Please recommend me a shampoo!

[motu821]

Hello all!

It's almost my 1 year anniversary of deliberately growing my hair! (come September). My hair's health is definitely superior compared to the last time my hair was this long (mid-back), but my hair care routine is by no means perfected.

I have taken care of my horrible long-lasted dandruff by finally giving in to using Selsun Blue...which I've used almost each hair washing for the past couple months now :( I do CWC, but still, it's way too harsh and I shouldn't be using it so frequently.

I've been too busy to research a shampoo to experiment with, but today I remembered about the lovely members of this forum who might have a suggestion!

My main problem is GREASE. Especially acquiring a greasy scalp within just one day! I had a dumb shed early this year that left the front part of my hair ("bangs hair") from my chin up very thinned; this part also gets greasy fast. I'd like a shampoo that won't dry my length and ends. I much prefer sulfate free and considered "natural", or something herbal if anything is strong enough, but for now any kind will do, I'm a little desperate.

I have tried baking soda: my hair hates this stuff!
I've tried soapnuts: works decently only if I'm not using them on a regular basis.

[excentricat]

I alter a gentle shampoo with a harsher one and that seems to keep my dandruff in check. Neither one is specifically a dandruff shampoo, but somehow working together they do what neither one can on its own.

[lmfbs]

Have you tried CO washing? I used to get a really oily scalp, but CO washing allowed me to stretch my washes a bit and balanced my scalp a bit.

Otherwise, what about finding a shampoo that you like and diluting it a little bit more each time you wash to reduce your reliance on it?

[motu821]

Have you tried CO washing? I used to get a really oily scalp, but CO washing allowed me to stretch my washes a bit and balanced my scalp a bit.

Otherwise, what about finding a shampoo that you like and diluting it a little bit more each time you wash to reduce your reliance on it?

For now I should dilute but I will look more into CO washes, thanks!

[motu821]

I alter a gentle shampoo with a harsher one and that seems to keep my dandruff in check. Neither one is specifically a dandruff shampoo, but somehow working together they do what neither one can on its own.

I'm a little scared to stop using the Selsun Blue because of how severe my dandruff was, back then the technique you use wouldn't have worked. Perhaps since my scalp has healed it would work.

[SerinaDaith]

Look into coconut oil for your scalp, while I was researching it there is a lot of stuf about it helping to reduce dandruff, I used it on my DD for cradle cap and on my older DS for his dandruff with great results.

[lmfbs]

You really need to determine if you have dandruff or a dry scalp, because you treat them very differently.

[CurlyCap]

I used to have dry scalp with big flakes when I was in high school. It felt like a catch-22 because shampoo dried my hair terribly, but not washing left my scalp gross.

The answer was to drop the shampoo completely. Use conditioner to "wash" and when you need something stronger, switch to a lighter conditioner. For most people, shampoo is just way too harsh to use frequently.

[akilina]

Look to something to actually moistureize your scalp.
Try Shea Moisture Moisture Retention. It is at Walgreens, and probably some other stores like Target. I truly love this stuff. it leaves my hair feeling so luscious.

[Rufflebutt]

I personally use Tresseme anti-breakage shampoo. It doesn't dry out my scalp in the slightest! In fact I remember the first time I used it, my hair actually felt more moisturized than before. It was like straw turning to silk. :)

From then on, I've been completely converted to tresseme. Love it!

[justgreen]

I've not been a fan of Tresemme for years. But my hairdresser recommended the conditioner of one from the Tresemme lines for 'richness' and I mistakenly got the shampoo. Even put it on my hair thinking I was using conditioner. Once I felt the lather working up I knew my mistake. So I quickly rinsed it off. But it got me to thinking, so the next time I went to dilute some shampoo, I tried it. Even diluted it was still rich and very lathery and gentle. I had also picked up the same conditioner by this time and it's also great. I'm really picky about stuff I use on my hair but I give this one a thumbs up. Tresemme Split Ender. Price is right too. Less than $4 for a litre bottle.

[gillybeanxo3921]

Mane and Tail is pretty good. It doesn't make your hair greasy, but after a while it builds up so you have to use a clarifying shampoo.

Good luck!

[AineMuirne]

I make my own shampoo and use TRESemme smooth and silky conditioner after.

Shampoo recipe: 3 parts castile soap, 1 part coconut milk, a bit of honey. If you find that's too harsh for you, adjust the ratio to have more coconut milk. Idea from here http://www.crunchybetty.com/not-ready-for-no-poo-try-sorta-poo-with-coconut-milk-and-castille

[cuties]

I have dandruff due to dry scalp (which causes greasiness the next day as scalp tries to produce sebum to balance dryness) and this is what has helped me tremendously. For 1 week, every night I put in coconut oil on my scalp and coconut or olive oil on my ends. If coconut does not work, use olive oil and leave it overnight and wash off next morning. In 1 week I saw tremendous difference and I neither have dry scalp nor dry hair.Also, if in order to get oil out, you need to shampoo twice, shampoo twice on scalp only and just once on lengths. This prevented ends from drying. Also I used conditioner every time on length only. You need patience to do this though. Another shampoo I had success with was Home Health Everclean Dandruff Shampoo Unscented. It was not at all drying for my length.

[SpinDance]

You've already got lots of suggestions/ideas so here are mine. :) The question of what is causing your dandruff seems to still be open. Yes, you've got something that is addressing the problem, but it clearly isn't doing everything you want or need. Plus you are generating a lot of sebum/grease. Have you done any testing by diluting the shampoo? That way if you need the active ingredient, you'll still have it on your scalp, but it really doesn't take much shampoo to actually clean the scalp. I tried CO and ended up with my scalp just too greasy. It didn't cut the grease very well for me, even though it was great at taking out heavy oiling with coconut or whatever. So I went back to CWC, only I diluted the shampoo. First a little, then when that was successful, a lot. Gory details in my blog if you care to wade through it.

From what I've read here some folks have found that their products were actually causing the dandruff symptoms. Changing to something different resolved the issue. Some slow testing may be helpful here, as well.