Clarifying hair often?

[rcblinn]

For the past two years I've been slathering my dry, crunchy ends in oil. Despite my best efforts, they always tangled and stuck together like Velcro. I've realized now this is build up. What confuses me is that avoid cones and rarely use styling products (occasionally mousse). I do have very hard water which is a factor I think. Does anyone have a routine they can suggest for build up prone hair?

[catasa]

Hard water is indeed a factor that causes or makes build up worse. Also, oils and substances in cone free products also build up, though they are supposedly (I think at least) easier to wash out. But I think this very much depends on what specific substances you use and combine, your water, and your hair type.

I have rather hard/calcium-rich water and hair that for some reason (porous, non-porous, something else? I don´t know...) seem to be very sensitive to build up. Last autumn (i e 2012) I stopped using conditioners, regular leave-ins and DT:s completely because all they did was make my hair feel coated, frizzy and tangly after only one or two uses. Now I wash with a diluted non-SLS shampoo with a small amount of ACV mixed in, and then I use 3-4 drops of pure mineral oil as a leave-in on streaming wet hair. That is all. And I still need to clarify maybe every third or fourth week at least, despite the ACV and even though the mineral oil should wash out fine with non-SLS shampoo as far as I have read.

Anyway, despite still having to clarify, this routine has worked very much better for me than regular conditioners. With those it felt like I needed to clarify twice a week... And my hair does not feel more dry with this routine (rather the opposite in fact) and it is softer, smoother and nicer-looking.

I am not saying that you should stop using conditioner, I realize that is a bit extreme :) but it may be something to try if nothing else works. Otherwise I think it is just a matter of trying different oils and conditioners to see if you can find one that works OK. Also ACV rinses or citric acid rinses are supposedly good for preventing build up from hard water (if you search there are a lot of information on both here on LHC). If you use it as a last rinse though be careful not to make too strong a mix, since that can dry out your hair. I also know that members here have had luck with water filters, though they can be rather expensive... I tried a cheap/easily installed one and that didn´t work unfortunately, it felt like it got "full" immediately, but there are probably better ones out there.

ETA: not all clarifying shampoos remove build up from hard water minerals, for that you may need a chelating shampoo instead. Joico makes one that is popular: http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemId=100554/K-PAK-Chelating-Shampoo/Joico/Shampoo

Good luck! :blossom:

[rcblinn]

Thanks Catasa! I read your response in a thread I posted a few days ago about using mineral oil and I've been contemplating doing that ever since then. I just am hesitant to completely forgo conditioner in case it dries my hair out! But it seems that a few days after I clarify my hair and begin using conventional conditioner again, it's coated and the crunch is back again! I'm pretty sure I have low porosity hair and combine that with the hard water (it's so bad that just a splash of water on our sink's faucet leaves tell tale milky white stains=calcium) I'm utterly frustrated! I am familiar with chelating shampoos as I swim but I'd rather not have to use that every time since they are so harsh- I'd much rather just cut out the products that are building up and fix the cause rather than mitigate the symptoms. I love the smell of baby oil but also would like to use olive oil as well since that does an incredibly good job of my softening my hair. Anyways, does the baby oil compare to the de-tangling properties of conditioner? Do you find that you have to re-apply? And would olive oil be able to penetrate through the baby oil? Also, what SLS free shampoo do you use? I apologize for all the questions but I am really curious to go ahead and try your routine! Thank you :blossom:

[Kherome]

I bought a products by "L'anza" that works well for me. I have really hard water, just like you describe. http://www.sleekhair.com/2878-33-8-oz.html?gdftrk=gdfV25188_a_7c1551_a_7c6249_a_7c287 8_d_33_d_8_d_oz

That link is to the best price I have found on the big bottle. It's a really gentle product, but it keeps the mineral deposits away from my hair. It lasts forever too. I use one pump mixed in with whatever shampoo I am using. I only need it every other wash. Hope that helps!

[ositarosita]

Hard water is definitely a problem ... I use coney serums. leave in/ detangler and have extremely hard water .. every 2 weeks to once every month (depending on how I feel my hair to be) I clarify with a SLS filled shampoo followed by a chelating shampoo (specifically meant to remove mineral and hard water build up--- I use Paul Mitchell shampoo number 3).Followed by a really good deep conditioner to put the moisture back in my hair

[Crumpet]

I was just in an area with water from very lime-rich sources. It was horrid on my hair even though I wasn't there long so I just clarified this morning. For me, I go by feel now that I know what my hair feels like when it is in good shape.

[catasa]

Thanks Catasa! I read your response in a thread I posted a few days ago about using mineral oil and I've been contemplating doing that ever since then. I just am hesitant to completely forgo conditioner in case it dries my hair out! But it seems that a few days after I clarify my hair and begin using conventional conditioner again, it's coated and the crunch is back again! I'm pretty sure I have low porosity hair and combine that with the hard water (it's so bad that just a splash of water on our sink's faucet leaves tell tale milky white stains=calcium) I'm utterly frustrated! I am familiar with chelating shampoos as I swim but I'd rather not have to use that every time since they are so harsh- I'd much rather just cut out the products that are building up and fix the cause rather than mitigate the symptoms. I love the smell of baby oil but also would like to use olive oil as well since that does an incredibly good job of my softening my hair. Anyways, does the baby oil compare to the de-tangling properties of conditioner? Do you find that you have to re-apply? And would olive oil be able to penetrate through the baby oil? Also, what SLS free shampoo do you use? I apologize for all the questions but I am really curious to go ahead and try your routine! Thank you :blossom:

Sorry, I didn´t realize/remember that I had replied to another of your threads :oops: Anyway, baby oil would probably work fine but just as a note I didn't get so good results with baby oil with other things than mineral oil mixed in (most often fatty alocohols, which I think are among the substances that I have problems with in conditioners). So I make sure that I use only pure mineral oil/liquid paraffin. I think that in the USA at least there are baby oils that are "pure", but I haven´t found any where I live.

My hair almost never tangles actually so I can´t really give a good answer regarding the detangling, but the few times when I have washed my hair upside down and then tried to fingercomb/flatten it back down my back afterwards the mineral oil seemed to work wonders actually. I also think that I have read here that many people find mineral oil really good for detangling, however if you have a really tangly hair, for example usually need to detangle in the shower with your hair soaked in conditioner, I am guessing that it may not be good enough.

I wash every second day due to an oily scalp so I never re-apply the mineral oil. Non-wash days I never wear my hair down since my waves will have been destroyed during the night whatever I do... But in other threads on mineral oil I think that it is quite commonly stated not having to re-apply, it seems to keep quite well.

Mineral oil is a good sealant so I think that olive oil would be better used under the mineral oil, however I don´t think it seals completely (nothing that you would think about using on your hair does really I guess :) ) so you could always try it on top and see if it works! Maybe it would be a good combo! :)

I use this shampoo: http://www.urtekram.com/no_cache/produktdetaljer010/prodcat/shampoo-1/2258/no_perfume_shampoo_organic_250_ml-1/?tx_ttproducts_pi1%5Bbegin_at%5D=24&cHash=ab45e25abf427650f71fbe35513fd431 but I have no idea if it is available where you are (I am in Scandinavia). As you can see it is very simple with few ingredients which is what I prefer, it is a good ecological brand which is quite popular here. However it is not very moisturizing, being so simple. And also perfume free, which really is a good thing, but I sometimes miss nice-smelling hair products... Anyway, to minimize build up I guess that as few ingredients as possible is good, and especially as few moisturizing ones.

I haven´t been able to determine really if my hair is porous or non-porous, it has properties from both "sides", but if your hair is non-porous I think that you could do well without conditioner. I fully understand your hesitation to try, it took me quite a while (and many failed experiments and almost-full unusable conditioner bottles...) to dare try. I was afraid that it would dry my hair out over time, but that thankfully hasn´t happened. As I remember it my hair felt good (even if not "perfect") already at the first try (clarifying, then mineral oil only). I can´t remember any transition period other than learning which amount of oil to use and a few different shampoo trials. So you could maybe try one time and see how that feels, and take it from there.

It would be interesting to hear if you try this and how you find it, or if you find something else that works, please share if you want to! :flower:

[rcblinn]

Sorry, I didn´t realize/remember that I had replied to another of your threads :oops: Anyway, baby oil would probably work fine but just as a note I didn't get so good results with baby oil with other things than mineral oil mixed in (most often fatty alocohols, which I think are among the substances that I have problems with in conditioners). So I make sure that I use only pure mineral oil/liquid paraffin. I think that in the USA at least there are baby oils that are "pure", but I haven´t found any where I live.

My hair almost never tangles actually so I can´t really give a good answer regarding the detangling, but the few times when I have washed my hair upside down and then tried to fingercomb/flatten it back down my back afterwards the mineral oil seemed to work wonders actually. I also think that I have read here that many people find mineral oil really good for detangling, however if you have a really tangly hair, for example usually need to detangle in the shower with your hair soaked in conditioner, I am guessing that it may not be good enough.

I wash every second day due to an oily scalp so I never re-apply the mineral oil. Non-wash days I never wear my hair down since my waves will have been destroyed during the night whatever I do... But in other threads on mineral oil I think that it is quite commonly stated not having to re-apply, it seems to keep quite well.

Mineral oil is a good sealant so I think that olive oil would be better used under the mineral oil, however I don´t think it seals completely (nothing that you would think about using on your hair does really I guess :) ) so you could always try it on top and see if it works! Maybe it would be a good combo! :)

I use this shampoo: http://www.urtekram.com/no_cache/produktdetaljer010/prodcat/shampoo-1/2258/no_perfume_shampoo_organic_250_ml-1/?tx_ttproducts_pi1%5Bbegin_at%5D=24&cHash=ab45e25abf427650f71fbe35513fd431 but I have no idea if it is available where you are (I am in Scandinavia). As you can see it is very simple with few ingredients which is what I prefer, it is a good ecological brand which is quite popular here. However it is not very moisturizing, being so simple. And also perfume free, which really is a good thing, but I sometimes miss nice-smelling hair products... Anyway, to minimize build up I guess that as few ingredients as possible is good, and especially as few moisturizing ones.

I haven´t been able to determine really if my hair is porous or non-porous, it has properties from both "sides", but if your hair is non-porous I think that you could do well without conditioner. I fully understand your hesitation to try, it took me quite a while (and many failed experiments and almost-full unusable conditioner bottles...) to dare try. I was afraid that it would dry my hair out over time, but that thankfully hasn´t happened. As I remember it my hair felt good (even if not "perfect") already at the first try (clarifying, then mineral oil only). I can´t remember any transition period other than learning which amount of oil to use and a few different shampoo trials. So you could maybe try one time and see how that feels, and take it from there.

It would be interesting to hear if you try this and how you find it, or if you find something else that works, please share if you want to! :flower:

Thank you so much! And now worries, when you mentioned your routine in the other thread, I was totally intrigued :) I have heard of Urtekram and would love to find a US equivalent here which doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I think the closest thing I've found is Trader Joes Spa Nourish. Well, my next wash day is tomorrow so I'll update you to let you know how the experiment went. Fingers crossed! :)

[Weewah]

I have buildup-prone hair too and my water is kind of hard. I've noticed when I use a conditioner or leave in that contains a lot of oils it'll make my ends crunchy. Also, I read that citric acid and ingredients with "EDTA"(whatever that means), are chelators, so I've been doing citric acid rinses every other wash and my hair seems to be doing fine with it. So maybe you can try these things:)

[MadAddie]

It was always the hard water in my area that was playing havoc with my hair and not the numerous numbers of shampoo's and conditioners that I tried over & over .....
Now I use bottled spring water ... 'Highland Springs' - as my rinse ... actually I use a whole litre bottle of it once a week :D .... thanks to the fact that I THOUGHT S&C was the only thing causing horrible build up on my hair... thats when I switched to the Water Only Method.
Yes I soon realised that Water was the big problem and not the the S&C ... to start with that is ...but the great news is NOW my hair is even healthier because its free of not
only hard water but the chemical products aswell.... :)

Hard water is not good for hair. Whatever our hair care routine is, we should make
sure we always rinse with soft / filtered water. ^_^

[veryhairyfairy]

I used to have terribly hard water, and Miracle Water (http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=51184) was the only way to keep my ends and sanity intact. I used 2 teaspoons of lemon juice per gallon of water.

I hope you find a solution that you like, hard water problems are no good.

[Firefox7275]

You need to chelate not clarify for hard water mineral deposits. Silicones are far from the only ingredients that can build up: so can butters, waxes including cetyl esters, hydrolysed protein, certain polyquats.

[MeowScat]

I have hard water so I started doing Vinegar rinses last summer and they have made a huge difference. Apple Cider Vinegar might change the hair color, so I use plain ole White Vinegar.

After I shampoo and condition my hair I do the Vinegar rinse. I use about a capful of Vinegar in a 12 ounce plastic cup. I pour half the cup over my scalp, then I dip my length in the cup for about one minute, then I pour the remaining over my scalp again and rinse it out.

I even use it when I do scalp washes. Give it a shot! :)

[DweamGoiL]

I agree that chelating products are crucial if you have hard water and regular vinegar rinses definitely do help as well.

[HairFaerie]

I had dry, crunchy ends but with no obvious damage visible (splits, etc.) and I got a Redken All Soft products (shampoo, conditioner and leave in spray). It worked miracles on my hair! It is now soft and shiny and nice from root all the way down to the tips. No more crunchy, dry ends! I got them at Ulta. You might be able to get the small, travel size just to try it to see if you like it first. Also, if you are in the US, Sally beauty sells a cheating shampoo & conditioner. The brand name is Ion. I have used that in the past with great results as well.

[Ambystoma]

I use Joico K-pak chelating shampoo every 2 weeks followed with a nice long deep condition and I don't feel that this is too often - my hair loves it and seems to absorb moisture and retain it so much better now. I have awful hard water with tons of chlorine in it and I also find I can't get away with avoiding sulphates since no matter what conditioner or products I use I see the symptoms of build up very very quickly without it. I've reintroduced ACV rinses since they give wonderful shine, but I remember that they didn't seem to prevent issues back when I wasn't using sulphates or chelating so I'm not sure how effective an acid rinse really is for preventing hard water build up - after a few months if I need to chelate less then I guess I'll have my answer!

[catasa]

I have also tried last/leave-in rinses with ACV or citric acid but they never seemed to work for me, and especially the citric acid seemed to dry my hair out, even though I tried to use very little and follow the Miracle water formula. But this was when I still used conditioner, so I guess that I should try it again now as an addition to my current routine. I´ll think about this! :)