Am I the only Green Tea cleanser?

[Euphoria.Dame]

I could be wrong, but I just searched both here, and TLHC through google, and I was suprised I didn't see this as a thread already.

Many hair growers, new and old, have a hard time with the concept of not shampooing hair as often, if ever. Did you know that green tea can be used as a shampoo that doesn't harm your hair? Yes, even if you only wash once or twice a week, this could still be quite benefical to both your hair and scalp. I found a great recepie and am posting the link here in case anyone is interested:

http://www.ehow.com/how_12093515_use-green-tea-alternative-shampoo-clean-hair.html

Let me know what you think!

[FrozenBritannia]

Looks neat!

[spidermom]

I have never heard of that before.

[AMW]

I drink green tea all the time ... And I have even added it to my henna but never thought it would be good to clean my hair! Will have to try it!

[Euphoria.Dame]

The benefits of green tea always amaze me. Wonderful. :heartbeat

[HylianGirl]

I think I might have heard of it before, though I didn't remember untill you brought it up, definatelly sounds interesting, greent tea is awesome =)

[Sillage]

I've used plain green tea as a toner and loved it; never thought about using it in my hair. I'll have to give it a whirl. :D

[StPaulaGirl]

Oh, I should try this sometime! I have a batch of green tea that I ordered a few weeks ago that just isn't doing it for me. :( But I don't want to waste it, either. Thank you for sharing that link. :)

[blondyhead]

Really like the idear of this, because at the moment i'm chopping and changing between CO wash and normal shampoo ( Aussie Moisture ) Eventually i would like to change my hair care to all natural prouducts. Thanks for the tip!

Happy Growing!

[JellyBene]

I am so going to try this tomorrow!

[RapunzelKat]

Ooh interesting! I love green tea :) I would like to give this a try, but I wonder if it would leave color behind on light-colored hair? Does anyone know?

I find that drinking green tea, even decaf, gives me more energy - I wonder if it would make hair grow faster? :eyebrows:

[PixxieStix]

Neato. But yeah, never would have thought of using one of my favorite drinks in my hair as cleanser, go figure. I knew about rooibos tea for getting hair to grow faster/fill in, I might have to try this just for fun and see how it goes.

[rock007junkie]

This looks very interesting. Will have to try soon.

[Chetanlaiho]

I drink it all the time and I actually have the ingredients for this for once, might try this out ^_^ for the others, let us know how it goes!

[sarahramen]

ooo! post back with the results, I may try this next wash!

[silverjen]

I've used black tea as a rinse, and it works great. I stopped using it once I started going silver, to avoid staining. I'll have to try the green!

[mz_butterfly]

I have heard of herbal washing and this makes sense. I have some green tea bags, it can't hurt to give it a try. Thanks for the link, it's interesting.

[sugarpixie10988]

This is really cool, thanks for sharing! I'm going to try it next time I wash my hair. :)

[gazelle]

This is very good information, thanks for sharing. Since I have bad water I guess it will be suitable for me, for including both tea and vinegar. Today is the day to wash and I will try it.

It seems very good but my hair gets very dirty in school I work.

How about using this mixture as a rinse?

[Euphoria.Dame]

Ooh interesting! I love green tea :) I would like to give this a try, but I wonder if it would leave color behind on light-colored hair? Does anyone know?


I doubt it, I used to use black tea to stain mine, and it took a LOT of rinses, over and over. I don't think one use of green tea will have an effect :)

[jel]

Interesting; I have been thinking about using green tea on my scalp, which is a bit unhappy with the freezing cold/central heating combination this winter. But I'm not sure that the tea, even with honey added, would be moisturising enough for my length.

Euphoria.Dame, do you use any conditioner after the tea rinse?

[SolSara]

Actually, I would think that it was the honey in that recipe that is the most cleansing. But I'm sure green tea could do other great stuff to your scalp. :)

[fridgee]

I am interested to try this. Black tea made my hair really tangley and not at all soft, it seemed too drying, but since green tea is milder it might work. Will give it a go maybe friday morning if I remember and try to report back!

[Ki]

Thanks for the link. Will have to try this!

[gazelle]

I did this today, but after shampooing once. As I said I feel my hair very dirty because of dust in my school.

It works really good, and I am happy to know a new recipe

[LaurelSpring]

I will give this one a shot, sans vinegar. Vinegar on my scalp makes me itchy but I can put it on my length. I might also experiement with a little Baking Soda or maybe some aloe in the mix. I love new projects to experiement with!

[gazelle]

I will give this one a shot, sans vinegar. Vinegar on my scalp makes me itchy but I can put it on my length. I might also experiement with a little Baking Soda or maybe some aloe in the mix. I love new projects to experiement with!

LaurelSpring, won't the baking soda react with vinegar, since they are in the same mixture? BS is alkaline and vinegar is acidic right?

[bouclée]

That's really interesting. I used to use green tea as a scalp lotion and noticed my scalp was far less greasy. But instead of shampoo? I wouldn't have imagined it was cleansing enough. I definitively have to try this!
Does someone have an idea what makes green tea cleansing? I know it contains antioxidants and it is astringent, but what could be the cleansing agent?

[Anje]

I hadn't heard of this one before, but I know there are some folks here who do tea rinses. I have done largely water-only cleansing for about 8 months at a stretch at one point, and I know I found that a bit of vinegar when massaged through and rinsed really cut the greasies when water alone wasn't doing the trick. So I can definitely see it working, especially once your scalp adjusts.

[piratejenny]

Subscribing to this thread. I'm always on the lookout for simple alternatives to shampoo :D

[HintOfMint]

Yay for new hair things enabling that doesn't require me to buy anything new!

[ratgirldjh]

I've tried this in the past. It seemed very cleansing to me even without the ACV. But I just used one cup water and one tea bag...

It does work though... It actually seemed to be too cleansing for me without the honey and ACV (haven't tried it that way). But may not be enough for those who use actual shampoo often. I was pretty much very diluted herb washing or water only when I used it.

[Mearwynna]

Wow, this is something I want to try!

[<3OnHerSleeve]

Ooh interesting! I love green tea :) I would like to give this a try, but I wonder if it would leave color behind on light-colored hair? Does anyone know?

I find that drinking green tea, even decaf, gives me more energy - I wonder if it would make hair grow faster? :eyebrows:

I actually did find evidence that the antioxidants in green tea can assist in hair growth which I posted once in the Green Tea Drinkers thread.

I never thought to try this as a rinse but as I don't like using shampoo as a general rule this may be a great new alternative! I'm so trying this!

[Pazita!]

Wow this is amazing, I didn't know about it! I have to try it! Thanks for sharing =)

[kwaniesiam]

I think this is one of the few things I haven't dumped on my hair since hanging around here over the years :lol:

Going to have to try it!

[annamoonfairy]

Never heard of it before but will research it. Thanks for sharing : )

[JellyBene]

I tried it today but my hair ddnt quite feel clean so I shampooed after.... granted I had henna'd the night before so it had some serious buildup. I will try it again tomorrow

[PennyLaneDream]

I've used plain green tea as a toner and loved it; never thought about using it in my hair. I'll have to give it a whirl. :D
What would the effects be if used as a toner? sounds intriguing

[Sillage]

For me, the benefits have been brighter, smoother, more even skin. I just take the green tea bag after it's finished steeping, squeeze out the excess tea, and then gently wipe it over my face and neck and let it dry before putting on my serum and moisturizer. It's been working really well for me :D

[Kelikea]

I just made a batch today and washed my hair! I'll report back after it is dry. Maybe I'll even get a picture:)

[tarn]

What a great idea! Thanks for sharing the link!

[leslissocool]

I think this is one of the few things I haven't dumped on my hair since hanging around here over the years :lol:

Going to have to try it!

Seriously, I'm going to try it out!

[mleung]

hmm. interesting, though personally, i'd rather drink it than use it to rinse my hair. but then again, i'm asian. ^_^

also, i think all of my teas are loose. anyone know how much tea is in a teabag?

[sfgirl]

I'm sorry I can't quote using my phone, but using teabags are cheaper because they use fillers in it. So it's good for recipes but not so much for drinking. Loose leaf is better for that. :)

[blondie9912]

This looks like an awesome recipe! Will definitely give it a spin :)

[gossamer]

hmm. interesting, though personally, i'd rather drink it than use it to rinse my hair. but then again, i'm asian. ^_^

also, i think all of my teas are loose. anyone know how much tea is in a teabag?


I drink all loose leaf tea too! (It's so cheap in Taiwan!) I usually use about a tsp per mug of tea, although given that most American tea bags just have dust in them, even a half teaspoon of leaves would probably brew something strong enough in 10 minutes. After all, green tea for drinking usually only needs 4-6 minutes to brew.

[gazelle]

I drink all loose leaf tea too! (It's so cheap in Taiwan!) I usually use about a tsp per mug of tea, although given that most American tea bags just have dust in them, even a half teaspoon of leaves would probably brew something strong enough in 10 minutes. After all, green tea for drinking usually only needs 4-6 minutes to brew.

Loose tea leaves were available for me also, they are too delicious and strong to pour on hair. I use tea bags for this recipe

I did not use conditioner while using this recipe and it conditions the hair enough

[jel]

I did not use conditioner while using this recipe and it conditions the hair enough

Thanks! I suppose I should try it for myself! :)

[ravenheather]

I think I'll try this tomorrow. I have nettle already. I may add that in too.

[gossamer]

Loose tea leaves were available for me also, they are too delicious and strong to pour on hair. I use tea bags for this recipe

I did not use conditioner while using this recipe and it conditions the hair enough

Interesting that the loose leaves make tea that seems too strong for hair. How can you tell? By the color?

I bought so much green tea when I was back in Taiwan last winter! Like, 3USD for half a kilo - and it's, well, leaves, but cheap pieces leaves and sometimes stalks as well. Makes exactly the kind of tea I like to drink and grew up on, but I don't feel guilty using it on my hair. When I get through this massive amount of tea, then I can drink the fancier whole leaf stuff my parents bought for me. :D

[Kelikea]

I washed with the green tea cleanser last night and this is what it looked like this morning:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=8987&pictureid=126524
My hair felt a bit dry and tangly today, but it was also very windy outside with low humidity. I might like it better in the summer or when it is more humid.

[fridgee]

Hmm, not convinced. I rinsed with just green tea, I didn't want to mix up effects, if that makes sense. I know what my hair is like with the other things so wanted to know what the green tea did. My roots are possibly marginally less greasy, but the length was really dried out and tangley and needed loads of product afterwards to be able to run my hands thru it. My hair hated black tea even more, so maybe tea rinses just aren't for me! (Although I'm still going to try rooibos, but its not a true tea so hopefully will be different!)

[sugarpixie10988]

I tried this yesterday and it worked pretty well! I'm almost in my third week of WO and my hair was starting to look pretty icky. Since I'm going to school, I don't want to look like a total greaseball. I decided to try this since it seems pretty gentle. I did exactly what the article said, except I didn't add honey. My hair is no longer greasy, but it's not stripped either. It's soft, moisturized, and feels stronger somehow.



I washed with the green tea cleanser last night and this is what it looked like this morning:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=8987&pictureid=126524
My hair felt a bit dry and tangly today, but it was also very windy outside with low humidity. I might like it better in the summer or when it is more humid.


Hmm, not convinced. I rinsed with just green tea, I didn't want to mix up effects, if that makes sense. I know what my hair is like with the other things so wanted to know what the green tea did. My roots are possibly marginally less greasy, but the length was really dried out and tangley and needed loads of product afterwards to be able to run my hands thru it. My hair hated black tea even more, so maybe tea rinses just aren't for me! (Although I'm still going to try rooibos, but its not a true tea so hopefully will be different!)

Did you guys use the recipe in the link or just plain green tea? I avoid using honey in my hair because if I don't rinse it out all the way (which usually ends up happening :p) it turns into a really bad dry, tangly mess. If you used honey, maybe that's what happened?

[fridgee]

I just used plain green tea, I wanted to see what it did on its own. ACV makes my hair feel lovely, so I didn't want to include it because then I wouldn't know if it was the tea or the ACV. And I left out the honey for the same reason as you!

[gazelle]

Interesting that the loose leaves make tea that seems too strong for hair. How can you tell? By the color?

I bought so much green tea when I was back in Taiwan last winter! Like, 3USD for half a kilo - and it's, well, leaves, but cheap pieces leaves and sometimes stalks as well. Makes exactly the kind of tea I like to drink and grew up on, but I don't feel guilty using it on my hair. When I get through this massive amount of tea, then I can drink the fancier whole leaf stuff my parents bought for me. :D

I meant that loose leaves give very good brew and I would like to drink them instead of rinsing hair. I cannot get the same taste from tea bags so I would rather use them on hair. (Sometimes I write in English but think Turkish and cannot express myself well :o)

Have you done the green tea cleansing?

[sarahramen]

I tried it yesterday following the recipe exactly and... it's ok. My hair doesn't look dirty but it is not clean. It feels soft but in that not clean sort of way. But it did take away a bit of the sebum gently, so it probably is better for your hair than shampoo. Less stripping and all that.

[gossamer]

I meant that loose leaves give very good brew and I would like to drink them instead of rinsing hair. I cannot get the same taste from tea bags so I would rather use them on hair. (Sometimes I write in English but think Turkish and cannot express myself well :o)

Have you done the green tea cleansing?


Aha! Now I see what you mean - yes, tea bags definitely don't give such a good taste as leaves!

I haven't tried it yet, but maybe I will for my next wash.

I have used green tea as a rinse before. Sometimes in summer if I chill it first, it can be very refreshing.

[allmixedup88]

I love green tea baths. I lie there and allow my hair to soak. Nothing is better lol

[Curly Hermione]

Must try this. :) I love drinking green tea, I've heard of this before but never gave it much thought. I love the idea of a green tea bath!

[Moonlake]

**********

[Rowan1980]

I use conditioner that contains green tea, but I haven't thought of using straight up green tea itself to clean hair. Interesting!

[silverjen]

I tried this, using just green tea, and I can't say I noticed much of a difference. My hair reacted very well to black tea in the past. I have no idea what is causing the different results.

[mleung]

guess i'll try this the next time i wash my hair - good to know that i won't be using up the good drinking stuff! :)

[Darscilla]

There is some interesting discussion on this here:

http://minimalistbeauty.com/diy-green-tea-cleansing-hair-rinse

It mentions the difference in ph between green and black tea, which is why I believe some people (myself included) find black tea more cleansing.

[Jesabel]

How beneficial that it's green tea? I've made up a batch following the recipe posted but had to use regular tea (black) instead. Would the green be better?

[Jesabel]

There is some interesting discussion on this here:

http://minimalistbeauty.com/diy-green-tea-cleansing-hair-rinse

It mentions the difference in ph between green and black tea, which is why I believe some people (myself included) find black tea more cleansing.

aand I just saw this. Awesome :)

[renee2day]

Being an obligate tea drinker, (coffee smells great but doesn't agree with my tummy)
I was very intrigued by this thread.
I have quite the tea collection, and I have a big box of cheap jasmine green tea that smells lovely but makes me too jittery.
So I made a cup of jasmine green tea with honey fo my hair and a cup of decaf vanilla chai with honey and cream to drink.

My hair smelled amazing. I use Monistat on my roots after almost every wash. The morning I used the Jasmine Green Tea being to exception. Well my roots were a weird greasy feeling and the texture over all was a little stiff coated feeling. I normally can't tell the monistat is in once its rubbed in so I'm not sure if it's a just the green tea itself or if monistat and tea don't mix.

I loved the Jasmine smell and I have a lot of this tea which I'm going to have a hard time using up so I will continue to experiment to see if I can make this work for my hair somehow.

Thanks to the OP as now I have another hair ingredient to play with.
:stirpot::flowers:

i do believe this is my 25th post which means i will soon beable to go back and edit my spelling and grammer and post pics and see all those pics that evryone raves about but is invisible to us newbies.

m so excited and grateful to find LHC
:graduate:

[jel]

OK, I tried this last weekend. I used gunpowder (loose) green tea, value honey and cider vinegar I use after every wash. I also used conditioner on the length from the neck down, as my hair felt super dry, almost like glass wool.

I'm afraid my results weren't quite satisfactory. Basically, neither my hair nor my scalp felt clean afterwards, and I had to shampoo the next day. It's probably worth mentioning that I live in a huge, polluted city, and neither water-only nor no-poo (baking soda + vinegar rinse) methods worked for me in the past.

[gazelle]

OK, I tried this last weekend. I used gunpowder (loose) green tea, value honey and cider vinegar I use after every wash. I also used conditioner on the length from the neck down, as my hair felt super dry, almost like glass wool.

I'm afraid my results weren't quite satisfactory. Basically, neither my hair nor my scalp felt clean afterwards, and I had to shampoo the next day. It's probably worth mentioning that I live in a huge, polluted city, and neither water-only nor no-poo (baking soda + vinegar rinse) methods worked for me in the past.

I guess this wouldn't work for me alone, because I work in a school and hair gets very dirty. But I beileve green tea is beneficial so I used it after shampooing, as rinse. Hair was so soft after it.

I haven't done again because I am lazy

[ravenheather]

Tea is brewing right now. I'm going to add acv and skip the honey. I'll let you know.

[Sagi1982]

Hmmm... I never tried green tea as hair cleanser, but I love it for curing acne, so I think its worth a try for my oily hair. ^^
Thank you for posting!

[CopperHead]

I think I will give this a shot. :) It certainly can't hurt.

[ravenheather]

I'm brewing my green tea rinse right now for the third time. I like this to help stretch washes. It cleans just enough to help on my 3rd and 4th days which are my greasy days. Hoping it will help reduce shedding too. My hair loves acv rinses though.

[rainfortheend]

Trying this. I've been using green tea as a rinse, but as a shampoo alternative I'm interested to see what will happen.

[TheBoldLife]

Ravenheather -- what has your long term results been? Super curious! :D

I'm wondering how you apply the green tea rinse. Do you wait until it's cooled or use it still warm? Do you spray on like ACV or just dunk your head in a bucket?

Definitely going to try it out!

[Siveda]

I tried a green tea rinse with hibiscus and camomile tea, but I did it for other benefits than washing, because I didn't know it would also strip away some oils. I found that out after I used it, since it made my hair quite dry. I also used shampoo afterwards because I didn't know about those cleaning properties yet. I'm going to try this again together with ACV and without shampoo afterwards. So curious!

[Aunt Rapunzel]

Hmm!! Sounds interesting!! And I have green tea on hand. I might just give this a try.

[Coucouvaya]

Hm... interesting! I am thinking since it's summer to simply put it in a spray bottle and just spray it everytime I need to cool my head XD. Perhaps a green tea and chamomile combination and a stick of cinnamon? :hmm:

[hobbitlocks]

I tried this recently in place of one of my normal scalp washes. It's been over 100 degrees in my neck of the woods so I felt sweaty and gross, but my hair wasn't really dirty. Anyway, I use jasmine green tea, honey, and ACV (I followed a recipe from a link in this thread). I didn't really like it -- the recipe said to keep it in my hair ~10 minutes, but anytime I tilted my head down I would get liquid in my eyes, and it burned because of the vinegar. So it was hard to shower while it was in my hair. I also think the honey in the recipe was too much for me because my hair felt more dirty afterwards (although my boyfriend said it looked nice). That said, nothing feels as nice as a cold shower when it's super hot, so I may try it again with less/no honey when I want a rinse but don't want to shampoo yet. Or I may try Coucouvaya's idea with the spray bottle and try giving myself little spritzes...

[01]

Doesn't clean really dirty hair... Also slowed my growth in the past! I guess it made my hair sleepy, just like coffee makes me sleepy (I used to drink a lot of coffee). Great toner/mist, though.

[Elizabeth E]

I have switched to drinking organic green tea (no milk or sugar) about three years ago and have always used it as a hair rinse, but never thought of using it as a shampoo. Will definitely try that out next time I wash.