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CurlyCap
December 27th, 2011, 10:02 PM
Hi All.

What's the best way to get an UBER clean scalp without using a harsh shampoo?

Back in the day, I use to love Head and Shoulders with the tingly chemical. My scalp would be so clean it was shiny. I didn't have to use it often, maybe once every 2-3 weeks, but it was a necessary part of my routine.

I can't use H&S anymore because of allergies and while baking soda works, it dries my hair out in a way that is just evil.

Any more recommendations?

savfairy
December 27th, 2011, 10:09 PM
I really like the Giovanni 50/50 shampoo!

NightOwl26
December 27th, 2011, 10:21 PM
I just started using Rusk deep shine volumizing shampoo. It's sulfate free so not that harsh. Adding a few drops of tea tree oil into your palm to mix with the shampoo makes your scalp super super clean and helps with flakes. That has helped with me.

HintOfMint
December 27th, 2011, 10:22 PM
Have you tried CWC? Also, Trader Joe's has a sulfate free Tea Tree Tingle shampoo that leaves a lovely feeling and cleans really well (almost too well, really).

motu821
December 27th, 2011, 11:38 PM
What works well for me is a mixture of Dr Bronner's peppermint castile soap and tea tree oil diluted with water. It feels really fresh especially because of the mint. However it doesn't totally strip my scalp-hair of oil, and I don't know if that's the type of thing you're looking for. I love it because it lets my scalp feel minty and refreshed and clean :)

CurlyCap
December 27th, 2011, 11:54 PM
However it doesn't totally strip my scalp-hair of oil, and I don't know if that's the type of thing you're looking for.

What I magically want is a way to clean (and maybe even exfolliate) my scalp without stripping my hair.

I used to have a lot of serums in my hair, mostly silicone, so I could use a harsh shampoo and my hair survived just fine. But now that most of that is gone, one wash with a harsh shampoo wreaks damage I'm fixing for days.

Usually, when I want my scalp clean I get the overwhelming urge to brush my hair, focusing on the scalp. I'm getting that urge again, so I know "wash time" is coming up soon.

Helix
December 28th, 2011, 12:02 AM
I don't mess with baking soda either. The pH is way too alkaline for my hair.

Are you looking for all natural alternatives or another commercial shampoo with less harsh ingredients?

You've already gotten some good recs for alternative shampoos but if you're looking for an all natural alternative I've heard good things about bentonite clay. It's supposed to deep clean your skin and hair without leaving it stripped like some shampoos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFAIKsbF_Vo

CurlyCap
December 28th, 2011, 12:23 AM
I don't mess with baking soda either. The pH is way too alkaline for my hair.

Are you looking for all natural alternatives or another commercial shampoo with less harsh ingredients?

You've already gotten some good recs for alternative shampoos but if you're looking for an all natural alternative I've heard good things about bentonite clay. It's supposed to deep clean your skin and hair without leaving it stripped like some shampoos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFAIKsbF_Vo

:gabigrin:

Guess what's on my head right now? :D

I'll report back as to how it feels/works/leaves my hair.

I love betonite clay masks for when my face is feeling cruddy, so I decided to whip some up for my head! Great minds, man...

Helix
December 28th, 2011, 01:55 AM
:gabigrin:

Guess what's on my head right now? :D



Lol! Dang...that was fast.

Aveyronnaise
December 28th, 2011, 02:06 AM
Another thing I was impressed with this summer is an egg wash. It's easier to do in the summer because you need to do a cool wash to prevent omlette head.
I used it for months at a time this summer and my scalp loved it and it felt more clean than most shampoos that i have used.

here is the recipe that I used:

1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 TBSP Honey
1TBSP Lemon Juice.
Cheers!

bna_rapunzel
December 28th, 2011, 07:14 AM
Another thing I was impressed with this summer is an egg wash. It's easier to do in the summer because you need to do a cool wash to prevent omlette head.
I used it for months at a time this summer and my scalp loved it and it felt more clean than most shampoos that i have used.

here is the recipe that I used:

1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 TBSP Honey
1TBSP Lemon Juice.
Cheers!

I've never done an egg wash and I'm super curious about it. I jotted down this recipe, I might try it but I don't even know where to start. Do I apply it only to my scalp? (I CWC) do I wash regularly (before or after) or only wash with that recipe? Let it sit? How long? Any tips and tricks for me? :D
Thanks!! :)

CurlyCap
December 28th, 2011, 07:49 AM
Lol! Dang...that was fast.

Nah. Just meant that I had come to the same conclusion on what to try. ;D

CurlyCap
December 28th, 2011, 07:55 AM
Betonite clay was AWESOME (though admittedly a bit of a mess).

I used Aztec 100% Betonite Clay. As with a a mask, I mixed it 1:1 with ACV until it was pancake consistency and squelched it onto my head. I left it on for 20 minutes, then rinsed it out with warm water. My hair looked clean at this point, but I could feel some residual clay when I ran my hands over my hair. I followed with my favorite conditioner as if it were normal shampoo.

There's a definite tingly feeling, but it doesn't pull like it does when it's a facial mask. When I rinsed, my hair was surprisingly shiny even while wet, and when it dried it had great definition and softness. I'm surprised. I thought the process would be drying. Also, my scalp is squeaky clean. Not shiny, but it looks...great.

Unlike henna, it was super easy to get to my scalp and my hair was only covered with the dregs. I didn't bother to cover it (to prevent drying or dripping) because I was lazy, but it setup into something firm quickly and rinsed out easily with water.

The only thing I didn't like was how MUCH clay it took. I usually use about a tbs for my face and easily used 1/2 cup to wash my hair. The clay is cheap, but not that cheap. My hair is only APL, so how much would it take when my hair got longer? I'll have to think about finding bulk sources if I want to incorporate this into my routine.

Summary: For someone with a lot of skin allergies, this is a definite option. My hair feels clean and looks great. :D

Georgies
December 28th, 2011, 08:24 AM
Clay definitely sounds intriguing! Here's something that works incredibly well for me but will probably sound unappealing to most. I have some dabur amla oil which has a mineral oil base, so if you're anti mineral oil this won't work. It's quite inexpensive. But I leave it on my scalp for 30-60 minutes, and then let some conditioner sit in there for 10 minutes or longer if I have time. When I rinse it all out my scalp is totally squeaky clean. And it stays that way for days - somehow the min oil (or the herbs) convince my head to stop producing oil. Warning: the amla will darken your hair a shade over time. But it's great for curls.

I've pretty much ditched shampooing altogether now, which I thought would never work for me.

ellen732
December 28th, 2011, 08:27 AM
I find that CO with any of the VO5 clarifying conditioners make my scalp and hair squeaky clean.

Aveyronnaise
December 28th, 2011, 08:27 AM
I've never done an egg wash and I'm super curious about it. I jotted down this recipe, I might try it but I don't even know where to start. Do I apply it only to my scalp? (I CWC) do I wash regularly (before or after) or only wash with that recipe? Let it sit? How long? Any tips and tricks for me? :D
Thanks!! :)
Ok , yes I do the CWC most of the time too, I apply the eggs mostly to the scalp like a normal shampoo and kind of rub it in. You can use it in place of shampoo, I never let it sit for too long, maybe one minute while I was scrubbing , it is really effective.
The only tip is to use cool to cold water or you will cook the egg! Also I guess the last tip is to blend it up well and take out the little white "string" that holds the yolk to the egg. I find it is often that part that sticks in the hair.
Good Luck , I found them easy to use.

Anje
December 28th, 2011, 08:40 AM
Maybe this is an odd question, but do you really want your scalp squeaky clean? Mine gets itchy and greases up really fast if I try to wash it to that point. (Heck, I've shampooed a few times in the last few weeks, and my hair's now getting decidedly oily looking after only 3 days.)

Have you tried a brown sugar scrub? Make a paste of brown sugar and conditioner, scrub scalp with it, rinse out. I know a lot of folks who get gunky scalps here swear by it.

Annalouise
December 28th, 2011, 08:48 AM
Clay is hard to remove from the hair and it coats the strands. Which means you will have to shampoo the length to remove it.

I would say if you want a really clean scalp then shampoo twice. You can put conditioner on the length to protect it while you shampoo the scalp.

bna_rapunzel
December 28th, 2011, 10:02 AM
Ok , yes I do the CWC most of the time too, I apply the eggs mostly to the scalp like a normal shampoo and kind of rub it in. You can use it in place of shampoo, I never let it sit for too long, maybe one minute while I was scrubbing , it is really effective.
The only tip is to use cool to cold water or you will cook the egg! Also I guess the last tip is to blend it up well and take out the little white "string" that holds the yolk to the egg. I find it is often that part that sticks in the hair.
Good Luck , I found them easy to use.


Ooo! I'm excited to try this. Oil as usual afterwards? And can I condition my length while I wash with the egg recipe? Kinda CWC with eggs! Lol!
:)

Helix
December 28th, 2011, 02:09 PM
Nah. Just meant that I had come to the same conclusion on what to try. ;D

Well how about that? Great minds indeed, (mine was a little sleepy, though :)).

Thanks for the detailed review; I'm really glad it worked well for you even if it's not something you end up using long term.

coffinhert
December 28th, 2011, 03:00 PM
I've been doing 1/2 vinegar, 1/2 conditioner, for months now and my scalp is very clean after washing. I pour the liquid vinegar on first (usually a cup of half vinegar, half water) and make sure it's on all the scalp, then rub conditioner over it so they lather together. Then I rinse it out good with hot water, then do a final vinegar rinse. This is my cure for scalp itchies and flakes. It works amazing and I'm curious if other people find it good, since so many people do ACV rinses but I haven't heard of anyone actually scrubbing their scalp with it like me.

ktani
December 28th, 2011, 03:06 PM
To get your scalp super clean, you do not need to use a harsh shampoo.

To clarify, stronger cleansers are usually the best option.

Any not overly conditioning shampoo should give you what you want.

A baking soda wash can be controlled to not be that drying by the amount of water you use to the amount of baking soda used.

CurlyCap
December 28th, 2011, 11:21 PM
Maybe this is an odd question, but do you really want your scalp squeaky clean? Mine gets itchy and greases up really fast if I try to wash it to that point. (Heck, I've shampooed a few times in the last few weeks, and my hair's now getting decidedly oily looking after only 3 days.)

Have you tried a brown sugar scrub? Make a paste of brown sugar and conditioner, scrub scalp with it, rinse out. I know a lot of folks who get gunky scalps here swear by it.


1. Yuh, squeaky clean is good. My hair NEVER gets oily. NEVER. I think that's why I can put almost 1/2 cup of oil in my hair and it all goes sluuuuuuuuuuurrrrp....all gone. Imagine your scalp if you just had the skin buildup and dirt, but none of the oil? That's my scalp. It's a horrible feeling and I usually just brush away the grossness with my Denman. Trying to find alternatives.

2. I was thinking about that! I just had great success with a salt scrub for my body and was thinking about sugar for my head. But I don't know if a coarse scrub like that would place nice with curly hair. All I can think about is all my hairs snapping off near the root from the friction. Any tips?

luvnaz
December 30th, 2011, 06:15 PM
I've had a terrible time with severe scalp itch, tightness, redness, plaques from hard well water & harsh SLS shampoo. My scalp was so damaged that even going to non SLS shampoo didn't clear it up. I tried so many things and nothing helped (I've tried baking soda/ACV, CO, WO, Head & Shoulders, coal tar, Nizoral, Scalpicin, borax, epsom salts, hydrogen peroxide, monistat, coconut, castor, tea tree, vitamin E, olive, scalp salve with many oils & emollients to name the ones off the top of my head over a period of a year or so).

I finally went to the health food store and the clerk there had me buy Nature's Plus Natural Beauty cleansing bar with an acid pH of 4.5 and contains Allantoin and vitamin E. It's not soap...no lye or tallow or SLS. Allantoin is the ingredient in the comfrey plant. I also got Florasone for eczema. It is a natural homeopathic cream with out the steroids that hydrocortizone has. The main ingredient is Cardiospermum halicacabum.

I no longer have the red itchy dry tight area behind my ears! These two things have been a godsend for me! I'd scratch all day till my scalp would bleed! It was horrible!

The Allantoin cleansing bar cleans my hair & scalp and smells really nice. My skin is softer also. I'm never going back to regular shampoo with SLS or even shampoo bars with lye & tallow.

As soon as this clears up completely I'm going to oil the ends, but otherwise I don't need a conditioner with this beauty bar! I really recommend it because it balances the acid mantle of the scalp & skin & soothes the irritation.

Loviatar
December 30th, 2011, 07:38 PM
Sugar makes for quite a fine scrub. Salt is much coarser, I wouldn't use a salt scrub on my head. But I have used sugar.

I love shampoo bars, I find they are cleaning my scalp fabulously. Chagrin Valley Mud and Clay is the best for that 'clean' feeling, for me. Avalon Organics Lemon Clarifying shampoo is also good and it is sulfate free. Or I sometimes use Dr Bronners liquid castile soap, but only maybe 2 drops.