I'm going to wash my hair with flax

[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... 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... 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.

[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... 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... 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... 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... :)