What can I use to clarify with?

[linnepinne]

Hi everyone!

I tried the search function but did'nt really find what I was looking for.

My problem is that i've made myself a promise: Not to trim til Cristmas! A big commitment for me that hates bad ends and have fine hair. The reason I made this promise is to just finally gain some lenght. And if I have to chop of an inch and a half at chrismas, then so be it. At least the hair on my head will all be in good condition and longer than it has been in years!

But i'm starting to feel that my ends are a bit crunchy. And I was thinking about trying to clarify. But what can I use?
As a person interested in haircare, i have'nt used any shampoo in years, so I don't have ANY in my cupboards. I never use cones or protein either, since my hair hates them. Dry oils are a bad idea aswell since they make my ends really crunchy (have tried grapeseed, jojoba and sweet almond). EVOO and other heavier oils work ok though.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the whole idea with claifying is to use a strong, very cleansing SLS shampoo to get rid of all residues that oils, conditioner and styling products might leave on your hair? But does it have to be SLS?

This is what I have got, can any of this be used? :

Washing up liquid?
Soap nuts? But are the soap nuts strong enough to clarify with?
Baking soda?
Bile soap?
Soap made from pine oil? (Såpa in swedish)

Hoping to get som good tips from you experts out there :)

Many Thanks

[lemonmelon]

I'm interested in knowing this too!

Can ACV be used as a clarifier or is it not strong enough? I'm trying to stear clear from shampoo if I can!

[AstrayStar]

I don't use shampoo either and when I need to clarify I use baking soda.
1 tbsp to one cup of water is usually sufficient.
I found that this amount if used regularly, dried out my hair and I used a much more dilute mix as a wash, but that concentration does seem to be necessary to clarify and rid my ends of the crunchies. Sometimes if I don't want to wash my whole head but still want to clarify my ends, (I've been experimenting with wo) I just put the tbsp of bs in the cup of water and dip my ends in it and swish for a minute or so.
hth :)

ETA - Forgot to add, a baking soda rinse should always be followed by a vinegar/acid rinse to restore ph. In my experience vinegar hasn't been strong enough to clarify, since most of the time, vinegar rinses is the only thing I am doing with my hair, and I will eventually still get buildup.

[Calaelen]

ACV is great for this. You'd need to use it in much stronger concentration though, and really work it through your hair rather than just use it for a rinse. I've put straight ACV on my ends (my ends are about 10 inches of hair) and then worked a little bit of conditioner or natural shampoo into it to give it a good scrub, then rinsed off, with the best results I've ever had.

I'd also like to mention that while baking soda also works similarly, that it is important to rinse with ACV afterwards to restore the natural pH to the hair, the extreme alkalinity of the baking soda is not good for hair.

For the OP, in your case, I'd stay away from using any of the soaps you have as they can leave residue on your hair, I guess go with the baking soda, but get some apple cider vinegar to rinse with afterward.

[AstrayStar]

ACV is great for this. You'd need to use it in much stronger concentration though, and really work it through your hair rather than just use it for a rinse. I've put straight ACV on my ends (my ends are about 10 inches of hair) and then worked a little bit of conditioner or natural shampoo into it to give it a good scrub, then rinsed off, with the best results I've ever had.

I'd also like to mention that while baking soda also works similarly, that it is important to rinse with ACV afterwards to restore the natural pH to the hair, the extreme alkalinity of the baking soda is not good for hair.

For the OP, in your case, I'd stay away from using any of the soaps you have as they can leave residue on your hair, I guess go with the baking soda, but get some apple cider vinegar to rinse with afterward.

Oooooh - I will have to try that :)

[ktani]

Hi everyone!

I tried the search function but did'nt really find what I was looking for.

My problem is that i've made myself a promise: Not to trim til Cristmas! A big commitment for me that hates bad ends and have fine hair. The reason I made this promise is to just finally gain some lenght. And if I have to chop of an inch and a half at chrismas, then so be it. At least the hair on my head will all be in good condition and longer than it has been in years!

But i'm starting to feel that my ends are a bit crunchy. And I was thinking about trying to clarify. But what can I use?
As a person interested in haircare, i have'nt used any shampoo in years, so I don't have ANY in my cupboards. I never use cones or protein either, since my hair hates them. Dry oils are a bad idea aswell since they make my ends really crunchy (have tried grapeseed, jojoba and sweet almond). EVOO and other heavier oils work ok though.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the whole idea with claifying is to use a strong, very cleansing SLS shampoo to get rid of all residues that oils, conditioner and styling products might leave on your hair? But does it have to be SLS?

This is what I have got, can any of this be used? :

Washing up liquid?
Soap nuts? But are the soap nuts strong enough to clarify with?
Baking soda?
Bile soap?
Soap made from pine oil? (Såpa in swedish)

Hoping to get som good tips from you experts out there :)

Many Thanks

Welcome to LHC!

Vinegar does not clarify conventional product build-up although it can remove some natural product residues. Using a very strong solution of vinegar can dry out hair and can also be damaging to hair, depending on how much is used and how often.

Baking soda can be abrasive unless it is fully dissolved in water.

Here are 3 threads that may help you. They all contain links you may find of value.

1. why/when do you clarify?
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=55221

2. I just chelated with....
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=55391

3. baking soda
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=46985

ETA: From your post
Washing up liquid? - Normally too harsh for hair and skin. It can be used though.
Soap nuts? But are the soap nuts strong enough to clarify with? Soap nuts leave a residue of their own and will not clarify as such.
Baking soda? - See thread.
Bile soap? Not sure what that is. If it is a genuine soap the pH is high and it still may not remove all residues. It will need an acid rinse to follow.
Soap made from pine oil? (Såpa in swedish) The same applies as to bile soap.

[Anje]

Vinegar is generally not considered "clarifying" because it does not remove a lot of things, such as silicones. That said, it does remove some stuff, like some types of buildup from hard water, so it's worth trying before you start breaking out the more harsh ingredients like baking soda.

Personally, I think that baking soda is harder on my hair than a clarifying shampoo is. (And no, clarifying shampoos don't have to be SLS necessarily. A favorite one around here, VO5 Kiwi Lime Squeeze shampoo, is ALS, IIRC.)

[Coffeebug]

Pureology's Purify is a clarifying shampoo without SLS. It's really expensive though.

[HintOfMint]

Unless you need to wash silicone out of your hair, SLS is not necessary. I once had a protein overdose and I clarified using a sulfate free shampoo and it worked like a charm.

[little_cherry]

I agree that ACV does not clarify the hair...that's a common misconception..

I'd find a clarifying shampoo or even do a baking soda rinse (as suggested earlier in the thread). When I clarify, I use 1 tbs baking soda diluted very well in around 2.5 cups of water and follow with an ACV (or other acidic) rinse: 1 tbs of ACV in 2 cups of water; leave it on for a few minutes and rinse out of hair well. Some use white vinegar because ACV has a strong smell.

[tinti]

Hi, Linnepinne! I just googled "shampoo for å fjerne produktrester" (shampoo to remove product buildup) and found out that Tony & Guy has a clarifying shampoo that's called Tony & Guy Detox shampoo. Jonathan also has a clarifying shampoo that's called Jonathan's Detox Dirt clarifying shampoo, or something like that. In Norway theese are pretty easy to get, they sell it in Vita at least (hope you have Vita in Sweeden, I think I saw one in Stockholm once, but I may be wrong). I've been looking for a clarifying shampoo as well, and didn't think about googling in Norwegian to find out before :D

[Carolyn]

I find that bs or bs added to shampoo to be very harsh and drying. I would much rather and get much better results from a commercial clarifying shampoo. Clarifying is done once in a while on an as needed basis. Also remember that the purpose of clarifying it to strip the hair. Moisture needs to be added back in. An acv rinse is not going to do that. You need something more. I'd suggest a nice rich SMT after clarifying.

[Chestershire]

I gonna stick with the sulphates. My hair is strong enough for it (i think)