Shampoo free?

[Fidelia]

Vinegar smell will very quickly evaporate. I've even used undilluted ACV now and then with no smell after and no problems. I've concluded though that baking soda is not for me and ACV will not do the trick without it. I might try WEN. I have longer hair and so I generally can wash it every other day or every third. My scalp would probably thank me if I went a little longer, but I like showering and feeling clean and if my hair is wet anyway, then I also would prefer to have it clean too! My main problem is that due to frizz, I have to use product of some sort in my hair and after two days I don't want to add more. Sometime I can get away with just spraying it with water and rescrunching, but sometimes it fuzzes up a bit. I haven't been able to bring myself to do the olive oil treatment for scalp yet as I just can't imagine how much effort it will take to get it back out of my hair.

 

[burymecloser]

I tried the mix-with-water-first approach to the baking soda, and went down to about 1:4 with the vinegar last night. Interestingly, I think brushing it dry through my hair did more than pouring the already-wet concoction into it. Now that it's dry, it doesn't feel as clean as when I brushed the dry baking soda through it. I always brush my hair first, so it isn't the brushing that made a difference. I didn't use much baking soda though, so I'll try a thicker mix next time. Brushing the dry stuff through it was messy.

Hmm, as long as I'm trying new things, maybe I'll try brushing in dry baking soda before a rinse. Can you tell me a little more about how you applied it?

The 1:1 didn't hurt my scalp (though it did hurt like a motherf## when it ran down into my eye). It did stink, however.

Yeah, you've got to be super careful with that. Vinegar can really damage your eyes. I've been really paranoid about that aspect of it.

I read online that some people add a few drops of essential oil or lemon juice to reduce the smell, so if you up the vinegar again, that might be worth trying.

I like all the ideas and experiences people are bouncing off each other in this thread.

 

[Z Buck McFate]

I poured the baking soda straight from the box into my hair- lifting it up in parts, so that most of it went to my scalp. I probably used a 1/2 cup, but the only reason I used even that much is because I did it standing in the shower (to avoid getting the powder all over the bathroom) and I couldn't see how much I was putting on. I use a boar hair hairbrush right before I shampoo usually, it's what I used with the baking soda.

Someone else mentioned also using one, earlier in the thread. They're supposed to help dislodge oils on the scalp, and I read somewhere it was a good idea to use before shampooing because it makes it easier for the shampoo to work. Anyway, the bristle's are pretty firm, so it did a good job of actually brushing through the baking soda.

I'm almost certain I remember my grandmother, or someone's grandmother, telling me that people used to brush powder through their hair to make it feel cleaner- before it was convenient/easy to wash hair. That's what made me think maybe that's how the baking soda was supposed to be used.

 

[Z Buck McFate]

Vinegar smell will very quickly evaporate. I've even used undilluted ACV now and then with no smell after and no problems. I've concluded though that baking soda is not for me and ACV will not do the trick without it. I might try WEN. I have longer hair and so I generally can wash it every other day or every third. My scalp would probably thank me if I went a little longer, but I like showering and feeling clean and if my hair is wet anyway, then I also would prefer to have it clean too! My main problem is that due to frizz, I have to use product of some sort in my hair and after two days I don't want to add more. Sometime I can get away with just spraying it with water and rescrunching, but sometimes it fuzzes up a bit. I haven't been able to bring myself to do the olive oil treatment for scalp yet as I just can't imagine how much effort it will take to get it back out of my hair.

Yeah, the vinegar smell did go away once my hair was completely dry (it just took forever because my hair is so thick/long).

I think what I like least about the baking soda is that it's hard to know when it's been washed out. With shampoo, there's a gratuitous squeaky clean feeling the moment it's been washed away, so I'm not left wondering if there's any left.

 

[Giggly]

It looks and feels the same as when I use shampoo. Nothing is greasy or itchy or stringy. I think it looks perfectly clean without knocking my socks off, maybe a little dry or less shiny, though it's tough to tell -- I'm paying more attention to my hair than usual, looking for flaws. If I was doing something important where I needed to look particularly nice, at this point I would use shampoo. But day-to-day, it looks normal, clean, and people who know I'm trying it say they haven't noticed a difference. Have you tried the DermOrganic stuff yet?

Ahh cool. Maybe I'll try the bicarb/ACV once and see what I think. I have long hair though. I haven't gotten the DermOrganic in the mail yet but will report back after I use it.

 

[burymecloser]

bicarb/acv update

So, I've been doing this for about a month now. I still wash my hair with traditional shampoo about once a week. Regarding the baking soda and apple cider vinegar treatment, pluses and minuses.

PLUS

My hair is clean -- it's not dirty or stringy or greasy or itchy.

My hair is noticeably less oily, and it does not have to be washed as frequently.

I have dry scalp issues, and they seem to have decreased with this treatment.

Baking soda and apple cider vinegar are less expensive than traditional shampoo and conditioner.


MINUS

What Tallulah warned about -- my hair gets dried out. It's not as vibrant as with shampoo. It's not the sort of thing you notice on a day-to-day basis, because my hair is clean. But if I'm doing something where I need to look particularly nice, or make a first impression, or where someone else will be touching my hair, I wash with shampoo on those days.

This has become more problematic since I slightly upped the ratio of bicarb to water. It's been pleasant that the mixture has a little more texture to it, and I don't just feel like I'm pouring plain water over my hair, but it seems to be leaving my hair a bit coarse. If anyone else tries this method, my advice is to go easy on the baking soda.

I also tried brushing powder through my hair once, but I wasn't thrilled with the results. It was annoying to get out and used a lot more than I normally would, without an obvious difference in my hair afterwards.

Overall, I'm cautiously content with my current routine: shampoo once a week, powder/ACV the other days. My hair looks good longer after washing than when I used shampoo, and one traditional wash has it shining and radiant again if I need to impress. I am concerned about the dryness, which has increased recently, but for now I think it's probably more about the powder-to-water ratio than any lasting damage.


Anyone else have interesting updates?

 

[1487610420]

http://www.typologycentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26713&p=1009975&viewfull=1#post1009975

 

[Giggly]

Anyone else have interesting updates?

Yes. I love the DermOrganic! I highly recommend it.

 

[gromit]

Question - what kinds of styling products (in particular hairspray and gel) do you guys use? I have some water-soluble mousse and hair lotion that comes out with the conditioner wash, but I have read that silicone-based products require a sulfate of some sort to remove them.

 

[Coriolis]

I wear my hair slightly longer than I used to. It is rather thick and tends to be dry. When it is freshly washed (with normal shampoo) it is especially dry feeling, and gets bushy rather than hanging straight and close to my head as I prefer. I used to wash my hair every other day, but now I do it no more than once per week. It rarely feels oily in between, and if it gets sweaty, I just rinse/scrub it with water. On the days I do shampoo, I have to use both conditioner and then gel to restore some moisture and keep it tidy. I would like to get into some routine where my hair is consistently the same, without requiring significant products or effort. My current routine is satisfactory, but my hair still isn't the way I want it on the first day or two after shampooing. I have been following everyone's alternative hair care experiences with interest.

 

[King sns]

I've just started a month or two ago without shampoo, and sometimes I just condition. My hair is very fine, so I still shampoo. I can go 3 or 4 days. When I am done my current shampoos, I am switching to Johnson's baby per recommendation of my hairdresser. (It just washes, does nothing else.) My hair seems to be responding well to the new routine.

 

[Z Buck McFate]

Anyone else have interesting updates?

I'm going back and forth between the bc/vin and shampoo as well. I've noticed that the baking soda makes my hair feel cleaner for longer too, but too many days in a row and my hair just starts feeling yucky. I probably use the baking soda once for every two shampoos, skipping days inbetween (washing every other day). And I'd probably go with switching back and forth every single time, but really it's just a lot more convenient to use shampoo, so that's more about laziness than it is about it yielding the best results.

I have been wanting to try the Wen, but again with the laziness. I'll probably get around to it at some point.

 

[burymecloser]

I've mostly quit the baking soda and apple cider vinegar thing. The results were very positive at first, but over time, my hair started to get dry and coarse (as Tallulah warned). Right now I'm thinking once every two weeks or so might still give me some of the benefits I was looking for, without ruining hair that's always been fine and soft before this. I don't have the budget right now for something like WEN, but maybe down the line...

 

[Ivy]

The stuff from Sally's called Hair One is a lot like WEN and it's pretty great. I like it a lot, and it's just ten bucks. You might give that a try.

 

[Samvega]

I have been shampoo free for a few years however, without hair that becomes pretty easy. Honestly, I think your best bet based on "how things work" is to shampoo every couple days, maybe 2-3 times a week at most, use no products to style it and a small amount of coconut oil after washings. That stuff is AMAZING for your hair, promise!

 

[Randomnity]

and a small amount of coconut oil after washings. That stuff is AMAZING for your hair, promise!

wouldn't that make it really greasy? do you apply it in a special way or something?

 

[Samvega]

wouldn't that make it really greasy? do you apply it in a special way or something?

One may think so but no, a small amount adds shine and looks great, also works as a great leave in treatment overnight.

 

[Giggly]

The stuff from Sally's called Hair One is a lot like WEN and it's pretty great. I like it a lot, and it's just ten bucks. You might give that a try.

Thanks for the tip. I'm looking for something inexpensive to alternate with my DermOrganics.

One may think so but no, a small amount adds shine and looks great, also works as a great leave in treatment overnight.

That's a great idea! Thanks.

 

[Scottt]

Most of the people face the hair loss problems due to the use of the high chemical shampoo. But we should use the shampoo 3 times in a week but people use the shampoo 3 times in a day that is not good.

 

[gromit]

Oh I was gonna post on here - I feel like my hair has acclimated to the no shampoo and is now getting dry again. I only wash with conditioner every 1-2 days, rubbing my scalp with the conditioner, rinsing, re-applying to the ends where it tends to get dry. I use leave-in conditioner and this styling lotion as well.

Maybe I need to look into introducing some sort of coconut or tea tree oil.