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Keep It Flowin
March 22nd, 2010, 09:12 PM
So since I stopped using "regular" store bought shampoo and conditioner I've had a case of the itchies. I was wondering what to do about this?

Also, when I itch I get fingernails full of "gunk"! Ew! Is this normal and remedy it?

MissCoco
March 22nd, 2010, 09:40 PM
...........

Keep It Flowin
March 22nd, 2010, 11:44 PM
It's still there after washing with store bought shampoo too

StormVixen
March 23rd, 2010, 05:10 AM
are you really massaging your scalp when you wash...? try adding a little sugar to shampoo/conditioner for a more scrubby effect :D

bumblebums
March 23rd, 2010, 07:29 AM
Hi there.

Can you tell us a bit more about what you've done? When did you stop using shampoo, what do you use instead, etc.? I am assuming you went back to shampoo, from your second post. What brand are you using?

Without that information, here are a few things that may be going on. First, anyone's scalp can get itchy if it hasn't been washed for a while. Shampoo chemically strips your scalp of sebum and shed skin flakes, which form the gunky residue you described. Once you stop using shampoo, you need to do this mechanically by scritching right before you wash. Second, you might have developed a scalp infection while not using shampoo. Are there any other things wrong with the scalp, such as breakouts or bad odor? If so, you might need to tend to the infection before doing anything else. Either an anti-dandruff shampoo or some natural remedy such as tea tree oil should do it. When I had a scalp problem about five years ago, I cured it with Neutrogena T-Gel. The stuff is pretty effective.

pelicano
March 23rd, 2010, 09:13 AM
How often do you wash? I suffer from seborrheic dermatitis, and I don't have to wash daily with shampoo, but I do have to water wash daily, scrubbing well.

flowerlovelong
March 23rd, 2010, 03:39 PM
I've only recently reduced the amount of store poo's I use but have noticed a big improvement by using natural/organics without sodium laurel sulfate. Some are expensive but are worth the $ (L'Occitane or Avalon are my favs).

Ash
March 23rd, 2010, 09:18 PM
When my scalp gets itchy and I have a slight buildup of sebum I add honey to my conditioner and do a CO wash with extra time scrubbing my scalp with the mix. It seems to help a lot. If I add honey to all my CO washes in a week, I do not get any buildup and my scalp does not itch. I tend to forget though.

I have been using natural products only for a few years now (Giovanni 50:50.) I do wash my hair daily - CWC Mon and Fri and CO all the other days, not sure of your routine but daily scrubbing may help.

Jessikinz
March 24th, 2010, 11:57 PM
Vinegar rinses with fresh water has helped my itchy scalp. After I'm done showering I pour my vinegar rinse all over my scalp and my length. Then I gently massage my scalp and it seems to do the trick.

*Rose Red*
March 25th, 2010, 01:50 AM
What do you use now? CO? or natural cosmetic instead of "normal" products?

ravenreed
March 25th, 2010, 02:50 AM
I get more build up with commercial shampoos. However, I still do get build up on my CO/etc routine. Something I find helpful is to do a scalp oiling, massage/scritch, then CO, and do an ACV rinse. It loosens things up for me.

countryhopper
March 25th, 2010, 03:42 AM
I get buildup when I WO. Are you/were you doing WO? This could be the issue...

I second using vinegar. It is also suppossed to help with dandruff.

When I've had an itchy scalp, I've found it helpful to very lightly oil the itchy area and it goes away.

Keep It Flowin
March 27th, 2010, 11:52 PM
Thanks all for the info... to answer the questions as best as possible- I dont know all the acronyms by heart so it's sometimes difficult to know what everyone is saying exactly...

I would say it has been just over a month since I stopped washing with store bought shampoo and conditioner. I have tried a hair mask that seemed heavy on different oils- veg oil (?) coconut oil, honey etc... A week or two after the hair mask I read about stripping the build up/scalp with vinegar and I did not notice a difference AND after rinsing (which I did with my head/hair flung over rinsing away from my face) this made my eyes water/irritated for at least the rest of that day!

Since I stopped using commercial shampoo/conditioner I started using WEN cleanser and treatment. I seem to get oily looking no matter what I use 2 or 3 days after a good wash/scrub/cleansing in the shower. WEN suggests putting the main cleansing cream in a bottle of water and even add some of the treatment (which is normally used every 6 wks) as a spritzer/styling aid/spruce up in between. Have any of you tried this product??

Since I noticed the itchies and even more build up than "normal" (prior to all the change) I did try to do a good wash/scrub with my left over store bought shampoo (VO5 moisture shampoo... this is not my norm, I used to alternate shampoos because they always said it was good to switch it up) to see if it cleared it up. Of course the day of is always better than before washing but there seems to always be SOME build up that ends up under the fingernails.

Before making changes I would wash my hair every other day to two days. With the changes I was trying to stretch this out with all the info I was reading in the forums it seemed best for long hair. So, naturally after a day or two the "fresh" smell would fade and it would just... smell like hair? With the WEN "spritzes" in between cleansing it puts the aroma back in.

I hope I answered everyone's questions, if I missed any let me know. Also, I will try implementing honey into my new routine some how and see how that works for me. Thanks for the replies.

adiapalic
March 28th, 2010, 11:39 AM
I was curious about WEN before because my sister mentioned it. She said it was an alternative system people were talking about that requires no shampoo. (Of course, I was already familiar with this "unheard of" method because of TLHC :o ).

So I decided to read about it and see what it was all about. I found out that WEN Conditioner and the other WEN products in the system still have the same ingredients as commercial products--'cones, parabens, synthetic fragrances, strong preservatives, and various other chemicals. (http://www.wenhaircare.com/ingredients_pop.php)

The following is totally IMHO. I'm not knocking anyone who prefers conventional products or those who like the WEN system--what might not work for one person can easily work for others. :flower:

While I have not used any WEN products, I have already been through a slew of conventional products my whole life that use these same commercial ingredients, and this "alternative" WEN system just comes across as underwhelming. My impression: The ingredients are the same as others, they just slashed the shampoo step and added a bunch of other products to make it one big overpriced bundle.

I think you may never have even left the "store bought" system, but that you just slashed the shampoo part out, and it has probably left your scalp a bit irritated with buildup. Maybe?

I hope that helps.

ETA: Also, some people's scalps cannot handle conditioner, especially when there's no shampoo involved. I personally produce far too much oil/sebum to have conditioner anywhere near my scalp. In fact, I have to use Burt's Bees shampoo to remove some of the buildup and oils when I wash my hair.

Copasetic
March 28th, 2010, 11:45 AM
For me thats usually a sign I need to wash my hair with a non-sls shampoo.

sweet*things
March 28th, 2010, 02:35 PM
I had to go back to sulfates to cure my itchies. Actually I alternate, but 2/3's of the time I use a no-cone sulfate shampoo.