Cold Water Rinse w/out The Brrrrrrr?

Hi all,

It is great to do a final shampoo rinse w/ cool to cold water to help long hair look shinier and to seal in the oils. Only one problem.....the brrrrrrrrrSSSSSS. Do you do a cold water final rinse and if you do, how do you do it without getting the rest of your body frozen?

Best wishes,
Karen

Hi Karen & Isla Q.

I struggle with this issue since in the winter it seems too cold and in the summer if the A/C is on, it still feels too cold so I will admit that I often skip this step because I don't even want to risk the Brrrrrr phenomena. :-) Isla I might try your suggestion though. And I can certainly think of bad words if I get the ice water in the wrong place.

Oh that's easy!

I have a massaging shower head with a hose attachment. I just take the showerhead in my hand and rinse just my hair without touching my scalp or body at all. You can turn the water off before you hang the showerhead back up where it's sure to get the rest of your body wet. Brrrr!
Then towel the hair before it touches your body.

But I don't see or feel any benefit to my hair. So I don't do it often.

Brandi wrote: * Keep you hair to the back, do not flip it foreward.

I do that too, but I forget to mention it earlier. If you flip it forward it gets all tangled. I tilt my head sidewards and bend my back slightly.

It works especially if I rinse thoroughly.

Hm. I can definitely see a change in my hair since I've started rinsing with cold water.

Maybe you and SG have such shiny hair to begin with, it has no effect? Lucky you!

I have a small bucket that I fill with cool water to which I add Orris root water and a few drops of Sandalwood eo.
After washing, I submerge my hair and scalp, front-forward, into the bucket. Swish the hair around for about 30 seconds and I'm done.

It's a real pleasure to do this, especially If I have just had a hot shower (body).
The fragrance is delicately exotic.
The hair is soft and glowing as a result of the added ingredients.

The theory behind cold/cool water rinses is that cold causes the scales on the outer surface of the hair strands to shrink and close. This closure means the scales of the cuticle lie flat and hence tangling (through friction) is reduced. The hair is shinier then if rinsed in hot water as the closed, flattened scales will reflect light better than open or ruffled scales.
In response to your question, Isla, I don't believe the hair has to get used cool rinses. The response is physically instantaneous as are the benefits. The frizzing you experience maybe because of your hair-type and a sign of strength, not weakness.

The other thing to point out is that washing hair in hot water has been shown to cause the internal moisture in the hair cortex to heat and bubble up. This swells the hair shaft and distorts the shape of the strand permanently. If the rinse water is very hot, the hair strand actually explodes and the result is a split in the length of a hair strand (as opposed to just at the end). The same bubbling effect is caused by heat styling and blow-drying.
Here is a pic of the bubble-effect:
http://www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_73.htm

(Jennifer Eve and Karen Marie posted this elsewhere – thanks ladies)

So in addition to cool rinsing, warm/cool water washing is deemed the most hair-friendly practice.

Hope that helps.

Uzma

uzma wrote: In response to your question, Isla, I don't believe the hair has to get used cool rinses. The response is physically instantaneous as are the benefits. The frizzing you experience maybe because of your hair-type and a sign of strength, not weakness. Uzma

i think that was my question but thank you for the information.

Isla Q. wrote: I save the cold water rinse for the very last when I shower. I tilt my head forward and rinse

I do exactly the same thing. Though the "cold" water here in Florida isn't terribly cold. It definitely makes a difference with my hair, makes it smoother and softer after it's dried. And I never use super hot water during the wash cycle (except for the laundry). Comfortably warm is warm enough. Don't want to boil away all the natural oils.

By the way, I love your icon Firefly Gal! So appropriate for a hair board.

Yikes! I knew hot water wasn't good for hair, but I didn't know it could do THAT! I've been trying to use lukewarm water now. I really like the water to be steaming hot. But I've mostly cured myself of that habit.

I have a few stray hairs that are wiry and tightly wavy. I wonder if hot water caused that.