Stretching washes- ergh

**WaitingSoLong** · September 19th, 2012, 07:48 PM

Ok. I am trying to go from twice a week to once a week. I have been at it a few weeks, no matter how greasy or sebum-smelly it gets, I wait...once a week.

I have done a forums search and then google because our site search feature is not always helpful. I have seen sebum smell discussions and greasiness discussions and reasons to stretch, etc.

What I want to know is if there is any real data out there that sebum production will decline with patience.

I am not stretching washes for any noble reason. I am doing it because I hate washing my hair. Correction: I hate detangling my hair after a wash. I always seem to lose an insane amount of hair and it takes me a half hour at least to detangle and i get breakage. It is crazy. And yes, I dislike the damage, too. SO I stretched, sort of inadvertantly, but then I decided to just go with once a week to start.

I am one who hates sebum smell. I can smell it on myself. I can smell it on others as little as a day since they have washed their head.

The good thing is what my hair doesn't appear greasy. It feels greasy, behaves greasy (gets piecey and stiff) but, to others and myself int he mirror, it doesn't look greasy.

But I cannot stand sebum smell.

I can put some lovely smelling oils on it (my scalp) but it just adds to the grease issue.

Is there some kind of fragrance I can use that is hair safe but not oil? I am half tempted to spray perfume on my head but I am sure the alcohols in perfume are likely bad.

**ellen732** · September 19th, 2012, 08:17 PM

How about trying a dry shampoo in between? It would soak up a bit of the oils and may leave your hair refreshed.

**gthlvrmx** · September 19th, 2012, 08:20 PM

It took me about a month before my hair stopped looking greasy and lost the bad smell. So just hang on for a little while longer and see what happens, it should get better. I noticed if i use shampoo at ANY time, my hair gets greasier faster and it smells faster. When i shampooed (and only shampoo), my hair smelled after 2 days usually. Now, i start smelling a little bit by the 5-6th day but it doesnt compare to how i smelled when i shampooed for often. I do cowash now so thats been a major difference. For some reason my hair doesnt smell as bad with cowashing(lhc style, not my style i thought was the right way...i was doing it wrong XD)

But i dont usually smell that bad. Sometimes it does stink up more, but i think its from when its hotter and i sweat more. But so far its been fine.
i dont think id smell as nice or my hair would look as nice if i used shampoo. but some people prefer it and their hair works with that.

For the smell, well im not so sure. Everytime i scritched with my moms horn comb, it didnt smell as bad anymore. maybe that could help? i GUESS.

**Wildcat Diva** · September 19th, 2012, 08:47 PM

What about a rose water spray? Or a rooibos tea spray to cut the sebum?

**GALISH** · September 19th, 2012, 09:02 PM

Don't remember where I read that the smell of sebum depends on what you eat...

**ravenreed** · September 19th, 2012, 10:06 PM

My hair is more smelly when I shampoo versus when I CO. It is one reason I switched. I use rosewater quite often in my hair and on my skin. The smell fades pretty quickly so it isn't really good at masking bad smells.

**Shepherdess** · September 19th, 2012, 10:24 PM

Some drops of essential oils in a spray bottle of water work well (essential oils don't make hair oily, they are almost like perfume)! I do this and it is a safe way of making hair smell better!

I have never had trouble with my hair smelling after even over a weak without washing, but I do have trouble with itchiness, although lately I haven't been having as much trouble, so I am glad.

**teal** · September 19th, 2012, 10:26 PM

One thing that helped me stretch washes was to put a WO wash in between washes. I tip my head over, do a scalp massage, rinse, do that thing where you put a bit of hair between flat palms and smooth it from roots toward ends. It seemed to help my scalp figure out how to regulate the sebum when there was still a bit of it around.

Sorry, no advice on the smell. I rather like mine. Oh, maybe I do have an idea: try Pandora's formula? I didn't find that too greasy. It has rose water, coconut oil and some essential oils.

**battles** · September 19th, 2012, 10:29 PM

If I want scent on my hair, I put a very light dab of BPAL on my wrist, rub my wrist with a hand and then run my hands over my hair. It doesn't make my hair oily, but it does make it smell nice.