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I have read and understood that silicone products in shampoo's/conditioners lead to buildup in the hair. Does anyone know how long these silicones last in the hair for without washing or doing anything else to the hair. It it true that brushing or combing, or rain water rinses some 'cones off hair, and do 'cones ever break down after a few months?
Or must a clarifier be used, otherwise the cones will stay a very very long time? Thanks
All I know is I clarify every few shampoos. I rinse my hair with diluted Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) after shampooing but before conditioning. I concentrate on the scalp and I believe it really helps keep my scalp and hair in good condition. It does *not* make the hair smell like vinegar.
Yea, I also use Apple cider vimnegar rinse, it works exceptionally well for me! I was just wondering though, about how long silicones last in the hair before they deteriorate, because I'm almost morbidly facinated with this subject lol
But, seriously though, thanks for the reply
After rinsing with the vinegar, it is possible
that your hair (especially as it gets longer & longer)
can tangle up badly in certain areas.
I learned this lesson the hard way when immediately
after using the vinegar rinse, I developed
a tight knot toward the end of my hair.
This reason for this is probably because the hair is squeaky clean
and there is no conditioner to prevent the tangles.
Anyway, be extra careful after using that rinse!
Thanks Luckskind, but I use Aussie Mega conditioner straight after the ACV rinse, to help with the nots. I shampoo with Johnsons Baby Shampoo/Aussie moist, then ACV rinse, then conditioner. What an intensive treatment!!! :)
It helps to mix a squirt of conditioner with the vinegar/water mixture. The mix clings to hair better, and less likely to knot up the hair.
Do you have soft water? This could be the cause of your problem with the ACV rinse. In areas of the world where the water supply is soft (low pH), you don't need the ACV rinse, as the soft water is what your hair needs to help close down the cuticle after shampooing and conditioning. Using the ACV rinse probably is overdoing closing the cuticle until it buckles, which can cause tangling the same way an open cuticle can.
I, too, learned this the hard way, but I realized the problem was that I have a whole-house water conditioner (softener), and thew ACV rinse caused tangles for me, too. However, most people don't have soft water, so the AVC rinse should work for them.
Most city water departments can direct you to where you can obtain water testing kits so you can test your water, or maybe they can tell you the pH of your water.
Good luck,
JE
Thanks very much for that. I guess I have soft water, because I live in the UK, but I'll see about obtaining a few ph strips from school to check the level out for sure.
So looks like I don't need the rinse. And I have experienced quite a few tangles too. Does this mean now that I must buy a drugstore brand clarifier instead, and do you think I've done a lot of damage to my hair now?
Thnaks for any help.
Naw, don't worry about it. Just stop the AVC. You might want to try a leave-in conditioner, which you use after washing, conditioning, and rinsing like usual, then apply probably about a penny's amount (if that much) for you hair's length. Distribute over your hands/fingers, then thru mainly just the hair, not the scalp, Get the excess water out, towel damp/dry, detangle/comb, and you're done.
I can personally recommend two good leave-ins (they work for me). Giovanni's Leave-in and Beauty Without Cruelty's Leave-in. They're not cheap, but even with my hair, one bottle lasts a long time.
Do check the water's pH, though, as that might provide more answers.
Good luck,
JE
I would guess they dont deteriorate, tho I suspect this may be wrong as im not a chemisty buff. The fact that silicone has an affinity for hair suggests some sort of charge may be involved or some lipid/protien interaction that is responsible for this action. Thus the key to finding out how long silicones last on hair strands would be to understand this process on a particle level. I would guess tho as the scales on the hair shaft open this would leave the silicone molecules (I dont know if they are polymers etc so im just saying molecules..) susceptable to deterioration, i.e removal not molecular deterioration as I dont think silicone does degrade as it is one of the most unreactive elements if not the most unreactive element on the planet. Also bear in mind that 'silicones' come in many shapes and forms in hair care products each will have its own properties.... if only we had a chemist here to explain!!
Interestingly acv is acidic, so if they remove silicones then it does suggest ph is involved somewhere, protiens I beleive are strenghthened in lower ph, and the hair cuticle is closed, how this translates to silicone removal im not sure.
Thanks for taking the time to write all of that.
I rinse my hair with diluted Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) after shampooing but before conditioning.
Gollan,
Just out of curiosity, what dilution do you use for your ACV rinse? 1:2, 1:5, 1:10? I am interested as I seem to be developing scalp "build-up."
Thanks in advance.
It is completely unscientific but I use a ratio of approximately one part vinegar to four parts water 1:4. I make about 500ml (1 pint/2 cups). My reason for the volume is to have enough solution to thoroughly wet my scalp and the hair near my head (the rest of my hair gets the runoff). I found it takes about 500ml to wet my scalp and hair. I use the 1:4 strength because *stronger* ratios sting my scalp and it seems to me that a weaker ratio would be more like a salad dressing than an acid rinse. I've seen ACV recopies where the ratio is much, much weaker such as 2 tablespoons in a quart (whatever ratio that makes). I've just never experimented below the 1:4. If you try it please let us know how it turns out.
I've seen ACV recopies where the ratio is much, much weaker such as 2 tablespoons in a quart (whatever ratio that makes). I've just never experimented below the 1:4. If you try it please let us know how it turns out.
Two tablespoons per quart is 1:32 which would 8 times more diluted than 1:4 . Absalom
I take 2 Tablespoons of ACV, and add 3/4 pint of water. I add a few drops of conditioner and mix it together. Then after shampooing, and before conditioning, I dip the ends in first, then just tip it all over my head, slowly. I believe this weaker ratio does the job well enough to remove the buildup for me.
