Clarifying questions

[slo2gro]

ok i seriously think im a reject on the LHC cuz i cant search effectively. I know this is here somewhere but what im what to know is, is it clarifying that gets rid of the buildup in your hair of like leave in conditioners etc and if so what do you Clarify with... I read shampoos which ones would they be

Thanks so much all I am really learning so much here :)

[Sundial]

That's what clarifying does ;) Most shampoos with the word "Clarifying" or containing sulphates will do. A popular one is Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo. Some people even clarify using baking soda

[Vlientje]

That's what clarifying does ;) Most shampoos with the word "Clarifying" or containing sulphates will do. A popular one is Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo. Some people even clarify using baking soda
But then that shampoo should not have cones, right? Because that would leave some new build-up? *still learning too*

[MissAlida]

Baking soda does the job well. 1 tbs baking soda, with little water, to form a paste. You massage it on your scalp and lenght, then rinse. Sice BS is very alkaline, and the scalp is slightly acidic, you must balace the pH out. You can do that with mixing 1 tbs vinegar (apple cider vinegar or ACV, or white vinegar) with 1-2 cups of water(I use 250 ml). Rinse your hair with the mixture. It will leave it soft and shiny. To get rid of the smell, you can do a final cold water rinse. But the smell will fade in a couple hours anyways. Good luck.:)

[Rosake]

I still don't really understand why people do it, tbh. Yes getting rid of the build up, what build up? I don't think I've ever noticed build up in my hair? o:

If you have trouble finding threads, try Google! ;D for example type in: clarifying long hair community. It will give you a huge list of topics here on the forum about clarifying.

[Sundial]

But then that shampoo should not have cones, right? Because that would leave some new build-up? *still learning too*

You're right Vlientje! Some cones are water-soluble though.


I still don't really understand why people do it, tbh. Yes getting rid of the build up, what build up? I don't think I've ever noticed build up in my hair? o:

If you have trouble finding threads, try Google! ;D for example type in: clarifying long hair community. It will give you a huge list of topics here on the forum about clarifying.

Build up from cones? Some people never experience buildup from cones though, like user luxepiggy is an avid cone lover and she never had a problem with buildup. Build up also occurs from other things like minerals, protein, etc. That's why sometimes we have to chelate or clarify

[Vlientje]

How do you know the build is bad for you? I mean I right now use a lot of cones and some other things in my hair so I bet I have a huge build up. But I don't really notice that.. Should I? xD

(I am SO going to buy some kind of notebook to write all of this in, I feel like I've been asking the same questions over and over again :P)

[Sundial]

How do you know the build is bad for you? I mean I right now use a lot of cones and some other things in my hair so I bet I have a huge build up. But I don't really notice that.. Should I? xD

(I am SO going to buy some kind of notebook to write all of this in, I feel like I've been asking the same questions over and over again :P)

Don't worry! As I mentioned, not everyone experiences buildup. Mostly if your hair suddenly starts misbehaving (sticky or gummy hair, looks oily at roots, extremely dry and velcroey ends, dull, etc) then it may be a case of buildup. It helps to try clarifying first in most cases to see if buildup was the cause of the problems.

ETA: just think of clarifying as some kind of soft reset for your hair

[Anje]

The products you normally use make a difference, too. If you regularly shampoo, particularly with something with sulfates, and let the suds wash down your length, it's quite likely you're removing any buildup you have and won't ever need to clarify. On the other extreme, if you CO-wash with a dimethicone-laden conditioner and use serums and styling products, you might find you need to clarify every couple of washes or your hair will misbehave.

I rarely shampoo, but the conditioner I use doesn't cause much buildup for me. I could go many months between shampooings without noticing a problem with my hair, my products, and my water. If any of those things changes, I might need to alter my routine accordingly.

P.S. to the OP: The search function around here takes a lot of getting used to and it's definitely sub-optimal. Doing a Google site search is easier for most people looking for hair information. Looking for stuff on the off-topic boards, obviously, requires search that has access to those things.

[BlazingHeart]

I probably clarify once every two months. I don't get much buildup but I notice that over time, my shampoo eventually doesn't make my scalp feel as clean and I develop scalp itchies. I may not need to do that anymore, since I switched to no-cones, but we do have somewhat hard water here, so who knows!

~Blaze

[Rosake]

Hmm I dont use shampoos with cones, but also not with sulfates. Wonder if you have to clarify if you never use something that causes build up. I have used a shampoo with protein before but never had a problem with it. Can you get build up from oils?

[swearnsue]

I think there are different kinds of build-ups. I have well water that is hard and slightly alkaline and had been using Pantene shampoo with tons of junk in it. When I switched to Natures Gate shampoo my hair felt so clean and soft and no more itchy scalp. I just ordered something from Mehandi called Rainwater that is supposed to ungunk hair by removing minerals from hard water. (It might just be baking soda not that I read the earlier posts!). I'll report what results I get after I use it. I collect rain water but I use it on the garden.

[kitcatsmeow]

I still don't really understand why people do it, tbh. Yes getting rid of the build up, what build up? I don't think I've ever noticed build up in my hair? o:

If you have trouble finding threads, try Google! ;D for example type in: clarifying long hair community. It will give you a huge list of topics here on the forum about clarifying.

Silicone users like me need to Clarify. It doesn't build up over night but in a few weeks...a little left over cone here and there adds up and there is this annoying little invisible layer which creates dry ends that...SNAP! ahhhh

[Anje]

Hmm I dont use shampoos with cones, but also not with sulfates. Wonder if you have to clarify if you never use something that causes build up. I have used a shampoo with protein before but never had a problem with it. Can you get build up from oils?
Protein buildup is a really individual thing. Some people have trouble and some don't. Same with the waxy alcohols found in many conditioners.

Oils can build up, but I believe this tends to be a function of the iodine value of the oil and how long you leave it in. Oils with high iodine values are called drying oils and react in oxygen to crosslink with each other, forming a layer that's harder to get off. The linseed oil used to finish wood is a prime example of this.

[slo2gro]

OH boy so much to learn sheesh lol thanks for all the info guys i have to admit iim a lil lost lol not sure where to start

[Vlientje]

I really know how you feel!! I have the same thing right now.
I started a "hair diary" now and have limited myself to only test CO-washing and SMT this month. And then next month, I am allowed to add one, but will also drop one! I read it's not good to test everything all at once.. (Which sucks cause I can't wait, hahaha!)

This helped me:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=39

And in here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=79) there are a lot of links to good articles, and it's a very good article on itself!

[gazelle]

I've read too many things too, and I begin to experiment CO washing. I have difficulty finding non cone conditioners. I could't find in markets, I found on net but it was too expensive. Members of this site told that I can use my current conditioner, but sometimes shampoo.

Also mom tells that conditioner will close the scalp pores and my hair will be shedding. Can it be true? Please say your opinion I'm confused

[slo2gro]

I really know how you feel!! I have the same thing right now.
I started a "hair diary" now and have limited myself to only test CO-washing and SMT this month. And then next month, I am allowed to add one, but will also drop one! I read it's not good to test everything all at once.. (Which sucks cause I can't wait, hahaha!)

This helped me:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=39

And in here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=79) there are a lot of links to good articles, and it's a very good article on itself!

Awww thanks im gonna have to check them out yes it all can be overwhelming indeed :(

[deko]

- If you use coney condis you need to clarify sometimes
- If you only CO-wash you need to clarify sometimes
- If you use leave-in conditioners or similar you need to clarify sometimes
- If you use oils as leave-ins you need to clarify sometimes

Your hair will tell you if you need to clarify.

If your ends feel crunchy ot unmanageble then it is wise to try clarifying shampoo and follow it with moisturising conditioer.

I clarify my hair before henna or other coloring witc vit-C water and clarifying shampoo. I have iron water.

BTW: would you please change your text to normal sized and black? Thanks.

[jojo]

I clarify twice a month and use treseme deep clean, it makes a heck of a difference to my hair. Its like getting a whole new head of hair. Ive even used washing up liquid when ive run out and give it a good deep conditioning after, works great.

Id never heard of this before joining the site and used to think whats the point? but then i tried and wow i was hooked.

[alwayssmiling]

I clarifyed my hair with a own brand anti dandruff shampoo last night. My hair has been very snaggy and feeling a little weird (like dolls hair). When i was S&Ding I noticed white gunky stuff at the ends which felt a little rough (you have to look very close and hard at an individual strand). I hadn't clarifyed for about a month.

So after using the anti dandruff (no cones) and a deep conditioner for an hour - my hair feels amazing. Soft and slinky, I can run my fingers through my hair without lots of snagging.

[justgreen]

For any of the Nature's Gate Shampoo users, I've noticed that is does have a light clarifying benefit. It's one of the things that makes me like it. I use conditioner as a leave-in, sometimes coney, so I like the way the NG gets my hair clean without stripping it.

[mallorykay13]

You're right Vlientje! Some cones are water-soluble though.


What cones ARE water soluble?

Edited for spelling error. hehe.

[julliams]

For me "build-up" is when my hair feels different - any kind of different. It can feel waxy, tangly, sticky, tacky or anything out of the norm. When I'm wondering "why my hair won't behave" I clarify and usually this fixes the problem. The one I'm using at the moment is Pantene's clarifying shampoo. It makes your hair squeaky (literally squeaky) clean and gets rid of whatever is hanging around and making it feel weird.

So, if your hair is feeling normal, you probably don't need to do it. But if you are planning to go "cone-free" you are advised to clarify so that you get rid of the cones currently coating your hair. Your hair may appear to get drier but actually, it's just in it's normal state and is probably craving mositure so it's a great time to do SMT's, coconut soaks or oilings.

Hope this helps.

When you are new it's best to try one thing at a time, otherwise it gets hard to pinpoint exactly what's working and what doesn't.

[Bluegrass Babe]

Also mom tells that conditioner will close the scalp pores and my hair will be shedding. Can it be true? Please say your opinion I'm confused

No offense meant to your mother, but she is wrong. Conditioner Only washing will not do any thing to your scalp pores. Many others with curly hair have had great success with it.

Read the articles about CO washes and join one of the CO threads. The curlies here can really help you out and tell you what ingredients to look for or avoid. You may also want to google the curly girl method (that is when you get this CO thing settled!)

End hijack!

On topic: I just realized why my hair has been so grabby/tangly! I unintentionally clarified my hair yesterday! Usually I do an SMT after! I might not have realized that without stumbling across this thread!