I can't stop washing!

[Mahars]

Ok, I seem to be having a lot of hair issues this month. Lately I've been washing my hair way too often even though it's been cold out and it dries out my hair. For the past few weeks, I've been washing almost every day. Sometimes I'll hold out and wash every other day!

Part of the problem is that my scalp gets oily quickly, but my ends are still super dry. Has anyone else had this problem where you're addicted to washing? Did anything help you stop?

[Ursula]

Have you tried CWC washing? Apply conditioner from your ears down. A little shampoo, just to clean your scalp. Rinse the whole thing. Condition the whole thing.

It sounds from what you describe as if that might address your dry ends/oily scalp issue, and help gradually cut back on shampoo and reduce the problem of your scalp over-producing oil as a result of constantly having the oil stripped from it.

[Mahars]

I do like to CWC wash. It helps quite a bit with my dry ends. I have to put conditioner on top (at my roots) though, because otherwise I get a ton of frizz like a halo around my face (I'm a curly girl). I've been thinking of experimenting with CO though, but I think I really need to just wash less.

[Ursula]

I do like to CWC wash. It helps quite a bit with my dry ends. I have to put conditioner on top though, because otherwise I get a ton of frizz like a halo around my face (I'm a curly girl). I've been thinking of experimenting with CO though, but I think I really need to just wash less.

For the final conditioning of CWC, I'd assumed you'd put conditioner on top. It is just for the washing you don't do that, since it would get in the way.

It might also work to try diluting your shampoo before you apply it, and using a bottle with a tiny squirt top to apply the dilute mixture. (So you can squirt small amounts to specific areas of your head, rather than trying to work it thorugh your hair.) That would let you cut down even more on the amount of shampoo being used.

[Anje]

Try CO washing out. You might have some adjustment period if you're very oily, you might not have any. It can be done quite often though without much wear and tear on your hair, though, and I think in time your scalp will reduce oil production a bit if it's not always getting shampooed to strip the oils off entirely. If you're washing your hair when you don't need to, just wet it down in the shower or wear a shower cap to fight the urge to wash a little.

Some people get into feedback loops where their scalp gets oily, so they wash it more. This drys the skin on the scalp, so it increases oil production to compensate. Sometimes a person's basic body chemistry and hormones feed into this and further increase oil production, which only complicates the problem. If you can stand it for a little while, let your scalp get a bit oily -- in a few weeks it usually figures out that it doesn't have to be producing gobs of oil to stay moist.

[Mahars]

Thanks for the ideas Anje and Ursula. I think I would like to try diluting my shampoo and CO washing. Do you know of any natural conditioner that would work for CO? I've tried VO5 and something in it makes my scalp itchy. I've also tried Trader Joes Refresh, but it has parabens in it. I'm so picky! :p

[wolf girl]

You could also try just a scalp only wash while holding your length out of the way. My routine consists of 2 washes a week. One scalp only wash and one total wash. I've heard some that can bun their hair while doing this but I haven't mastered that yet.

[Katze]

my hair gets like you describe when it is dirty (i.e. too oily). That makes me think that you are probably washing too much and your scalp is producing too much oil.

For me, one set "routine" is too stressful and rigid. So I have learned (through trial and error) what my hair "wants". At the beginning, I tested the limits by "stretching" my washings - which might be a good idea for you to try, just to see how often you "really" need to wash. When you do this, you can see if your hair is really dirty or just more moisturized.

After trying almost every method here, I settled on mostly CWC or CW washing, occasional WO washing, and sometimes a SMT treatment either as part of a shampoo washing (W then SMT) on its own (no shampoo or wash beforehand). WO washing, while it doesn't deep clean like I need, helps "reset" my oily scalp and makes my hair very shiny, but it doesn't "last" as long as a CW or CWC wash. Oh yeah, I only ever "C" my hair from the ears down now.

Oh, and in December I discovered that 'cones really do make my hair softer, ends less dry, and overall make my hair look better with less tangles. Maybe you might want to go back to 'cones?

It may in fact be that you're washing too much, but until you have tried different methods, shampoos, conditioning, stretching washes, etc. you won't know. This can be frustrating - as it sounds like you're currently experiencing - but you won't know until you try.

good luck!

Katze

[BlndeInDisguise]

My hair started to get really oily every day, and I thought it was just part of being a teenager--until I started reading about long hair care. ;) Then I saw that my shampoo had SLS, and so I stopped using that and started using a shampoo bar. I still wash my hair every other day, but it doesn't get AS greasy as it did when I was using the harsher shampoo.

[serenitygal]

Mahars,

If you want a more natural conditioner for CO-ing, try Naturelle's fragrance-free conditioner. I'm not sure where you are, but here in the US I get it at Sally's. I think it may also be available at some other places, too. It has worked really well for this curly girl. I use a 50% diluted solution of it for the "wash" part of CO, and the regular strength for the conditioning part.

I'd also recommend Stoneybrook Botanicals unscented conditioner. It has a lot fewer ingredients than the Naturelle stuff, and I find that it works well, too. Out of laziness (I'd have to order the Stoneybrook online rather than run to the store for it) I usually get the Naturelle, though.

If you like fragrances in your products (I don't, but everyone's different) you might put some essential oils in either of the conditioners. The Naturelle has a faintly pleasant smell, while the Stoneybrook doesn't really have one.

HTH!

[ChloeDharma]

I agree with the posters who said that the frequent scalp cleansing might be contributing to the problem. As it's already been very well explained i don't need to repeat it :)

Some ideas, as has been said, CO washing might be an idea to try, or if that isn't cleansing enough yet you might want to try C-COW-C which is where you condition the length, mix some shampoo with conditioner and use that on the scalp to wash, then condition it all again afterwards.

You could also try overnight heavy oilings before each wash....including the scalp. Oils like Jojoba tend to calm down oil production so that might help, also ylang ylang EO is said to balance sebum production.

The other (and i think easiest) idea might be to invest in a boar bristle brush (BBB) and give your scalp a good going over with that to pull the sebum down the hair, so it offers a form of cleansing the scalp but also helps to lubricate the dryer lengths.

As for natural products that are store brought.....i'm not sure, oh, except there's Aubrey Organics which looks quite cool but i haven't used it, but i think honey and yogurt mixed together make a lovely conditioner. You could also look into herb washing/conditioning.....some of that stuff is amazing.

[Mahars]

Thanks for the tips Katze and CloeDharma. Thanks for the product suggestions Serenitygal. It sounds like different things work for different people and I just have to play around with what works for me. My hair loves CWC and it loves CO too except for the itchy scalp. I'm going to try both again and see which one makes by roots oilier.

Since I always feel that I have to wash, I might even try WO every other day. Water itself doesn't harm the hair does it? If so, maybe I'll try C-WO. I think I'll put conditioner just on the length and ends (not on my scalp so I don't get the itchies) and then I'll try scrubbing my scalp really well. Has anybody tried something like this before?

[missy60]

I do this all the time its my favorite washing method. I do use diluted shampoo about once a week or so. I wash my hair about three times a week so the other two times I just use WO on my scalp and condition the ends.

[cardamom]

same here...
i feel hair is not clean if i dint see lather!:rolleyes:
i work out a lot.
what should my wash routine be?:)

[venividibxtchy]

Personally, I've stretched washings, and my scalp never produced less oil.

Sebum is produced internally at a given rate, based upon genetics and hormones and environmental factors (such as temperature, humidity, sweating, exercise, etc.), but not due to how oily you do or don't leave the outside layer of your scalp. You could use Dawn dish detergent and find that it doesn't make your scalp produce sebum any faster than if you 'cleansed' with pure olive oil. It's just not a scientific factor.

CWC and COing work to make some people feel less oily in time, because some of the ingredients in cheaper conditioners (White Rain, V05, and similar) also work to remove build-up and do a light cleansing of their own. Also, they make your hair feel a lot better, because the ends get more moisture.

Shampoo bars do technically clean a little better, because they're more alkaline and slightly more drying than most commercial shampoos that usually have a pH of 7. But the use of shampoo bars should always be followed with an ACV or citric acid rinse, as the hair cuticle needs to be closed after the soap has opened it, and you must bring the pH back up.

In my opinion, if your scalp is oily, then wash it. Just use a gentle shampoo, and don't suds up the ends from the ears down. If you really don't want the ends to be exposed to any soap, then braid it and hold the braid aside.

You can also try using tea tree oil, peppermint oil, lemon oil, lavender oil, thyme oil, or any cleansing essential oil on your scalp, and see if it helps things feel cleaner. There's also a recipe on LHC for some sort of dry shampoo with cornstarch in it -- worth a try, to stretch out washings.

Also, it would be worth trying a very, very diluted baking soda wash for your scalp (1/4tsp. diluted in 12-16oz of water), but make sure to slather conditioner on your ends, as you wouldn't want it to dry them out.

Hope this helps-

[GoddesJourney]

I went SLS/cone free and it worked great (the trader joe's stuff). My hair was happy more or less instantly. After a few months, I've finally been able to transition to CO, which is almost perfect. The thing is that the more you wash you hair, the oilier your scalp will want to be to compensate, and the dryer your hair will get. You have to draw the line somewhere.

[GoddesJourney]

Personally, I've stretched washings, and my scalp never produced less oil.

Sebum is produced internally at a given rate, based upon genetics and hormones and environmental factors (such as temperature, humidity, sweating, exercise, etc.), but not due to how oily you do or don't leave the outside layer of your scalp. You could use Dawn dish detergent and find that it doesn't make your scalp produce sebum any faster than if you 'cleansed' with pure olive oil. It's just not a scientific factor.

I disagree. I have one of those naturally really oily scalps. I've found that cutting down on the harshness of washing products over time has drastically reduced the amount of oiliness and I thought I was a completely hopeless case. I've been an oil rig my whole life. I excercise a lot. I'm quite sure that if I go back to my old ways, my scalp would have a quick dry spell and then go back to overproduction. Your skin CAN sense this and find itself a balance. Start using lotion on your face every day for a month and then stop. You will have a dry face even if you didn't have one before you started this regime. Skin is a tricky organ in that it adapts because it is sensitive to environmental stimuli.