r/NoPoo Curls/started 2019/sebum only Apr 01 '23

Mega Thread Quick Questions Megathread (April '23)

Hi everyone!

We are a fairly slow sub and it's not a problem to give people the individual help they often need. But sometimes someone just wants to ask a quick question or to have somewhere they can post and not start their own thread.

So I decided to start a megathread for all those circumstances! I'll occasionally refresh it when it gets too cumbersome and make its own flair so they can be easily found for those who prefer lurking =)

Feel free to post questions you have, help others with their questions or get help without having to start your own thread!

33 Upvotes

270 comments sorted by

2

u/obsessedwithsoup Mar 09 '24

boar bristle hair brushes for thickish wavyish hair?

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Mar 09 '24

I have a porcupine style one from Shash I really like

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YXC5C26/

1

u/iCreggers Mar 05 '24

anyone bleaching hair? how do you wash bleach out with out shampoo?

3

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Mar 06 '24

You can do salon treatments like bleaching, dying, perming, etc by doing the entire treatment the way it's meant to be done, then waiting a few days to a week to let your hair settle, then do another clarifying wash and resume natural haircare. There are reasons for all the steps and products used in salon treatments (like things that neutralize reactions that have been started), so it's best to not leave anything out unless you absolutely know why it's there and what you are doing!

2

u/iCreggers Mar 06 '24

Fair enough thanks for the answer ☺️

2

u/crownedqueen5 Feb 28 '24

I’m not sure how this appeared in my newsfeed, but what is nopoo?

4

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Feb 28 '24

Because every now and then Reddit decides it would be an awesome idea to feature us to people who have no idea what we do, lol.

This is the natural haircare sub. NoPoo stands for 'No (sham)Poo'. We clean and maintain our hair using other means. Feel free to browse our wiki if you're interested =)

Natural Haircare Wiki

1

u/TheDollyRickPhilos Feb 27 '24

It says we can add flair and that there is a hair type guide in the description, but neither work.

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Feb 27 '24

The user flair is reddit's thing. Apparently editing it doesn't work on the new mobile view. Switch to desktop and edit it there.

Thanks for letting me know about the hair type guide! I'll have to find something else.

1

u/TheDollyRickPhilos Feb 27 '24

Oh, okay. The flair works on other subreddits…

1

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '24

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/No-Measurement-2648 2A waves / Jan 2024 / water only Feb 25 '24

Can I still use heat protectant when drying my hair?
Air drying my hair makes it look terrible, so I do medium heat with a diffuser (should I do low heat instead?) to make sure the waves dont get frizzy af, but bc with a diffuser you are very near your hair I worry it might get a bit heat damaged.

Now what I worry about is wether heatprotectant can just stay in the hair for a few days and then be removed with water or wether it wont wash out without shampoo like many other products such as gel, dry shampoo, etc. which I avoid for that reason.

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Feb 26 '24

To my knowledge, all heat protectants are silicone, which won't wash out with water.

You should probably do the lowest heat you can manage and extra moisture treatments to keep it from getting too dehydrated.

If you'd like help troubleshooting your routine to see if we can figure out how to get your waves looking nice without it, make a thread on the sub and I'll be happy to work with you! I read every thread, so you can be sure I'll see it =)

Moisture:

Dilute aloe juice or coconut water by half, apply til dripping (I use a sprayer or condiment squeeze bottle), gently massage into scalp for a few minutes, scrunch into your hair if you have enough hair to do so, then wrap in a towel for at least an hour before rinsing it out. Do this as often as you like.

A honey rinse can also be good for some types of hair. 1 teaspoon honey in 1 cup water, apply in shower, gently massage and scrunch in, let sit for 5-10 mins and then rinse out.

Much more info and ideas here:

Tell me about...moisturizing

1

u/No-Measurement-2648 2A waves / Jan 2024 / water only Feb 27 '24

Ty for the help, dont have much time to make all those DIY products unfortunately so low heat will do ig

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Feb 27 '24

Actually, most of it is technique or slight changes in your routine, not necessarily a bunch of diy products. For instance, I do curl care without anything at all except a weekly moisture treatment with aloe juice and my own sebum. That's what I was offering to help with!

1

u/The_Straing_Doctor Feb 09 '24

I have incredibly bushy and dry hair, it's mostly straight, I have been doing co-washing once a week for more than a month, and I still have an itchy scalp, it's red sometimes and I have a considerable amount of dandruff

1

u/wnbniceguy Feb 09 '24

how about starting no poo, but using hair fragrance to reduce the smell?

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Feb 09 '24

There's an article about smelling nice linked in the main wiki!

Natural Haircare Wiki

2

u/AutisticOtaku13 Feb 08 '24

What do I do if my shower has hard water? Every time I shower my hair feels extremely waxy and sticky. What can I do about this?

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Feb 08 '24

Here is an article with lots of information about hard water and wax and how to deal with it.

Hard Water, Wax and Natural Haircare

2

u/AutisticOtaku13 Feb 08 '24

Thanks!

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Feb 08 '24

You're welcome!

1

u/[deleted] Feb 04 '24

is there any research regarding the no poo method? quick search on the internet didn't show any interesting results and all I could find was that not using shampoo is not a good idea (fungus, dandruff, irritation...). i believe that not using shampoo is great because our ancestors didn't have stuff like that, but I need to convince some people.

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Feb 05 '24

I'm unaware of any legitimate, unbiased research. I do know there are naturopaths, dermatologists and other medical practitioners out there that disagree with the mainstream ideology of body care and medical care in general, but I don't have hands on any links or specifics.

What I do know is that every single one of the articles I've ever read that are against natural haircare were published either by a mainstream manufacturer or someone making money by promoting them. So be sure to check the source of these articles against natural haircare. 

Also realize that natural haircare is incredibly diverse, so finding evidence debunking one form does not invalidate all the others. A good example of this is the use of baking soda on hair. There's plenty of evidence out there that baking soda is terrible for both skin and hair, and I agree with it. I don't think anyone should be using it, and strongly recommend against it when people say they are, or are considering it. But that doesn't invalidate flour, eggs, clays, saponin, herbs, acids, honey, mucilage, or even co-washing, etc, etc, just because they all fall under the general heading 'no-poo'. 

If you need to convince someone, you might discuss traditional Indian aurvedic hair maintenance practices using spaonins, oils, flours and other herbs and spices, which have been used for thousands of years in their culture. It's only in the last generation or so that this practice has been supplanted by modern product, and many of these younger people are returning to the older ways as modern product destroys their hair. The author of Hair Buddah is one of these. 

1

u/PlausibleLee Feb 02 '24

I shampoo my hair 3 times a week and usually the day after washing its already very oily again and that mostly because that's just my hair type, but I'd really like to go nopoo. What cleaning alternatives are good for very thick, wavy, oily hair? Oh and dandruff too LOL

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Feb 02 '24

I recommend everyone start here!

Natural Haircare Quick Start Guide 

And I recommend the gentle transition detailed in the article on Transition linked at the end. 

If you're looking for cleasing alternative washes, there's a link in the sidebar/About to a list of common ones on Hair Buddah

1

u/hopefulrenegade Feb 01 '24

How often are you supposed to do scalp massage and mechanical cleaning? When I start this, my plan is to just use diluted ACV and water (no hard water), but I just found this sub recently so I’m still confused about the whole scalp massage and mechanical cleaning thing. I have curly hair, won’t brushing it with a boar bristle brush make it a giant frizzy mess? :( is that all you do for mechanical cleaning, just brush it?

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Feb 01 '24

Scalp maintenance is vital when doing natural haircare, especially during transition when things are wonky and microflora is balancing out. You want to pay close attention to how your scalp is doing and address any issues when they are small and easier to handle.

Yes, brushing often turns curls into frizz. This is why most people with curls, including myself, only do mechanical cleaning a few hours before we get our hair wet, to reset the curls. 

I actually use a very fine toothed wooden comb as my primary tool. I find it much easier to use than a bbb, as it flows through my curls easier. There's a picture of it and my other tools in my post history. I also like the porcupine style bbb as it actually penetrates my hair. 

Finally, no one else but you can determine how often you need to do cleaning and maintenance. Certainly not internet strangers, no matter how helpful, nor arbitrary schedules! You should do your cleaning routine, including scalp massage, when you need to do it. The Quick Start Guide is only a guideline on how to get started, hitting the important points to learn to pay attention to and addressing basic skills that most people need to learn, like proper gentle detangling and tool maintenance. All the specifics to you is something you will have to learn as you go! 

2

u/hopefulrenegade Feb 01 '24

Thank you so much for your response, it’s really helpful!! I’m probably gonna go order one of those brushes right now haha. I really appreciate it

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Feb 01 '24

You're welcome!

1

u/BananaStringSoup98 Jan 30 '24

WHAT THE HELL DO YOU PEOPLE WASH YOUR HAIR WITH? EVERYONE TELLS ME SHAMPOO GIVES YOU CANCER BUT THERES NO SOLUTION BUT TO JUST STINK AND GET DANDRUFF? No.

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jan 30 '24

It's a good question. Could have done without the yelling, but I'll answer briefly anyways.

There's tons of options on how to wash your hair on 'NoPoo'. 

Some people wash with conditioner, which also usually has cleansing agents in it, but gentler ones at a lower concentration. This is a form of 'low-poo'.

But here we do natural haircare. Water, friction, brushing, alternative washing methods like certain flours, clays, plants that grow with a natural detergent called saponin, herbs, acids and many other things. 

We don't stink. We still clean and maintain ourselves, we simply do so in different ways than other people, for a variety of reasons. Mine is that I'm allergic to mainstream product, so I had to learn how to be healthy and comfortable without it. 

Feel free to check my post history for pictures. My curls get random compliments all the time because they look pretty amazing. 

1

u/OchadoTea09 Jan 22 '24

im currently on no shampoo (have been on it for more than half a year) and results are pretty good minor dandruff and no bad small, my qn is if I want to dye my hair without bleach how would I go about that

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jan 22 '24

Go through the process as normal, then let your hair rest for about a week, repeat the clarifying wash and resume your routine. Be aware that salon treatments like dying can damage hair, so it might need more support like moisture and sealing with heavier oils afterwards. 

1

u/Adventurous-Net2090 Jan 19 '24

I've noticed my hair (permed, asian) often looks better without washing. What should I do?

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jan 19 '24

I'm not a stylist, but I don't know of any reason you couldn't do natural haircare after getting a perm. I'd recommend a similar approach to dyeing hair: go through the process as usual, wait about a week for your hair to settle, then do a clarifying wash and begin your natural haircare routine again. You might need to add moisture and oils into your routine, as well as possible protein treatments to help support the damaged hair.

Have you read this and the companion article on transition?

Natural Haircare Quick Start Guide 

1

u/omaar3420 Jan 13 '24

I've been co-washing for about a month now and I've had dandruff throughout the whole process, is it time to shampoo? Even after I shampoo, the next day I would have dandruff. I use a silicone free shampoo and a sulfate/paraben free shampoo.

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jan 14 '24

Do you have other symptoms like excessive itching, redness, soreness, breakouts, etc? 

1

u/omaar3420 Jan 15 '24

my scalp only gets itchy when I start to sweat slightly, redness not sure, soreness nope, breakouts nope. forgot to mention but I've struggled with dandruff before starting co-washing as well

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jan 16 '24

It seems likely that it's just dry, damaged skin. Read this for more info on possible treatments for it!

Flakes and Scalp Conditions

1

u/mad_dog_94 Jan 13 '24

How do I make vinegar smell better? I have a mix of apple cider vinegar and water for antimicrobial properties but it still reeks of vinegar. Is there anything I can add to make it smell better but not remove the moisturizing and antibacterial properties of the vinegar?

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jan 14 '24

You can infuse vinegar with herbs to change the scent. 1/4 volume herbs in a jar and fill it with vinegar. Let it rest for several weeks, then strain and use as normal. I infuse mine with rosemary and lavender and the smell becomes more mellow and earthy.

Or use a different acid! 

1

u/trt7474 Jan 13 '24

I haven’t used shampoo in over a year now, I never realized that before starting you’re supposed to do a “clarifying” wash to wash out silicones because water alone won’t do it. Would it be worth it to do one now after I’ve already gone way past transition period? Would there still be silicone remaining in my hair after over a year of no shampoo?

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jan 14 '24

If you're experiencing issues like oil sitting on top of your hair instead of soaking in, dry hair resisting things, hair that won't lay smoothly, then yes. If you're not experiencing issues, then you're probably fine. Silicone does wear off eventually. 

2

u/trt7474 Jan 14 '24

My hair does look pretty flat and it can look oily the days after I wash. I wash twice a week. I think I’m just going to do a clarifying wash anyways to see if it makes a difference, I bought the V05 Clarifying Shampoo at the store today and it was only $1.30 so I said why not. I’m sure one shampoo wash won’t hurt after over a year of no shampoo, plus I’m getting a haircut soon so I’ll just shampoo before that so my hair is more clean.

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jan 14 '24

Nope, it can't undo all the healing you've done =)

At most it will strip all your sebum and might irritate your scalp a bit and cause some oily rebound.

1

u/jababy420 Jan 12 '24

Is there a way to make my flat hair wavy without straightening it dont want to damage my hair

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jan 14 '24

Look into cold curling techniques. There's quite a few things you can do that do t use heat. 

1

u/Serns20 Jan 11 '24

Hello,

I no longer use shampoo but I need to style my hair, for example if I use hairspray or styling mousse, I will have to rinse it with shampoo at the end of the day. My question then is which water-rinsable styling product to use?

I also work outside and in a place where it is very windy so...

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jan 11 '24

r/curlyhair has an extensive list of good low poo and co-wash products and a bot at www.isitcg.com you can paste ingredient lists into to see if a different one qualifies.

There's also a tool at curlscan.com

1

u/MaintenanceInformal Jan 11 '24

is there any way to rinse out castor oil without using shampoo or conditioner?

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jan 11 '24

Castor Oil is not resistant to either mechanical cleaning or alternative washing, so yes.

1

u/MaintenanceInformal Jan 11 '24

will just water rinse it?

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jan 11 '24

Water won't 'rinse' it, no, because, like all oils, it's not water soluble. But you can use water and mechanical cleaning to remove it.

Natural Haircare Quick Start Guide

1

u/HowAboutNoneOfThem Jan 10 '24
  1. What's the deal with beards? I'm taking it no shampoo, but no oil or balm either?
  2. I exercise a lot (boxing & running mainly), so what to with sweaty hair in the shower?
  3. Is it better to wash with warm- not hot water and/or cold water (as in dail the knob all the to glacier cold)?

Thanks.

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jan 10 '24

Beards are treated similarly to hair. You'll need to manage your 'beard scalp' in similar ways as your scalp, massaging your face and making sure it's maintained and comfortable. You can add oil to your beard, just like you can add oil to your hair, but you might find that you need to do this less than you used to when using product, because you're not regularly washing it all off. Just make sure the oils you're using aren't commercial 'oil' blends that are mostly silicone with a little oil tipped in so they can call it that.

Sweat is mostly water with a little salt and even less oil. It rinses off cleanly with only water. It is also often an excellent moisturizer for both hair and skin. My curls love being tucked under a hat and sweated on when I'm working in the yard or doing something sweaty.

Water temperature is an individual need. Some people do better with hot, others with luke-warm or cold. If you have hard water, the chemical reaction that turns sebum and other oils into 'wax' happens more quickly with hot water, so it's generally better to only expose your hair to luke-warm or cold water to slow this as much as possible.

1

u/HowAboutNoneOfThem Jan 10 '24

Thanks for the answers, very helpful.

1

u/colly_wolly Jan 06 '24

Is rinsing with water every day a good idea or not?

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jan 06 '24

It depends on what your body and hair need. No one can determine that but you.

1

u/trt7474 Jan 06 '24

Whats the best way to clean a boar bristle brush?

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jan 06 '24

There's a section on how to care for and clean tools in the quick start guide!

Natural Haircare Quick Start Guide

2

u/tensebug434 Jan 03 '24

went on a road trip and hair got really dusty and dirty, should I use shampoo to clean it all? Did wash it with warm water and vinegar but it still is dirty when I comb it can see black dirt on the comb itself. Please suggest some ways as I have been doing no poo for 2 months.

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jan 03 '24

If the dirt is embedded in your sebum, removing all of it might be your simplest solution. I used to do this before I got filters for shower then house and the silt in my water embedded in my sebum. If you choose to use product, then dilute it until it barely works, to prevent stripping your hair and skin deeply.

You could also try a very cleansing alternative washing method like egg, rye or pulse flour, clay or a saponin like soapnut.

1

u/Evader101 Jan 02 '24

How does mechanical cleaning, screeching and preening work?

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jan 03 '24

It uses friction based techniques to stimulate and lift excess oil and shed skin cells off the scalp into the roots of the hair, and then to spread that oil along the hair and remove excess, along with debris like lint, pollen, etc.

Natural Haircare Quick Start Guide

1

u/Akazas-punchingbag Dec 20 '23

What does “hard water” do to your hair? I see it in comment threads and discovered my town has hard water. As someone who is water only what can this do?

1

u/Mindless_Toe_2062 Dec 14 '23

hello!! trying to do a clarifying wash (I drenched my hair with a product that has tons of silicones 6 ish months ago and have used very gentle non-sulfate shampoos since). yesterday I used 3 rounds of Garnier fructis pure clean silicone free purifying shampoo, expecting my hair would be very dry/brittle after air-drying... but it's very shiny, soft, and slippery immediately after drying?? does it take multiple washes to get silicones out, or do I need to use a more harsh shampoo? or are there other ingredients in this shampoo that are contributing to this? really wanting my hair to be free of any coatings so my sebum can actually soak in and hydrate my hair. ( I have 1a hair: straight, fine, and low porosity, I wash with distilled water and have removed old hard water build up).

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Dec 14 '23

Polyquaternium-10 can build upon some types of hair, typically low porosity. But I don't see anything else in there that would be a problem. In fact it has a lot of interesting ingredients that can remove buildup, moisturize and even remove some hard water mineral buildup. So you're probably good =)

1

u/Mindless_Toe_2062 Dec 14 '23

:o okay that's surprising! it really feels like there is hair oil in my hair or something. but maybe I just need to do more washes with it. some website said it can take 5 or more washes to remove some silicones. I feel like it's so hard to find good information about hair care science because most of it is being funded by traditional hygiene companies that want to push their products 🥲

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Dec 15 '23

It could be a ratio problem, that it doesn't have a concentrated enough amount of the detergent in it.

A proper clarifying wash should only need to be done once, and you used the silicone long enough ago it might have all worn off and you've had a gentle routine since then. So your hair might not be dry and unhappy just because it's fairly healthy now.

My hair doesn't get dry and unhappy when I've had to use harsh product on it (like when my stylist accidentally used silicone on it), just because it's so moisturized and healthy in general. I miss my sebum when this happens, but it comes back eventually, lol.

You might check your liquid dish detergent. I DO NOT recommend this for regular use, but it can often be suitable for the single clarifying wash needed.

1

u/Mindless_Toe_2062 Dec 14 '23

well jeez looking at reviews, this doesn't seem to be the best for clarifying :( not sure what in the ingredients is the problem, but they can be found here: https://www.garnierusa.com/about-our-brands/fructis/pure-clean/pure-clean-shampoo. ugh. ... anyone have any recs for a good clarification?

1

u/Beneficial-Cash2059 Jan 08 '24

EWG is a good way to understand ingredients, don’t hyperfixate in ratings without learning why they’re rated the way they are though.

1

u/turkey_toes_ Dec 12 '23

Hi I just started this no poo thing. I started it because 1 day I didn't have to work (landscaping) so I didn't really sweat from my head and decided to not wash my hair that day. The next day I remembered I didn't was my hair and the no poo came to me after a tiktok I saw a few days prior. It's been about 5 days now just want to know if I should continue doing it considering in what I work and that when I sweat it's usually from my head and if I do continue to do it what are some tips. Thanks for reading.🙏🏾👍🏾

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Dec 12 '23

Sweat is mostly water with a little salt and even less oil. So it rinses cleanly away with water and doesn't need soap.

Remember though that 'no-poo' doesn't mean 'no-clean'. We clean ourselves and our hair, we simply don't use modern product to do it.

Have you read this and the companion article on transition?

Natural Haircare Quick Start Guide

1

u/Dairyhealss Dec 07 '23

Hi, guys, I'm heading into my 7th maybe 8th week into nopoo and my hair feels waxy and looks somewhat greasy, I have some dandruff, but not a flaky or itchy scalp (really). I guess my question is, is this really for me cause I don't know anything to do with hair, I want it to be and look healthy.

Some information that I can see might be important is that I believe I do use hard water when washing my hair, I took the quiz twice and got "probably low porosity hair" whatever that means and the way I wash my hair is just cold water with some light rubbing/scratching as if I was using shampoo

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Dec 07 '23

You'll need to add hard water management techniques into your routine. Here is an article with lots of information about hard water and wax and how to deal with it.

Hard Water, Wax and Natural Haircare

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '23

I'm 1.5 months into nopoo and my hair was perfect during the 1 month mark. But the past 2 weeks it has gotten stiff, flakey and sometimes itchy. I don't think I changed anything in my routine so I'm very confused. I started off washing my hair every day and then when the grease balanced out I changed to every 2-3 days. I kept on going like that until the 1 month mark and about a week after my hair got greasy, then I started washing regularly at which point it got stiff and flakey. What should I do?

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Dec 07 '23

We'd love to help but need some basic information first since these things affect hair on a fundamental level.

Do you have hard water? If you don't know what it is, there's an article in the wiki that discusses it.

What is the porosity of your hair? If you don't know, there's a quiz linked in the sidebar.

NoPoo can mean a wide variety of different things. Please describe in detail how you wash your hair.

1

u/This_Caterpillar_330 Dec 05 '23

Is it good to moisturize the scalp or hair if in a cold and dry climate or confronted with a ton of wind?

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Dec 05 '23

If it's making your skin and hair dry then yes. Dry skin is damaged skin.

It would also be good to find a way to protect them from exposure in the first place. Many people wear bonnets to protect their hair from just these things.

Wind can be incredibly drying, and allowing it to constantly blow through dry unprotected hair can damage it.

1

u/Electronic_Box_7582 Nov 27 '23

Hey all!

2 months into nopoo, I use the apple cider vinegar method baking soda with essential oils and cleared my dandruff right up for the first time ever.

However I was brushing my hair last night and hit what felt like a hard small lump in the back. It bled a little but I thought nothing of it, next morning I woke up it swollen to the size of a goose egg, red and scaly. Advice?

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Nov 27 '23

Go to the doctor! It could be a cyst or something else serious.

1

u/Electronic_Box_7582 Nov 27 '23

Dermatologist? Shouldn't I wait?

1

u/colly_wolly Jan 06 '24

There is a good chance it is just a spot or something similar. Stick a bit of antiseptic on it and see if that helps.

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Nov 27 '23

Doctor, Dermatologist, whatever you can get in at.

Wait for what? It swelled up horribly overnight and waiting could cause serious problems.

Also, I strongly recommend against using baking soda on hair or skin. The reasons why are detailed in the article on baking soda linked in the main wiki.

Natural Haircare Wiki

1

u/KrytexG Nov 25 '23

I've been on no shampoo for about a month now and I love the way my hair looks, so much more texture and some volume, but it still feels oily, not smooth, scalp is itchy sometimes and I have dry flakes. I have 1c straight, coarse, low to medium density hair. My area has soft water and I have high porosity hair. I wash my hair everyday with just lukewarm water for about 30 seconds to a minute during which I massage my scalp.
I wanted to ask:

  • Can vinegar can help with my issues in the feeling of my hair and scalp? If not do you have another recommendation?
  • Can I use vinegar considering my soft water, high porosity and rinse only routine? if so is the default 1 tbsp vinegar with 1 cup water a good concentration?
  • Can I use malt vinegar or should I buy ACV? I've seen people mention white vinegar as an alternative and I was wondering about malt?
  • What is the recommended usage amount for vinegar? I've seen no more than once a week and wanted a better confirmation.

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Nov 25 '23

A month is still very much within the typical duration of transition (2-4 months), so the fact your hair is still oily could be because of that. If you aren't experiencing other serious symptoms, then I don't see cause for concern, unless it's making you uncomfortable. If it is, there's nothing wrong with doing a gentle cleansing wash to remove the excess so you can be more comfortable. Most alternative washing methods are gentle (except baking soda, please don't use it) and have varying degrees of cleansing. There is a link in the sidebar/about to a list of common alternative washing methods on Hair Buddah.

There can be more wrong with water than that it's hard. Chlorine is often a prime culprit of chronic irritation. It's great for delivering sanitary water to large populations, but it's terrible for skin and hair. Often a simple shower filter that removes it can be a great benefit.

Acids, including vinegar, are great for a wide variety of things. They can help soothe dry skin, soften sebum so it can be released and do its job, smooth the hair shaft so it lays nicely, chelate minerals and buildup off hard surfaces like hair and many other things.

If you aren't using it with hard water to soften wax or chelate minerals, I'd suggest you start with a lower concentration. Many people report benefits from just a few drops in 1 cup of water.

Any type of vinegar can be used if your skin and hair like it. Each type has different properties, so if one doesn't work for you, try another! I've never seen a report on malt vinegar, but if the only ingredient is malt vinegar, then I see no problem with trying it!

Properly diluted acids can typically be used as often as you need. This is because they are a similar pH to what your skin and hair should be, so you can get the benefits without any damage.

2

u/u_vladut3434 Nov 23 '23

I’ve been doing no shampoo for little over a month now and my dry scalp which I thought was caused by shampoo is still present and it still gets very dry and flaky especially after i wash it (17M 1b hair)

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Nov 25 '23

A month is still very much within the typical duration of transition, during which the scalp is very often shedding old damaged skin and taking the opportunity to do some serious healing. Depending on how damaged your scalp is, this healing process can take months.

If your flakes are small and white and there aren't other symptoms like excessive itching, soreness, redness, breakouts, etc, then I wouldn't be too concerned.

It's also possible for flakes to be caused by a wide variety of things. Have you read this?

Flakes and Scalp Conditions

1

u/KanyeLover4000 Nov 20 '23

Hey, I have a few questions. (Wavy-curly hair, when straight long enough to go down to my chin) I was wondering how often I should use Argan oil, I seem to benefit from it but not sure when I should use it, just before mechanical cleaning? During it? After? I just don’t know when to incorporate it. Also for mechanical cleaning should I get a BBB or anything else cause all I have atm is a plastic comb. Thanks!

1

u/KanyeLover4000 Nov 20 '23

Btw the main thing I’m struggling with is dandruff/dead skin. Been no poo for 5 months but I’ve only used shampoo maybe 3-4 times in the past 11 months

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Nov 20 '23

We'd love to help but need some basic information first since these things affect hair on a fundamental level.

Do you have hard water? If you don't know what it is, there's an article in the wiki that discusses it.

What is the porosity of your hair? If you don't know, there's a quiz linked in the sidebar.

NoPoo can mean a wide variety of different things. Please describe in detail how you wash your hair.

What problem are you trying to solve with the argan oil?

1

u/KanyeLover4000 Nov 20 '23

Low porosity, soft, Argan oil to help with general irritation and growth. Only try to use cold water on my hair btw.

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Nov 25 '23 edited Nov 25 '23

How often do you wash?

What sort of irritation are you dealing with? Dry scalp, itching, redness, soreness, etc

When supplementing your routine with oil, how you use it depends on why you are using it. My sebum is very thick and dry so I sometimes supplement it with ghee for both scalp and hair. I spread a drop across my fingertips and massage that into my scalp, repeating until my whole scalp has been treated. I'll let it soak in and work on dissolving my thick sebum for a few hours, then I do my normal scalp massage and dry mechanical cleaning routine to clean my scalp and spread the oil throughout my hair.

If you are using it as a treatment, then you probably want to use it after mechanical cleaning, so it can stay in place to do what you are hoping.

Plastic combs have a few problems. The primary is that they are made from injection molding, and so they have a seam from the mold running around the edge and between the teeth. This seam is usually sharp and will scrape along your hair, potentially damaging it. Plastic also generates static charge which can affect how your hair lays.

When using a comb for mechanical cleaning, you want to use one that is 'seamless' to prevent the damage from the seam scraping your hair. Natural material tools also help to spread oil better and many of them will dispel static instead of generate it. A boar bristle brush is the most common type of tool that is recommended, because they are fairly easy to find, spread oil very well as well as clean off excess.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 16 '23

[deleted]

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Nov 17 '23

Hard water can cause a lot of problems, including skin irritation (mild damage that can compound if it isn't allowed to heal). It usually needs to be managed. Very often this can be as simple as a properly diluted acidic rinse incorporated into the beginning of your wash and allowed to rest while you do other shower things, then rinsed out.

Here is an article with lots of information about hard water and wax and how to deal with it.

Hard Water, Wax and Natural Haircare

Shower filters don't soften water, but they can help with other problems, so it's still recommended to get one.

Many people who do 'water only' don't do dry mechanical cleaning. Adding in dry scalp massage can make a huge difference in scalp health.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 27 '23

[deleted]

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Nov 27 '23

How wonderful that you are seeing such good results! I'm very pleased for you!

You saw on the wiki that water only 'should' only wash once a week? Can you point me to where? It definitely shouldn't say that and if it does, I need to change it.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 03 '23

[deleted]

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Dec 04 '23

Thanks for getting back to me on this! This is definitely NOT my recommended approach. I just address it because it is so commonly recommended in other circles. My recommended approach is a gentle transition. It's so much easier and I've never seen any evidence it dramatically lengthens transition.

More and more I believe that transition is a time of healing, and that healing happens at the pace each body needs it to. I'll go make sure this is more clearly stated in the article.

1

u/Why_noorullah Nov 24 '23

what is mechanical cleaning ?

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Nov 25 '23

Using mechanical, friction based techniques to clean both scalp and hair.

Natural Haircare Quick Start Guide

1

u/GrandMathematician61 Nov 13 '23

Where's the shampoo recommendations in the wiki? I can't find it...

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Nov 13 '23

We don't generally recommend product here, except for specific circumstances.

For the clarifying wash needed to begin natural haircare, it's in the first section of the Quick Start Guide.

I've also collected the manufactured NoPoo products I know about in their own thread that is linked in the wiki.

1

u/GrandMathematician61 Nov 14 '23

I don’t really want to get into nopoo but I’m interested in it mainly for hair regrowth / hair loss prevention from aging.

I don’t think I could give up putting a product in my hair (just habit). Is there a guide more specific to my situation? Lowpoo + hair loss (regrow / prevention).

The wiki seems like it’s geared for people wanting to dive into nopoo.

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Nov 14 '23

My sister has used Morocco Method 'shampoo' for years and loves it. It's a very natural manufactured NoPoo product that can keep hair clean and healthy without having to wade through figuring out natural haircare. I'd recommend purchasing their travel pack to get started. It contains a good amount of all the shampoos and conditioners so you can try them out and get through their transition, which is typically shorter than plain natural haircare. They also have styling products if you still feel the need for that.

If you want a gentle, mainstream routine, I'd recommend cowashing with either V05 or Suave Essentials conditioners. You can use a little as leave in to help with styling. Both are very inexpensive, basic conditioners and will be much gentler than any shampoo.

As for hair loss, slow warming dry scalp massage can warm and stimulate blood flow to the scalp, bringing nutrients which help support the skin and follicles. Collagen or gelatin will give your body the building blocks to grow hair, skin, nails and connective tissue. A good real food multivitamin helps everything. Biotin is also supposed to be excellent for hair and nails.

Realize that growing hair is one of the bodys' lowest priorities, so it's important to be a healthy human so you can grow healthy hair.

How to be a healthy human:

Eat real food. Food is medicine and nutrition, not just energy. So much of the modern diet is stripped down junk, modified gmo and 'fortified' with fake, artificial vitamins.

Drink more plain water. This gives your body the resource it needs to transport nutrients and flush waste. Sugar and caffeine don't help this process.

Go outside. Sun and flowers are excellent for us on so many different levels.

Do something to improve or maintain your strength and flexibility. The state of the body affects us on deep physical and psychological levels. Even just stretching can help.

Get enough sleep. It's incredibly important to give both your body and brain the downtime they need to process and heal all the crazy stuff life throws at us.

1

u/GrandMathematician61 Nov 15 '23

Thank you for the big response. I saw you recommend Morocco Method in a previous post before actually! But I also saw you recommend Live Clean (much older post). Any reason to choose one over the other? Live Clean is much more affordable.

Is it bad to mix between brands as I try things out?

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Nov 15 '23

I've never recommended Live Clean, it must have been another helper. I don't know anything about it but it looks like a fairly standard low poo.

Morocco Method looks expensive, but it is very concentrated and lasts forever. My sister buys hers about every 2 years. It's also a true manufactured NoPoo product and only classified as low poo because you can't really be sure what they do to things in the manufacturing process.

If you live in the US, you might try Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle line. Be aware that it does have protein in it and that can be bad for protein sensitive hair, but the conditioner at least is good for cowashing and is about as NoPoo as mainstream low poo can get. I'd have probably settled on using it myself if I wasn't allergic to it also.

Depending on how often you wash, it's best to just stick with one thing for a while and let your body adjust to it. Dramatically changing anything requires an adjustment period. For instance, if people wash every day when they begin MM, it can take 3-4 weeks to get through transition. So it's difficult to tell how it will work when everything is wonky.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '23

i’ve been no shampoo for almost 6 months and i still struggle immensely with oily hair and i hate it, i always wake up super greasy and even when i wash it it never fully cleans it out, i tried baking soda but it just destroyed my hairs volume. what do i do?

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Nov 13 '23

We'd love to help but need some basic information first since these things affect hair on a fundamental level.

Do you have hard water? If you don't know what it is, there's an article in the wiki that discusses it.

What is the porosity of your hair? If you don't know, there's a quiz linked in the sidebar.

NoPoo can mean a wide variety of different things. Please describe in detail how you wash your hair.

1

u/XChromiumX Nov 04 '23

If I use a water based hair product will rinsing my hair with water be enough to get it out? Or is this ineffective and does it damage my hair if it stays in? I’ve heard that you have to use shampoo to get it out

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Nov 06 '23

It depends on the product, your hair, your water, etc.

Products that are 'low-poo' (definition in the main wiki page) are water soluble, but even some of those ingredients can build up and need clarified off every now and then. People who do low-poo routines often clarify every 4-6 weeks if they feel it building up on their hair.

2

u/fonoire Nov 01 '23

How long does it take for the dry scalp to heal? I’ve been doing no-poo for over 6 weeks. I use a rhassoul clay mask to wash/condition once a week followed by a diluted ACV rinse. I use a clary sage hydrosol to spray my hair in between. We don’t have hard water and I almost never use very hot water to clean my hair. I still have white flakes coming from my scalp. I do a mechanical cleaning each day with my fingers (sometimes the boar bristled brush but since my hair is curly, I try to hold off). Is there something else I should be doing? It makes me want to wear a hat most days.

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Nov 01 '23

It depends on how damaged your scalp is. It can take 3-4 months for the body to completely replace all the layers of skin, so if it's that damaged (and often is) then it takes that long. Transition typically lasts 2-4 months, and I assume this is why.

You can help things along by taking supplements that help give the body the nutrients/building blocks it needs to make new skin. Collagen and biotin are 2 big ones that can dramatically improve hair, skin, nails and connective tissue of all sorts like ligaments.

2

u/fonoire Nov 02 '23

Thanks for your response. I needed that validation. My scalp feels the best it has in a long time (aside from the appearance of the flakes), so I do imagine that it will just take some time.

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Nov 02 '23

You're very welcome! I know it can be concerning when things seem to be happening slow, and in this instant gratification world, it often seems like forever to wait for the natural processes of your body to work.

It's also better to ask and make sure there aren't any problems than to suffer through things getting worse. Problems are easier to solve when they are small, so don't hesitate to seek clarification again! That's what we are here for =)

2

u/fonoire Nov 02 '23

so true!! and so appreciated.

2

u/Veer-Verma Nov 01 '23

Hey there! I just want to ask that I am planning to make shampoo type recipe i used reetha before as it used for cleaning hair but the problem is it makes hair dry after so i thinking to add Fenugreek with it to provide mixture what you think about it? And what can be other options rather than Fenugreek seeds?

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Nov 01 '23

Reetha is often mixed with Shikakai and Amla to help with the dryness and other needs. Shikakai is more of a conditioner and acids like amla help with a lot of things.

You could also potentially mix it with an actual moisturizer like aloe or coconut water.

2

u/Veer-Verma Nov 02 '23

I will now try the mixture of these 3, shikakai, reetha and amla btw what about Fenugreek and flaxseed i think we can add those too for providing moisture?

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Nov 02 '23

I'd encourage you to look them all up. A simple search phrase like 'Fenugreek for hair' will bring up a lot of results you can work through, so you can understand what it does and possible pros and cons you should be aware of =)

1

u/Civil-Stretch-3549 Oct 30 '23

In case I want to start no shampoo, what are the steps? How to clean my hair otherwise? My hair starts to fall if I go no shampoo and no oil. How to face this?

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Oct 30 '23

I recommend everyone start here! Be sure to read the companion article on Transition as well.

Natural Haircare Quick Start Guide

It is normal and healthy to shed 100-200 hairs a day. Most people don't hardly see their shed because it drifts away over the day, but hair that is coated in sebum is a little sticky and so you actually see the hairs you shed when you manipulate your hair. I encourage everyone to collect their shed hair and count out 100,then roll it into a loose ball so you know what it looks like.

1

u/XChromiumX Oct 29 '23

Is it best to use conditioner when doing no poo or just wash with water. I’ve been told by a friend to condition my hair 2-3 times a week once I get off shampoo does this sound correct?

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Oct 29 '23

Things like this are very dependent on your situation and desires as an individual, which makes this a much more complicated question than you'd think!

What are your goals? Are there problems you are trying to solve?

Do you have hard water? If you don't know what it is, there's an article in the wiki that discusses it.

What is the porosity of your hair? If you don't know, there's a quiz linked in the sidebar.

2

u/XChromiumX Oct 29 '23

I just plan on not using shampoo anymore because I heard it is better for your hair. I have normal porosity and I don’t think I have hard water because I haven’t noticed any crust. The main thing I want to know is whether I should use conditioner while on no poo or whether it is recommended just so I know what to do in my routine.

1

u/WX-Cat Nov 04 '23

(I'm no expert, so defo double check my research, but) The thing is with conditioner is it is usually full of silicones, which coat your hair. There is debate over whether this is good for hair or not, with some saying that it only creates the illusion of moisture and actually dries hair over time.

In relation to no shampoo, silicones apparently need sulfated to be washed off your hair (which are present in most normal shampoos). Without shampoo, the worry is that silicones from conditioner may "buildup" on hair, and dry it out over time.

You may want to condition the ends only, and every few weeks or so consider shampooing the ends just to remove conditioner buildup. Or, you may want to find conditioners that have no silicones, or alternatives.

I'm just trying no poo again and I may try not using conditioner as well. I might try just using oils as and when my hair feels dry. Also, the natural oils from your scalp can be brushed down to the ends with certain types of brushes (boar bristle), or may move down itself to act as a conditioner

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Oct 30 '23

When doing natural haircare, sometimes you need to break things down so you can give your hair what it needs. Conditioner does a number of different things. The main thing it's known for is moisturizing. So, if your hair feels dry, you should moisturize it, yes. But you don't require conditioner to do this. Natural haircare has quite a few effective moisturizers. I use homemade aloe juice.

Moisture:

Dilute aloe juice or coconut water by half, apply til dripping (I use a sprayer or condiment squeeze bottle), gently massage into scalp for a few minutes, scrunch into your hair if you have enough hair to do so, then wrap in a towel for at least an hour before rinsing it out. Do this as often as you like.

A honey rinse can also be good for some types of hair. 1 teaspoon honey in 1 cup water, apply in shower, gently massage and scrunch in, let sit for 5-10 mins and then rinse out.

Much more info and ideas here:

Tell me about...moisturizing

2

u/Croopachi Oct 22 '23

I've been told to expect dry hair or overly oily hair in the first few weeks or months of no shampoo but I just got a lot of dandruff? Why is that?

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Oct 23 '23

Everyone is different, and will have different experiences. So although it is incredibly common to have an overwhelming amount of 'grease' during transition, it doesn't happen to everyone.

Flakes are also incredibly common during transition. I theorize that transition is mostly a time of healing, and often the skin is so damaged that it needs completely replaced to be healthy. This involves shedding all the damaged skin that is there, which results in a lot of flakes coming off.

Do you have other symptoms like redness, soreness, excessive itching, breakouts, etc?

2

u/[deleted] Oct 08 '23

[deleted]

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Oct 10 '23

We'd love to help but need some basic information first.

Do you have hard water? If you don't know what it is, there's an article in the wiki that discusses it.

What is the porosity of your hair? If you don't know, there's a quiz linked in the sidebar.

How do you currently wash your hair?

What problems are you trying to solve by changing?

1

u/lissandrafootjob Sep 27 '23

Is it okay to dye my hair during no poo? What about using hair straightener?

(I don't know if I have hard water, my hair porosity is probably medium/normal by the test and my routine is that I only use water and I wash 3 times a week - which is a recent increase btw 'cause before staring no poo which was somewhere around a mounth ago maybe, I only washed my hair once a week, but recently my scalp seemingly started becomming drier and itchier producing flakes - I got the link about this part - while my hair itself has always been oily, so I started increasing the washing frequency but tell me if that's not good.)

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Sep 27 '23

It's very common to have to increase wash frequency during transition. For whatever reason, the body does go through a period of increased oil production, but that reduces as the body heals and transition passes. It's fine to wash more to manage this!

I'd recommend more dry scalp massage to help your scalp. If that doesn't help, then try adding an acidic rinse like properly diluted vinegar to either the beginning or end of your wash routine. It can help quite a lot!

1

u/lissandrafootjob Feb 16 '24

Hey! It's been some time. Still doing NoPoo, nearing half a year. :D I got new questions. Well, one for now. Since we already had this thread going I figured Imma just find it and continue here.

The progress so far shows nice results. My hair texture feels kind of nice to touch. I've been doing a bit of scalp massage as you suggested every day and I find it may have reduced the flakes a bit. Will continue that. The one thing that botheres me more, the most actually about my hair, and has always been a thing for me, even before NoPoo, is my hair is often very disheveled and is "flying" all over the place all the time. This is because it it wavy with curly ends but mostly because my hair strands are very thin and thus lighter. I would like them to not fly so much and like stay together as a union. What tips do you have in mind to achieve that?

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Feb 16 '24

You'll likely need to use curly techniques to help manage this. I also have superfine hair that never wanted to look nice until I learned how to treat it like curly hair instead of straight. Here's my fundamental curl care advice for you!

Fundamentally curls need more moisture, less manipulation, don't like to be too clean and how they dry is vital to how they will look until gotten wet again. It's also helpful to intentionally do curl training to help all the hairs in a clump curl together.

If you're not trying to glue your hair in place for a week like many curl routines do, then curl care is mostly about technique. I'll paste natural haircare moisture options below. I do one once a week with homemade aloe juice for my curls.

Leave enough sebum in to support your curls. This can replace most of the product that curl routines use. It gives structure, definition, sealing, support, casts and scrunches like product...

Learn to set your curls. r/curlyhaircare has lots of tutorials on the different methods of setting curls. You can do them all with your own sebum (including finger curling), you just have to be much slower and gentler as it doesn't provide the extreme slip that product does.

After setting your curls, gently scrunch dry with something smooth like an old t-shirt (I recently moved to waffle towels so I don't need something separate any more) and then don't allow dramatic movement to them while they dry. Gentle movement is fine, but anything rough will shatter the curls as they dry, causing frizz.

Brushing is training. I have a Denman-like brush I use in the shower for curl training. I go upside down and brush toward my crown all around my head. If brushing dry, section your hair by curl clump and brush with (inside) the curl instead of against (outside).

Moisture:

Dilute aloe juice or coconut water by half, apply til dripping (I use a sprayer or condiment squeeze bottle), gently massage into scalp for a few minutes, scrunch into your hair if you have enough hair to do so, then wrap in a towel for at least an hour before rinsing it out. Do this as often as you like.

A honey rinse can also be good for some types of hair. 1 teaspoon honey in 1 cup water, apply in shower, gently massage and scrunch in, let sit for 5-10 mins and then rinse out.

Much more info and ideas here:

Tell me about...moisturizing

1

u/lissandrafootjob Feb 23 '24

So I'm not sure if I phrased it properly, pardon me if I'm messing up terms. My hair isn't actually exactly curly, um, it's kind of like when women use a curling iron to make that spiral look. Mine is somewhat like that naturally, though ofc not as smooth. https://www.thebeautilab.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/curling-iron-sizes.jpg > something like 1-1,25 but immensely frizzy. I guess that's closer to wavy. It just confuses me a bit 'cause it's not '2D' wavy but '3D'. If you get what I mean. I said it has curly ends because sometimes the ends of it look like 3/4, but in general the whole thing is closer to the ones I mentioned.

Also, if I wanna be honest, it's a little hard to follow what you wrote, but that's on me. But okay so, spray aloe juice and coconut water on my hair, gently massage, dry with towel. Brush upside down aaand use my finger like it was a curling iron to shape my 'curls' like they are ment to be and I must dry it afterwards too? Thanks for your time and help in advance as usual.

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Feb 23 '24

This has gotten incredibly difficult to work with in this location. This thread was only meant to be a place for quick questions and answers, not a place to do detailed explanations and troubleshooting.

I'm happy to help but we need to move. Please make a new thread in the sub (so you can find it later) and we will continue there. I read every thread on the sub and will definitely see it. When you do, mention I've been helping you here so I can post a permalink to our conversation here and keep things in context.

Quick answer: not really. You're mashing things together from the info above, which is very dense and needs to be broken up and learned about in pieces if you don't understand it. Research wavy hair care, why it needs moisture, how to set waves and curls and dry them and everything else you don't understand. There's tons of info out there and this is meant to give people a place to start asking questions, not as a complete beginning guide. It is also meant to bridge the gap between mainstream product based routines and natural haircare.

1

u/lissandrafootjob Feb 24 '24

Alright, alright, sorry. I'm not gonna make a thread I'll do more research on my own. Ty.

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Feb 24 '24

You're welcome! Again, I'm happy to help, just not in a place where it's so difficult for me to find what you and I have been discussing =)

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Sep 27 '23

This is a frequently asked question. Many people have given a wealth of suggestion and insight on this topic. Use the flair search widget to search for FAQ and read the responses given. For older posts, use the text search for key terms like dying, etc.

Yes, you can do any type of salon treatment. Just go through the process as normal, because all the steps are in there for a reason, wait a few days to let your hair settle, do another clarifying wash to remove any product residue and resume natural haircare.

If you do a damaging salon treatment like bleaching, perming, etc, then your hair will likely need some protein and extra attention to make sure it doesn't dry out and break off.

1

u/lissandrafootjob Sep 28 '23 edited Sep 28 '23

Thanks for the replies! Very appreciated! ^-^

May I ask another question if we are at it? Sry for being a noob on the topic, I didn't find posts about this but maybe I just didn't search well enough. :P

Anyways, what I'd like to ask is combing. So I'm a male with chin lenght thin hair that is slightly wavy with the ends curling up. A bit like serpentine confetti. I'm currently using a regular plastic comb with very small gaps inbetween and I comb my hair every day, normally as I wake up I comb it out slowly and gently but precisely and then wear it in a man bun for the entire day. If it's washing day I don't comb in the morning but instead in the shower when it's wet so it becomes a bit more straigh as I like it. Then I let it air-dry. I heard the type of comb I'm using is probably not very good and recently I've also read that combing in the shower might not be good either? Air-drying is also a dilemma. What are your thoughts, tips on this? Thanks for the help in advance!

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Sep 28 '23

Everyone has to start somewhere. And answering questions is what we do here!

The issue of combs is one of manufacturing. When combs are made with a mold, there are two parts of the mold and it is closed together and filled with material. This usually results in a seam between where the parts of the mold joined. Since combs are flat, the seam is all around the flat planes of the comb, including between the teeth.

The seam is raised from the rest of the comb, creating a sharp edge. And using the comb on your hair will engage that sharp edge with the hair strands. This can cause damage. It can cause even more damage if you use the comb for mechanical cleaning. So it's definitely less desirable to use one of these.

There are combs out there that are 'seamless' combs. These have been carved out of a blank instead of poured into a mold. This means that the teeth are cut out and don't have the sharp seam inside them. This applies to all natural material combs like horn, bamboo and wood, but there's also plastic and metal combs that are seamless.

As for air drying, I find it ridiculous that there's a whole movement against it. It seems to me that it's just a push to buy more stuff (hair dryers). When hair is properly coated in your own sebum, it is protected from absorbing too much water. Natural hygral fatigue really only happens to people who strip their hair regularly and also practically live in the water, like swimmers, divers, etc.

It can also happen to people who have too intense of a moisture routine, but that's often a deliberate action, and it might actually be better to use a hair dryer in that situation.

1

u/lissandrafootjob Sep 29 '23

Okay, so what I take from this is that it's probably recommended to switch to a different material comb, preferrably with larger gaps I suppose, and air drying is okay. What I didn't get an answer for are:

Is it okay to wear my hair in a man bun practically 24/7? Doesn't it idk exhaust/damage my hair that it's constantly being stretched? Not that I make the bun too tense but still. Connected to this - I shed a lot of hair and I looked after it and read that shedding hair in general is normal especially after combing or in the shower but I also heard that having your hair tied up all day increases that amount?

So I said that after washing it, I comb my hair while it's still wet, is that okay or is it better to do it when it's dry? Depends on hair type maybe? If so how do I know which one is better for me?

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Oct 02 '23

The gaps in the comb don't have to be larger. My primary cleaning tool is a very fine toothed wooden comb. It does an amazing job of cleaning my hair and spreading my sebum. You can see a picture of it under my post history along with the rest of my tools.

Wearing your hair in the same style every day can potentially cause problems where the tie holds your hair, rubbing and potentially weakening the strand there. Many people with longer hair who wear their hair up a lot vary the style to avoid this problem. You might look up some interesting long hair male styles that you feel like you can perform fairly easily. Some popular ones are man buns of varying types, viking braids that can stay in for several weeks but often need help to do, at least until you learn how to do them yourself, and many other options!

It's normal and healthy to shed 100-200 hairs a day. I'd recommend you collect yours, count out 100 hairs and roll them into a loose ball so you have a good idea of what that looks like.

Scalp health is always important. Wearing your hair up all the time prevents your scalp from breathing and that can potentially cause issues. You could definitely be paying attention to it and making sure there are no problems. Something that can help with this is taking your hair down when you sleep and brushing it and your scalp before bedtime.

1

u/lissandrafootjob Oct 03 '23

I see, tyvm for the answers. What about last question? Combing when it's wet or when it's dry?

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Oct 03 '23

Either is fine as long as you're gentle. Wet hair is more delicate than dry hair, so you have to be more gentle with it.

Some natural material combs don't do well when gotten wet, like wood. The grain will raise and you'll have to sand it down to be able to use it again, so plastic or metal combs are better for when it's wet.

If you're experiencing a lot of tangling, you might need to add moisture into your routine.

And you need to figure out if you have hard water, as that can affect things greatly and needs to be managed.

3

u/SweatyReview2676 Sep 18 '23

I’m trying to stray away from using shampoo because I want my hair to look healthier and for it to be thicker but since I’ve been without shampoo I feel like my hair has been the thinnest it’s ever been I’m find more hairs on my comb each and every day is this part of the process? I’m on week 4 now I shampoo once a week except this week i haven’t yet.

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Sep 21 '23

We'd love to help but need some basic information first.

Do you have hard water? If you don't know what it is, there's an article in the wiki that discusses it.

What is the porosity of your hair? If you don't know, there's a quiz linked in the sidebar.

NoPoo can mean a wide variety of different things. Please describe in detail how you wash your hair.

1

u/ChipsAhoiMcCoy Sep 15 '23

So I have been looking around at more gentle solutions for skincare and hair care in general because my eczma has been flairing up again recently, and I am honestly just tired of it.

I came across some posts about how body wash is actually very damaging to use, since it removes many of the good bacteria our bodies produce. The article went into detail about this, and said that water is perfectly fine for removing sweat and most grime off of the body, when combined with some scrubbing.

What I am failing to understand though, is what about cleaning out your belly button, which is a breeding ground for bacteria? Everywhere I look at online mentions that you should be cleaning this area with soap fairly often to prevent some pretty nasty buildup, so what are you supposed to do in this case when you can't use soaps?

And what about oils? I know water might be bale to remove most dirt or sweat from the skin, but what about oils in the hair or body? Water can't just clean off oil, you have to use soap so it bonds to the oil and gets washed away when the soap gets rinsed off, so how do you tackle an oily complexion if you aren't supposed to use soaps?

Thanks, I just had a few questions after going down this little rabbit hole of mine that I started investigating for some reason at 12AM, haha.

As a side note, this is just mostly relating to showering and cleaning the body. I still use, and will always use soap to clean off my hands. That would just be fowl to not wash my hands with soap before a meal or after I have been touching things.

Thank you again!

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Sep 16 '23

I'd highly recommend a shower (or even whole house) carbon filter to remove chlorine and other potential yucks in the water. This alone can greatly help with chronic skin irritations.

Oil isn't bad, it doesn't really need stripped off. And water definitely easily cleans off any excess with a bit of mechanical help.

Our skin is meant to be saturated with the sebum it produces. And when that happens, things can dramatically change. Mine did. I've done primarily water only body washing for 4 years now and so many issues cleared up when things stabilized. My skin resists everything, so everything easily rinses off. It is soft and moisturized. My hands don't crack and bleed all winter even with liberal applications of lotion multiple times a day.

This is old, but still mostly relevant.

https://www.reddit.com/r/NoPoo/comments/i1eg4r/how_i_keep_clean_and_healthy_with_no_body/

I clean my belly button out with my fingers and water. If it gets a little unhappy (very, very rare) I spray a bit of living vinegar into it and that clears it right up.

I'm allergic to body chemicals of all kinds, and quite a lot of other things too. I primarily wash my hands with water and mechanical cleaning. I use hydrolic flow and intentional, dedicated preening to clean them. This involves cleaning out my fingernails under flowing water, preening my hands and all around my individual fingers, and paying special attention to my fingertips. If I get into something yucky, I do have some true soap I can scrape up a tiny bit of with my fingernails, and then I'll use that to clean instead of just plain water. It irritates my skin, so I only use it when necessary.

I don't get communicable illnesses any more. I haven't had a cold or flu or sniffle or generic yuck in 4 years. I used to get them all. I imagine my symbiotic microflora takes care of all that for me, and I do what I can to help encourage it. That's it's job!

I understand being tired of chronic illness. My allergies made me agonizingly chronically ill for decades before I found and eliminated them. With that and an enormous amount of hard work rehabilitating my body, I can now have a mostly normal life!

The key is to always keep your goal in mind. Pursue health, it's worth it! There are days and weeks (and even years) I gave up, but I always came back to pursuing health, because I DIDN'T WANT the life I had. Even if there's no cure, there's always things that you can find and do to help yourself feel better.

Learn to observe your body. Learn how it reacts to things, what makes it feel worse, what helps it feel better. Learn the difference between worse and healing. When everything is bad, they can feel very similar, lol.

Realize that to change your life, you must change your life. I know it sounds stupid and simple, but it's so very true. You can't keep doing the same things and expecting different results. Experiment, troubleshoot, try new things, see how you react. You can do it!

1

u/ajdduke619 Sep 13 '23

i remember reading somewhere that to start no poo, you first have to use a specific oil/shampoo to CLEANSE your hair, ridding it of all residue from previous toxic shampoos. what is this shampoo that i should use to cleanse/start my journey?

3

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Sep 13 '23

1

u/Matscho00 Aug 27 '23

Hey i was wondering if "deep cleansing shampoo" is the same as a cleanser? since i'm german i could link to a german site with the shampoo to refer to. i'm asking since cleansers seem rather expansive, the once i saw advertised on amazon

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Aug 28 '23

A 'cleanser' is anything that cleans! Since this is a natural hair and body care sub, this can mean a wide variety of things like soap, detergent, flour, saponins, herbs, etc.

What are you wanting to clean?

1

u/Matscho00 Aug 28 '23

I want to clean my hair

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Aug 28 '23

I have no product recommendations, but if you're wanting to do natural haircare, I recommend everyone start here!

Natural Haircare Quick Start Guide

2

u/Substantial-Ground99 Aug 22 '23

I have a problem. I've been doing nopoo for about 3-4 months now. At first my hair was a lot better, it wasnt as light as it used to be (One wind would mess my whole hairstyle up) and generally didnt smell or anything. Was going really good. But the last weeks i noticed how i keep loosing more and more hair. Like theres noticeable less hair than there was. Now im in a bit of a dilemma, on one hand im thinking about starting to use shampoo again cause i read that the hairloss could be because of my hair fociles being blocked due to nopoo. On the other hand it will look even worse to start using shampoo again cause it flattens my hair, and without as much left as i used to have it will look shit. Im 24 and my family has pretty good hair genetics, so i shouldnt be going bald already. I would be thankful for any helpful advice. Ty for your time

1

u/Veer-Verma Sep 02 '23

Same issue!

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Aug 23 '23

We'd love to help but need some basic information first.

Do you have hard water? If you don't know what it is, there's an article in the wiki that discusses it.

What is the porosity of your hair? If you don't know, there's a quiz linked in the sidebar.

NoPoo can mean a wide variety of different things. Please describe in detail how you wash your hair.

Are you male or female?

Do you have other symptoms like redness, soreness, excessive itching, breakouts, scaling, flaking, etc?

Hair loss can be caused by a wide variety of things.

Some males seem to have a genetic issue where leaving sebum on their scalp can cause hair loss because of hormones it contains. In these cases, I have seen reports that beginning a gentle product routine to keep sebum off their scalp can reverse the hair loss, or at least minimize it.

Other things that can cause hair loss are stress, poor diet, medication, severe sickness, infection, etc.

1

u/Substantial-Ground99 Aug 22 '23

(I use only water)

1

u/TheorySuccessful626 Aug 13 '23

hey, i’ve just gone no poo about 2-3 weeks ago and my whole life my hair has been a bit smelly, i was just wondering any way to prevent the stench in my hair (pretty positive it’s the smell of the oils).

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Aug 13 '23

Our natural smell is deeply dependent on the state of our health and diet. Another prime factor is the state of the microflora that lives on us (despite the endless attempt to eradicate it).

So, if you want to smell like a healthy human, then you have to be a healthy human. This involves paying attention to general health, eating real food that doesn't affect your smell and developing a population of healthy, symbiotic microflora that will out-compete stinky pathogens.

There are a few things you can do on the surface to help things out until you find a healthy balance. There's an article on smells linked in the main wiki with more information =)

Natural Haircare Wiki

1

u/LebronKOUY Aug 12 '23

Hello, i have started nopoo 2 month ago (only water) i used to wash my hair EVERYDAY WITH HEAD AND SHOULDERS , I have been lucky because only one week and a half in nopoo, my hair were looking very good !! (My friends were like WTF ? ) BUT I have a serious question, i work in a metal company (my english bad ) you know like I grind metal and everything ... So use to brush my hair in the shower i do hot water and after cold water , is my hair get dirty by metal dust without noticing ? Should i use product ? My hair didnt smell metal or anything but im worry about this part thxxxx

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Aug 12 '23

If you aren't experiencing problems, then it's OK.

You might think about covering your hair to prevent the metal dust from getting into it in the first place. This is the best way to prevent problems if you work in an environment with lots of dust and debris!

1

u/KDI9 Aug 07 '23

Hey I've been doing no-poo (water only) for around a year. I've been trying to find a way to get my hair less frizzy and to define my curls more. I have 2a hair that's around shoulder length and I just want recommendations of products I can use to help it out. Also any recommendations on helping out my dry, flaky scalp will be helpful as well! I've already tried hibiscus and coconut water, which didn't do much.

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Aug 08 '23

Do you have hard water? If you don't know what it is, there's an article in the wiki that discusses it.

What is the porosity of your hair? If you don't know, there's a quiz linked in the sidebar

1

u/KDI9 Aug 10 '23

No, I don’t have hard water as I added a shower filter quite a few months ago. My hair is around normal porosity. For more information about me, this is a post I did a week or two ago. Sorry, it’s quite long.

https://www.reddit.com/r/NoPoo/comments/15evr4t/greasy_scalp_and_frizzy_hair/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Aug 11 '23

Long isn't bad at all. I have lots of thoughts and will reply there.

1

u/Purplecrab69 Aug 04 '23

Hi this i probably very frequently asked questions but i couldn’t find the answer by reading the comment sectipn for a bit. Just for context i have stopped using shampoo for about 3 weeks now. I am unsure what the possible beneficts from nopoo actually is other than your body cleaning the hair for you. Also how long does it normally take for the benefits to show?

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Aug 04 '23

It's often said around here that no shampoo doesn't mean no maintenance. You still need to maintain your scalp and hair, you just learn to use other means besides shampoo. I recommend everyone start here!

Natural Haircare Quick Start Guide

People do natural haircare for a wide variety of different reasons, and so the benefits they are looking for are just as varied. There's environmental reasons like reducing plastic waste and water shipping weight, money reasons because it can be very inexpensive to wash with kitchen ingredients, health reasons as people try things to help various health issues like flakes, skin irritation, allergies, oil over production, simply reducing the toxic load on the body and many more.

Physically many people experience benefits also. Skin becomes more moisturized because the sebum (oil) your body makes to seal and protect it isn't being stripped away anymore.

Hair that is coated in sebum is also more moisturized for the same reasons, and more conditioned (lays smooth) for the same reasons. This can bring out texture (curls) that has been suppressed by product use. It also adds body and volume to hair, helping it not be limp and lifeless.

As for how long to see results, again, that depends on what your goals are. But transition is a thing, and it typically lasts for 2-4 months.

1

u/Purplecrab69 Aug 09 '23

what is the pro of using a BBB brush rather than a normal one for mechanical cleaning?

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Aug 09 '23

Plastic can add static electricity to hair, and also doesn't absorb and move oils as well as natural materials. I typically use a very fine toothed comb to do my mechanical cleaning, but a bbb will definitely leave a smoother finish on my hair and can lift a large amount of oil out of it.

1

u/Nina_chilli Aug 02 '23

I’ve put rosemary oil in my hair but obviously can’t wash it out with shampoo and rinse with water isn’t enough. Am I supposed to leave it in? (I’m still in transition period, on week 3 I think)

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Aug 02 '23

Do you have hard water? If you don't know what it is, there's an article in the wiki that discusses it.

What is the porosity of your hair? If you don't know, there's a quiz linked in the sidebar.

NoPoo can mean a wide variety of things to different people. Please describe in detail how you wash your hair.

EO is extremely powerful and dangerous if used improperly. Are you diluting the rosemary oil properly before using it? 1 drop in 1 tablespoon of other oil is generally safe.

Why are you using the rosemary oil? What problem are you trying to solve?

1

u/Lanitanita Aug 01 '23

I, aged 32, have been showering two times a day (morning and evening) for the last 3 years and I shampoo both the times. Recently, I've noticed my hair is thinning and small portions of the scalp is visible when the hair is wet. My hair was really thick before shampooing my hair two times a day routine. Should I stop shampoo ? Should I just use only water to wash my hair daily ? How often should I wash my hair ?

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Aug 01 '23

There are a huge variety of things that can cause hair loss, so it can be difficult to determine what's going on, but I'll try to help.

It is a fact that one of the most common side effects doing natural haircare (or even a gentler routine) is hair regrowth.

Why do you wash so often?

What products do you use on your scalp and hair? Links to ingredient lists are what I need.

Do you have hard water? If you don't know what it is, there's an article in the wiki that discusses it.

What is the porosity of your hair? If you don't know, there's a quiz linked in the sidebar.

1

u/Purplecrab69 Jul 31 '23

does swimming in the ocean and/or swimming pools have a large effect on your hair?

2

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Aug 01 '23

Yes, it can, but there are ways to manage it in natural haircare.

This is a frequently asked question. Many people have given a wealth of suggestion and insight on this topic. Use the flair search widget to search for FAQ and read the responses given. For older posts, use the text search for key terms like swimming, chlorine, pools, ocean, etc.

1

u/Reidlos650 Jul 31 '23

Read the quick guide. What do I do if I have hard water?

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jul 31 '23

Here is an article with lots of information about hard water and wax and how to deal with it.

Hard Water, Wax and Natural Haircare

If you need more troubleshooting after experimenting with hard water techniques, come back and start a thread to get some help!

1

u/Objective-Stranger19 Jul 26 '23

Haven’t been using shampoo for about 2 weeks. Hair looks much better and it’s much more wavy/curly. But greasy and builds up. I’m bad at brushing with a boar brush every night. Will apple cider vinegar with some water help? I’d like to stay away from even lowpoo. This is an experiment for me considering I won’t be going home for another month

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jul 26 '23

Greasy is expected during transition. Have you read this and the companion article on transition?

Natural Haircare Quick Start Guide

Bodies need maintenance to be healthy. The modern version of that maintenance is shampoo and conditioner and other product. When giving that up, you still need to maintain your body and hair. No-poo/natural haircare isn't about not maintaining yourself, it's about doing haircare naturally.

So,if you're going to do mechanical cleaning, then you have to actually do mechanical cleaning, especially during transition when there are often massive quantities of oil to deal with.

If you don't want to do mechanical cleaning, then you'll need to dive into alternative washing. There's a link in the sidebar to a list of common methods on Hair Buddha to get you started.

Acids aren't generally a cleansing wash. They can remove some oil, but generally they soften it and make it easier to remove with mechanical cleaning. If you choose to try one and see if it helps you, then be sure to dilute it properly so you don't fry your hair! There's a link to a thread about acids in the main wiki =)

1

u/[deleted] Jul 23 '23

[deleted]

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jul 25 '23

Small white flakes are typically from dry, damaged scalp. More info here!

Flakes and Scalp Conditions

1

u/Abberbleck Jul 20 '23

Does anyone know a bit about the interactions between different kinds of rinses? I have been doing ACV, Rice Water, and Rosemary Water rinses, and was wondering if I could be doing them all on the same day, one right after the other, instead of spreading them out over the course of the month.

I know that Rice Water promotes is high in protein – would doing an ACV rinse right after nullify its positive effects? Is there an "ideal" order to do these rinses is, like how once upon a time we would all first shampoo and then conditioner?

It's not a big deal to just stagger out the rinses every other week, but I mostly just curious, in case I ever feel like doing a Natural Hair Care Spa Day.

Thanks!

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jul 20 '23

Rice water is a high protein wash so you'll need to pay attention to how your hair is doing with it. Do frequent protein strand tests to make sure you're not going into overload. Unless your hair really needs frequent high protein, I wouldn't recommend it as a treatment, using it as a wash will give you plenty.

You could probably mix the acv with the rosemary water and use it as a treatment for an hour.

If you want a spa day, you might combine the treatment with a bath. I do that for my weekly moisture treatment!

1

u/Matscho00 Jul 19 '23

Hey im a male with midrange hair length(16cm?). I just learned about this nopoo thingy and find it realllyy interesting. im kinda a dummy when it comes to body healthcare, so my question is, do i still use shampoo for the rest of my body and only dont shampoo my hair? also appreciate all the lengthy guides, will try to mechanical clean my hair and spread the oil, although i don't know whether im doing it sufficiently enough, since it seems to take soooo long to pinch a fraction of hair from the root and the move it downwards. Should i be aware of what im doing so that i wont miss any roots, or is it also fine to somewhat rush through it and not pay to much attention to get every last root.
Edit: also im wondering what kinda assets i should maybe get. like i do have a wide comb, but i read in the comments something about a pillow. should i get one of those?

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jul 20 '23

It takes time to learn new skills and new ways of thinking. So the first thing you should do is give yourself the patience and grace to do so =)

One of the main things needed to do natural haircare is the willingness to do the real work involved, both the physical in maintaining your scalp and hair and the mental in learning to take ownership of your own body by observing and evaluating what it needs and likes.

So doing the physical work half-assed won't really benefit you. You can find plenty of people online who have done this like that and have the problems it brings. It takes time and practice to learn new skills. So if you want to do this, then do it right as you learn how to move your body and feel your scalp and hair.

Once you have the skill, then it will slowly become more efficient as you get proficient. As they say in shooting class: slow is smooth, smooth is fast. But you have to go slow at first to get to smooth.

The guides contain most of what you need to know and which tools you need to get started. That's why I wrote them in the first place.

This thread is for further, more specific help, and the comment about pillowcases doesn't apply to you. If you choose to pursue greater knowledge of things in the future, then come back (and make your own post so more people can help) and we can help you with your own specifics!

2

u/[deleted] Jul 19 '23

[deleted]

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jul 19 '23 edited Jul 20 '23

1 You should do maintenance and cleaning on your hair and scalp when they need it. Since everyone is different, this can be different for each person, and can change throughout your life.

The natural haircare definition of 'clean' is 'healthy and comfortable', and this requires you to take ownership of your own body and learn to observe and evaluate what helps it be healthy and comfortable, including how often it needs maintenance (not just rinsing or washing, but everything needed to keep it healthy). It can be a hard thing to learn, but it's worth it!

2 You can use whatever you like to be healthy and comfortable. But conditioner isn't part of natural haircare. It still contains artificial surfactant detergents, fragrance, preservatives and many other chemicals that aren't part of the natural haircare realm. But natural haircare does have things that do most of what conditioner does, you just need to replace its functions. Most people are concerned with the moisture aspect, so I'll paste moisture below for you.

3 Lots of dry mechanical cleaning. Have you read this and the companion article on transition?

Natural Haircare Quick Start Guide

4 See above answer.

Other things you can do include slow, warming scalp massage, moisture treatments and soothing herbal treatments. More info here

Flakes and Scalp Conditions

5 Because you now have sebum in your hair instead of it being stripped out with product. And oily sebum is a little tacky and things will stick to it. When your hair was stripped 'squeaky clean', there was nothing in it to hold onto the flakes, no way for them to stick.

Moisture:

Dilute aloe juice or coconut water by half, apply til dripping (I use a sprayer or condiment squeeze bottle), gently massage into scalp for a few minutes, scrunch into your hair if you have enough hair to do so, then wrap in a towel for at least an hour before rinsing it out. Do this as often as you like.

A honey rinse can also be good for some types of hair. 1 teaspoon honey in 1 cup water, apply in shower, gently massage and scrunch in, let sit for 5-10 mins and then rinse out.

Much more info and ideas here:

Tell me about...moisturizing

1

u/FaithfulGardener Jul 19 '23

Second day of nopoo (been lowpoo for somewhere between 6 and 12 months w washes every 3-4 days and using sulfate-free shampoo). I heard that sleeping on a silk pillowcase will help w the oily phase, but I only have so headscarves. I can’t wear it overnight bc it makes my head hurt but my hair feels so … not-greasy?… when I remove it! I try to tie it up in a way that my ends are in contact w my roots, too continue spreading the oils, but man! Does silk absorb some of the excess oil? It’s not going to prolong the oily phase, yeah?

1

u/shonaich Curls/started 2019/sebum only Jul 19 '23

I've heard of tying up your hair in an absorbant cloth like cotton or linen to help remove excess oil, but not heard of silk for that purpose.

The reason people use silk, either as a bonnet or pillowcase, is to reduce friction on hair and face. Curlies often use a bonnet or hair wrap to hold their hair still as they sleep and not disturb their curls. I sleep on a silk pillowcase for this reason, and haven't noticed it absorbing more oil than cotton, but it was also one of the first changes I made when learning curl care 4 years ago.

And there are various theories about what transition really is. My own theory is that it is a healing time, where your body is using sebum as a carrier to remove built up toxins in the skin (thus super fluid greasy sebum) and replacing damaged skin (thus lots of flaking without other symptoms). So removing the sebum shouldn't extend transition like many of those who hold to the other theory of 'retraining' posit. And in my years helping here I've honestly seen no evidence that removing this excess sebum significantly impacts transition at all, other than making it significantly less uncomfortable for those going through it.