Water only washing, WO, 2018

[Dee94]

Yeah I think that one is great. If I'm not mistaken that has 2 speeds you can set it to... or you can get one as low as $8 without the motorized massager

Great, I'll get one like this, thanks so much for your help!

[shaluwm_agape]

No problem! Lmk how you like it if / when you do purchase

[Dee94]

Will do, for sure!

[JessJess]

Has anyone used a shampoo brush for scritching?

[JessJess]

I'm not a hair scientist but i had a theory that mineral deposits deposit when the water dries so I do a final rinse with distilled water and so far so good. Maybe that's why people's use a squeegee on the glass so you don't get that lime scale stuff
Maybe give that a go :)

[shaluwm_agape]

JessJess I do all the time. It has saved my scalp

[JessJess]

JessJess I do all the time. It has saved my scalp

Awesome to hear cannot wait till mine arrives
Thanks :)

[Rjky74]

Hi everyone-

For those who go to a hairdresser for trims, do you ask them not to shampoo you first? Do you get funny looks?

[shaluwm_agape]

I would always go with my hair washed ad bun it so it could still be damp. No funny looks at all.

I don't go any more though bad experience

[Dee94]

So, I've only been doing this for a week, but, holy damn!!! Not what I was expecting! I'm shook! My hair feels amazing... and surprisingly since I'm on hard water... well water is hard water right? Always told it was. Anyway, I'm loving that my hair doesnt look greasy or smell... and I think what I'm most surprised about is the fact that my hair, including my ends, feel amazingly, naturally soft... ya, I said naturally soft... its amazing but I'm absolutely happy with this and I'm definitely going to be doing this for as long as I can. I'm amazed... my mind has been blown by WO only... I didnt think it was going to work for me but it does! My ends and hair actually feel better and healthy too, shockingly. But, hey.... I think I finally found something that my hair really likes. I'm happy! :D

[shaluwm_agape]

I know how that feels!

[EdG]

Hi-five, Dee94! :hifive: You are one of the rare people who do not experience a transition period. Water-only washed hair is amazingly soft! :)
Ed

[Dee94]

I wonder if maybe it's because when I was washing my hair, i was already only washing once a week... I dont know but I love it and I'm glad I didnt have to go through the transitioning period. :p
Oh and also, I've noticed I dont shedd as much as I use to, which I really like. The shedding went down a significant amount.

[EdG]

It may take a while to reliably assess shedding. I don't expect water-only washing to affect shed rate.
Ed

[Dee94]

It must of for me, because I can actually run my fingers through my hair now without always having pieces come out where as before this, always had hair coming out. Unless its something else that helped with that? But, I haven't really changed much except my hair routine... I dont know just something I really noticed for me. Everybody is different right? Maybe my hair didnt like the stuff I was using or something. :shrug:

[EdG]

Sebum is a good lubricant. That likely helped to reduce breakage.
Ed

[Dee94]

Well, whatever it is, I'm glad its working/helping. I should look up sebum and read about it. Understand it more.
Thanks!

[elfynity]

It must of for me, because I can actually run my fingers through my hair now without always having pieces come out where as before this, always had hair coming out. Unless its something else that helped with that? But, I haven't really changed much except my hair routine... I dont know just something I really noticed for me. Everybody is different right? Maybe my hair didnt like the stuff I was using or something. :shrug:

My hair dramatically slowed down shedding as soon as I stopped using shampoo with sulphates in it and changed to WO so I know exactly what you are talking about! There was a very instant difference. I think that the sulphates were burning my scalp a bit and causing hair damage, but I also think that the extreme cleanness of shampooing was compromising the integrity of my strands. the other thing that happened is that tiny baby hairs popped up everywhere and started to grow, so i actually landed up with more hair. My hairline actually changed a bit too because thousands of new hairs framed my face. These hairs are now about 4 or 5 inches long - check if the same thing is happening to you - i'd be interested to know. What were you using on your hair before WO?

[Dee94]

My hair dramatically slowed down shedding as soon as I stopped using shampoo with sulphates in it and changed to WO so I know exactly what you are talking about! There was a very instant difference. I think that the sulphates were burning my scalp a bit and causing hair damage, but I also think that the extreme cleanness of shampooing was compromising the integrity of my strands. the other thing that happened is that tiny baby hairs popped up everywhere and started to grow, so i actually landed up with more hair. My hairline actually changed a bit too because thousands of new hairs framed my face. These hairs are now about 4 or 5 inches long - check if the same thing is happening to you - i'd be interested to know. What were you using on your hair before WO?

Awesome!! And I was using a natural shampoo, its called nature's aid and I would double condition with natures aid conditioner and then the herbal essence hello hydration! I'm hoping I can keep with the wo most my life. It's easy and I like the way my hair is with it, but, I know some people have to change their routine once their hair gets longer and what not. Hopefully mine will just always like it.

[elfynity]

Awesome!! And I was using a natural shampoo, its called nature's aid and I would double condition with natures aid conditioner and then the herbal essence hello hydration! I'm hoping I can keep with the wo most my life. It's easy and I like the way my hair is with it, but, I know some people have to change their routine once their hair gets longer and what not. Hopefully mine will just always like it.

It may interest you to know that I have changed my routine from exclusive WO - the main reason being the dryness of my ends. I was using a bbb to comb the oils down, but my damaged ends were not liking it - but then, it was also that my roots were clean, but I didn't like the look of it - it just didn't have volume, so i have started to use cornstarch shampoo that i make myself with cornstarch and water, and use that on my roots sometimes - just to 'lighten the oil load', if you know what i mean. Also, started using all kinds of hydration for my ends: conditioner, aloe vera, honey etc. If you can make WO work exclusively for you, that will be so amazing! PS, you can mix a bit of EO with some water in a spray bottle and spritz your hair, leaves a lovely smell!

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Do you "you" being WO washers use anything on your ends? Oils? Conditioners?

[lapushka]

Do you "you" being WO washers use anything on your ends? Oils? Conditioners?

I think some do use a leave-in, some don't. But conditioner, I don't think so, because then that would be more CO-washing (if used on the scalp).

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I think some do use a leave-in, some don't. But conditioner, I don't think so, because then that would be more CO-washing (if used on the scalp).

Oh, I would never put conditioner on my scalp.

[shaluwm_agape]

I use oil a lot on my ends not too much oil and not thick oils but yes

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I use oil a lot on my ends not too much oil and not thick oils but yes

Thanks :) WO is a new world for me.

[shaluwm_agape]

Thanks :) WO is a new world for me.

It's pretty new for me too but what I'm noticing is if I put little oil on my ends and keep my hair in a bun I need to oil less often

[EdG]

Sarahlabyrinth - No, I don't put anything on my hair other than water.

End breakage has been a problem, but less so now that I have gotten out most of the lint tangles.

I have been water-only for 2.5 years. WO has been extremely effective in getting out accumulated lint. I think this is due to sebum's unique combination of slipperiness and stickiness.
Ed

[Hairkay]

I use oil a lot on my ends not too much oil and not thick oils but yes

I also put a tiny bit of oil on damp hair ends.

[shaluwm_agape]

I also put a tiny bit of oil on damp hair ends.

Can I ask if you remember how long your transition period was?

[Hairkay]

Can I ask if you remember how long your transition period was?

I don't really recall a transition period. I haven't been able to use regular shampoo since childhood due to severe allergies. Then I used some sort of coal tar solution the doctor recommended but that didn't work out. I have been doing water rinses daily all my life. When I could use shampoo that was used once a week with daily rinses the rest of the week. My hair and skin was dry so it would have been rare for me to experience oily hair. My hair isn't so dry these days except for the hair ends sometimes.

[shaluwm_agape]

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=34954&d=1546555116

I need honest opions I have been WO for a month now does my hair look ok or are the natural oils making it look dirty

[EdG]

I need honest opions I have been WO for a month now does my hair look ok or are the natural oils making it look dirtyYour hair looks thudworthy. :thud:
Ed

[shaluwm_agape]

Your hair looks thudworthy. :thud:
Ed

Thank you! This is its healthiest it been imho and I love the simplicity of the routine I have. But I got one comment & now I'm in my head

[Cate36]

Thank you! This is its healthiest it been imho and I love the simplicity of the routine I have. But I got one comment & now I'm in my head

I think you're hair looks v healthy, the only difference I noticed was between the length photos that you put on the other thread, in the first I thought your hair looked fluffier.. in the second, it was a lot shinier, and I wondered if you had just washed it and it was a little wet.. because the texture was clearly different to the first. However, it doesn't look dirty at all..! The shine is impressive!! It looks super healthy.

[shaluwm_agape]

Yeah usually after I oil & wash it's straighter which is what happened yesterday. My texture is 2am usually but there are times where it is 1c

[Tinyponies]

Shaluwm_agape Your hair looks lovely to me. Echoing what Cate said plus I’m starting to appreciate that wo hair does look/feel/behave differently to hair with sebum removed (which is the look that we see most of out and about and in the media) but I personally prefer hair like yours on an aesthetic and also intellectual level.

[Tinyponies]

Lately it’s been just too cold to get my hair fully wet so I haven’t been washing it at all. When I feel the need for a spruce up I’ve been dipping my microfibre towel into a little cup of my (cold) bottled water and wetting/rubbing/smoothing my scalp in the direction of the hairs. This has been lovely!

[shaluwm_agape]

Thanks it honestly has never been this healthy and I do really appreciate my natural oils

[Ylva]

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=34954&d=1546555116

I need honest opions I have been WO for a month now does my hair look ok or are the natural oils making it look dirty

It does look oily, but I don’t think it’s a bad look. Your hair is beautiful and very shiny and healthy-looking!

[Cate36]

Shaluwm_agape Your hair looks lovely to me. Echoing what Cate said plus I’m starting to appreciate that wo hair does look/feel/behave differently to hair with sebum removed (which is the look that we see most of out and about and in the media) but I personally prefer hair like yours on an aesthetic and also intellectual level.

Yeah I was going to comment on that issue also.. we NEVER see normal hair in the media.. we only see it washed, fluffed, cut, treated.. so seeing natural healthy natural hair is an education that is needed IMO.. I think this with many issues surrounding women. I suffered anorexia for a decade of my life 20 years ago.. even though I am fully recovered and love food now, the inner distress over measuring myself and feeling inadequate to others still plagues me. The media does have a part to play, because our perceptions are based on images.. hair and otherwise... that appear healthy because of what we have been taught.. but are really not all that healthy at all.. rather they are unnatural. Your hair is great.. and if it feels healthy to you, (and it looks it!) then don't ever change.. live and love you X

[Tinyponies]

Yes, Cate! :blossom: :heart:

[Ophidian]

Shaluwm_agape Your hair looks lovely to me. Echoing what Cate said plus I’m starting to appreciate that wo hair does look/feel/behave differently to hair with sebum removed (which is the look that we see most of out and about and in the media) but I personally prefer hair like yours on an aesthetic and also intellectual level.
I do too. I was only strictly WO for about 7 months, but since then I measure all other methods by it in a way. My hair is just so much happier when it is sebum conditioned. Still can’t stand it when my hair feels and looks stripped. It feels too naked ;)

Yeah I was going to comment on that issue also.. we NEVER see normal hair in the media.. we only see it washed, fluffed, cut, treated.. so seeing natural healthy natural hair is an education that is needed IMO.. I think this with many issues surrounding women. I suffered anorexia for a decade of my life 20 years ago.. even though I am fully recovered and love food now, the inner distress over measuring myself and feeling inadequate to others still plagues me. The media does have a part to play, because our perceptions are based on images.. hair and otherwise... that appear healthy because of what we have been taught.. but are really not all that healthy at all.. rather they are unnatural. Your hair is great.. and if it feels healthy to you, (and it looks it!) then don't ever change.. live and love you X
Amen to that :agree:

[shaluwm_agape]

Thank you all for your words of encouragement

[Dana]

Good evening!

I am going to try WO for a little while, maybe a long transition into it. My husband has pretty bad scent and chemical allergies, which means that most of the popular S&C are not on the menu for me.

I am currently washing every 5 - 7 days with regular shampoo and a non-cone conditioner (a decent one from Fresh Thyme grocery store - their house brand), with nothing else in between. My ends get dry by that point and my roots pretty oily.

Today might count as my first WO day - I massaged my scalp for a minute before showering, where I massaged and tried to preen a bit. But since this was day 6 post-shampoo wash, my roots were pretty clumpy and I couldn't preen very well. Maybe this would be easier if I had tried to WO preen a few days after washing? Anyway, I have a lot of that cone-free conditioner left, so I am putting that on my ends to help.

RE: cleaning your BBB - Do folks continue to purchase standard shampoo to clean their BBBs? Or do you use liquid dish soap, etc when out?

[Hairkay]

Good evening!

I am going to try WO for a little while, maybe a long transition into it. My husband has pretty bad scent and chemical allergies, which means that most of the popular S&C are not on the menu for me.

I am currently washing every 5 - 7 days with regular shampoo and a non-cone conditioner (a decent one from Fresh Thyme grocery store - their house brand), with nothing else in between. My ends get dry by that point and my roots pretty oily.

Today might count as my first WO day - I massaged my scalp for a minute before showering, where I massaged and tried to preen a bit. But since this was day 6 post-shampoo wash, my roots were pretty clumpy and I couldn't preen very well. Maybe this would be easier if I had tried to WO preen a few days after washing? Anyway, I have a lot of that cone-free conditioner left, so I am putting that on my ends to help.

RE: cleaning your BBB - Do folks continue to purchase standard shampoo to clean their BBBs? Or do you use liquid dish soap, etc when out?

Hello and welcome Dana,

I hope your WO journey goes well and I do understand your husband having to deal with allergies. This is last year's thread. A new one for 2019 has been started here.

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=148692

[Dana]

Thank you, I'll head over there. This is the thread that is listed in the "Important Threads" post (https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=120052).

[kimchi989]

Hey WO people!
I've a question for people with mildly greasy hair ( I need to wash every 3-4 days, and when I say 4 days, on day 4 m hair is in a bun haha): how do you do WO without using too much water? I feel like I've to stay under the shower and massage my hair for 5 minutes or I'll end up a greasy mess. Then I use a ACV rinse as a conditionner (+ massage it in a little to remove the build up). I use like 2 TBSP in 1L of water, I use half on my hair, massage + leave for 2 min then rinse, then I put some more water to have 1L of water again (so the ACV is more diluted) and I rinse y hair and leave it to dry. I found this avoids me to have very bad hair due to the fact that in my area water isn't soft (but not hard either). Before I used ACV, my hair looked so gross after WO. Now people don't even realize I don't use shampoo, I get a lot of compliments actually... Until the moment I tell them I only WO^^
One effect I didn't expect when I started: volume and more hair... When I was using chemical products, my hair was flat and lifeless (and thin! you could see my back tattoo through my ends, even if I was cutting it every 3 months!). Today, I cut my hair for the first time in 6 months ( it started to feel a little rough on the ends, but very few split ends visible... Maybe I should have S&D during those 6 months). I trusted my husband with that task, and he was like "you got lots of hair! I've to cut in smaller sections or I risk cutting not in a straight line" (versus before hair dressers were going through like nothing was there, trying to sell me products to give more volume). I've to admit, I sometimes wash my hair with powders sometimes (like when I cut my hair, afterwards I like to mix non coloring henna with nettle powder, rosemary water, aloe vera gel,... and let that sit on my hair for half an hour. The henna is enough of a cleanser so no shampoo needed... and oh boy my hair is sooooooo soft, but till I prefer the softness of WO ;) )

[EdG]

Hey WO people!
I've a question for people with mildly greasy hair ( I need to wash every 3-4 days, and when I say 4 days, on day 4 m hair is in a bun haha): how do you do WO without using too much water? Get a low-flow showerhead if you don't already have one.

5 minutes * 2.5 gallons/minute / 4 days = 3.1 gallons/day

This is less than 3% of my average daily water usage.
Ed

[kimchi989]

Get a low-flow showerhead if you don't already have one.

5 minutes * 2.5 gallons/minute / 4 days = 3.1 gallons/day

This is less than 3% of my average daily water usage.
Ed

Thanks for your reply I'll look into that :) I "accidentally" tried something else: I washed my hair using the ACV water first, let it sit for 2 min, rinsed + massaged again to continue washing, then used the more diluted ACV rinse and got out of the shower... Worked fine + took a lot less time wouhou!

[Olux]

Hello everyone! Excited to see a fresh WO thread. I've been water-only since July 2017 and am loving it. I definitely went through rough transitions, and it's still not where I'd like it to be, but my hair feels SO MUCH BETTER than it used to when I was using shampoo and conditioner. It is incredibly soft and growing sooo fast. I use a wooden bristle brush every night, and it really helps to absorb excess oil and clean my hair a bit. (Highly recommend this!) I also use a water filter on my shower head, and that seems to help a lot. Excited to join in on the conversations that will take place here! <3

What brand of wooden brush do you recommend?

[Olux]

So 4 years ago i started to experiment with alternatives to commercial shampoos with very bad results at the beginning due to my lack of information. Since then i have been through periods in which i give up and then go back to experiment what is best for my hair.
I started with BS followed by ACV rinse and didn't like it at all. Then i started to stretch hair wash days from every day to every other day.
I have to mention that i used to constantly bleach and used to flat iron my hair often as well.
Then i switched to chemicals free shampoo and conditioner. This took a while for my hair to get used to, but when it did i stretched my hair washes even more to twice per week.
Then i started oiling and putting deep conditioning products in my hair before wash day. During this time i kept bleaching and using styling tools, less often than before though, sometimes i would go back to regular, but expensive hair products through multiple times, by my hairstylist advice. At first they would work great, but the effect would wear out gradually the more i continued its use, until i was there right back to the beginning, feeling guilty for not being tough and determined enough during transition phase. at this point my search for a hairdresser that actually have some respect for my hair started until i landed with the current one I'm going to, who i consider "less bad than the others", to put it someway. She is very expensive, but i can go 2 or 3 times per year and my haircut looks fresh and her color technique allows me to look ok/decent enough for a while, plus she started to understand i don't want to be overwhelmed with the offering of the tons of products and treatments she sells.
This time i growing my natural color again (long story in between) and i have been 2 months completely free of any kind of bad or good chemical shampoo, only natural methods. At this point i wash my hair in a weekly basis, i stretch it more if i can, or more often if i have to, due to social events. I completely quit heat tools, actually i stepped by accident in my old very expensive flat iron recently (took it as a sign).
I'm very thankful for all the posts in this thread, cause I'm wanting to give it a try to WO and its so helpful to read your experiences with it.

[Olux]

And though I'm not water only (yet) i think i have a few advices that worked for me during my transition and i hope you could find as helpful as i found yours.
I excuse if i make grammatical mistakes since English isn't my first language, but i hope the message its clear enough.
First is related to my battle against hair wax. Oh how i suffered, this was one of the main reasons it took me so long to quit shampoo, even when shampoo was not the giving me the best results.
So i read apple sauce would help with that and everytime it was my wash day (which was more often that i wanted too at this point cause all of the horrible looking wax) i would alternate between my homemade applesauce, egg yolk and vinegar rinses. After about a month, it got better, but not enough. So i did it all together. First i let the applesauce mask sit for an hour on my dry hair, then rinsed it with water and applied the mixture of 2 eggyolks (non-diluted) with one spoon of honey and one spoon of olive oil. And for final rinse i diluted a couple spoons of vinegar in a lot of water. When my hair dried it wasnt looking smooth and silky, it looked stripped, with a lot of flyaway hairs (which i have a lot cause breakage in my lengths before i stopped bleaching), but since then i have been wax free ;)
Since then i adopted the egg yolk cleanse as my main kind of cleanse, mixed with other natural hair masks and rinses.
My second advice has to do with the hard water. After the first month i started this journey i thought of ordering a camping shower head in Amazon. I live in Mexico, the water is very hard, it smells heavily like chlorine and the dream of showering with soft water was growing very strong in me. But i live in a rental house, i might have to move soon again and the idea of spending tons of money in a whole softening system seems impossible by now. I did went through lots of shower head filters, in all price ranges, they helped a little, but it wasn't enough.
As i said before, i ended ordering the camping shower head and buying jugs of purified water, a bog one one varies from 1 to 2 dollars in my city. I only spend like 4 dollar per month, since i only use it for my hair.
Since then i've been watching my hair with very cold water (cause its winter, and the room temperature is cold) at the ebd of my shower and results have been beyond great.
My DBF ordered me now a portable water heater (a piece of metal you put inside the bucket of water), but I'm a little concerned, cause the cold water might have more benefits, according to what i've read. It's nice to have the option though.
So my main concern right now about switching to WO has been the amount of water i would need to rinse all the oils out. But that i will have to find out yet.

[Olux]

I forgot to mentioned i've done other stuff that might have contributed with my wax problem, but those are the main things that i think helped the most.
One was putting amla fruit juice (which i bought in the frozen stuff aisle of an indian supermarket) directly to my scalp and lenghts. Just read it might have chelating properties.

[Tinyponies]

Thanks for sharing your experience Olux, it was interesting reading. I especially love my cold water rinses too.

Enjoy your journey! Keep us updated.

There’s a new 2019 thread here: https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=148692

(your English was great :) )

[Olux]

Thanks for sharing your experience Olux, it was interesting reading. I especially love my cold water rinses too.

Enjoy your journey! Keep us updated.

There’s a new 2019 thread here: https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=148692

(your English was great :) )


Thanks! Ill follow it right now.

[01]

I forgot to mentioned i've done other stuff that might have contributed with my wax problem, but those are the main things that i think helped the most.
One was putting amla fruit juice (which i bought in the frozen stuff aisle of an indian supermarket) directly to my scalp and lenghts. Just read it might have chelating properties.

That's an interesting wash idea!

Obviously you just needed to use some natural washes, not hardcore/literal WO because it didn't work for you. Have you tried using egg yolk alone, without all that other stuff, maybe it wouldn't dry out your hair as much? Egg yolk is pretty cool, I agree!

[lovely26]

Hi I want to try water only washing only want to know success stories of people who did it and gain some thickness back and did it help in growing your hair long I have medium 1c/2a hair and right now I m washing once a week with Indian herbs.
Thanks

[lovely26]

Hi I want to try water only washing method. I want to know success stories of people who try it and gain some thickness in their hair and did it help in growing your hair long I have medium 1c/2a hair and right now I m washing once a week with Indian herbs.
Thanks

[purple_omelette]

There is already a thread for this https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=145310

[EdG]

Your present routine is pretty close to water-only. The goal is to avoid washing out all of the body's natural conditioner (sebum). Water-only washing, diluting shampoo, and stretching washes all have this effect.
Ed

[truepeacenik]

Your present routine is pretty close to water-only. The goal is to avoid washing out all of the body's natural conditioner (sebum). Water-only washing, diluting shampoo, and stretching washes all have this effect.
Ed

Succinct!
For me, dilution or stretching washes work moderately better than WO.

[Kathie]

I've just made my way through this thread. I'm curious.

I think I might give it a try. Part of the reason is because I've just learnt how to use a BBB section by section. It felt really nice.

Most of the time I want to shampoo (CV shampoo bar) because my scalp itches and I get a oily-skin build-up. But now I can use my BBB to help take care of my scalp.

I'll think I'll start by alternating in a WO wash :hmm:

Edit: has anyone else started this way? Essentially stretching out their conventional washes? Or is advised to jump straight to WO washing.

[Hairkay]

I've just made my way through this thread. I'm curious.

I think I might give it a try. Part of the reason is because I've just learnt how to use a BBB section by section. It felt really nice.

Most of the time I want to shampoo (CV shampoo bar) because my scalp itches and I get a oily-skin build-up. But now I can use my BBB to help take care of my scalp.

I'll think I'll start by alternating in a WO wash :hmm:

Edit: has anyone else started this way? Essentially stretching out their conventional washes? Or is advised to jump straight to WO washing.

Hi Katie,

the up to date thread can be found here.

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=153565&page=3&p=3887437#post3887437

[reedtra]

Is this an out of date thread? Can the new one be linked in the threads index? https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/announcement.php?f=28&a=11