Natural hair & water only washing?

[silenttullip]

Have you / would you try it?
Do you know anyone who has?
Do think it's only for fine hair with loose curls?
I'm thinking about trying it for 30 days
A read a blog by a girl with psoriasis
She does it and has been for years and it works for her.
You think I should give it a go?

 

[CrissieD]

It would probably work if you don't use a bunch of products but I couldn't do it.

 

[pookaloo83]

Nope. No ma'am!

 

[Love Always]

Water only, I don't see how that would work out. I'm curious, is the blogger black?

 

[silenttullip]

I don't think she's black...

Water only, I don't see how that would work out. I'm curious, is the blogger black?

 

[Love Always]

Ok, can ask why you want to try it?

 

[curlyninjagirl]

Well, I would try it out just to see. It would be nice to eliminate the need for shampoo. There's all these weird sounding preservatives in it that can't be boding well for my bloodstream....

 

[D.N.A.]

Hmm... You'd have to take a minimalist approach when it comes to product use, but you never know. Give your hair one good clarifying wash and from there, see how long you can go. If anything, you can just shampoo or co-wash if it's not working for you. I guess it doesn't hurt to try.

I know for me, it wouldn't work. My hair would be like, "Oh you got jokes? Go get the shampoo."

 

[silenttullip]

I want to try it because...

1. It's said to balance the scalp and clear scalp issues after the sebum regulates
2. I really just would love to never have to worry about any products ever again if I didn't want to.
3. Cowashing did well but I ended up with build up
4. I really think my hair would like to be free of shampoo and conditioner and let my sebum be my conditioner and my water be my shampoo BUT I' on the wl 2013 challenge and I don't want to do anything to stunt my growth.

Ok, can ask why you want to try it?

 

[virtuenow]

I'm curious to try this as well. I did some reseaerch on the history of shampoos and conditioners. What do you think people washed their hair with before shampoo? Water! Then came soaps (non-harsh). Then came shampoo w/lather. Then, since shampoo was so stripping, they added conditioner to the wash regimen as a necessary to add oils back that were stripped during the shampoo (quite redundant/counteractive if you ask me)

What I really want to try is oil washes and water alone. I hope a few people try it out and give their reviews. I just started weening myself off shampoos for hair in the past 6months; so I'm working in that direction.

 

[Nonie]

Well, I would try it out just to see. It would be nice to eliminate the need for shampoo. There's all these weird sounding preservatives in it that can't be boding well for my bloodstream....

@curlyninjagirl There are natural shampoos that don't have weird preservatives if that is your concern.

I want to try it because...

1. It's said to balance the scalp and clear scalp issues after the sebum regulates
2. I really just would love to never have to worry about any products ever again if I didn't want to.
3. Cowashing did well but I ended up with build up
4. I really think my hair would like to be free of shampoo and conditioner and let my sebum be my conditioner and my water be my shampoo BUT I' on the wl 2013 challenge and I don't want to do anything to stunt my growth.

@silenttullip, I scrunched up my nose when I read the post because I have smelled dirty hair after it's been rained on. It's an awful, musky sweaty smell. I think hair can be OK if not washed for a while but get it wet and then not use something that cleans it and it'll have this weird smell. (LOL why am I still making a face? )

I do not use products so you could say sebum is my only moisturizer. But I MUST use shampoo, and I use it twice a week. I don't wait for my hair to smell; I just do it because that's also when I get my moisture. But I love the properties I get from conditioning so I do that too. Baggying nightly ensures that my hair gets bathed in plenty of sebum, and the conditioning moisture seems to be recycled. Sebum doesn't have a smell but bacteria can break it down and produce a smell so I doubt you can go long w/o washing your hair with something other than just water. Also sebum contains dead fat-producing cells so I don't know if I could believe that water alone can remove that mixture of wax, oil and dead cells. (Ever tried to clean dirty armpits with just water?)

I actually think oil cleansing as my friend who washed her hair once (or twice) a year did is better than just using plain water. Oil cleans oil so I feel more certain that it'd removed old, dirty sebum better than plain water would.

I do think a dirty scalp will cause you more problems than shampoo will.

 

[Nonie]

I'm curious to try this as well. I did some reseaerch on the history of shampoos and conditioners. What do you think people washed their hair with before shampoo? Water! Then came soaps (non-harsh). Then came shampoo w/lather. Then, since shampoo was so stripping, they added conditioner to the wash regimen as a necessary to add oils back that were stripped during the shampoo (quite redundant/counteractive if you ask me)

What I really want to try is oil washes and water alone. I hope a few people try it out and give their reviews. I just started weening myself off shampoos for hair in the past 6months; so I'm working in that direction.

@virtuenow, I suspect prior to shampoos and conditioners, people still washed their hair with soap of some sort. If you read up on the history of soap, you'll see it existed in Biblical times. The following article about Ancient Egypt talks about something like soap that was used for washing existing as far back as 1500 BCE: http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/cosmetics.htm so I would assume that people didn't just use water--especially if you consider that some people's hair gets all stringy and sticky and separated like locs if not washed.

 

[ebonyseas]

I say there's no harm in trying it out.

 

[LongLeggedLife]

I consider water with no cleansing agent to be a rinse...the same way im not gonna just rinse my skin in the shower, I dont like the idea of just rinsing the hair/scalp.

 

[Nonie]

I say there's no harm in trying it out.

@ebonyseas... ahem, fingers crossed.

There's a fungus that lives on the scalp that feeds on sebum called Malassezia Globosa and it what causes dandruff. If you are susceptible to dandruff, not washing your hair may cause you problems seborrheic dermatitis.

So it's not necessarily that there's no harm in trying it, but rather that one may not know if it will work for them or not until they try it. And if you find your skin not acting right, or people not wanting to be around you , then you can decide which is the lesser evil. Hey, if you like peace and quiet, this might be a good way to keep people from bothering you.

 

[Embyra]

Even in the tropics out in the bush they have some plant that you can use as shampoo my mother told me this years ago i forgot the name so this nothing but water errrr...

I have even seen a video of Mr kravitz washing his hair with aloe vera so yeah i just dont think its needed

having said that its your scalp so if you feel its going to give you what you looking for by all means go for it

 

[ebonyseas]

Everyone thought I was crazy when I started washing with conditioner, but it worked out for my hair. Sometimes you have to go with your instincts. Nonie, I think that if she starts to have scalp, smell or other issues she can (and should) go back to her regular routine. Until then, it's worth a shot.

 

[Nonie]

Everyone thought I was crazy when I started washing with conditioner, but it worked out for my hair. Sometimes you have to go with your instincts. @Nonie, I think that if she starts to have scalp, smell or other issues she can (and should) go back to her regular routine. Until then, it's worth a shot.

@ebonyseas I do agree, and that's what I said in my last paragraph. She won't know till she tries. I was just saying it's not accurate to say, "there's no harm in trying" coz unless she stops sweating, or is able to keep pollutants from getting in her hair when out and about in this toxin-filled environment, who knows what will be building up on her hair and what "product" that layer will produce when dissolved in water and not stripped with a surfactant.

So it's one of those things we can't call "safe" until it's been tested, even if OP will be the guinea pig here. So just wanted to throw that out there. Kinda like the way meds come with contraindications so that people are on the lookout for such issues.

 

[faithVA]

Have you / would you try it?
Do you know anyone who has?
Do think it's only for fine hair with loose curls?
I'm thinking about trying it for 30 days
A read a blog by a girl with psoriasis
She does it and has been for years and it works for her.
You think I should give it a go?

I say give it a try. Maybe you find you can't water wash for 30 days but you might find that you don't need to use a cleansing agent every week.

I haven't tried it for 30 days but after I used the mud wash I have done just a water rinse the following week.

 

[nisemac]

the closest i've come to water washing is when i had my very short twa--a little less than 1/2 in of hair. I say close, because during that time, i only used a heavy conditioner (shea moisture deep treatment or organics hair mayonnaise) as my styling product. in the evenings, i'd rinse my hair thoroughly when I showered. in the morning, wet my hair and use conditioner to style. occasionally, i'd use gel to really define my curls, and would then cowash to remove the gel. if i knew then, what i know now, i probably could've just used AVG to style and just rinse.

btw, i would say my hair is 4a (fine in front and nape, medium/coarse elsewhere).

never had any issues with my scalp--but then again i did eventually use shampoo about once a month--and when i look back, my hair was so soft--which is why i probably kept it short for so many years.

 

[Tiye]

I have tried it. Not for 30 days (no bueno imo). But I have simply rinsed and massaged my scalp no shampoo, soap, conditioner, etc., in the shower. This is common enough I think among people wearing braids or twists (not the extensions). Has no one simply rinsed with plain water after getting out of the swimming pool or the ocean?? Rinsing your hair with plain water every now and again - to me that's fine. Calling it a care regimen - I don't think that's a good idea. You do need to cleanse your scalp just like the rest of your body. Sebum is waxy. It doesn't doesn't wash away in plain water so you'd have buildup in your root area that can turn into a bacteria trap . There are plenty of very basic things you can use to wash your hair if you don't like commercial shampoos, like the soap, shikakai, clay, cornmeal, etc. I actually saw a thread featuring some water only ppl on a different hair board a while ago, but to be honest, I'd feel some kind of way if I was around someone who told me they hadn't washed their hair in years.

 

[silenttullip]

I totally get what you mean. I shampoo 2x a week and my hair never has a smell. I can't baggy it makes the sebum sit on my scalp and I want it on my strands. I think you're right though wet hair may smell kinda funky girl with blog said she had no smell oddly...
I'll try oil cleansing instead

@curlyninjagirl There are natural shampoos that don't have weird preservatives if that is your concern.



@silenttullip, I scrunched up my nose when I read the post because I have smelled dirty hair after it's been rained on. It's an awful, musky sweaty smell. I think hair can be OK if not washed for a while but get it wet and then not use something that cleans it and it'll have this weird smell. (LOL why am I still making a face? )

I do not use products so you could say sebum is my only moisturizer. But I MUST use shampoo, and I use it twice a week. I don't wait for my hair to smell; I just do it because that's also when I get my moisture. But I love the properties I get from conditioning so I do that too. Baggying nightly ensures that my hair gets bathed in plenty of sebum, and the conditioning moisture seems to be recycled. Sebum doesn't have a smell but bacteria can break it down and produce a smell so I doubt you can go long w/o washing your hair with something other than just water. Also sebum contains dead fat-producing cells so I don't know if I could believe that water alone can remove that mixture of wax, oil and dead cells. (Ever tried to clean dirty armpits with just water?)

I actually think oil cleansing as my friend who washed her hair once (or twice) a year did is better than just using plain water. Oil cleans oil so I feel more certain that it'd removed old, dirty sebum better than plain water would.

I do think a dirty scalp will cause you more problems than shampoo will.

 

[silenttullip]

I already have the bolded so I don't want to make it worse. I've finally got in under control. ROFLMAO nah nonie I don't wanna scare people off well actually I do, but not by being fonky lol

@ebonyseas... ahem, fingers crossed.

There's a fungus that lives on the scalp that feeds on sebum called Malassezia Globosa and it what causes dandruff. If you are susceptible to dandruff, not washing your hair may cause you problems seborrheic dermatitis.

So it's not necessarily that there's no harm in trying it, but rather that one may not know if it will work for them or not until they try it. And if you find your skin not acting right, or people not wanting to be around you , then you can decide which is the lesser evil. Hey, if you like peace and quiet, this might be a good way to keep people from bothering you.

 

[Je Ne Sais Quoi]

I say try it. Folks weren't washing/rinsing their hair AT ALL for a month. I really don't see any harm happening from 30 days of not using a poo or other cleansing agent. my issue would be not using conditioner though.

 

[MzSwift]

There are ladies on LHC who subscribe to the water-only method.

I remember one natural even cutting out conditioner and styling agents. In that instance, she would only use a natural oil to help retain moisture. She washed either once per week or whenever her hair started to stink. She said that her hair responded wonderfully one time when she forgot to condition after washing so she just ran with it. I can't remember who it was, but I long for a simple regi like that.

I primarily wash with ayurveda powders. I may use a clarifying shampoo once every 2-3 months or so. I feel like I'm getting close to that kind of regimen.

Try it and see what happens. GL!

 

[Khaiya]

hmmm, well if plain water isn't enough, how about dunking in diluted ACV instead? I think i'll try that, i'm on a mission to cut out as many products as i safely can so i'll try that for a little while and see how it goes since ACV is so good for clarifying and restoring pH.

 

[Nonie]

I totally get what you mean. I shampoo 2x a week and my hair never has a smell. I can't baggy it makes the sebum sit on my scalp and I want it on my strands. I think you're right though wet hair may smell kinda funky girl with blog said she had no smell oddly...
I'll try oil cleansing instead

Oddly enough silenttullip, I find baggying daily doesn't leave sebum on my roots but it's like the bag does a kind of "steaming effect" so that the baggy has droplets that condense back on the hair. It could be internal moisture just being recycled, but honestly as soft as my roots are, so are the rest of my strands. I think my scalp would itch something awful if sebum was just sitting on it, but you know how people with straight hair have it travel down the strands? Well, I find baggying seems to get sebum to reach my ends the way it naturally does for straight hair. Might be all in my head, but how else can you explain how my hair can stay moisturized w/o any additional moisture or why it isn't just my roots that are soft.

I already have the bolded so I don't want to make it worse. I've finally got in under control. ROFLMAO nah nonie I don't wanna scare people off well actually I do, but not by being fonky lol

LOL @ "well actually I do".

I say try it. Folks weren't washing/rinsing their hair AT ALL for a month. I really don't see any harm happening from 30 days of not using a poo or other cleansing agent. my issue would be not using conditioner though.

Je Ne Sais Quoi, this isn't about not washing. Like I said, you can go a month w/o washing your hair and be fine. That is if hair is kept dry, it'd be OK. But if you get it wet when it's not been washed, then I think it would have a smell if you don't use anything but water. I supposed it all depends on what your nose can stand, but even hair that has been washed. I liken it to having sweaty armpits and then trying to just use water. That's what I'm finding hard to believe that it'd work. Maybe people just get used to smelling their hair like that. Or maybe if you're not cleaning your scalp often, you sweat less. Who knows.

 

[Nonie]

I have tried it. Not for 30 days (no bueno imo). But I have simply rinsed and massaged my scalp no shampoo, soap, conditioner, etc., in the shower. This is common enough I think among people wearing braids or twists (not the extensions). Has no one simply rinsed with plain water after getting out of the swimming pool or the ocean?? Rinsing your hair with plain water every now and again - to me that's fine. Calling it a care regimen - I don't think that's a good idea. You do need to cleanse your scalp just like the rest of your body. Sebum is waxy. It doesn't doesn't wash away in plain water so you'd have buildup in your root area that can turn into a bacteria trap . There are plenty of very basic things you can use to wash your hair if you don't like commercial shampoos, like the soap, shikakai, clay, cornmeal, etc. I actually saw a thread featuring some water only ppl on a different hair board a while ago, but to be honest, I'd feel some kind of way if I was around someone who told me they hadn't washed their hair in years.

@ the bold, Tiye, I did once: rinse my hair with just water after coming out of the pool. I had to shave my hair off to a fade because chlorine did a number on my hair. Never again.

I think even people wearing braids after a while use witch hazel or some dry shampoo coz hair can get funky.

I agree with the rest of your post.

 

[An_gell]

This is interesting, I do water rinses about twice a week but I can't see not using shampoo to clean my scalp at the end of the week cuz for me by the end of the week my head feels dirty.

 

[virtuenow]

Before people used soap they used plain water. When people didn't have access to soap they used plain water (and still do of course). I couldn't imagine submerging yourself in water, with for instance sweaty armpits, and still come up smelly and dirty. Water does wonders that many are not aware of apparently. Water is capable of cleansing and washing away dirt. I bet washing in a spring would be the most refreshing and cleansing experience one could have. We have become real germaphobes; and reliant on manmade products for too much. I have seen women on other hair boards who successfully just do water rinses. I found this during my research on oil cleansing/washing. There are women out there successfully washing w/things other than the "trusty" shampoo.