January 31, 2013
Rapunzel inspired hair
For something completely different but in tribute to the name of my blog, here are some beautiful pictures I found recently of Rapunzel/Tangled inspired hair...
Winning combination
Even though I'm not on a strict no-shampoo routine at the moment, I've been getting compliments about my hair since using apple cider vinegar again.
Last night may have been the best one so far, which was a quick baking soda rinse on the crown of my hair (prone to shampoo build up), then a wash with Tresemme Brunette shampoo and Herbal Essences conditioner, following by two diluted ACV rinses.
Today I have extremely soft hair with some good body happening, especially at the front.
I also put a permanent hair colour in a couple of weeks ago, which was less about making my hair a darker brown, but moreso to repair the damage from the banana disaster! Doing a colour always seems to make my hair look, feel and smell amazing. That conditioner you get in the packet should be sold by the litre!
I don't like the darker brown and luckily the vinegar helped because it strips the colour and lightens my hair up again.
I've probably written this many times before but seriously, if you ever want a product that is good for your hair, start using apple cider vinegar!
Last night may have been the best one so far, which was a quick baking soda rinse on the crown of my hair (prone to shampoo build up), then a wash with Tresemme Brunette shampoo and Herbal Essences conditioner, following by two diluted ACV rinses.
Today I have extremely soft hair with some good body happening, especially at the front.
I also put a permanent hair colour in a couple of weeks ago, which was less about making my hair a darker brown, but moreso to repair the damage from the banana disaster! Doing a colour always seems to make my hair look, feel and smell amazing. That conditioner you get in the packet should be sold by the litre!
I don't like the darker brown and luckily the vinegar helped because it strips the colour and lightens my hair up again.
I've probably written this many times before but seriously, if you ever want a product that is good for your hair, start using apple cider vinegar!
January 16, 2013
Banana: Hair's worst enemy!
Wow. So I thought I would have a nice relaxing night in and do a hair mask, as well as a facial using all natural products.
The face mask was fine: this was based on something I heard in a post-Golden Globes show with tips for star's secrets. They said to mix a mashed banana with some honey and leave it on your face for 15 minutes. This worked well and was easily washed off, I can't really comment on the result because I was unbelievably stressed due to the hair disaster that followed!
Being careless, I googled hair masks that involved egg and olive oil. I should have just left it at that, and gone with my original plan. Instead, I got carried away and used a more complicated recipe I'd found online, thinking that the more ingredients, the better the result.
Hair mask: 2 eggs, olive oil, yoghurt, milk, honey, mashed banana.
Every ingredient listed would probably have been great for my hair EXCEPT for the banana!!!
It wasn't until afterwards when I found myself frantically searching "How to get banana out of your hair" on Google, that I'd discovered that you should never EVER put banana in your hair!
Banana does not come out of your hair. At least, it doesn't come out without an intense washing, combing and showering process... I would have gone through almost an entire bottle of conditioner, several shampoo washes, and still the banana did not comb out. It was literally stuck in my hair and I got out of the shower, looked in the mirror and there were chunks in my hair that wouldn't come out! Luckily for me, I wasn't working the following day, and thank goodness I didn't attempt to get nice hair the night before a recent wedding!
What eventually happened, was that I used anything and everything that might have helped the chunks slide out with a comb. This included olive oil, bio oil, baby oil, Sunlight soap.
I did finally get the banana out, although this morning I'm not sure whether there are still a few sneaky pieces that I can't see. I had to spend a good half hour combing a LOT of conditioner through to get all the knots out. My hair had gone really dry and tangled, I'm sure I've caused a thousand split ends during this process.
I've slept with lots of conditioner in my hair to try getting some moisture back into it.
So this is a warning, like all the others online: Never ever EVER put banana in a hair mask!
The face mask was fine: this was based on something I heard in a post-Golden Globes show with tips for star's secrets. They said to mix a mashed banana with some honey and leave it on your face for 15 minutes. This worked well and was easily washed off, I can't really comment on the result because I was unbelievably stressed due to the hair disaster that followed!
Being careless, I googled hair masks that involved egg and olive oil. I should have just left it at that, and gone with my original plan. Instead, I got carried away and used a more complicated recipe I'd found online, thinking that the more ingredients, the better the result.
Hair mask: 2 eggs, olive oil, yoghurt, milk, honey, mashed banana.
Every ingredient listed would probably have been great for my hair EXCEPT for the banana!!!
It wasn't until afterwards when I found myself frantically searching "How to get banana out of your hair" on Google, that I'd discovered that you should never EVER put banana in your hair!
Banana does not come out of your hair. At least, it doesn't come out without an intense washing, combing and showering process... I would have gone through almost an entire bottle of conditioner, several shampoo washes, and still the banana did not comb out. It was literally stuck in my hair and I got out of the shower, looked in the mirror and there were chunks in my hair that wouldn't come out! Luckily for me, I wasn't working the following day, and thank goodness I didn't attempt to get nice hair the night before a recent wedding!
What eventually happened, was that I used anything and everything that might have helped the chunks slide out with a comb. This included olive oil, bio oil, baby oil, Sunlight soap.
I did finally get the banana out, although this morning I'm not sure whether there are still a few sneaky pieces that I can't see. I had to spend a good half hour combing a LOT of conditioner through to get all the knots out. My hair had gone really dry and tangled, I'm sure I've caused a thousand split ends during this process.
I've slept with lots of conditioner in my hair to try getting some moisture back into it.
So this is a warning, like all the others online: Never ever EVER put banana in a hair mask!
January 8, 2013
It's been a while!
Alright, well clearly it has been quite a long time since I posted anything on this blog!
I think it's been over a year, and the big question for most would be "Are you still on the no-shampoo method?"
No.
BUT! That's not to say I won't try it again. I'm beginning to think that it's a good detox that you could do every once in a while. Lately I've noticed that my hair is getting to second day and needs a wash already (although it is summer time now...), which is quite frustrating. I'm not satisfied with my S&C combo - currently Head and Shoulders with Almond Oil (Shampoo) and Herbal Essences classic (Conditioner).
I still maintain that Herbal Essences conditioner is the best smelling, and best textured I've ever used. I never coat the hair near my scalp with it, only the pony tail section and ends.
I think it's time to do another baking soda and vinegar detox, which I'll post about once I've started again.
Side note: I now use baking soda to cleanse my face every couple of days. Too early to report just yet, but as I mentioned when I first started this blog, I've heard only good things about the many benefits of using the powder for beauty routine purposes. I also use it as an additional scrub on my arms, which are susceptible to dryness and roughness.
Anyone tried and ditched this like I did? Any regrets down the track??
I think it's been over a year, and the big question for most would be "Are you still on the no-shampoo method?"
No.
BUT! That's not to say I won't try it again. I'm beginning to think that it's a good detox that you could do every once in a while. Lately I've noticed that my hair is getting to second day and needs a wash already (although it is summer time now...), which is quite frustrating. I'm not satisfied with my S&C combo - currently Head and Shoulders with Almond Oil (Shampoo) and Herbal Essences classic (Conditioner).
I still maintain that Herbal Essences conditioner is the best smelling, and best textured I've ever used. I never coat the hair near my scalp with it, only the pony tail section and ends.
I think it's time to do another baking soda and vinegar detox, which I'll post about once I've started again.
Side note: I now use baking soda to cleanse my face every couple of days. Too early to report just yet, but as I mentioned when I first started this blog, I've heard only good things about the many benefits of using the powder for beauty routine purposes. I also use it as an additional scrub on my arms, which are susceptible to dryness and roughness.
Anyone tried and ditched this like I did? Any regrets down the track??
December 19, 2011
Post-holiday hair
I haven't forgotten or abandoned my blog! I went away to the UK and Europe for 6 weeks which was fantastic as expected, but did test my routine a little...
Since I was traveling around quite a lot between family visits, I tended to use those little travel shampoo bottles. Taking a packet of baking soda on local flights was something I didn't think very safe! Carrying white powder through customs, no matter how harmless, seemed like a dumb thing to do. Plus I was anticipating a difference in hair quality, feel etc since I was now in England where they have "hard water".
I didn't notice too much of a difference, but I indulged myself and went back to Herbal Essences for the first week. Well... interestingly and I guess not surprisingly, my hair clogged up immediately. It was dried out from the shampoo, my scalp became itchy again and I just felt a general build up around the back section.
I went to a health store somewhere in East England one day, and found a bottle of organic tea tree shampoo. This was a great find, and cleared up my hair straight away. I also eventually did buy some ACV from Waitrose and was rinsing my hair with that when not on short trips to other countries. Stuck with Herbal Essences conditioner for the ends to keep some moisture in there, as I was outdoors a lot.
It was a fairly happy balance, a little less messy that carrying baking soda and a bottle around everywhere I traveled. The shampoo was cleansing and close enough to my recent Tea Tree Oil rinse I'd be doing just before I left. The vinegar is definitely the key to shiny hair. People comment on how soft and shiny my hair is all the time, and they are a bit skeptical when I tell them I put vinegar in it!
I did notice my hair lightening, but I've thrown a semi permanent colour in there every few months to keep it back to brunette. People have pointed out that the highlights look good in the sun and especially suit the upcoming Summer here in Sydney.
Since I've been back I'm now on: Redwin Tea Tree Shampoo, ACV rinse over my whole head and then Herbal Essences classic conditioner on the ends.
Next step is to try Coconut Oil which a reader suggested to me :) Apparently this will help take away any itch and since reading about it, I've heard there are many benefits from using it!
Since I was traveling around quite a lot between family visits, I tended to use those little travel shampoo bottles. Taking a packet of baking soda on local flights was something I didn't think very safe! Carrying white powder through customs, no matter how harmless, seemed like a dumb thing to do. Plus I was anticipating a difference in hair quality, feel etc since I was now in England where they have "hard water".
I didn't notice too much of a difference, but I indulged myself and went back to Herbal Essences for the first week. Well... interestingly and I guess not surprisingly, my hair clogged up immediately. It was dried out from the shampoo, my scalp became itchy again and I just felt a general build up around the back section.
I went to a health store somewhere in East England one day, and found a bottle of organic tea tree shampoo. This was a great find, and cleared up my hair straight away. I also eventually did buy some ACV from Waitrose and was rinsing my hair with that when not on short trips to other countries. Stuck with Herbal Essences conditioner for the ends to keep some moisture in there, as I was outdoors a lot.
It was a fairly happy balance, a little less messy that carrying baking soda and a bottle around everywhere I traveled. The shampoo was cleansing and close enough to my recent Tea Tree Oil rinse I'd be doing just before I left. The vinegar is definitely the key to shiny hair. People comment on how soft and shiny my hair is all the time, and they are a bit skeptical when I tell them I put vinegar in it!
I did notice my hair lightening, but I've thrown a semi permanent colour in there every few months to keep it back to brunette. People have pointed out that the highlights look good in the sun and especially suit the upcoming Summer here in Sydney.
Since I've been back I'm now on: Redwin Tea Tree Shampoo, ACV rinse over my whole head and then Herbal Essences classic conditioner on the ends.
Next step is to try Coconut Oil which a reader suggested to me :) Apparently this will help take away any itch and since reading about it, I've heard there are many benefits from using it!
September 17, 2011
Losing Count
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! :)
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 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!
August 25, 2011
Week 6: Still here!
Lately I've hardly had any time at all to update my blog, but the good news is it's now been almost 6 full weeks of the no-shampoo thing and it's mainly positive results!
I've had people comment on how much more natural and bouncy my hair looks, like beach waves or windswept. I also finally got the nerve to visit a hairdresser.... thinking she would freak out. Not the case though! She didn't say anything till I mentioned it. She's not a fan of this method, but she said that my hair's clean and healthy so keep doing what I'm doing :)
There's been the odd urge to wash my hair just once with shampoo and conditioner fully, but I've resisted based on the fact that I've made it 6 weeks, with the only cheating being conditioner on the ends of my hair.
I'm going to keep this short and sweet because I'm busy, but this is a word for those considering the idea. Do it, stick with it because if you can make it to 6 weeks like I have, you'll reap the benefits and enjoy it. Trust me :)
I've had people comment on how much more natural and bouncy my hair looks, like beach waves or windswept. I also finally got the nerve to visit a hairdresser.... thinking she would freak out. Not the case though! She didn't say anything till I mentioned it. She's not a fan of this method, but she said that my hair's clean and healthy so keep doing what I'm doing :)
There's been the odd urge to wash my hair just once with shampoo and conditioner fully, but I've resisted based on the fact that I've made it 6 weeks, with the only cheating being conditioner on the ends of my hair.
I'm going to keep this short and sweet because I'm busy, but this is a word for those considering the idea. Do it, stick with it because if you can make it to 6 weeks like I have, you'll reap the benefits and enjoy it. Trust me :)
August 12, 2011
Week 4: Goodbye hairdryer...
I've been so busy that the last thing I could think about was reporting on the state of my hair... but I'm approaching the one month mark and today happens to be a great one for an update!
I'm realising that not only is a change of product really helping my hair, but so is reducing the amount of blowdrying and straightening.
Last night, only due to a lack of time, I let it air dry. It must be the combination of this and the natural products I'm using because today I have nice, wavy hair! It's something to get used to, having straightened it for almost 7 years... I've always felt that shiny, straight hair always looks the nicest, neatest etc. But I'm told otherwise, especially by men. The more natural, the better it seems.
I'm not doing this to please anyone's tastes, this whole experiment/change of lifestyle was originally motivated by a need to fix my badly damaged hair. Obviously, it's nice to know that eventually I might be able to spend less time maintaining it, apparently resulting in an improved appearance.
ROUTINE UPDATE
- Using a very minimal amount (pinch) of baking soda in a small bottle of water and poured over the trouble areas: front hairline and crown
- Diluted ACV on the bottom half of my hair only
- Diluted lemon juice poured over my entire head concentrating on reaching the scalp
- Thoroughly rinsed
- On occasion I'm indulging in a small amount of Herbal Essences conditioner on the ends, purely for how amazing it smells and just moisturises the ends a little.
As I've mentioned in earlier posts, I figure that conditioning the ends is not going to affect the roots. My scalp and the new hair follicles are what need to get used to the all-natural products, and anyway, I'm getting a hair cut so the current ends will be gone soon anyway! :)
I'm realising that not only is a change of product really helping my hair, but so is reducing the amount of blowdrying and straightening.
Last night, only due to a lack of time, I let it air dry. It must be the combination of this and the natural products I'm using because today I have nice, wavy hair! It's something to get used to, having straightened it for almost 7 years... I've always felt that shiny, straight hair always looks the nicest, neatest etc. But I'm told otherwise, especially by men. The more natural, the better it seems.
I'm not doing this to please anyone's tastes, this whole experiment/change of lifestyle was originally motivated by a need to fix my badly damaged hair. Obviously, it's nice to know that eventually I might be able to spend less time maintaining it, apparently resulting in an improved appearance.
ROUTINE UPDATE
- Using a very minimal amount (pinch) of baking soda in a small bottle of water and poured over the trouble areas: front hairline and crown
- Diluted ACV on the bottom half of my hair only
- Diluted lemon juice poured over my entire head concentrating on reaching the scalp
- Thoroughly rinsed
- On occasion I'm indulging in a small amount of Herbal Essences conditioner on the ends, purely for how amazing it smells and just moisturises the ends a little.
As I've mentioned in earlier posts, I figure that conditioning the ends is not going to affect the roots. My scalp and the new hair follicles are what need to get used to the all-natural products, and anyway, I'm getting a hair cut so the current ends will be gone soon anyway! :)
August 5, 2011
Day Eighteen: Back and forth
I'm almost three weeks into this all-natural hair routine now, and I've still got little to complain about really. My hair is of course still adjusting, and it doesn't have the silky smooth feeling I used to get after conditioning. But that also presented problems which I now don't have to worry about. I can actually pin my hair up without it just sliding straight back out because its too smooth. It's got some nice body to it and definitely looks more natural. I like that it doesn't have to be perfectly straight to look nice anymore.
I went back to ACV last night for the rinse, as I wondered whether the lemon juice in water was doing much different. I think either are fine really, and even though they haven't solved the crown problem I mentioned yesterday, my hair isn't looking or feeling dirty at all.
I'm looking forward to the day where I can wash it in water-only, but I'm not there yet. I may start alternating between a natural wash one day, and water the next. Hopefully after a while I can gradually reverse the routine so that I'm only washing with ingredients once or twice a week.
And also looking forward to the weekend! Might go lazy and give my hair an unwashed break again...
I went back to ACV last night for the rinse, as I wondered whether the lemon juice in water was doing much different. I think either are fine really, and even though they haven't solved the crown problem I mentioned yesterday, my hair isn't looking or feeling dirty at all.
I'm looking forward to the day where I can wash it in water-only, but I'm not there yet. I may start alternating between a natural wash one day, and water the next. Hopefully after a while I can gradually reverse the routine so that I'm only washing with ingredients once or twice a week.
And also looking forward to the weekend! Might go lazy and give my hair an unwashed break again...
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