Shampoo

[helwen]

Did you know that modern shampoo has only been around since the 1930s?

Ditching Shampoo...

Couple of excerpts:

But some wonder if we were sold a bill of goods. That trend toward everyday cleansing might have triggered a vicious cycle, some experts say — shampoo cleanses by stripping the hair of its natural, necessary oils, causing the scalp to produce more oil in response, making it impossible for some to skip shampoo for even one day without sprouting a gigantic greaseball.

“When you over-shampoo your hair, your hair is over-secreting oil in order to survive,” says Lorraine Massey, co-owner of Devachan Salon in New York and creator of the No Poo conditioning cleanser. (It's been more than 20 years since Massey's last shampoo.)

Dr. Paradi Mirmirani, a dermatologist in Vallejo, Calif., says it's a matter of preference. Shampoos are fine to use every day, but "there's nothing gross" or unsafe about ditching shampoo.

....

But step out of that shower, and the no-poo learning curve just gets steeper. In the beginning stages of a no-poo experiment, most people seem to go through a two- to six-week period when their hair looks like, well, poo.

“It took a few days to get used to. The first time I used it, I didn’t feel like my hair was clean,” Lynch says. “It was grimy.”

Some stylists say that's because once the shampoo is no longer stripping the hair of its natural oils every day, the scalp must learn to scale back production of those oils. Mirmirani says that although measuring scalp oil is not an easy thing to do — she's in the middle of a project that is seeking to do just that — the theory does make sense.

The article talks about baking soda, cider vinegar (conditioning), and other methods. Bar shampoos work for some folks. L can use them, but they don't seem to work as well for me, at least so far.

I stopped using baking soda over the later part of winter because I was starting to have a flaking problem, which one of the people in the article had, but I wasn't being very good about the cider vinegar followup, so I'm going to try again now that the ambient humidity is up in our area again. I definitely think that was part of my personal challenge, since my skin is sensitive to low humidity anyway. Hope I can get it to work this time -- definitely liked not having to buy things in plastic bottles, plus it was a _lot_ cheaper.

Comments

:-D

[bytchearse.livejournal.com]

My favorite shampoo is Ivory soap...

[bunnyjadwiga.livejournal.com]

I only wash my hair every 2 days in winter because otherwise it gets too dry. I may try this other thing on alternating days in the summer-- I have to do something to get the sweat out or it really bothers me.

[silverhawkdruid.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting this. Back when I was a teen, late seventies, there was a show on the BBC called Tomorrow's World, and one of their experiments that always stuck in my memory was when they persuaded ordinary members of the public not to wash their hair for six weeks to see what would happen. When the guinea-pigs took off their hats/scarves, it was a revelation! Their hair, without exception, was amazing! I can't remember what if anything they did instead, but I do remember being wowed by the fact that most said their hair was better after the six weeks than it had ever been in their lives! I tried to find the info on You Tube or elsewhere, but no luck, sadly.

[shalmestere.livejournal.com]

I wash my hair once a week (whether it needs it or not :-D)--but we curly-haired types tend to have dry scalps.

I went shampoo-free for the winter several years ago; my hair/scalp never smelled or felt greasy, but my hair looked...flat. These days, I've switched to -cone-free shampoo, and am contemplating switching from shampoo to conditioner.

Haven't tried the baking soda/cider vinegar regimen, but I've used dry oatmeal as a scrub. Even scalp massage with a fluffy towel helps absorb excess scalp oil.

[lyanna-beth.livejournal.com]

OK, this is where I 'fess up and everyone else goes "Ewww - g-r-o-s-s!"
My hair hasn't been washed since mid-December. Yes - 4 months without water, shampoo or conditioner. [The chemical companies would have a fit!]
I have EXTREMELY dry skin and hair. If I washed it even a couple of times a week I'd look like Straewlpeter (sp?) i.e. the guy with the haystack 'afro'. What I have been doing is brushing it morning and night (and sometimes in between) with a bronze-bristled brush, and I honestly defy anyone that doesn't know I haven't washed it to tell from the feel of it. It's soft, fairly silky, feels clean, and all the natural oils are doing just f-i-n-e, thank you.
Admittedly, this has been under very 'normal' conditions - or as normal as *I* get! :) - and if it got filthy or muddy outside, of course I'd wash it, but right now, I'm seeing just how long I can go under everyday normal conditions.

I figured if it worked for the Victorians, it could possibly work for an older codger like me. Even my hair-dresser is impressed! :)

[the1butterfly.livejournal.com]

I've heard a tiny bit about the no shampoo stuff, but I haven't researched it. I did try giving it an olive oil soak once, which did nice things to my hair but took I think six washings to get out. I do use shampoo (primarily on my scalp) and conditioner (just on the long part), and I can definitely say that hair adjusts to how often you use it. When I washed my hair twice a week in college, my hair would be oily every third day. Now that I wash my hair once a week, it's good for the first five, meh on the sixth, and oily on the seventh. The best days are days two and three. I think I will look into this though.

[harpnfiddle.livejournal.com]

When my hair was short with a perm, I washed it every other day to keep the curl. If I didn't it went flat and got oily. My hair is very fine. Since menopause and long hair, I have been shampooing once a week, and I probably could go longer.

[ellid.livejournal.com]

Ivory soap is terribly harsh on my skin so I gave up using it several years ago (I also confess that I know a chemical engineer who helped make the stuff. She turned *green* when I asked what was in Ivory, and I decided not to ask). I've found that oatmeal soap once a day, mineral makeup, and rinsing the face with warm water is better than any fancy skin care regimen.

Can't do it with shampoo, though. I've tried the wash less/not at all regimen and nearly scratched myself raw, alas....