Need some advice: Start shampooing or use This conditioner?

[Otempura]

Okay so I do not shampoo my hair... I only shampoo it when something terrible gets into it or I use coconut oil, so I shampoo it about 4 times a year.

Shampoo always makes my hair feel like one giant dreadlock, and it makes it feel like it is completely without moisture. Really ugly.

I use Hask products (the Monoi Coconut Oil type.) It's sulfate free, paraban free and I'm pretty sure it's cone free (I think, at least...) It's a pretty healthy shampoo. I use the same type of conditioner which makes my hair feel amazing!

Problem is... I have recently been having a BIG problem with dandruff. I usually use OXY Tea Tree Mint to get rid of the dandruff for a week before switching back to my Hask coconut oil but now it seems like it won't go away if I switch back for too long and I can't STAND the dandruff. I also have a problem with dry skin and lotions and stuff make my skin react... badly... so I don't like trying too many new conditioners and such for fear of the same reaction. The only other Tea Tree conditioner that I've tried is the Paul Mitchell Special with Tea Tree-Mint which works just slightly better than the OXY conditioner for the dandruff.

The conditioner though (OXY) is making my hair tangle more, it's thin and I have to use twice as much (it's not cheap). I feel like I'm damaging my hair because the conditioner is making it tangle, wereas the Hask conditioner leaves my hair almost tangle free and I don't have to struggle to brush it.

This leaves me with a bit of a problem...

I can:

1. Use the Hask Shampoo with the Hask conditioner BUT I'll be shampooing my hair more than I have in over 5 years (Once every week-two weeks to control the dandruff... When I'm used to washing it only 4-5 times a year. *I do cleans it with certain oils and I always condition!)

2. Continue using the OXY and deal with the tangles and spend an extra 20 minutes brushing my hair after every shower twice a month...

3. Risk a horrible allergic reaction where I scratch and itch at my scalp for days because I've tried a new product?

Does anyone have any advice on the dandruff or any recommendations for something that will control the dandruff but is still sulfate, paraben and preferably cone free... but won't cause a reaction? A recipe for a mask or even an oil would do as long as it will help with the dandruff without making me pull all my hair out detangling! :D

SORRY if I sound like such a drama queen! I promise I'm not trying to be!

[lapushka]

Problems with dandruff usually mean you are not cleansing the scalp properly or enough. Maybe try H&S or Nizoral 1% (that is OTC) to at least clear the flakes up. You don't want to mess with your scalp as that is the originator of healthy growth. You'll probably only have to use it once or twice, let's say to "reset" your hair, and maybe then you can just go on as you have normally.

At least, that would be my suggestion, but I don't have an issue with sulfates.

[Simsy]

Purely out of curiosity, is there a particular reason you are avoiding sulphates or cones? The dandruff could be a dry scalp, or it could be a reaction to something. So extra moisture might help, but I honestly couldn’t say for sure. Try the deep moisture treatments, or there are hundreds of recipes you can knock up in a kitchen from fairly normal ingredients. The other option is to continue with the OXY which obviously works for you, but add in a coney conditioner or serum to give yourself a bit more slip to help with tangles.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Make a hair rinse from lemon leaves. Boil up a double handful of leaves from a lemon tree (roughly chopped), strain it, allow the "tea" to cool and use as a hair rinse.

[Joules]

I agree with lapushka, in your case dandruff is more likely to be the result of improper cleansing. Scalp needs to be cleaned properly, not many people can get away with not shampooing their hair (in my case it resulted in severe hairloss, so dandruff isn't the worst thing that can happen). If you're afraid of messing up your hair, do heavy oil treatments pre-shampoo.

And also, if a shampoo is making your hair look and feel horrible, it's a wrong shampoo for you. Even sulfate-free poos can be harsh, you need to try a few different sls-free brands to be able to judge them.

[lapushka]

I agree with lapushka, in your case dandruff is more likely to be the result of improper cleansing. Scalp needs to be cleaned properly, not many people can get away with not shampooing their hair (in my case it resulted in severe hairloss, so dandruff isn't the worst thing that can happen). If you're afraid of messing up your hair, do heavy oil treatments pre-shampoo.

And also, if a shampoo is making your hair look and feel horrible, it's a wrong shampoo for you. Even sulfate-free poos can be harsh, you need to try a few different sls-free brands to be able to judge them.

Yes definitely not every sulfate shampoo is great; but HASK is a nice line! I can't say anything bad about that. They do make a charcoal cleansing shampoo - you could give that a go, OP, if you don't want to sulfate-wash.

[spidermom]

I don't know how you shampoo, of course, but the problem might be your technique rather than the shampoo itself. Try this - comb or brush your hair really well before washing. Mix the shampoo in some water in an empty bottle, then squirt or pour the solution over your scalp area. Then using your fingers or a shower comb in a stroking motion over your scalp until you fell you've covered your entire scalp. Rinse well. The trick is to avoid messing your hair all around. Definitely don't do what they show in shampoo commercials with hair all piled up on the head.

[MusicalSpoons]

Some excellent points already there. I'd add to spidermom's comment that you can massage with your finger pads in small areas at a time without messing your hair up too much. That should help clear any residue off your scalp once you've rinsed really well.

You could also CWC - coat the lengths in conditioner before you shampoo, to 'protect' it a bit, then after rinsing condition the lengths once again as usual. Depending on how your hair is, you might be able to condition right up to a few inches away from your scalp without actually getting it on your scalp. Or even, condition the lengths with your decent conditioner and use the OXY (if it does really help) as the cleansing bit for your scalp hair - I believe you can dilute conditioner as well as shampoo if need be, especially for thoroughness of application.

(I'd also tentatively suggest considering adding tea tree oil or some other essential oil to a cleansing conditioner for your scalp, but read up on dilution and things first to make an informed decision whether to try, especially if your skin is quite sensitive. Most EOs are antibacterial and antifungal, and some are less likely to irritate than others; I think lavender is supposed to be gentler than many others.)

[cathair]

Could you do the conditioning part of your wash leaning forward over a sink? If you were only using the conditioner ears down and there was no risk of it touching your other skin to cause a reaction, maybe you would have more options.

It does sound as though you may need to wash more, these needs can change over time.

[Otempura]

Thanks for all the advice guys, I'm embarrassed that the general opinion seems to be a cleansing issue. I'll try some of these suggestions

[akurah]

Dove (in the US at least) has a conditioner that contains the same active ingredient in dandruff shampoos that fight dandruff.

[lapushka]

Dove (in the US at least) has a conditioner that contains the same active ingredient in dandruff shampoos that fight dandruff.

Yeah we don't have that here (maybe yet). Seems like a good option.

And I'm sorry if we embarrassed you by calling attention to the cleansing part. Flakes and itchy scalp / redness is what I get if I don't cleanse enough, so I draw on my own experiences a bit here. :o

[Joules]

Thanks for all the advice guys, I'm embarrassed that the general opinion seems to be a cleansing issue. I'll try some of these suggestions

I certainly didn't mean to embarrass you and imply you're somehow filthy! I just meant that there's different kinds of cleansing. There's co-washing, which gets rid of only excess sebum, then there's full on sulfate wash that gets whatever it can, and there's everything in between. There are also scalp scrubs and peelings, I personally have never tried them, but a trichologist I follow on IG always says they're essential for scalp health.

[cathair]

Thanks for all the advice guys, I'm embarrassed that the general opinion seems to be a cleansing issue. I'll try some of these suggestions

Oh no, you're not alone! I think most people here would rather wash their hair as little as possible. You're in good company, it's just one of those things. I used to be able to go a fortnight, now I can't go a week.

[Aredhel]

Thanks for all the advice guys, I'm embarrassed that the general opinion seems to be a cleansing issue. I'll try some of these suggestions

Don't feel embarrassed! Honestly most people here have struggled with finding their correct cleansing routine at one point or another. It can be challenging to find the right balance between cleaning too often and not cleaning often enough...and even then, sometimes my scalp demands to be cleaned more often than other times. You'll get the hang of it, just listen to your scalp! :)

[lapushka]

Don't feel embarrassed! Honestly most people here have struggled with finding their correct cleansing routine at one point or another. It can be challenging to find the right balance between cleaning too often and not cleaning often enough...and even then, sometimes my scalp demands to be cleaned more often than other times. You'll get the hang of it, just listen to your scalp! :)

Yep, that sums it up nicely! :D