No soap or shampoo?

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Re: No soap or shampoo?

Postby Corwen » 09 Mar 2010, 11:47

inis wrote:Hmmmm...
...yes, I'm very glad about this topic, too.

I've never been one for increased showering... but I have to say I like the ritual aspect of cleaning yourself: I like to use scrubs (there are great scrubs from a company of "fresh handmade cosmetics", containing ground almond shells and cocoa butter), and I also like to take a ritual bath. Only when my body is covered in water I feel like I can gain weightlessness and distance from daily problems, it is high magic of renewal (and it's also very relaxing for the muscles, especially if you have to carry a toddler quite so often). I also like the effects you can reach with aroma therapy while taking a bath.
So... it would be nice to say goodbye to shampoo, but I couldn't do without at least a bath once a week; and a bath without getting my long hair wet is quite difficult... :thinking: I'll think about it.

Does it necessarily have to be a brush, or is it possible to use a comb, too?


You don't need to avoid wetting your hair, just that some people find getting it wet too often encourages greasiness, at least in the beginning when you have just given up shampoo. As Heike says If you have a bath and don't want to get your hair soapy just wash your hair through with water in the bath and then keep it out of the way when using any soap or bath products.

A comb works too, but a brush has more surface area and maybe does a better job of spreading the grease from where its made near your scalp to the rest of your hair, and removing excess greasiness.
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Re: No soap or shampoo?

Postby Aurora » 10 Mar 2010, 04:55

I have tended to suffer from a flakey scalp which would get worse if i didn't wash my hair, but i'm now3 1/2 weeks in and with water rinses and frequent brushing not only am i not greasy but my flakey scalp has cleared up too :D
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Re: No soap or shampoo?

Postby inis » 10 Mar 2010, 19:52

chadly wrote:Know of anything to help with dandruff? I have dry skin in winter as is, and I notice if I go even one day without washing my hair, dandruff comes out like snow every time I run my fingers through my hair.

Try tea tree oil, peppermint oil and lavender oil - that should help against irritation and microbes. Massage it into the scalp, then rinse off afterwards. And yes, brushing is important... :peace:
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Re: No soap or shampoo?

Postby Binky » 12 Mar 2010, 17:41

I am curious if there is a certain kind of brush that might be better, I keep my hair quite short but suffer from having a flaky scalp. I have seen ones with boar bristles, they are meant to be very long lasting and quite good from what I have read, and available at very reasonable prices.

I am also grateful for some of the other links etc posted here. I will be looking at getting some shea butter/black soap to try out, and I am even thinking about giving up shaving; and just using the clippers I already have and use for my hair (and have done with the same set for about 10 years). Not bad when the clippers only cost me about £15.

I already avoid anti-perspirants, and have done for a long time. I shower quite infrequently but mostly wash with just plain water; I used to bathe but since we got our new boiler the water just doesn't get hot enough for my liking.
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Re: No soap or shampoo?

Postby Cerys » 18 Mar 2010, 03:15

I just wanted to thank everyone for contributing to this thread. I had been considering stopping washing my hair with shampoo for several months and all of these helpful comments gave me the courage to do it.

So far, I am one week without shampoo and finding it easier than I thought. My hair tends to get oily quickly but I have been brushing twice daily with soft boar-bristle brushes as recommended here and then cleaning the brushes afterward with some glycerin soap (a tip I picked up from an article on Edwardian womens' toilette secrets :) ). My roots are much less oily although the rest is pretty lank so I dust in a bit of cornstarch (I wonder if arrowroot is better? ) before brushing and the lankness disappears. I have light red-brown hair and the cornstarch makes it appear a bit lighter which actually looks very nice. I feel great about not putting all those chemicals on my scalp and not wasting as much water -- and I also quite enjoy the brushing ritual.
Thanks again all!
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Re: No soap or shampoo?

Postby Aigeann » 19 Mar 2010, 17:51

A boyfriend (long ago) stopped washing his hair but did get it wet daily. He developed absolutely the WORST dandruff of anyone I have ever known (before and since). Eventually it was a big reason I left. Not to be shallow but he just always seemed...dirty to me because of it. I mean...there would be mountains of it on his clothes, bed, etc.

Obviously, he must have been doing something different (less?) than what y-all have described here because the flakes continually got worse. This post has opened my eyes about this choice.

Just rambling....

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Re: No soap or shampoo?

Postby katie bridgewater » 19 Mar 2010, 20:07

Aigeann wrote:A boyfriend (long ago) stopped washing his hair but did get it wet daily. He developed absolutely the WORST dandruff of anyone I have ever known (before and since). Eventually it was a big reason I left. Not to be shallow but he just always seemed...dirty to me because of it. I mean...there would be mountains of it on his clothes, bed, etc.

Obviously, he must have been doing something different (less?) than what y-all have described here because the flakes continually got worse. This post has opened my eyes about this choice.

Just rambling....

Aigeann


Dandruff is not a symptom of dirtiness. It was more likely that your ex had a fungal or yeast infection, or some kind of allergy or eczema reaction on his scalp. If he wasn't brushing daily to stimulate grease movement down the hair shaft or had a low level infection, he may well have had dandruff. Shampooing would have masked this by removing the flakes, whilst ironically, probably aggravating it if he had sensitive skin.
I know I said elsewhere on this thread, but I find the idea of putting artificial shampoos and beauty products onto myself far 'dirtier' than my body's own natural cleansing mechanisms.
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Re: No soap or shampoo?

Postby lotuswelcome » 19 Mar 2010, 22:50

Katie,I have a plant called Saponaria (Soapwort) growing in my garden. An infusion of its leaves can be used as a mild shampoo. Have you tried this before or do you think is better not to wet the hair at all? I fully agree mainstream brands of shampoo contain stuff which is harmful to us.
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Re: No soap or shampoo?

Postby Teileag » 20 Mar 2010, 11:17

Dandruff might be a recation to the water, too. I get some flakes in some places evey time I rinse my hair and it disappears again after a few hours. I rinse about once a week, but if I did it daily, I suppose I'd get bad dandruff, too. Brushing regularly and rinsing only every now and again seems to work well for me.
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Re: No soap or shampoo?

Postby katie bridgewater » 20 Mar 2010, 22:36

lotuswelcome wrote:Katie,I have a plant called Saponaria (Soapwort) growing in my garden. An infusion of its leaves can be used as a mild shampoo. Have you tried this before or do you think is better not to wet the hair at all? I fully agree mainstream brands of shampoo contain stuff which is harmful to us.


I know soap wort, and I've used it occasionally to clean my hands, but I wouldn't use any soap (not even soapwort) on my hair now because it would remove grease and my hair is perfectly stable without any soap interfering. But wetting hair with water is not the same as using a saponified substance, and in my earlier posts I've explained the different routines of wetting or not wetting and brushing that I've found work. In a nutshell, wetting hair is a matter of choice and can help to remove dirt in conjunction brushing if, for example hair gets very dusty or smelly from woodsmoke. I did mention before that in the early stages of my shampoo free days, I found getting my hair wet made it feel greasier for a couple of days, but this effect was only for a few weeks while my hair settled down and was not a permanent state for me.

For over ten years, I've been getting my hair wet in the rain, in the shower, at the swimming pool. in the sea and I don't even think about it. In fact, I hardly ever think about the state of my hair. There is no routine, no regime I have to follow, nothing I must or must not do to keep my hair nice. I just brush it and leave it to get on with whatever hair does all day. But no, I can't see any benefit for me in using any kind of soap on it, natural or man made! It would just start the whole viscous cycle of stripping the grease and my poor little follicles having to go into overdrive to replace it, which after such a long time of hassle free hair-care would just do my head in!

I am now slightly worried that at future OBOD gatherings I will be surrounded by people inspecting and smelling my hair...There's a nice picture of me and my hair on my CD Fruit if you want to check it out! Blatant plug! :)
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Re: No soap or shampoo?

Postby Dragonwyst » 21 Mar 2010, 02:49

Well - thanks to this thread, I am now one week into no shampoo - or just the tiniest smidgeon. I have hair that tends to be greasy, and usually warrants daily washing, so this has not been easy. Fortunately, as a theatre nurse, I have to wear a cap, so it's easy to hide bad hair days. Yesterday I resorted to using baking soda paste, which certainly got rid of the oiliness swiftly and completely!

How many trying this out have short hair rather than long hair, and how does that affect the process? I have short hair. I will persevere, especially now I know how effective baking soda is if emergency action is needed.
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Re: No soap or shampoo?

Postby Aigeann » 25 Mar 2010, 17:00

katie bridgewater wrote:
Dandruff is not a symptom of dirtiness. It was more likely that your ex had a fungal or yeast infection, or some kind of allergy or eczema reaction on his scalp. If he wasn't brushing daily to stimulate grease movement down the hair shaft or had a low level infection, he may well have had dandruff. Shampooing would have masked this by removing the flakes, whilst ironically, probably aggravating it if he had sensitive skin.
I know I said elsewhere on this thread, but I find the idea of putting artificial shampoos and beauty products onto myself far 'dirtier' than my body's own natural cleansing mechanisms.



OOOOOOOoooooooohhhhhhhhhhh

Yes, he did have eczema. It ran in his family. Thank you.

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Re: No soap or shampoo?

Postby Alosel » 27 Mar 2010, 17:01

It's been two weeks since I've stopped using soap or shampoo. I've got rather dry hair, and while it's still dry, it feels softer at the moment, and not at all greasy. I brush it frequently - there's quite a thickness of it, even if it isn't long, so it's more to keep it manageable.

For body stuff - I use a little body butter from the g/f, and occasionally use some essential oils (frankincense etc.) on neck for scent, and sometimes some diluted thyme and tea tree oil, in my pits to kill off bacteria.

I've had no complaints (I haven't told anyone yet!), and my scent has been pretty neutral. So, I'm rather happy with the results. Over the Eostre holidays, I'm gonna be making some Olive Oil soap etc. to kill time :-)

One thing I've found, is that after a bath, my skins feels awfully dry - any tips, or explanations?
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Re: No soap or shampoo?

Postby Dragonwyst » 28 Mar 2010, 12:31

Two weeks and not finding it easy. Without occasional baking soda my hair is still a greasy disaster. I will persevere just because i can use baking soda every third day or so to prevent me looking like a total greasetramp. *sigh*
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Re: No soap or shampoo?

Postby Silverleaf_Willow » 28 Mar 2010, 15:42

after a bath, my skins feels awfully dry - any tips, or explanations?

How hot is your bath water?
Hot water draws toxins from the body to the skin and as the water cools it draws the toxins out of the skin (according to Naturopath Dr. Hazel Parcells. quoted from http://www.care2.com).
Long hot showers and baths can dehydrate the skin as we may lose our natural body oils the same way.
Sigh
You may want to try putting 1 or 2 tablespoons of glycerine (or other natural skin-friendly oil) to your bath water, it worked for me.
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Re: No soap or shampoo?

Postby Jalking » 28 Mar 2010, 15:53

Just a note:
Glycerine is a bi-product from the oil industry and is not specially natural, may I suggest almond, coconut or another vegetable oil. Apply when still wet (just a few drops) and your all set ;)
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Re: No soap or shampoo?

Postby Silverleaf_Willow » 28 Mar 2010, 16:12

thanks Jalking,
I checked my glycerine bottle and it states "Pure Vegetable Source", I didn't realize there was another type.
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Re: No soap or shampoo?

Postby Corwen » 29 Mar 2010, 09:41

Dragonwyst wrote:Two weeks and not finding it easy. Without occasional baking soda my hair is still a greasy disaster. I will persevere just because i can use baking soda every third day or so to prevent me looking like a total greasetramp. *sigh*


Because the baking soda is stripping the grease from your hair it may be responding by making more grease, just as the stripping effect of shampoo encourages grease production. Maybe you need to go cold turkey and tough it out? Lots of brushing, with a soft brush, cleaning the brush afterwards, and only wetting your hair every third day or even less (wetting also encourages grease production).

Good luck!
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Re: No soap or shampoo?

Postby inis » 29 Mar 2010, 10:40

Corwen wrote:
Dragonwyst wrote:Two weeks and not finding it easy. Without occasional baking soda my hair is still a greasy disaster. I will persevere just because i can use baking soda every third day or so to prevent me looking like a total greasetramp. *sigh*


Because the baking soda is stripping the grease from your hair it may be responding by making more grease, just as the stripping effect of shampoo encourages grease production. Maybe you need to go cold turkey and tough it out? Lots of brushing, with a soft brush, cleaning the brush afterwards, and only wetting your hair every third day or even less (wetting also encourages grease production).

I was wondering whether maybe rubbing your head with a towel or a kind of peeling of healing soil (or something similar) might be a good first aid? That means, something that does not really rip off all the grease, but takes away the outmost layer?
My hair turned quite desastrous after ten or twelve days without washing, and everytime I touched my hair I had greasy fingers... I'm not the kind of person for "going cold turkey" :D - it should be possible to get your hair and scalp used to shampoo freedom by washing less and less often. At least me, I'm going to try to wash my hair as a first step not once a week, but once every two weeks.
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Re: No soap or shampoo?

Postby ZingNat » 30 Apr 2010, 03:26

Firstly what a great discussion and wonderful ideas. I have psoriasis of the scalp and not washing my hair is the only way that it is manageable. Any soap products and it reacts terribly. Occassionally I use about a tablespoon of cider vinegar in 750ml warm water as a wash if I've been in the garden or by the fire and feel my hair needs it. Not only does it add a gorgeous shine it can help the pH of the scalp if its feeling a bit itchy.

I make a deodorant of lavendar, patchouli and almond oil and for years people have asked me what that scent is...it is so distinctive now that my business is (nicely) known for it. As for my face I use rosehip oil or jojoba or a mixture of the two to massage it daily and cleanse it with honey and natural salt when it needs it.

Blessings all and welcome to the adventure of no chemical products for those trying it out for the first time.
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