear their hair back or up or put on a scarf. :)

[Stina]

Thanks for the feedback QueenFluff. That's kind of you!:)

[Judy]

When I still washed my hair with (organic and soapless) shampoo, I never washed my hair a lot (as in daily), once a week or once in every two weeks would do.
So maybe my scalp didn't have to go to all that 'getting adjusted', but then, my hair isn't oily either, it was rather dry.
I didn't have anything weird happening to my hair, the only thing I noticed that it seemed to get more curly (I already had some curls, but it's seemed to be curling móre).
And about the 4 to 6 months, well, it's just different for everyone. Do a search on this board, there are some great threads about the subject.

I wasn't so afraid to start it, because I have been using only herbal teas for my hair one period in my life (I read of a woman who was allergic to shampoo and her hair and scalp just really purked up after using only herbal teas, so I wanted to try that) and it did my hair really good, plus I didn't had dandruff anymore.
And I saw this movie about Indians once, in my teens I believe, where these Indian girls washed their hair in the river or near a waterfall or something, and of course they didn't use anything else than cold river water, but their long black thick hair was so shiny and beautiful and it just kind of stuck with me (plus the whole natural washing in the river thing, sigh...).
Hey, wild animals usually have wonderful gleaming coats and don't use shampoo at all. Washing your hair with DETERGENT is actually really weird, when you think about it.

I also completely stopped using soap and cream ages ago, I just figured your skin must be capable to keep everything in good condition by itself. My boyfriend at the time didn't use cream and said your skin gets used to or kind of addicted to all that stuff, and he just had the best of skins. So I started to try that to, because I felt he was right. It was the best thing I could ever do for my skin. I always had dry to very dry skin, and since I've stopped with all stuff (even though it was all organic), my skin improved dramatically. And it saves so much fuss, some people like all the creaming in etc. every day, but I don't. I think it's ideal and very freeiing living this way.

[queenfluff]

Great points Judy!

Yes, it is weird isn't it. We are the only species on the planet who use all this "stuff" to keep ourselves clean. Right now, my cat is taking a "bath" - all she uses is her tongue to keep herself clean and she is cuddly soft and her fur is nice and clean. No shampoo ever for her!

Actually our pets are probably the only other animals that might get shampooed - due to OUR shampooing them. Same thing with cooked food. We and our companion animals are the only one who eat it. :)

I like your point about the Indians. People forget that at one time -shampoo and soap didn't exist - People kept themselves clean by going in lakes, oceans and rivers and just rinsing off. To me, I am starting view all the personal cleansing items that you buy as a way for someone to just make money off of me.

Because of our modern civilization, I think soap is goood to have around to get off anything horrible that accidentially gets on our skin that we can't get off with water but other than that I don't think it is necessary for everyday "cleansing" of the skin.

Natural oils and water are the best for the body.

[Bobbie]

Does anyone know a natural method to remove salt from hair? I don't use shampoo often but I don't know any other way to remove salt.

I never use soap. If there's something you really need to remove from your skin clay works wonders, and ozonated water will kill bacteria.

[Stina]

Remove salt from hair? I was just getting ready to drive a few miles to the ocean to dunk my head.

So, I'm not sure whose crazy idea this was, but I'm going for it. My intuition had been bugging me for some time on the issue of shampoo. Even the expensive organic ones still have a long list of chemicals in their ingredients, and I'd later it into my scalp thinking, you know, my brain is right under there!

Back when I ate SAD, I'd go to the Thai restaurant, and they said they didn't use MSG in their food, but the part-time cook told me they did. I'd walk out of there with a bright red rash on top of my head only. Disregard the fact I kept going back there to eat too........

Now the top of my head is unusually itchy, almost feeling like I'm getting stung by bugs. So, I'm doing some kind of weird detox. It's been quite a few days since I 'pooed and my hair is a little messy but not nearly as bad as I feared.

Thanks very much to my crazy raw friends for bringing this information to me. I shall now go buy a pretty hat! :p

[Dimond]

My hair is naturally curly and I haven't used shampoo for at least 6 months. I scrub my scalp using water ONLY. I do have to condition, otherwise I look homeless. I use Aubrey Organics Island Naturals conditioner. It's the most natural one I can afford. I leave a little in when I rinse too, and it kind of keeps my hair somewhat under control. I stopped shampooing, not because of the vegan thing, but simply because my hair was coarse and wiry and someone suggested the Curly Girl book. And despite my hesitation, it has worked wonders for my hair. Your hair sounds like mine, we use the same conditioner & your from Florida! :D I marinate my hair in the conditioner for 10-30 minutes and then rinse it in the shower. Big time saver.

[queenfluff]

Does anyone know a natural method to remove salt from hair? I don't use shampoo often but I don't know any other way to remove salt.

I never use soap. If there's something you really need to remove from your skin clay works wonders, and ozonated water will kill bacteria.

Huh?

What kind of salt is it? Sea Salt? Rinsing with water should take it right out.

You could also try washing your hair with Baking Soda followed by a diluted ACV rinse. Or a diluted white vinegar rinse will remove buildup.

Using a clay mask (I tried benotite once) on your hair will remove toxins - sort of like soaking in a detox bath. It is VERY drying though - do not put it on your ends.

[luckitri]

I had a dog once who would get in swamp mud to bath himself. He would come home just caked with it and we could not let him in the house. As it cracked and dried off his fur would be really really clean - the white parts just sparkled.

Other times he would go to the local farm and roll in fresh manure.

Today I am trying the coconut oil as my hair is really snarly and dried out.

I am wondering if I do the flax seeds just soak until really goopy with lots and lots of water and not blend them?

Meanwhile I was wondering if anyone had considered trying the soapnuts on their hair?

[GlimR]

I've been reading a lot about this lately and have tried for about aweek to not use shampoo and my hair was so flat and greasy. My hair is very fine and straight. I tried the baking soda and vinegar. I have seriously hard water.18 grains/gallon.....does anyone know anything about how to make this work w/ hard water short of getting a water softner.(not an option) I do have awater filter on my shower head from aquasana.

[queenfluff]

I've been reading a lot about this lately and have tried for about aweek to not use shampoo and my hair was so flat and greasy. My hair is very fine and straight. I tried the baking soda and vinegar. I have seriously hard water.18 grains/gallon.....does anyone know anything about how to make this work w/ hard water short of getting a water softner.(not an option) I do have awater filter on my shower head from aquasana.

People say to rinse your hair with distilled water. I am sure filtered or purified water might worke too.

[luckitri]

Has anybody considered washing their hair with soap nuts?

[GlimR]

luckitri~
I am so glad you asked that.I found them some time ago and then never ordered...I forgot about them! They are used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat skin and hair issues as well as for other things.I copyed this from their website...AND ordered some finally!!! Have you ever used them??

"The Soapberry is among the most important trees for beautification in
tropical Asia, aesthetics being an important factor in Ayurveda.
Used topically, Soap Nuts are used to eliminate freckles, fine lines,
chemical stains and cracks in the skin. They are also used
traditionally to treat mild to moderate skin complaints such as eczema
and psoriasis. Soap Nuts are safe for people with sensitive skin, even
people who suffer allergic reactions to store bought "sensitive skin"
cleansers.

Soap Nuts are even safe enough to use as toothpaste and as a fruit
and vegetable wash. A ten-minute soak in a solution of Soap Nuts
removes 95% of the surface pesticides and chemical residues on fresh
produce. Soap Nuts are also useful in the kitchen as a food-safe
cleaner for countertops, appliances, and sinks."
~Maggies' SoapNuts

queenfluff~
I read that too, thanks...wondrring if I could wash w/ reg water from the shower and then rinse w/a gallon or so of "clean" softer water.guess I will have to try it and see~:)

[VeggieMel]

I use soap nuts for laundry, and I love them. I'm going to try them on my hair. I found the recipe below on longhaircommunity.com which uses soap nuts in a different form (reetha powder). I'm going to try it!!

"You can buy packets of shikakai, amla and reetha powder in Indian stores and boil them in water and use the thickened paste to wash your hair. Reetha is also called soapnut, because it lathers."

[Bobbie]

Huh?

What kind of salt is it? Sea Salt? Rinsing with water should take it right out.

You could also try washing your hair with Baking Soda followed by a diluted ACV rinse. Or a diluted white vinegar rinse will remove buildup.

Using a clay mask (I tried benotite once) on your hair will remove toxins - sort of like soaking in a detox bath. It is VERY drying though - do not put it on your ends.

Ooh I never thought of using clay on hair!! I'll have to try that.

When I shampooed regularly I used to put olive oil on my hair but had huge difficulty getting it out. Even after several washes my hair would still be oily. It didnt seem to do any good anyway. Indian women use sesame oil and swear by it.

The salt is epsom salts from a float tank or sea salt from a salt bath. I'll try the vinegar, thanks! Is it possible to damage hair if you use too much vinegar. My hair's weak and I'd be a bit scared of the acid.

[luckitri]

Actually the ACV should soothe the cuticle and help it to lay down and be less tangly. Should help get your hair to the proper pH.

[Leeeeeeena]

I'm a no 'poo-er too!!!

Just the other day I tried the whole baking soda thing, and it is just one HUGE deal! It is amazing, it rocks. I didn't know that just one teaspoon could clean your whole scalp! It's awesome and I have just been bragging about it. I'm not sure about the 'long-term' effects of it though? Or how often I'm 'allowed' to be using it. I might stick to just once a week for now. Hope the flax stuff goes well!

[queenfluff]

Ooh I never thought of using clay on hair!! I'll have to try that.

When I shampooed regularly I used to put olive oil on my hair but had huge difficulty getting it out. Even after several washes my hair would still be oily. It didnt seem to do any good anyway. Indian women use sesame oil and swear by it.

The salt is epsom salts from a float tank or sea salt from a salt bath. I'll try the vinegar, thanks! Is it possible to damage hair if you use too much vinegar. My hair's weak and I'd be a bit scared of the acid.

Well, the white vinegar can be very drying. Try using a low concentration first (1 tablespoon to 2 cups water) and rinse out immediately or leave on about 30 seconds to a minute. If you still feel you have salt in your hair after that, try a higher concentratation or leave in longer.

ACV is more of a conditioning vinegar - to remove buildup the white vinegar is better. Just don't use it too often.

The clay is VERY drying - I did it once and left it on 15 minutes and it really dried out my hair - too dry! I would recommened doing it only for 5 minutes and avoid your ends.

You might want to try using a sea salt water rinse too. It removes oilyness so maybe it remove the epsom salt. (try 1 or 2 tablespoons to 2 cups warm water).

[Stina]

Hi. It's been more than a week since I've gone no 'Poo and it's not bad. My hair occasionally looks a little....flat but every other day I get in the shower, rinse it well, and massage it well. I got some baking soda today to experiment with. But I feel liberated from shampoo chemicals. I trust it will self-regulate soon. It doesn't look too bad but feels like petting a dog....:)

[codajess]

My dog's soft & fluffy. :)

[juliebove]

Ooh I never thought of using clay on hair!! I'll have to try that.

When I shampooed regularly I used to put olive oil on my hair but had huge difficulty getting it out. Even after several washes my hair would still be oily. It didnt seem to do any good anyway. Indian women use sesame oil and swear by it.

The salt is epsom salts from a float tank or sea salt from a salt bath. I'll try the vinegar, thanks! Is it possible to damage hair if you use too much vinegar. My hair's weak and I'd be a bit scared of the acid.

Salt is actually good for your hair and will give it added body. I use a sea salt rinse as a final rinse.

If your hair is dry, try coconut oil on it. You might want to put it just on the ends and not on the roots.

[Green Life]

I tried this for a month and my hair looked SO greasy and stringy. I have naturally light blonde, fine hair. By the end of that month, my hair was dark blonde at best, and was flat and stuck together on my scalp, it was just horrible.

I use Aubrey Organics poo and condish now. My natral color is back and so is the fluff and shine.

I tried washing with honey and that was horrible. The stuff just wouldn' wash out for like 15 minutes. I have also tried avacado. Bad idea. Little pieces getting stuck in the hair is horrible. Even shampooing, I had to shampoo three times to get all the avacodo out. I say yuck. Flaxseeds? No way. I can't imagine how I would wash ThAT out of my hair, given that we have very low water pressure living off an underground spring. It would take me ALL day long to rinse that gunnkk out, LOL>

i Use coconut oil on damp hair after a shampoo/condish. A little goes along way. Usually, I stick with just the ends. Since my hair is very long, the ends really need that extra moisture since they are so old.

[Indie]

I recently cut my hair short (aiming for Kelly Clarkson's new rock chick look, but ending up just looking boyish! Oh well!) so it really is the ideal time to get rid of the 'poo! Like Stina said, even if you use "healthy" shampoos, the ingredients lists are still endless and full of things you can't even pronounce, so you've got to question how natural it is!

Anyway, I only ever used to wash my hair about twice a week anyway, so I'm hoping getting back to natural shouldn't take too long. I'm going to a wedding at the end of September, and I'll probably look like a right troll for the hen weekend! Anyway, I've got a spray bottle filled with distilled water and some drops of rosemary essential oil, and I've also got some jojoba oil in case my hair should get really dry. I want to use water only, as my instinct is telling my steer clear of ACV and BS as well.

Oh and Queenfluff, thanks so much for the links - I spent most of yesterday reading through it all! Will check back for you picture soon! :)

[queenfluff]

Salt is actually good for your hair and will give it added body. I use a sea salt rinse as a final rinse.

If your hair is dry, try coconut oil on it. You might want to put it just on the ends and not on the roots.

Yes, but only sea salt is food for your hair- not epson salt as Bobby has in her hair.

[queenfluff]

I recently cut my hair short (aiming for Kelly Clarkson's new rock chick look, but ending up just looking boyish! Oh well!) so it really is the ideal time to get rid of the 'poo! Like Stina said, even if you use "healthy" shampoos, the ingredients lists are still endless and full of things you can't even pronounce, so you've got to question how natural it is!

Anyway, I only ever used to wash my hair about twice a week anyway, so I'm hoping getting back to natural shouldn't take too long. I'm going to a wedding at the end of September, and I'll probably look like a right troll for the hen weekend! Anyway, I've got a spray bottle filled with distilled water and some drops of rosemary essential oil, and I've also got some jojoba oil in case my hair should get really dry. I want to use water only, as my instinct is telling my steer clear of ACV and BS as well.

Oh and Queenfluff, thanks so much for the links - I spent most of yesterday reading through it all! Will check back for you picture soon! :)

Your welcome! Glad you are trying it out. Most people end up giving up too early because they don't understand how it works. It takes longer than a month for your hair to balance out. Hopefully you will stick with it! :)

I am almost at six months now. Believe me it is alot different at six months than it is at the first month - the first month is the worst. With the short hair and the fact that you didn't shampoo your hair that much should help you out.

Sea salt rinse will give you cleaner hair and some body for your wedding. I had to go to a wedding too in the middle of my transitiion and I did a sea salt rinse and used a sea salt "Hair spray" for body and my hair looked OK. :)

Yeah, I'll try to get a picture - my digital camara isn't working right now. My hair basically looks like I used products but haven't . It has body and it is thick. Nothing like it was on shampoo. :)

[Bobbie]

Well, the white vinegar can be very drying. Try using a low concentration first (1 tablespoon to 2 cups water) and rinse out immediately or leave on about 30 seconds to a minute. If you still feel you have salt in your hair after that, try a higher concentratation or leave in longer.

ACV is more of a conditioning vinegar - to remove buildup the white vinegar is better. Just don't use it too often.

The clay is VERY drying - I did it once and left it on 15 minutes and it really dried out my hair - too dry! I would recommened doing it only for 5 minutes and avoid your ends.

You might want to try using a sea salt water rinse too. It removes oilyness so maybe it remove the epsom salt. (try 1 or 2 tablespoons to 2 cups warm water).

Thanks for the advice!!

I just used baking soda and apple cider vinegar for the first time today. I found it difficult to rinse out but I always have trouble rinsing shampoo out anyway. My hair is still wet, I'll have to wait until it dries to give a verdict. My hair wasn't salty today, just normal.

Has anyone experimented with different methods to see which is best? I don't know whether I should use the baking soda and vinegar, or Hulda Clarke's borax and citric acid or soapnuts. Which is least damaging? I'd like to try nothing at all but then it would be impossible to get salt out.
I know the theory is that if you stop using shampoo you'll stop stripping away the natural oils. Sorry for my ignorance, but doesn't bicarbonate of soda strip away the oils? Or is it less harsh than shampoo?

Have any of you noticed a change in hair colour since you stopped using shampoo?

[luckitri]

I would suspect that soapnuts would be least harsh.

Dang I wish I knew where I had been! I saw something somewhere today where she wrote to boil some fresh rosemary and sage and when it cools put it in a spray bottle and it will make your hair fantabulous!

[Bobbie]

Sage is supposed to make gray hair dark again.
When I stopped using "normal" shampoo and switched to herbal, my brand came in 4 varieties - rosemary which made hair shiny, chamomile which brought out blonde highlights, marigold which made it soft, and nettle to make it stronger. I loved the smell of all of them, and all of them said what they claimed to do. Unfortunately when I looked at the ingredients, they're still full of nasty chemicals, even though they don't irritate my skin and eyes and give me headaches as "normal" shampoo does. So I was thinking of making some really strong herbal tea with the same herbs and rinsing with it.

[Judy]

So I was thinking of making some really strong herbal tea with the same herbs and rinsing with it.

I've had very good experience with strong herbal teas for my hair, especially the stinging nettle. Love it, it's my favorite of all the things I tried. However, I made a rosemary thyme infusion once and it was a disaster, my hair felt like rope afterwards and it looked wildly exploded. Could be just me/my hairtype though (black Asian hair, with a tendency to dryness).
Normally I use only water, but the other day I used apple cider vinegar as a 'shampoo', because people on this board keep mentioning it. Used it like a shampoo, rinsed, and repeated the whole deal, rinsing thoroughly.
It worked absolutely wonderfully, it immediately made my hair soft and shiny and detangled it. Actually better than only water, or infusion, or any shampoo or conditioner! I'm a convert :).

[queenfluff]

Thanks for the advice!!

I just used baking soda and apple cider vinegar for the first time today. I found it difficult to rinse out but I always have trouble rinsing shampoo out anyway. My hair is still wet, I'll have to wait until it dries to give a verdict. My hair wasn't salty today, just normal.

Has anyone experimented with different methods to see which is best? I don't know whether I should use the baking soda and vinegar, or Hulda Clarke's borax and citric acid or soapnuts. Which is least damaging? I'd like to try nothing at all but then it would be impossible to get salt out.
I know the theory is that if you stop using shampoo you'll stop stripping away the natural oils. Sorry for my ignorance, but doesn't bicarbonate of soda strip away the oils? Or is it less harsh than shampoo?

Have any of you noticed a change in hair colour since you stopped using shampoo?

You have to rinse VERY well to get out the baking soda - if you don't you will end up with stiff hair and buildup on your scalp. There is alot of experiementation to do with the Baking soda to make sure you get the right concentration to clean your hair. It is different for everyone too.

Yes, you are correct. The baking soda does strip away oils and it similar to using a soap or shampoo. It is probably less harsh but it does the same thing. This is why I never started it. Plus it is not something I would want to accidentally go into my eyes or mouth either.

The least damaging is sea salt all the way. Plus I feel it is the safest to use too. Salt you can eat. Where did you get the idea to use borax? Eww. I wouldn't do that. That actually sounds worse than the baking soda.

Honestly, I haven't tried the soapnuts and I know they are natural but I know someone said they tried it on their hair and it was very drying.

[being]

I just noticed this thread -- I'm on my third week of no shampoo...

A) I'm THRILLED to be off another product full of chemicals, though I miss my Jason Seaweed Shampoo smell.

B) My hair is getting REALLY oily. Scalp is somewhat itchy, not overly bad though. It's just the look and feel of it all... :p Ewww! (My roommate asked me to please not lean my head on the furniture)

C) I wasn't aware there were people using other things other than water to rinse their hair. So I tried the ACV and somehow it streamed onto my face and got into my eyes. Um, OW. It was not fun.. I was blindly flailing about the shower yelling "it's burning it's burning"

D) I like the idea of using a sea salt water rinse. I'm going to try that.

E) I have a question, feeling sheepish to ask this but I just don't get it: How do you do it, the rinse part...:o because the ACV or salt water just runs right off my head before I can massage it around.. since it's not thick like 'poo.... What am I missing? Do I pour whatever on dry hair? Or fill the sink and stick my head in a sink full of salt water? (Actually, I like that - it would feel super nice with some rosemary oil mixed in...)


I can't wait until my hair doesn't look like the SoulGlo peeps from Coming to America ;)

[tanawana]

I originally posted on the Baking soda and should mention I use it very sparingly. About a tablespoon to 2 cups water and let it sit more than rub in. I always, always follow with an ACV rinse and cool water afterwards. This I do maybe twice a week and "nothing" else. Took a while to get the right amount and process for my hair too.

Also, the distilled water as a rinse or wetting before bed as well as spritzing daily has been better than anything for me. But then again, I've waist length hair and never use anything on my length except distilled water. The baking soda is only for my scalp area actually. I plan to drop the baking soda eventually but it works just enough to cut the dirt more than anything when needed, and I like the feel of it. :D

[queenfluff]

I just noticed this thread -- I'm on my third week of no shampoo...

A) I'm THRILLED to be off another product full of chemicals, though I miss my Jason Seaweed Shampoo smell.

B) My hair is getting REALLY oily. Scalp is somewhat itchy, not overly bad though. It's just the look and feel of it all... :p Ewww! (My roommate asked me to please not lean my head on the furniture)

C) I wasn't aware there were people using other things other than water to rinse their hair. So I tried the ACV and somehow it streamed onto my face and got into my eyes. Um, OW. It was not fun.. I was blindly flailing about the shower yelling "it's burning it's burning"

D) I like the idea of using a sea salt water rinse. I'm going to try that.

E) I have a question, feeling sheepish to ask this but I just don't get it: How do you do it, the rinse part...:o because the ACV or salt water just runs right off my head before I can massage it around.. since it's not thick like 'poo.... What am I missing? Do I pour whatever on dry hair? Or fill the sink and stick my head in a sink full of salt water? (Actually, I like that - it would feel super nice with some rosemary oil mixed in...)


I can't wait until my hair doesn't look like the SoulGlo peeps from Coming to America ;)


The "rinse" is just that - a rinse. Just pour it into your hair - yes, some will run out but there is alot that will stay in your hair. When you do the rinses, you don't really have to massage it around - it isn't shampoo, it is a rinse. You can scrub your scalp or massage it a little but it won't really make much difference as it isnt really meant to be massaged it. It is meant to be put on your hair (dry or wet hair) and to thoroughly saturate it. You can let it sit a minute if you want and let it pentrate and than rinse out with water.

If you really want to you can soak your head in a bowl full of the rinse, but just pouring it in your hair should be good enough. A whole sink full of salt water might be a bit of a waste on the salt - you really don't need that much to rinse out your hair (unless your hair is super long). Do 2 tablespoons to 2 cups warm water if your hair is really oily. Let sit in your hair for five minutes and rinse out.

[Judy]

I have a question, feeling sheepish to ask this but I just don't get it: How do you do it, the rinse part...:o because the ACV or salt water just runs right off my head before I can massage it around.. since it's not thick like 'poo.... What am I missing? Do I pour whatever on dry hair?

I do it like this: I take half a cup with AVC. This is for two rinses. I wash my hair with water, till it's all wet. I poor a little AVC on my scalp here, and then a little there, and then some halfway my hair (I have very long hair). It kind of mixes with the water in my hair, so I just massage that in my scalp and hair. Let it sit for a couple of minutes and rinse with water. And then repeat the whole thing with the AVC that's left. End with rinsing thoroughly with water. That's the trick for your sheepish hair... :)