Buildup / Clarifying

[-Fern]

Good evening, all--
I tried searching for a few related phrases but was having trouble finding a thread devoted just to different methods of clarifying or removing buildup from your hair.

My poor hair has an embarrassing amount of soapy scum buildup right now from traditional shampoos (...and probably some styling product residue, too). It looks fine, but every time I brush my hair, I'm reminded that I really need to do something about it. I've been having to wash my brushes twice a week.

I was thinking of trying a baking soda wash / apple cider vinegar rinse combo to battle the worst of it and get it back on an even keel, but I also wanted to hear what your experiences have been, and if you have any other methods to recommend. =D

[Colochita]

I find that a clay wash strips whatever is on your hair right off. However, I don't get the stuff on my scalp because it's really hard to get off.

[Arctic]

I find clarifying shampoos the best.

What kind of shampoo you have that leaves a soap scum? This made me think that maybe the problem is your water, is it very hard?

[meteor]

Maybe it's not just clarifying but also chelating that you need? :hmm: It's just that a simple non-conditioning, SLS shampoo is going to be good enough at clarifying, I like Neutrogena one, for example, but there are tons of good ones out there.

But chelating shampoo will get rid of mineral buildup (from hard water) - Joico has a nice one, and swimmers shampoos do a good job.

Also, consider trying distilled water or so-called "miracle water" (http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=51184) if your water is hard.

I don't think baking soda is that great, to be honest: it's very alkaline, while hair and scalp are pretty acidic, you don't want to disrupt the scalp's acid mantle, because it can cause not only dryness but even bacterial overgrowth issues, since your skin's acid mantle is protective against that. Shampoos are formulated to respect your scalp's acid mantle, so I'm not worried about them.

[endlessly]

I used to have this problem all the time before I completely switched products. I used to have to wash my hair every day because the residue was so bad and the number one culprit for me was the heavy silicones in my conditioners and leave-in products. So, once I switched to silicone-free, I was able to change to a milder shampoo and I haven't had the problem since.

At the time, I used to use the Suave clarifying shampoo (I think it's maybe $1 at most drugstores?) and that worked well at removing the residue, but left my hair feeling extremely, extremely dry. So, now I only use products from Lush and my hair is sooooo much happier.

As a side note, I still recommend washing your brushes just because of dust, dead skin, etc. and I normally soak them in diluted vinegar for a few hours and they're as good as new.

[-Fern]

Skipped the baking soda and just shampoo'd with my normal SLS shampoo, then cone-free conditioner applied to the ends, then thorough rinse with warm water followed by an ACV rinse with cold water. :blueeek:
Reference used:
Advice about making and using a Vinegar Rinse (http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/idascorner/shampoo-hair/make-your-own-natural-vinegar-hair-rinse)

[molljo]

I have hard water, plus I double condition and use a lot of leave ins, so I just use a combo chelator/clarifier once a month or so. It was kind of expensive, but the bottle's so huge that I've been using it almost a year with only 1/3 of it empty. I always deep condition afterwards, of course, because it really strips everything out of my hair.