Hi from the Midwest!

[Pirate Cat]

Hi all,

I've been a LHC stalker for a couple months and am so happy to finally be here officially! I've already learned so much from you guys.

I first found LHC through google searches for info on no-poo and WO, after a newfound desire to simplify and rely less on commercial products. I've been (almost completely) poo free for about three months. My hair is bra strap length with a couple inches of bad layers I need to trim off but am reluctant to. :( For years I've thought I was plagued by oily hair and never used conditioner, but now that my oil production has changed with the no poo methods, I'm convinced that I actually have very dry hair. I tried my first ever CO wash two days ago and *think* I like the results but am not crazy about going through that much conditioner regularly. We also have very hard water so I am dreaming up solutions to get around that.

So, in short, I've run amok with lots of new ideas and things to try, and am thankful to you all for getting me to really pay attention to my hair!

:D

[Mairéad]

Hi! I'm also from the midwest. For the longest time I thought I had oily hair too, but it turns out it is actually very dry. CO was a God send and it's always worth trying out. Buying VO5 or Suave should help with going through conditioner since the stuff is so cheap.

For hard water you can start doing ACV rinses and even get a filter. Does the trick for me.

[lorelai2012]

Welcome! x

[almond]

Hi and welcome :) I'm new too and had similar experience with CO :)

[Pirate Cat]

Thanks guys!

Mairead, did you have problems with oil at the roots and the rest was dry? That's what threw me.

I'm not so much worried about the cost of conditioner; I know it's super cheap. I just don't want to be a slave to the (conditioner) bottle, teehee. I look at old pictures of women with long thick hair one or two hundred years ago, and know they didn't go out to Walgreens every two weeks to buy Suave, and wonder how they did it. Also conditioners don't contain as many scary chemicals as shampoo, but they do still have some unpronounceable things that worry me.

[Mairéad]

My hair was kind of combination for awhile. Oily roots and dry ends, but I think as my hair properly got off shampoo and my ends got nourished it has balanced out. Combating the hard water may have a positive effect as well.

I know, the ladies from years ago had to have something up their sleeve that didn't involve dumping bottles of VO5 on their heads, but it works for me nowadays and I'm sure some ladies from years back would have loved the stuff too.

[Djinmonet]

Welcome Pirate Cat. :)

I second a vinegar or acid rinse of some sort to help get conditioner out of your hair, and calm the strands down, with hard water.

My hair did the oily at top, and dry at the bottom as well, except my skin wouldn't allow conditioner to touch it, not even my hands, so I use various oils. Only need a tiny dot of oil for the whole length, compared to the amount of conditioner it takes to achieve the same effect. I would think that is probably what the ladies of old used, some sort of oil. :hmm: Low cost, small space usage, easily portable, long lasting. Obviously, if you have read about everyone raving and hating the exact same oils, each oil works differently in everyone's hair. Good luck finding out what works the best for you, oil, water, rinses, or otherwise.

[Pirate Cat]

I am intrigued by oils and think I'll try that next. Djinmonet, what kind do you use? Do you use it as a wash or to condition? How do you distribute a tiny drop of oil through all that gorgeous hair? Sorry, I am so full of questions.

[Djinmonet]

I use mostly jojoba oil as a leave in, as that is the one my hair seems to tolerate the best.
I just take a couple drops, (I quick tip the bottle into my palm making a circular thin dot) rub my palms together, and pat my hair all down the length. Then I gently work my hands into the ends, and work my way up. At some point my hands are dry, and my hair is conditioned (not frizzy and dry). If not, say it has been extra dry weather, I do a few more drops until it stops stripping the oil off my hands. I have used a combination mix of sweet almond oil and coco butter in the winter. Mostly that happens when I use the CV bath melts on my skin, as a portable lotion, and I "dry" my hands off in my hair. :p

I also use Nightshade's Panacea, original, and vegan (she has an etsy store under the name Nightblooming), as a pre-conditioner because it smells amazing, and I can still smell a soft version of it days after I wash my hair. My hair really doesn't like me to over-use the coconut oil in the mix, so I'm waiting for winter to get her non-protein version. Until winter gets here, I use a heavy dose of jojoba if I think it needs a pre-treatment. Most of the time I don't pre-condition at all.

Threads that I grabbed from a quick search about the assorted oils, mixes and pre-conditioning ideas:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=18265&highlight=oil+conditioning
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=37340&highlight=oil+conditioning
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128&highlight=oil+conditioning

I know there is a huge Panacea thread as well, and others.
My actually washing method, hmm, don't think you can see profiles yet so I'll paste it here. Be aware this is for some really crazy water and NOT recommended to use this quantity of baking soda, or vinegar, for pretty much anywhere else.

Hair washing method:
1) Chagrin Valley shampoo bar Herb Garden, soap up my hands into a lather. Run hands through scalp area, twice. About 1/2 c. baking soda, and maybe 1 c. water, work into scalp area. Rinse, while leaning in such a way that the wash liquids run through hair length.
2) All of step one, again. Let shower water run into small bucket while washing body, and rinse hair each time it fills up.
3) 1 c. Herbed vinegar in about 1 c. water, soak hair length in small bucket, work some into neck and scalp hairs. The better I work the vinegar in, the better all the washing stuff, and oils, comes out. Rinse, and rinse.
4) If I messed up (ie- attempted to directly wash the length any time this year), repeat the vinegar step until all hair "slips" and doesn't feel sticky.

[Pirate Cat]

Oh wow, thank you so much! This is very useful info. I will be doing lots and lots of experimenting. I like your approach to vinegar rinses as well; I have been just pouring diluted vinegar over my head and think it may not have distributed well. I will try soaking in a bucket.

[Djinmonet]

Hope something of all that helps you. Most recommend starting with something like a tablespoon or less of vinegar, to a good amount of water. Normal hard water shouldn't require anywhere near what I use. I would only gradually increase it if soaking in the very dilute vinegar doesn't do what you need. That soaking thing started when I used ACV, as I couldn't stand it running down my back. Good luck. :)