Water Only Washing - Thoughts?

[snoop]

Hey Ladies

I just started the Water Only Hair Washing Method this week! I wanted to try it because I have found that when using conventional products & methods, in order to get my hair soft & moisturized, my hair would end up feeling too greasy which did not agree with my scalp or my hands or my couch LOL Also, I would love to be a lot less reliant on commercial products overall. And I'm very curious about how well my own sebum could actually condition my hair and help with detangling my fine fragile strands and how clean I could actually keep my scalp/hair with natural ingredients. This really fascinates me!

I tried this method 2 years ago when it first started getting popular on Youtube, but at the time I was using a boar bristle brush to try to distribute my sebum down my strands and my poor sensitive tender scalp could not take it. I also didn't know that I needed to clarify periodically (use something other than water) so when my scalp started itching like crazy I gave up. There wasn't as much information about the method for those of us with kinkier hair so I was doing it wrong. But now with so many of "our" people jumping on the bandwagon and sharing their experiences & modifications, I have a better idea about how to proceed and deal with any bumps in the road.

I plan to rinse every 2-3 days and supplement my sebum with butters/oils on the ends of my hair until I reach full coverage to avoid breakage.

If I run into problems with too much sebum buildup, breakage, or mushy over moisturized hair I will try to use all natural clarifiers/conditioners that do not strip the sebum. There are so many to choose from and I will have to experiment to see which ones work best for my hair & lifestyle (clays, coconut milk, banana baby food, cactus, fenugreek, marshmallow, etc, etc). I will also experiment to see if I can still use my beloved Bobeam Shampoo Bars as gentle non sebum stripping clarifiers. I really hope they work well with this method because a lot of them contain some of these all natural ingredients (clays/herbs) in an easy to use no mess no fuss shampoo bar.

I will update with my experiences....

FYI: There is a Google+ Community with close to 300 members called: Water Only Washing For Black Girls
https://plus.google.com/communities/101426194130082079829

I'll be waiting for your updates on this. I have a love hate relationship with it...I think it's so simple and easy to do, but I just got a bunch of people to start clay washing I don't want to turn around yet and be like, "haha I've left it for water only". (They wouldn't switch to that routine anyway....)

I was lurking on the Google+ community for a while but got paranoid about google and left. I'll re-join this week.

I've not really been following the routine as of late, but I thought that this week I'd made a bit more of an effort. Today was the second water rinse day since I shampoo washed and did a protein treatment on the weekend. I could smell my sebum which is a plus. I don't think that I will fully commit to the process since I am now doing regular protein treatments and I really like my conditioner. I will say that I find that the Komaza shampoo is very light and ph balanced so it doesn't really seem to strip my sebum. Maybe I'll do a routine of 2 weeks water then clarify with clay then two weeks water then shampoo and protein. I'll try to stick with that for a while and let you know how that goes as well.

 

[MysTori]

I big chop in December and just started WoW about 2 weeks ago. It's definitely changed my hair for the better. My hair used to be dry and drawn close to the scalp. Now, it's soft to the touch and stretched out on its own. Now I look forward to washing my hair, styling it, touching it, etc. From all of this, I've learned that I have to use all natural products. For instance, if I need to wash, I do a diluted ACV rinse; or if I need to deep condition, I can either do the banana/oil/honey mix or just mayonnaise. But I don't use the products in the store anymore. They give me the complete opposite effect that I'm looking for and I've been been doing this off and on for over five years (my 3rd and final BC). Now that I've finally figured out what works for me, I'm certain I'll stay natural for good.

***Forgot to mention that the only exception I make regarding products is the Olive Oil Ecostyler. It seals in the water after I rinse and keeps the curls defined. Also, I don't know if anyone does this, but I've found that re-wetting the hair with hot water works great for re-hydrating the curls and keeping the hair soft. Just thought I'd share.

 

[CocoGlow]

2 Week Update:

I'm absolutely loving this method so far! My sebum coverage has now reached ½ my length (I have about 8 inches all over) so I'm guessing it shouldn't be long before I reach full coverage. My sebum feels unlike any other oil or butter I've ever used. It’s not greasy or sticky at all. I only really feel it when my hair is damp or wet and it makes my hair feel so soft & smooth it’s hard to explain. I don’t really feel it on my dry hair but my dry hair feels softer where the sebum is located, if that makes sense

Some sections of my hair are now clumped at the roots only, some the ends only and very few sections are clumped root to tip. This should be interesting because my hair normally does not form defined clumps and I wonder if all of my hair and its various textures will end up clumped root to tip from this method. Funny cause I actually prefer the fluffy blow-out afro look but I won’t fight my hair from clumping all over if that means better hydration.

I have found that preening on damp or wet hair is best for my hair so I do it during a water rinse and immediately afterward as I style my hair. The water helps me to both feel the sebum and move it down my strands easily. I’ve been experimenting with different butters for my ends (applied to the last inch of hair). I have yet to designate a favorite thus far but they all seem to do the job.

My hair is ridiculously soft when wet but once dry it still feels dryer than I would like but I expected this to be part of the process and honestly it doesn’t feel worse than when I was using commercial products – but it is less greasy which is a plus. I have recently ordered a Rosewater spray, Rosewater + Glycerin spray, Aloe Vera Juice & Glycerin to see if these will help my hair feel more moisturized between rinses.

While wet, my hair has a slightly nutty scent (from my sebum) plus maybe a little residual of whatever scented hair butter I've used – but my scalp does not stink at all - Yay!

My scalp barely itches and does not flake like it used to. Whenever I do get an itch I simply use my vibrating scalp massaging shampoo brush and I'm good. I saw reviews raving about this brush on YouTube and was sold! It’s not a necessity because I could just use my hands to massage & scritch my scalp but boy does this thing do it better! To me it does the job of massaging & scritching all in one so I love it. I just rock it back & forth a little on different parts of my scalp and let the vibrating brush do its work. The bristles are soft but sturdy and totally seamless so it doesn’t cause breakage. It can be used wet or dry so I like to use it daily for a 5 minute massage and then also during my water rinse as well. I open it up and let it air dry after using it during my rinse. Oh yeah, it requires 1 AA battery (not included). And the lettering rubs off very quickly after a few uses but all it says is On/Off and Made in China, etc so it's not a big deal....

FYI: If y’all are interested, I bought my Vitagoods Scalp Massaging Shampoo Brush from here http://vitagoods.com/products/scalp-massaging-shampoo-brush

I used a coupon code I found online that took 70% off! Even though it was an old code (BLACKFRIDAYVG) I was shocked that it still worked! So even though the brush retails for $40, I got it for only $12 (plus shipping – my total was $16.75). The shipping was mad slow though – took about a week before they even processed my shipping label LOL but to get it for that price was worth it to me

ETA: I made a mock cart & tried the code again and it still works! Ya’ll better go get you some lol!

 

[CocoGlow]

I big chop in December and just started WoW about 2 weeks ago. It's definitely changed my hair for the better. My hair used to be dry and drawn close to the scalp. Now, it's soft to the touch and stretched out on its own. Now I look forward to washing my hair, styling it, touching it, etc. From all of this, I've learned that I have to use all natural products. For instance, if I need to wash, I do a diluted ACV rinse; or if I need to deep condition, I can either do the banana/oil/honey mix or just mayonnaise. But I don't use the products in the store anymore. They give me the complete opposite effect that I'm looking for and I've been been doing this off and on for over five years (my 3rd and final BC). Now that I've finally figured out what works for me, I'm certain I'll stay natural for good.

***Forgot to mention that the only exception I make regarding products is the Olive Oil Ecostyler. It seals in the water after I rinse and keeps the curls defined. Also, I don't know if anyone does this, but I've found that re-wetting the hair with hot water works great for re-hydrating the curls and keeping the hair soft. Just thought I'd share.

Hey Nice to hear you are having success with Water Only Hair Washing! Both of us have been on this method for about the same amount of time it seems. I can't wait for all of my hair to be soft to the touch like yours - how long is your hair post big chop? Also you mentioned using Eco Styler Gel on your hair and I was wondering if the ACV rinse you do is enough to get all of the gel out of your hair? Have you noticed any buildup at all?

 

[beingofserenity]

2 Week Update:

I'm absolutely loving this method so far! My sebum coverage has now reached ½ my length (I have about 8 inches all over) so I'm guessing it shouldn't be long before I reach full coverage. My sebum feels unlike any other oil or butter I've ever used. It’s not greasy or sticky at all. I only really feel it when my hair is damp or wet and it makes my hair feel so soft & smooth it’s hard to explain. I don’t really feel it on my dry hair but my dry hair feels softer where the sebum is located, if that makes sense

Some sections of my hair are now clumped at the roots only, some the ends only and very few sections are clumped root to tip. This should be interesting because my hair normally does not form defined clumps and I wonder if all of my hair and its various textures will end up clumped root to tip from this method. Funny cause I actually prefer the fluffy blow-out afro look but I won’t fight my hair from clumping all over if that means better hydration.

I have found that preening on damp or wet hair is best for my hair so I do it during a water rinse and immediately afterward as I style my hair. The water helps me to both feel the sebum and move it down my strands easily. I’ve been experimenting with different butters for my ends (applied to the last inch of hair). I have yet to designate a favorite thus far but they all seem to do the job.

My hair is ridiculously soft when wet but once dry it still feels dryer than I would like but I expected this to be part of the process and honestly it doesn’t feel worse than when I was using commercial products – but it is less greasy which is a plus. I have recently ordered a Rosewater spray, Rosewater + Glycerin spray, Aloe Vera Juice & Glycerin to see if these will help my hair feel more moisturized between rinses.

While wet, my hair has a slightly nutty scent (from my sebum) plus maybe a little residual of whatever scented hair butter I've used – but my scalp does not stink at all - Yay!

My scalp barely itches and does not flake like it used to. Whenever I do get an itch I simply use my vibrating scalp massaging shampoo brush and I'm good. I saw reviews raving about this brush on YouTube and was sold! It’s not a necessity because I could just use my hands to massage & scritch my scalp but boy does this thing do it better! To me it does the job of massaging & scritching all in one so I love it. I just rock it back & forth a little on different parts of my scalp and let the vibrating brush do its work. The bristles are soft but sturdy and totally seamless so it doesn’t cause breakage. It can be used wet or dry so I like to use it daily for a 5 minute massage and then also during my water rinse as well. I open it up and let it air dry after using it during my rinse. Oh yeah, it requires 1 AA battery (not included). And the lettering rubs off very quickly after a few uses but all it says is On/Off and Made in China, etc so it's not a big deal....

FYI: If y’all are interested, I bought my Vitagoods Scalp Massaging Shampoo Brush from here http://vitagoods.com/products/scalp-massaging-shampoo-brush

I used a coupon code I found online that took 70% off! Even though it was an old code (BLACKFRIDAYVG) I was shocked that it still worked! So even though the brush retails for $40, I got it for only $12 (plus shipping – my total was $16.75). The shipping was mad slow though – took about a week before they even processed my shipping label LOL but to get it for that price was worth it to me

ETA: I made a mock cart & tried the code again and it still works! Ya’ll better go get you some lol!

Same thing happened to me. I did water only for two weeks on two separate occasions.

After the end of the second week, I had a ton of sebum maybe 1-2 inches down my length. My hair was luxiouriously soft while wet and dry as the sahara while dry. I didn't use any products during this time and had super tangled hair as a result, because I had nothing to detangle with. I think this experiment actually harmed my hair. And my scalp did not smell good imo.

I had to massage my scalp a lot, and I think I was also consuming a lot of flax seed oil as I seem to only produce enough sebum to keep my scalp from being dry normally. The sebum I had did not make my hair soft and so I said efff this and went back to commercial products.

 

[CocoGlow]

Same thing happened to me. I did water only for two weeks on two separate occasions.

After the end of the second week, I had a ton of sebum maybe 1-2 inches down my length. My hair was luxiouriously soft while wet and dry as the sahara while dry. I didn't use any products during this time and had super tangled hair as a result, because I had nothing to detangle with. I think this experiment actually harmed my hair. And my scalp did not smell good imo.

I had to massage my scalp a lot, and I think I was also consuming a lot of flax seed oil as I seem to only produce enough sebum to keep my scalp from being dry normally. The sebum I had did not make my hair soft and so I said efff this and went back to commercial products.

Wow sorry to hear it didn't work out for you sis! Did you use any butters or oils to supplement your sebum, especially on the ends? I use butters and they help a bit but I'm waiting for full sebum coverage.

I've been washing in 4 sections and using my fingers to detangle one section at a time under the running water and once a week I do a thorough finger detangle to get out all the shed hair on lightly misted hair before rinsing. To avoid breakage, I keep my hair stretched and don't allow my hair to shrink and tangle on itself.

My hair feels dry once it air dries but it's mainly the ends that feel this way. My hair feels softer near the roots where I do have sebum coverage so I'm hoping that all of my hair will feel soft soon. I purchased the rosewater, aloe & glycerin to hopefully help with the moisture in the meantime, but in my case my hair is no more dry than it always feels (even with commercial products) so I am not experiencing any setbacks (yet). But you have to listen to your hair and it could be that you were not producing enough sebum like you said or something else but I'm glad you went back to what was working for you before you suffered a major setback

 

[CocoGlow]

1 Month Update:

Good News: I'm still going strong with this method
Bad News: I had a setback and had to virtually start all over again

Ok so what had happened was .... During my 3rd week I had noticed that some of my strands were extra stretchy so I thought I would do some kind of light all natural protein treatment with Coconut Milk. Bad idea! That mess left my hair feeling hard with an oily coating Ugh! And it wouldn't go away no matter how much I rinsed & rinsed so I ended up using one of my Bobeam Shampoo Bars to clarify (the Cheris Hibiscus Moisturizing Bar). These bars are gentle and were part of my previous regimen so I was hoping it would effectively get rid of the coconut milk residue but leave some of my sebum in tact. I only lathered up once but it ended up stripping everything including my sebum coverage. So unfortunately here I am back at square one.

Some people have great success using Coconut Milk but I have always been protein sensitive so maybe that is why my hair did not react well. Lesson learned. I am curious about what all natural clarifiers & conditioners will actually work for my hair when I need them. I'm still curious about Banana Baby Food, Herbal Teas & other all natural ingredients people use.

I know of another Naturalista who is on a modified Water Only regimen where she rinses with water daily and uses an all natural soap (Kiss My Face Olive Oil Soap Bar) to clarify excess sebum when necessary. Her hair is beautiful & thriving. Here is her regimen: http://www.minimalistbeauty.com/my-zero-waste-curly-hair-regimen/

I have the same soap she uses in my stash and may experiment with it to clarify my hair when I get too much sebum buildup but I must admit I'm scurred . I don't want to have another setback but I know that sometimes you have to go through the trial & error to know what works/doesn't work.

The funny thing about this regimen is it really is different for everybody. The end goal is the same: Full sebum coverage for softer more manageable hair & less reliance on commercial products but how we all get there is heavily personalized. So ladies, please continue to share your regimens (including setbacks) so that all who are interested can see the many unique ways to get there!

 

[snoop]

@CocoGlow Have you tried clay washes? They are supposed to be able to cleans without robbing you of your sebum.

Did you use coconut milk only? I used to be sensitive to AVJ and coconut oil, but for some reason I found that coconut cream/milk was fine to mix into my clay washes. It was more conditioning than just mixing the clay with water. Now I mix with goat's milk powder. I haven't tried coconut milk in a while but I don't know if it robs me of my sebum.

I'll tell you the truth, I just use gentle shampoo to clarify when I need to and I think that it leaves some sebum behind. My main one is Giovanni Smooth as Silk, but the one that I've been using of late is the Komaza Care shampoo. Both, I find, are really gentle. And whether I use the clay or shampoo I follow up with Giovanni Smooth as Silk conditioner and I'm good to go. I use a moisturizer after each cleanse and even after all of that, when I go to wash again, during those times that I remember to keep up with my massages or daily rinses, I can still smell my sebum (mixed with whatever cleansing product that I used before).

I really do need to remember to massage my scalp daily....

 

[CocoGlow]

@CocoGlow Have you tried clay washes? They are supposed to be able to cleans without robbing you of your sebum.

Did you use coconut milk only? I used to be sensitive to AVJ and coconut oil, but for some reason I found that coconut cream/milk was fine to mix into my clay washes. It was more conditioning than just mixing the clay with water. Now I mix with goat's milk powder. I haven't tried coconut milk in a while but I don't know if it robs me of my sebum.

I have yet to use anything else to clarify since my setback a week ago but Clay Washes are definitely on my list to try with this regimen. I have a lot of Sodium Bentonite Clay (gentler than Calcium Bentonite) in my stash and I ran out of Rhassoul Clay which is even more gentle than Bentonite. From past experience I remember both being great gentle cleansers but they were sometimes difficult to rinse off my scalp. I preferred the ease of using gentle Shampoo Bars but I will revisit Clay Washes in the future.

Yeah I used full-fat coconut milk on it's own and I'm scurred to ever use that again, though I can see how it would make a Clay Wash more conditioning. When I used it I don't know if it stripped my sebum but I could no longer feel my sebum due to the oily coating the coconut milk left on my hair. I hated how it felt.

That's cool that you use Goat's Milk Powder in your Clay Wash! Using a dried powder seems like it would be more cost effective and you don't have to worry about the milk spoiling, etc. What's your recipe? Do you use Bentonite or Rhassoul Clay?

 

[snoop]

I used to use Bentonite, then switched to Rhassoul. Sometime in there I also tried Pink. All three are hard to wash out which is why I love my conditioner so much. It gets out most of these clays better than just using water alone (the added slip I think). Now I use white Kaolin clay which is what I mix the goat's milk powder with. It IS much more economical than buying cans of coconut milk. But you can also get coconut milk powder (which is cheaper than the goat's milk powder. Both powders I get from a soap making supply shop.) When I would use the canned coconut milk I would use about 1/3 to 1/2 of the can at a time.

I kind of want to laugh at you for trying the full-fat coconut milk on its own...but I won't. I can't imagine how greasy that would feel. You live and you learn.

So for my current recipe, I use about 4 heaping table spoons of kaolin clay + 2 heaping tables spoons goat's milk powder + 2-4 oz of water (depending on the consistency that you want). Smells kinda nice, kinda weird. I find that you need to use way more kaolin when making a hair mask than if you were using bentonite or rhassoul. You need more to get the same thick consistency. I think it's because it's milled finer? However, it also washes out MUCH easier. Basically, after it's mixed it's like lotion. I could actually wash it out without doing a conditioner rinse and get it out without much effort but I use the conditioner just to be on the safe side. When I clay wash I wash in twists, usually medium to small twists so it's much easier for clay to get stuck in my hair if I'm not careful. This is why I prefer the kaolin.

 

[GGsKin]

@CocoGlow you can make your bentonite clay mix like a milkshake or pancake batter consistency. I do this with my rhassoul/ bentonite DIY mix and never have issues applying/ washing it out.

 

[CocoGlow]

@AbsyBlvd It's been a few years since I've tried clay but you're absolutely right I do recall the mixes that were more watery being easier to apply & rinse off! I had a loose mix when I was doing the Maximum Hydration method

Would you mind sharing your recipe? Do you still feel sebum on your strands afterwards?

 

[GGsKin]

@AbsyBlvd It's been a few years since I've tried clay but you're absolutely right I do recall the mixes that were more watery being easier to apply & rinse off! I had a loose mix when I was doing the Maximum Hydration method

Would you mind sharing your recipe? Do you still feel sebum on your strands afterwards?

@CocoGlow I don't mind sharing at all. Into a large applicator bottle, I funnel about 3 scoops of calcium bentonite and 3 of rhassoul, a level teaspoon of silk amino acids and enough liquid to make between 14-16oz. My liquid is either all water and a dash of ACV, or part water and marshmallow root and hibiscus tea, and/ or milk (the milk will thicken the mix).

As for the sebum, I can't tell if it's there or if the clay removes it lol. When I rinse my hair, I do sometimes rub my hair into scalp, and smooth down my strands. I notice my hair does feel good when I do this, but I don't notice any sebum.

 

[Lynn84]

I tried this tonight. I clarified my hair twice and rinsed well. When I started scritching and preening my hair it felt like there was a lot of sebum on my scalp and it seemed to coat a decent section of each twist even though this is my first night. My hair is dry now but my scalp feels itchy and almost feels like it's burning in some spots. I don't think I scratched my scalp and I was pretty careful not to be rough when scritching. It feels strange but not in a bad way, I'm wondering if all of this is normal.

 

[snoop]

@MsGlass
I would hazzard a guess that you either had reaction to the clarifying shampoo or you were scratching to hard. Essentially you did a regular hair wash so your scalp shouldn't be burning or feel sensitive.

Also on this method you may want to clarify a bit more frequently than a month or so to start since you might be a heavy sebum producer and toy don't want to clog your follicles.

 

[CocoGlow]

I tried this tonight. I clarified my hair twice and rinsed well. When I started scritching and preening my hair it felt like there was a lot of sebum on my scalp and it seemed to coat a decent section of each twist even though this is my first night. My hair is dry now but my scalp feels itchy and almost feels like it's burning in some spots. I don't think I scratched my scalp and I was pretty careful not to be rough when scritching. It feels strange but not in a bad way, I'm wondering if all of this is normal.

What's the name of the Shampoo that you used? Have you ever used this shampoo before? The itchy burning sensation sounds like either an allergic reaction or maybe washing with it 2x made your scalp too dry. Also it does seem strange that you would have that much sebum on your scalp already. Some people do produce more sebum than others and some will produce more sebum as the body's way to overcompensate for the scalp being stripped but I don't think it happens this fast - I could be wrong. What you are feeling could be residue from the shampoo or your old products. I know that some shampoos can really dry out the hair without even getting rid of buildup

 

[Lynn84]

I bought a bottle of Suave daily clarifying shampoo. I had to wash again once I put my kids to bed cause it was itching and burning started to get pretty bad. I used my Kinky Curly come clean and now everything is fine. I didn't think I'd have a reaction to Suave but I'm going to use the Kinky Curly when I need to shampoo from now on. No more new stuff for me! LOL!

I don't know if it was old residue or something from the Suave shampoo but I don't feel like I have a lot of sebum or whatever the heck that was on my scalp now. So lesson learned for me, no new shampoo.

 

[CocoGlow]

I bought a bottle of Suave daily clarifying shampoo. I had to wash again once I put my kids to bed cause it was itching and burning started to get pretty bad. I used my Kinky Curly come clean and now everything is fine. I didn't think I'd have a reaction to Suave but I'm going to use the Kinky Curly when I need to shampoo from now on. No more new stuff for me! LOL!

I don't know if it was old residue or something from the Suave shampoo but I don't feel like I have a lot of sebum or whatever the heck that was on my scalp now. So lesson learned for me, no new shampoo.

Oh wow yeah that Suave Clarifying probably has a lot of cheap sulfates in it that severely dried your scalp out and managed to leave some kind of residue. So glad you had something else in your stash that is much more gentle and the burning ceased whew! Please keep us updated with your progress

 

[Lynn84]

I really like this method! My hair is so soft and light and has an incredible sheen to it, it's almost like I used an oil but minus the oiliness. My scalp has been feeling pretty good, no more flakes and itching like it used to. I have to get my hair ready for braids so I will be dc'ing later this week but as soon as the braids come out I'll go right back to this. I'm honestly fascinated that my hair feels so good due to nothing but water and sebum! To the poster who posted the scalp massaging brush thank you! I was able to use the Black Friday coupon when I purchased it too.

 

[CocoGlow]

2 Month Update:

Good News: I'm still going strong!

Bad News: NONE!

My hair and scalp are thriving with this simple regimen ... I almost can't believe it! I literally rinse my hair with warm water 2x a week, seal with a little hair butter on the ends, twist my hair into large sections, bantu knot the twists, air dry and I am left with a beautiful, clean, soft curly afro that I can style any way I want! I make sure to scritch with my vibrating scalp massager before rinses, preen my sebum down and remove shed hair during the rinse and I use the massager occasionally during the week if my scalp itches. That's it!

More & more sections of my hair are clumping which is very interesting. My bantu knot-outs are very textured because I have so many patterns going on from the twists, the knots and my clumped coils. It's very pretty/intricate and my hair never did this before - it used to just take on the twist/knot pattern. It would actually take some serious force to pull apart these clumps so I see them as protective and my strands are not forming as many single strand knots because of the clumping. I don't use a comb or brush to detangle, just my fingers, so my clumps are not disturbed and I find it so easy to do under running water now (in sections of course).

So far I have not felt the need to clarify which tells me that I don't naturally produce a whole lot of sebum. When the time comes for me to clarify I plan to experiment with banana baby food and I will test a small section of my hair/scalp to avoid possibly stripping my whole head of sebum like I did last time

 

[Bette Davis Eyes]

2 Month Update:

Good News: I'm still going strong!

Bad News: NONE!

My hair and scalp are thriving with this simple regimen ... I almost can't believe it! I literally rinse my hair with warm water 2x a week, seal with a little hair butter on the ends, twist my hair into large sections, bantu knot the twists, air dry and I am left with a beautiful, clean, soft curly afro that I can style any way I want! I make sure to scritch with my vibrating scalp massager before rinses, preen my sebum down and remove shed hair during the rinse and I use the massager occasionally during the week if my scalp itches. That's it!

More & more sections of my hair are clumping which is very interesting. My bantu knot-outs are very textured because I have so many patterns going on from the twists, the knots and my clumped coils. It's very pretty/intricate and my hair never did this before - it used to just take on the twist/knot pattern. It would actually take some serious force to pull apart these clumps so I see them as protective and my strands are not forming as many single strand knots because of the clumping. I don't use a comb or brush to detangle, just my fingers, so my clumps are not disturbed and I find it so easy to do under running water now (in sections of course).

So far I have not felt the need to clarify which tells me that I don't naturally produce a whole lot of sebum. When the time comes for me to clarify I plan to experiment with banana baby food and I will test a small section of my hair/scalp to avoid possibly stripping my whole head of sebum like I did last time

i need some pictures please

 

[CocoGlow]

i need some pictures please

LOL ... I haven't taken pics of my hair in a long time and I don't know if my old camera will really capture what my eyes see and my hands feel ... but I will try to take some pics soon

 

[snoop]

2 Month Update:

Good News: I'm still going strong!

Bad News: NONE!

My hair and scalp are thriving with this simple regimen ... I almost can't believe it! I literally rinse my hair with warm water 2x a week, seal with a little hair butter on the ends, twist my hair into large sections, bantu knot the twists, air dry and I am left with a beautiful, clean, soft curly afro that I can style any way I want! I make sure to scritch with my vibrating scalp massager before rinses, preen my sebum down and remove shed hair during the rinse and I use the massager occasionally during the week if my scalp itches. That's it!

More & more sections of my hair are clumping which is very interesting. My bantu knot-outs are very textured because I have so many patterns going on from the twists, the knots and my clumped coils. It's very pretty/intricate and my hair never did this before - it used to just take on the twist/knot pattern. It would actually take some serious force to pull apart these clumps so I see them as protective and my strands are not forming as many single strand knots because of the clumping. I don't use a comb or brush to detangle, just my fingers, so my clumps are not disturbed and I find it so easy to do under running water now (in sections of course).

So far I have not felt the need to clarify which tells me that I don't naturally produce a whole lot of sebum. When the time comes for me to clarify I plan to experiment with banana baby food and I will test a small section of my hair/scalp to avoid possibly stripping my whole head of sebum like I did last time

Congrats on your progress. I'd dropped off with this (kinda) but I think that I really should stick to it. I've started to get the textured twists and braids as well. I really have to be more diligent with scritching. Do you only do it on wash day?

Do you find that it's easier to finger detangle now that you've fully embraced the process?

 

[CocoGlow]

Congrats on your progress. I'd dropped off with this (kinda) but I think that I really should stick to it. I've started to get the textured twists and braids as well. I really have to be more diligent with scritching. Do you only do it on wash day?

Do you find that it's easier to finger detangle now that you've fully embraced the process?

Thanks!

I use my vibrating massager to "scritch" & massage at the same time and do it before rinsing 2x a week. I also try to do it once a day but sometimes I forget. Whenever I get a slight itch I remember to use it.

Yes I find it much easier to detangle now! I do keep my hair in a semi-stretched state (bantu knot out) and I rinse in sections so my hair is never allowed to be in it's fully shrunken state. I can now easily remove my shed hair during the rinse process under the running water (again in sections since my hair is pretty dense).

The combination of my sebum, the hair butter on my ends and the warm running water make detangling so easy! Now, full disclosure: my hair is never detangled enough to run a comb through or anything but that's not my goal. My hair is very kinky and that would just be asking for breakage. As long as the shed hair is removed, there are no knots and I can easily separate my hair into twists or whatever to style I'm good!

I have gotten used to the clumped ripples all over my hair now and don't fight them. Whatever style I choose I know that the clumped ripples will be there unless I use a comb or brush or tediously finger separate them which I have no plans on doing lol!

 

[snoop]

Thanks!

I use my vibrating massager to "scritch" & massage at the same time and do it before rinsing 2x a week. I also try to do it once a day but sometimes I forget. Whenever I get a slight itch I remember to use it.

Yes I find it much easier to detangle now! I do keep my hair in a semi-stretched state (bantu knot out) and I rinse in sections so my hair is never allowed to be in it's fully shrunken state. I can now easily remove my shed hair during the rinse process under the running water (again in sections since my hair is pretty dense).

The combination of my sebum, the hair butter on my ends and the warm running water make detangling so easy! Now, full disclosure: my hair is never detangled enough to run a comb through or anything but that's not my goal. My hair is very kinky and that would just be asking for breakage. As long as the shed hair is removed, there are no knots and I can easily separate my hair into twists or whatever to style I'm good!

I have gotten used to the clumped ripples all over my hair now and don't fight them. Whatever style I choose I know that the clumped ripples will be there unless I use a comb or brush or tediously finger separate them which I have no plans on doing lol!

As am asside: I did a thorough detangling with a comb the other day (wide to small) and the ripples still stayed. I think it's a byproduct of being moisturized.
I'll play around with the method some more and report back.

 

[CocoGlow]

As am asside: I did a thorough detangling with a comb the other day (wide to small) and the ripples still stayed. I think it's a byproduct of being moisturized.
I'll play around with the method some more and report back.

Wow that's good to know that the ripples stayed after using combs. Yes please do report back with your experiences!

 

[snoop]

@CocoGlow do you find that your hair webs with this method? Part of the reason why I keep stopping is that I find that because is the frequent washing and scritching I end up with more trapped shed hair and webbing. I usually wash with bound hair so maybe that's why?

Also, do you know anything about incorporating the GHE method? I'm going away for a bit and long rinses won't be possible. Do you think I could get away with baggying to generate the sebum them a quick rinse to distribute it?

 

[CocoGlow]

@CocoGlow do you find that your hair webs with this method? Part of the reason why I keep stopping is that I find that because is the frequent washing and scritching I end up with more trapped shed hair and webbing. I usually wash with bound hair so maybe that's why?

Also, do you know anything about incorporating the GHE method? I'm going away for a bit and long rinses won't be possible. Do you think I could get away with baggying to generate the sebum them a quick rinse to distribute it?

@snoop

I rinse my hair in bound sections but I un-bind the section that I am working on so that I can ensure that I remove most of the shed hair in that section under the running water, then I bind that section again and move on to the next section. I find that the rest of the shed hair comes out when I am styling my hair into twists/bantu knots after the rinse. If you are experiencing lots of trapped shed hair you might need to un-bind your sections one at a time during the rinse.

Since your hair is bound during the rinse, are you removing shed hair outside of the shower? I find that if I try to detangle outside of the rinse (like on dry hair with a spray bottle of water) it is doable but not as easy - the water spritz mixed with my sebum & residual hair butter on my ends adds some slip but I have to be very gentle and take my time so as to not cause too much breakage since I'm not using a "detangler" product. It's so much easier/faster under the running water - my hair softens tremendously & the tight kinks loosen effortlessly under the warm running water so that my hands can easily remove the shed hair.

As for baggying, I don't have a lot of experience doing that with this regimen. If I recall correctly I tried it one night but was uncomfortable. I think it does help produce more sebum and makes sense in theory if you need to produce more sebum fast so I say go for it!

 

[nlamr2013]

I thought I commented in here but I've written on the board before how wow cleared my scalp of terrible psoriasis like scalp flakes looking like doilies
It also used to have a weird odor at the scalp randomly not a stinky one but nothing I would want to smell like. Wow also had my hair feeling moist.

I stopped because my sebum was sooo thick it made my hair dull and I called my self just washing it out with a natural shampoo scalp instantly flaky again and I've been dealing with that since about November. Didn't want to start wow in the winter as when you first start you basically need to wash daily

 

[snoop]

@snoop
Since your hair is bound during the rinse, are you removing shed hair outside of the shower? I find that if I try to detangle outside of the rinse (like on dry hair with a spray bottle of water) it is doable but not as easy - the water spritz mixed with my sebum & residual hair butter on my ends adds some slip but I have to be very gentle and take my time so as to not cause too much breakage since I'm not using a "detangler" product. It's so much easier/faster under the running water - my hair softens tremendously & the tight kinks loosen effortlessly under the warm running water so that my hands can easily remove the shed hair.

I'm guilty of not removing it at all until I'm changing up my twists...anywhere from 2 days to 20 days.

When I wasn't on this routine, I didn't have to worry so much about the tangling and webbing since I wasn't manipulating my hair much. When I do the routine I can rinse/wash up to 4 times in a week and I think that with the massage and the water my hair ends up shedding more. Finger detangling is great, but I'm starting to realize that the more often that I wet my hair, the more often that I will probably have to detangle with a comb.