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Lile
August 11th, 2009, 09:02 AM
Is there anybody out there who stopped using conditioner because her/his hair looks and feels better without?My hair doesn't seem to like that I use quite a bit of co on it.I think I found a good one,but it's just not good all the time.Makes my hair tangle after a while of use.
Is it really necessary to use conditioner for you?If not,what did you manage to replace it with?

AnneAdeline
August 11th, 2009, 09:11 AM
I haven't gone without conditioner, since my ends are really damaged, so it needs CO.

Are you using cones? Buildup may be why your hair is tangling. I have some Suave clarifying shampoo that I got for about $1 that I use once in a while.

Nypsy
August 11th, 2009, 09:21 AM
I think my hair looks better without conditioner, I just decided yesterday that I'm going to start replacing conditioner with catnip tea soaks.

spidermom
August 11th, 2009, 09:32 AM
Without conditioner, my hair would scare small children. It gets big and poofy and fly-away.

SimplyViki
August 11th, 2009, 09:45 AM
Without conditioner, my hair would scare small children. It gets big and poofy and fly-away.
:lol: Spidermom, I love the way you put things.

As far as the question, I've gone without conditioner, but I just... kinda... well, I like conditioner. :o Makes me and my hair feel special. My ends (well, a good bit of the length, actually) have been through several dying processes, which I recently learned did involve peroxide, so that's probably why they feel so awful when I clarify. I can get away without conditioning, it doesn't look terrible, but the feeling of my ends when they're in their barest, most uncoated state scares me into using conditioner anyway.

demitasse
August 11th, 2009, 09:52 AM
I tried it once just out of curiosity. :shudder: My hair literally tripled in size. And I've got a lot of hair. Took me awhile even to lasso it into a bun to hide the monstrosity it had become.

But if it works for you, by all means. If hair your hair is happy and healthy, there's no problem. :)

Shiva
August 11th, 2009, 09:53 AM
I don't use conditioner. I use catnip. My hair is very happy with catnip.

heynormy
August 11th, 2009, 10:17 AM
When I was younger I would only use shampoo to wash my hair, but those were the days before heat styling and coney products! Now if I go with out conditioning I might end up with a brillo head!

teela1978
August 11th, 2009, 10:54 AM
My hair looks alright without conditioner, but it's almost impossible to detangle. With a good thick conditioner I can get by with minimal combing... and I'm lazy so that's good.

BlndeInDisguise
August 11th, 2009, 10:58 AM
Yes, my hair is happier without conditioner--I think. I've started doing WO, and my ends are a lot happier and a lot softer and nicer. Conditioner may help my ends for a very short time, but then after that they're crunchy and nasty feeling.

Eden_Rayn
August 11th, 2009, 11:00 AM
I tried the no co and my hair ate my head. I just have to much hair and the ends are still somewhat damaged from prelhc. However if it is working for you that is what matters for everyones hair is unique.

lynlora
August 11th, 2009, 12:29 PM
I am using just shampoo (Garnier Triple Nutrition) as an experiment.So far no worse than S&C or just CO'ing.

Lady Mary
August 11th, 2009, 01:52 PM
I am better with conditioner, have you tried a conditioner without cones? Might do the trick for you. I have heard some people still don't like conditioner though, even one without cones. :blossom:

Carolyn
August 11th, 2009, 03:34 PM
I would never be able to get my wide toothed comb through my hair without conditioner :scared: Without conditioner I couldn't have long hair. If you can go without it or replace it with something else, hey that's great. There was a time when I just used shampoo but my hair was shoulder length layers, I ripped through it with a plastic ball tipped brush, blow dried daily and cut it every 2 months. It looked like hell most of the time.

Schefflera
August 11th, 2009, 03:41 PM
I've alternated between conditioning more, less, and not at all. I always used to think of it as something to detangle with in the shower, and would skip it if my hair didn't feel to me like it needed it. I've started experimenting with using it more -- sometimes with cones, sometimes without, sometimes CO -- to see if I like the results.

If I use vinegar (usually at rather higher strength than anybody here recommends *cough*), I usually don't use conditioner as well. I've used this amazing lily-of-the-valley-scented shower gel without conditioner, and I think some BBW creamy body wash.... Oh, and Lush's Reincarnate.

Stormsong
August 11th, 2009, 03:57 PM
Pre-LHC I was using a largish glob of Pantene conditioner on my hair, it really didn't need it. These days I use a small amount of a non-cone conditioner, but I mix it up in a jug with ACV before diluting with warm water from the shower. I've found that it's just enough to allow me to comb my hair without having to take half an hour to get through it (even though my hair is mostly fine and dead straight), and doesn't weigh my hair down, and keeps my ends from feeling crunchy.

I don't think I could completely give up conditioner, the couple of times I've just shampoo'd in recent memory, the combing after was sufficient re-inforcement to remember to buy conditioner before it runs out :)

merseaone
August 11th, 2009, 04:31 PM
I can't go without conditioner, it looks fried even if it isn't.

somethingwicked
August 11th, 2009, 04:58 PM
I haven't gone condish-free lately, but I remember there was a time when that's what my hair wanted, shampoo, no conditioner. I just rolled with it; we do what the hair commands. This was was WAY pre-LHC. Now that I sit and think about it, I can't imagine how I came upon that conclusion (don't use conditioner for a while), since my routine was to shampoo (every night!) then slather on conditioner and use a wide toothed comb to detangle, and I never would have dreamed of skipping that condition/detangle step.

I was also using, religiously, for multiple years, Aussie Moist shampoo and Pantene conditioner. I did rotate with Neutrogena clarifying shampoo in the square bottle with the k-nasty mens cologne smell, so I'm not sure if it could have been build up. But I did go conditioner free for a couple of months, then I was right back on the wagon after that. So if it's working for you, go with it!

liseling
August 11th, 2009, 06:57 PM
I would look like a crazy bag lady if I didnt use conditioner! My entire hair regime is based on it!

missfortune9335
August 11th, 2009, 07:17 PM
what's all this talk about catnip? I have some growing in the back yard, are you saying I can use it on my hair?? How do you do this?

Elphie
August 11th, 2009, 07:26 PM
Here's the catnip thread, missfortune. Happy reading :-)

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=476

SheaLynne
August 12th, 2009, 12:14 AM
Okay, this is where I am so confused. I've *never* routinely used conditioner, and the few times I've tried it, my hair has felt like a weighted down greasy mass.

Is that because I didn't use a clarifying shampoo, though?? I really am so confused about what I should use on my hair. I'm trying to read as much as I can on other existing threads and not just ask questions, but I really cannot figure it out.

I noticed most of those here saying they really need conditioner had fine/medium hair. My hair is coarse, so maybe that's the difference? I've also never had a problem with tangling, so maybe that's why I don't feel I need it? But if it will help me have healthier ends, I'm all for figuring out how to use it. I'm also hoping to try coconut oil as a leave-in to keep the ends from being too dry.

Sorry to hijack a thread, I'm just very confused!

redcelticcurls
August 12th, 2009, 12:17 AM
OMG, I couldn't do it. I would live on ramen noodles if I had to to keep myself in conditioner.

Bloodflower
August 12th, 2009, 03:47 AM
I've been following a no-conditioner routine for some weeks now. It started out of laziness and has become a bit of a habit now. My hair is straight and rather fine so I don't need conditioner to tame it. I just put some coconut oil on my damp hair to help with detangeling and it works just fine. I have to use coconut oil inbetween washed though or my ends become dry. Other than that my hair seems to be doing great with this new routine.

One thing I noticed is that my hair seems to dry quicker after wash now. I don't know if this is a good or a bad sign ...

Aditi
August 12th, 2009, 04:45 AM
My mom doe not apply conditioner to her as conditioner makes excessive hair shed for her. She is not using condish for about a month and her hairs are ok not much difference is seen.

Hiriel
August 12th, 2009, 04:53 AM
I've stopped using conditioner and I don't really notice a big difference, it's surprisingly easy to detangle without conditioner and it looks just as shiny. It feels less heavy though, and gets a bit thicker :)

Vermelha
August 12th, 2009, 03:14 PM
I haven't used conditioner in about a month. The only thing I do a few times a year is a hardcore protein treatment. Since not using conditioner, my hair can absorb oils and moisturizing products better. And my curls are starting to become more tame and not so dependent on conditioner...which is a good thing for me.

Besides, I spread lots of oil down my hair shaft and put it up. Yeah, it's a tad oily, but no one's supposed to be touching it but me.

My hair can still be detangled and I have 3b/3c M/C hair. Not sure what's up with the looser hair textures, but I don't have any detangling issues when not using conditioner. The hair shouldn't be tangled anyway if you're not wearing it down or loose :-/ Guess different strokes for different folks.

However, I'm serious about growing my hair out, and not so bent on the appearance, like some other ladies have mentioned. Yeah, it may look a bit coarser, but I can always throw my hair in a ponytail or bun and call it a day.

Vermelha
August 12th, 2009, 03:15 PM
My mom doe not apply conditioner to her as conditioner makes excessive hair shed for her. She is not using condish for about a month and her hairs are ok not much difference is seen.

Since not using conditioner, I've had much less shedding. I agree with this.

Astraea
January 13th, 2013, 04:08 AM
I know this thread is old but I was curious about the board's experiences and if any were similar to mine. I stopped using condish months ago and prefer it. My hair feels more slippery, soft and moisturized than before especially my ends. I found that added slip/mucilage, whether cone-free conditioner or some herbals like marshmallow, coated my hair and made it feel dryer. I'm low-porosity already so I need all the moisture I can get. Also Ayurvedic herbs and ACV recipes were too stripping over time. My profile is very coily-curly-spongy, M/C, ii-iii, no/low tangle, high hold and no bleach/color. I've never been a regular or frequent shampoo or conditioner user so it's not too different for me.

I'm between cleansers and re-trying shampoo bars which I found too harsh/alkaline before. I recently tried Bobeam's Shealoe Bar (liked it, sudsy and non-drying but I'm on a humectants/protein hair diet so it's a body soap now) and moved to Henna Sooq's Berhempsu Bar (jury still out), I'll also try Chagrin and Anita Grant's lavender bar.

Tota
January 13th, 2013, 06:39 AM
I have to use conditioner in winter months because without it, my hair gets scaringly tangly and staticy. In the summer though I sometimes only use a shampoo bar or a diluted shampoo followed by an ACV rinse and my hair is ok.

lapushka
January 13th, 2013, 11:07 AM
Even with conditioner my hair can get tangly, so yes I use it in copious amounts, conditioning twice after each wash, *and* using a leave-in on top of that.

catasa
January 13th, 2013, 11:47 AM
I stopped using conditioner about two-three months ago, and started using a shampoo dilution with some ACV added, and then after shampooing and rinsing add some six drops of pure mineral oil as leave-in on dripping wet hair. I have been a heavy conditioner-user before (both together with shampoo and several years with CO) since I have what I have always thought was very dry hair, but now I think that actually my hair got dryer or at least felt worse with conditioner. Maybe it coated the hair and prevented moisture from going in or something... it always felt coarse/weird/coated and was frizzy and almost never good-looking. And, I have tried many different conditioners and ways of using them... :shrug:

Anyway, now without conditioner my hair is not perfect but very much better, it is soft, feels much more moisturized, waves/spirals for the most time coming out nicely, and shiny for being my hair.

renia22
January 13th, 2013, 05:45 PM
Although I don't skip it completely, I do use very little. For a while I was using more (which made my hair very flat and it got greasy quicker), but that was during my sulfate free phase (which made me shed more and gave me a ton of tangles). Now that I am back on a couple of simple sulfate formulations (Lush's Antiphilitron shampoo; George's Aloe shampoo) along with pure aloe/ rosemary EO on my scalp before washing, my scalp is much, much better & I have hardly any tangles on the length. I use maybe a pea sized drop of conditioner after washing, if that. Occasionally I use coconut oil or Dr. Bronner's coconut lavender hair cream on dry ends only.

Wildcat Diva
January 13th, 2013, 09:59 PM
I'm going to stop using palmful of conditioner for CO.

Reason being, I recently tried rinsing upside down with a sink sprayer in a plastic dishpan.
This spray has high pressure. The amount of suds that came from a CO was just insane! Took about 10 minutes of spray for the suds to be close to being gone. VO5 must have some hella sulfectants.

Surely if I was rinsing normally in the shower I would not see these suds. I don't like the idea of that staying in my hair.
I'm totally doing to start using a diluted product. Leaving it on for a few minutes before I CO wash really seems to help the CO clean my hair.

Naiadryade
January 13th, 2013, 10:03 PM
Hmm. Well, I don't use conditioner per se, but I do do things to condition my hair--I'm just an all-natural girl.

Back in the day when I washed and conditioned my hair traditionally (with Herbal Essences for years), I considered my hair and scalp to tend towards oily. I also got a lot of dandruff. Then I did water-only washes, with occasional soaks in diluted ACV, for a couple of years, which I thought was working well because my hair wasn't greasy and the ACV always cured the dandruff for a while. Then I found LHC and realized my hair had gotten really dry on that routine.

Now my hair seems happy to be conditioned with catnip treatments whenever I wash it (which I do 2-4 times a month with Terressentials Organic Hair Wash, which is just clay, aloe, plant extracts and essential oils), conditioning herbal tea rinses whenever I shower (1-2 times per week), and oils applied to my scalp and length every 1-2 days. Granted, this is really a lot of conditioning, with a wash that isn't very harsh at all. But I don't use a *conditioner* in the usual sense of the word.

My hair seems to soak up all this natural conditioning, it loves it and it doesn't get overly greasy unless I do a particularly heavy oiling--which is brought back in balance easily with a water-only wash, especially if I do an herbal tea rinse too. It's also easy to detangle because of the oils I put on it, and I've come to realize that oilng my scalp brings immediate relief to itchiness. This is in contrast to the last time I was using chemical shampoo and conditioner--which spelled greasy hair, dandruff and tangles.

JadeTigress
January 14th, 2013, 08:34 AM
My hair has always been better without conditioner, even when it was classic length. I pretty much never used conditioner back then. I've been using it more lately, I guess because I feel like I'm supposed to. I even tried a CWC, and afterwards I realized my hair was WAY overconditioned. So, it's been awhile since I went without conditioner, but my last couple washes I just shampooed with Toadstool shampoo, and that was it. My hair looks so much better, like it used to. So I'm back to no conditioner for awhile, but maybe an ACV rinse here and there.

biogirl87
January 14th, 2013, 12:20 PM
Back in the days when I would use only shampoo on my hair (scalp and length) and no conditioner, my hair seemed to shed less in the shower. However, over time it became drier. Going to try not using any conditioner in one of the next washes and see how my hair feels about it.

spirals
January 14th, 2013, 03:02 PM
I'm trying to get rid of all the conventional products, but the other day I skipped the rinse-out conditioner and my hair got mad. What can I add to my citric acid rinse? I was thinking of throwing some rosemary, catnip, and glycerin in there. I'd do oil, but that will weigh down my roots, and I do need to put the rine on my scalp. I do use coconut oil and glycerin as a leave-in already. But my hair is extra dry.

dwell_in_safety
January 14th, 2013, 07:15 PM
My hair is a mess without conditioner. It actually looks good after clarifying it, before I deep condition with oil the next day (as always), but if I wash my hair more than once without conditioner, or with anything but clarifying shampoo, it is the world's biggest poof ball. My waves become pure frizz. D: It's horrifying lol. My mother has never used conditioner, though, on her 1b hair, and it has always looked just fine. :)

natural_shine
January 15th, 2013, 01:34 AM
Is there anybody out there who stopped using conditioner because her/his hair looks and feels better without?My hair doesn't seem to like that I use quite a bit of co on it.I think I found a good one,but it's just not good all the time.Makes my hair tangle after a while of use.
Is it really necessary to use conditioner for you?If not,what did you manage to replace it with?

I use a sulphate- free shampoo and I put a leave-in oil after. My hair is in much better condition than it was when I used conditioner.

The oil I use as leave-in is cocoa butter. Just a little needed.

AngryVikingGirl
January 15th, 2013, 09:03 AM
I haven't read through the thread, just checking in. I don't use conditioner, I managed to find a shampoo which doesn't make my hair need conditioner. I mean, it doesn't dry out my hair and so far this poo has done the best for me. It's a noname cheap herbal shampoo bought at Lidl(called Finale). No idea of the ingredients. My shedding is WO-like(very little), the oil balance of my scalp is good enough. In my teens I was using something similar (noname herbal, something with nettle), but then I could go for a week between washes. Nowadays it's four days. And my hair looks good between washes. It's interesting, with egg washes, my scalp got oily after two days maybe, even though my hair was healthy anyways. The same happened with WO. I think the herbs calm down my scalp and they have a good effect on my hair too, without aggressive cleansing.

GrowingGlory
January 15th, 2013, 10:35 AM
My hair fares best on sebum alone. No plant oil or conditioner compares.

misspurdy06
January 17th, 2013, 09:02 AM
I have recently started using conditioner to clean my hair because its winter and the air is very dry. I dont however leave any in anymore I find it makes my hair feel sticky and the residue traps dirt a lot. I do have to wait for my hair to dry completely before I detangle because if there is any water it is somehow crunchy. When it dries its perfectly fine. Not stiff, Not sticky.

henné
January 19th, 2013, 09:38 AM
Pre-LHC, but still hair-health-aware, I used conditioner only once in a while as it made my hair greasier faster and also diminished the body of my hair. I'm starting a no-CO/once-in-a-while-CO routine now. I clarified today to get rid off as much conditioner from my hair as possible (I can still smell it in my hair a little though and it's been nearly a week since I used a conditioner last - not a good thing, is it.

IndigoOptimist
January 19th, 2013, 09:49 AM
My hair is really dry and frizzy without conditioner. I think it's about finding the right one for me and clarifying every once in a while. If those two things aren't right then my hair looks limp and awful because it's really thin.
Everyone is different and if your hair seems to like something there's no reason to not do it :)

silverthread
March 16th, 2013, 02:06 PM
For the last four weeks, I haven't used any conditioner at all, because I wanted to see if that was what was making my roots flat, my length poofy, and my ends velcro-y. I've just been washing with diluted shampoo, rinsing with water, and then doing a final rinse with a gallon of water spiked with white vinegar and a tiny bit of ascorbic acid (I make sure the pH is about 5.0). Has anyone else tried this? If so, what were your long-term results? I've had good results so far and I'm wondering if it's just because the weather right now in West Central Florida is less humid than usual. I don't know if it makes a difference, but I have very fine, low-porosity hair.

Kwantslonghair
March 16th, 2013, 03:20 PM
Since I had to wash today I just tried no conditioner to see what happens. Mine is fine and does seem to get flat and greasy looking by the next day after wash. I did use my usual pea sized dot of argon oil on each half of my hair from the ear down. I had no trouble finger combing. It's still wet so I will have to see what it looks like later on

silverthread
March 16th, 2013, 03:31 PM
Kwantslonghair, I'm eager to hear about your results.

Kwantslonghair
March 16th, 2013, 04:07 PM
Still half damp but so far so good. Still soft, ends are not clumpish nor frizzy. Loving it so far but will see in a few hours

RavenBaby
March 16th, 2013, 04:54 PM
My length has been bleached twice, lowlighted once and touch up highlight bleach steaks a couple times also my ends have been dyed black and I used colour stipped twice on them so conditioner is essential for my hair to look like in any way nice, I get severe tangles even when I condition twice :( My virgin roots don't need any though.

Kwantslonghair
March 16th, 2013, 05:23 PM
98 percent dry. Ends don't look bad. Did use a dab of argon oil on ends. I haven't had any big trims since last April. A couple micro trims when I started getting tangles. This close up was before combing.http://i1257.photobucket.com/albums/ii517/Kwantslonghair/649f7735ada93280f9700005486f6c11.jpg

Kwantslonghair
March 16th, 2013, 05:25 PM
After combing. Green belt is waist
http://i1257.photobucket.com/albums/ii517/Kwantslonghair/7ec90e6e6b8216fb7b27fd7b2e0a80e8.jpg

silverthread
March 16th, 2013, 05:31 PM
Kwantslonghair, your ends look healthy. How does your hair feel? How do the roots feel?

Kwantslonghair
March 16th, 2013, 05:46 PM
Kwantslonghair, your ends look healthy. How does your hair feel? How do the roots feel?

It feels soft but not as slippery as it usually is. The roots feel great and looks clean and full. I will update tomorrow about how it looks and feels. I am thinking I might want to go conditioner free maybe 3 out of 4 washes. I will see how it goes

chen bao jun
March 16th, 2013, 08:27 PM
Conditioner helps me a lot because I have 3c curly hair. Once I discovered cowashing, the whole texture of my hair changed and got very soft. Conditioner as a leave in allows me to have moisturized hair which was always impossible before. I am low porosity and that combined with the dryness of curly hair and sulfate shampoo meant that I always had hair like straw before. And poofy and frizzy. I'd put hairdressing on top and then it would be greasy and strawlike and poofy and frizzy. Not good.
However, people do have different hair. I have two friends who cannot use conditioner, any conditioner. It messes up their hair every time. One of them has hip length wurls that are soft and lovely--she uses mane n tail shampoo in small amounts and brushes it every morning and that's all. She doesn't even have to wear it up and doesn't get split ends until its gets past her hips.
I think this is genetic--her mother grew hair past her knees at one point even though she has super fine hair (she did have to keep it up all the time). She had to cut it short in recent years because of severe osteo arthritis. She also did not use conditioner--it makes both of them have lank and greasy hair. They both say they tend to greasy scalps (which is a problem I've never had--I don't think I make sebum at all, actually).

GrowingGlory
March 16th, 2013, 08:44 PM
Update: I posted here that my hair only seems to appreciate sebum. I had a corrective cut this month and bought some oil from NightBlooming. So far, much better!