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View Full Version : Do I need to clarify? And if so, what with?



candlesandfish
May 10th, 2011, 06:26 AM
Hi all, I've recently swapped shampoos from Lush's Cynthia Sylvia Stout and either Coolaulin or American Cream (varying) for conditioner. I'm allergic to sulfates so I used those because the sulfates were low-ish, but the Body Shop has new sulfate free stuff so I swapped to their shine range and loved it. My hair was shiny, less tangly, like silk. For the first few washes.

Now it's tacky, coarse feeling in places, and has a tendency to tangle like mad especially at the hem and when I leave my hair in a braid for a while, at the top. When it's in a braid it's quite rough and a bit flyaway, which is weird. Brushing with a BBB helps but doesn't fix the problem.

I think it might be a buildup problem, but I'm not sure, never having dealt with it before that I remember. If I had this problem as a kid my mum just marched me to the hairdresser to get the ends cut off *rolls eyes*. I CWC if that matters.

Here's the ingredients:
Shampoo:
Aqua, Sucrose, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Lauryl Betaine, Laureth-5 Carboxylic Acid, PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Glycerin, Parfum, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Sodium Benzoate, Sucrose Laurate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Polyquaternium-6, Salicylic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Geraniol, Camelina Sativa Seed Oil, Citric Acid, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Pentaclethra Macroloba Seed Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol.

Conditioner:
Aqua, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Distearoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate, Glycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Salicylic Acid, Camelina Sativa Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Pentaclethra Macroloba Seed Oil, Citric Acid, Tocopherol.

Thanks!

Anje
May 10th, 2011, 08:30 AM
Sure sounds like a buildup issue.

Since you're allergic to sulfates, your clarifying options are pretty much limited to baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, whatever you want to call it). The dilution I tend to see is 1 Tablespoon (15 ml, which I know is weird to see for dry) in 1 cup (~250 ml) of water. You can scale that and play with that a bit, but make sure the bicarb is dissolved. Apply to hair, squeeze gently to work it through. Rinse out.

You'll want to follow that with an acidic rinse. Vinegar diluted roughly 1 in 10 in water is the usual favorite. Condition really well afterward.

I'd suggest that you wait for a day when someone can help you, or when you feel like you have energy. You're likely to have tangles after washing with baking soda.
Another option (especially if you have a helper) is to use a sulfate clarifying shampoo to wash the length, but keep it away from your scalp. That all depends on how sensitive you are, of course.

Annalouise
May 10th, 2011, 09:14 AM
Hi :)
Can clay be used as a clarifier? I would think so. I have used rhassoul clay to clarify and fullers earth mixed half and half with cassia.

It is easiest to use baking soda though. I just prefer not to use b.s. because I get a rash on my hands from it so I have to wear gloves. (I am also sensitive to detergents and sulphates).

If you are sensitive to detergents I think you should try using a shampoo bar or castile soap of some kind on your hair? Have you tried that?:)


Also, I should ask, are you using the shampoo on the length at all or just conditioner? Have you tried shampooing the length and does it still have buildup after that?

candlesandfish
May 10th, 2011, 09:28 AM
Thanks guys, I thought it was buildup but wasn't sure what kind or what to use on it.

My scalp doesn't seem to mind sulphates that much, weirdly, but my hands do! I used a sulfate shampoo tonight (I mentioned this in the other thread) and that might help with the buildup, and if it does I'll remember it otherwise it will be bicarb soda and my boyfriend on the weekend.

Annalouise:
All the shampoo bars I've come across have had masses of sulphates, sadly. If I find one without I'll be pleased :) Rhassoul clay is an interesting thought, I get a goop from lush sometimes with that as a base. Might be worth a shot :)

I don't shampoo the length, just the top, although I put the length gently on my head and pressed the shampoo into it tonight thinking it might help. I'll let you know how it goes in the morning when it's dry :)

Annalouise
May 10th, 2011, 09:45 AM
Thanks guys, I thought it was buildup but wasn't sure what kind or what to use on it.

My scalp doesn't seem to mind sulphates that much, weirdly, but my hands do! I used a sulfate shampoo tonight (I mentioned this in the other thread) and that might help with the buildup, and if it does I'll remember it otherwise it will be bicarb soda and my boyfriend on the weekend.

Annalouise:
All the shampoo bars I've come across have had masses of sulphates, sadly. If I find one without I'll be pleased :) Rhassoul clay is an interesting thought, I get a goop from lush sometimes with that as a base. Might be worth a shot :)

I don't shampoo the length, just the top, although I put the length gently on my head and pressed the shampoo into it tonight thinking it might help. I'll let you know how it goes in the morning when it's dry :)

Hi Candlesandfish, :) Now that I know you have CFS I would not recommend you fuss with clay. It will be too hard for you to put it in your hair and wash it out. Skip that ok.;)
First, try shampooing the length of your hair 2 times with the shampoo. That should remove some if not all of the buildup.:)

Anje
May 10th, 2011, 10:09 AM
Exactly as Annalouise says -- if you're not badly allergic to shampoo, shampoo the length twice with sulfates. That should take care of most of it. Then give it a good conditioning.

If you're interested in shampoo bars, see what you can find on Etsy. Heck, I'll search around -- there are probably some Aussies on there. Lots of folks here like Chagrin Valley's bars, but they're in the US and I'd hate to think what shipping costs would be. With any of the actual soap ones, you'll probably want an acidic rinse.

ETA:
Not many Aussie shampoo bars on Etsy, that I can find. But here are a few others.
link (http://www.biome.com.au/shop_index.php?cPath=263_135&osCsid=4c9d6011b039ef6ccf6c777535512c22) link (http://www.ausieolive.com.au/_listrange.php?id=00015) link (http://www.thehoneypantry.com.au/19-honey-hair-care) link (http://www.herbariasoap.com/soaps/jojoba-shampoo-bar.html)
Also, here's a link to Chagrin Valley. (http://chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/shambar.htm) I know they'll ship internationally.

AmericanWoman
May 10th, 2011, 11:45 AM
Another possibility is the glycerin., if there's no humidity in the air. Glycerin will pull moisture from the hair if the air is dry and pull it into the hair in humid weather.

AmericanWoman
May 10th, 2011, 01:03 PM
Rechecking the ingredients, isopropal alcohol and salicylic acid are also very drying. I'd try a differant shampoo.

candlesandfish
May 10th, 2011, 08:48 PM
Anje: thanks for looking for me! Sadly Australia doesn't have the population that the USA does so therefore not the same market and there's less to find here, so we have to do a lot of international orders (particularly for hairtoys, but other things too).
The CV naturals ones look great, but at a flat rate of $14.95 for shipping even samples it's a bit...expensive.

The honey one looks great, I'd be guessing I'd need this one
http://www.thehoneypantry.com.au/honey-hair-care/41-rosemary-and-mint-shampoo-bar.html
or this one
http://www.thehoneypantry.com.au/honey-hair-care/40-australian-hemp-seed-oil-leatherwood-honey-shampoo-bar.html

would you recommend a rinse with either of them?

this one (the first link) sells the honey ones, and an ACV rinse:
http://www.biome.com.au/shop_index.php?cPath=263_135&osCsid=4c9d6011b039ef6ccf6c777535512c22 which if I needed a rise I'd probably go with (save on shipping).

The olive one is intriguing, is there a benefit of olive or honey over one another? I don't know a lot about shampoo bars to be honest, the ones I could find always had lots of SLS or really drying stuff in them.

Americanwoman: the glycerine drying out my hair is an interesting thought since I live in a very dry area, but it didn't feel dry, it felt sticky instead. Usually when my hair's dry it's very flyaway, but it didn't seem to have too much of a drying effect, just made it sticky.

Anje
May 11th, 2011, 10:04 AM
My guess is that any of those that I linked should have a vinegar rinse. It's pretty much a standard thing with soap-based shampoo instead of sulfate-based. That said, it all depends on your water. If your water's soft, you're not going to need it the way folks with hard water need an acid rinse.

I wouldn't order a rinse, myself. Any old store-bought vinegar's going to work for you.

candlesandfish
May 12th, 2011, 05:59 AM
Okay, thanks very much :) I'll look into ordering some soon, will be fun, and will skip the rinse if you think I don't need to buy it from there - yay, supermarkets!

I have very hard, horrible water where I am, so it sounds like I really need a rinse :)