An Accidental bit of Moisturizing Mojo....

Aggie

Well-Known Member
Subbing and have to head to bed now, so I'll fully read a few pages at a time a little later.
 

Aggie

Well-Known Member
Okay I tried this (the salt) for a few weeks and I have to say, it was magical the first time but my hair started to get really straw like with continued use so I had to abandon this method with the quickness. I had to go back to my usual moisturizing deep conditioner to get the straw like feeling out of my hair, even DC overnight a couple of times.

I believe that if it is really needed to offer some quick emergency softness to the hair, then yeah, it's okay. But I will NOT suggest using this method as a constant method to soften the hair. My hair's porosity is normal to high by the way.
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
Okay.

A while ago, I was being lazy, and in a rush, so I figured I would clarify (with baking soda) and seal my cuticles (with citric acid) all at the same time. I mixed them both with conditioner, noticed the odd fact that there was some sort of reaction going on (because the conditioner foamed up and turned almost 'mousse' like), but my hair felt like butter afterwards. Ends were sleek and smooth, hair was strong and shiny and moist.

I ran it past some of the ladies on tLHC, and they pointed out that the combination of a base (baking soda) and an acid (citric acid) causes a chemical reaction that has salt, carbon dioxide, and water as the results.

I stopped doing it, because - well, salt is BAD for your hair, right? But, I always kept it in the back of my mind, because how my hair felt afterwards was nothing short of amazing.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, and there was a thread on tLHC that got kinda heated, about another lady using a salt & bentonite clay mix on her hair, that left her hair SUPER soft and SUPER moist - and once again, the debate about the wisdom/safety of using salt on your hair came up - it was working, and working well - but - it just didn't seem to have any explanation as to why.

At the same point in time, my ends were ROUGH. Tore up from the floor up, hard, crunchy, frizzy, just generally being pissed off. I clarified - nothing. I used acidic washes - nothing. I triple DC'd just the ends - nothing. I was seriously almost to the point where I was going to have to pull out the scissors and trim, because my ends just felt NASTY.

So - I tried it again - the baking soda and citric acid mix - plus just a TINY bit of salt. It foamed. I put it in my hair. It tingled. I rinsed it out - and AS I was rinsing it out, I could feel the difference. My ends, before, as I pulled my fingers down, I could feel how the ends got 'rough' about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch from the end - now, nothing. My ends were just as smooth and as sleek as the rest of my hair - and it was SO moist. SUPER moist. I'm talking, I almost considered skipping my normal mid-week DC, because my hair felt luscious.

I DC'd last night - my usual mix (about 8-10oz, yeah, I use a LOT of conditioner), plus 1.5 teaspoons of salt. My hair didn't feel bad again - I was just curious to see how it would work on 'good' feeling hair (esp. since there was a thread yesterday where several ladies said they were going to try it) The conditioner - thickened - a little bit, but no foaming. I left it in my hair for about two hours, and it tingled a little, but nothing else. I rinsed it out last night - and.... okay ya'll. My hair, it's generally healthy. It feels good, but it rarely feels SILKY - that's just not how my hair rolls. Soft, yes. Silky, no.
My hair was silky. *strokes head* My hair is STILL silky, and the only thing I did after I rinsed the DC out was use a TINY bit of castor oil on my head, tie it up, and went to sleep.

I don't know HOW it works. I don't know WHY it works. I honestly don't know if it's a good idea to continue using it over the long term - but, it might be an experimental option for those of us with ends that seem to be crying out to be cut off for feeling rough, tangly, and generally difficult.

:look:

I'd suggest about 1 teaspoons of salt per 8 oz of conditioner - adjust if you use more or less conditioner.

And please, if you DO try it - will you let me know how it works? I'm very curious to see if you will get consistent results. So far, GODBLESS has used it, and had fabulous results.....

Any of the science sisters have any ideas as to WHY this works? The fact that you HAVE to use salinated water to rehydrate cells because 'plain' water won't work was brought up, as well as the fact that soaking meat (mostly protien) in salt water tenderizes and moistens it. GoldenBreeze happened to see a commercial conditioner that advertised that it contained salt, and she said that she would take a look at it again the next time she went to the store.......

:spinning: Wild, isn't it?
Bumping October 22nd for Hidden Gems thread!!!!
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
Okay I tried this (the salt) for a few weeks and I have to say, it was magical the first time but my hair started to get really straw like with continued use so I had to abandon this method with the quickness. I had to go back to my usual moisturizing deep conditioner to get the straw like feeling out of my hair, even DC overnight a couple of times.

I believe that if it is really needed to offer some quick emergency softness to the hair, then yeah, it's okay. But I will NOT suggest using this method as a constant method to soften the hair. My hair's porosity is normal to high by the way.
A CAUTION from Aggie!!!!!
 

snoop

Well-Known Member
I know that this is slightly different, but here's some info from an article that I am reading on sea salt sprays:

"When you have thicker or coarser hair, it tends to make that hair type very dry and chalk-like. So oil helps to cut down the salt and make it more manageable for thick hair." When using on curly or kinky hair, he again encourages the notion that oil is your best friend.

Gibson also gives the green light to use salt sprays on textured hair "as long as it's on the finer side," while Turner advises against using too much salt, "Textured hair tends to need more of a moisturizing product, and salt spray mattifies the hair."



It's interesting that in spray form, it's used to create curls and volume, but in shampoos/conditioners it's used to relax and smooth curls?
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
I think that I'll pass on this experiment. Thanks for the heads up!
Your hair looks like it has doubled in length. I definitely would not mess with what that is not only working, but producing a maximum amount of healthy length. Good decision on your part.
 

demlew

Well-Known Member
Thank you to all who bumped this thread! I'm a believer!! I'm 13 weeks into this relaxer. I usually relax at 10 weeks bc it gets sketchy. The new growth and an inch past it become tangled. If I accidentally use too much protein, my hair becomes mini dreads and I have to soak it in a moisturizing conditioner overnight to fix it.

Tonight, my hair was so matted I decided I'd try it. I shampooed like normal and then did a mix of a dash of silk amino acid, Humecto, 2 tsps of sea salt, and a tablespoon of honey. As soon as I added the conditioner to the SAA/sea salt/honey, the mixture liquified! I ended up pouring it into a bottle with a nozzle. I steamed for 20 mins, waited for my hair to cool, and then washed it out with cool water. O.m.g. My new growth is reset to maybe 7 weeks post lol and I can comb my hair all the way through!! I can't stop touching it.
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
Thank you to all who bumped this thread! I'm a believer!! I'm 13 weeks into this relaxer. I usually relax at 10 weeks bc it gets sketchy. The new growth and an inch past it become tangled. If I accidentally use too much protein, my hair becomes mini dreads and I have to soak it in a moisturizing conditioner overnight to fix it.

Tonight, my hair was so matted I decided I'd try it. I shampooed like normal and then did a mix of a dash of silk amino acid, Humecto, 2 tsps of sea salt, and a tablespoon of honey. As soon as I added the conditioner to the SAA/sea salt/honey, the mixture liquified! I ended up pouring it into a bottle with a nozzle. I steamed for 20 mins, waited for my hair to cool, and then washed it out with cool water. O.m.g. My new growth is reset to maybe 7 weeks post lol and I can comb my hair all the way through!! I can't stop touching it.
This is great, detailed information. Congratulations on re-setting the hair and ending up with luxurious, soft, easier to comb hair! I had two questions.
  1. When you combed through your hair, did you have a lot of shedded hair come out?
  2. Did you lose the matted hair, or did the hair unravel and detangle with minimum shedding of hair?
 

demlew

Well-Known Member
This is great, detailed information. Congratulations on re-setting the hair and ending up with luxurious, soft, easier to comb hair! I had two questions.
  1. When you combed through your hair, did you have a lot of shedded hair come out?
  2. Did you lose the matted hair, or did the hair unravel and detangle with minimum shedding of hair?
Thanks, sis!
1. I generally start shedding around 8 weeks, so I expected some and wasn't alarmed. I think it was a smaller amount tonight.
2. Somewhere in between on this one - I didn't lose the matted hair, but it also didn't fully unravel a couple of patches I have in the back. I don't even sleep on my back, yet that area always dreads the worst. Sigh.

I'll definitely do it again in a few weeks if I haven't relaxed by then.

ETA: I'm even running my fingers through my 'kitchen' without my fingers getting stuck. Nothing short of a miracle :lachen:
 

Chicoro

5 Year Shea Anniversary: Started Dec 16th, 2016!
Thanks, sis!
1. I generally start shedding around 8 weeks, so I expected some and wasn't alarmed. I think it was a smaller amount tonight.
2. Somewhere in between on this one - I didn't lose the matted hair, but it also didn't fully unravel a couple of patches I have in the back. I don't even sleep on my back, yet that area always dreads the worst. Sigh.

I'll definitely do it again in a few weeks if I haven't relaxed by then.

ETA: I'm even running my fingers through my 'kitchen' without my fingers getting stuck. Nothing short of a miracle :lachen:
Thank you for responding to my questions. I appreciate it!
 

MzSwift

Well-Known Member
Thank you to all who bumped this thread! I'm a believer!! I'm 13 weeks into this relaxer. I usually relax at 10 weeks bc it gets sketchy. The new growth and an inch past it become tangled. If I accidentally use too much protein, my hair becomes mini dreads and I have to soak it in a moisturizing conditioner overnight to fix it.

Tonight, my hair was so matted I decided I'd try it. I shampooed like normal and then did a mix of a dash of silk amino acid, Humecto, 2 tsps of sea salt, and a tablespoon of honey. As soon as I added the conditioner to the SAA/sea salt/honey, the mixture liquified! I ended up pouring it into a bottle with a nozzle. I steamed for 20 mins, waited for my hair to cool, and then washed it out with cool water. O.m.g. My new growth is reset to maybe 7 weeks post lol and I can comb my hair all the way through!! I can't stop touching it.

Whohoo!
I have not had any adverse reactions DCing with salt and I've been doing it since 2010 (about 12 years), both relaxed and natural.

Everytime I post about salt, someone asks me how it works and I can never remember the science behind it. lol. I just know it works for me and I'm sticking with it. But I do try to find the answer when I have the time (I'm a busy homeschooling mom with an autistic young son).

I learned that @divachyk did a blog post about using salt to counter protein overload. In her post, she mentions how salt breaks down protein bonds. Makes sense to me! LOL

http://adaybyjay.com/correct-protein-overload-hair-salt/

ETA: Aww man, her blog must be down. This is the link I used in 2019 and it worked then. sorry :(

This is what I posted in that thread about how I learned about salt on BHM back in 2009 from a member who was also a member here and inspired by a thread here. I absolutely LOVE our Black women's hair network!! :love:


So it's crazy because I'm always super curious about the HOW and WHY of things/people but I really don't recall much about the science of salt in shampoo/condish. I walked away remembering it working kind of like how it's said that too much salt makes a person "retain water." Not only did many hair products at the time included sodium chloride but lots of ladies posted their favorite products and were surprised to see that salt was in the ingredients. The long and short of it is that it should be rinsed out and not left on -- so no using it in leave ins.

So the opening post of a thread in 2009 by a well respected member of the hair board piqued my interest because she's not long winded:

"I don't know how it works, why it works. BUT my naps, kinks and coils have NEVER, in all of my BHM experimentation, been THIS soft, this detangled, EFFORTLESSLY.

This is the first time, the detangling process of this mane took under FIVE MINUTES. I kid you not.

I am your usual skeptic, was concerned about it drying out my hair. So of course I tried finding info first. Not much out there, but there's a 22.00 shampoo with sea salt as it's main ingredient, among others. So, it can't be THAT hazardous.

To really be sure this worked, I put sea salt into a DC I had that was headed for the TRASH because I HATED it so much. It was worthless to me. Not even adding oil to it made any difference. That stupid DC did NOTHING for my hair. In fact I think it made it worse. (You know the PJ thing, wanting to try everything someone likes.) So the salt was added to that DC. I tell you, the choirs of heaven began to sing.



It felt good from the get go, but to give it a true shot, I left the DC in under a plastic cap for a while. I didn't time it. But I went to bake a cake, then returned to shower. I'm guessing it took me just under an hour.

THEN I ATTEMPTED to detangle. Yes, ATTEMPTED. THERE WAS NOTHING to detangle.







I used the denman through my hair for less than TWO minutes. It's like the brush didn't even know what the hell to do!! That has NEVER happened before. Then I washed it out. I COULD NOT freaking believe how soft my hair was!!! It's like nothing I had ever experienced on any given HAIR DAY. EVER. I did not even use conditioner afterwards. I did not even want to use leave in. That's how good my hair felt.

THIS is a keeper. So whoever you are, wherever you are, THANK YOU FOR SHARING.


And to other skeptics like myself, don't knock it till you've tried it!"




Reading through the thread, I learned that it was inspired by a thread on here but I'm not sure which specific thread. I think it was something about adding salt to bentonite clay.
 
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demlew

Well-Known Member
Whohoo!
I have not had any adverse reactions DCing with salt and I've been doing it since 2010 (about 12 years), both relaxed and natural.

Everytime I post about salt, someone asks me how it works and I can never remember the science behind it. lol. I just know it works for me and I'm sticking with it. But I do try to find the answer when I have the time (I'm a busy homeschooling mom with an autistic young son).

I learned that @divachyk did a blog post about using salt to counter protein overload. In her post, she mentions how salt breaks down protein bonds. Makes sense to me! LOL

http://adaybyjay.com/correct-protein-overload-hair-salt/

ETA: Aww man, her blog must be down. This is the link I used in 2019 and it worked then. sorry :(

This is what I posted in that thread about how I learned about salt on BHM back in 2009 from a member who was also a member here and inspired by a thread here. I absolutely LOVE our Black women's hair network!! :love:
Tysm for this and it’s encouraging that you’ve used this method for so long and have beautiful hair!
 

divachyk

Instagram: adaybyjay
Whohoo!
I have not had any adverse reactions DCing with salt and I've been doing it since 2010 (about 12 years), both relaxed and natural.

Everytime I post about salt, someone asks me how it works and I can never remember the science behind it. lol. I just know it works for me and I'm sticking with it. But I do try to find the answer when I have the time (I'm a busy homeschooling mom with an autistic young son).

I learned that @divachyk did a blog post about using salt to counter protein overload. In her post, she mentions how salt breaks down protein bonds. Makes sense to me! LOL

http://adaybyjay.com/correct-protein-overload-hair-salt/

ETA: Aww man, her blog must be down. This is the link I used in 2019 and it worked then. sorry :(

This is what I posted in that thread about how I learned about salt on BHM back in 2009 from a member who was also a member here and inspired by a thread here. I absolutely LOVE our Black women's hair network!! :love:
Thank you for linking to my blog. However, life took a turn after losing my dh so I ended up closing it down. @MzSwift
 

Avyn

Well-Known Member
I don’t know if anyone mentioned this in this (very old) thread but salt is also used as a water softener. It’s the only thing used in water softener machines. I stayed with a friend who had a whole house water softener and my hair and body LOVED that water. I was always soft and moisturized. It always felt like I needed to do extra rinses because the water was so soft compared to my very hard water from regular very old city pipes.
 
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