am i doomed to need to use SLS, cones and a hairdyer???

[jennyjukes]

sls seems to be the only method that works.. i've tried sls free shampoos, CO, baking soda and still only sls works. is it possible i'm just using the wrong types of sls-free shampoo? because although they all leave me just as oily, i do get different results from each. any reccs for sls-free shampoo for oily hair in the UK?

my ends feel dry, my hair is shoulder-length (just got it trimmed from apl) virgin (lil bit of dye at the ends) and soooo dry at the length, the scalp is oily. the length is ok with a pre wash SMT (well minus aloe gel) treatment. my hair doesn't seem to like coconut oil. i have tried putting oil and acv on my scalp but doesn't help, nor does cone-free conditioner


my hair is so oily but it doesn't feel washed when i shampoo it unless there is SLS in it. my skin is oily but my lips are ALWAYS dry, could it be a medical condition or build up?

also my mum is making me feel bad, saying it's because i don't blow dry my hair.. this can't be true can it?

[chelshireling]

No- I don't think you're doomed:D I think you might just need to stick with a particular thing for a while to see if it really works- usually hair can take 2-6 weeks to adjust to a new method or product. Don't give up! You're really lucky to have virgin hair and you just need to experiment.

[vanillabones]

You're not doomed, I think you just need to keep trying until you find a right hair care routine. I tried going cone-free and it pretty much made me hate my hair so much I S&Ded almost all of it off! It was nasty! I love cones, and I now use SLS free shampoo even though my hair and scalp love the SLS. It depends what shampoo you get. I use avalon organics nourishing lavender and I love it, it really gets my hair clean and it lathers. I started with esstential oils rosemary and mint sls free shampoo however and I really don't like this stuff, I have a huge tub of it from last February I'm still using up... I have to use 4 pumps just to clean my head! It really depends on the product. I have very oily hair/scalp as well and dry lips and dry ends. I use sls free poo on my head and heavy cones for the length.

[furnival]

Have you tried CWC? This may help if your scalp is oily but your length is dry. Also, how long did you try CO for? It took me a few weeks before my scalp stopped being oily with this method. And harsh sulphates can actually cause your scalp to produce more oil in the long run... I don't think your Mum is right though, I can't see how using a hairdryer would benefit the condition of your hair... Good luck :)

[teela1978]

My scalp does best with a sulfate based shampoo. Some of the non-sulfate cleansers will cut the grease, but they leave my length really dry! I don't blowdry, but I do condition a lot after washing. What kind of conditioner are you using? And how long do you leave it on before rinsing? I shampoo and put conditioner on at the beginning of my shower, the conditioner doesn't get rinsed out till the end. I don't see a huge difference with cwc, but I do need to use a thick conditioner and lots of it!

[moon2dove]

I agree that your hair and scalp will take a while to adjust to any new routine.

The best advice I got here was to do one routine at a time, and give your hair at least 6weeks to adjust. :)

[SpinDance]

Have you tried diluting your shampoo? It really doesn't take much to clean your scalp and hair. CWC may do well, and perhaps a tiny bit of oil or other leave in applied when wet or damp to help keep in moisture.

[jennyjukes]

i've tried CO twice, both over 2 months, it's not for me. my scalp hates anything on it (hence why i don't want to use SLS - plus chemicals freak me out).
i dilute my shampoo yes.
also the conditioner ive been using is a simple jojobo one from asda. it's nice on my length in an smt, not my scalp. i use the same conditioner after shampooing.
i shampoo twice a week. i'm thinking maybe it's the products or a medical issue. hm.
my hair doesn't like oil at all

[kittymallow]

Have you tried to washing upside down, because when upside down it is easier to wash the scalp better and you get more volume:) And condition lenghts before applying shampo to the scalp. And since you wash upside down, condition again but only on the lenghts and not the scalp. And a blow dryer does not help oily scalp! Heat produces more oil, so a cold final rinse will probably help to :) hope you will find a solution ;) btw i use tigi catwalk sleek mystique on my babyfine norwegian hair, and that one is sls free, and it does not weigh my hair down. I know tigi catwalk also have a volume serie called your heighness and i guess if you only wash your scalp with it it won't dry your lengths out:)

[sedonia]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with SDS shampoos and products with silicones in them if they make your hair look good. Some people do better without these products, but that doesn't make them inherently bad.

Blowdrying can be bad or not so bad, depending on 1) frequency, 2) temperature used, 3) whether you dry completely or leave slightly damp, and 4) what your growth goals are (waist? probably some blowdrying is ok. Terminal? not so much). If you like to blowdry, try using a warm rather than hot setting, and stop before your hair gets super duper dry. Leave it a little damp.

[Georgies]

I tried many versions of going SLS free for years. It was very hard but my hair is finally strong enough now to grow out. Here are two things that worked for me that don't necessarily make sense, but here they are:

-an SLS free shampoo with cones. That sounds funny b/c it should cause build up, and I have to clarify every month or so, but my hair and scalp love it. Mine is an obscure brand that might not be available in the UK called Colure. It's rather pricey so I'm trying to taper off and use it less.

-V05 tea therapy clarifying conditioner. This cleans my hair very well and doesn't seem to have anything very worrisome in the ingredients, though maybe someone will correct me on this. My hair seems to think that this is shampoo and is very happy as long as I follow with a heaver conditioner afterward.

I can't imagine that blow drying would help in any way, though you could probably do it sparingly.