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View Full Version : Moisturizers for no poo method!?



IAmCarmenLee
April 8th, 2017, 10:06 PM
Any tips for naturally moisturizing and defining my curls? My hair is 2c/3a. Really thick and really long.
I preferably want to use ingredients I can purchase to make something myself with no harsh additives/preservatives.


I've been doing no poo for almost a year now. I switch between using soapnuts and clay washes. I've tried using various oils but they don't wash out properly and also they just weigh my hair down way too much. I "shampoo" once every two weeks and water rinse everyday. If I use oil it may look ok on day one/two but then for the next two weeks until I "shampoo" again it just flattens and weighs down my curls.


I've tried aloe vera that I bought which is as natural as I could find and it didn't help at all. I'm wondering if the natural preservative in it was causing more dryness?
I'm currently in Thailand and yesterday I decided to make my own aloe vera gel from a plant (using just pure aloe vera that I mixed in the food mixer) so I'll see how that goes! The issue is when I go back to the UK at the end of the month I'm not sure how viable it would be even if it did work? I used 2 really large leaves to make some gel that may last me 3/4 days of application... I'd have to fill my house full of aloe vera plants at home, and even then I'm not convinced the plants would regrow quick enough at the rate that I need to use them! 😂 I suppose I could water the aloe vera down with something like rose water to make it last longer...
Thinking of trying mango butter which is supposedly the less oily of the butters. However, I already have a feeling it's going to be too heavy for my hair as well...
Any ideas? Or tips on what has worked to keep your hair moisturized?
❤︎ Carmen

Decoy24601
April 8th, 2017, 10:10 PM
I would really suggest trying flaxseed gel! It's very very moisturizing, has slight hold, and can wash right out. It's a bit of a pain to make, but it's worth it.

http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2011/07/what-cookin-this-week-for-hair-homemade.html

Also, just something to keep in mind, butters and oils themselves don't hydrate, but they do help hair hold onto moisture. You can try pre-wash oiling or oiling on damp hair. Butters personally don't work well for my hair and tend to build up easily, but I have a fairly different hairtype. I figured out that the "oils" that work best for my hair are actually liquid waxes like argan and jojoba oil. Those make my hair feel amazing. Of course everything is very YMMV, but this is just what works for me personally.

Hairkay
April 9th, 2017, 02:16 PM
Depending on where you'll be living you may be able to get mature aloe leaves for sale. That way you'll leave your aloe plant time to grow. I tend to just use DIY hair masks, mostly fruit but I've tried honey,olive oil and fenugreek. I've also used coconut milk and yoghurt with or without honey & fenugreek. Since I wash my hair daily I don't rely on leave in conditioners.

Reyn127
April 9th, 2017, 02:44 PM
I stopped using shampoo/conditioner around 10 months ago, and I've found a few things that work pretty well for me. I second Hairkay on the fresh aloe leaves - they work incredibly well, you just scoop out the insides, mash it up and apply to your hair. It's a bit messy but really works. Something I use regularly after washing is a spoonful of honey mixed in to a mug of warm water, and I add a couple drops of almond oil and essential for scent on the top, and mix that in as well as I can too. I just dip my very ends in there and let them soak for a minute, dunk the rest of my hair in for a second, and then pour the rest over my scalp and very lightly rinse. It seems to make a small difference for me.

Ophidian
April 10th, 2017, 07:01 PM
I love basically anything with honey, but depending on your hair texture you might get some mileage out of not only what you use but how you use it. I'm mostly no-poo and what has been working for me is to do a sort of LOC thing post-wash:

L=hair is wet from wash so that's what I use for my "liquid" but aloe would probably be great too
O=oil (I use coconut but use whatever oil you like if you wanted to try this)
C=I use Nightblooming hair salve but maybe flaxseed gel would be nice here?

The idea is basically to get your hair nice and moisturized, then lock it in with the oil and cream/gel. I only do this on the ends where my hair tends to be dry. For the rest of my hair I usually use herb rinses with some honey or occasionally ACV.

There are fruit masks too but I think hairkay is our local expert on those :)

Coconut milk is a thing too, but oil slick is a concern if you use it on your whole head. User Dianyla mentioned once that lite was easier to rinse out than full-fat, specifically the Thai Kitchen brand, which has/had an emulsifying ingredient that she said made it easier to rinse out.

Some people use yogurt, but I think it smells like baby barf if you don't get it all out so there's that.

cassidy_2711
April 10th, 2017, 09:44 PM
Try Morrocco Method Pearl Essence Creme Rinse. Their products are a little pricey and the travel size will last you a while because all you need is a pea size amount.