A few questions about clarifying

[Mellybee]

My ends are crunchy :( I have been spritzing and oiling in an attempt to reverse the crunchyness and get some moisture in, but today I reached for my scissors. Thankfully I didn't cut off too much, I figured if I could slowly get rid of the worst of it, bit by bit, I wouldn't have to lose too much length too quickly. I was a tad baffled, as my hair has no splits or apparent damage other than the fact that the ends were crunchy and dry... After doing a quick search, the tons of threads coming up with crunchy ends all suggest clarifying. So I did a search on that too, but didn't necessarily have my questions answered and there were a lot of threads to sift through.

What exactly does one look for in a clarifying product?

Is it strictly a shampoo?

When clarifying, do you lather all over your length as well as your scalp (Particularly in my case of crunchy ends)?

I try very hard to stick to SLS/SLES, paraben, etc free shampoos... When it comes to products that I put on or in my body I try to go as organic as possible, is this possible when it comes to choosing a clarifying product? What would you suggest?

Also, how can I prevent crunchy ends in the future? The only product I use in my hair is oils-- although I have recently been using shea butter, which might be a bit on the heavy side? I don't believe I've ever had my ends so dry :/ The rest of my hair is so happy and soft

ETA: Also, I am VERY hesitant to use Baking Soda, as at one point in the past it has practically destroyed my hair... Would really like to avoid it as much as possible.

[Madora]

I rarely clarify but based on recommendations here use Neutrogena Anti Residue clarifying shampoo. I use it straight out of the bottle, on my scalp and hair.

It does it job and really strips the hair of everything that is coating it.

Be sure to rinse it out well and following your clarifying shampoo with a deep conditioning treatment (or a good conditioning).

The crunchiness might be due to a buildup on your hair. The more stuff you can keep off your hair, the better!

I'd avoid baking soda like the plague, especially since you had such a bad experience with it in the past.

[Panth]

Baking soda is generally not a good idea. I have no idea why people recommend it (probably because, like most things, it takes a while for the damage to show).

Personally, I think you're just best going for a simple clarifying shampoo. You're only going to use it very occasionally, anyway. I like Pantene Classic Clarifying shampoo (http://www.pantene.co.uk/hair-care-collections/classic/clarifying/shampoo) as it clarifies and chelates in one go. When clarifying (or chelating) you gently lather your entire length - it's going to be your length, not your roots, that have most build-up so there's absolutely no point in doing the usual shampoo thing of 'scalp only'.

Your other best bet is prevention. When you say your only product is oils ... presumably you have shampoo or other cleansing something in there too, right? Lots of things can build up, even "natural" ingredients. E.g. 'cones, waxes, butters, oils, certain herbal products. Overuse of oil, especially coconut oil, often results in a "crunchy" feeling. Another common problem is excess protein, which is also often described as feeling "crunchy".

[lilin]

I'm actually kinda wondering if you have *too much* moisture in your ends.

Oils can definitely build up if your shampoo can't break them down sufficiently, but over-moisturized hair can also feel crunchy.

If hair doesn't have enough protein relative to the amount of moisture, it can feel dry, but it's stretchy, and when it's wet it might feel mushy or spongy. If you stretch the hair, it won't fully return to its normal length, but remain slightly stretched out.

Is that a possibility?

As far as BS, I'm with Panth. It's extremely alkaline, and I wouldn't put it on ends that are already having problems. I really don't know how it became so standard either. If your hair doesn't seem to lack protein and seems to indicate clarifying is needed instead, honestly I think even SLS is more gentle than BS. But the fact is, you need some power to clarify. As a very rare thing, using a clarifying shampoo that might contain some of the stronger sulfates isn't going to be terrible for your hair, and ultimately, leaving it like this is probably worse for it than clarifying it. I did that a while ago to get rid of shampoo bar build-up. First time I'd used a sulfate in over a year. My hair was a little dry after, but it settled down quickly.

There are some natural clarifying shampoos that use sulfate substitutes for SLS. They're still pretty strong, but that's what you need to clarify.

[xoChesleyy]

I use all natural and organic products as well. The best clarifying shampoo I have tried thus far is the Avalon Organics Clarifying Lemon shampoo. I highly recommend it. It doesn't make your hair feel dry at all and does exactly what it's supposed to do. You can read tons of reviews about this shampoo online, others seem to love it as well. :D When I clarify, I apply the shampoo all over my scalp, then to my length. I always deep condition after clarifying. By the way, are you using protein treatments of any sort? Your "crunchy" ends could be due to excess protein or build-up.

[Mellybee]

Well maybe my routine might help to identify the culprit..

To wash, I generally use Desert Essence shampoo & conditioner- they're free of SLS, SLES, parabens, EDTA, glycol + petroleum based ingredients. The shampoo states that it's free of silicones, the conditioner doesn't, but I don't see any offenders on the ingredient list (It's all listed like "glycerin - (plant derived)" and is mostly oil extracts. I wash my hair 3-2 times a week.

Once a week I do a deep castor oil treatment on my scalp and coat the length with coconut oil. To wash it out I use a cheaper conditioner as I use a heck of a lot- it's an ultra hydrating (still organic, still free of parabens, SLS, SLES, etc-- but I can see a few 'cones in the ingredient list. I apply this conditioner after a deep oiling and let it sit for 20-40 minutes (sometimes an hour or more if I get caught up doing something time-consuming) and then wash my hair with my regular shampoo & conditioner.

I oil my hair as regularly as I see fit... I don't really have a routine for it, it just happens. I had been using Shea Butter, but after a few applications found that it was really heavy (and I have a sneaking suspicion this might be what is causing build-up, as I always started with the ends and spread it upwards) now I simply use coconut, I only need the tiniest amount usually but since my ends have been acting up I've tended to over oil them.

In my mister bottle, I have a few drops of rosemary essential oil and either yling ylang or lemongrass essential oils & water. I mist my hair in the morning when I wake up, as I sleep with my hair braided or bunned and sometimes I don't really dig the style it comes out in. If I'm liking the nights hair results, I'll mist very, very lightly. If I'm getting ready to go out, I'll give it a quick mist. I mist before bed, normally quite heavily on the ends and then apply some coconut oil... but this is mainly in an attempt to get the ends un-crunchified... I've recently read that oil doesn't actually moisturize, but is a sealant? so I've been going with that theory as to why my ends aren't getting any moisture. This neither seems to have improved nor worsened my ends' dryness.

Also, if it makes any difference, I live in the middle east.... It's summer at the moment and it's VERY hot... not to say I'm outside all that often, indoors the AC is constantly running, wherever you go. Could this make a significant difference? Should I wear more protective hairstyles for my ends?


Thank you for the replies so far... I posted that before I went to bed and actually dreamed about washing my hair hahaha. Depending on the further replies I get today after a little insight to my routine I'd like to go and look for a clarifying shampoo a little later.

[Beezle]

Thanks for asking this question, Mellybee. I have nothing to contribute but am really interested in the answers you get. I'm also in the Middle East. The one purchase I'm really pleased with is a water filter for the shower. Mine is Blu but I am sure many of the others would also remove chlorine and other impurities in the shower water. I can't prove that it makes a difference, and my ends are still dry so it doesn't help that issue, but I feel it's worth the investment. And you can instal it yourself and take it with you when you move.

[Mellybee]

Thanks for asking this question, Mellybee. I have nothing to contribute but am really interested in the answers you get. I'm also in the Middle East. The one purchase I'm really pleased with is a water filter for the shower. Mine is Blu but I am sure many of the others would also remove chlorine and other impurities in the shower water. I can't prove that it makes a difference, and my ends are still dry so it doesn't help that issue, but I feel it's worth the investment. And you can instal it yourself and take it with you when you move.

Thanks for the advice :) I've been thinking of getting one of these for a while now. Are they expensive?
Nice to meet a fellow long-hair-lovin' middle easter :)

[Beezle]

Quite expensive for what it is, I suppose, but hopefully it's doing some good apart from the feeling that the water is fresher. It cost the equivalent of $89 with two filter cylinders included, which last about 4 months according to the info. I haven't bought any refills yet so possibly that should also be consideration. I only asked if they were available (having been caught before!) but not the price.:rolleyes:

[Johannah]

I guess it depends on your hair. Some need a really strong clarifying shampoo, others have enough by sodium laureth sulfate. I just use a simple shampoo with SLS, but without cones (also because there aren't real clarifying shampoos available in my area). I use it all over my hair, roots to ends. If you don't want to use SLS shampoos on a regular basis and you use a lot of oils, I'm afraid you definitely need to clarify in the future. Oils can build up pretty fast.

[Mellybee]

Thanks to everyone who replied with advice.

Today I went out and bought a clarifying shampoo and managed to find one in the same brand I use regularly (Desert Organics). Some of my ends are still ever so slightly on the rough side, but only in small bits (the majority of them feel soft and lovely :o ) overall they feel a thooooouuuuusand times better than they were before I used it. I kind of had to rush with the conditioner, as unexpectedly ended up going to dinner this evening, so that may be the case.
I'm going to use the process of elimination; starting with the fact that I certainly won't be using shea butter again, and I think I shall try wearing more end-protecting hairstyles, seeing as they have been dry for quite some time now.

Really appreciate all the useful info everyone's put forward for me! Thank you :flower:

[kitana97]

I picked up Kenra's Clarifying/Chelating shampoo last week and was really happy with the results. My hair became very crunchy from the hard water at uni and this shampoo did the trick. It doesn't sound like you use a lot of products that would cause build-up, but I think if you haven't clarified in a very long time then it would possible for any routine to have a little build up. It also could be that your ends were dry and in need of a trim.

[Panth]

Well maybe my routine might help to identify the culprit..

To wash, I generally use Desert Essence shampoo & conditioner- they're free of SLS, SLES, parabens, EDTA, glycol + petroleum based ingredients. The shampoo states that it's free of silicones, the conditioner doesn't, but I don't see any offenders on the ingredient list (It's all listed like "glycerin - (plant derived)" and is mostly oil extracts. I wash my hair 3-2 times a week.

Once a week I do a deep castor oil treatment on my scalp and coat the length with coconut oil. To wash it out I use a cheaper conditioner as I use a heck of a lot- it's an ultra hydrating (still organic, still free of parabens, SLS, SLES, etc-- but I can see a few 'cones in the ingredient list. I apply this conditioner after a deep oiling and let it sit for 20-40 minutes (sometimes an hour or more if I get caught up doing something time-consuming) and then wash my hair with my regular shampoo & conditioner.

I oil my hair as regularly as I see fit... I don't really have a routine for it, it just happens. I had been using Shea Butter, but after a few applications found that it was really heavy (and I have a sneaking suspicion this might be what is causing build-up, as I always started with the ends and spread it upwards) now I simply use coconut, I only need the tiniest amount usually but since my ends have been acting up I've tended to over oil them.

In my mister bottle, I have a few drops of rosemary essential oil and either yling ylang or lemongrass essential oils & water. I mist my hair in the morning when I wake up, as I sleep with my hair braided or bunned and sometimes I don't really dig the style it comes out in. If I'm liking the nights hair results, I'll mist very, very lightly. If I'm getting ready to go out, I'll give it a quick mist. I mist before bed, normally quite heavily on the ends and then apply some coconut oil... but this is mainly in an attempt to get the ends un-crunchified... I've recently read that oil doesn't actually moisturize, but is a sealant? so I've been going with that theory as to why my ends aren't getting any moisture. This neither seems to have improved nor worsened my ends' dryness.

Also, if it makes any difference, I live in the middle east.... It's summer at the moment and it's VERY hot... not to say I'm outside all that often, indoors the AC is constantly running, wherever you go. Could this make a significant difference? Should I wear more protective hairstyles for my ends?


Thank you for the replies so far... I posted that before I went to bed and actually dreamed about washing my hair hahaha. Depending on the further replies I get today after a little insight to my routine I'd like to go and look for a clarifying shampoo a little later.

I suspect you're overdoing the oils. If your shampoo/conditioner has oils in AND you're doing a weekly heavy oil treatment AND you're oiling/shea butter treating AND you have essential oils in your mister ... that's a heck of a lot of oils. Overuse of oils most definitely can cause a crunchy feeling (and needs clarifying to get it off, possibly even a couple of clarifying washes this time as the build-up is likely to be pretty great).

Also, it's quite right that oil is not a moisturiser (quite literally - it contains no moisture - i.e. water). The confusion is based on the terminology - skin "moisturising" creams make the skin "feel moisturised". But really, those are usually emollients that may or may not help the skin retain water rather than adding water. The same is true of some oils in hair - they are emollients and can help prevent excessive water loss from the hair plus add softness, shine and suppleness. Those are generally the penetrating oils (e.g. coconut) and are high in lauric acid.

Other oils coat, not penetrate (e.g. olive). Some people believe these can act as an occlusive (i.e. an impermeable or semi-impermeable barrier) and use them either on damp hair to try to "trap" moisture in the hair or on dry hair to try to prevent water movement in/out of the hair based on air humidity. I'm not entirely convinced that this is exactly what is happening (and, certainly, the idea of anything -oils or 'cones- creating a totally impermeable coating over the hair seems a bit exaggerated). Perhaps the effect here is better explained by the other effects of the coating, e.g. shine, slip (maybe, depending on the oil?).

[Entangled]

Hmmm. That was very informative, panth!

[jacqueline101]

I like vo5 vanilla tea mint shampoo and conditioner. I do this monthly and I follow with my regular routine. I've never tried baking soda to clarify with. I agree after reading the oils in your routine you could be using a bit too many. I'd take out half of them see if that helps.

[Mellybee]

I suspect you're overdoing the oils. If your shampoo/conditioner has oils in AND you're doing a weekly heavy oil treatment AND you're oiling/shea butter treating AND you have essential oils in your mister ... that's a heck of a lot of oils. Overuse of oils most definitely can cause a crunchy feeling (and needs clarifying to get it off, possibly even a couple of clarifying washes this time as the build-up is likely to be pretty great).

Also, it's quite right that oil is not a moisturiser (quite literally - it contains no moisture - i.e. water). The confusion is based on the terminology - skin "moisturising" creams make the skin "feel moisturised". But really, those are usually emollients that may or may not help the skin retain water rather than adding water. The same is true of some oils in hair - they are emollients and can help prevent excessive water loss from the hair plus add softness, shine and suppleness. Those are generally the penetrating oils (e.g. coconut) and are high in lauric acid.

Other oils coat, not penetrate (e.g. olive). Some people believe these can act as an occlusive (i.e. an impermeable or semi-impermeable barrier) and use them either on damp hair to try to "trap" moisture in the hair or on dry hair to try to prevent water movement in/out of the hair based on air humidity. I'm not entirely convinced that this is exactly what is happening (and, certainly, the idea of anything -oils or 'cones- creating a totally impermeable coating over the hair seems a bit exaggerated). Perhaps the effect here is better explained by the other effects of the coating, e.g. shine, slip (maybe, depending on the oil?).

That is very informative indeed. Do you have any suggestions on which treatments would be the best to cut back on? I had only introduced the mister as a measure to try and trap in moisture on the ends, in an attempt to reverse the crunch... so my pre-crunch hair would not have that included in my routine.

My hair feels really great after a castor oil treatment. Should I perhaps cut this down to once a fortnight, instead of once a week? (I am guilty of attempting the inversion method [kind of] along with downright willing my hair to grow hah)
I see posts about people oiling their hair (on a daily basis? Or at least that's the jist I got) and it seems like such a frequently done thing. Does one include oiling in their routine? Or is there an indicator to let you know when you should oil your hair? I'd been doing it pretty sporadically (again, until the crunchy ends appeared, after that point it was more frequent).

Looks like I have some researching to do. Thank you for the info. Would appreciate more input if you've got more to offer.

[Panth]

That is very informative indeed. Do you have any suggestions on which treatments would be the best to cut back on? I had only introduced the mister as a measure to try and trap in moisture on the ends, in an attempt to reverse the crunch... so my pre-crunch hair would not have that included in my routine.

My hair feels really great after a castor oil treatment. Should I perhaps cut this down to once a fortnight, instead of once a week? (I am guilty of attempting the inversion method [kind of] along with downright willing my hair to grow hah)
I see posts about people oiling their hair (on a daily basis? Or at least that's the jist I got) and it seems like such a frequently done thing. Does one include oiling in their routine? Or is there an indicator to let you know when you should oil your hair? I'd been doing it pretty sporadically (again, until the crunchy ends appeared, after that point it was more frequent).

Looks like I have some researching to do. Thank you for the info. Would appreciate more input if you've got more to offer.

I'm not super-knowledgeable about routines but... hmm.

Firstly, I'd clarify (and maybe chelate too, especially if you've got hard water) just to get your hair back to 'baseline'. I'd then introduce things back slowly. So, first just S&C and give it at least a few weeks. Then maybe add the heavy oiling deep treatments back in at maybe once a fortnight ... try that for another few weeks. Then maybe reintroduce the "just because" oil treatments.

Of course, if things look AWFUL and/or you're getting horrific tangles or obvious damage, jump a stage or add something into your routine. But the idea with this is that less is usually more. So, you want to find the minimum amount of fuss that gives the maximum benefits. Also, if you reintroduce things slowly and one at a time it'll be much easier to figure out what is the problematic treatment. However, I suspect it's not any one thing per se, but rather the combination and quantity of treatments. So, e.g. weekly deep treatments are probably fine, but weekly deep treatments AND "just because" oil treatments may not be. So, if you want to do both, maybe reduce the frequency of the deep treatments.

There is a small possibility that it's something in your shampoo/conditioner is the cause. "Natural" products often have lots of herbal extracts in and many of these are quite coating and can cause build-up troubles. I doubt the essential oils in the mister are causing much problems (or, at least, if they are it's likely not due to the mere fact that they are oils ... the quantities are probably too small for that).

I don't think most people are oiling their hair daily, unless they also wash daily (and often with regular SLS shampoos). Even if they are, this is likely their only treatment in addition to S&C. As for when to oil, well, I can't help you with that as I don't really do it. "Crunchy" hair can absolutely be a symptom of over-oiling. In fact, "crunchy" generally means build-up of some kind, be it 'cones, waxes (present in many "natural" products), butters, oils, etc. It may also mean protein overload - check your S&C to see if there's protein high in the ingredient list.

[Mellybee]

I'm sorry to keep bumping this thread, but dying to share results :D

So, I just thought I'd post a quick pic... The first was taken a few weeks ago, this was pretty much when my hair was first getting out of hand and I'd noticed the ends weren't as soft as they were once (see how straggly they were?). The second was taken about five minutes ago. I've had my hair In a Cinnabon type bun on top of my head most of the day, but, my locks weren't quit so lovely and voluminous in the past when I'd worn buns. Hopefully you can see the difference, regardless of the hairstyle I've been wearing. My hair feels so soft and bouncy and happy.

http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y469/melrowsell/63E29769-1744-4128-BD8C-92A3CE4C2B67_zpsc0gnkjg3.jpg

A big big big thank you to everyone who passed advice my way. I'll be tracking my further progress and I don't think oils will be as big a part of my routine as they used to be.

Ps... Posting this from a phone as my computer is allllllllll the way downstairs. If the image is too big I'll do my best to fix it quickly :)

[Firefox7275]

Great advice from Panth as usual! Glad to read you are having positive results: butters are indeed known to build up for some, IIRC so is castor oil (non penetrating), lighter penetrating oils not so much as long as you are actually cleansing the ends be that with shampoo or conditioner.

[ravenreed]

After looking at few Desert Essence ingredient lists, I would bet that your issue is protein overload. Most 'natural' lines go a little overboard with the protein. Add to that the coconut oil which can mimic protein overload... I suspect that if you clarify, switch to a protein free line, and stop using coconut oil your hair will be much happier.


Well maybe my routine might help to identify the culprit..

To wash, I generally use Desert Essence shampoo & conditioner- they're free of SLS, SLES, parabens, EDTA, glycol + petroleum based ingredients. The shampoo states that it's free of silicones, the conditioner doesn't, but I don't see any offenders on the ingredient list (It's all listed like "glycerin - (plant derived)" and is mostly oil extracts. I wash my hair 3-2 times a week.

Once a week I do a deep castor oil treatment on my scalp and coat the length with coconut oil. To wash it out I use a cheaper conditioner as I use a heck of a lot- it's an ultra hydrating (still organic, still free of parabens, SLS, SLES, etc-- but I can see a few 'cones in the ingredient list. I apply this conditioner after a deep oiling and let it sit for 20-40 minutes (sometimes an hour or more if I get caught up doing something time-consuming) and then wash my hair with my regular shampoo & conditioner.

I oil my hair as regularly as I see fit... I don't really have a routine for it, it just happens. I had been using Shea Butter, but after a few applications found that it was really heavy (and I have a sneaking suspicion this might be what is causing build-up, as I always started with the ends and spread it upwards) now I simply use coconut, I only need the tiniest amount usually but since my ends have been acting up I've tended to over oil them.

In my mister bottle, I have a few drops of rosemary essential oil and either yling ylang or lemongrass essential oils & water. I mist my hair in the morning when I wake up, as I sleep with my hair braided or bunned and sometimes I don't really dig the style it comes out in. If I'm liking the nights hair results, I'll mist very, very lightly. If I'm getting ready to go out, I'll give it a quick mist. I mist before bed, normally quite heavily on the ends and then apply some coconut oil... but this is mainly in an attempt to get the ends un-crunchified... I've recently read that oil doesn't actually moisturize, but is a sealant? so I've been going with that theory as to why my ends aren't getting any moisture. This neither seems to have improved nor worsened my ends' dryness.

Also, if it makes any difference, I live in the middle east.... It's summer at the moment and it's VERY hot... not to say I'm outside all that often, indoors the AC is constantly running, wherever you go. Could this make a significant difference? Should I wear more protective hairstyles for my ends?


Thank you for the replies so far... I posted that before I went to bed and actually dreamed about washing my hair hahaha. Depending on the further replies I get today after a little insight to my routine I'd like to go and look for a clarifying shampoo a little later.