Your Hair's Natural Oils...

[poookie]

many women who relax (that i've spoken with), when asked why don't they wash their hair more than 3 or 4 times a month, say that the reason is because they don't want to strip their hair or scalp of their "natural oils".

i can see how they'd think that washing hair equals stripped hair... when using HARSH SHAMPOO!

but how can frequent cowashing with moisturizing conditioners strip the hair?

and what in the world are these "natural oils" that women with naturally textured hair (black women) seem to love so much? is it sebum? the same stuff that makes my face shiny? why WOULDN'T people want to wash that icky stuff away????

am i the only one who doesn't buy into the whole "natural oils" thing?

i'm perplexed. erplexed

 

[Simply_Kelz]

IME, they don't REALLY know why they don't, they just don't. Because they've been taught so.

 

[Neith]

Co washing is deeply conditioning... and it DOES take oils off your hair. Some people's hair doesn't like being "too clean"

I don't know if it's a question of texture or not.

When you have DRY hair or skin, those natural oils are a lifesaver. That's what people with dry hair and skin lack. So keeping a certain amount of oil on the hair (and skin) is very beneficial.

There comes a point when I need deep penetrating moisture when I completely wet my hair under running water.

Think of it exactly as very dry skin. If you just wash the skin with a gentle cleanser, then put nothing on it... it'll be dry and itchy. You'd do better with using a nice, thick cream afterwards.

I'm ever so slightly peeved because this isn't the first time I bought it up... people respond almost as if I'm lying about dryness with co washing or something

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[poookie]

and what in the world are these "natural oils" that women with textured hair seem to love so much?

oops!!! i should have said "naturally textured hair". as in black folk. not texturized folk. i didn't want to say black women initially.

I'm ever so slightly peeved because this isn't the first time I bought it up... people respond almost as if I'm lying about dryness with co washing or something
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the other thread inspired me to do this spinoff. not your previous posts (which, save for the one in the thread today, i haven't read). sor-ry.

 

[Neith]

oops!!! i should have said "naturally textured hair". as in black folk. not texturized folk. i didn't want to say black women initially.



the other thread inspired me to do this spinoff. not your previous posts (which, save for the one in the thread today, i haven't read). sor-ry.

nah, it's okay. It just feels like... unacceptable to say a bad thing about co washing here

I guess people feel it's "anti cowashing" propoganda or something. Really... that's the type of response I've gotten for saying it. Complete disregard from a bunch of people. Going back to when I first joined.

I'm just thinking... we all know that everything doesn't work the same for every head of hair! Why would this be any different?

I like co washing, but I have to be mindful of dryness too.

 

[destiny616]

co washing adds build up to my hair so it is not beneficial to me. i tried many different techniques and conditioners so i know co-washing doesn't work for me. i wash with shampoo and deep condition every 5 - 7 days.


as for sebum, it helps the hair retain moisture. it also protects the hair by lubricating it.

 

[poookie]

i feel ya. different strokes for different folks. what irks the heck outta me... which is the point behind this thread... is when women (who haven't been enlightened of the ways of proper hair care) say they REFUSE to wash their hair, because they don't want to strip it of its natural oils... and when i ask them "what oils are those?" all they can say is "um... uh... i dunno!"

 

[Neith]

I used to be walking around like that too. Greasy, dry mess on my head. It was what my mother taught me! What her mother taught her... that's some real old school thinking.

I did read something here about shampoos being really harsh back in the day. So people didn't use them often!
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