Dilute shampoo with water and oil?

[rosance]

So I have been trying something new lately for about a week. In a cup of water I mix 2 teaspoons of shampoo (with sulfate) and one teaspoon of evoo. I mix this in a spray bottle and only spray the roots. My overall hair feels much softer and less dry. Shampoo is easier distributed and lathers rather well. Best of all, the shampoo is milder and my hair always dries feeling healthier each time. After noting the changes, I did a research and found this (http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-to-tame-strong-shampoo.html?m=1) Any of you doing this and loving it?

[yahirwaO.o]

Yes I ve been doind this for almost 2 months with great results. I recently opened a similar thread where I documented how it affected my shedding rates getting awesome results so far. But the immidate results is hair feels so much smooth still very cleaned. I hope you get similar positive results too!!! :)

[schnibbles]

I always dilute my shampoo. I don't add any oils though. My scalp loves shampoo but my length hates it, so I feel like it's a better compromise. I use a squeeze bottle I bought at Walmart, I think it's for making salad dressing in? (It was in the kitchen tools section) I agree, it's much easier to distribute the 'poo when it's watered down.

[Horrorpops]

Oh this sounds lovely! I'll have to try this soon :) sounds very nourishing and moisturizing!

[meteor]

I almost always dilute shampoo with water, primarily because it helps me get shampoo all over my scalp easier when it's watery (my hair is pretty dense), but also because it "softens" a harsh shampoo.
I'm also a huge fan of scalp-only washes and braided washes, and they work a lot better with diluted shampoo (about 1:10 ratio for me, but it varies and depends on shampoo). If the mixture becomes too gentle, I can always rinse and repeat as much as needed. I feel I get cleaner hair this way somehow.

Also, whenever I have too much hair mist or watery rinse left over (say, herbal tea, water + honey/aloe/glycerin, coconut water or something like that) and I want to use that up fast, I just add it to my shampoo as I'm diluting it. The key is to dilute shampoo in a separate bottle with enough product for just one wash: plastic applicator bottles and squirt bottles are perfect for this job!


As for adding oil to shampoo, there is a method for that: "Oil shampoo" or "Movie star method", popularized on the LHC by ktani. It works beautifully for some people... Personally, I find it a bit tricky/unpredictable because I change up products a lot and also because (like with many oiling methods) results can build up over time unless I do it only once in a blue moon when my hair is super-dry. I find pre-poo oiling, leave-in/gradual oiling and oil rinses easier to control.
These threads might be helpful:
Oil shampoo results poll: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=94451
Oil shampoo discussion: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=65063
Oil shampoo discussion: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=63768

[spidermom]

I usually dilute my shampoo in warm water but I don't add oil. A lot of times, oil is already on my hair. I like oil to my length but not my scalp.

[vpatt]

I recently began using Dr. Bronner's liquid soap mixed with canned coconut milk......then because I could never remember to freeze the leftover coconut milk (and it was wasted) I switched to coconut oil in the soap. Yesterday I mixed the liquid soap and coconut oil with water and added a squirt of Trader Joe's minty conditioner. Lathered twice. After rinsing that out I applied Trader Joe's spa conditioner to the ends, rinsed that out and did a quick cold water/vinegar rinse. My hair is nice and clean and feels good. I do not measure, tho. So I cannot give exact amounts. Actually, I only used the cold water, no vinegar this time. I'm not sure this fits here since it is soap and not shampoo.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I always dilute my shampoo with water but no oil. I dilute my conditioner with water and MO, though and my hair loves it.

[rosance]

Despite the heavily diluted shampoo with an addition of EVOO, I am able to wash off undiluted JBCO with just two rounds. I feel like I could get away with one round of washing but I like to play it safe and therefore use two instead. I love how gentle yet extremely effective this method is! I cannot see myself without it. :D

[Anje]

I heavily dilute my shampoo (about a bottle at a time, since it hasn't gone bad on me yet) with water and just squirt it on to wash. I haven't added oil to it, though. There are several reasons for this -- I doubt it would dissolve in the mainly-water that I have in the bottle, and I had enough of a horrific experience with the whole oil-shampoo thing that I'd rather not repeat it. Also, I'm not sure where my olive oil is, post-move. ;)

[meteor]

I heavily dilute my shampoo (about a bottle at a time, since it hasn't gone bad on me yet) with water and just squirt it on to wash. I haven't added oil to it, though. There are several reasons for this -- I doubt it would dissolve in the mainly-water that I have in the bottle, and I had enough of a horrific experience with the whole oil-shampoo thing that I'd rather not repeat it. Also, I'm not sure where my olive oil is, post-move. ;)

^ What was the horrific experience with the whole oil-shampoo thing, Anje? Did you get a lot of build-up that was hard to remove?

[Scarlet_Celt]

I almost always dilute shampoo with water, primarily because it helps me get shampoo all over my scalp easier when it's watery (my hair is pretty dense), but also because it "softens" a harsh shampoo.
I'm also a huge fan of scalp-only washes and braided washes, and they work a lot better with diluted shampoo (about 1:10 ratio for me, but it varies and depends on shampoo). If the mixture becomes too gentle, I can always rinse and repeat as much as needed. I feel I get cleaner hair this way somehow.

Ditto :) Likewise, I enjoy diluting my conditioner, too.

[Anje]

^ What was the horrific experience with the whole oil-shampoo thing, Anje? Did you get a lot of build-up that was hard to remove?

Terrible, unbelievable tangles and it dried my hair out badly. It took weeks of TLC to get it back to anything resembling normal, and a few months before it was really OK again. That was the last time I listen to people telling me that something bad will get better if I stick with it.

[LadyLongLocks]

I dilute my shampoo with purified water probably 20% shampoo and 80% water. I have never added oil though. I have considered adding oil to the conditioner but never the shampoo. I don't see the point in doing that to be honest.

[meteor]

Thanks a lot for the details, Anje! :blossom: That's great to know!

I've added oil to conditioners quite often with good results, but yeah, I guess diluting shampoo with water (or water-based herbal rinses) is good enough for me. :)

[Scarlet_Celt]

Terrible, unbelievable tangles and it dried my hair out badly. It took weeks of TLC to get it back to anything resembling normal, and a few months before it was really OK again. That was the last time I listen to people telling me that something bad will get better if I stick with it.

That does sound horrific! I can't imagine how upset I'd be if something had my hair in weeks of bad condition.

[Anje]

That does sound horrific! I can't imagine how upset I'd be if something had my hair in weeks of bad condition.
Eh, I was dumb to keep listening to a person who didn't know what my hair was doing, rather than paying attention to my own observations and experiences. I knew something wasn't right, but I stuck to it hoping that I'd get the amazing results so many others were reporting.

Now I know better -- my experiences are important for determining if something works for me.

It's equally valid that oil-shampoo worked very well for a lot of people. What it comes down to is that we're all different. We've got different hair, different water, different histories; we shouldn't expect things to work universally.

[luvlonghair75]

I just recently had to dilute my conditioner which was so thick it was like toothpaste! I hadn't thought to dilute my shampoo! Having fine/thin hair, it probably wouldn't be a terrible thing to try! Going to do it this week! I don't know about adding oil to it, though. I usually oil my hair before washing so I don't see the point in having it in the shampoo.

[rosance]

I will not be mixing oil in my diluted shampoo anymore because I have started using JBCO before full washes. I am going to use the oil 1-2 times a week, maybe even before scalp washes, and incorporate scalp massages for about 10 min. I need thickness, therefore the experiment. :)

[lilelf]

Reviving this thread to add a tip for those doing this, or considering doing this: I mix my evoo with the shampoo BEFORE dilution. This works extremely well for me, as it seems to emulsify the oil so that it mixes better with the water. I hope this helps someone.
Also, I have found this works much better for me than the Movie Star Shampoo, as evoo has some penetrative properties, some sealing properties, and may also draw moisture to the hair. For my super-fine hair, this works better and is more efficient/less time consuming that pre-soaks and seems to help with my super sensitive scalp. It leaves just the tiniest amount of oil behind. Here is to hoping that it helps with the thinning!!! 🌹🌹🌹

[Carrieberry77]

Does this work for oily hair people?
Or is it something that is beneficial solely for a dry scalp?

[AutobotsAttack]

I usually just dilute shampoos with water. Every time I mix them with oils is screws up the formulation.

[lilelf]

Carrie (I hope you don't mind my shortening your UN), for some people a tiny bit of oil helps regulate oil production. Different oils work differently for different people...or sometimes don't work at all. It really is trial and error and YMMV. I HIH

[lapushka]

Does this work for oily hair people?
Or is it something that is beneficial solely for a dry scalp?

If you have no other scalp issues, then diluting with water should not hinder you in any way.

I have SD, seborrheic dermatitis, and can't dilute my shampoo (harsh sulfate). It is what it is (and I don't mind).

spidermom however, has SD as well I believe, and she can dilute. Hope she jumps in here!