stop using shampoo

Rinsing set me back a few steps to greasy hair. Not intolerably so, but more than I like. I decided to:
1. try using baking soda as powder, not in a water solution. I put in my hand, add a few drops of water, rub it and apply it to very wet hair. The friction would probably be good for my scalp, and I will feel more like I’m doing something (the water solution looks and feels like, well, water).
2. Comb. I’ve read that if one’s hair is greasy, one should try to use a comb rather than a brush. I haven’t been using either, but decided to try the comb. I don’t even own one, excpet for an anti-lice comb that I got when my kids gave me lice… so I’ve been using that… it should be good becasue it’s extra thick.
3. Not rinse, and if my hair gets nice again, just space the washes farther apart. Only rinse if my hair gets dry. But I thought that my hair will go greasy, greasy, nice, dry. Instead, today – on a very dry weather (January in Israel may sometimes be the spring already…) – some of my hair was greasy, and some of it dry. Took me by surprise because my hair is pretty short! So this morning, after running, I washed, combed and rinesd a little. It’s pretty nice now.

My hair has been nice enough to risk another rinse. Now it’s still nice, but still a bit on the greasy side.

I intend to write a no-poo diary. Here is how it’s been so far.
Day 1: I did a baking soda wash, and a vinegar rinse. It felt like doing nothing. But I’m open-minded. If I do nothing and my hair is nice, I won’t complain.
Day 2: Except, that’s not the case. My hair feels greasy. Well, there’s supposed to be an adjustment period. I’m not supposed to wash daily, so I’m not washing today.
Day 3: Greasy. Yay, I can wash today and it won’t count as “daily”! So I did. No rinse. Still greasy.
Day 4: Greasy. Can’t wash.
Day 5: Greasy. Looking forward to washing. Late evening, preparing for shower (which looks like preparing a complicated chemical experiment…), and suddenly feeling that my hair feels a bit better! I washed, no rinse, still greasy, but do I really sense an improvement?..
Day 6: Definite improvement. Still on the greasy side, but certainly not as much.
That’s what I have so far.

I wonder why it took me so long to get it, ppfff. ;)

I switched to a non-moisturiser soap. My hair is dry again, and it’s probably also due to the weather. I like it better like this. It has good days and bad days, but it’s nice to know what it is. When I wasn’t sure, I didn’t know what to do. Now I know it’s dry, I can build a strategy. So, I’ll start washing twice a week, although I’m so used to washing it every day, I feel a bit dirty not washing. But I hope I’ll get used to it. In the summer it’ll probably be oily again, and then I’ll change my routine. I can do it for my face, then why not my hair?

I started washing every other day. It turns out… my hair is actually a bit oily. I was quite surprised. Never would have thought it. It makes sense: my face is oily (actually, it’s compound, gets very dry in winter and very oily on summer). Maybe I should start using shampoo and conditioner on my face, it worked so well for my hair! All these years I had no idea that I’ve had oily hair.
So all wee, when I was running my hand on my hair, it felt dry; when I was running my fingers through my hair, it felt oily. Dryer after washing, oilyer after not washing, no big surprise.
Yesterday I went to stage three: I started doing the same, but using soap with no moisturiser. Most soaps now are with moisturisers, I’m trying one that’s not. So I washed yesterday, I didn’t wash today, and now my hair is great! It may also be because winter is finally coming, but it’s not too dry, it’s just right. But I need to give it more time and see if this is really what works for me. Otherwise:
If it’s too dry, I’ll try washing only twice a week, and if that does’t help, I’ll look for the minimal use of conditioner that helps.
If it’s oily, I’ll go back to washing every day, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll try vinegar.

My hair looks a little dry, and feels even more dry. I’m sorry for being so vain, but I really like my soft, shiny hair. But I’m not ready to give up yet. First, I’ll keep doing this a week and see if it gets any better. Then, next week, I’ll try to wash my hair every other day. Maybe I’m just doing it too often, thus drying my hair. If that still doesn’t work, I’ll try to use conditioner once a week, or maybe something more nourishing, like a mask or something. And maybe I’ll try to find out why other people on this goal are using vinegar.
I feel so boring. Now I will write “Capitalism” three times to make me feel deep again. Capitalism Capitalism Capitalism.

Editing: Oh, I’ve been reading a little and I see that vinegar is good for oily hair. Mine’s dry. So, no.
Capitalism!

I’ve been using shampoo and conditioner daily, and I like the results, but I’m thinking: maybe I don’t really need this? Maybe I can do without it and my hair would still look pretty (don’t hate me, I’m not very pretty in general, I just have a very pretty hair)? Shampoo makes one need conditioner, so maybe I can give up on both and save some money that I really need? I’ve been thinking, maybe only wash my hair once or twice a week, or maybe replace shampoo with some regular soap and see what happens. I decided to keep washing daily, because I wash all my body daily, then why not my head?, but using regular soap and no conditioner. I’ve been doing that yesterday and today and so far it looks ok.