having trouble with washing transition and oily scalp

[howsitgrowin'87]

Hey everyone! So a couple of weeks ago I bought Aubrey Organics shampoo and conditioner and have been faithfully only using it to give it a proper try. My question is that I've only been washing my hair every other day sometimes every two days for two and a half weeks, and my scalp doesn't seem to be adjusting. My hair is much more shiny and soft, but when I lift up my outside layers of hair, the hair that is about 2-3 inches from my scalp is sooo oily. I've been combing it and doing scalp massages, but it doesn't seem to help. I've also noticed dandruff, which I know is a sign of oily hair.

Should I switch to a sulfate shampoo, and keep using the Aubrey condtioner (because the shampoo is soap based, maybe I need something stronger?)

Another question I have is if it's ok to get your hair wet between washes, I think that would at least help it feel somewhat cleaner, and I've tried the shower cap thing, and I just don't feel like I've taken a shower till my hair gets wet.

Does the scalp eventually adjust?

[SimplyLonghair]

Yes I water rinse between washes, and it works well! It could be that the shampoo doesn't like your water too. I know when I lived in the Ozarks that my water was hard and I had problems finding soaps and shampoos that worked well with that. :shrug: that is something that I would look into.:rolleyes:

[boomygrrl]

For some people, yes...for others, no.
It's true that sometimes we produce more oil because we are more harsh with our scalps, using strong sulfates, and it compensates...but it's also true for many individuals that they are just going to have oily scalps no matter what.
You can experiment and see if you fall in the first category. You can try washing less often, using less harsh washing methods...if it helps, great. If not, you might be in the second category...it that's the case, then you will have to either wash your hair everyday or be okay with the oil. Since you are getting flakes, you probably need to wash your hair everyday. I'm not so sure a sulfate is needed, though. Maybe someone who has oily scalp issues can chime in. I think you can still be gentle, but just have to wash everyday.

[Anje]

Water rinses can definitely help -- I can get a lot of sebum out just by rinsing.

Also, be aware that your scalp massages may be increasing oil production, and they can spread the oil to the first few inches of hair.

[Jeni]

For some people, yes...for others, no.
It's true that sometimes we produce more oil because we are more harsh with our scalps, using strong sulfates, and it compensates...but it's also true for many individuals that they are just going to have oily scalps no matter what.
You can experiment and see if you fall in the first category. You can try washing less often, using less harsh washing methods...if it helps, great. If not, you might be in the second category...it that's the case, then you will have to either wash your hair everyday or be okay with the oil. Since you are getting flakes, you probably need to wash your hair everyday. I'm not so sure a sulfate is needed, though. Maybe someone who has oily scalp issues can chime in. I think you can still be gentle, but just have to wash everyday.

I agree with this. When I first joined LHC I tried to extend my washings, I tried sulfate free and cone free, sulfate and cone free and sulfates and cone, nothing worked. I thought there was something wrong with me since it seems like everyone else can go days without washing! In the end I realized my hair likes to be washed everyday, every 2 days at the most. My scalp is oily and that has nothing to do with sulfates it seems.

Don't feel bad if you cant go days without washing, not everyone can, do what makes your hair happy. You can try doing a daily wash with sulfate free shampoo, it would be gentler on your hair. For me my hair needs sulfates at least every few days, without it my hair gets flat.

[spidermom]

I believe that you should wash your hair whenever you think it needs to be washed. I think that your scalp produces the same amount of oil whether you wash it or not.

[Copasetic]

You might be someone that needs to wash their hair every day. Spreading out washes isn't for everyone. Just be careful to only wash the scalp, and protect the ends.

[MsBubbles]

That's so funny! You did what I did - started out testing out AO shampoo and conditioner. People say only try one new thing at once to see how it works. I wasn't patient enough!

I get 24 hours of grease-free hair. 24th hour and beyond until I wash it again every other day is just big time oil. I noticed my hair being somewhat oilier in the first week of washing with the AO after switching from a supermarket sulfate shampoo. I was upset about it and whined to my S.O. because I'd spent a relatively large amount of money on the new shampoo, and the last thing I wanted was oilier hair!! He said give it 2 weeks and see if anything changes. He was right. The oiliness leveled out after about a week.

I was so worried about the Aubrey Organics line of shampoos and I obsessed about the ingredients before buying one, and was really hesitant because the first few ingredients are oils of some kind.

Anyway, I have one fresh hair day, and one dank hair day :D, but the softness in my ends is worth it! However, if you're itching, scratching and burning with flakes then by all means wash every day if you have to. It's entirely up to you. I will say though that my itchy, burning flakiness did calm down after about 4 months of me stretching washes to every other day.

[teela1978]

If you're having dandruff problems now, and didn't have them before, I would switch back to whatever shampoo you were using before you started using the AO. Once your scalp clears up, you can try another 'natural' method of cleansing if you like, but dandruff is generally a sign of an unhappy scalp, not an oily one (I have never had flakes and have the greasiest head of anyone I know). Let your scalp get back to normalish.