clarifying..

[rhubarbarin]

My hair has been falling flat and looking stringy and frizzy the day after washing (I CO and follow with an ACV rinse) for some time now. I assume this means I need to clarify, or perhaps even start using some shampoo semi-frequently, since my hair is more wavy than curly now. The problem is I don't know where to start, or what to use. It's been 8 years since I used shampoo and I'm scared of it - I get flashbacks to the dryness and tangles I used to get.

Baking soda is out - I used it once and it just wasn't good for my hair, which is very fragile and damaged. Can anyone recommend a gentle shampoo (no SLS) that will revive my hair without stripping it?

Also if anyone wants to share how they know it's time to clarify, how often they do, and what they use, I would appreciate it!

[FrannyG]

I usually know when it's time to clarify when my hair suddenly isn't behaving normally. It sounds like you're there right now. I usually just use an inexpensive clarifying shampoo (it will say "clarifying" right on the bottle).

Make sure you really condition well afterward, to make up for stripping the hair.

As far as my hair goes, I rarely need to clarify more often than every 6 weeks.

Good luck with it! :flowers:

[Forever_Sophie]

I use tons of silicones and clarify every few weeks (by then my hair might be looking limp or dull), using, at the moment, Herbal Essences Degunkify. I'm pleased w/ it, but my favorite was the discontinued Physique clarifying...that was amazing.

[Kirin]

Unfortunately you likely won't find an SLS free shampoo that will actually clarify. SLS free is usually so gentle it just can't break through the buildup on the hair.

Clarifying in and of itself of course is not a "gentle" proceedure, the idea is to get the build up off the hair through cleansing. there are some clay masks out there that will do a great job, or so I've heard, though I don't know of any offhand.

If you do go with a clarifying shampoo, make sure to read the ingredients. You will find sulphates, which is to be expected, but just recently almost buying it, I read the lable and Suave daily clarifying containes dimithicone. This would likely be fine for a lot of people (myself included) but if you are strictly cone free or have problems with dimithicone, watch out for it.

The key is to look for as few ingredients as possible. Then dillute the heck out of it. Clarifying shampoos are -really- harsh, I usually dillute mine 50/50 with water.

[Deborah]

I remember that some of our number use VO5 Kiwi Lime Clarifying Conditioner for CO washing. I don't know if you have tried it, but it is supposed to work well. Maybe it will clarify enough, and you won't have to use shampoo at all. You can do a quick internet search under "clarifying conditioner" and you will find that there are many such products available.

Someone else may be able to tell you how well these products clarify. I can understand your not wanting to use shampoo after your years of conditioner only washing. I hope you find something that will work wonderfully well for your hair. :flower:

[spidermom]

If I were you, since you usually CO, I'd try a diluted gentle shampoo first. Just put a squirt of shampoo in some warm water and mix it up. I have an empty shampoo bottle for this purpose. If that doesn't improve things, then use it full strength. Unless you've been using 'cone products, you shouldn't have a lot of stubborn buildup.

[missy60]

If you have been stickly CO for 8 years without shampoo what have you done in the past to clarify? Have you changed your conditioner?

You could try Lemon Aid its suppose to be very clarifying and gentle. Lorraine Massey says "its more clarifying and cleansing then any shampoo" you just add one large lemon to your regular amount of conditioner. I use to use this when I was strictly CO and it worked good for my hair.

[Gladtobemom]

I use VO5 KLS conditioner as my first conditioner in my CO. It cleanses very well without drying out my hair.

If you don't use cones, but do use a conditioner with protein, this might be all that you need, it gets rid of protein buildup quite well. Just:
put VO5 KLS conditioner on your dry hair very generously.
Let it sit for 10 minutes.
Get in shower, add water and massage scalp well.
Rinse
ACV rinse (3c water, 3 Tbl. Apple cider vineger)
Squeeze out most (don't rinse with water).
Apply your nurturing conditioner without rinsing (acidifies condtioner which closes down cuticle bettter).
Final rinse.
Use a little dab of your nurturing conditioner as a leave in (about a pea size is enough)

---------------------
I use the VO5 KLS shampoo for serious clarifying. It's cheap and works well. Almost always followed by a really good nurturing conditioner or SMT. I don't do this often unless I've been using cones.

[rhubarbarin]

If you have been stickly CO for 8 years without shampoo what have you done in the past to clarify? Have you changed your conditioner?

You could try Lemon Aid its suppose to be very clarifying and gentle. Lorraine Massey says "its more clarifying and cleansing then any shampoo" you just add one large lemon to your regular amount of conditioner. I use to use this when I was strictly CO and it worked good for my hair.

Until November I was using silicone conditioners both for washing and as leave-in. As a result my hair was always incredibly dry (most of it is now broken off to some degree. It's really a mess).

I went off cones and after a recovery period, I have a problem with stringy, greasy hair instead of extreme dryness. So this is a problem I've never dealt with before.

Thanks to everyone for the advice! I will go out and look through shampoos this week.