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allnaturalboy
March 11th, 2010, 12:22 AM
I made the switch to non SLS herbal shampoos and conditioners, however, I'm experiencing a bit of a learning curve here. I have approximately chin length, fine, and straight hair. I've tried a few different brands, but nothing seems to work very well. I either end up with dry hair or oily hair. I don't think it is the shampoo or conditioner though. I think that I am just not using them right. I'm not really used to shampoo that doesn't lather much. Does anyone have any advice for me on the amount I should be using and how? It would be very much appreciated. I'm almost tempted to switch back to SLS, but since I love to be as natural as possible, I really want this to work.

Svenja
March 11th, 2010, 01:32 AM
Does the time you take to rinse your hair differ? If your hair ends up oily you might have not rinsed long enough. Also, using to much conditioner can make your hair limp and oily to the touch.
Have you tried to dillute your shampoo?

tiare_petal
March 11th, 2010, 04:50 AM
Maybe using the condish before you shampoo would work for you.

allnaturalboy
March 11th, 2010, 06:54 AM
I had considered doing the CWC, but was afraid I'd end up with extremely oily hair. I'll try it though. And no, I haven't tried to dilute my shampoo, but I have an empty shampoo bottle so I'll try that as well. One more question. Do you need to use less or more than with SLS washing? Or is it just about the same?

Thanks for the replies!

Kimberlee
March 11th, 2010, 07:33 AM
I have hair that sounds really similar to yours. I'm using the Trader Joe's Nourish Spa shampoo and conditioner - they actually work really well for my hair..... I have also had pretty good luck with CWC - since I am really cleaning your scalp well with the shampoo I have not had ANY issues with my hair being greasy with this method! YMMV however so you might want to try it on a day when you're just going to be hanging out at home! Good luck! Hope you find the right combo/method for you!

tiare_petal
March 11th, 2010, 08:12 AM
oh CWC, sure. But I was suggesting just CW :D Fine hair is easy to weigh down.
If your shampoo doesn't lather much, then why not, use more of it.
But perhaps it is the shampoo. I remember using one of Sante's brand which gave me such an oily scalp the next day...

Svenja
March 11th, 2010, 08:48 AM
Instead of CWC, you could also try CW. This might help not to do get too much conditioner into your hair :)

spidermom
March 11th, 2010, 08:59 AM
I always dilute my shampoo so much that there is never much lather. I squirt the solution all over my scalp and then run my fingers from front to back over my scalp until I feel that I've covered the entire scalp. I feel that I use about the same amount of shampoo whether it's SLS, SLeS, ALS, or whatever.

At your length, I would imagine you can get away with no conditioner or only a tiny dab on the ends.

allnaturalboy
March 11th, 2010, 09:37 AM
I suppose I'm going to be doing a little bit of experimenting this weekend. I have a few college courses, so I definitely can't start today. XD Thanks for all the replies and Kimberlee, I think I might check out that Trader Joes shampoo. I always have trouble finding the right shampoo for my hair type. This recent one I have is made of mostly aloe vera, but maybe I should switch. Anyone have any recommendations for straightish fine hair?

flutterbudget
March 11th, 2010, 11:16 PM
I have a SLS-free shampoo that doesn't lather much either. I've noticed that it lathers more if my hair is wetter. And less if my hair was more oily to start with. So I try not to use more shampoo, but just wet my hair really well before I apply it. And if it doesn't feel like its cleaning well enough, I guess you might try a second wash with just a smidge of shampoo? Don't know if that will help you any, but there ya go. :twocents:

Juliannaissance
March 11th, 2010, 11:21 PM
You could try Mane n' Tail shampoo, it makes the hair retain moisture and it softens. A quarter-sized amount of shampoo is the good way to go..not too much though, this tends to produce more oil..

allnaturalboy
March 12th, 2010, 10:44 AM
Ok, thanks for all the advice!
I'm going to experiment all this Spring Break.
I have 9 days off from college and most of my friends are leaving with family. :]

OhMyCurlz
March 12th, 2010, 02:02 PM
I know you want to be as natural as possible, but if the alternative ain't working for you I thin kyou should go back to SLS. SLS is a derivative of coconut oil, but as you've found a lot of natural shampoos can be just as drying whether they have the SLS in or not. It's about formulation...not just ingredients. Conditioners have the same non-natural derived ingredients in them too.

For some people it can be difficult, time consuming, and expensive to be "all natural" so just do what's right for your hair. A reliable supplier of ingredients actually wrote a little article on how sulfates ARE "green". Just do what works right for you.

Also if it's just SLS you're avoiding try looking on etsy. There are people that sell this foaming shampoo that has much milder surfactants and less harsh ingredients. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35915345

Or you can do like me and dillute some castille soap, or dillute some regular shampoo, or do clay rinses. Whatever floats your boat. :)
I made the switch to non SLS herbal shampoos and conditioners, however, I'm experiencing a bit of a learning curve here. I have approximately chin length, fine, and straight hair. I've tried a few different brands, but nothing seems to work very well. I either end up with dry hair or oily hair. I don't think it is the shampoo or conditioner though. I think that I am just not using them right. I'm not really used to shampoo that doesn't lather much. Does anyone have any advice for me on the amount I should be using and how? It would be very much appreciated. I'm almost tempted to switch back to SLS, but since I love to be as natural as possible, I really want this to work.

allnaturalboy
March 12th, 2010, 02:13 PM
I know you want to be as natural as possible, but if the alternative ain't working for you I thin kyou should go back to SLS. SLS is a derivative of coconut oil, but as you've found a lot of natural shampoos can be just as drying whether they have the SLS in or not. It's about formulation...not just ingredients. Conditioners have the same non-natural derived ingredients in them too.

For some people it can be difficult, time consuming, and expensive to be "all natural" so just do what's right for your hair. A reliable supplier of ingredients actually wrote a little article on how sulfates ARE "green". Just do what works right for you.

Also if it's just SLS you're avoiding try looking on etsy. There are people that sell this foaming shampoo that has much milder surfactants and less harsh ingredients. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35915345

Or you can do like me and dillute some castille soap, or dillute some regular shampoo, or do clay rinses. Whatever floats your boat. :)

Actually, I know I won't be able to go completely natural. Too expensive and I'm not sure how my hair would react to it. I mainly just want to avoid SLS and other harsh chemicals. All I really want is a good healthy shampoo that I can use to wash every other day and that will make my hair happy. :)