Any regular herb-washers out there?

**Ophidian** · March 4th, 2017, 01:19 PM

I'm thinking specifically of those based around saponin-containing herbs as a cleansing agent (yucca, aritha/soap nuts, soapwort...) and used in powder, gravy, or tea form. I know there are several old threads and articles dedicated to this but I haven't seen much activity on them so I was curious to see if there are any regular herb washers out there. If so:

What recipe(s) do you use/have you used? What is your wash technique?

How do herb washes fit into your overall routine (only cleansing agent, or supplement to something else)?

What did you/do you like about herb washes? Dislike?

Thanks!

**pandabarrier** · March 4th, 2017, 02:13 PM

I don't qualify as herb-washer because I never used saponin-containing herbs, but here is my experience with herbs:
I dilute shampoo in nettle tea. 2 tea bags brewed for a couple of hours in 16oz of water. After the tea cooled off I pour it in a squeeze bottle, and mix it with shampoo. I do it once a week if I remember to plan ahead and if I'm not clarifying.
I noticed the scalp stays cleaner and 'calmer' (not dry, itchy neither overly oily in some parts) if I do that and I can stretch washes by one day (that makes a difference, I don't like to stay with wet hair in a cold apartment!).
In the summer, when I sweat a lot, I boil rosemary and thyme and use the cold tea to pour on my scalp in between washes, to get rid of the sweat. It's refreshing when the weather is humid and hot.

**lapushka** · March 4th, 2017, 03:32 PM

Does clay count? Then don't forget rhassoul/ghassoul clay. Or bentonite clay.

I once tried aritha, skikakai, and rhassoul/ghassoul clay (not all at once, of course). It was a no-go for me. I even tried BS, and that was as much a disaster as everything else. It gave me tangly, very tangly, product-y, residue-y and sticky, velcro-y hair. No thank you. I'll stick to my regular shampoo and silicones.

But at least I tried it.

**Ophidian** · March 4th, 2017, 07:09 PM

Originally Posted by lapushka

Does clay count? Then don't forget rhassoul/ghassoul clay. Or bentonite clay.

I once tried aritha, skikakai, and rhassoul/ghassoul clay (not all at once, of course). It was a no-go for me. I even tried BS, and that was as much a disaster as everything else. It gave me tangly, very tangly, product-y, residue-y and sticky, velcro-y hair. No thank you. I'll stick to my regular shampoo and silicones.

But at least I tried it.

No, I'm not talking about clay or BS, just herbs used specifically for their cleansing properties (Indian or Western). Shikakai and aritha are often used in combination with other herbs I think, but it seems like ratios matter as some herbs are drying and some are more conditioning, etc. A while back there were several people who seem to have been using their own recipes regularly in place of shampoo (users Dianyla, Mira-Chan, Shell, and others). I am happy that you are happy with your products and routine, but I was wondering if there was anyone out there who has washed with herbs for any length of time and had some experience to share.

**Ophidian** · March 7th, 2017, 07:48 AM

Originally Posted by pandabarrier

I don't qualify as herb-washer because I never used saponin-containing herbs, but here is my experience with herbs:
I dilute shampoo in nettle tea. 2 tea bags brewed for a couple of hours in 16oz of water. After the tea cooled off I pour it in a squeeze bottle, and mix it with shampoo. I do it once a week if I remember to plan ahead and if I'm not clarifying.
I noticed the scalp stays cleaner and 'calmer' (not dry, itchy neither overly oily in some parts) if I do that and I can stretch washes by one day (that makes a difference, I don't like to stay with wet hair in a cold apartment!).
In the summer, when I sweat a lot, I boil rosemary and thyme and use the cold tea to pour on my scalp in between washes, to get rid of the sweat. It's refreshing when the weather is humid and hot.

Thanks for sharing this! I'm currently alternating between herb washing using variations of Dianyla's hair gravy recipe, water only, and dilute shampo. On Sunday I diluted my shampoo in a nettle-blend infusion as you mentioned and was very pleased with the results.

**lapushka** · March 7th, 2017, 08:42 AM

Originally Posted by Ophidian

No, I'm not talking about clay or BS, just herbs used specifically for their cleansing properties (Indian or Western). Shikakai and aritha are often used in combination with other herbs I think, but it seems like ratios matter as some herbs are drying and some are more conditioning, etc. A while back there were several people who seem to have been using their own recipes regularly in place of shampoo (users Dianyla, Mira-Chan, Shell, and others). I am happy that you are happy with your products and routine, but I was wondering if there was anyone out there who has washed with herbs for any length of time and had some experience to share.

I did state that I tried aritha, and shikakai, but that it was not for me.

**Ophidian** · March 7th, 2017, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by lapushka

I did state that I tried aritha, and shikakai, but that it was not for me.

I did see that but you mentioned that you had only tried it once before deciding it wasn't for you, while I was asking specifically if anyone was currently using (or had used in the past) herb washes on a regular basis as a primary cleansing method.

ETA: I apologize if I came off as being snarky lapushka,I was looking for answers to my specific question and didn't want to go off topic but I suppose when we start threads we don't always get to dictate where they go!

**Reyn127** · March 7th, 2017, 11:28 AM

I have been using rye flour shampoo for a few months now with very good results. I don't think it's a saponin-based cleanser (or if so, at a very low amount), but I do know that low-gluten finely ground flours in general can be used as shampoo fairly well. I also sometimes use eggs if I don't have 2+ hours to get all the flour out of my hair. Are you interested at all in hearing about my current routine with the flour though?

**Ophidian** · March 7th, 2017, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by Reyn127

I have been using rye flour shampoo for a few months now with very good results. I don't think it's a saponin-based cleanser (or if so, at a very low amount), but I do know that low-gluten finely ground flours in general can be used as shampoo fairly well. I also sometimes use eggs if I don't have 2+ hours to get all the flour out of my hair. Are you interested at all in hearing about my current routine with the flour though?

There is a rye washing thread here that I've read through a bit. Haven't tried it but it does sound like it's working well for some. I guess all the alt hair care methods blend together after a while. I started this thread to see if anyone was still doing any washes like those mentioned here:

http://www.gossamerstrands.com/Hair/Indianherbs.htm
http://www.gossamerstrands.com/Hair/Westherbart.htm

...mostly based around yucca, soapwort, and soapnut/aritha. They seem to have been discussed regularly years ago but hadn't seen any recent conversations here about them. Tea rinses and clay eggs and flours/grain rinses yes, but not these kinds of recipes.

**lapushka** · March 7th, 2017, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by Ophidian

I did see that but you mentioned that you had only tried it once before deciding it wasn't for you, while I was asking specifically if anyone was currently using (or had used in the past) herb washes on a regular basis as a primary cleansing method.

ETA: I apologize if I came off as being snarky lapushka,I was looking for answers to my specific question and didn't want to go off topic but I suppose when we start threads we don't always get to dictate where they go!

I thought my take on it, and my experience could be valuable; because YMMV as with everything, right? And you bet I tried that more than once, the clay: no, but the aritha & shikakai I think I tried a few times (the aritha I think because I had a whole box of it).