Question about ditching SLS and Cones

[Imalath]

How long does it take your scalp to adapt and stop producing so much oil? I know it takes a while, but my last attempt at CO ended very, very badly. I'm not sure my scalp ever stopped that time, and I gave it six months before going back to my SLS and coney products.

This time around I added in a gentle SLS-free shampoo instead of trying CO, but since I've made the switch my hair gets wash-day greasy about every 18-24 hours. It hasn't even been a week yet and everyone's hair is different, so I'm not in a panic...I'd just kind of like to have an idea of when I can start stretching my washes again!

Thanks :D

Imalath

[Budgie]

I disliked cowashing also. I wash my hair once or twice a week, with the help of dry shampoo. I used to have a super oily scalp. It took my scalp a little over a week to adjust from daily gentle shampoo to even gentler shampoo (I dilute it with honey) once every 3 days.

While swapping Id recommend a dry shampoo, like batiste.

[fiðrildi]

It took me a month for my hair to adjust to co-wash, and my scalp is quite oily. When I used shampoo (cones, SLS, and everything), my hair would be oily on the second day after wash. Now that I co-wash, i wash it once a week, sometimes twice. But when I use the baking soda and apple cider vinegar method, I can stretch my washes as long as twice a month :bluebiggr

[Johannah]

How often do you wash your hair when you use SLS and cones? If you wash your hair every other day it's quite normal your hair gets greasy in 24 hours, I think.

For me personally, it took a month to adapt. But some peoples hair just can't handle CO - mine couldn't. If your hair can't adjust, it might not work for you. Now I use it once in a while.

[Night_Kitten]

When I tried CO washing it didn't work for me at all...
However when I switched to SLS free my scalp got used to it fairly quickly (2-3 weeks), after the first 2 weeks I discovered that I need to wash my scalp twice with the no-SLS shampoo (versus just once with the SLS shampoo) to make my scalp happy, and from then on my scalp felt great :)
I think in my case as the no-SLS shampoo is so much gentler it needs a "repeat" to clean the scalp area from all the gunk that accumulates on it during the week (I wash once a week usually, sometimes even once every 2 weeks)

[MINAKO]

My scalp is pretty dry, so there was no adjusting period at all for me. But i think theres no difference in streching washes in general, some scalps just take longer to regulate or sometimes simply won't, if you have to wash i frequently just make sure it's as gentle as possible and you will be fine.

[Imalath]

I disliked cowashing also. I wash my hair once or twice a week, with the help of dry shampoo. I used to have a super oily scalp. It took my scalp a little over a week to adjust from daily gentle shampoo to even gentler shampoo (I dilute it with honey) once every 3 days.

While swapping Id recommend a dry shampoo, like batiste.

Thanks for the advice...I've never tried dry shampoo before, so this gives me something to think about, as does diluting it with honey. Out of curiosity, do you mix the shampoo with the honey in your hand, or dilute them both in water? I know honey can have a lightening effect, and can be anti-microbial...any other reason for adding the honey that i've missed?


It took me a month for my hair to adjust to co-wash, and my scalp is quite oily. When I used shampoo (cones, SLS, and everything), my hair would be oily on the second day after wash. Now that I co-wash, i wash it once a week, sometimes twice. But when I use the baking soda and apple cider vinegar method, I can stretch my washes as long as twice a month :bluebiggr

Wow, twice a month? I'm not sure I'll ever get my washes that far apart! I use B.S. and ACV to clarify as needed, but they're not something my hair and scalp like long-term.


How often do you wash your hair when you use SLS and cones? If you wash your hair every other day it's quite normal your hair gets greasy in 24 hours, I think.

For me personally, it took a month to adapt. But some peoples hair just can't handle CO - mine couldn't. If your hair can't adjust, it might not work for you. Now I use it once in a while.

I can last a month, I think. Right now I'm washing every other day to keep the greasies down because I have a string of job interviews, etc that I want to look nice for. Before I swapped, I was washing once a week, sometimes twice if needed. Thank you!


When I tried CO washing it didn't work for me at all...
However when I switched to SLS free my scalp got used to it fairly quickly (2-3 weeks), after the first 2 weeks I discovered that I need to wash my scalp twice with the no-SLS shampoo (versus just once with the SLS shampoo) to make my scalp happy, and from then on my scalp felt great :)
I think in my case as the no-SLS shampoo is so much gentler it needs a "repeat" to clean the scalp area from all the gunk that accumulates on it during the week (I wash once a week usually, sometimes even once every 2 weeks)

I will keep that in mind...I can get dirty in a hurry at work, and was worrying about keeping my hair clean without the power of SLS ;). Right now just one wash is getting my hair clean, it just gets greasy...fast!


My scalp is pretty dry, so there was no adjusting period at all for me. But i think theres no difference in streching washes in general, some scalps just take longer to regulate or sometimes simply won't, if you have to wash i frequently just make sure it's as gentle as possible and you will be fine.

Thanks for the encouragement!

[DweamGoiL]

I was 2x/week also and I couldn't do CO either. It made my fine hair so limp and nasty feeling.

[Budgie]

..............

[Imalath]

I don't add water, I mix honey and shampoo in my hand. I add the honey because it makes my hair shiny and it's a humectant.

I keep forgetting about honey being a humectant :rolleyes: Anyway, thank you!