does anyone love to wash their hair with clay?

[Annalouise]

Hi,
I recently ordered some terressentials clay shampoo (fragrance free). I read the reviews on it here and it was not very good. Most people said they did not like it.:(

Does anyone have a good experience of clay washes???

I am trying hard to go totally natural and fragrance free (no e.o.'s) due to chemical sensitivities.

I hope this works. If not, I'll move on to soapwort.:D

Can anyone give me a happy story about using clays?:):applause

[rock007junkie]

I wash with terressentials and I love it. Just don't give up on it right away. The first time I washed with it my hair felt funny but the second time I was a convert! I have been washing with this ever since. Leaves hair really clean and shiny.

[ratgirldjh]

Actually for the past few months after pretty much giving up on soap - I have been using bentonite mixed with water and sometimes a little sea salt; put on wet hair and then rinsed out and then following with an ACV rinse and rinsing out and then using FOTE aloe vera gel like a wash out conditoner on my very wet hair and rinsing out as well as I can.

This seems to work better than anything else I've tried. The FOTE rinsed out helps with the static I get when it is dry here. I don't think it all rinses out though but the next clay wash removes residue. I have also tried the drinkable gels and found they build up worse than the FOTE!!! And the juice alone as a rinse I didn't like. I've also tried aloe vera washes and mixing the clay with fresh aloe vera and still the FOTE won out!!! grrr I think it must be akin to silicones for my hair!!!

I cut my hair during the summer and using this method it is growing back thicker than it was before when I used soap.

When I get the urge to do an oiling I will wash the oil out with soap and then do the clay wash. Although I may soon try putting dry clay on oiled hair and see if it will soak up the oil and then rinse it out...

I have wanted to try the Terrestentials too but since I can't find it here and I have a lot of bentonite and it works - I haven't bothered yet... plus the Terresentials is sooo expensive compared to a jar of bentonite and some FOTE which last me months and have multiple uses besides hair washing.

Rock007junkie - which Terresentials do you have and like? Does it leave your hair staticky? I've also mixed up various blends of bentonite and/or rhassoul (prefer bentonite) with aloe vera juice and EO's and decided that the plain clay mixed in water worked just as well or better and I like the idea of not having to order anything (sucks when you run out!) lol :D but if it is wonderful enough... I might have to try it ;) :p

[Annalouise]

I wash with terressentials and I love it. Just don't give up on it right away. The first time I washed with it my hair felt funny but the second time I was a convert! I have been washing with this ever since. Leaves hair really clean and shiny.

Yay!:applause I hope it works for me! So do you have to do a vinegar rinse or is your hair fine with just the terressentials shampoo? Do you oil your hair?

[Annalouise]

Actually for the past few months after pretty much giving up on soap - I have been using bentonite mixed with water and sometimes a little sea salt; put on wet hair and then rinsed out and then following with an ACV rinse and rinsing out and then using FOTE aloe vera gel like a wash out conditoner on my very wet hair and rinsing out as well as I can.

This seems to work better than anything else I've tried. The FOTE rinsed out helps with the static I get when it is dry here. I don't think it all rinses out though but the next clay wash removes residue. I have also tried the drinkable gels and found they build up worse than the FOTE!!! And the juice alone as a rinse I didn't like. I've also tried aloe vera washes and mixing the clay with fresh aloe vera and still the FOTE won out!!! grrr I think it must be akin to silicones for my hair!!!

I cut my hair during the summer and using this method it is growing back thicker than it was before when I used soap.

When I get the urge to do an oiling I will wash the oil out with soap and then do the clay wash. Although I may soon try putting dry clay on oiled hair and see if it will soak up the oil and then rinse it out...

I have wanted to try the Terrestentials too but since I can't find it here and I have a lot of bentonite and it works - I haven't bothered yet... plus the Terresentials is sooo expensive compared to a jar of bentonite and some FOTE which last me months and have multiple uses besides hair washing.

Rock007junkie - which Terresentials do you have and like? Does it leave your hair staticky? I've also mixed up various blends of bentonite and/or rhassoul (prefer bentonite) with aloe vera juice and EO's and decided that the plain clay mixed in water worked just as well or better and I like the idea of not having to order anything (sucks when you run out!) lol :D but if it is wonderful enough... I might have to try it ;) :p

What does FOTE stand for?
The terressentials also puts some herbs in their shampoo. I don' t know if that makes a difference with the static or not. When I use plain rhassoul or bentonite clay my hair is awfully staticy. I'm glad you are able to make the clay work for you.
:applause Yay! And thicker hair is always a bonus! I am trying to thicken my hair also.

[linnepinne]

I have used Rhassoul clay to wash my hair. I really like it!
I haven't used it in a while though, since I'm thinking about cones or baby oil to protect my lenght, so I've been experimenting with getting my scalp used to shampoo again (I'll need shampoo so that I don't get build up).
The clay is very gentle for my scalp, but does not give me very much volume or shine. But I get less greasy with the clay, and it does cleanse very well, even my heavy over night oilings can be washed out without any trouble at all. You might want to consider following up your wash with some condish on the lenght. I now I needed it, or else it felt a little rough (not nearly as rough as with shampoo and no condish though).

[Noas]

I've washed with rhassoul clay(am WO now) and i have to say it was the best of all things that i've tried actually.
Made my hair really soft with lots of volume and shiny without using conditioner(doesn't seem to work wih the clay, in my case).
Heavy oils would wash out easy. I didn't keep up with it because it's time consuming, if oils needed to be washed out the clay had to sit on my head for at least 30 minutes, so i stopped using it.
I enjoy being WO right now, but if i had to choose a substitute, clay washing would be it.
Hope this helps;)

[Cleopatra18]

Rhassoul clay made my hair soft, strong and gave it so much volume. However, It was very hard to comb my hair I don't know if it was static or what but I just couldn't do it. I had to rely on finger detangling only and it was fine but eventually it wasn't enough and I got tired of the hassle of doing it. I will try using it again in the summer though but it's a no no in the winter.
BTW I read GREAT reviews on the tressentials mud wash and I believe you will like it because it supposedly has everything regular clays are lacking. the herbs included provide moisture and slip that alot of people actually detangle with it. It's more like a deep conditioning cleansing treatment rather than a wash or a shampoo. anyways, best of luck and let us know how it works out!

[Annalouise]

Hi ladies,
Thank you for your input.:applause Yay!for clay!
I will report back with the results in a couple weeks.

[spidermom]

I'd be concerned about what clay build-up might do to my drainage plumbing.

[ratgirldjh]

What does FOTE stand for?
The terressentials also puts some herbs in their shampoo. I don' t know if that makes a difference with the static or not. When I use plain rhassoul or bentonite clay my hair is awfully staticy. I'm glad you are able to make the clay work for you.
:applause Yay! And thicker hair is always a bonus! I am trying to thicken my hair also.

Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel. Ingredients: Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Gel, Water, Triethanolamine, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Carbomer 940, Tetrasodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, Diazolidinyl Urea

See what I mean? I don't like the idea of these ingredients - but the edible gel built up faster than this one!!! At lease FOTE is NOT animal tested though. And I think my hair is addicted to this stuff... :o

eta: what differences did you see in between rhassoul and bentonite? just curious because it seems my hair prefers calcium bentonite (i've never tried sodium bentonite).

[ratgirldjh]

Rhassoul clay made my hair soft, strong and gave it so much volume. However, It was very hard to comb my hair I don't know if it was static or what but I just couldn't do it. I had to rely on finger detangling only and it was fine but eventually it wasn't enough and I got tired of the hassle of doing it. I will try using it again in the summer though but it's a no no in the winter.
BTW I read GREAT reviews on the tressentials mud wash and I believe you will like it because it supposedly has everything regular clays are lacking. the herbs included provide moisture and slip that alot of people actually detangle with it. It's more like a deep conditioning cleansing treatment rather than a wash or a shampoo. anyways, best of luck and let us know how it works out!

So many people prefer rhassoul but for me it makes my hair feel even weirder than calcium bentonite! I have no idea why. It makes it feel very strong though but coated even when I do an ACV rinse and it seems like it leaves it feeling like 'doll hair' for lack of a better word. I also had trouble combing it - no tangles but it just stuck flat to my head or something... too weird for me. The one I have has herbs already in it though maybe that has something to do with it.

This is the reason I always wanted to try the Terresentials because hopefully the added herb will make it work better without the static... but I read some people have static anyway... but supposedly it will go away eventually... mine seems to have lessened a lot!!! And a tiny bit of oil added pre-wash or after really helps. Too much oil and my hair is both oily and staticky!!! lol :confused:

So waiting to hear the verdict on the Terresentials from the OP! :) I would love to break my addiction to FOTE. (lol) :silly:

[Cleopatra18]

So many people prefer rhassoul but for me it makes my hair feel even weirder than calcium bentonite! I have no idea why. It makes it feel very strong though but coated even when I do an ACV rinse and it seems like it leaves it feeling like 'doll hair' for lack of a better word. I also had trouble combing it - no tangles but it just stuck flat to my head or something... too weird for me.
wow I couldn't have said it better! This is exactly how my hair felt, super strong but coated and weird like that. I think adding glycerin helped a little, and also the transition phase at the begining was the worst but I think it gets better with time. The tressentials recommend a detox week at the begining to get consistent results after wards. I was thinking to do the same with regular rhassoul and see what happens.

[ratgirldjh]

wow I couldn't have said it better! This is exactly how my hair felt, super strong but coated and weird like that. I think adding glycerin helped a little, and also the transition phase at the begining was the worst but I think it gets better with time. The tressentials recommend a detox week at the begining to get consistent results after wards. I was thinking to do the same with regular rhassoul and see what happens.

My hair kind of got used to the calcium bentonite and now it feels more normal and doesn't have as much static. But then it isn't as dry and cold here as it was - when it is dry and cold my hair has static no matter what! so not a good time to judge i guess!

Rhassoul was able to take off heavy oilings? The calcium bentonite didn't seem to. But really that was before I figured out how to use it I think. Before I was leaving it on for quite a while and it wouldn't remove oil. Now I just use it like a 'shampoo' meaning I mix it up in a bottle and squirt out a blob and use it to scrub my scalp. Seems to clean better this way and not as drying or static making! Seems the ends don't really need it and are happy with the run-off.

Did you use an ACV rinse? I found if I didn't my hair was definitely coated with something - even if I couldn't see it!!!

[Cleopatra18]

My hair kind of got used to the calcium bentonite and now it feels more normal and doesn't have as much static. But then it isn't as dry and cold here as it was - when it is dry and cold my hair has static no matter what! so not a good time to judge i guess!

Rhassoul was able to take off heavy oilings? The calcium bentonite didn't seem to. But really that was before I figured out how to use it I think. Before I was leaving it on for quite a while and it wouldn't remove oil. Now I just use it like a 'shampoo' meaning I mix it up in a bottle and squirt out a blob and use it to scrub my scalp. Seems to clean better this way and not as drying or static making! Seems the ends don't really need it and are happy with the run-off.

Did you use an ACV rinse? I found if I didn't my hair was definitely coated with something - even if I couldn't see it!!!
Oh yea rhassoul defintly took off all the excess oil. I always heavy oil my hair the night before wash and then in the shower I would mix rhassoul with water into a very runny mix and apply all over my scalp and some on my hair. I leave it for about 10 mins then rinse. I did not use conditioner, acv rinse or any leave ins with it. All my products had cones which supposedly work against rhassoul. I did add some oil after my hair was almost dry but that was it.
I plan on revisiting the whole rhassoul routine again maybe in june or july when it's warm again. I will try to do it properly the next time with acidic rinses and everything. but right now it's just too cold to try any new products, I don't want to risk drying my hair out or having any setbacks at the moment.
I never tried bentonite clay and when I found it here was like 10 bucks for 100 grams or less even, which is alot compared that I paid 6 bucks only for 500 grams of rhassoul. but from the online reviews it seems that bentonite is more drying/cleansing than rhassoul which is supposed to be conditioning for the hair.

[Annalouise]

This is what the terressentials webpage says about the transition period (detox period):

http://www.terressentials.com/hairhelp.html
"It is highly likely that your current shampoo, conditioner, hairspray or other styling product contains some type of petrochemical polymer - a PVP vinyl, acrylate, silicone, carbomer, or hydrolyzed synthetic protein (soy, wheat, oat) polymer - all of which add a coating to the hair to make damaged hair appear undamaged. These plastic polymers also glue broken hairs together. Since polymers are difficult to remove with a gentle clay cleanser, it usually takes several washings to completely remove these gummy, oily residues from the hair. As these materials are being removed from the hair, hair may feel stiff, sticky or dry. It may even be a bit more difficult to comb out, especially if it's long. This is because some of the coating agents that you're trying to remove also act as detanglers. Until your hair is fully detoxed, allow a bit of extra time for washing and combing. Be patient and treat it with a little extra care - a simple wooden comb or natural-bristle wood brush will help. During detox you may notice a few more hairs in your hairbrush as the polymer glues are removed - this is normal.
Because the majority of synthetic detergents are designed to have anti-static properties, when you stop using detergent shampoos you may experience some static electricity in the first few weeks. The static problem can be addressed by switching to wood brushes with natural (or wooden) bristles and wooden combs instead of plastic ones. It will also help to avoid static-causing situations such as blow-drying your hair and wearing synthetic fiber (petrochemical plastics - nylon, polyester, acrylic, etc.) clothing. All of these transitional inconveniences will gradually disappear as you continue to use the mud Hair Wash. In the detox phase, you might use a spritz of high-quality spring or sparkling water or an apple cider vinegar/water rinse after washing with the mud Hair Wash to help minimize static buildup."

Also, it recommends washing 3 x for the first 2 days. Then 2x for the next 2 days, and then 1 time for the next 2 days. And then to repeat this cycle one more time. This is how long it takes to remove the coating on normal hair that has not been chemically treated. That is roughly 1, 16 oz bottle. And that would be 24 washes!

[Annalouise]

I'd be concerned about what clay build-up might do to my drainage plumbing.

Good question.

[Annalouise]

Ratgirl, I think those ingredients might interfere with the clay. As the clay is removing buildup, the Fruit of the Earth gel is putting it back on the hair.

I prefer bentonite clay. The rhassoul was too stripping for my hair by itself. I ended up with hair 6 feet tall!:tmi:
However, I think the bentonite was hard to rinse out. That is why I think terressentials forumlates their clay shampoo with herbs and aloe vera is that it will help to rinse it out. I would think that the aloe would add some slip.

[ratgirldjh]

Ratgirl, I think those ingredients might interfere with the clay. As the clay is removing buildup, the Fruit of the Earth gel is putting it back on the hair.

I prefer bentonite clay. The rhassoul was too stripping for my hair by itself. I ended up with hair 6 feet tall!:tmi:
However, I think the bentonite was hard to rinse out. That is why I think terressentials forumlates their clay shampoo with herbs and aloe vera is that it will help to rinse it out. I would think that the aloe would add some slip.

I totally agree with the fact that the FOTE is putting build up on my hair! So I'm trying to phase it out... it is hard - my hair is addicted to it!!! I will say this that I have gotten a lot of new growth since I've been using the FOTE too! That also makes it harder to stop! And my hair is thicker!

I think I like bentonite better too. For me it doesn't seem drying really - just static causing (if that makes sense). I think it is the negative charge it leaves on the hair.

[ratgirldjh]

Oh yea rhassoul defintly took off all the excess oil. I always heavy oil my hair the night before wash and then in the shower I would mix rhassoul with water into a very runny mix and apply all over my scalp and some on my hair. I leave it for about 10 mins then rinse. I did not use conditioner, acv rinse or any leave ins with it. All my products had cones which supposedly work against rhassoul. I did add some oil after my hair was almost dry but that was it.
I plan on revisiting the whole rhassoul routine again maybe in june or july when it's warm again. I will try to do it properly the next time with acidic rinses and everything. but right now it's just too cold to try any new products, I don't want to risk drying my hair out or having any setbacks at the moment.
I never tried bentonite clay and when I found it here was like 10 bucks for 100 grams or less even, which is alot compared that I paid 6 bucks only for 500 grams of rhassoul. but from the online reviews it seems that bentonite is more drying/cleansing than rhassoul which is supposed to be conditioning for the hair.

Hmm I might try oiling first and then the bentonite. I have to order rhassoul here and the one I have already isn't pure rhassoul (mixed with herbs and other clays). I have bentonite available here for 1 pound for around $6.00 and this lasts me several months - also I like the fact that it is mined here in the US. I have never even been to Morocco - so it makes sense to me that my hair would prefer something that came from here... but that is just my theory. :D

[Annalouise]

Ratgirl, you should try mixing the bentonite clay with aloe vera juice and maybe...some herbal tea, or not, or some acv, or not. See if that works as well as the FOTE.

I'm going to try the above when I get some aloe vera juice.

They say the static will go away after the hair adjusts to the clay but I don't know... I have yet to use clay for a prolonged period.

[ratgirldjh]

Ratgirl, you should try mixing the bentonite clay with aloe vera juice and maybe...some herbal tea, or not, or some acv, or not. See if that works as well as the FOTE.

I'm going to try the above when I get some aloe vera juice.

They say the static will go away after the hair adjusts to the clay but I don't know... I have yet to use clay for a prolonged period.

I've mixed it with aloe vera juice and didn't like the results very much. Actually my hair doesn't really care for aloe vera juice for some reason! It just makes it very flat and sort of stuck to my head - maybe over conditoned? But the aloe vera juice I have has citric acid in it for a stabilizer.

I've also mixed it with fresh aloe vera gel from our plants and it left my hair sticky and weird, sort of plasticy feeling. Actually the juice did that too.

My hair feels best when I just use clay and water and then an ACV rinse (tried mixing the ACV in the clay and no go)... and then a tiny drop of oil rubbed in or the FOTE...

I know the FOTE is not good but it must be glueing my hair to my scalp because I lose almost no hairs when I use it!!! :cheese: But I'm going to experiment with just using the clay and then the ACV rinse and a drop of oil after... my hair is definitely not as static as it used to be when I would first do clay washes - it does seem to get used to it :pumpkin: I've been experimenting with clay washes for a few years now and have come to prefer them to soap. The pH of bentonite is like 9.5 or something (close to baking soda or soap) btw so an acid rinse or mixing with something acidic is good. I think the pH of rhassoul is around 7.5.

Oh and I also have tried mixing the clay with aloe vera drinkable gel and it worked better than the juice for me - but the aloe vera drinkable gel has carrageen in it and it built up faster than the fote even for my hair!!!

[Sillage]

Me too Spidermom. Just doing a rhassoul clay face mask makes me worried :(

[Naiadryade]

I just started using bentonite clay two nights ago--I've only done it once since my hair doesn't like to be washed too often. It seems to like it!!

I'm thinking of mixing stuff into it in the future... definitely going to try ACV. When you mix aloe juice in with it, does the aloe leave a coating?

[Annalouise]

I haven't used it with aloe vera juice yet. I start today. :)

[ratgirldjh]

I just started using bentonite clay two nights ago--I've only done it once since my hair doesn't like to be washed too often. It seems to like it!!

I'm thinking of mixing stuff into it in the future... definitely going to try ACV. When you mix aloe juice in with it, does the aloe leave a coating?

The aloe juice didn't leave a coating for me but it left my hair feeling plasticy or doll-like. My hair didn't like it. But I've read it works great for a lot of people.

I tried washing with the bentonite and then doing an ACV rinse and then a catnip soak yesterday and it seems to have worked better than anything I've tried yet!!! I used to do this and forgot about it when it got too cold to have wet catnip on my head.

You might try adding a touch of oil to your mix or rinsing with ACV (if you use the aloe juice that has citric acid it is already acidic and you don't need to use the ACV). The bentonite pH is 9.5 and that is why an acidic ingredient helps with your hair feeling smooth.

I had better luck using the ACV or aloe vera gel/juice after the washing because for me (and our water) the clay doesn't completely come out of my hair with water (but is better when mixed with an acidic component) and i need the acid rinse to make my hair feel clean and remove the clay 'residue' or whatever it is... :shrug:

eta: the aloe juice on it's own seems pretty cleansing to me maybe this is why i didn't like it mixed with clay?

[ktani]

The clay coats your hair with minerals, calcium and magnesium. They can be removed somewhat with vinegar well diluted depending on the amount in the clay.

It can make hair look fuller because it can be drying.

Calcium bentonite is considered mildly abrasive. Most if not all clays are abrasive. I would be careful with it on hair. Clay is absorbent.

It is not my choice for a cleanser but I wish you well with it whoever does use it.

http://www.naturalrussia.com/natural/CaBen500.html

http://www.betabentonit.com.tr/eng/haber_oku.asp?haber=5

http://whitemudresources.com/public/Hayn%20Murray%20Clays%20Case%20Study.pdf

ETA: Clays are alkaline. I think using an acidic rinse afterward is important to close cuticles, remove mineral deposits and help prevent tangling which stresses hair. And as a correction - all clays are abrasive, some more than others.

ETA:2 Industrial MSDS sheet
http://www.cleartech.ca/msds/bent-03-22-2007.pdf
"Carcinogenicity......……......………....Inhaled crystalline silica is classified as carcinogenic to humans by IARC,
ACGIH and NTP. Bentonite is not listed as a carcinogen by IARC, ACGIH,
OSHA and NTP."

Some bentonite clays can be coated. The silica content is what you have to pay attention to - it is carinogenic, not the bentonite.

ETA:3 http://utweb.ut.edu/chemicalsafety/files/Download/NIOSH%20CARCINOGEN%20LIST%20v1.pdf

Hope this helps.

[Annalouise]

Hi Ktani, :) true, we are not washing our hair with crystaline silica and I don't see a problem with bentonite clay use either. And it has a zero negative ecological impact.:D Which is awesome for mother nature.:cheese:


If anyone is worried about crystaline silica and wants to read Osha's statement on crystaline silica and its industrial uses and where workers come into contact with it you can read it here:
http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/crystalline-factsheet.pdf

[ktani]

Hi Ktani, :) true, we are not washing our hair with crystaline silica and I don't see a problem with bentonite clay use either. And it has a zero negative ecological impact.:D Which is awesome for mother nature.:cheese:


If anyone is worried about crystaline silica and wants to read Osha's statement on crystaline silica and its industrial uses and where workers come into contact with it you can read it here:
http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/crystalline-factsheet.pdf

That is not what I meant. Yes you are not washing your hair with silica but the content in bentonite clay can still be hazardous if breathed in depending on the clay. Bentonite clay is still abrasive.

[ratgirldjh]

That is not what I meant. Yes you are not washing your hair with silica but the content in bentonite clay can still be hazardous if breathed in depending on the clay. Bentonite clay is still abrasive.

This is why I hydrate my clay first. Then it is already wet so I don't have to mix it every time and I am very cautious not to breathe in the dust. Really though I don't get much dust since I just dump some in a jar carefully, add water and close the jar and shake it and leave it alone.

And yes I have always done an ACV rinse after clay because of the coating feeling and also because the pH of bentonite is 9.5 so this seemed obvious to me. Mixing it with an acidic substance didn't work as well for me for some reason but it does for others.

I agree that the clay does leave a film on the hair. This is why I am wondering about using catnip over it without an ACV rinse first. I have tried this and my hair came out 'gunky' and I didn't like it.

Catnip alone without an ACV rinse leaves my hair feeling the same way regardless if I have used clay or SLS shampoo before and I always had to do an ACV rinse after the catnip or my scalp and hair would feel tacky the next day even if I rinsed super well - and I do know how to rinse well since I was w/o for months before lol.

So Ktani - do you think that I should do the ACV rinse before the catnip or after? I know catnip is acidic and I really do not want to have to do 2 ACV rinses!!! This time around I did it after the catnip and it seems to be ok. But I don't want the catnip clinging to any residue left on my hair by the clay. Sounds like 2 ACV rinses might be in order - what do you think? Do you think an ACV rinse at the end would take off the residue from the clay and the catnip???

Oh and I usually do sort of a 'catnip' wash before the soak meaning I pour catnip through my hair and scalp and scrub and keep doing this until it is saturated then put on the plastic bags and do the soak then after I rinse out the catnip I use the ACV rinse and rinse again with warm and cool water.

[ktani]

This is why I hydrate my clay first. Then it is already wet so I don't have to mix it every time and I am very cautious not to breathe in the dust. Really though I don't get much dust since I just dump some in a jar carefully, add water and close the jar and shake it and leave it alone.

And yes I have always done an ACV rinse after clay because of the coating feeling and also because the pH of bentonite is 9.5 so this seemed obvious to me. Mixing it with an acidic substance didn't work as well for me for some reason but it does for others.

I agree that the clay does leave a film on the hair. This is why I am wondering about using catnip over it without an ACV rinse first. I have tried this and my hair came out 'gunky' and I didn't like it.

Catnip alone without an ACV rinse leaves my hair feeling the same way regardless if I have used clay or SLS shampoo before and I always had to do an ACV rinse after the catnip or my scalp and hair would feel tacky the next day even if I rinsed super well - and I do know how to rinse well since I was w/o for months before lol.

So Ktani - do you think that I should do the ACV rinse before the catnip or after? I know catnip is acidic and I really do not want to have to do 2 ACV rinses!!! This time around I did it after the catnip and it seems to be ok. But I don't want the catnip clinging to any residue left on my hair by the clay. Sounds like 2 ACV rinses might be in order - what do you think? Do you think an ACV rinse at the end would take off the residue from the clay and the catnip???

Oh and I usually do sort of a 'catnip' wash before the soak meaning I pour catnip through my hair and scalp and scrub and keep doing this until it is saturated then put on the plastic bags and do the soak then after I rinse out the catnip I use the ACV rinse and rinse again with warm and cool water.

Not all bentonite clays have higher amounts of silica. I was just pointing out to avoid the ones that may, by watching for percentages, and what you are doing sounds reasonable to avoid breathing clay dust.

Catnip coats hair somewhat depending how long you steep it - the longer you steep it - the more coating released. That is why I steep mine under 5 hours. I want some coating but not too much. Catnip is not as acidic as diluted vinegar.

I suggest one vinegar rinse right after the clay to close cuticles and remove as much of the calcium and magnesium coating possible and perhaps steep your catnip less time. I use no rinse following catnip except water. My hair is tangle free.

[ratgirldjh]

Not all bentonite clays have higher amounts of silica. I was just pointing out to avoid the ones that may, by watching for percentages, and what you are doing sounds reasonable to avoid breathing clay dust.

Catnip coats hair somewhat depending how long you steep it - the longer you steep it - the more coating released. That is why I steep mine under 5 hours. I want some coating but not too much. Catnip is not as acidic as diluted vinegar.

I suggest one vinegar rinse right after the clay to close cuticles and remove as much of the calcium and magnesium coating possible and perhaps steep your catnip less time. I use no rinse following catnip except water. My hair is tangle free.

I think I know what you are talking about with bentonite clays with higher amounts of silica. We have in our barn some 'industrial bentonite' and it is a totally different thing! We use it for cleaning up oil spills, or things that need to be soaked up and also for fleas in the yard (you spread it on with a spreader right before it rains or water it after - it works by drying them out I think lol).

Anyway this clay is very, very dusty and once I brought some in to use as cat litter and my cats had dust all over their feet and I stopped using it once I saw this. We have both granulated and powdered and even the powder is very dusty compared to my edible calcium bentonite. This is probably the silica you are talking about! Because it even looks vaguely shiny if you get close to it once it settles. I can certainly see how that clay is not good to breathe in!!! When they spread it in the yard they have to wear masks because it just floats in the air! The bentonite I have even though it is a powder is 'heavier' or something - it doesn't have dust really unless I try real hard to create some :D

I will try the vinegar rinse after the clay and then do the catnip. Do you think this would close the cuticle too much to benefit from catnip? Is you hair still shiny after rinsing out the catnip? Mine seems dull usually til I do a vinegar rinse. Seems my hair drinks up catnip and doesn't want to let go of it!!! ;)

[Annalouise]

Ratgirl, I think you are right about industrial bentonite versus the kind we buy for beauty uses.

I did another bentontie wash but it feels like it is not rinsing out. And I did an acv rinse also. I think I'll do another rinse today and see if it feels better.

But a bentonite clay face mask made my skin really nice!

[ktani]

I think I know what you are talking about with bentonite clays with higher amounts of silica. We have in our barn some 'industrial bentonite' and it is a totally different thing! We use it for cleaning up oil spills, or things that need to be soaked up and also for fleas in the yard (you spread it on with a spreader right before it rains or water it after - it works by drying them out I think lol).

Anyway this clay is very, very dusty and once I brought some in to use as cat litter and my cats had dust all over their feet and I stopped using it once I saw this. We have both granulated and powdered and even the powder is very dusty compared to my edible calcium bentonite. This is probably the silica you are talking about! Because it even looks vaguely shiny if you get close to it once it settles. I can certainly see how that clay is not good to breathe in!!! When they spread it in the yard they have to wear masks because it just floats in the air! The bentonite I have even though it is a powder is 'heavier' or something - it doesn't have dust really unless I try real hard to create some :D

I will try the vinegar rinse after the clay and then do the catnip. Do you think this would close the cuticle too much to benefit from catnip? Is you hair still shiny after rinsing out the catnip? Mine seems dull usually til I do a vinegar rinse. Seems my hair drinks up catnip and doesn't want to let go of it!!! ;)

Clay and salt and bentonite are all discussed here in detail. In some cases as I mentioned, clays are coated. The dust is not just silica.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=8437.

I bag my hair for my catnip treatment and body heat makes a difference in results for me. Yes, my hair is shiny after using catnip.

[ratgirldjh]

Ratgirl, I think you are right about industrial bentonite versus the kind we buy for beauty uses.

I did another bentontie wash but it feels like it is not rinsing out. And I did an acv rinse also. I think I'll do another rinse today and see if it feels better.

But a bentonite clay face mask made my skin really nice!

I just wanted to say that the rinsing out thing is the reason I usually prefer the auryvedic mud bath. It rinses very clean and the clays are at the bottom of the list of ingredients and so it is mostly plants. I also pH tested it and the pH on a liquidy solution is 6.25 and this seems a good pH for me.

It doesn't seem to build up on me - and I don't use an ACV rinse after it usually, but I have - but it gets my scalp way cleaner than bentonite and it seems more gentle - probably because of the pH and the small amount of clays versus plant material - it is more velvety feeling. I have done an ACV rinse after it and it either didn't seem to make a difference - just as clean - or it made my hair drier. So usually I do not do one.

It doesn't leave my hair with hardly any static and it only requires a drop or two of oil after fully dry.

So for me this is my favorite - I just mess with the bentonite when I run out of this and then start getting all creative :D Sometimes not to my hair's benefit... the bentonite seems to leave my scalp gunky unless I really scrub and leave it on for long periods which dries out my hair... lol :o

Anyway it is this one: And it has no EO's added it is just the plants so the smell is very earthy and not strong IMO anyway:

http://www.auromere.com/Mudbath-16oz_Herbomineral_Mudbath.html

oh and i must add - it has been more than a week since i used the very addicting FOTE aloe gel!!! :cheese:

[ratgirldjh]

Annalouise - Did you get your Terresentials yet? Or you just going to try and make your own before ordering? I would love to hear your review of the Terresentials!!!

[Annalouise]

Yes I did and its waayyy better than straight bentonite clay. My hair is soft and only a little bit staticy. It rinsed out nicely because it has aloe vera juice in it. Yeah, I'd say it did a pretty darn nice job on my hair... hopefully it will only get better.:)

The auromere stuff looks nice too. I think that they work better because they are a blend of clays. Bentonite by itself is too drying I think. And both the auromere and the terressentials have herbs mixed in to them, probably for conditioning benefits.

Yay!:) If you are happy with auromere then stay with it, but I do recommend the terressentials. It is quite lovely! And sooo earthy. It looks like mud in a shampoo bottle!:D I got the fragrance free and it smells like aloe vera juice.

[ratgirldjh]

Yes I did and its waayyy better than straight bentonite clay. My hair is soft and only a little bit staticy. It rinsed out nicely because it has aloe vera juice in it. Yeah, I'd say it did a pretty darn nice job on my hair... hopefully it will only get better.:)

The auromere stuff looks nice too. I think that they work better because they are a blend of clays. Bentonite by itself is too drying I think. And both the auromere and the terressentials have herbs mixed in to them, probably for conditioning benefits.

Yay!:) If you are happy with auromere then stay with it, but I do recommend the terressentials. It is quite lovely! And sooo earthy. It looks like mud in a shampoo bottle!:D I got the fragrance free and it smells like aloe vera juice.

YAY! :cheese: Yes I agree - but the bentonite for me doesn't really dry out my hair but it leaves my scalp gunky unless I do a pack and let it sit and then do an ACV rinse and then my hair is staticky. With the aloe vera it cleaned better but then it made my hair stick flat to my head! :confused:

This other clay mix seems to rinse out better and I can just do a scalp wash with it by making it runing and dipping my fingers into the runny clay and apply it to my scalp with my hair dry. (like I'm oiling my hair). Then when I rinse it out enough goes through to my length that unless they are very oily or dirty I don't have to concentrate on them I just kind of wipe my hands on them and squeeze it through a bit before rinsing.

How did you use the Terresentials? With bentonite I have to get my hair wet and use more and I must do an ACV rinse and even lately the ACV rinse hasn't been completely eliminating the gunk. I was glad when I got my Auromere clay in!!! I've used this clay for quite a while on and off and always experiment with bentonite alone when I run out of it and pretty much always go back to the Auromere... sigh. I WANTED TO MAKE MY OWN :p:mad: but guess these people know what they are doing! grrr ;)

Maybe one day I will order the Terresentials (if i didn't have to order it i wouldn't be as inclined to wait lol) but right now I like this one (and I know it works and I'm not allergic to it lol)... Also it costs less than $20 for a pound and it lasts me a VERY long time!!! Plus I use it on my face and body too.

Keep me posted on the Terresentials. It is always fun to try new things esp. that are all natural and have nothing I might be sensitive to in them :D

[Naiadryade]

I just wanted to say that the rinsing out thing is the reason I usually prefer the auryvedic mud bath. It rinses very clean and the clays are at the bottom of the list of ingredients and so it is mostly plants. I also pH tested it and the pH on a liquidy solution is 6.25 and this seems a good pH for me.

[...]

Anyway it is this one: And it has no EO's added it is just the plants so the smell is very earthy and not strong IMO anyway:

http://www.auromere.com/Mudbath-16oz_Herbomineral_Mudbath.html

oh and i must add - it has been more than a week since i used the very addicting FOTE aloe gel!!! :cheese:

Congratulations on being one week FOTE-free!!

Do you think any of the ingredients in that mud bath coat the hair more than ACV can get off, for use pre-catnip? It sounds great, but I don't know what most of those ingredients are... Other than that sometimes I eat Galangal in curry! Ktani, do you know?

I'm going to continue trying the bentonite for now, but if it ends up not working out quite right it sounds like the Auromere mud or the Terresentials might be good to try! Thanks folks! :flower:

[Annalouise]

Ratgirl, the terressentials comes in a bottle and it has the consistency of thick mud. So I rub about 2 tbsp on my hands and distribute it through my wet hair and scalp and then rinse.
In the beginning you are supposed to repeat this process several times 2-3 per wash, until you get all the gunk off the hair that has built up on it from conventional shampoos and conditioners like polymers and synthetic proteins. They say the hair will feel dry and sticky or heavy until such things are removed from the hair. And hair that has been chemically damaged will NOT be able to use the clay wash because it will not fill in the cracks of the damaged hair the way the chemical products do. So it is not recommended for people with chemically damaged hair.:) But I know you don't have damaged hair so you'd be fine.

[ratgirldjh]

Congratulations on being one week FOTE-free!!

Do you think any of the ingredients in that mud bath coat the hair more than ACV can get off, for use pre-catnip? It sounds great, but I don't know what most of those ingredients are... Other than that sometimes I eat Galangal in curry! Ktani, do you know?

I'm going to continue trying the bentonite for now, but if it ends up not working out quite right it sounds like the Auromere mud or the Terresentials might be good to try! Thanks folks! :flower:
I think that the ingredients in the mudbath are not coating - but that is my experience. Clay is kind of coating IMO but the ACV helps. And thanks about the FOTE! Seriously, that stuff is addictive!!! I think it is the texture or just the 'clear goo in a bottle' that is so appealing to me! LOL I find regular drinkable gel or 'real' aloe gel much more 'serious' and not as fun... lol

And if you are having good experiences with the bentonite I see no need to change :)

[ratgirldjh]

Ratgirl, the terressentials comes in a bottle and it has the consistency of thick mud. So I rub about 2 tbsp on my hands and distribute it through my wet hair and scalp and then rinse.
In the beginning you are supposed to repeat this process several times 2-3 per wash, until you get all the gunk off the hair that has built up on it from conventional shampoos and conditioners like polymers and synthetic proteins. They say the hair will feel dry and sticky or heavy until such things are removed from the hair. And hair that has been chemically damaged will NOT be able to use the clay wash because it will not fill in the cracks of the damaged hair the way the chemical products do. So it is not recommended for people with chemically damaged hair.:) But I know you don't have damaged hair so you'd be fine.

Sounds like my bentonite mix. Well I agree with the washing several times the first time or daily for a while. Because when I haven't used clay for a while it always takes a few washes - or a clay pack left on for 20 minutes - to get my hair to be happy with clay again.

If you do not do the de-tox you might immediately think that the clay doesn't work well because it does take several washes to get stuff like conditioner, soap, FOTE (lol), and other things completely out of your hair. When I was using the FOTE I would have to leave the clay on my hair longer sometimes just to get the residue out.

Maybe someday soon I will order it - or just get some aloe juice and try to make my bentonite mix again. The one I have now is water and bentonite but you definitely need an ACV rinse with it.

Right now I'm happy with the mudbath because I can just mix it up and use it and it just takes a few minute and then my scalp and hair are clean for like a week! And I don't need the ACV rinse which I think both dries out the ends of my hair and perhaps also builds up a little (because when I used even a weak ACV rinse on my white chihuahua his fur turns yellowish over time). I put a few drops of oil in my hair sometimes at night and brush it through with my BBB, and when it is finally dirty do it again... But then again I always do a sort of 'de-tox' when I first start clay washing after using anything else... and I get static, grungy scalp, crispy ends, etc. until I get all the gunk off my hair and then finally - it is great!
:)

eta: after you do this for a while (a few weeks or so) even if you stop and use something else your hair will remember the clay washes and not act up as bad as the first time - providing you mostly use soap and oils, etc. and not things that get built up badly. :D it is kind of weird how over the years slowly clay has become my favorite way to wash my hair. i tried it years ago for the first time and used it for a while and then always cave and try something else... but eventually when nothing else really works and I've run out of things to try that i am not allergic to - I go back to clay. :magic:

Annalouise - thanks for saying I don't have damaged hair! I hope you are right! :) It sure is thick! I think the clay makes your hair thick if you keep using it!

[Annalouise]

Ratgirl,
Exactly. It takes time to remove the buildup on the hair. I noticed that my hair nearest the scalp is already detoxed and the ends which have more buildup are taking longer to respond. My hair on my head is super soft. The terressentials instructions (2 pages long...lol) say also that if you put it on your hair and sit in the sun it will absorb more of the buildup. Gosh, when is the last time you bought a shampoo that had 2 pages of instructions! haha:p:D That is funny. My husband said: 'What is that?' pointing to the page of instructions on the sofa and I said 'oh, thats my shampoo instructions'...he just did one of these..:rolleyes: I said "DO YA WANT TO READ IT?" lol:p That is funny.

[ratgirldjh]

Ratgirl,
Exactly. It takes time to remove the buildup on the hair. I noticed that my hair nearest the scalp is already detoxed and the ends which have more buildup are taking longer to respond. My hair on my head is super soft. The terressentials instructions (2 pages long...lol) say also that if you put it on your hair and sit in the sun it will absorb more of the buildup. Gosh, when is the last time you bought a shampoo that had 2 pages of instructions! haha:p:D That is funny. My husband said: 'What is that?' pointing to the page of instructions on the sofa and I said 'oh, thats my shampoo instructions'...he just did one of these..:rolleyes: I said "DO YA WANT TO READ IT?" lol:p That is funny.

LOL
Well I'm sure they get a lot of people who just try it once and give up! Really, even when de-toxed I don't think clay washed hair feels exactly the same as hair washed with shampoo and conditioner.

I've seen reviews where people said this looks and feels like mud!!! They obviously didn't read the ingredients or the instructions! :p

My bf has used bentonite in the past once or twice a few years ago when I was first experimenting with it on my hair. We had always used it for face masks and he saw me doing a 'hair mask' and wanted to do one because his scalp was itchy. He took a BIG glob and scrubbed it all over his hair!!! He wouldn't listen when I kept telling him to stop and to just smoosh it on and either wash it off or put a bag on your head for a while.

His hair was a big brillo pad after!!! :D He was like this stuff is horrible! How can you do this to your hair :eyebrows:

[Annalouise]

LOL
Well I'm sure they get a lot of people who just try it once and give up! Really, even when de-toxed I don't think clay washed hair feels exactly the same as hair washed with shampoo and conditioner.

I've seen reviews where people said this looks and feels like mud!!! They obviously didn't read the ingredients or the instructions! :p

My bf has used bentonite in the past once or twice a few years ago when I was first experimenting with it on my hair. We had always used it for face masks and he saw me doing a 'hair mask' and wanted to do one because his scalp was itchy. He took a BIG glob and scrubbed it all over his hair!!! He wouldn't listen when I kept telling him to stop and to just smoosh it on and either wash it off or put a bag on your head for a while.

His hair was a big brillo pad after!!! :D He was like this stuff is horrible! How can you do this to your hair :eyebrows:

Men are funny..:D They have no idea how funny they are! They think we are weird but they are the weird ones!:p At least yours put it on his hair. I don't know what I would have to do to get my husband to wash his hair with clay??

Yes, I am sure most people give up. In fact, its quite funny, on the terressentials website it says: something to the effect of: 'if you're going to just order a small bottle and then wash your hair once or twice and then say it doesn't work and give up - then DONT EVEN BOTHER!!! LOL:D

How funny is that?! don't even bother buying our shampoo!
Oh I gotta love those people. I wonder how many men buy their shampoo? Hmmm...

[ratgirldjh]

Men are funny..:D They have no idea how funny they are! They think we are weird but they are the weird ones!:p At least yours put it on his hair. I don't know what I would have to do to get my husband to wash his hair with clay??

Yes, I am sure most people give up. In fact, its quite funny, on the terressentials website it says: something to the effect of: 'if you're going to just order a small bottle and then wash your hair once or twice and then say it doesn't work and give up - then DONT EVEN BOTHER!!! LOL:D

How funny is that?! don't even bother buying our shampoo!
Oh I gotta love those people. I wonder how many men buy their shampoo? Hmmm...

I agree men are funny!

You can imagine how shocked I was when dbf wanted to try it :D But we were doing face masks too which he loves because he gets blackheads and it sucks them out (lol)... and he was like - this stuff rocks! wow - you can use it on hair too? Give me some!!! :D :D :D

I think so many people give up too early because you have to grow accustomed both to using it and to how your hair feels. It has taken me several years actually to realize I prefer the clay washed hair feeling! It happened slowly over time. I would use the clay to clarify and a couple of times didn't have time to use my 'normal' washing method of soap/ACV after - and my hair felt and looked great! But like I said - it grew on me and I can tell my hair thrives on it.

It helps that I don't have as many things to choose from as someone who can use fragrance oils, glycerine, etc... I'm sure :o

[Annalouise]

Seriously, this is a marketing strategy I never dreamed of. "get outa here! You're a loser! You'll never be able to successfully use our products! Take your money some place else!":D hahahahah

This is RICH! I love these people. I want to marry them!:D

[ratgirldjh]

Seriously, this is a marketing strategy I never dreamed of. "get outa here! You're a loser! You'll never be able to successfully use our products! Take your money some place else!":D hahahahah

This is RICH! I love these people. I want to marry them!:D

LOL
The problem is most people don't bother reading stuff! One of my sisters is allergic to lots of things like me and she just blindly keeps buying stuff and being allergic to it! I try to tell her the things she should probably look out for since I have this problem too, but she just can't be bothered to even remember things of this nature. She just looks at the front of the product and what it says in big letters!!! I should buy her some of this as a gift LOL I would love to see her reaction :eek:

But I do agree if people who understand what this is and are into natural methods that this probably does get them to try it! It seems like a challenge! ;) Also it gets people to buy the bigger bottles :cool:

[Annalouise]

LOL
The problem is most people don't bother reading stuff! One of my sisters is allergic to lots of things like me and she just blindly keeps buying stuff and being allergic to it! I try to tell her the things she should probably look out for since I have this problem too, but she just can't be bothered to even remember things of this nature. She just looks at the front of the product and what it says in big letters!!! I should buy her some of this as a gift LOL I would love to see her reaction :eek:

But I do agree if people who understand what this is and are into natural methods that this probably does get them to try it! It seems like a challenge! ;) Also it gets people to buy the bigger bottles :cool:

I don't think my hair has as much build up as most people's (average person who uses mouse, gels and hair sprays). After a few days I would say my hair is normal, except for the static. I used shea butter on my hair last night and it seems to have taken care of the static.
I don't think the average person, like your sister or my sister, would take well to this product. You sortof have to be committed to being natural. Not that it won't work for them, it will work, but they will want the fragrance and the foaming cleansers. And modern shampoos are formulated to reduce static.
I will be interested to give this shampoo to people as a gift to see if I can get them hooked.;)

I can't handle fragrance. I went out shopping yesterday and couldn't breathe. I'm so happy to be home and away from all chemical fragrances.:)

[Naiadryade]

Okay, so yesterday I heavily oiled my hair with olive oil, because I'm in love with what it's been doing to my hair. I left it in for 4 or 5 hours, and then took a shower. I washed my hair with Bentonite clay with a little ACV in it: 2 tbsp dry clay, 7 tbsp water, 1 tsp ACV. I let it sit on my hair for about 5 minutes before rinsing it out with water, and then a dilute ACV rinse. I wasn't sure if all the oil was off, but I didn't have any more clay in the shower so I went with it and soaked my hair in catnip tea (steeped 4.5 h). I left that bagged for about 2 hours and then rinsed my hair well (as if it were a WO wash). Finished with cold water and done.

Well, when my hair dried I found that much of the olive oil is still there. Maybe I should have washed twice? Maybe it's because I mixed the ACV in with the clay? I'm going to wash again later today with straight clay, and make enough to wash twice if I need to. I hope that works... if it doesn't, I think I'll have to move on to something else. I LOVE what olive oil does to my hair, but I need to be able to remove it to do the catnip treatments (and not look like a greaseball). I'll probably try one of those two muds, or maybe Shikakai...

I'll let you all know how the wash goes today!

[Annalouise]

Okay, so yesterday I heavily oiled my hair with olive oil, because I'm in love with what it's been doing to my hair. I left it in for 4 or 5 hours, and then took a shower. I washed my hair with Bentonite clay with a little ACV in it: 2 tbsp dry clay, 7 tbsp water, 1 tsp ACV. I let it sit on my hair for about 5 minutes before rinsing it out with water, and then a dilute ACV rinse. I wasn't sure if all the oil was off, but I didn't have any more clay in the shower so I went with it and soaked my hair in catnip tea (steeped 4.5 h). I left that bagged for about 2 hours and then rinsed my hair well (as if it were a WO wash). Finished with cold water and done.

Well, when my hair dried I found that much of the olive oil is still there. Maybe I should have washed twice? Maybe it's because I mixed the ACV in with the clay? I'm going to wash again later today with straight clay, and make enough to wash twice if I need to. I hope that works... if it doesn't, I think I'll have to move on to something else. I LOVE what olive oil does to my hair, but I need to be able to remove it to do the catnip treatments (and not look like a greaseball). I'll probably try one of those two muds, or maybe Shikakai...

I'll let you all know how the wash goes today!

Hi Naiadryade:)
Typically, people who soak their hair in oils, use a soap/detergent to remove the oil. It is very hard to get a lot of oil out of the hair with herbs or clays. It would be like washing greasy dishes without any dishsoap. Soap cuts through the oil whereas the clay or the herb will not perform in the same way.

Considering I am using clay to wash my hair I only use a very small amount of oil (shea butter in my case). I just put a tiny bit on my fingers and run my fingers along the top strands that are dry or tangly. I don't put it through all my hair. :o Otherwise.... you'll be reaching for the soap to try and get all the oil off your hair.:(

[ratgirldjh]

Okay, so yesterday I heavily oiled my hair with olive oil, because I'm in love with what it's been doing to my hair. I left it in for 4 or 5 hours, and then took a shower. I washed my hair with Bentonite clay with a little ACV in it: 2 tbsp dry clay, 7 tbsp water, 1 tsp ACV. I let it sit on my hair for about 5 minutes before rinsing it out with water, and then a dilute ACV rinse. I wasn't sure if all the oil was off, but I didn't have any more clay in the shower so I went with it and soaked my hair in catnip tea (steeped 4.5 h). I left that bagged for about 2 hours and then rinsed my hair well (as if it were a WO wash). Finished with cold water and done.

Well, when my hair dried I found that much of the olive oil is still there. Maybe I should have washed twice? Maybe it's because I mixed the ACV in with the clay? I'm going to wash again later today with straight clay, and make enough to wash twice if I need to. I hope that works... if it doesn't, I think I'll have to move on to something else. I LOVE what olive oil does to my hair, but I need to be able to remove it to do the catnip treatments (and not look like a greaseball). I'll probably try one of those two muds, or maybe Shikakai...

I'll let you all know how the wash goes today!

I found that catnip washes removed a very weak oiling! I would just pour the catnip through my wet hair a few times until it was all soaked in and scrub my scalp and rinse it off very well and then do an ACV rinse. This was just a few drops of oil however and it was coconut/sesame oils.

In the past I tried removing heavy coconut oilings with bentonite and it totally failed for me. However I was doing a clay mask and leaving it for only like 30 minutes. I tried leaving it in for an hour or so and even doing it twice - but it seems to me that clays mostly soak up skin oils leaving the heavier oils behind. I ended up rinsing with water a lot of times over the next couple of days to get out the oil.

However I have found that bentonite (or my herbed clay) both will take off a light oiling if I leave the oil overnight and make sure it is very well distributed (like not a lot of oil in one place lol) just a few drops of oil.

To remove the oil I need to have use the clay more like shampoo - what works for me is to take some on my fingertips and put it on my scalp as well as I can and rub a little bit (like shampoo) and then do the same to my hair. But it will not take off a lot of oil in my experience.

I think that if you are going to do heavy oils you will need to use something like gram flour (besan) which takes it out very quickly - and then do the clay after and wash it out quickly.

Just my experiences! Others have said they can get a heavy oiling out with rhassoul but I have only tried it with bentonite and my clay/herb mixture - rhassoul was too drying for my hair and I have never tried it since long ago.

eta: geez i'm rambling! but i forgot to say that you might try putting the bentonite powder on your oily hair dry and then massaging it in very well and then rinsing it out. i've been going to try this but have not yet :D

[Naiadryade]

Okay, so I let that extra oil sit on my hair for a few days... mostly because I'm lazy and don't really care what I look like! And I'm just in the habit of not bathing very often... :silly: My hair looked oily but felt very soft and was a breeze to detangle during this time.

Today I mixed 1/4 cup of bentonite clay, 1/2 tsp of table salt, and 3/4 cup of water. I let that sit in the fridge for a few hours, and then I showered: wet, clay, let sit for 10 minutes, rinse, ACV, clay, rinse immediately, ACV, cold water.

It got the oil out of my hair! My hair feels clean, soft, and not oily but not dry either. I am back in love with clay. :crush: I was ready to order the Terresentials if this didn't work, but I'm delighted to continue this simple routine for now! I think the trick is: don't oil quite as heavily as I did, let it soak in at least overnight if not longer before attempting to wash it out, and then wash twice in a row--and I'm not sure how important the salt was, more experimenting will tell.

ETA: ratgirldjh, how much salt do you add to how much clay?

[ratgirldjh]

Okay, so I let that extra oil sit on my hair for a few days... mostly because I'm lazy and don't really care what I look like! And I'm just in the habit of not bathing very often... :silly: My hair looked oily but felt very soft and was a breeze to detangle during this time.

Today I mixed 1/4 cup of bentonite clay, 1/2 tsp of table salt, and 3/4 cup of water. I let that sit in the fridge for a few hours, and then I showered: wet, clay, let sit for 10 minutes, rinse, ACV, clay, rinse immediately, ACV, cold water.

It got the oil out of my hair! My hair feels clean, soft, and not oily but not dry either. I am back in love with clay. :crush: I was ready to order the Terresentials if this didn't work, but I'm delighted to continue this simple routine for now! I think the trick is: don't oil quite as heavily as I did, let it soak in at least overnight if not longer before attempting to wash it out, and then wash twice in a row--and I'm not sure how important the salt was, more experimenting will tell.

ETA: ratgirldjh, how much salt do you add to how much clay?

I use about 3 tablespoons of clay and add about a teaspoon of sea salt. Sometimes I will add less sea salt - but for me I can really tell the difference when I leave it out. I've never used regular table salt. So anywhere from about 1/4 a teaspoon to 1 teaspoon. I've even used more on occasion with no harm to my hair. The sea salt seems to help the cleansing and rinsing out and leaves my hair softer than without IMO. It also seems to make it easier to get the clumps out of the clay for some reason.

And yes, the bentonite will remove a little bit of oil and it definitely helps to let the oil sit on your hair as long as you can.

If you just do light oilings you do not need to let the clay sit on your hair for long - just long enough to scrub your scalp and work it through your hair.

[cooklaezo13]

I was just wondering, how do you mix the clay to get it to be smooth, without major clumps? I've been struggling with this because I like to wash with clay, but don't like picking the clumps out of the drain afterwards.

[StubbornLocks]

Funny thing - my box of clay says: use six full tablespoons(!) for washing you hair. I normally use one teaspoon and it is more than enough. If I used six tablespoons my hair would be a dried, tangled mess. For me a little goes a long way!
Anyone has the same experience?

[ratgirldjh]

I was just wondering, how do you mix the clay to get it to be smooth, without major clumps? I've been struggling with this because I like to wash with clay, but don't like picking the clumps out of the drain afterwards.

I find that if I add even a tiny bit of sea salt that the clay mixes much easier. Other than I also like to pre-hydrate my clay before using by putting some clay and water into a jar and shaking it well and then letting it sit for a while then shake again. Eventually it becomes sort of like a clay 'gel' and is easier to use for me in this form.

[cooklaezo13]

I've been using Indian herbs, shikakai and amla, in my clay mix and I love it. They seem to make my hair more wavy and bouncy. Shiny, too, and they help the clay rinse out easier.

[ratgirldjh]

Anyone still using bentonite washes? I still use them. I use hydrated clay these days and a lime juice/water rinse and the most important for my hair: a rinse with my reverse osmosis water at the end. SHINY HAIR!!!

[Tootsie]

I tried the terressentials a few years ago and could not get my hair to get past thei crispy detox phase. I was a long time Wen user but had to use flatirons in order to get rid of the frizz. I was turned on to Morrocco Method, all raw, vegan, and natural, and have never left. It is very similar to terressentials but for my hair so much better. For the first time in my life I have soft healthy hair and no longer use any heat styling. It did take a few weeks to get past the detox phase but totally worth it! The website is
https://www.morroccomethod.com/.