6 weeks water only & there's a sour smell in my hair

[DarleneH]

Well, I tried it. I pressed through the itchies for the first few weeks, have REALLY loved not washing all the time because of how cold that is on your back when getting out of the shower (though I did water-only once or twice a week), got used to how much straighter my hair is now, and how it's somewhat heavier feeling which I actually like. But today I caught a whiff of something sour around me, and when I pulled a lock around to take a close sniff that was it. I can not abide knowing that it stinks. Granted I suspect my sense of smell is on the upper end of the spectrum, but that still means SOMEbody else could be too and be able to smell it.

I may try CO once a week, but other than that what options are there for freshening scalp and locks between washing?

[akilina]

Maybe you could try a mixture of green tea and a few drops of tea tree in a mister bottle and spray right onto scalp before your WO wash?
Or whatever tea you fancy with whatever EO you fancy...

Or try CO washing once a week...I would hate to feel like I am going back in progress. To me, it is a huge accomplishment being WO for 6 weeks...I could not even handle WO for 4 days.

Hmm another thought...maybe some sort of tea rinse would help?

[Madora]

The odor is from gunk building up not only on your hair but on your scalp.

A good cleansing of your scalp and hair with a gentle shampoo can work wonders.

If you don't like using shampoo full strength, then you can dilute it with some water.

The scalp needs to be clean if you want healthy hair.

[EndlessSunshine]

Brush with a clean BBB. Maybe do a ACV rinse.

[cwarren]

I agree with cleaning your scalp using diluted ACV. Also, maybe try adding a lightweight oil like jojoba throughout your hair and scalp. It rinses out easily and acts as a fungicide.

[bunnylake]

Perhaps WO doesn't work well for you. I'm sorry! I think you should clarify and then try another method.
I don't mean to offend anyone, but I don't understand the WO method. Why does anyone do it? I am under the assumption that in order to grow healthy hair, the scalp should be kept clean. Our bodies don't clean themselves... I should hope we are all using some type of body cleanser here! But why wouldn't the same apply to the hair/scalp? Just curious.

[Milui Elenath]

I do WO been doing it for almost solidly for 2 years and my hair doesn't smell - I make DH smell it and trust me he would tell me and he has a very good sense of smell.

Bunnylake Certainly not offended but I'd be happy to tell you why do I do it. Firstly because I am not dependent on commercial products therefore not contributing to corporations profits. Second my scalp loves it - I always had flakes and itchiness before but not now and my scalp is healthier than it ever was before. Thirdly my hair is better and different on WO. I also believe it is way more natural. I do believe our bodies clean themselves to a certain extent.

I keep my scalp clean by brushing and gently scritching (kind of scratching), my hair also gets clean via brushing and the sebum (I admit I have hardly any) gets distributed by preening and brushing. Water removes the excess sebum and any smells I might have picked up in the environment. If I did feel I needed help in the smell department there are plenty of flowers or herbs I could add to the water.

OP If you want to continue with WO there is plenty of advice regarding smell in the WO thread (I know it's massive!) but a few things you could try are clarifying - as smells and residues from previous products can cause issues. Tea rinses, flower rinses, acv and even dilute shampoo may help to remove the smell too. WO is way more fiddly and individual then other methods and really 6 weeks is only barely long enough to have transitioned. Whatever you choose I think WO is a good method to experiment with even temporarily just to get to know your hair. Good luck.

[MaryO]

Hope I'm not hi-jacking the thread here but can WO work for oily haired individuals?

[Pierre]

Comb a few drops of tea tree oil into your hair. That's what I did many years ago, before I heard of LHC or even henna, and the choir director told me my hair stank. Next time, he told me "Whatever you're doing, keep doing it!"

I currently use a mix of Melablend (tea tree and some relative), ylang-ylang, and patchouli EOs in jojoba, usually spreading it over my hair with my palms.

Also comb your scalp well while you're in the shower.

[mzBANGBANG]

my big setback with WO was I got tired of what felt like a scalp massage every wash. I just didn't have time for that kind of washing in the morning.

More recently I have been using a very, very diluted VO5 shampoo on just the top of my scalp. It really only takes about a dime sized drop, too. For me this is enough to battle the greasy looking part, and take care of any smell. I am not strict WO, just happened to venture back this way because I ran out of product :)

[spidermom]

If there was no water in the rain barrel, my grandmother wouldn't wash her hair. I remember being able to smell her head while sitting at the table trying to have a meal (which I couldn't eat, I was so grossed out). The smell was exactly what you describe - sour. So I will never willingly try WO or heaven forbid SO/NW. It's diluted shampoo for me.

[arielágua]

Second my scalp loves it - I always had flakes and itchiness before but not now and my scalp is healthier than it ever was before. Thirdly my hair is better and different on WO. I also believe it is way more natural. I do believe our bodies clean themselves to a certain extent.

I keep my scalp clean by brushing and gently scritching (kind of scratching), my hair also gets clean via brushing and the sebum (I admit I have hardly any) gets distributed by preening and brushing. Water removes the excess sebum and any smells I might have picked up in the environment. If I did feel I needed help in the smell department there are plenty of flowers or herbs I could add to the water.

I remember learning in school that water cannot mix with oils (sebum is oil), and for that reason it cannot clean.
If you try putting any oil in a plate and then clean it with water only it won't remove the oils.
I believe that water only might work for dry scalps but not for oily.
I think you should dilute your shampoo or use a mild soap bar to wash your scalp only. You don't need to apply shampoo on the ends in order not to dry them out.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck. :)

[DarleneH]

I really REALLY like not having to wash my hair as often. There are many positives to that. So changing to washing with diluted shampoo or CO is defeating those purposes.

But I may try a tea spritz with rosemary, and eucalyptus or tea tree oil (or both), and spritz this on my roots. I can count the rosemary as good for growth and the other ingredients as good for healthy scalp.

Does that sound reasonable?

[arielágua]

I'm no hair expert or guru, but experimenting won't work, right?
Maybe you could try doing that, if it works, than wonderful, if not, you should really consider if water only is really for you. :/

Sorry not the best reply I know, but since no one gave you more feedback...maybe you could wait and see what other people say. :)

Best of luck!

[theodora]

Maybe if you post your issue in the WO thread you'll get more/better feedback from ppl with experience in WO?
Don't get discouraged, it doesn't mean you have to give-up. Good luck with it.

[DarleneH]

I may try posting in the WO thread. Thanks for the suggestion.



If there was no water in the rain barrel, my grandmother wouldn't wash her hair. I remember being able to smell her head while sitting at the table trying to have a meal (which I couldn't eat, I was so grossed out). The smell was exactly what you describe - sour. So I will never willingly try WO or heaven forbid SO/NW. It's diluted shampoo for me.

It is kind of a sour smell mixed with BO, and you are right, it is absolutely disgusting. What is "SO/NW"? I guess the "NW" part is "no water"?

[theodora]

SO means sebum only, so it's mostly preening based, whereas WO is a combination of preening and rinsing/using water to move the sebum down/remove oil.

[Alex Lou]

I think that that smell is the smell of your natural oils going rancid. In my experience, water seems to accelerate the process. I'm sorry that I don't know of any solution other than CO or shampoo. But maybe there are some herbal substances that prevent the oil from going rancid? I'm sure that others will know.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rancidification
Looks like your problem is hydrolytic rancidity.

[spidermom]

People talk about water removing sebum, but since oily substances are not soluble in water, I don't think that's going to work. But as I said, my outlook is biased. I am highly motivated to keep my hair and head clean and avoid bad smells.

[nobeltonya]

You should experiment and find out what works for you. Don't stretch washes just because it works for other people, b/c it may not work for you. I can't do it.. no WO, no CO, no stretching washes.. I wash daily, do nightly coconut oil massages, comb wet [with a wide-tooth comb and after plenty of conditioner and leave-in], etc.. what might work, if you don't want cold, wet hair on your back, is to buy a turbie twist. I love mine.. it helps your hair dry faster, and works a lot better than a regular towel.. just a suggestion. :disco:

[DarleneH]

I think that that smell is the smell of your natural oils going rancid. In my experience, water seems to accelerate the process. I'm sorry that I don't know of any solution other than CO or shampoo. But maybe there are some herbal substances that prevent the oil from going rancid? I'm sure that others will know.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rancidification
Looks like your problem is hydrolytic rancidity.

I was thinking more like this explanation from your link:

"Microbial Rancidity
Microbial rancidity refers to a process in which microorganisms, such as bacteria, use their enzymes such as lipases to break down fat. This pathway can be prevented by sterilization."


I have rosemary, eucalyptus, and spearmint essential oils, and I'm running by Wal-Mart tonight to pick up some tea tree oil. I'll fiddle with a combination of these and see how it goes.

[Unicorn]

I've had a few goes at WO, but I add ACV for it's bacterial qualities. This may help with the smell as its due to bacterial action on the sebum rather than the sebum alone.

About the WO not removing the oil. It doesn't strip the oil, but it does reduce it significantly and also seems to help it move down the hair shaft. I would assume the combination of heat and water thins/softens it somewhat, dispersing rather than emulsifying it. Some oil will inevitably disperse with the water.

The longest I've managed to date is just over a month. During that time, while I was aware there was some oil on the scalp and hair, there was much less than there is between normal shampoos. I tended to rinse it through most days, but at least every second day.

I also did a smell checked at the scalp area behind the ear. From one of your posts Spidermom, where you said it was the place on the scalp most prone to any smells. With the water and ACV it passed the smell test. :) Basically rubbing the scalp with the tips of freshly washed fingers, then sniffing for sebum smells.

Unicorn

[Milui Elenath]

SNIP

About the WO not removing the oil. It doesn't strip the oil, but it does reduce it significantly and also seems to help it move down the hair shaft. I would assume the combination of heat and water thins/softens it somewhat, dispersing rather than emulsifying it. Some oil will inevitably disperse with the water.SNIP
Unicorn

Yes. This is exactly my experience. That is why I stated that it removes the excess sebum. Sure oil and water don't mix but oil does sit on top of water and you can wash off some oil. Also sebum can act more like a wax so a combination of cold and warm waters allow the oil to spread or solidify helping it move along the hair.

Spidermom I can appreciate your bias and respect your choice but it doesn't seem like your Grandmother was doing WO or SO, she was just not washing because she'd run out of water.

I feel the need to point out to all that there is more to these methods than just letting the hair go or stretching a wash. Preening/brushing/scritching are all important parts of managing hair/scalp and keeping it clean.

DarleneH I think spritzing your hair would be a good idea and also I forgot to mention that if your hair is up all day it might need to air for a bit. In anycase here is the WO Thread. (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com./showthread.php?t=3412&page=287)

[MinderMutsig]

Well I don't know enough about WO to give you any tips and it's definitely not something I would want to try but from what I have read I say don't give up just yet. There must be some trick to get you over this bump and I'm sure the ladies and gents in the WO thread can help you with this.

Don't let the negative responses in this thread get you down. Most of them most likely haven't read anything about the WO method and just have an instant "ick!" response that is comparable to the "Gross, you hair is longer than your butt so you must dunk it in the toilet all the time!" response.

[DarleneH]

I suspect some of my issue is that with the current heat and humidity I sweat a lot when working outside in my yard, and I'm also wearing a hat for shade. So I'm wondering if that's trapping some sweat and dirt and adding to bacterial growth enough that just water only can't take care of it.

[spidermom]

I do remember that my grandmother would comb her tailbone length hair thoroughly every morning with a wide tooth comb followed by a fine tooth comb, then re-braid it and wrap the braids around her head. That's about all I remember of her routine. It's kind of interesting that she allowed no water to touch her head except rain water.

[arielágua]

Don't let the negative responses in this thread get you down. Most of them most likely haven't read anything about the WO method and just have an instant "ick!" response that is comparable to the "Gross, you hair is longer than your butt so you must dunk it in the toilet all the time!" response.

As far as I read this thread, I did not read any negative comment, just people giving their personal experience to the OP.

Some people claimed that WO might not work, other claimed it does.

I think it was very offensive of your part to assume that just because someone suggested "shampoo your scalp" it meant that the suggester was feeling grossed by the OP's issue. We're all just trying to help.

Actually, I've read the WO thread many times, and I have tried it. And yes, I suggested diluted shampoo to the OP.

[MinderMutsig]

As far as I read this thread, I did not read any negative comment, just people giving their personal experience to the OP.

Some people claimed that WO might not work, other claimed it does.

I think it was very offensive of your part to assume that just because someone suggested "shampoo your scalp" it meant that the suggester was feeling grossed by the OP's issue. We're all just trying to help.

Actually, I've read the WO thread many times, and I have tried it. And yes, I suggested diluted shampoo to the OP. My post was in no way directed at people who made suggestions on how to fix the OP's problem so I don't understand why you took it personal and are offended. I'd re-read the thread. There are a couple of posts along the lines of "obviously WO doesn't work, bodies don't cleanse themselves; gross" and that is what I was talking about. They serve no other purpose than to make the OP feel bad and I was sticking up for her. If that is offensive then so be it.

[Anje]

6 weeks is a rough point for most people with WO. Push through it! (Experience -- I did WO for about 8 months. Finally gave it up because my hair gets seasonally oilier than the method was able to handle.)

Like others, I'd recommend giving your hair a good thorough scrub and a strong ACV rinse. Make sure you get your hair completely dry, too -- in my experience, a sour smell is usually something I associate with things being kept wet for too long.

[dmarie16]

I believe that you are correct in assuming the odor is from sweat. It can smell sour on clothes so why not on natural fiber of hair? I cannot speak from personal experience as I have never tried WO method. I have had experiences with scalp soreness from not washing at least once a week with shampoo, so I know it's not for me personally. CO can even cause flare ups in the summer heat with excess perspiration and sebum. I think if odor is your only issue, then you must be onto something that will work for you! Try misting with water and your fav scent essential oil, just a few drops in a mister bottle can work wonders! I have been around smokers and cleared the odor from my hair with a few drops of sweet orange and neroli mixed with spring water!!! Good luck!