Well I have absolutely no idea which week I would be up to by now! I'm guessing it's roughly 3 months since I've been shampoo-free (minus the recent "cheat"!).
I'm now on a regular routine of a tea tree oil rinse followed by a vinegar rinse, tiny bit of conditioner optional.
The other night I was at a friend's, and asked for her honest opinion on the condition of my scalp. Since it's hidden under all the hair, I'd hardly thought to take a a look at it. We parted my hair and noticed that there seems to be no flakiness, no real irritation aside from a very slight pink shade in areas. Hardly noticeable, but there all the same. I guess I do get the occasional itch now and then, and I'm thinking about doing some research on whether it's actually safe to be using tea tree oil this much on my skin.
But so far, so good. I leave for a 6 week European holiday in 8 days from now, and having switched to this method months in advance has been great! It takes me way less time to have my hair ready to go out, because I'm even at the point where I can wash and go to bed without waking up to an afro! It's just nice and wavy, especially if I twist it before going to bed.
The interesting thing will be seeing what the international shower heads do to my hair. I remember last time I was in England, I bought a 2-in-1 head and shoulders shampoo/conditioner, which did not agree with my hair. Combining that with "hard water" as I'm told, was not a good recipe. Luckily I have a few days at my relatives' home to see how it all works over there. If I really find my hair too gunky and looking too limp, I might have to consider changing the routine while I'm away. I certainly don't want to have dirty-looking hair in the photos that will last a lifetime! :)
September 17, 2011
September 4, 2011
Cheater?
I think I've just passed the 8 week mark! But, confession: I used a bit of shampoo.
So this goes against what I was trying to do, but it was after a horrible week and a day where I felt my hair was just a little too annoying for my liking. So I gave it one wash with a little bit of Herbal Essences, but still rinsed with my usual ingredients.
I have to admit, it did feel good. Although, my hair was tangled again as soon as I'd used the shampoo. I know now that vinegar fixes this, which has been a benefit over the last 2 months. I don't think doing this one wash has ruined my plan. If anything, it actually pointed out how well my hair now reacts after a shampoo wash. Someone commented on how amazingly shiny my hair is now. And this was a couple of days later as well. The shampoo wash felt nice, but it's not something I necessarily need to do. I've considered a shampoo wash on Sundays, then a week of my now normal routine.
I definitely haven't given up though, and I've noticed such a great result having given my hair a break from chemicals these past couple of months. It's softer, and as I mentioned through someone else's observation, very shiny.
I've read other people and the general idea seems to be to find something that works for you. In my case, it's a quick rinse of water (600ml) with a few drops of tea tree oil to cleanse the scalp, a rinse of apple cider vinegar in water (still 1 tsbp to 600ml) and if I really feel like it, a bit of conditioner on the ends of my hair.
I'm now alternating between letting it air dry and go wavy, or blowdrying and straightening on occasion. People tend to notice the shine more in straight hair, and I've always loved it that way. But being able to wash my hair, give it a quick comb and run out the door is definitely convenient. I just have to twist it up into a bun for a little while to encourage some curls and after that it actually looks pretty good!
So this goes against what I was trying to do, but it was after a horrible week and a day where I felt my hair was just a little too annoying for my liking. So I gave it one wash with a little bit of Herbal Essences, but still rinsed with my usual ingredients.
I have to admit, it did feel good. Although, my hair was tangled again as soon as I'd used the shampoo. I know now that vinegar fixes this, which has been a benefit over the last 2 months. I don't think doing this one wash has ruined my plan. If anything, it actually pointed out how well my hair now reacts after a shampoo wash. Someone commented on how amazingly shiny my hair is now. And this was a couple of days later as well. The shampoo wash felt nice, but it's not something I necessarily need to do. I've considered a shampoo wash on Sundays, then a week of my now normal routine.
I definitely haven't given up though, and I've noticed such a great result having given my hair a break from chemicals these past couple of months. It's softer, and as I mentioned through someone else's observation, very shiny.
I've read other people and the general idea seems to be to find something that works for you. In my case, it's a quick rinse of water (600ml) with a few drops of tea tree oil to cleanse the scalp, a rinse of apple cider vinegar in water (still 1 tsbp to 600ml) and if I really feel like it, a bit of conditioner on the ends of my hair.
I'm now alternating between letting it air dry and go wavy, or blowdrying and straightening on occasion. People tend to notice the shine more in straight hair, and I've always loved it that way. But being able to wash my hair, give it a quick comb and run out the door is definitely convenient. I just have to twist it up into a bun for a little while to encourage some curls and after that it actually looks pretty good!
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