Sulfate + Silicone Free = Major Shedding???

[Adavidal]

My hair is naturally wavy, but because I've put my hair through the heat styling ringer the past few years, it's now sort of wavy but mostly fluffy and straightish. I have given up heat styling and now only blow dry twice a month, but I had heard that the curly girl method has helped a lot of people regain their waves even after damaged, so I figured I'd try it.

I used Deep Steep Sulfate Free Shampoo, Renpure Mint Coconut Cleansing conditioner and Maui Moisture Coconut oil conditioner.

My hair shed like CRAZY in the shower, has this happened to anyone else?

im wondering if it is just because I didn't do my usual aloe/hot oil treatment the night before because I was in a rush, or if I scrubbed my scalp too hard (I didn't use my nails or scrub very vigorously).

Does anyone know what what the heck is happening because I'm kind of worried!shudder:

[ephemeri]

I'm having trouble finding an ingredients list online but are you sure the Renpure cleansing conditioner is silicone-free? A lot of their products have silicones.

Have you been using sulfates and silicones up to this point?

A lot of people do report increased shedding with co-washing, so if you did use the cleansing conditioner on your scalp, it's possible that increased your shedding. A lot of people can't tolerate conditioner or oil on the scalp for various reasons, one of them being increased shedding.

This is completely anecdotal but I feel like when I wash my scalp with sulfates, I shed less. I shed a lot, but only since my hair has gotten past shoulder length. I co-washed all the time when my hair was chin length with no problem but since getting past shoulder, my shedding has been kind of nuts. I try to avoid any and all things that could even potentially increase my shedding since it's already plenty.

[renia22]

Although I was never able to pin point exactly what the issue was (the cleansing agents used or some botanical extract or essential oil or what), I did have much more shedding when I was doing sulfate/ silicone free. When I went back to conversational products, my shedding went back to normal. Easiest thing to do is go back to whatever you were using when you didn't have a s shedding issue and see if that helps. Good luck

[Adavidal]

*facepalm* I just read the ingredients and it does have amodimethicone so apparently I was mistaken. For some reason I thought renpure didn't use cones. I will have to look for another product.

I have been using shampoos with sulfate and conditers with tons of silicones. I have nothing against either sulfates or silicones I just wanted to try this method and see if it helped me get my waves back.

I usually condition down to my scalp and have not had any previous issues with doing so.

I was barely shedding at all the past month and I shed at least 70 or so hairs this morning so you can understand my panic. It started as soon as I shampooed so I think I'll try another shampoo and leave out the co-wash for now. Thank you so much for answering!

[renia22]

^ Yeah I know what you mean, it's fun to experiment. I don't even think it's ever really been proven that this can happen, apparently abnormal shedding is usually caused because of various internal reasons (unless you have some sort of horrible allergic reaction or a scalp condition like SD or something). But from tons of experimenting, I know for myself there's something about certain types of products that cause my hair to shed more. Took me a while to figure it out, though, I kept looking for internal reasons and switching various "natural" products trying to force them to work :/. Hope your situation gets resolved quickly.

[Adavidal]

Hmm, I do have a few allergies but none that I know about in terms of hair products. I think I might try a different shampoo and ditch the co wash on the scalp and see if that works. If not I'll just go back to the stuff I usually use.

[LongCurlyTress]

I just started using shampoos- Garnier Fructis and Dove Shampoo with SLS and wow... my hair has fewer tangles and sheds alot less. I have been using sulfate free shampoo and conditioner and had alot of breakage, knotting, and so I tried a Garnier shampoo sample and I can't believe the difference. I do make sure to use a very thick conditioner with alot of cones for detangling, but so far, my scalp and hip length hair seem alot happier. Hope my length does not dry out!! Fingers crossed! :agree:

[lapushka]

Some people can not go sulfate-free or CO-wash. I get oily as heck, my SD (seborrheic dermatitis) flares up and I shed more.

Do what renia says, and go back to things that DO work.

As I tend to say to everyone, it's about what your hair wants, not about what you want for your hair. You might WANT to go sulfate-free, but if your scalp protests, then there you are, you have decisions to make. Keep your scalp happy & healthy, that's all I'm saying, or you'll never have good hair and good hair growth. Scalp health is key.

[Adavidal]

Alrighty, right then. That answered my question. Next wash I will definitely go back to my normal shampoo and conditioner! Def don't want to mess up the progress I've been making or lose a bunch of hair. Thank you!

[ephemeri]

Alrighty, right then. That answered my question. Next wash I will definitely go back to my normal shampoo and conditioner! Def don't want to mess up the progress I've been making or lose a bunch of hair. Thank you!

I agree with lapushka. If you had a routine that worked before, at least you know that works! Or, if you do want to experiment, just change one thing at a time so you can pin point what it is that works and what doesn't. :o

[littlestarface]

If your wavy hair is fluffy n straightish it needs moisture and you can still do that using sulphate shampoo. It's good to try curly girl for us wavies and to maybe adjust it to what we need personally, that's what I do and I get nice wurls now. On naturallycurly there's instructions for us wavies on the CG method http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/no-poo/the-curly-girl-method-for-coily-hair/ they even have products to use.

Good luck bringing back your waves.

[Adavidal]

I agree with lapushka. If you had a routine that worked before, at least you know that works! Or, if you do want to experiment, just change one thing at a time so you can pin point what it is that works and what doesn't. :o

My hair has now dried and it is super dry and frizzy. I will just switch back to my original shampoo and conditioner as I am not willing to keep going with this experiment if it is going to further damaged my hair. I might try my original shampoo with the Maui moisture conditioner because I did really like the way it made my hair feel in the shower.

[pailin]

I agree with Lapushka and also littlestarface.
If sulfate shampoo keeps your scalp happy, then stick with it. You probably do need more moisture, but gentler shampoo is not the only way to handle that. Some of us use a strong sulfate shampoo to keep our scalps happy, then give hair extra moisture - conditioning twice, adding leave-ins, etc. You might want to check out the links in Lapushka's signature above- they're all methods to better moisturize hair and help with curls or waves.

[Adavidal]

I agree with lapushka. If you had a routine that worked before, at least you know that works! Or, if you do want to experiment, just change one thing at a time so you can pin point what it is that works and what doesn't. :o


If your wavy hair is fluffy n straightish it needs moisture and you can still do that using sulphate shampoo. It's good to try curly girl for us wavies and to maybe adjust it to what we need personally, that's what I do and I get nice wurls now. On naturallycurly there's instructions for us wavies on the CG method http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/no-poo/the-curly-girl-method-for-coily-hair/ they even have products to use.

Good luck bringing back your waves.

I'll look into some other deep conditioning treatments for my hair. It was very damaged because before I decided to grow it out I heat styled every 2/3 days. I've had good luck with oil treatments and they seem to have made my hair softer an less frizzy but I've had a struggle trying to bring the waveiness back. I shall keep trying!

[Adavidal]

Thanks Pailin! I'm going to do a few searches in the forums for deep conditioners and leave ins so I can get a good idea of what I'd like to purchase.

Back to sulfates for me!

[pailin]

You're welcome, and good luck!
For deep treatments, you might want to look up the SMT (snowymoon's moisture treatment)

[Adavidal]

Yep yep will do!

[lapushka]

If you have a conditioner that perhaps isn't moisturizing enough on its own, you can condition twice with it. I do that regularly as part of the WCC method - the link is in my signature.

[LongCurlyTress]

I just started using shampoos- Garnier Fructis and Dove Shampoo with SLS and wow... my hair has fewer tangles and sheds alot less. I have been using sulfate free shampoo and conditioner and had alot of breakage, knotting, and so I tried a Garnier shampoo sample and I can't believe the difference. I do make sure to use a very thick conditioner with alot of cones for detangling, but so far, my scalp and hip length hair seem alot happier. Hope my length does not dry out!! Fingers crossed! :agree: It is reassuring that others are also realizing that SLS may not be that bad for our hair/scalp as long as we use very thick conditioner afterwards... at least that is what I am doing~ Seems like great minds think alike...:) Or rather great hair? LOL~

[lapushka]

It is reassuring that others are also realizing that SLS may not be that bad for our hair/scalp as long as we use very thick conditioner afterwards... at least that is what I am doing~ Seems like great minds think alike...:) Or rather great hair? LOL~

You're replying to yourself. ;) Unless that was the idea, but it sounded a little odd. :lol:

[LongCurlyTress]

lapushka, lapushka, lapushka, what would LHC do without you?? :p

[lapushka]

lapushka, lapushka, lapushka, what would LHC do without you?? :p

Hahahaha! LOL. It was just a little comical, that's all; I've replied to myself in the past too. ;) :p