Hi all,
I am new here and am planning to grow long hair and have several questions.
(1) What brand shampoo/conditioners do you recommend? I defintely want a brand without any of the harsh checmicals such as lauryl/laureth sulfates, etc. I plan to order something off of amazon.com, but thought you guys would probably be able to recommend a brand I can go ahead and start with.
(2) I plan to order biotin. Any other vitimins I should consider? My hair typically grows slower than the average 1/2 inch per month so I need any boost I can get to help achieve that average growth rate.
For background I had my head/face completely shaved in December, and in April had the sides and back buzzed down but left the top alone. As a result my hair is about 2.5 inches long on top and about 3/4 inches on the side/back. My game plan is to not trim or cut again for several years.
I also plan to start growing my beard again (last shave was a few days ago). I have held off growing it since it grows at about double the rate of my scalp hair and I wanted to give the scalp a head start so I would not look so uneven. I can easily grow a 3+inch beard in 3-4 months.
Thanks in advance for any advice/suggestions you may have.
My e-mail address is xxbrianxx_77@yahoo.com in case anyone needs to PM me with advice/etc.
I use organic apple cider vinegar (with the mother). I put rosemary and mint sprigs and a few cinnamon sticks in mine, but that's optional. I usually experiment with every new batch. Lemon juice is good, various oils, etc.
You can find the apple cider vinegar in any organic store or organic aisle of a big box store.
Spastic mind. I left some stuff out. Mainly that I start with a roughly 2/3 water, 1/3 ACV mix. Don't use straight apple cider vinegar. It burns like hell. Also, don't use white vinegar or distilled ACV, it doesn't do as good of a job to clean your hair and leave it shiny and soft.
I use this 2-3 times a week. I'm not sure yet if the rosemary, mint, cinnamon, lemon, etc. is evvective. I've just been experimenting with expanding the ACV rinse for the past month or so. My next step is going to be adding avacado.
Also, I'm not sure if you absolutely have to, but I keep it in the refrigerator just in case.
As for my question: Does anyone know a way that might work to thicken ACV? It's aggrivating to use shampoo that is basically the consistency of water. Any help or random thoguhts would be appreciated. :)
Jarvis
Thanks Jarvis. I will definitely try this out. I'm already glad I posted here as I would never have considered trying that. I'm looking forward to giving it a go.
Thanks again
Aloe Vera gel, glycerin or honey? Or (don't laugh), chia seeds. Chia seeds form a gel when water is mixed with them. Wonder if mixing them in with the ACV might work? You could then strain the mix through a sieve.
Xanthun gum and guar gum are natural thickeners used in food and cosmetics, including organic. You can probably find recipes online using these to make shampoo and body wash.
Hey Brian, here are my suggestions:
1) There are several shampoo brands that are sulfate free . Always go for them. You can also try to co wash instead of using shampoo. Co wash is basically washing your hair with conditioner and avoid using shampoo. Thats because shampoo -even the ones that are sulfate free- contains very harsh ingredients for hair. Dont forget that shampoo is basically a hair-detergent.
2) Regarding Biotin, be careful since it might not be for everyone. I've heard of people breaking up their skin because of biotin (huge breakups also, like acne, etc).
So I would probably try something different like B12 vitamin instead. That also helps grow your hair fast and healthy .
When I started growing my hair, it was longer on top and shorter on the sides . I never ever cut it to even it out. Just let it grow and flow, time will do its work :)