Typical Hair Acclimation Time?

[terebinth]

Hi everyone!! I hope you're all well.

I have started using a CV shampoo bar and it is absolutely driving me crazy. I really like the scent and the way it works (it lathers nicely!) but it is really doing a number on my hair. It feels waxy and literally looks absolutely disgusting right after it dries! I haven't worn my hair down in a week! It does well on my scalp, but my ends are just... rough, guys, they're rough.

I know that hair can take some time to acclimate, but this is ridiculous! Is this a normal reaction to using a shampoo bar? I've been using it for about a week now with CWC. I don't know how much longer I can hold out like this :wail:

Basically, I just want to know if this reaction is normal because if it is, then maybe I can scrape by until my hair acclimates, but if it's not, then I don't want to do more damage to my already bleach-damaged hair.

Thank you all!!

~terra :heartbeat :heartbeat

[akurah]

I didn't like shampoo bars.

I have some questions though--how are you using the bar? You should only be washing the scalp, regardless of method (shampoo bar, regular shampoo, anything else). Are you lathering the bar on your hands and applying to scalp? Or are you actually lathering up the bar, then running the bar across your scalp? Or are you actually running the bar across your length? Cause while I don't know about the first two, I'm pretty sure the last way would be the wrong way to use it.

[spidermom]

I don't believe in using soap on hair because scalp skin prefers an acid pH and soap is alkaline. If you're determined to continue with the soap, follow with an acid rinse, either vinegar or citric acid.

[Corvana]

I, personally, find my hair doesn't really need much acclimation. If I change something it lets me know immediately whether it likes it or not. Like yesterday I tried my first CWC and my hair was like "nope" as soon as it was half-way dried. Probably too short for that one right now.

But I've changed shampoos a lot, often just getting whatever smells nice and isn't expensive, or using my husband's body/hair wash. And I know by the time it's dry whether it was a good idea or not. Which is probably really lucky of me tbh.

How often do you wash? A week for me is just one wash, lol. If it's been at least 4 washes, and your hair isn't doing well, I'd personally stop.

[terebinth]

I didn't like shampoo bars.

I have some questions though--how are you using the bar? You should only be washing the scalp, regardless of method (shampoo bar, regular shampoo, anything else). Are you lathering the bar on your hands and applying to scalp? Or are you actually lathering up the bar, then running the bar across your scalp? Or are you actually running the bar across your length? Cause while I don't know about the first two, I'm pretty sure the last way would be the wrong way to use it.

I would wet my hair, and run the bar across my scalp and then lather better in my hair. I LOVED the shampoo bar's lather, it was much better than my regular shampoo (Amika). But it just made my ends look gross no matter what I did!

[terebinth]

I, personally, find my hair doesn't really need much acclimation. If I change something it lets me know immediately whether it likes it or not. Like yesterday I tried my first CWC and my hair was like "nope" as soon as it was half-way dried. Probably too short for that one right now.

But I've changed shampoos a lot, often just getting whatever smells nice and isn't expensive, or using my husband's body/hair wash. And I know by the time it's dry whether it was a good idea or not. Which is probably really lucky of me tbh.

How often do you wash? A week for me is just one wash, lol. If it's been at least 4 washes, and your hair isn't doing well, I'd personally stop.

I wash about three-four times a week. I actually just had an emergency shower (at 3am) because my scalp would not stop itching and it was driving me crazy. I think I'm going to stop using it. I like doing CWC, so I'm going to see how that goes with my Amika shampoo.

[terebinth]

Thanks everyone!! I think I'm just going to stop using this bar, I don't think my hair is ready for it (I have a theory that it does well on my scalp because my roots are growing in virgin, so I might try it again when my hair is all virgin).

[Anje]

Sounds like you need an acid rinse. I suggest diluted vinegar (I'd start with about 10% vinegar, 90% water, but you may find you need every less) immediately after you rinse the suds from your hair. That should make a substantial difference.

[Kitt3n]

Thanks everyone!! I think I'm just going to stop using this bar, I don't think my hair is ready for it (I have a theory that it does well on my scalp because my roots are growing in virgin, so I might try it again when my hair is all virgin).

When I first started using shampoo bars my hair also felt very dry and sticky/crunchy. After I started using apple cidar vinegar rinses it made it really soft. You can try soaking your hair weekly in oil too.

When I first switched my hair was really dry because I removed all the silicone from my previous shampoo which is like a plastic/rubber layer on your hair so underneath it wasn't actually moisturized like it originally looked. It's really important to get the silicone out before you switch to a shampoo bar or it will take longer to see the results.

Now my hair barely ever tangles. You can glide your hands through it when it's wet usually easily. I wouldn't go back to shampoo.

Oh and if the smell bothers you, just add a few drops of an essential oil. I personally use peppermint.

[Larki]

Hm, how interesting! My hair is a lot like Corvana's, I switch products frequently and rarely have issues - the only acclimation period I had was when I started using Wen about two years ago, and it took about two weeks for that to start working properly. Shampoo bars work very well for me but I do have soft water, virgin hair and my brand of shampoo bars is almost entirely oil lol.

[lapushka]

You said earlier you had bleach in your hair. I more than once mentioned (kind of not so subtly hinted ;)) that you probably could do with silicones and normal shampoo for your hair, but... at first, when I got here, I did my own thing too, experimented like crazy, and learned by my hair, rather than by what people were telling me.

IMMHO, you are best to stick with a regular shampoo (maybe sulfate-free) and siliconey conditioners.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I personally hated shampoo bars. Even with ACV my hair didn't feel good, my hair is very picky. A simple, convential routine works better. Meaning, although I wished I could do all the natural and homemade hair things, my hair just did NOT like it.
Maybe that's the case for you as well. Especially if the hair is color treated!

[Cherriezzzzz]

Since I and my best friend JUST started CV bars too I'll weigh in :) I hate to say it cause I've been told how bad it is, buuuuut we both used baking soda rinse. Then things were much better. It's suggested on the CV website too. That being said HOWEVER my hair is virgin... lapushka may be right about your bleach! My bf just has years old dye and now henna... But also for reference it took me a few weeks to accumulate. I'm loving the butter bar and my bf loves (so far) the herb bar. I hated summer sunshine, we both hated ayurvedic, and she hated coconut milk. Neem was ok on me and soapnuts was only ok on her. So all that said, one bar can be a nightmare while another is giving us dream hair. They're really very, very different in results! Just keep trying diff samples after clarifying with bs and use a stronger acv rinse :)

[ShilvaA]

Before this site I would never of considered hair to have an acclimation period. I had always switched and swapped products willy nilly depending on whos house I was at (ex-sofa surfer here!) and what products were cheapest. My hair had never reacted badly to any changes or product in my adulthood...

I think those cheap 2in1 products may have given me dandruff when I was a kid though so I have never used them since.

Maybe I should start oaying more attention to what I am using! I personally would say that if a product makes your hair feel rough the first time you use it,p and you know you washed it out properly etc... finish the product that you have and never buy it again haha

[samanthaa]

I love shampoo bars!

If you ever go to try them out again, I would suggest a couple of clarifying washes (to remove any build up from previous products). The waxy feeling is not necessary an adjustment period (the adjustment would be with the greasiness of your hair, as your scalp is perhaps overproducing sebum now that you've switched to a gentler product). I know the waxy feeling that you mean; I get it when I use a shampoo bar at my parents' house--which makes me think it's your water. You may want to try stronger and stronger dilutions of ACV (or citric acid) in water until you find a concentration that works well for you. Otherwise a water softener, if you know you have hard water.

Do you use conditioner? I do, and I put it on my length before shampooing, as a way to protect my length from the suds of the shampoo bar. This helps with the waxiness. Of course you'll need to use a cone-free conditioner with a shampoo bar, as they're not strong enough to wash away silicones (except maybe the water-soluble ones, but I've never experimented with that).

ETA: It also took me a while to get a good scrubbing technique. You really do need to make sure your shampoo bar suds properly. I like to slip the pads of my fingers up under my hair around my ears and the top/front of scalp and massage into a lather that way, rather than scrubbing down on top of all the hair, if that makes sense. Plus it creates less tangles.

[meteor]

[...]I know that hair can take some time to acclimate, but this is ridiculous! Is this a normal reaction to using a shampoo bar? I've been using it for about a week now with CWC. I don't know how much longer I can hold out like this :wail:[...]

I've never heard of any support for the idea of "hair acclimation"... Is there any science to back up this concept, does anybody know? :hmm:
After all, hair is just dead organic matter, organic fiber, I don't understand the mechanism it could use to acclimate to something, rather than simply hanging in there (or even deteriorating) in certain conditions? If anything, it's possible that we are the ones that acclimate ourselves to a certain feeling or look about our hair after witnessing it looking/feeling a certain way for a long while (e.g. on soap, on baking soda, on cones, on oils, etc... etc...).

Shampoo bars are typically pretty alkaline so that could be part of the problem maybe? There is also potential risk of "soap scum"/"bathtub ring" effect (residue from reacting with minerals in hard water) that could be making ends tangly and dry... Acidic rinses and chelating from time to time might help with that. But if the hair doesn't like shampoo bars, I don't see a point in pushing it, to be honest. :flower:

Here is an interesting quick article on soap in skin/hair care by the Beauty Brains: http://thebeautybrains.com/2015/02/are-bar-cleansers-bad-for-skin-episode-69/

[Ophidian]

@Meteor: In my understanding, the idea of "hair acclimation" that is often brought up in discussions about transitioning from detergent-based cleansing products to shampoo bars, CO, WO, or one of many variations of "no-poo" doesn't refer to the hair itself, but rather to sebum production. The idea being that once the scalp gets used to milder cleansing, sebum production decreases. Now, whether there is anything beyond anecdotal evidence to back this up, I'm not sure. Some people notice a change over time (hair has "transitioned" in the lingo), some never do. And of course acclimation is huge--for many it might just be a process of getting accustomed to the new feel.

@OP, sometimes trying new routines involves a bit of trial and error. In my experience that has been the case with conventional cleansing methods and products as well as with the more alternative ones (poo bars etc). Like Lapushka said, learn by your own hair. Sometimes small adjustments like finding a good dilution for an ACV rinse or using some kind of extra conditioning treatment for your ends can make all the difference and you may end up loving it even if you haven't figured out the method that works for you yet. If your hair feels consistently horrible no matter what else you do and you become concerned about lasting damage, then yeah, maybe poo bars aren't going to work for you. But one thing I've found with alternative washing methods is that sometimes it just takes a minute to get your routine down.

[meteor]

@Meteor: In my understanding, the idea of "hair acclimation" that is often brought up in discussions about transitioning from detergent-based cleansing products to shampoo bars, CO, WO, or one of many variations of "no-poo" doesn't refer to the hair itself, but rather to sebum production. The idea being that once the scalp gets used to milder cleansing, sebum production decreases. Now, whether there is anything beyond anecdotal evidence to back this up, I'm not sure. Some people notice a change over time (hair has "transitioned" in the lingo), some never do. And of course acclimation is huge--for many it might just be a process of getting accustomed to the new feel.

Oh, if that's what meant by "acclimation" (as in, specifically reducing sebum production) then yes, I've read one study (The regulation of sebum excretion in man - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF00560397) that showed that skin produced more sebum immediately after "de-fatting" but much less later. But that's not related to anything like getting used to shampoo bars or any other specific products.

By the way, if anybody is interested in that study, let me know, because it's not in open access AFAIK. (We also quickly discussed it over at the Hair Science Thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=136845)).
(The re-fatting curve basically shows fastest re-fatting within the first hour after "de-fatting" and then slows down within the next 7 hours for all test subjects (from very strong secretors to very weak secretors). They only used 21 subjects though. Sebum excretion decreased continuously with every consecutive "fatting" interval, the authors hypothesized that what slows down production is native sebum present on skin, the sebum's presence likely somehow regulates how much additional sebum is excreted. It's possible that that the signal comes either from the pressure of the oil in the follicle or from creation of some chemical signal that travels back down through the skin...)

But then, this has nothing to do with specific products, just skin creating that basic minimum sebum film after cleansing (probably for ph-balancing, protection, etc...)

[Ophidian]

That's fascinating meteor, and seems very relevant to methods like WO that remove far less sebum than say a conventional shampoo. But I agree that I'm not sure it would apply to washing with soap/poo bars. I assumed they were the same, but maybe the "acclimation" period talked about in connection to these methods is something different than the "transition" often mentioned in WO/no-poo circles? I'm sure there's an answer somewhere in the monster poo-bar thread :).

ETA: OP, here's the link to the poo-bar thread if you're interested, it has a lot of specific information about troubleshooting this method:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=74

My thought is that maybe it's less about your actual hairs acclimating to being washed with a poo-bar and more about you getting acclimated to using them and making adjustments based on your individual needs. This isn't at all to say that they work for everyone and you just have to keep plugging away at it if you're not getting good results using them, just to point out that "acclimating" may be a more active process :)

[meteor]

^ Great! :D Thanks, Ophidian! :flowers: I'll check it out. :D You know, I have a feeling that that first hour of sebum production going into overdrive might be simply due to the need for skin not to stay stripped and exposed to the elements for any significant periods of time (which could mean higher risk of bacterial infections, for example, etc). It's not like oil production ever shuts off, but it's simply no longer in that massive overdrive once that initial re-fatting period is over, apparently. However, I should note that the authors didn't talk about any skin conditions which could disrupt the process. Oh, and they looked at foreheads, not scalps, but the mechanism might be similar all over our bodies... :) I would imagine hair itself acts more like any organic fiber though, without feedback loop back to our skin, but it does get to absorb a lot of the oil sitting on scalp though, especially if we brush/preen/etc...

[diddiedaisy]

I use shampoo bars and have bleached hair. I use 100% natural bars and have about four I have been experimenting with. I had no acclimatisation period, my hair just accepted the change.

I always do a white wine vinegar rinse, not acv as it will stain blonde hair. You need to experiment a bit with the strength of vinager you use, and you might find that your hair doesn't like the particular type of bar you are using. I tried an apricot bar full of loads of good ingredients but my hair hates it and sulks by looking greasy!!!

I have recently discovered that a high castor oil leaves my hair looking greasy, so in future I will make sure there is a low content of it in future bars.

It's just a case of experimenting and knowing what specific ingredients your hair likes.

[savfairy]

I've tried most of the CV bars and the only one that didn't make me waxy was the soapnuts bar + a vinegar rinse. I'd experiment and see what makes your scalp and hair feel best. For me, this ended up being SLS free shampoo and cone free conditioner. It takes a while to find the right routine.

[Larki]

On the waxy feeling: mine only feels waxy immediately after rinsing the suds from the bar out. As soon as I follow it up with conditioner, the waxy feeling is gone and my hair once dry is not waxy, tangly or dry/greasy at all.

[terebinth]

You said earlier you had bleach in your hair. I more than once mentioned (kind of not so subtly hinted ;)) that you probably could do with silicones and normal shampoo for your hair, but... at first, when I got here, I did my own thing too, experimented like crazy, and learned by my hair, rather than by what people were telling me.

IMMHO, you are best to stick with a regular shampoo (maybe sulfate-free) and siliconey conditioners.

Yes! I've started using my regular shampoo again (it's Amika Triple Rx, should be sulfate-free) and doing CWC, and my hair looks so much better. I only have to use a teeny bit of the CV dry shampoo (which is for dark hair and absolutely amazing, it does not build up in my hair at all) and things are getting much better. :D

[terebinth]

Thank you everyone who responded to this! I'm going to consider going back to the shampoo bars after my hair has grown out virgin again, but the CWC washing seems to be really working for me now!! Thank you so much everyone!!!! :D