Giving up shampoo and conditioner

[JimW]

pinkmonkey the water here is very soft.
JimW what does rosemary water do?

I was told it was a bit of an astringent, basically seemed to give your hair a rinse without upsetting the oils and nice smell. Just boiled a bit up in water and rinsed my hair with it cool if I'd got dust and whatnot in it at work (was at a.furniture factory then)

 

[trashpony]

I wash mine twice a week with shampoo and conditioner. It usually looks absolutely shit - fluffy and frizzy and tangly. But I haven't had a haircut in a year. I'd love to give up all the shampoo and stuff but our water is so fucking hard here that I think my hair would calcify it I didn't shampoo it

 

[Miss-Shelf]

i caved after one go with the bicarb and vinegar
I washed with generic shampoo and conditioner after my swim and my hair feels good

 

[weepiper]

Maybe I should give this a go my hair is also perpetually fluffy and shit, I've been using argan oil on it before I blow dry recently which has helped that a bit, but I also have a very sensitive scalp and often have like actual scabby bits I tried T-Gel but it didn't seem to make much difference (used the full bottle over a month or so). I need to wash my hair every day or two because it gets grotty at work (like oil, dust and solvents grotty) but maybe I'll try just using conditioner for a while.

 

[Corax]

but I also have a very sensitive scalp and often have like actual scabby bits

I get those too sometimes - when I'm run-down and stressed.

I just made the mistake of googling causes.

They include shingles, ringworm, cancer, lupus and HIV. Remember me fondly.

 

[weepiper]

I get those too sometimes - when I'm run-down and stressed.

I just made the mistake of googling causes.

They include shingles, ringworm, cancer, lupus and HIV. Remember me fondly.

Athlete's Head

 

[Corax]

Athlete's Head

It'd be the only athlete part of me in that case...

 

[AnnaKarpik]

I've been washing with silicon free conditioner for the past couple of weeks with good results. I'm another sensitive skin person, prone to seborrhoeic dermatitis, my hair is long, straight and fine and I always wear it up. My hair looks clean which is all I require from cleaning it and maybe more time will show an improvement in the condition of my scalp. My hair feels a bit like a well brushed dog's coat; you know there's oil on it but it's not a horrible feeling.

BUT; I haven't been swimming for the past few weeks either. I don't know if my hair will prove more resilient to chlorine without regular oil stripping or whether it will suffer from a lack of chemical stripping from not using shampoo. The experiment continues.

 

[Poot]

I tried the Palmers one and quite liked it.

Yes! I looked at this very one yesterday and decided to treat myself today. I'll report back...

 

[pogo 10]

Used to be able to not wash hair for a week, if i leave it for 4 days it looks absolutely filthy, like this morning so had to wash and condition it. Thats age.

 

[Saffy]

I get those too sometimes - when I'm run-down and stressed.

I just made the mistake of googling causes.

They include shingles, ringworm, cancer, lupus and HIV. Remember me fondly.

I first had dermatitis on my scalp when I was around 9 years old and at first my mum thought I had ringworm. It came up in wheels and rings all over the back of my head. Back then we treated it with betnovate but it hurt like a hell. It has alcohol in it and the skin was always broken from scratching it.

Mine is stress related but it's never been as bad as it was when I was a child.

I just rinse my hair through with water and put the R&B stuff in it from Lush and it seems to work.

 

[purenarcotic]

My hair doesn't necessarily look dirty but it does look frizzier and frizzier as the days go on in between washes. I have been using lee Stafford coco loco mask in between shampoo and conditioner and that's made a big difference.

 

[weltweit]

Interesting that a few people have said they are using Neutrogena T-Gel.

Years ago I had all sorts of scalp problems when using Head & Shoulders and was told that it was basically very strong and often causes scalp problems. I don't recall who put me onto T-Gel but I have used it since then, I do think it is quite expensive but as I only wash about once a week it seems to last a reasonable time.

 

[pengaleng]

I use vosene

 

[Corax]

I first had dermatitis on my scalp when I was around 9 years old and at first my mum thought I had ringworm. It came up in wheels and rings all over the back of my head. Back then we treated it with betnovate but it hurt like a hell. It has alcohol in it and the skin was always broken from scratching it.

Mine is stress related but it's never been as bad as it was when I was a child.

I just rinse my hair through with water and put the R&B stuff in it from Lush and it seems to work.

When I've had it, I've found that good old fashioned (and cheap!) Head and Shoulders has done the job. As with the 'bases' I mentioned earlier, the anti-dandruff etc component is likely to be the same in 99% of the brands anyway.

 

[campanula]

The thing with daily washing is that the sebaceous glands are actually stimulated to produce more natural oils to replace those lost in the washing process. You have to taper off the daily washing until you can manage a week or so...but for hair to really regain a fully natural balance using nothing but water can take as long as 18months. 2 of my offspring are dedicated non-shampooers and my granddaughter also.
I do mine when it is atrocious - usually once a week and yep, have used Fairy Green on many occasions. Works rather well...although Lenor conditioner was disastrous.
One of the huge benefits of going grey is a difference in consistency. I have very fine, very straight, very black hair...or did until it went grey...and it invariably looked sad and limp on the top of my head until the extra dry consistency of grey hair actually added a bit of ooomph to my slithery tresses.

 

[BoatieBird]

I've taken the plunge and stopped shampooing.
Washed it last Sunday using the palmers coconut oil cleansing conditioner and didn't use any products on it.
It's not holding up too badly, maybe it's slightly more greasy at the roots than it would have been with just shampoo, and the frizz isn't too bad.
I should have taken some 'before' photos shouldn't I?

 

[Poot]

I've taken the plunge and stopped shampooing.
Washed it last Sunday using the palmers coconut oil cleansing conditioner and didn't use any products

Me too! Different cleansing conditioner though- mine's a herbal essences one. I have to use it every day for, er, personal reasons but my hair feels much softer, even with the usual amount of other gunk on there. I may never use shampoo again!

 

[FridgeMagnet]

I washed my hair with just water the other day for the first time in ages and it instantly went shit

 

[Vintage Paw]

I've been just using shampoo, no conditioner, for the past couple of weeks (because it's a pain in the arse just to use shampoo with one hand, let alone a second rinse with conditioner) and my hair feels absolutely fine without it. I've got really shit problem hair anyway, so 'absolutely fine' simply means 'no worse than usual.'

I've ordered some of that Palmer's cleansing conditioner though. I hear the olive oil version has something in it that can cause a lot of irritations, but looking at the ingredients it seems the coconut one doesn't have the same thing.

 

[ViolentPanda]

I don't use shampoo or conditioner and I don't generally wash with water, either, unless I actually get something noticeable in my hair, or I feel like it. I started this last year some time after getting sick of shampoos which just gave me dandruff. My hair is much less frizzy and looks nicer plus my scalp is in better condition.

The only downside is that if you do this you have to comb your hair a lot. I understand that this is to distribute the oils from your scalp along the hair. Skip a day or two and everything goes to shit.

A natural bristle brush is better than a comb for doing that, and you have to do it less.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Interesting that a few people have said they are using Neutrogena T-Gel.

Years ago I had all sorts of scalp problems when using Head & Shoulders and was told that it was basically very strong and often causes scalp problems. I don't recall who put me onto T-Gel but I have used it since then, I do think it is quite expensive but as I only wash about once a week it seems to last a reasonable time.

IIRC H & S contains an anti-fungal that some people react to.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

A natural bristle brush is better than a comb for doing that, and you have to do it less.

Yes, I think I might invest in a proper brush (while I still have hair).

 

[aqua]

Maybe I should give this a go my hair is also perpetually fluffy and shit, I've been using argan oil on it before I blow dry recently which has helped that a bit, but I also have a very sensitive scalp and often have like actual scabby bits I tried T-Gel but it didn't seem to make much difference (used the full bottle over a month or so). I need to wash my hair every day or two because it gets grotty at work (like oil, dust and solvents grotty) but maybe I'll try just using conditioner for a while.

My stress makes my head itchy and really flakey my Dr suggested I used nizoral and it makes a massive difference. Use it once a week, leave it on for 5mins, no crappy dry skin/itching/yuck

I wash mine now every 3rd day, I'm trying to slowly extend it. I do use shampoo and conditioner though (Aussie ones) because I like the feel of it and my hair is so naturally greasy (days I don't wash I have to use dry shampoo) I can't see how it would work without tbh

 

[campanula]

Well yes, there's no getting around that waiting period where you feel as though you have just massaged your scalp with lard...and in truth, I have never managed it. Perhaps if I became a hermit for a year...but those who do, adopt a range of strategies - from hats to plaits, pincurls, scarves and turbans, number 2 crops and even sand 'washes'. There are, afaik, 2 main schools of thought - the no-washing at all (and amazingly, this establishes a natural balance faster than the just using water (and maybe lemon juice/vinegar/bicarbonate of soda). I admit to being sceptical about the feasibility of both methods...apart from the fact that my collie has never had a bath in her life apart from the odd river dunking...and she smells and feels lovely...whereas I know several dog-owners who seem to wash their animals at the drop of a hat...and many of them have nasty skin issues, dryness and excess oiliness so, you takes your pick really. Pros and cons.

 

[Ceej]

Once a week, twice as much conditioner - major bottle blonde. My hair gets really brittle if I wash it more often, but it would break to feck without conditioner.

 

[BoatieBird]

I still haven't used shampoo or product and have only 'washed' it three times in the last 3 weeks.
The greasiness is definitely starting to get better and the frizz is manageable.

BUT I'm having it coloured on Thursday and I'm guessing that they'll need to use shampoo to get the dye out?
Will I be back to square one?

I'll ask them not to use any silicone on it and leave it to dry naturally.

 

[BoatieBird]

Well that didn't go exactly to plan
I've ended up with a colour lock serum, a curl reviving treatment & loads of product in it
It was like walking into a pub intending to stick to coke and coming out pissed.

I go to a training place for a chain of local salons and the trainee doing my hair needed to do a curly blow dry for an assessment, and that would have resulted in a big ball of frizz without a little artificial help.

Back on the wagon from here on in.

 

[Shirl]

Now nearly 3 weeks since I last shampooed and that was just to get some silver polish out of it. I learned later that just using conditioner would help get the shit out of it. I love my hair now. Not only is it not fluffy, I've discovered that it has a natural kink and I seen to have a kind of pixie cut. I'd never have believed that my hair could look this good.
@ decades of using shampoo when I didn't ought to

 

[Dovydaitis]

I'm giving this a go. Last washed my hair Wednesday night. This morning instead of using shampoo I just used hot water. Today it feels a bit manky. Fingers crossed it improves!