Clean hair without losing the oils

[swd12422]

Sorry, this is a little gross...

I have frizzy, very wavy/curly hair. I started using BS/ACV instead of shampoo awhile ago, and now my hair cleansing routine is water-only daily with a washing of BS/ACV maybe 2-3 times a month.

I brush my hair before every shower to loosen the dirt and grime so it can be washed away, but my hairbrush is DISGUSTING and my hair doesn't smell clean. I'm not sure if the water-only routine is getting all the dirt out or not. I know I can just rub a little TTO or essential oil on my scalp to make my hair smell nice in between real washings, but I hate brushing my hair and seeing the gray grime collect on the bristles (and then have to clean it, b/c it's a wood-bristle brush). I do exercise every day, so some of the grime is expected, but really, is my hair THAT dirty all the time?

I'd use the BS/ACV more often, but it dries my hair out too much. My roots barely get oily before I "wash" it again, and I go at least a week, sometimes 2-3 weeks, between "washings."

Is there something else I should use/do instead?

[MountainRose]

What is BS/ACV?

I have frizzy curly hair too!
But I don't know what BS/ACV is. I got on here to see what natural things people are doing for their frizzy curly hair and your post was the first one up. I wash my hair every other day and have been trying to find good products/methods.
It sounds like my hair gets oilier a little sooner than yours.
And sometimes it is straight and sometimes curly!!!
One thing I do is keep it in a low pony tail and that seems to calm some of the frizz. And if it gets really bad I put it in a braid or pony tail for sleeping.
I don't know if I am much help to you, but it is still nice to discuss frizzy/curly hair with someone.

What is BS/ACV?

[crunchy_mommy]

Are you sure it's really "dirt"? Could just be shed skin or something. I have dry, frizzy. curly hair & I don't use the BS unless I actually get dirty (like actual dirt/sand) or something. It dries my hair out otherwise. I just use water and occasionally ACV. I don't brush my hair though. I comb it while in the shower... I can't brush it, it's unmanagable

[2xy]

Baking Soda and Apple Cider Vinegar.

The gray grime is probably dead skin cells and not dirt.

[swd12422]

Um, okay, so it's dead skin cells.... It's gray and fuzzy and grimy. It's dirt!
I get what you're saying, but it still feels like dirty hair, KWIM? And I use one of those microfiber towels to dry my hair, and it smells musty after a couple of days, so I can't help but think that my hair smells that way, too!

So is the bottom line that I need to get over the dirt phobia and just keep doing what I'm doing? I'm so happy that my hair is healthy, but I do miss the just-shampooed feeling and smell....

Mountain Rose: Do a search here for baking soda or BS/ACV or no-poo and you'll see a lot of threads about using baking soda and vinegar instead of shampoo and conditioner. It's done a world of good for my frizzies, but you have to be careful not to overdo it or your hair'll dry out and be even more frizzy!

[crunchy_mommy]

I don't know, like I said, I don't brush my hair so I don't see the grey grime. My towel always smells fresh too... maybe it's the microfiber? I just use a normal towel. I'd say maybe find an EO you like & put it in a spray bottle with water and then you can spray it on after you shower to get that scent. But I'm not really sure what to say about the skin cells...

[Nicolette507]

Hello, I am not sure if this is something you would want to try...but my husband and I have been using J.R. Liggett's bar shampoo for a few years now and we are in love!
This is from the website:
Why to use our products:
It's made entirely from pure 100% natural oils.
It contains NO animal products, or preservatives.
It doesn't strip hair of its natural oils.
It makes a luxuriously thick lather.
It rinses out clean and easily.
It's especially good for permed or colored hair.
It gives your hair body, and manageability.
It leaves your hair soft, healthy and smelling clean.
It's great for TRAVELING, OR BACKPACKING.
100% Biodegradable with minimal packaging.
No Petroleum Based Detergents.
No Sodium Laurel Sulfate or DEA.

The best thing is that it does not strip your hair and you don't need conditioner. It isn't cheap but if you buy from herbspro.com you can get a bulk discount. We bought 12 bars and just put the extras in the freezer until we were ready to use. I can't say enough about this shampoo!

[swd12422]

Hmmm... I may have to try that... At first I thought, no way. I don't want to go back to buying shampoo, even if ti's in bar form, but that may be a good alternative, if it really doesn't change the texture of my hair.

Crunchy_mommy: The spray bottle is a good idea -- I put EOs in the vinegar I rinse with, so there's no reason I can't rinse with water and EO or spray it on after. Thanks! And yeah, it's very likely the MF. I didn't think of that.

[amber913]

I agree--grime is grime. I wonder if you could BS/ACV a little more often, but use less BS each time. I do this if it's not quite time, but i have somewhere important to go, and my hair just starting to look greasy.

When you water-only wash, are you massaging your scalp really well, like as if you were washing with shampoo? 'Cause that could help, perhaps.

Also, i know a lot of people conditioner-only wash. I have no idea if that would solve your problem, but it could be worth a try. (I use Desert Essence Tea Tree conditioner when my hair's not smelling great.)

Let us know what works.

[MamaMamaMama!]

What about using a rosemary infusion (like a strong tea) as the final rinse? Rosemary has some antifungal/antibacterial properties and it's good for your hair, supposedly. You could also try rosemary infused ACV.