Either benign neglect OR oiling with more frequent washes

[meteor]

Did any of you guys find yourself facing the same dilemma:
a) either doing light oilings and leave-ins with wonderful LHC-prescribed products like Nightblooming's panacea, OR
b) washing & conditioning and then leaving the hair alone.
The dilemma I see is when I take Route a), my hair needs more frequent washings (which is not very good due to overdrying, detangling issues, etc), and if I take Route b), I can really stretch washes, but I feel bad for not softening my dry hair with oil and/or leave-ins.

Would you rather oil your hair shortly after washing and have to face a new wash sooner? Or not use any leave-ins / oils and therefore stretch washes?

[Amber_Maiden]

I vote less washes.

[Amanah]

I've stretched my washes to twice a week, Sun/Weds.
I oil and do a scalp message before the wash.
and just smear a drop of oil on my hands to lightly oil my hair after the wash.
on days when I'm not washing, I leave my hair alone.

[Zesty]

I do a light oiling of my ends while my hair is damp and then leave it be until the next wash 3-4 days later. For my hair, if I put enough oil/product on that I feel the need to wash my hair sooner, I've done more than my hair needs anyway. But I can't speak to everyone's experience, especially since I don't have particularly dry hair.

[auburntressed]

I like more oiling+more frequent washing because regardless of the state of my hair, my scalp will not tolerate going too long between washes. So I may as well try to give my hair more moisture in the meantime.

[sarelis]

Lol my hair hasn't been washed for 3 weeks & I have oiled it several times! Maybe I'm just gross.....

[Madora]

The only time I use oil is my occasional overnight EVOO treatment. Just began using MO as a detangler after shampooing.

I don't like to put anything on my hair period. Brushing distributes my natural sebum and that's good enough for me. Stretching washes works for me..once a month and I'm good to go.

[gthlvrmx]

i'd stretch the wash, less washes sound great. but i also think its best to use leave in if you dont use oils if you're stretching washes, that way your hair doesnt dry out too much without the moisture from the wash. it depends on your hair though, i live in a drier environment and i need leave in to add slip and keep moisture.

[Kaelee]

More washes. I wash my hair daily, because of my job I kind of have to.

[Othala]

More leave-ins and oils and more frequent washing make my hair and scalp happy.

I did try benign neglect but my hair dried out and my scalp itched like crazy. I need oils and moisture and lots of it every day.

[Anje]

My preference is for few leave-ins. That has about as much to do with my feeling that they make my hair feel coated as it does with wanting to not bother washing as often, though. A tiny dab of oil will usually absorb for me, rather than making me have to wash sooner, though, so I often will apply that.

[Bene]

I do a few drops of oil after a wash, then try to stretch the washes as far in between as possible. So, both?

[torrilin]

Um, neither option.

When I joined LHC, I'd wash perhaps as often as 3 times a week. Mostly it was 2. Sometimes it was once a week, tho that has never been routine. My wash routine isn't a whole lot different now.

I do find I routinely need conditioner as a leave in. I've always stuck to using conditioners that work well when left in, and the longer my hair gets, the more it wants conditioner left in. Some oil can work, but it's very easy to overdo oil on my hair, and conditioner tends to absorb more evenly.

[Tisiloves]

More leave ins/oil, I swim twice a week.

[Mesmerise]

Well, I have realised that I just like washing my hair too much to bother stretching. I used to wash daily (pre LHC) and I managed to stretch to every third day (which I realise is nothing compared to the way some people stretch lol)... but finally settled for washing every two days. I found the third day rather unbearable to be honest.

So what I do is every night before a wash, I do some intensive oiling, and usually put monistat in my bangs area where the hair seems to be thinner. Then on wash day it comes out.

Apart from that I usually leave my hair alone.

I think it maybe depends on how much it bothers you to wash. I like the feeling of freshly washed hair, so stretching washes just doesn't work for me.

[dollyfish]

I've never really washed my hair very often. My old hair damage was from dye, bleach and heat, not from washing. If anything, I wash more frequently these days, but that means every three days. I rinse with water and scritch whenever I shower, and often follow with an ACV rinse. When I do wash, I use olive oil shampoo, *sometimes* conditioner, and always ACV. So technically I stretch my washes somewhat, but not very much. But to me it feels like I'm a frequent washer now!

[neko_kawaii]

You can't have both? I put a small amount of oil on freshly washed hair and then wash it 3/5 days (which I know isn't much of a stretch).

[lapushka]

I don't see much of a dilemma. You can stretch washes while using leave-ins and oils, just... not much of it. Use a little leave-in after washing, and maybe a couple of drops of oil, and leave it be until the next wash. You don't have to overdo this.

[LaFlor]

I still use oils and try to stretch washes, but I don't apply the oil until right before I wash. If I am going to wash tomorrow night I would load it with oil tomorrow afternoon and let it sit a few hours before I wash.

I have also found that Sweet Almond Oil doesn't travel on my hair as much as coconut oil. If I apply it lightly just to the ends of my hair it softens without messing up my roots too early. I do that when I feel the need for some softness before wash day. So maybe you just need to find a lighter oil and apply lightly?

Just some ideas :blossom:

[catamonica]

I use a spray bottle of olive oil & water. Leave it on for five minutes. I added two capfuls of olive oil to shampoo & conditioner. And Aloe Vera gel to conditioner. All of it makes hair softer.
Use conditioner twice in the shower. Wash once a week. And do one scalp wash. The extra conditoner & oil before shampoo, helps it to be less dry.

[jacqueline101]

I do a weekly washing and daily light oiling.

[lechatn0ir]

I am more into oiling and washing more frequently. Although i don't change my wash days whether or not i oil so why not oil for the moisture? i wash my hair every other day.

[meteor]

Thank you very much for your replies!
I see that most of you don't see (light) application of oil as something that brings the washing day closer.
I notice that my hair can go an extra day or two without a wash if I don't oil simply because oil is phenomenal at attracting dust, lint, and all sorts of grime from the air.
Also I found it interesting that some of you consider washing to be moisturizing. Doesn't the moisturizing effect end as soon as your hair is dry? Sadly my hair tends to dry out after a wash, but does better if I manage to skip a washing day. Anybody else notice this?

[sakuraemily]

I use reetha to wash my hair. Today was a wash day(the last had been monday this week) and as i bent over the sink I noticed reetha black coloured reetha water dripping onto the sink. That was dirt!