No soap or shampoo?

[Julysea]

I'm so glad I found this thread - I started not shampooing as an experiment on 1st jan this year after noticing that my children, who only wash their hair about once a year, have beautiful lustrous silky hair. Mine was a horrible greasy mess for at least 8 weeks and then stated getting better. 4 months in and I still don't think it's quite adjusted yet. Maybe it's because I'm a bit lazy about brushing it? But another thought is the type of water you have. I've heard various non-shampoo-ers say that hard water isn't helpful for this, and my experiments have borne this out. If I wash my hair in plain tap-water (we have very very hard water where we are) then it gets a sort of scummy residue on it, even without shampoo. However, washing it in rain-water or the softer water of where my parents live, results in softer hair. Just something to consider.

And whoever it was who said that they had greasy fingers after touching their hair - yes, I had that too, but it does pass!

I'm so glad to hear how many others don't constantly wash and perfume themselves. I sometimes fear that rather than being green, I'm actually rather scummy and lazy. On a parenting forum I'm a member of there was a thread about not being able to give up bleach because how could they get rid of limescale in the toilet and I was amazed that anyone would bother So anyway, scummers unite!

[Golden Eagle]

I've found this topic really interesting. Since starting uni I've got into the habit of washing my hair every day (shower wakes me up in the morning!) but I've felt my hair's become damaged with it all. Am certainly keen to gradually cut down my shampooing to as little as possible, though I have a feeling it will go very badly greasy if I go totally cold turkey straight away.

I have a huge problem though. I cycle a lot so tend to get rather sweaty and obviously need to shower after, but if I wash even just with water (especially in some water types) my sensitive skin gets incredibly dry and flaky... but then over-reacts and gets very greasy again if I moisturise. My face suffers with this hugely and is always a state. I've tried everything, ranging from not washing my face at all to various creams etc from the doctor and everything in between, but nothing really helps. What adds to this is being a fair-skinned redhead, so in summer I'm always slapping on the uber-high factor sunscreen which is horribly thick and my skin can't breathe, so gets even greasier.... and of course the stuff gets all in my hair too and is a pain to wash out....

whoever said fitness made you beautiful? *sigh*

Any suggestions?

[Fox]

I find I actually smell worse when I put deodorant on than when I leave it off.

And as I have started that old male-pattern baldness, I tend to keep my hair cut very short - no longer than a "3" generally. I too have started leaving the shampoo off, and my dandruff seems to have cleared right up - was plagued by it before.

My hair (what there is of it) seems reasonably clean and soft. I do rinse it whenever I shower, doesn't seem to make it any greasier than otherwise and it does make me feel like i'm at least rinsing off any spider-webs and dead leaves that might get in there lol!

So, for me anyway, less is more!

[Alosel]

Anyone got any non-shampoo tips for dandruff?

[Teileag]

I never had bad problems but the little bit of dandruff I do get after wetting my hair seems to clear up faster and faster. I am six months shampoo-free now... Maybe you just have to keep going?

[Corwen]

I have dandruff issues, and find it waxes and wanes with diet, stress, caffeine and alcohol consumption more than with what I put on my hair.

[Spirit Bear]

Anyone got any non-shampoo tips for dandruff?

I found the next text on the internet. I don't know if it all works what they are suggesting but some of what they say my grandmother used when I was a kid and it worked. She never washed my hair with shampoo. Once a week it get 'washed' with plain water and one of her home remedies like lemon, vinegar, camomille tea, egg, applejuice etc. When it was possible she used rain water ( we have also the problem of very hard water here).
I still do it the way my grandmother did. Only that the last years my hair, skin and scalp are very dry and are suffering from the pollution.And my dandruff was comming back. So now I also use ayurvedic oils to massage my hair and scalp with http://www.maharishi.co.uk/acatalog/Mah ... l_121.html and http://www.mapi.com/ayurveda_health_car ... rveda.html. and I wash my hair every 1 or 2 weeks with their shampoo now bcz of the pollution here.With water alone I couldn't get it clean anymore.
As some here already said: a lot of so called natural products aren't that natural but the ayurvedic products are in my opinion ok.( If somebody knows more about this, plz tell me/us).
Rainwater isn't an option anymore ( it's full with black 'dust') Instead I use Brita water.

Love & Blessings to all


The various contributing factors in the cause of dandruff are:

* Poor nutrition
* Deficiency of zinc
* Fungus (malassezia furfur)
* Yeast infections
* High use of alkaline soaps and shampoos


Home Remedies for Dandruff

Hot steam bath is highly beneficial for the hair and scalp. Massage hot oil and wrap a hot damp towel on the head for few minutes.

Immerse peels of lemon in coconut oil for 8-10 days in sunshine. Now sieve and apply on the hair. Hair will become dandruff free.

Hot oil therapy is the best method to cure dandruff. Massage hot oil into the scalp at bedtime. Next morning an hour before the bath, rub lemon juice mixed with cosmetic vinegar into the scalp with cotton wool. Wash your hair properly and as a last rinse use the juice of one lemon in a cup of hot water. Continue this treatment once or twice a week for three months.

Mix two tablespoons of cosmetic vinegar and six tablespoons of hot water. Dab this with cotton on the scalp and leave it overnight. Next morning wash the hair with a shampoo. - Home Remedy for Dandruff

Mix beetroot juice in vinegar and apply on the scalp. Ginger juice and beetroot juice mixed together and applied on the scalp are also beneficial.

The juice of snake gourd is helpfulin the prevention and dandruff treatment. The juice should be rubbed over the scalp for this purpose.

Mix 2 tablespoons of fresh apple juice to 2 tablespoons of warm water, apply on hair, rub, leave for 10-15 minutes and then rinse. Repeat this process 2-3 times a week to get rid of dandruff. This dandruff remedy is useful natural remedy for dandruff.

Dandruff treatment - Massage your scalp with the mixture of olive oil and almond oil; leave it for five minutes after you feel the burning sensation. Rinse properly for a dandruff free hair.

Soak two tablespoons of fenugreek seeds in water overnight. Grind the softened seeds in the morning, apply this paste on the scalp and leave it for half an hour. Then wash you hair with ritha solution or shikakai. This is also popular and effective home remedy for dandruff.

Cider vinegar added to the final rinsing water after shampooing also helps to prevent dandruff. This is very effective dandruff cure.

Exposure of the head to the rays of the sun is also useful measure in the treatment of dandruff.

Warm 300 grams of coconut oil with 3 grams of black pepper. When it starts boiling stop heating, sieve with a fine cloth and keep in a bottle. Massage with fingertips in the night gently. This is another useful home remedy for dandruff.

The use of a teaspoon of fresh lime juice for the last rinse while washing hair is highly beneficial. It leaves the hair glowing and also removes stickiness and prevents dandruff.

Mash beetroot leaves in henna paste and apply on the head to prevent dandruff and hair fall. This is also effective natural remedy for dandruff.

Rub the juice of snake gourd on the scalp for the treatment of dandruff.

Massage the hair for half an hour with curd which has been left open for 3 days or with few drops of lime juice mixed with amla every night before going to bed. This dandruff remedy is very simple and is one of the most popular home remedies for dandruff.

Application of processed henna once in 15 days helps to prevent dandruff. Boil equal amounts of amla and shikakai powder in water and allow it to cool. Now mix henna powder, very small amount of fenugreek and roasted clove powder, a little lemon juice and egg. Effective dandruff remedy.

Wash the hair with green gram powder in curd twice a week.

Beat two eggs and add two tablespoons of water to it. Wet the hair and apply the egg mixture over the hair. Now massage your scalp and let the mixture on for 10-15 minutes. Then rinse the hair with lukewarm water. This will keep both dandruff and hair fall problem away from you. This is also useful and one of the effective home remedies for dandruff.

Meats, sugar, strong tea or coffee, processed fruits, candies, soft drinks, pickles should be avoided. This is not a good diet for dandruff.

Diet for dandruff - Emphasis should be on raw foods especially fresh fruits and vegetables, sprouted seeds, raw nuts and whole grain cereals.

[Womble]

A friend of mine didn't wash his hair at all for over a year. It looked lovely and healthy, but to the touch it was sticky and yakky. He did eventually wash it and then had it all cut off.

[Golden Eagle]

Update!

Well the gradual reduction of shampoo seems to be going well, I'm now averaging three days or so between shampooing (cf. daily hair washing previously) before it starts looking and feeling very greasy. Well, it's probably not that bad but it feels pretty extreme to me! Still with time I'm hoping to go much longer periods between shampooing. Also have stopped using the hairdryer, which is fine in summer, though will probably have to lapse in winter (my hair's long so in the cold it takes all day to dry otherwise!)

One great thing is that my hair does feel in much better condition now it's not having a daily dose of chemicals and then irradiation by the hairdryer. It did get very dry and I had loads of split ends, but this seems to have stopped.

The other week my boyfriend commented that my hair smelled really nice - very 'me', apparently... this was a bit of a surprise as I'd managed four days without shampooing and it felt very greasy, so I was getting paranoid that it would smell horrible!

Since reducing the frequency of hair washes, I've found that my scalp doesn't get so dry with the hard water here - I'm guessing that's a result of having happier and more balanced scalp.

A couple of questions.

What type of hairbrush do people find works best for redistributing the grease?
For years I've been using one of these but was wondering if something like this would be better?

Is cutting down easier for certain hair styles/types?
My hair is quite fine and naturally straight, which means that it does show the grease quite easily... whereas I'm guessing that for those with wavy or curly locks, it's less noticeable and a little more grease might actually help with giving curls definition? Does hair colour make any difference?

(Julysea - Limescale in the loo? Whether it's a problem will depend on the area. We get vile orangey stuff and it really doesn't look good in the loo! Still, nothing a firm brush and drop of vinegar doesn't fix!)

[Teileag]

Hi Eagle,

I use a brush with natural bristles and it gets quickly dirty and dusty which means it does brush the dirt out of my heair. I also have a brush with metal "bristles" but I think it does damage the hair on the long run and doesn't remove much dust.
The natural bristles get clean with soap and water...

[samsal77]

What an interesting thread! I have recently become very interested in what exactly is in the products I am using on my hair and skin, and really realizing what is in them! It's nice to hear there are alternatives!

[morgane_snowy_owl]

I've read this thread from beginning to end this morning. It's amazing how ITCHY my scalp is, I can feel it like never before!! That's it, I'm giving it a try! Tomorrow morning, I'll shampoo my hair thoroughly to get it rid of the styling products I've been using, and then I'll let my body do the rest... and of course I'll purchase a good hairbrush.

So I'll take a picture tomorrow morning after my hair gets dry, and take a picture each week to see how things progress.

I admit I'm crossing my fingers real hard, hoping that it will work for me and not involve months of disgustingly greasy hair. I'll go cold turkey. No water, no shampoo, no nothing after tomorrow, just good slow brushing with the appropriate brush, twice a day.

Other than that,here are my two cents about personal hygiene. I read in a book written by a naturopath, aromatherapist and beautician, that our skin can eliminate up to ONE POUD of waste EVERY DAY. It gets into the lymphatic system, and out by our pores. So it is important to remove that layer of dirt and whatnot from our skin each and every day.

BUT it doesn't mean doing it with harsh chemicals. One of the most important items in our bathrooms should be a good exfoliating glove, or loofah, or body brush, whatever works for you. Brushing your body every day will help it get rid of all the sweat, dirt, dead cells and whatnot that has accumulated on the surface of the skin during the day. So we're talking brushing or exfoliating between the toes, over the nails, on your nape, everywhere! After that, you only need a good rinse. The parts that can't be brushed, or the parts that have sweated more, can be washed with a little bit of soap. Talk about a super-quick shower!

As for the genitals and other delicate body parts, several experts told me that one should never, ever wash them with soap, even men. Those areas are very sensitive and delicate, their Ph is important, and soap is a major irritant. Our secret gardens only need a good rinse every day and I guarantee that, unless there is an infection of some kind, no foul smell will ever emanate from it.

Likewise, women should avoid putting plastic near those areas. The only two brands that don't use a plastic lining for their pads and liners are Stayfree and Kotex (they use cotton-derived materials). Personally, I use a Diva Cup and only use Kotex panty liners during the first few days because it leaks a little. The amount of plastic and other oil byproducts I do NOT burden Mother Earth with is quite amazing... and even as I write this, I remembered that there are washable cotton panty liners and that I should use that instead...

I have tried Dr Brenner's Castile soap, the baby formula that's supposed to be so gentle... well, it burned like HELL and was so liquid that it was a pain to use... any suggestions?

Okay, enough babbling... can't wait to see how my hair will look in a couple of weeks!

Morganexx

[katie bridgewater]

Welcome to the easy life Morgane Snowy Owl! I wish you luck with your cold turkey. I did it that way and it's been over 10 years now and I've never looked back! Let me know if you have any troubles, and hang on in there if it gets tough for a week or two. PM me if you need moral support.

I love this thread - I hope more and more people will join me in the easy natural way. No products, no hassle, no 'fashion'-'victims', no pharmaceutical share-holders getting rich, no toxins, no plastic bottles in landfills, no itching, no ridiculous regime to follow, no need to worry about if my hair is too greasy to go out, no chemical factories,
BECAUSE I'M WORTH MUCH, MUCH MORE THAN THE ADVERTS TELL ME I AM!!!!

[morgane_snowy_owl]

Hey Katie,

hehehe you're quite passionate about this, and I understand completely. I really hope this will work out, and I'll also go cold turkey with the way I wash my body. I'll do body brushing before every shower, and only rinse the parts that didn't sweat. Then I'll use Yves Rocher shower gel in small quantities for the parts that need it. And only water for my privates.

I purchased a very good quality boar bristle brush... made in France... a bit expensive, I really hope it will do its job well. I couldn't resist and brushed my hair in the car at a red light and my oh my!!!! My hair felt a bit heavy at first, because the sebum had indeed been spread from the roots to the tips... but geez Louise, my hair became instantly soft and so shiny! And although the brushing kind of sleeked it back against my scalp, I played with it a little bit with my fingers... and talk about volume!

hum.... looks like this is going to be quite an experiment!

Thanks for being so available... lol you almost make it sound like going through detox! I'm very determined, and I give myself at least a month of cold turkeyness...

Cheers!

Morgane

PS we're having quite a big thunderstorm at the moment... GO THOR!!!!!

[morgane_snowy_owl]

just because...

When I told my husband I wanted to shower less to save water, he said it disgusted him because of all the bacteria that accumulates on my skin every day...

...and if other people have the same concern and use it as a reason to keep using soap on their whole body, here is a tip... use teatree essential oil! It has antibacterial properties. You can either put around 10 drops in your bath water, or you could also try this cute recipe:

1 cup Sea Salt or Epsom salts
20 drops pure essential lavender oil
20 drops pure essential tree tea oil
5 drops blue food coloring
5 drops red food coloring

Just mix well and keep in a jar. Add 4-6 tablespoon to your bath water and soak. And why not charge it with cleansing/purification energies to make a ritual bath out of it? I think I'll have a ritual bath every Saturday! (and do the brush-rinse routine the rest of the week)

Okay, time to shut up and go to bed!

Morgane

[Spirit Bear]

As for the genitals and other delicate body parts, several experts told me that one should never, ever wash them with soap, even men. Those areas are very sensitive and delicate, their Ph is important, and soap is a major irritant. Our secret gardens only need a good rinse every day and I guarantee that, unless there is an infection of some kind, no foul smell will ever emanate from it.

I have tried Dr Brenner's Castile soap, the baby formula that's supposed to be so gentle... well, it burned like HELL and was so liquid that it was a pain to use... any suggestions?

That is absolutely true. I have a homeopathic gynecologist and she sais that the reason that a lot of woman have fungal infections etc. is because of the frequently use of soaps, special feminine hygiene products like Lactacyd and poor quality sanitary towels. All these have to be avoided because it has a bad influence on the ph, mucosa and the natural immune system of those areas. And according to her, the special feminine products are the worst. The best is to only wash with water. And occasionaly or when you have your period, wash with 'Saforelle' (has a cleansing emulsion and a creme, without soaps or parabenes. It has a mild alkaline ph and Burdock extracts which soothes irritation and itching). http://www.saforelle.com/en/the-saforel ... 02_01.html

Likewise, women should avoid putting plastic near those areas. The only two brands that don't use a plastic lining for their pads and liners are Stayfree and Kotex (they use cotton-derived materials). Personally, I use a Diva Cup and only use Kotex panty liners during the first few days because it leaks a little. The amount of plastic and other oil byproducts I do NOT burden Mother Earth with is quite amazing... and even as I write this, I remembered that there are washable cotton panty liners and that I should use that instead...

I think for most of the women the washable cotton panty liners aren't very practical, especially for those with a full time job. But there are a lot of green ecological and healthy alternatives. At the healthstore here you find several brands like f.e. 'Nature Womencare' , they have all kinds of panty liners,sanitary towels etc. Their products are made form natural tree pulp and corn. No plastics, no chlorine. http://www.naty.com/uk/Products/tabid/5 ... fault.aspx

Blessings,

[morgane_snowy_owl]

I think for most of the women the washable cotton panty liners aren't very practical, especially for those with a full time job.

I agree wholeheartedly. If it isn't practical, you end up not using it and going back to brands that are bad for the environment. I would not want to carry a bag and extra cotton pads in my purse all week! However, given that I only use 1 panty liner or 2 max in 24h when I use the Diva Cup, using a washable liner would be no problem at all... You install it in the morning, you put it in the laundry bag when you go to bed... tadaaaah! Have you tried the Diva Cup? It's really easy to use, hassle-free, and confortable once you get how to use it properly...

http://www.divacup.com/

Other than that, I had, hopefully, my last shampoo today! Without conditionner and with all that crazy humidity today, it's really frizzy but I don't care! The magic brush will take care of that tonight.... tee hee hee!

Peace and friendship,

Morgane

[katie bridgewater]

For girls I recommend:

Mooncup
http://www.mooncup.co.uk

No waste
About as simple as it gets
20 quid - lasts for years
About as green as it gets without using moss or messy sponges (Since we each use an average of 11,000 tampons or pads in a lifetime, I hope I have made a difference to my local landfill site by using one of these for 15 years.)
Easy to use
Non-toxic - not just to the user, as there are no 3rd world women and children cultivating and spraying endless supplies of cotton either

I wouldn't use anything else now. But sadly, since Mooncup don't send reps into schools to get the brand and logo recognised by children (unlike Tampax and the other big multinationals) it relies on word-of-mouth and recommendation. Spread the word!

[morgane_snowy_owl]

For girls I recommend:

Mooncup
http://www.mooncup.co.uk

Yup, a menstrual cup is the way to go! Couldn't agree more! It,s almost the same as the Diva Cup; in North America it's the brand you can easily find at the drugstore and big supermarkets.

Your comment about schools made me think... I know several high school teachers and I'll ask them if the Diva Cup brand is advertised in workshops or health\sexuality courses in Quebec.

and if not... *rolls up sleeves* here I'll come!

Love,

Morganexx

[morgane_snowy_owl]

Okay, so here's an update...

Last time I washed my hair was last Wednesday. Now it's pretty greasy, but not as much as I thought it would be. The boarbristle brush does an amazing job; I brush my hair in long slow strokes in the morning and before I go to bed. And it does spread the sebum really nicely and gives my hair a lovely shine. My scalp truly is less greasy than it could be because of the brush.

Still, I miss my curls right now... and I'm starting to feel really self-conscious. Right now I'm wearing my hair in an updo, but the front, even pulled back, still shows that my hair is not freshly washed. Keep checking people's faces for disapprobation, disgust or judgement... hoping that the greasiness will go away soon... don't really want to wear a headscarf because I work exclusively with cancer patients... still debating whether I'll allow myself a good rinse on Wednesday this week or the next... at least, no sign of any dandruff so far...

...and today, a colleague told me my pulledback hairstyle really showed off my eyes and lovely... eyebrows! well I'll me damned!

Stopped using deodorant and doesn't make any difference. Except it's less chemicals on/in my body!

Body brushing has been a revelation! I really, really love doing it every night and it makes a huge difference. I brush every single area on my body (except really sensitive areas) and then I give my body a good rinse and just use a pea-size dollop of soap to wash areas that have sweated during the day. Well, the brushing really does seem to make a huge difference... because the water at the bottom of the tub is tinted grey when I rinse my body. It's amazing to really see how much dead skin and waste the brush helps me get rid of. I feel MUCH cleaner using this method!!!!

I have also switched morning coffee for green tea. Makes a huge difference too. Instead of feeling all sleepy and taking ages to wake up, I feel alert and light.

So there you go...

Morgane