QuoteReplyTopic: Intro and questions Posted: November 03 2007 at 1:13pm
Hi everyone, I introduced myself in the main introductions section, but thought I'd better do it here, too, since the long hair forum is my main interest. I'm 19, and have had long hair all my life. It is medium brown, wavy, medium thickness, and knee-length. I've never done anything special to grow/keep it that long, and in fact rather abused it in various ways, but I'm starting to take better care of it now, and hoping that it will get longer, thicker, and healthier. I have a couple of questions. Can anyone recommend a good leave-in conditioner, preferably natural, and something I can either make myself, or does not cost a lot. It seems like no matter how much conditioner mixed with jojoba oil I use in the shower, the last few inches of my hair are still dry. I tried using the jojoba oil as a leave-in, but it made my ends really crunchy. I brush my hair every morning to get the natural oils down to the ends, using a brush that has bristles like a boar bristle brush, but they are some sort of synthetic material, not natural boar bristles. I'd really like some kind of leave-in conditioner to moisturize and protect my poor ends! My next question is, how many of you shampoo twice? I've heard that the first shampoo is to get the surface dirt and grease, and the second is to deep clean. I've also heard that you don't really need to shampoo twice, once is sufficient. Any thoughts on that?
Welcome! Yeah, jojoba can make it crunchy. I mix my jojoba oil with either mango butter or shea butter (do it in a frying pan on lowest heat on the stove to get them to blend, then pour into a glass bottle to les solidify). I find this makes my hair much less crunchy. Some people also get better non crunchy results applying this mixture (or just oil) when hair is still a little damp after washing.
I definitely don't believe in shampooing mine twice, in fact I use only diluted shampoo for the once that I do it, I find this gets rid of dandruff and itchy scalp problems and also does not overdry my hair. Whatever works best for you is what matters though. (I always believed that shampoo companies said do it twice so that you use more and need to buy more shampoo, but I don't know if that's true!).
Edited because my s key doesn't seem to work anymore...
Edited by Susan W - November 04 2007 at 7:18am
Making metal barettes/concord clips hair safe, long hair style how to: http://alonghair.wordpress.com
DaveDecker
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In addition to Susan's excellent comments, I will add a few thoughts for your consideration...
In addition to the diluted shampoo (mixed in an otherwise empty shampoo bottle), I hold up the ends (over my head) when I rinse my hair, so that most of the suds rinse out around my shoulders.
Years ago I tried using leave-in conditioners but stopped because they tended to allow my hair to collect dirt and dust, and make it harder to comb out.
It is possible (though I don't know how likely) that your hair ends are in need of clarifying. I've also found that repeated use of reconstructive (high protein) conditioners make my hair (especially the ends) crunchy. I only use such conditioners once in a while, anymore.
It's also possible that your water quality is making your hair unmanageable. Hard water leaves behind mineral residue, which can lead to the symptoms you describe. After I rinse out the conditioner, I always follow-up diluted vinegar rinse, which helps my hair feel softer, makes the scalp happy, and helps it stay clean longer.
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Thanks, Susan and Dave! Susan, I will check my local health food store for shea and mango butter. That's where I got my jojoba oil, and I'm pretty sure I saw shea or mango butter there, or both. How much of the butter and oil do you use when mixing it together? Dave, I too, found that constant use of protein conditioners made my hair unhappy. I liked them at first, but it wasn't long before I hated them! I also have begun using a diluted vinegar rinse, because it's recommended with the shampoo that I use. (handmade shampoo bar from Prairieland Herbs) The shampoo is also supposed to get rid of the buildup from commercial shampoo/conditioner, so if that's my problem, the new shampoo should help. Our water is probably hard, but it goes through a water softener before it ever gets on my hair, so I don't think that should be the trouble. Is it possible that it will just take a while for my ends to get good and moisturized now that I'm trying to take care of them? I just washed my hair, and tried shampooing only once instead of twice, and I think the ends already feel less dry. I think I will keep doing that, or at least keep the ends up if I do shampoo twice. Thanks for the advice!
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I also have begun using a diluted vinegar rinse, because it's recommended with the shampoo that I use. (handmade shampoo bar from Prairieland Herbs) The shampoo is also supposed to get rid of the buildup from commercial shampoo/conditioner, so if that's my problem, the new shampoo should help. Our water is probably hard, but it goes through a water softener before it ever gets on my hair, so I don't think that should be the trouble.
I should clarify (ha ha) the diluted vinegar rinse. In your case its value would probably be less than for someone with hard water (wherein the rinse with distilled water base helps to remove the minerals). Soft water also has a lower pH than hard water, also lessening the beneficial effects of a diluted vinegar rinse for someone with soft water. You could experiment and try both ways to see what works best for you.
PrincessFurball wrote:
Is it possible that it will just take a while for my ends to get good and moisturized now that I'm trying to take care of them? I just washed my hair, and tried shampooing only once instead of twice, and I think the ends already feel less dry. I think I will keep doing that, or at least keep the ends up if I do shampoo twice. Thanks for the advice!
Maybe. In my case, shampoo is all about making the scalp and hair nearest the roots happy. Everything from about 4 inches past the roots is already relatively clean, so for me only the tiniest amount of shampoo after that point is beneficial.
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I personally never shampoo my ends.They get dry sooooo fast when I do. I put conditioner on from about the top off my neck down before I shampoo to protect the lenghts from the harshness. I don't use any products, only oils, and just recently I have started trieing aloe gel, so it never really warrants the use of shampoo of the lenths.
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I actually only get all of my hair wet and washed twice a week, but every other day I braid it back, bend over the tub, and wash my scalp. I also spray a mixture of water, conditioner, and jojoba oil onto my hair from the nape of my neck down about a half hour before I wash all of my hair. Today when I washed all of my hair, I tried not letting any of the shampoo run down the ends. I was in kind of a hurry when I combed it/put it up, though, so I didn't pay any attention to whether the ends felt more moisturized or not. I'm afraid if I never shampoo the ends, that I'll get a lot of build-up from the conditioner. Do you think that's something I should worry about? Also, can anyone tell me how almond oil and grapeseed oil compare to jojoba oil? I've been using jojoba, but both the almond oil and the grapeseed oil are less expensive, so I'd like to try switching to one of them after my bottle of jojoba oil is gone. Are they pretty similar to the jojoba?
Jojoba most closely resembles scalp oil, and it doesn't go rancid, that's why people usually use that.
Grapeseed oil isn't typically used because its chemically extracted,
that's why it costs less, its not a high quality oil, and may still
have traces of chemicals in it...that's the theory anyway). Almond oil also goes rancid in the air, but I don't know what it breaks down into. You don't want stuff that goes rancid because it can break down into tiny quantities of things you wouldn't want in your hair (like olive oil breaking down into tiny amounts of peroxides when its out in the air and light).
When I make the butters and jojoba, I usually eyeball it so its about half and half, but you can make it any way that suits you. Less butter still gives a good effect on the hair (preventing crunchyness), more butter will make a solid that may be a little harder to melt when you hold it. So, I'd aim for half to less of butter.
Making metal barettes/concord clips hair safe, long hair style how to: http://alonghair.wordpress.com
I actually only get all of my hair wet and washed twice a week, but every other day I braid it back, bend over the tub, and wash my scalp. I also spray a mixture of water, conditioner, and jojoba oil onto my hair from the nape of my neck down about a half hour before I wash all of my hair. Today when I washed all of my hair, I tried not letting any of the shampoo run down the ends. I was in kind of a hurry when I combed it/put it up, though, so I didn't pay any attention to whether the ends felt more moisturized or not. I'm afraid if I never shampoo the ends, that I'll get a lot of build-up from the conditioner. Do you think that's something I should worry about?
just a thought for you to consider......
I have found that my hair needs the water more than the oil.
Daily oiling made the ends feel nasty after a couple days. I tried keeping it dry except for the 2 wash days a week with terrible results (yes, even with using a spray bottle). I use shampoo on the ends about twice a month, but I condition every time I shower.
I have found that my hair needs the water more than the oil.
Daily oiling made the ends feel nasty after a couple days. I tried keeping it dry except for the 2 wash days a week with terrible results (yes, even with using a spray bottle). I use shampoo on the ends about twice a month, but I condition every time I shower.
So do you wash your hair every time you shower, or just get it wet and condition? I may be interested in trying that, because keeping the ends dry all the time except for the two wash days isn't working as well as I would like.
Edited by DaveDecker - March 16 2008 at 5:08pm
Current length: approx. 52"
Goal length: Infinity :)
Hairbraider, thanks for the tip! I tried it today, although I chickened out and used a very tiny bit of shampoo on my scalp, because my hair was fairly greasy before I washed it. My ends, however, already look and feel happier! I think instead of bending over the tub to wash my scalp and leaving the ends dry, I'll do it in the shower and make sure my ends get their water! Thanks again!
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