Please Help! BS and ACV was working but isn't now!!!!

[alicat16]

Hi all, I'm new here but I'm desperate for some advice...

About 8 weeks ago I went no 'poo, using BS and ACV rinse 1 x per week and any other time I shower just washing hair with water.

For the first 4 weeks or so, it was TERRIBLE! My hair was so greasy I had to wear a hat or wear it up.

After about 5 weeks it was still greasy but getting better - less greasy at the front and I felt like it was working because my ends felt very soft and I didn't have many split ends, and it was starting to look better. It was also super easy to brush - did not tangle at all even when I used water only.  I was amazed that my hair could be tangle free with no shampoo or conditioner. I was also using a boar bristle brush and it seemed to have less build up on it then the beginning. 

Weeks 6 and 7, the day of my BS / ACV wash, my hair was FABULOUS!  So soft and smooth and shiny!  That would last a couple days and then I'd be water washing and by the end of the week I was happy to do the BS again because it was getting greasy. I felt like it was finally working. Still soft ends and no tangles. 

Week 8 - my hair has totally regressed!  It was yucky all week so I was excited to do BS and ACV Monday morning.  I did it and it didn't seem to work! The top of my hair was still greasy, not smooth and shiny like it had been before.  The ends feel completely dry and brittle and are SO tangly!  I thought maybe I hadn't rinsed the baking soda out right or had used to much ACV or something .  So I tried again this morning (Tuesday) and same results.

What is going on???!!! I don't want to give up on this now! 

The whole time I've had the same routine - 1 Tblsp BS dissolved in water, pour into hair, massage, rinse.  Then a splash of ACV dissolved into water, pour over hair, rinse. 1 x per week and other times water only.

Any ideas?!

Thanks so much for any help...

[alicat16]

Oh - and now my boar bristle brush has tons of build up again on it - whitish waxy stuff.  : (

[MamaBookworm]

When I was transitioning into using baking soda I would wash way more frequently than 1 time a week. And if you are greasy then skip the ACV altogether and just do it like every other time. I had to experiment a lot to make it work for me, but it's the ONLY thing that doesn't leave me with a lot of dandruff. I also tried using a bit more baking soda because my hair is really thick.

And maybe you have some hard water? Or soft water? I can't remember which, but one of those can leave some build up in your hair. 

[nstewart]

Your brush probably needs to be washed.  Not to say that's your issue with your hair, just with the brush.  I wash my brush fairly regularly with soap.

If the ends are dry and the top is greasy, you could also try brushing more frequently to move the oil down the strands of your hair.  Do you do scalp massages for yourself?  Do that and then brush your hair out really well (I did the 100 stroke thing) to distribute the oils.  You could try using a bit more BS in the water (up to 2 TBSP) but make sure you are rinsing it really well.  Also, you could try more than once per week, but then that may dry your scalp and cause your hair to produce MORE oil.

You really just have to expirament.  It took me about 4 months to get down the routine that worked for me (which is to use BS/ACV only once every 2 weeks, and just ACV once in the week that I don't BS/ACV and just water any other time my hair needs to be re-set, but I tend to be dry, not greasy and actually have to use some leave in conditioner sometimes).

[Chakra]

The PH of baking soda and acv are really bad for your hair. They will raise the hair follicle and eventually start to damage them. Also baking soda is abrasive and it will start to eat away at the hair, even putting holes in the follicles The reason it's not working anymore is because of build up caused by the two. Clarify your hair and it will return back to normal.

A gentle shampoo is so much better for your hair. Try Cali Baby extra sensitive. It gentle enough and won't strip or irritate hair. I add a little olive oil in mine for exta moisture.

Same goes for castille soap - very bad for hair bcus of high PH.