Hey all,
As mentioned in my previous post, I have been shampoo and conditioner free for a few months now. My routine consists of showering about 6X/week with hot water. Every second day I do a apple cider vinegar rinse. I put about a quarter cup of apple cider vinegar in a medium sized water bottle and I fill the rest up with water. I then pour that mix over my hair. My hair maybe slightly smells like vinegar when I get out of the shower but the smell goes away once my hair is dry. Most websites will also recommend using baking soda once in a while. I have always found it a little tough to spread baking soda throughout my hair. If any of you have tips please let me know. I don't find my hair is greasy though so I am not too concerned.
I used to have a really bad scalp. It started when I was 16 or 17 and was terrible when I was 23 and has improved in the last couple of years. Doctors have diagnosed me with different conditions but essentially I had a severe case of seborrheic dermatitis. I had tried several types of shampoo and special creams. Once I stopped using tar shampoos my scalp actually improved. Last time I went to the doctors the doctor gave me a new type of prescription. Luckily I only purchased the shampoo, which on its own was $160. I only used it once.
Anyways, getting back to the no shampoo. Since quitting shampoo and conditioner my seborrheic dermatitis has significantly improved. I would say I just have a little bit of lingering dandruff.... but I no longer have my skin flaking off and my hair falling out.
Other benefits include my hair being more shiny and having more volume. Hairdressers always used to comment on how dry my hair was despite me never using a blow dryer or flat iron.
My hair has always taken forever to grow out. In December, I cut it from armpit length to just above my shoulders (and regretted it immediately). I am anxious to see how fast it will grow now. I got a trim before heading to an interview a couple of weeks ago so I think I'll start tracking my progress from this point on. Right now the longest pieces just hit my shoulders and my layers are just below my ears.
I do not use any product in my hair, no hairspray, heat protector, nothing. I am considering maybe doing a hot oil treatment with coconut oil. I have read that spreading coconut oil through wet hair and then wrapping your hair in a plastic bag for at least 30 minutes and then rinsing (probably with apple cider vinegar) will make it beautiful. Maybe I will try that this weekend and let you know how it goes.
Moral of the story:
- You don't need shampoo. I didn't get into it too much but there are a lot of harmful chemicals in shampoo such as SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate). SLS makes the product foam and is highly irritating and corrosive. It is responsible for much of what we use conditioner to treat: frizzy hair, split ends and tangled hair. SLS is believed to be responsible or an aggravating factor in many female cancers. This is just one chemical. If you are not ready to give up on shampoo, I highly recommend you at least use a SLS free shampoo and conditioner.
Free yourself!
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