Sweetcocoa & Jade21: Distilled water really works!

[brownrelaxedhair]

Talk about night and day difference!

I was prompted to speak to you both because for the past few days I'd been washing my hair more frequently at home and noticed it was just getting increasingly dry, even though I used my moisturizing conditioners for condition only washes. My regrowth was feeling like a hedge and the hair looked just awful. Not its normal self

I did my first distilled water rinse last night and let me tell you, the hair is soooo much softer and bouncy! and I need a touch up tomorrow! Talk about a complete 180 change around from dry wirey feeling hair to softer, AND elongated regrowth! Back to my normal hair texture at last

Sticking with distilled rinses from here on out. I didn't know the difference would've been so marked with something as plain as water

.

Thanks again to you both

 

[SweetNic_JA]

brownrelaxedhair, did you buy a device to attach to your pipes or did you buy distilled water from the store?

You ladies on this board are running me BROKE *L*. I think my hair could use a little distilled something though, because it's been feeling really hard.


Let me know.

Thanx

 

[brownrelaxedhair]

I just got the gallon bottles at the store and pour it over my head with a container. Very 'old fashioned' style until I think of a better idea.

If you feel your hair also is getting hard even though you do alot of conditioner washes, def. try the distilled. Just experiment and get a 1 litre bottle and pour it over and see if you notice a difference after your hair dries

 

[SweetNic_JA]

I'll purchase a bottle this weekend in time for my touch-up. I'll keep u posted

 

[LondonDiva]

What I really wanna know though BRH is how you deal with the cold feeling of the water. How much of the water do you use each time, by the litre/gallon etc?

 

[JenJen2721]

BRH,
Do you use distilled water to rinse your conditioner out? Or do you use it as a final rinse after you've finished rinsing???

Hope that makes sense...


TIA,
Jen

 

[brownrelaxedhair]

I wet the hair with the usual shower water, then threw some distilled on top of that and then proceeded to put the conditioner in. After doing the rest of me in the shower, I rinsed out the conditioner using distilled only.

Londondiva,

That is SUCH a good question. I stood in the shower and looked at the water thinking 'how the HECK do I use this when its cold?' so I warmed it up a bit first on the stove

Not much, just to take the chill off. There HAS to be an easier way to do this but for the results its damn worth it!!!

I used too much for this first time. I used 3 quarters of a gallon bottle. Next time I'll just fill a jug and use enough to drench.

 

[brownrelaxedhair]

Sweetnic, let me know if you notice a difference either way.

 

[Tracy]

Wow. Cool!

Princess BRH

I'm having visions of you warming your water "just to take the chill off" and pouring it over your hair while you bathe...

Very Princess Graceish.

High Maintenance Women - Unite!

I LOVE IT!

**running to store to buy 3 gallons of distilled water and warming my stove**

 

[brownrelaxedhair]

Tracy,

The thing is, I thought I'd be brave at first and pour some over my hair as it was. Boy you should have heard me sing to the Gods at the coldness that hit my back

Does the water at your home affect you too?

 

[jazzyfunknastee]

BRH, did you put it in the fridge before you used it? Or was it out at room temp? It was that cold at room temp? Lordy I can't even stand rinsing my hair in cold water because it'll fall on my back LOL

 

[pebbles]

Hmmm, I think I'm going to give this distilled water thingy a try.

 

[Jade21]

Brownrelaxedhair,

I am SO glad you posted about your experience because I know that one little thing makes such a big difference when you have hard water.

I was reading a while ago about Sweetcocoa saying she was using more and more of the distilled water because she was fearing the horrible effects of the hard water with which she was dealing. Sweetcocoa, if you see this, let me know how hard your water is. I know a friend of mine outside of Chicago has nearly brown water running from her bathrooms at times. She says that the summer is the absolute worst time. She is hoping to get an entire water treatment system this summer.

One thing I also meant to tell you BRH. When you are doing your rollersets and if you rewet your hair periodically as you are rolling be sure to use the distilled water in a spray bottle to keep that softness and manageability effect going! Basically, from the time you've left your shower or bowl, you will be using nothing but distilled water.

Cheers and much love to you,

Jade

 

[LondonDiva]

Uh Huh I knew Sistah P would creep in and get in on the distilled water flex. Hey I can't front I'm thinking about it too

 

[pebbles]

Girl, you know being on this punishment I'm on with no product purchases for the whole month, I can't pass up the distilled water!

Gotta try it.

 

[Tracy]

Well I feel awfully sorry for you, but I can't say I'm not glad you tried first...

You know, come to think of it, I'm not SURE if the water here is hard.

My texture changes sometimes, but I always attribute it to a bad shampoo choice. Maybe the water is harder at some times than others? I wonder if I just don't know how awful my hair feels? :shudder: Well we'll see then, won't we....

I am so glad you posted. Have gallons, will wash....

 

[brownrelaxedhair]

Jazzy, I definitely wouldn't keep this water in the fridge. Definitely room temp

Pebbles, this qualifies for not being part of the May challenge since its water right?

Jade,

High five to you (and sweetcocoa). It does make the WORLD of difference! I have a spray bottle and you KNOW I'll use it to re-wet my hair as I do the rollars. Dang I can't wait! woo hoo! I can't believe I'm so happy over something as basic as water.

 

[pebbles]

Girl, I hope so!!

It's not really a hair care product, right??

Help me out here BRH!

 

[sweetcocoa]

[ QUOTE ]
Talk about night and day difference!

I was prompted to speak to you both because for the past few days I'd been washing my hair more frequently at home and noticed it was just getting increasingly dry, even though I used my moisturizing conditioners for condition only washes. My regrowth was feeling like a hedge and the hair looked just awful. Not its normal self

I did my first distilled water rinse last night and let me tell you, the hair is soooo much softer and bouncy! and I need a touch up tomorrow! Talk about a complete 180 change around from dry wirey feeling hair to softer, AND elongated regrowth! Back to my normal hair texture at last

Sticking with distilled rinses from here on out. I didn't know the difference would've been so marked with something as plain as water

.

Thanks again to you both

[/ QUOTE ]
Girl, I didn't think they would make a difference either until I tried them for a week then went back to tap water and noticed a big difference. I've been doing them for over a year now.... I think that's why the 'no-poo' thing never worked for me. Everytime I don't use distilled water for AT LEAST the final rinse I have 'harder hair'. I am so afraid of the tap water that I no longer shampoo at all with it...only distilled water.... If I shampoo in the shower(I have a shower filter... I still take a jug of distilled water in with me....use it as my rinse before(with a little ACV) and after I condition. When I rinse or doing a conditioner wash it is strictly distilled water.

 

[Leshia]

Good God, why do I even read the boards. I can't afford to read the boards...*sighs* How on earth will I keep distilled water on hard for daily rinses? *staring at my purse** I swear my purse is saying, "don't even THINK about it!" *laughing*

 

[sweetcocoa]

[ QUOTE ]
I wet the hair with the usual shower water, then threw some distilled on top of that and then proceeded to put the conditioner in. After doing the rest of me in the shower, I rinsed out the conditioner using distilled only.

Londondiva,

That is SUCH a good question. I stood in the shower and looked at the water thinking 'how the HECK do I use this when its cold?' so I warmed it up a bit first on the stove

Not much, just to take the chill off. There HAS to be an easier way to do this but for the results its damn worth it!!!

I used too much for this first time. I used 3 quarters of a gallon bottle. Next time I'll just fill a jug and use enough to drench.

[/ QUOTE ]

I always warm it up first...except on a hot summer day...that cold water rinse only feels really good....try it this summer. I never refrigerate it(you would get such a headache...brrr)

I was thinking the same way when you said there has got to be an easier way...but it is really worth it. I feel it contributes to my shine....Until I find a better way...I'm gonna keep doing this. Too bad you can't get 'distilled water' through your shower....both my hair and skin would be loving it!

 

[sweetcocoa]

[ QUOTE ]
Basically, from the time you've left your shower or bowl, you will be using nothing but distilled water.
Jade

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly! I only use distilled water in my misting bottles and any thing that I mix up that needs water added to it.
Jade, the water where I live is not brown....but before I got a shower filter...I would feel a coating on my skin...like the soap wasn't rinsing off...so anything I used after my shower just 'sat' on top of this film(my skin was suffering also). I don't get that feeling anymore. No wonder my hair was breaking when I was relaxed. I didn't have that problem until I moved back home to Pa. I always did my own relaxers with no problems. My hair was so damaged and dry! Until my cousin and brother(who works for the water company) told me the water is very hard and highly chlorinated. So basically the nuetralizing shampoo probably wasn't effective because of the water). I stopped relaxing... but still had problems with my natural hair being dry and hard. Since I've been doing the distilled water rinses, my natural hair is softer than when I was relaxed.
The water makes all the difference. You ladies who are transitioning try this before you give up. Your hair will feel much softer this way.

 

[sweetcocoa]

[ QUOTE ]
Good God, why do I even read the boards. I can't afford to read the boards...*sighs* How on earth will I keep distilled water on hard for daily rinses? *staring at my purse** I swear my purse is saying, "don't even THINK about it!" *laughing*

[/ QUOTE ]

Walmart....(.50) a gallon....When you just rinse you don't need the whole gallon....when I shampoo I use a whole gallon to rinse before I do my conditioner because I want to be sure I get out all the shampoo. For Conditioner rinses...I wet my hair with just a little distilled water apply the codntioner than just rinse followed by my leave-in....

 

[brownrelaxedhair]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Basically, from the time you've left your shower or bowl, you will be using nothing but distilled water.
Jade

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly! I only use distilled water in my misting bottles and any thing that I mix up that needs water added to it.
Jade, the water where I live is not brown....but before I got a shower filter...I would feel a coating on my skin...like the soap wasn't rinsing off...so anything I used after my shower just 'sat' on top of this film(my skin was suffering also). I don't get that feeling anymore. No wonder my hair was breaking when I was relaxed. I didn't have that problem until I moved back home to Pa. I always did my own relaxers with no problems. My hair was so damaged and dry! Until my cousin and brother(who works for the water company) told me the water is very hard and highly chlorinated. So basically the nuetralizing shampoo probably wasn't effective because of the water). I stopped relaxing... but still had problems with my natural hair being dry and hard. Since I've been doing the distilled water rinses, my natural hair is softer than when I was relaxed.
The water makes all the difference. You ladies who are transitioning try this before you give up. Your hair will feel much softer this way.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sweetcocoa,

The water by me doesn't come out brown either and I don't feel a film. It feels fine actually and my shampoos always lathered fine which is why I didn't consider that it was the water that was drying out my hair. But it got to the point, esp. last weekend that it was so dry and frizzed with zero waves and curls that I thought okay SOMEthing is up and it must be the water (I hope or I'd really be worried).

I don't know why its only this past week I've had this problem. I have to assume its because I did alot of conditioner home washes and it may just be the final culmination of all the previous ones coming to a head that weekend. All I know is it vanished in ONE distilled water rinse. Yep, I'm hooked too. Thanks again for the rec. Its worth the inconvenience of pouring water over your head like I'm living in the victorian ages

 

[sweetcocoa]

I think that is why I had problems with conditoner washes...the buildup. I've been increasing the number of days I can go with just conditioner...I'm now up to 3 days before I just rinse or shampoo.... I'm thinking about alternating between conditioning shampoos and just plain rinses every other day and see how long I can go before shampooing....

 

[brownrelaxedhair]

yeah, it must have been the build up. For now, I'm sticking at the round about 3x a week unless I work out at the gym for a few days straight where its every day for a short period of time (and I'll bring the d.water with me).

I need to find it now for a cheap price. No Walmarts in NY. I'll check kmart of Costco for bulk buy.

 

[sweetcocoa]

[ QUOTE ]

I'll check kmart of Costco for bulk buy.

[/ QUOTE ]

Mmmm...buy it in bulk....

I'm goona have to check out Costco and Sam's Club around here. Thanks for the idea!

 

[brownrelaxedhair]

Question: does the bottle have to read 'distilled' to assure your getting the right thing? there were other waters that didn't have that word on it. does it mean they are the same?

 

[Allandra]

Is it good to do this even if you don't have hard water?

 

[brownrelaxedhair]

good question Allandra. See what sweetcocoa or other distilled water ladies say. You could always just get a liter bottle and try and see if you see a diff yourself.