Hair care of movie stars from the past - oil-shampoo

[proo]

To be more specific I used Suave refreshing waterfall shampoo and Aura rosemarymint conditioner - I stuck the conditioner in there because it is very light, I love the smell and was somewhat concerned about a funky smell from the oil, and i wanted to do it all in one step. But yes, this is definitely a variable, for me it seems to be working. My hair is still drying, but the ends feel so different - so smooth. Believe me, this is rarely the case.

[ktani]

To be more specific I used Suave refreshing waterfall shampoo and Aura rosemarymint conditioner - I stuck the conditioner in there because it is very light, I love the smell and was somewhat concerned about a funky smell from the oil, and i wanted to do it all in one step. But yes, this is definitely a variable, for me it seems to be working. My hair is still drying, but the ends feel so different - so smooth. Believe me, this is rarely the case.

Thank you for adding that. I knew, again from the Honey thread results, that the conditioner you used from your results, had to be a light one. The problem then as now is that cosmetic companies keep coming out with new conditioner coatings, that make it almost impossible to tell in advance, just how much of a barrier they may be.

I will add your latest post to your report.

[torrilin]

You are most welcome!

That makes sense. I have read that products will start to go rancid before a rancid odour can be detected. I think that your description is great! No apologies are necessary, in my opinion.

You'll generally taste rancid before you can smell it in open air. I usually figure any oil I keep around should be used up in 6 months or less, and if it's not getting used up that fast, I should not rebuy. In principle, most food safe oils should store safely for several years. In practice, I'm forgetful, and if I don't use an item often enough to use it up in 6 months, I'm probably not using it often enough to keep on hand as a staple.

This is for food, but cosmetic products tend to be less strictly regulated than food products.

[ktani]

You'll generally taste rancid before you can smell it in open air. I usually figure any oil I keep around should be used up in 6 months or less, and if it's not getting used up that fast, I should not rebuy. In principle, most food safe oils should store safely for several years. In practice, I'm forgetful, and if I don't use an item often enough to use it up in 6 months, I'm probably not using it often enough to keep on hand as a staple.

This is for food, but cosmetic products tend to be less strictly regulated than food products.

Your rule matches that link I posted on transporting coconut oil in terms of maximum storage time. I remember when I was experimenting with oiling my hair years ago, I phoned Spectrum to ask about the shelf life of a specific oil.

I was told that the expiry date on the bottle (this is for a food oil, which is what I bought) is for an unopened oil. Once a bottle of oil is opened, you half the expiry time, based on when you buy the oil.

So, if a bottle says it is good for 12 months from now, once opened, it is only good for half that time or 6 months.

ETA: With cosmetics, some companies like Unilever are putting expiry codes on bottles and tubes in the form of a symbol that I did not notice before. My Sunsilk Lively Blonde Shampoo has such a code symbol, a small graphic of a container that looks like a jar with an open lid. Inside the jar is written 12M, to indicate that once opened, the tube is good for 12 months.

[LHktress]

I added coconut oil to my usual shampoo (about 1:1 ratio) and didn't change anything else about my routine, as I wanted to be able to tell whether it made a difference on its own.

And it did make a difference! My hair feels softer, more supple and less fly-away. Volume is good and there is no greasiness. I waited 3 days thinking my hair would get oily faster than usual -- and it didn't.

Verdict: YAY! Thank you for posting this method! I'm going to keep on using it.

[ktani]

I added coconut oil to my usual shampoo (about 1:1 ratio) and didn't change anything else about my routine, as I wanted to be able to tell whether it made a difference on its own.

And it did make a difference! My hair feels softer, more supple and less fly-away. Volume is good and there is no greasiness. I waited 3 days thinking my hair would get oily faster than usual -- and it didn't.

Verdict: YAY! Thank you for posting this method! I'm going to keep on using it.

Thank you so much for posting your report!

I will add your post to the successful recipes post. I do have some questions though.

1. What shampoo did you use?

2. Did you use an acidic rinse and or conditioner to follow the shampoo?

3. If you used conditioner, did you need less of it or the same amount?

[Demetrue]

I used Dr. Bronner's castile hemp rose liquid soap the first go-round. I started to feel like I was having an allergic reaction in my nose and throat after using it (I am allergic to many types of grasses, so I am wondering if this is what bothered me). My 2nd go-round with the All Soft shampoo 2/3 to 1/3 coconut oil went much better. I noticed that my virgin or less damaged hair responded much better to this than my very damaged canopy. The underneath felt very soft and smooth and fluffy, while the damaged areas felt a bit rubbery when wet and took a long time to dry (I think this was still a reaction from residue from the castille soap). Once my hair was completely dry, it felt very soft and nice. I might try again using Suave coconut shampoo - I have a lot of different shampoos and a lot of coconut oil, so I can experiment with several different combos and ratios.

[ktani]

I used Dr. Bronner's castile hemp rose liquid soap the first go-round. I started to feel like I was having an allergic reaction in my nose and throat after using it (I am allergic to many types of grasses, so I am wondering if this is what bothered me). My 2nd go-round with the All Soft shampoo 2/3 to 1/3 coconut oil went much better. I noticed that my virgin or less damaged hair responded much better to this than my very damaged canopy. The underneath felt very soft and smooth and fluffy, while the damaged areas felt a bit rubbery when wet and took a long time to dry (I think this was still a reaction from residue from the castille soap). Once my hair was completely dry, it felt very soft and nice. I might try again using Suave coconut shampoo - I have a lot of different shampoos and a lot of coconut oil, so I can experiment with several different combos and ratios.

Thank you for the update!

Hemp oil has been reported to be very difficult to remove from hair. Like sunflower oil, it is a drying oil. That may have been part of the problem.

In your shampoo stash, look for a clear one with the fewest additives and oils. However, since you are pleased with these results, this may be a good shampoo for you to stay with for now and see how well it works more than once.

I will add this experiment to the successful recipes list in the meantime. Good luck!

ETA: Your results were the last for the first successful recipes and results post, I have now called Post 1. I will start a new post for that, Post 2.

[Carolyn]

Here is today's coconut shampoo report. So far I think it's quite successful. 1/2t seems to be the right amount of oil. When my Dr Bronners is gone I'm planning on experimenting with other clear shampoos. Since I am getting color and high lights later on this week, I imagine I will need to use some kind of a conditioner. I always tangle for a week or so after getting color. I'm also wondering about the effect of coconut oil on hair color. I've read that oils can remove color and I don't want to do that. I won't be doing overnight oilings for a while but I'd like to keep on using the shampoo. Thoughts?

I did a fairly heavy coconut oiling last night. Quite heavy from the neck down and less above. It was really greasy looking. As usual a great deal had soaked in by this morning. I washed with the same shampoo concoction as before. Yeah, Dr Bronners I know. The reason I'm experimenting with it is because back in the day I believe a lot of shampoos were soap based. Now that I have soft water it takes a lot of the horridness away. I'm also using it about half and half with Suave Rosemary and Mint. The shampoo cleaned my hair above my neck really well. So a light coconut oiling can be successfully removed with the coconut oil shampoo. I think I would need a more concentrated shampoo mix to remove the heavier oiling. It wasn't a problem as I wasn't wanting to wear my hair down today. I had planned to do some kind of a bun. My scalp hair was nice and clean and the length was hidden in the bun. So maybe that was kind of a bonus The other thing I changed was my rinse. I left out the camellia oil that I had put in the last batch. This one was water, white vinegar and bluing. I got a little heavy handed with the bluing. It really brightened up my 2+" of roots. It made them more silvery gray than ashy blonde. I didn't notice it right away. I was trying on some clothes in a store this afternoon and seeing my roots in the harsh dressing room light was a real shocker Next rinse will be without bluing. I think one squirt might be enough. It's a constant fight to keep the red and gold tones away. My hair appointment has been changed to Thursday so I have an extra day to oil before I go.

[ktani]

Here is today's coconut shampoo report. So far I think it's quite successful. 1/2t seems to be the right amount of oil. When my Dr Bronners is gone I'm planning on experimenting with other clear shampoos. Since I am getting color and high lights later on this week, I imagine I will need to use some kind of a conditioner. I always tangle for a week or so after getting color. I'm also wondering about the effect of coconut oil on hair color. I've read that oils can remove color and I don't want to do that. I won't be doing overnight oilings for a while but I'd like to keep on using the shampoo. Thoughts?

I did a fairly heavy coconut oiling last night. Quite heavy from the neck down and less above. It was really greasy looking. As usual a great deal had soaked in by this morning. I washed with the same shampoo concoction as before. Yeah, Dr Bronners I know. The reason I'm experimenting with it is because back in the day I believe a lot of shampoos were soap based. Now that I have soft water it takes a lot of the horridness away. I'm also using it about half and half with Suave Rosemary and Mint. The shampoo cleaned my hair above my neck really well. So a light coconut oiling can be successfully removed with the coconut oil shampoo. I think I would need a more concentrated shampoo mix to remove the heavier oiling. It wasn't a problem as I wasn't wanting to wear my hair down today. I had planned to do some kind of a bun. My scalp hair was nice and clean and the length was hidden in the bun. So maybe that was kind of a bonus The other thing I changed was my rinse. I left out the camellia oil that I had put in the last batch. This one was water, white vinegar and bluing. I got a little heavy handed with the bluing. It really brightened up my 2+" of roots. It made them more silvery gray than ashy blonde. I didn't notice it right away. I was trying on some clothes in a store this afternoon and seeing my roots in the harsh dressing room light was a real shocker Next rinse will be without bluing. I think one squirt might be enough. It's a constant fight to keep the red and gold tones away. My hair appointment has been changed to Thursday so I have an extra day to oil before I go.

Coconut oiling used staight (not in a solution like a honey lightening recipe) does not lighten hair that I know of or from reports. I do not believe that the oil shampoo should either.

I would switch to an acidic shampoo base after your colour. An alkaline one may help fade your colour faster. That is why shampoos and conditioners for colour-treated hair tend to be more acidic than those for normal or dry hair. The hair cuticles tend to be "rougher" and more "open" on processed hair or more porous.

As for your red tones, honey lightening has been successfully used to help that since the first Honey thread. With the new dilution recipes it has been reported to work even better and there have not been any reports of damage from the lightening, even on previously damaged hair.

ETA: I am going to start a second successful recipes post with your new report. Done!

Here you go, "Factors in Fading Color",
http://www.pgbeautygroomingscience.c...-explored.html. Oil is not on the list. Coconut oil is absorbed to the cortex level and coats the hair as well, which going by this on water exposure, should help protect the colour, even during the oil shampoo http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...&postcount=134. P&G owns Clairol.

"Dyes are formulated to give hair long-lasting and richly hued colors, but several factors—from mechanical to environmental—can accelerate color changes and fading:
•Poor initial color application. When color has not been given enough time to penetrate the hair shaft, color molecules are not as tightly bound in the cortex, allowing them to be washed away. ...

•Cuticle damage. The cuticle is the primary protection for the hair cortex—where the majority of color molecules are housed. If friction or excessive chemical treatments damage the cuticle and strip away its protective fatty layer, the exposed cortex will chip away, and color molecules will escape during shampooing. Protection...

•Water exposure. Fading due to water exposure is often related to a damaged cuticle. When the cuticle is overly compromised, water can more easily enter the cortex and some of the color molecules can be pulled out and washed away. Shampoos do not strip color. In fact, data shows that water alone is responsible for the majority of color lost during shampooing. ...

•UV exposure. UV light is known to fade color in many substrates such as wood, cloth and paint. Hair is no different.19 UV radiation penetrates the hair and breaks down color molecules. ...

•Some shades fade more quickly than others. Red shades tend to fade the fastest because they have relatively small molecule size, which can diffuse from the hair and wash away more quickly than other shades. ..."

And this is from L'Oreal Canada, http://www.lorealparis.ca/faq.aspx#tab:FAQ_Haircolor
Many things including repeated shampoos, exposure to sun, pollution and frequent styling can all cause color to fade. ... After coloring, do not wash hair for a few days to avoid stripping your color." They do not say what is stripping the colour. P&G information is more specific.