(Part 2) Best products from r/NoPoo

1. Try an all natural pomade. Badger Balm is nice. It smells amazing and works well. Had a bearded friend back home who used it on his head and in his beard (lightly in the beard) and it smelled fantastic. Mmmm... bergamot.
   
   
   
2. You do have to be somewhat serious about it. It takes time for your hair and scalp to reset. The first few weeks you will be a little oily. Frequent brushing with a good brush helps. So does just rinsing with warm water in the shower (and brushing with the water running on your head). Don't overdo it though. After a few weeks you should balance out.
   
   
3. Yes you can use conditioner. BUT... nothing with silicone or sulfates in it. Try to stay as natural as possible. There's a short list about half way down this page. Suave naturals is cheap and has neither in it. Personally I use Dr Bronners. The lavender smell will put you to sleep.
   
   edit: wrong link
   
   
   
   It is just something you have to stick with for a little while. People get discouraged in the beginning because it "feels gross". That goes away. If you MUST clean it, Dr. Bronners Castile Soap can take the edge off. It's best to rinse with it though, if that makes sense. It actually is great for your skin, so draw a nice warm bath, add a couple tablespoons to the water, then lay down and swish your hair around, then rinse. Adding any kind of clenser (or conditioner for that matter) directly to your head can overpower your own natural oils. Always dilute it in something and rinse your hair with it. Like with conditioners, keep a cup in the shower, add a bit to the cup and mix it, then pour it over your hair. This is why it used to be called a cream rinse.

Ah that's cool :) shouldn't take long for the aloe plants to come through then! They're good for all sorts of skin complaints too and if you harvest a lot at once you can freeze it in an ice tray.

I find any form of self care is hard with fibro, but it's good you've found a way to deal with your hair that's more comfortable for you.

I totally get you, I always feel better when I look alright on the outside. With fibro the pain is just so constant that it's a case of doing whatever you can to find relief.

I tend to have skin that's really sensitive to touch, I have aspergers too so it might be that as well. If you like the feeling though and it gives you any relief, have you tried a scalp massager?! To me these feel kinda nice, but the feeling is too overwhelming for me to do it on a regular basis. Here's the kind of thing I'm talking about: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M9K1J70/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_sAzpDbH1A44KZ
Not sure how much help it would be to your hair lol!

Just a note as we were talking about it in previous messages, some ppl on this sub have mentioned that acv and baking soda can be harsh to your hair depending on your skin ph.

It sounds like you have very similar hair to me. I'ma 30 y/o male with shoulder length, somewhat wavy, thick hair. I just commented this same suggestion on another thread but I'll tell you the same. In my experience, COLD water is your savior. As u/NonoVirus says, avoid heat at all costs. Hot water and hair dryers are horrible for you hair. Here's what you'll want to do.

1- Purchase a bamboo brush or comb. This is the one I use and I love it. This is going to be the best way to exfoliate your scalp and detangle your hair. You can brush it during your shower, afterward, or both. You may even want to purchase the 2 pack, with the wide tooth wooden comb to run that through your hair first, depending on how tangled it gets. The comb helps draw the natural oils away from your scalp and out of your hair. You're going to need to get used to feeling like your hair is "dirty" after you rinse it. Once it dries though, it will feel great.

2- Apple Cider Vinegar wash every 2 or 3 days. I would recommend purchasing either a small spray bottle so that you can get all of your hair covered. This is the one I use. Or you can take perhaps the less efficient way... pour the rinse into a water bottle and then pour it over your scalp, massaging it through your hair during your shower. Use only about a tablespoon of ACV to every cup of water. Also, buy the organic unfiltered stuff. Never buy the clear, store-brand stuff.

3- Lastly, as I said above, the most important part of my nopoo routine (imo) is using COLD water to wash my hair. It may be difficult to get used to at first but it's definitely helped the condition of my hair and my scalp. You can try just washing your body in the shower and then washing your hair in the sink with cold water after. That way it's less intense than a full-blown cold shower.

Good to know about the hair mask. I'll do some research.

I've considered a shower filter, and was actually going to make a post here about what to look for in a a shower filter. I need to find a handheld showerhead filter like so, but I don't know what qualities to look for in terms of the filter itself.

My hair wouldn't be quite long enough to do a french braid, I don't think. My topmost layer of hair only hangs naturally just below my ear. Pulled straight, it's about chin length. For now, I just put it up in a folded-over bun/tail when I want to get it up and out of my way, and/or combined with a cap.

AS fro the pillowcases, I have a couple of satin-y pillow cases that I change out regularily. I don't know that they're technically satin, as they're polyester, but I am on the hunt for a whole new set of bed sheets, and with the warmer weather, I'm looking for silk/satin.

Going natural is definitely a lot more work, I agree. I remember when I had short hair, I could wake up, shower, and be done with it. Now, with longer hair, it takes a lot more time. Going one step above that and going for natural hair care, I spend more time on my hair these days than my s/o does!

FYI, I was going to wash my hair today, but instead I gave it a good BBB and applied some cornstarch. That stuff really does work wonders. I guess my other concern with it is if it will cause too much oil to be washed out of my hair when it comes time to wash it. When I wash my hair with W.O., there is obviously still a light coating of oil remaining on my hair afterwords. If the oil is being soaked up by a product, will my hair be dry after washing it out?

Hey fellow Indian male, I've had mostly short hair for the past 10 years but last year I started growing my hair out and I ran into similar issues. I started using sulfate-free shampoo and silicone-free conditioner about 5 years ago, and after the initial grease period I found myself getting away with only having to use shampoo and conditioner once a week if I washed my hair daily while it was short.

More recently, I've actually switched to water only and it's been pretty good so far! I also started washing my hair every other day instead of daily.

But like I mentioned, I started growing my hair out last year and my hair began to get greasy again like yours. What I've been doing more of is following the advice I found here. I had never heard of terms like scritching and preening before, but thankfully I was already doing them to some extent naturally.

The big difference for me came from combing regularly. With short hair I never really bothered with a comb, but now with longer hair it's very much a necessity. I recently invested in some nice Kent combs and they work so much better than the cheap plastic comb I was using for a while.

The other game changer for me was using a t-shirt to dry my hair after washing it. It's incredible how much less tangled my hair is purely from that change alone.

I also grabbed a boar bristle brush, but with thick, wavy hair it's really not that useful, so I wouldn't recommend getting one if your hair is similar.

Hopefully this is helpful!

I am a guy with slightly longer hair, and this is what I do. I only use natural bar soaps, whether for cleaning myself or cleaning my dishes, so I also use it for my hair. However, my hair really only needs to be washed with soap once a week at most (this should help take care of any over-greasyness or odors). Other than that, just rinsing your hair out with water is the bare minimum and will do you just fine.

Then, maybe once a week (maybe on the same day you use soap) rub some apple cider vinegar through your hair, to use as a conditioner. This helps balance the pH of you hair and scalp, allowing your hair to remain nice and soft.

Try using a boar bristle brush, like this one, as they help to distribute the natural oils in your hair, as well as massage the scalp. You can find these types of brushes in many "alternative health" stores, natural beauty shops, or health food groceries like Sprouts.

Thanks for your response, and I hope you find your way back to no-poo! I can see how washing with eggs could be a bit daunting when showering with an SO.

Maybe you can try another method? (see the sidebar)... like a no-poo shampoo bar? Or raw honey washing? You could totally dilute some raw honey in water (and put it in a cute squirt bottle from Sally's or the dollar store) (LINK) and use that as a cleanser. Good luck :)

Hello! Dont worry! It may take a little time untill you figured out what works best for your hair but it is worth it. Could you tell me what hair type you are?

The thing you mentioned in your post is Water only. I wouldnt recomend to start with it. You used comercial shampoos and conditioner untill now, right? You might wanna get rid of the product build up that the silicones and all the other nasty ingredients caused. I suggest to use rhassoul or "Logona color plus" (which is a mask to get rid of build ups) to clarify your hair and scalp. https://www.amazon.de/Logona-LOGONA-Color-plus-Vorbehandlung/dp/B00139YIAK (sorry European page, but it is only to show you what the product looks like). Then, I would suggest that you try one method and observe your hair and how it reacts. I for instance, began by using natural products for one year and then I switched to rhassoul (which is a mineral clay) to wash my hair and apple cider viniger deluted in water as a rinse. Now I wash them with water only and from time to time with rhassoul.

Do you need a boar bristle brush and a wooden comb? No pooers use those to distibute the natural oil (sebum) from the scalp to the ends. Sebum is kinda the natural conditioner your body produces to protect and nourish your hair.

Maybe tell me what hair type you are, so I can give you some more advice. I hope this helps for the start.

-)

After a brief relief from honey this has saved me: Stopitt Medicated Anti-Dandruff Hair & Scalp Treatment 4 oz . Apparently some people can apply that to their roots only and not look like they dipped their hair in a bowl of oil. They're probably smarter than I am. I've been doing as an Amazon commenter mentioned with great success: wet hair in shower, apply liberally, do the rest of my business, rinse off. After 4 days of that my dandruff that has been plaguing me for years was gone. 2 weeks later it started coming back a bit, i did that again 3 days, then it was gone again. I have been dandruff free for close to 2 months now.

I'm pretty new to this, so I'm probably not explaining what you want to be explained properly haha.

Anyways, I just started off only washing with water and using a conditioner every 3 days (sulfate free, mainly for a smoother feeling and the bonus smell).

Here's the conditioner if anyone is interested. I may be breaking the nopoo rules by using the conditioner (I think), but I'm essentially experimenting at the moment.

edit: If you mean my routine before nopoo, it was shampooing every two days (but not a full shampoo, mainly using it on the scalp with the tip of my fingers and barely touching the overall hair), and conditioner. The shampoo is the same brand as the conditioner linked above, even when I've used it fully, it's a pretty good shampoo in terms of retaining your oil to a degree.

Here's the one I picked up. I researched for a while because there's so many options out there and I've been pretty satisfied with it. Both skin and hair wise.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01G7AZB96/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm sure you'll find a technique that works for you. That's the thing with NP.. there's so many different variables going in, it's truly trial and error. Good luck!

Have you tried a clarifying shampoo? Neutrogena Anti-Residue is a good one.

My hair is pretty straight and fine, and so far I've made it to cowashing once a week with Suave naturals between WO. I can go longer if I use my homemade dry shampoo. I regularly use a good boar bristle brush and a wide sandalwood comb. Finding a good brush is what helped me the most. I use this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006OU06O

What sulfate free shampoo did you use? Seriously, I went through everything that you are describing. I gave up being no-poo and settled for being low-poo. I use Shea Moisture products, I think they're awesome. My curls have really come back to life and my dandruff/itchiness has really settled down. I wouldn't say it's completely gone, but it is definitely way better. Shea Moisture has a line specifically for dandruffy/itchy scalp but I only use the shampoo and the purifying hair masque. For conditioner, I use the restorative condtioner and just make sure to keep it off of my scalp. It can be kind of pricey, so at the very least I would suggest trying the masque, it feels so good when you rub it into your scalp and it rinses out fine with just water.

I use this Henna:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009YSTOAG/ref=rcxsubs_mys2_product_title

Super cheap. Good quality.

My preferred method:

• In a glass bowl add a capful of ACV
  -then add warm water a little at a time and mix until it's a smooth thick paste.
  -Let sit somewhere warm for a couple of hours for the dyes to release within the henna.
  -Then I take a cheap non-silicone conditioner and squirt that on in the mix until its a nice creamy consistency that would be good to apply to hair. (the conditioner helps it rinse out easier afterwards as well)
  -Wrap it in a couple plastic shopping bags and let sit at least 2 hours, preferably more. Sometimes I do it overnight.
  -Rinse it out!
  
  It looks a little orangy at first, but it oxidizes to a nice auburn after a few days. : )
  

Oh wow.... I don't know a whole lot about water only washing but I wanted to jump in and say that I'm sorry to hear what you're going through :-(

I looked through your comment history to see if you're male or female (hope you don't mind). I assume that since you're a guy, you have short hair already... perhaps pick up a decent [dry shampoo] (http://www.amazon.com/Batiste-Dry-Shampoo-Original-5-05/dp/B000N5S0KE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3N9M1H7H3FTEK&coliid=I1AFWCYIFDDRB4) and only wash once a week? The dry shampoo should keep it smelling fresh and not looking greasy in between washes. Also, if your hair seems dried out from shampoo only, perhaps look into the apple cider vinegar/baking soda method? Should be a little easier on your hair.

In any case, I hope things improve for you and your family very soon.

I've tried this shampoo: http://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Coconut-Super-Hydrating-Shampoo/dp/B007Y06Z4O

It's SLS free, paraben free, fair trade, etc. Very nice.

You could also go for a shampoo bar like the kind Chagrin Valley Soaps carries: http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/products/48/49/for-the-hair/shampoo-bars

I love this stuff! I also have thin, fine hair that will grease up given half a chance! BIOLAGE Cleansing Conditioner For Fine Hair. So nice, and it has simple ingredients without any of the stuff you want to avoid.

I have no idea what I'm doing. I've only been at it for a about a week, but my usual routine consists of putting coconut oil on my hair every night-I have melted in room temperature and just dip my index to the first digit- and washing it off with warm water. I do copious amounts of brushing throughout the day with my boar brush just because it feels relaxing. Question is, am I helping my hair at all by doing this? My hair right now feels fine and isn't that much oily from what I can tell. Here's the coconut oil that I've been using

I'm a guy but this is what I use.

Bass Brushes Classic Men's Club Style: 100% Wild Boar Bristles, Light Wood Handle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0046HJM1Q/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_ESfOub0G4KHHB