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Well it's been about 6 weeks now, or very close to it that I've been washing my hair with water only, no shampoo and no conditioner.
It's nice because I don't get that oily gross feeling after a few days of not showering. Also, when I wash it, I don't get the frizzy, very dry, "puffy" thing going on either, but it does make my hair feel heavy for a day or two, but quite silky and smooth, which is nice.
The only thing I've noticed is that when I scratch my scalp, I get a white powdery substance in my fingernails, and I'm wondering if this is a problem. I've heard something about an ACV (apple cider vinegar) rinse, but I'm not sure what the purpose is or why to use it. Does anyone know?
If anyone here is shampooless, I'd like to know how you maintain your hair, and if possible, any answers to my questions above.
Thanks,
JeffL
~ Congrats , i can only go for 3 days without washing/shampooing ~
~ That heavy feeling means your hair is very greasy ~
~ In my honest opinion , I think what youre doing is unhealthy for the scalp. Your scalp seems to have major buildup. Perhaps dandruff. That is why you have a white powdery substance when you scratch. Btw , Scrathing is bad for the scalp as well. Try rubbing it gently with fingertips. I suggest you shampoo it at least once a week. Try massaging or combing, maybe even brushing as it provides good circulation in the scalp. Hope this helps. ~
I have to disagree here. I don't shampoo my hair, and I have little to none white buildup, and I don't not shampooing is the sole possible reason for the original poster's buildup.
In terms of unhealthiness, well, perhaps nature intended us to be unhygienic and to die quickly, but I'm sure that in the same way the body's internal systems have been set up brilliantly, the upkeep of the hair has been taken into account. Shampoos and conditioners, at least the chemical-laden ones available nowadays, sure as heck weren't always around, and while it's possible that man's hair wasn't as glossy as products make it today, I'm sure he did fairly well without the stuff or by using natural substitutes. And this poster is certainly not the only person to have success using the water-only method; another poster on this board, actually, was on it, the only difference being that he cleaned his scalp with ACV, which the poster is asking about. Vinegar has long been used on hair, and I'm sure it's one of nature's simpler solutions to keeping down buildup. Modern shampoos ultimately come from nature, but I'm not sure how good all these chemicals really are for our hair.
You're right about scratching, though. Scratching no good. Massaging your scalp gently is also a good suggestion. It supposedly stimulates the flow of blood to the scalp, an area that is rarely "exercised" otherwise.
Peace
I'm also shampoo-less, but I use conditioner. The purpose of the ACV rinse is to clarify your hair, or to remove the buildup - a form of shampooing it, ironically. I'm not sure that it's essential, but I'd definitely recommend trying an ACV. Dilute it with water so that a quarter of the amount you use is water, and then use it as you would shampoo. Fear not; it isn't shampoo and it won't make your head stink, pleasantly enough, but it, like other clarifiers, is harsh and should only be kept on your scalp and hair for about a minute. If you want a bit more info, scroll down to the "I'm done with cones" thread and read my reply.
Hope that helps.
Peace
maybe the white stuff is from your water and has built up over time. maybe a shampoo wash once in awhile is not such a bad idea.
I try to do that no-shampoo thing but my hair becomes weighed down or excessively greasy after several days so I try to go for once a week shampooing with conditioner and then a just water wash for the remainder of the week. I notice an increase in the shininess of my hair from not shampooing all the time and it does feel nice too. Keep going with it and sorry if I'm not much help.
I'm almost shampoo-less. I find that my hair SEEMS to be much healthier when I shampoo less often.
My usual routine is just using water to wash it, and running my fingers through it gently. About 2-3 times a week I condition though, depending on if I think it needs it (same with apply jojoba oil), and I shampoo about once a week.
I think everyone just needs to find their own routine, it's fairly easy to figure out. I've gone at least 2 weeks without shampooing before, but by that point, my hair starts to feel greasy and have slight amounts of build-up. But if I shampoo twice a week or more, my hair just feels dry/damaged.
Hope that helps, good luck.