Co-Dependent, or, How I Kissed Shampoo Goodbye - Part II

If you missed yesterday's Tuesday's post and introduction, find it here.  Sorry about the delay.  My camera was having issues.  And also, I hate taking photos of myself.

This is the lowdown on how I switched to the co-wash method, washing my hair only with conditioner.

The morning after washing with conditioner, my hair looked pretty good.  It was smooth, soft, manageable, and had good volume.

However, the next two to three days were horrible.  My hair looked oily and frizzy and heavy all at once and I wanted to shave it all off use shampoo so bad.  SO BAD, you guys.  I resisted the urge, but it was hard.

Thankfully, after about a week, my hair went from super gross to normal to - shut the front door - looking great.  It was smooth, glossy, and had a lot of bounce and movement.

Then after two weeks, something weird and unpleasant happened.  My hair started to feel like straw and I could hardly get a brush through it.  All I could think was - great, I've ruined my hair and I'm going to have to cut it all off AGAIN.  It didn't make sense though; how could conditioner ruin my hair?  

So, I was determined that it could be fixed.  Maybe it was too dry? I slathered my hair in coconut oil for a few nights thinking that might do the trick? But it only got worse.

It was time to turn to the most powerful resource on earth: the internet.  I ran several searches until I got an answer.  Here's what I found:

1.  There are entire forums dedicated to curly/wavy hair, co-washing, no-poo, semi-no-poo, long hair, short hair; you name it. 
2.  Other people have had this problem with co-washing
3.  There are categories, according to naturallycurly.com, for curly/wavy hair types, based on curl pattern, porosity, density, width, and length.

It turns out that I have type 2a hair - "Type 2a is gently, slightly "s" waved hair that sticks close to the head; it won't bounce up, even when it is layered. 2a hair tends to be fine, thin and very easy to handle. It is also generally easily to straighten or curl. Type 2a hair tends to have quite a bit of sheen."  

Yup, that's me.  I also discovered that I have low porosity hair, which is sensitive to protein buildup. And THAT was the problem - the conditioner I was using has added proteins, and my hair was experiencing buildup! 

I went to Target and bought a clarifying shampoo, as recommended, a deep conditioner (sans proteins), and another washing conditioner that had no proteins - Suave Ocean Breeze (also cheap, HOLLA!).

I used the clarifying shampoo and the deep conditioner for a week, and then starting co-washing with the other Suave conditioner.  All was well again.

All told, I've been using the co-wash method for two months now, and I think I'm going to stick with it.  I have used the conditioner exclusively for a month, and it's never looked better.  It's smoother, the color is more vibrant, and it has a lot more volume.  I have been able to give up all the curl products I had been using and blowing my money on.

Here's a little comparison of my daily hair product usage:

Before:

• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Anti-frizz serum
• Mousse
• Hair spray
• Curl activation spray
• Smoothing balm

Now:

• Conditioner
• Mousse
• Hair spray (sometimes)

That's quite a difference, no?  I also spend exponentially less money on hair products = WINNING.

 If my waves get out of control, I use a minuscule amount of coconut oil to smoothe them out. Also, I think I need to use the clarifying shampoo once a month to get rid of buildup; otherwise, it's all conditioner-all the time.

All that fuzz on top is new growth.

So what do you think?  Anyone else up for the challenge of breaking up with shampoo?

Please note: This is not a paid endorsement for Suave products or Target.

Co-Dependent, or, How I Kissed Shampoo Goodbye - Part I

I like natural stuff.  I eat organic vegetables and make my own yogurt and drink non-homogenized and/or raw milk. I use baking soda and vinegar in the wash as a fabric softener. I make my own facial toner.  I exfoliate my face with sugar and milk and moisturize with coconut oil.  Let's just say I've been called "crunchy granola" more than once 10 times.

I was researching alternative and natural methods of cleansing my hair without chemicals, and I stumbled across the co-wash method.

The what now?

Co-washing is a method where one washes ones hair with only conditioner, the "co" in "co-washing." Popular with women of color, co-washing has actually been around for a long time.  It turns out that conditioners are a great way to gently cleanse hair, even fine, wavy hair like mine.  This method allows the natural oils in the hair to travel all the way to the ends and trains the scalp to produce less oil, since it's not being dried out by shampoo on a regular basis.  This method is recommended for color-treated hair.

Co-washing also allegedly reduces frizz and the need for frizz-control products.  Since I have a drawer full of those types of products, which are expensive, and only work some of the time, I was happy to find an alternative.

Now here's the challenge:  I have oily hair.  I always have.  I have washed it every day (sometimes twice a day) of my post-pubescent life.  Even dry shampoo is no match for the oil my scalp pumps out.  But since my hair is getting long, the ends dry out if I wash it all the time, no matter how much I condition.  It's a conundrum.

There had to be a way to train my scalp to let up on the oil production.  I've tried other methods, like the baking soda/water method.  It was horrible and turned my hair to straw, which I then had to cut short.  Then there was the time I switched to Wen, and it turned my hair to straw and I had to cut it off.  See a pattern here?  

But conditioner...that couldn't hurt, right?  I decided to give it a try.

See more after the break

Favorite Things: Baking Soda

You know what baking soda is awesome for?  SO MANY THINGS!  I use it so often, I buy the large boxes they sell at Raley's (and if I'm in the mood to deal with people, which I almost never am, I go to Costco and get the big bag) and keep them in a big canister with a cup for scooping/measuring.

Keep reading after the jump.

Cleaning Your Floors Naturally

I hate most household cleaners.  I hate the way they smell.  I hate what's in them. I hate what they do to the environment.  Not that I'm going to run out and hug a tree or anything, but you know what I mean.

So a few years ago, I gradually began transitioning to more natural ways of cleaning my home, as part of my effort to minimize chemicals in my life.

Let me first say that I love the Swiffer system (no, this is not a paid endorsement, but maybe one day I can work that out - wouldn't that be rad?), even if it is emerald green.  I use the dry cloths to pick up the dust on my furniture and on my hardwood floors.  I used to use the wet cloths, until I got tired of the smell, ingredients, etc.  I don't love those so much.  They aren't terribly effective, and they leave a sticky residue on the floor. (oh yeah, that's why this isn't a paid endorsement.)

Not to mention how messy a regular mop is, when you have to use the bucket and all that nonsense.  What a hassle.

Here's my easy, natural alternative.


I use the Swiffer mop handle, but instead of the wet cloths, I use cheap, reusable barmop dishcloths and a solution of water and Dr. Bronner's Castile soap.  I use about a capful or two of the soap in a quart of clean water in a spray bottle.

Here's what I do:

1. Wrap a clean, dry cloth around the base of the Swiffer mop, as you would any Swiffer cloth
2. Spray a section of the floor with the Castile soap solution
3. Mop the section with the cloth
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the remaining sections of the floor
5. Wet a clean cloth with water and mop the floor again to pick up the soap residue
6. Rinse out the cloth and repeat step 5, if necessary
7. Allow the floor to dry

The ridges in the cloths are great at gently scrubbing the crevices of the floor and picking up stubborn dirt.  The cloths are cheap, but durable, and can easily be tossed in the washer when you're done cleaning the floors.  I found some at Homegoods for about $3, and again at the Grocery Outlet for about the same.

The Castile soap is all-natural, and cleans well.  I clean most surfaces in my house with it.  The scent is strong and earthy, and although I'm partial to the  rose/hemp blend, the almond, peppermint, and lavender versions are also nice.  It's usually available at Target in the natural soap aisle, with the cosmetics, or at drugstores.  It's not expensive, and will last you for ages.  Plus it has countless other uses.

This technique will work on linoleum, tile, and wood floors.  If using on wood, check to make sure the soap won't discolor the flooring by testing on a small, unseen area.  I doubt it would harm the wood floors, but since I don't have any guarantees, and I don't want to be held liable for your damaged floors, do be a dear and make sure you do step 5 above.  It's important that you clean up any residue in order to protect your floors.

There you go.  Easy!