Hair washing questions

[mommylamb]

I've always been one of those people who washed my hair nearly every day, and I know this really isn't what I should be doing. So I'm trying to go down to once every other day. If you don't wash your hair every day, do you still put conditioner in it on the days you don't shampoo?

Today was a non-wash day for me, and needless to say, it's not a good hair day over here. I know my hair needs to get used to this change in routine, but it kind of sucks. How long does it take for hair to adjust?

For the record, the no-poo thing scares me. Not interested.

Not sure if this has any baring at all on your answers: I have curly dark hair if that makes any difference at all. It seems relatively thick, but that's really because of the spiral curls, it's not actually very thick. Not wiry at any rate. I'm 38 years old, and I know that the gray hair is coming. I currently have 3 grays that I know of, and I'm trying to see how it will work if I don't color my hair. I had a professor in college who had dark hair and beautiful gray streaks. I kind of idolized her and always said I wouldn't dye it when the gray started.

[BabbyO]

I've been washing every other day for years. I have super thick and rather coarse, but straight hair. I don't get my hair wet at all on non-wash days. It is a blissful 3 min shower. Then I flat iron my hair and away I go. On wash days, I wash, put a little heat protector in, blow dry/style with brush and blowdrier and go. I'm a no more than 15 min on my hair kind of gal.

I don't know how long it will take to adjust, I just don't remember. Why is it a bad hair day? Oily, dry? My second (non-wash) day is usually my good hair day.

FWIW - I've been known to push it to 2 days w/o washing esp, if I wash at night. So wash hair Mon night, no wash Tue, no wash Wed. By the end of the day Wed, I start to notice my hair feeling a bit greasy/oily, but it usually doesn't look to bad...my head gets a bit itchy, though.

ETA: I will get it wet if I sleep on it funny and hair is sticking up - but I usually try to do that with a wet brush.

[AnnieW625]

Nope. I might get it a little wet, but unless it looks really funky I just brush it and go. If it looks funky I flat iron it. I have tried no poo before (first time in my early 20s) and each time it has been a huge epic fail.

My plan is to hope to never have to dye my hair either, but I am blond so it might work.

[mommylamb]

I just don't think I could not wet it at all. I mean, my hair looks like a crazy woman's in the morning after sleeping all night. The only way I could do that is a pony tail. I think this is different if you have straight hair, but not with curly IME. Curly haired mamas, let me know if you think that's not true. The same for brushing. I can only brush my hair when it is wet. Brushing it when it dry will make me look like I stuck my finger in a light socket.

I also don't spend much time on my hair either. I usually blow dry the top of my hair and scrunch up the bottom to help the curls along. I only blow it all the way dry if I'm going to straighten it, which I do once in a blue moon. It takes forever.

[citymama]

I'm with you, OP. Every other day and I know the in-between days are bad hair days. I always wash and dry if I have some kind of important meeting that day. I find that blowdrying after washing and using a small amount of hair product helps keep it looking better the next day. If I just wash and air dry, I will look crazy on day 2. I have very thick short wavy hair, with unpredictable waves. ;)

I'm 40 and in the last year have noticed more and more whites - probably 15-20 now. Most people don't notice them on me but my kids do! My mom is 70 with mostly black hair, some streaks of grey and she's gorgeous. Looks so much more natural and youthful than many of her peers. If I am lucky and have a slow greying process like her, I would like to do what she does and not dye. If I go all white in my 40s or 50s, bring on the hair color!

What the heck is no poo? Sounds painful. ;)

[karstmama]

i wash twice a week. i don't get it wet on no-wash days. it's very curly when short, wavy when long. i brush it when it's long, but just run my fingers through it short.

but i do dye it! ;)

[BigDog]

I just don't think I could not wet it at all. I mean, my hair looks like a crazy woman's in the morning after sleeping all night. The only way I could do that is a pony tail. I think this is different if you have straight hair, but not with curly IME. Curly haired mamas, let me know if you think that's not true. The same for brushing. I can only brush my hair when it is wet. Brushing it when it dry will make me look like I stuck my finger in a light socket.

I also don't spend much time on my hair either. I usually blow dry the top of my hair and scrunch up the bottom to help the curls along. I only blow it all the way dry if I'm going to straighten it, which I do once in a blue moon. It takes forever.

Yes, this is me. I have curly, thick, course, dry, almost shoulder-length hair and I'll wear it down on the day I wash it. On day 2 I wear it up because I wake up with it looking like a birds nest. So it's either a ponytail or I'll re-wet it and let it air dry if I have the desire/time (which is usually never).

I can't brush mine either. And it takes forever to dry mine too. Seems like the only difference is that my hair is really gray and white. I'm 37 and I have to touch up my roots every 5 weeks or so because the gray/white starts coming in and it's so annoyingly noticeable. My grandmother had a full head of white hair when she was in her 40s.

[Globetrotter]

Curly hair has different rules. I do no-poo (seriously, it's not a big deal :) or some folks mix a bit of sulfate-free shampoo in with conditioner and wash with that) and that was the solution to keeping my hair healthy and pretty. Before it was a frizzy mess and I had to straighten it to make it presentable, until it got so damaged that I couldn't use a flat iron.

On days when I don't condition wash, I spray some silicone free conditioner/water mixture into my hands and wet my hair with my hands, take out the knots and scrunch it up to reactivate the gel. It works wonders and it's very quick and easy. I don't use a hair dryer normally but I often dry it in the car (with the heat) or occasionally use a diffuser.

The biggest thing I learned is that water helps activate the curl, so I ADD water to my hair when it's frizzy, but that only works if you keep it curly and have gel in it. Before, I used to dread getting my hair wet because it would get weird. This has seriously been a very freeing thing for me :)

ETA: I also learned that frizz usually indicates an underlying curl or wave pattern. Most of us suppress it and end up with frizzy hair, as I did for years!

[weech]

Have you tried sleeping on a satin pillowcase or with a satin cap (like a fabric shower cap)? I have curly hair also and my curls get wild when I sleep... but sleeping on satin so that there's no resistance against the curl as your head moves around at night really helps the curls to stay intact and looking pretty good.

[Globetrotter]

Oh, two more things:
LIke pp said, use a satin or sateen pillowcase and put your hair into a ponytail on top of your head at night (picture Pebbles :)).

[mommylamb]

I'll try the satin pillow case. Never would have thought of that.

ETA: I'm kind of laughing at the image of myself in a satin cap though. I'm already so unsexy at night, with my mouth guard, ear plugs and occasionally, I wear an eye mask! DH is going to LHAO at me if I wear a cap too. Will have to do the pillowcase.

[baymom]

Curly hair has different rules. I do no-poo (seriously, it's not a big deal :) or some folks mix a bit of sulfate-free shampoo in with conditioner and wash with that) and that was the solution to keeping my hair healthy and pretty. Before it was a frizzy mess and I had to straighten it to make it presentable, until it got so damaged that I couldn't use a flat iron.

On days when I don't condition wash, I spray some silicone free conditioner/water mixture into my hands and wet my hair with my hands, take out the knots and scrunch it up to reactivate the gel. It works wonders and it's very quick and easy. I don't use a hair dryer normally but I often dry it in the car (with the heat) or occasionally use a diffuser.

The biggest thing I learned is that water helps activate the curl, so I ADD water to my hair when it's frizzy, but that only works if you keep it curly and have gel in it. Before, I used to dread getting my hair wet because it would get weird. This has seriously been a very freeing thing for me :)

ETA: I also learned that frizz usually indicates an underlying curl or wave pattern. Most of us suppress it and end up with frizzy hair, as I did for years!

Based on another thread, I was inspired to try going no-poo about a month ago. I think my hair might be very similar to Globetrotter's expect that I never had the skill and patience to flat iron it. My curls are spiral and I learned not to fight it way later in life than I wish I had. :) Anyway, the first few days of no-poo weren't looking too promising, as I felt that I wasn't getting my scalp as clean as I was used to it and it looked oily right away. It truly does take a while for your body to adjust, just stick with it for a while and trust that it'll work out soon. Another thing, like Globetrotter mentioned, is that it seems to yield better results to spray water onto your hair outside of the shower rather than wetting it, in the shower. That's been my experience, at least. Reactivates the product that I had put in the day before...

A bit off topic, but I have rocked plenty of pony tails (or buns) on bad hair days and I think it looks okay on us curly haired gals!

[lovin2shop]

I'm a former wash everydayer to now once or twice a weeker. My scalp is oily, but my hair is dry and I straighten it, so it was very damaged. It took my scalp a few weeks to adjust, lots of pony tails and such during this time. But, now it actually looks better on the off days (except for when I skip for too long because now I'm very lazy and despise hair wash days!). I don't do anything other than brush in the mornings that I don't wash. If I let it go curly, then I would probably spray it down with water.

And kind of funny, but for whatever reason, I picture you with blonde hair!

[inmypjs]

I also wash 2-3x per week. I think it takes a good month or two for your hair to really get used to it.

[mommylamb]

So it seems that the general consensus is to not get my hair wet in the shower on the non wash days and just spritz it with water when I get out of the shower. We'll see... I'm nervous about it. I wish I could just not go to work for a month while I did this.



And kind of funny, but for whatever reason, I picture you with blonde hair!

LOL! That's so funny! It's amazing how we all post here all the time and probably have these images in our heads that are just not at all right. Yup, definitely not a blond!

[larig]

You think you don't want to no-poo, but then you try it. I'm a total convert. Been doing it (but with Deva-curl product). My stylist really pushed it, and she was right. She has beautiful curly hair herself, and knows how to maintain it, so I trust her in a way I can't trust non-curly stylists. I'm a once a week girl, and even then I could probably go a lot longer. I don't get my hair wet usually, unless I've been doing something really sweaty. I use a spray bottle in the morning if my hair is too nuts, but most of the time it's good.

[mommylamb]

Ok, then tell me about no-poo. Other than not wash your hair, what do you do to it?

:eek:

[Momit]

I don't do a ponytail overnight but I kind of braid my hair up over my head, like starting at one ear and going up and over to the other ear. It seems to keep it from sticking out in strange places when I haven't washed my hair that night. I normally wash it every other night right before bed and sleep on it wet.

ETA also curious about no-poo but have been hesitant to try it

[ladysoapmaker]

I wash my hair about every other to every 3rd day. Now I don't have curly hair, just straight long fine hair. On a non-wash day, if it feels too greasy/oily I'll rinse in water but I normally try to keep it out of the water. Also to keep down tangles I braid my hair before bed and I'll sleep in a silk cap or on a satin pillowcase. I've been wanting to find a silk pillow case to see if that helps but they are really expensive. Also if I'm outside and I'm some place where the dust kicks up really badly I will wear a hat/cap. That way I don't feel like I have to wash the dust/dirt out.

Jen

[trcy]

Ok, then tell me about no-poo. Other than not wash your hair, what do you do to it?

:eek:
Wash with conditioner. I have not tried it yet. Like you, it scares me. If you try it, make sure nothing you use has silicones, they won't get washed out with condition and could really dry out your hair. It is very popular at naturallycurly.com. I wash every 3 days with a sulfate free shampoo. On non wash days, I spray my hair with a water condition combo and scrunch in a little curl cream. You could also wet down your hair in the shower a use just conditioner if you wanted.

[Momit]

eta: I'm kind of laughing at the image of myself in a satin cap though. I'm already so unsexy at night, with my mouth guard, ear plugs and occasionally, i wear an eye mask! Dh is going to lhao at me if i wear a cap too. Will have to do the pillowcase.

:rotflmao:

[Indianamom2]

I have very fine, very straight, tending towards oily hair. I used to wash every day. Then I did every other day. Now I can make it three days. On the second day I don't wet it at all (shower cap), the third day I will sometimes use some dry shampoo to help absorb any oil. By the end of day three, my hair isn't great. It's also usually up in a bun or something for day 3.

[Globetrotter]

Like you, it scares me
:rotflmao:
Don't worry. You will come over to the dark side eventually! When I first heard about this, I thought it was CRAZY weird, but then I got desperate and gave it a chance.

This is a good primer:
http://www.wikihow.com/Follow-the-Curly-Girl-Method-for-Curly-Hair

You must wash out the silicones first before proceeding, and give some time for your hair to adjust. I didn't need much time at all, but my hair is extremely dry. Once in a while, I use apple cider vinegar as a rinse to clarify, before applying conditioner.

Make sure you use sulfate free shampoo if you choose to use some shampoo with your conditioner. Not necessary, imo, but you could do that on days that you swim in a chlorinated pool. I sometimes use shampoo after camping, but it's probably not necessary and it tends to make my hair poofy.
Use only silicone free conditioners and products. Any gels should also be alcohol free. You don't need to use fancy stuff, but make sure it fits that criteria. The diehards use baking soda and whatnot, but I'm too lazy :)

This is my routine:
Condition wash with Tresemme Naturals silicone free conditioner - scrub with your fingers
Rinse
Apply the conditioner to condition, and this time comb it through with my fingers to get rid of tangles. Then scrunch it up towards my scalp.
Shave, apply soap, whatever.
Gently rinse out the conditioner while scrunching up towards the scalp. Some folks leave in most of the conditioner or blot it out with the towel. I find I need to rinse out most of it.
Remove excess moisture with a microfiber towel.
Apply Devacurl ultra gel and scrunch up. Make sure it's applied all over before you scrunch. I gently apply to the outer layer and underneath, then work it through gently. If you have VERY curly hair, you can apply the gel while your hair is soaking wet, THEN dry.
Pin the hair at the top of my head to give it some lift.
Plop my hair up with a microfiber towel. DO NOT TOUCH your hair until it's dry.
Apply makeup, etc…

I let it air dry usually, but sometimes I use the car heating if I'm in a hurry. You can also use a hooded dryer or diffuser.

When it's dry, scrunch it up again and it will be soft! Don't touch it after that :)

On subsequent days or if it gets messed up, spray a water/conditioner mix to the hair (I get it quite wet) and scrunch it, then let it dry. Done!

[Globetrotter]

Based on another thread, I was inspired to try going no-poo about a month ago.
Baymom, I take it it's working?? There is a bit of a learning curve.

[mommylamb]

I know the shampoo I'm using now is sulfate free, but I have no idea if it's silicone free. Or what a silicone is for that matter. This is what I'm using now http://www.amazon.com/Kirkland-Signature-Professional-Formula-Moisture/dp/B004W3GKU0 Does anyone know if it has silicones?

ETA: If I got this http://www.amazon.com/DevaCurl-Trial-Travel-Kit-Plus/dp/B001KYBPW2/ref=sr_1_13?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1384465329&sr=1-13&keywords=devacurl+gel is that all I need to try?

[rds97]

My hair is straight, and I shampoo every other day. I sleep with it in a high ponytail or loose bun (if I want a little wave) every night and it does the trick. Be sure to use those new looser "hair tie" things, not an elastic. Or with a bun, I don't use a hair tie at all, just twist and pin loosely with hairpins or bobby pins. Not sure if this approach works with curly hair, though...

[larig]

I know the shampoo I'm using now is sulfate free, but I have no idea if it's silicone free. Or what a silicone is for that matter. This is what I'm using now http://www.amazon.com/Kirkland-Signature-Professional-Formula-Moisture/dp/B004W3GKU0 Does anyone know if it has silicones?

ETA: If I got this http://www.amazon.com/DevaCurl-Trial-Travel-Kit-Plus/dp/B001KYBPW2/ref=sr_1_13?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1384465329&sr=1-13&keywords=devacurl+gel is that all I need to try?

I use the very same shampoo and conditioner. Even DH has changed, because he is anti detergent. I've been meaning to try the spray stuff.

ETA:get a shower cap.

ETA2: and I want this. http://www.mydevacurl.com/products/finish_and_refresh/devacurl_shine_spray

ETA3: I find the deva curl shampoo/conditioner that are green labels are flowery.

[elektra]

OMG mommylamb, picturing you in a little sleeping cap just about killed me just now.
And I am also curious about the no-poo, so using conditioner is the trick then? Everytime I would see it mentioned on the boards I would just imagine the smell of all the no pooed heads and I just couldn't go there.
So using conditioner only instead of shampoo plus conditioner makes your hair super fabulous?

All those steps that Globetrotter posted had my head spinning though.

[doberbrat]

the trick for me is not to touch your hair or try to brush it on the non wash days. Use a satin pillowcase or cap (sometimes I stay up till after dh is asleep so he doesnt see it) and use a good shower cap when you are showering on non wash days. Protect from humidity as much as possible.

[baymom]

Baymom, I take it it's working?? There is a bit of a learning curve.

Well, it's not exactly perfect, but I'm getting there! :) At first, I wasn't feeling like my hair was getting clean, but now I do, so that's encouraging. Also, all this month, I've stopped using any mouse or gel in my hair, worried that I wouldn't be able to get it clean afterwards with just the conditioner. So, my hair is not exactly as 'nice' looking as I would like it to, but definitely softer and at least decent. But, from reading your PP and others in this thread, I realize that I CAN still use product while using 'no-poo' so now I can't wait to wash my hair tomorrow! All this time, I had thought that your curls became so soft and formed with the no-poo that you could give up product. Oh well! :) Still, it makes for a faster shower and softer hair, so I'm sticking with it!

[Globetrotter]

All those steps that Globetrotter posted had my head spinning though.


lol Don't worry. It's like one of those exercises where you write out an everyday routine. It looks complicated, but it really becomes second nature, really no different from regular washing. It's actually a lot easier than drying and flat ironing it!


Everytime I would see it mentioned on the boards I would just imagine the smell of all the no pooed heads and I just couldn't go there.
So using conditioner only instead of shampoo plus conditioner makes your hair super fabulous?

You'd be amazed at how clean you can get it with conditioner alone. You just scrub your scalp to get rid of the dirt. I know no-pooing works really well for dry, curly or wavy hair, but years ago I met someone with long, super thick hair, straight hair, and she told me she never uses shampoo, so I guess it's been around for some time but it's getting more popular now.



I know the shampoo I'm using now is sulfate free, but I have no idea if it's silicone free. Or what a silicone is for that matter. This is what I'm using now http://www.amazon.com/Kirkland-Signa.../dp/B004W3GKU0 (http://www.amazon.com/Kirkland-Signature-Professional-Formula-Moisture/dp/B004W3GKU0) Does anyone know if it has silicones?

ETA: If I got this http://www.amazon.com/DevaCurl-Trial...s=devacurl+gel (http://www.amazon.com/DevaCurl-Trial-Travel-Kit-Plus/dp/B001KYBPW2/ref=sr_1_13?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1384465329&sr=1-13&keywords=devacurl+gel) is that all I need to try?





That kirkland shampoo is one they recommend if you need a sulfate free one. I can't see the Devacurl link, but all you need is a silicone free conditioner and alcohol and silicone free gel. I like the Devacurl Ultra. I'm going to look for a lower cost alternative, but I've had great luck with Devacurl products. There are lists of no poo friendly products online.

I do have the Devacurl mousse that I sometimes use at the top of my head to give some extra body, and I want to try the shine spray for special occasions!


But, from reading your PP and others in this thread, I realize that I CAN still use product while using 'no-poo' so now I can't wait to wash my hair tomorrow!

That's right! Just make sure it's silicone and alcohol free :) Mine doesn't look great without some product.

Can I just say that I find this all hilarious? I haven't been so hair obsessed since I was in high school :) but for years I pretty much walked around looking awful (before I started straightening it) so I guess I'm just a late bloomer!

[3blackcats]

I wash my hair every three days, sometimes four days if I'm bit going anywhere important. The key I have discovered for me it to wash my hair twice on the days I do wash it. And my hair is super thick and wavy so I make sure I lift it up to wash the "inside" that is hard to get to. This method gets me so much more "life" between washes. Before I started doing this I could see the nasty oil look start at the end of the second day. And my hair is so much healthier from all the natural oils remaining in my hair.

[maestramommy]

I usually wash every day, but on days I don't I don't even wet it.

[SASM]

Curly hair has different rules. I do no-poo (seriously, it's not a big deal :) or some folks mix a bit of sulfate-free shampoo in with conditioner and wash with that) and that was the solution to keeping my hair healthy and pretty. Before it was a frizzy mess and I had to straighten it to make it presentable, until it got so damaged that I couldn't use a flat iron.

On days when I don't condition wash, I spray some silicone free conditioner/water mixture into my hands and wet my hair with my hands, take out the knots and scrunch it up to reactivate the gel. It works wonders and it's very quick and easy. I don't use a hair dryer normally but I often dry it in the car (with the heat) or occasionally use a diffuser.

The biggest thing I learned is that water helps activate the curl, so I ADD water to my hair when it's frizzy, but that only works if you keep it curly and have gel in it. Before, I used to dread getting my hair wet because it would get weird. This has seriously been a very freeing thing for me :)

ETA: I also learned that frizz usually indicates an underlying curl or wave pattern. Most of us suppress it and end up with frizzy hair, as I did for years!
:yeahthat::yeahthat::yeahthat: I was freaked out by the thought of co-washing/no-poo but I love it!! Both my scalp & hair feel great, especially as long as I use the right styling products. I have always washed 2x a week, though. Despite using a "good" conditioner, my hair would still feel dry. Co-washing has helped tremendously as well as the right styling products (currently DevaCurl) and plopping with a microfiber towel.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I'm washing daily now. I used to firmly be in the every other day camp and I felt my fair looked better day 2. But now I just don't feel well groomed if I don't wash and dry it each day. Now, I have some lazy days where I just don't care. I also have days where my hair was so awesome that I don't want to wash it and ruin the good thing. But somewhere around the 48 hour mark it goes from unfrizzy, smooth and pretty to greasy looking. I just feel better about the day if I wash my hair lately.

[mommylamb]

I'm going to do this slowly. My plan is every other day washing for the next 2-3 weeks, then transitioning to 2-3 times/week for a month or two, and then seeing if I can go no-poo eventually. Today was a wash day, and I do think my hair looks better today than it typically does having not washed it yesterday. But yesterday was bad. We'll see how it goes. I put the sample pack of devacurl products on my Amazon wish list.

[egoldber]

I started the transition about 3 years ago to simplify my life when my commute was sooooo bad. The transition is hard. It took 2-3 months before I felt like the second day was an OK day too. After about a YEAR of that, I transitioned to every 3 days. I can go up to 4 days, although day 4 is not a great hair day. Today it is up. ;)


I'm a former wash everydayer to now once or twice a weeker. My scalp is oily, but my hair is dry and I straighten it, so it was very damaged. It took my scalp a few weeks to adjust, lots of pony tails and such during this time. But, now it actually looks better on the off days (except for when I skip for too long because now I'm very lazy and despise hair wash days!).

This is exactly me! I know my hair now looks better on day 2 and 3. By day 4 I can tell I need to wash, but it still looks OK. But my hair is shoulder length and straight.


The key I have discovered for me it to wash my hair twice on the days I do wash it.

This too. I have to wash twice and then heavily condition.

I do also color my hair, so I think that makes it easier to go longer between washes as well.

[stinkyfeet]

I am glad everyone is liking co-washing! :cheerleader1: This and stretching out my washes really improved the condition of my hair (which is wavy, dry, normal to thick, and a little course). I co-wash once a week and shampoo once a week.

Like I said in a another post, I use Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle conditioner to co-wash (bc I have an itchy scalp). I don't feel the need to follow up with another conditioner to soften or detangle my hair.

On my shampoo day, I saturate my hair with coconut oil infused with Indian herbs--it is supposed to help prevent protein loss and help keep your hair from getting too dry. I do wash twice. I wash once with a dandruff shampoo and then once with a traditional shampoo. I am thinking of changing this routine and starting to use Indian herbs to wash my hair.

In between washings, my scalp can get a bit oily. I think that a powdered dry shampoo helps a lot. I currently use a homemade dry shampoo made from orris root powder, arrowroot powder and essential oils (based on Nanny Pauline's dry shampoo recipe). I think just using arrowroot powder (which is a natural substitute for cornstarch) works well too. I use an old makeup brush (Sephora bronzer brush) and dip into the product, tap off excess , and buff into my scalp (like the Bare Essentials technique). I use my fingers and massage into my scalp.

You can stop at that step or use a boar bristle brush covered in a layer of cheesecloth and brush your hair in sections to get rid of excess powder and distribute the oils in your hair. (At least with the Nanny Pauline Recipe, your hair gets very shiny with this technique--but I think only straight and wavy hair girls can do it).

I sleep with a satin pillowcase--no sleeping cap for me yet!!

References:

Enriched Coconut Oil: (henna sooq's cocoveda is my favorite!)
http://www.hennasooq.com/cocoveda-hair-oil/
http://www.amazon.com/Dabur-Vatika-Enriched-Coconut-Bottles/dp/B000JWM7FA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384608095&sr=8-1&keywords=vatika+oil

Nanny Pauline recipe:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=6387&p=140177#post140177

Hand-made Dry Shampoo (haven't tried, but ingredient list suggests it's based off Nanny Pauline Recipe:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/119459684/moondust-herbal-dry-shampoo-1-oz-refill?ref=shop_home_active

Boar Bristle Brush (really wanted the Mason Pearson, but I didn't want to pay $$$ without trying a cheaper alternative. I do not like the cheapie ones I've found at drugstores or Sally's because the bristles aren't stiff enough).

http://madoralonghair.com/products-page/combs-and-brushes/the-all-purpose-styling-brush-apsb

[JBaxter]

I was 4 or 5 x a week. Every day I run and if I'm going out someplace My hair looks flat on non wash days. Fine if I'm home but I like more body.

[hellokitty]

I haven't really read through the other replies, so forgive me if this is a repeat. I have thick, straight hair that MUST be washed everyday. It just looks, feels and smells gross if I don't, and I've always thought it was a joke when they tell you that you shouldn't wash your hair so often, since that's just not an option for me. So, I had also been very leery of the co-washing raves. However, someone posted in the last thread (sorry, off the top of my head, IDK who who give credit to), about alternating. I think she did like 3-4 days of co-washing and then one day of regular shampooing. I guess I did not know that you could do this. So, I thought, what the heck, I will give it a try. Anyway, I started last wk, using the TJ TTO Tingle conditioner 3 days in a row (amazingly, my hair looks great and I did not tell DH I was doing it and when I did tell him, he was shocked and said he would have thought that my hair would look terrible from that), and then I use the TJ TTO shampoo on the fourth day. This seems to be working out really well for me. The key is to massage the conditioner in really well first thing when you get into the shower (wet your hair thoroughly, I notice that my problem area is toward the bottom of my head by my neck, where it seems harder to get it as wet as the top of my head). I use basically an entire palm full of conditioner. Let it set while I do the rest of my shower routine and then rinse at the very end. You MUST rinse it out very well. So, now this involves me holding my head upside down in the shower and going through sections of my hair. However, it is so worth it. Give it a try. I liked hearing that ppl use the TJ TTO conditioner, b/c that is what I normally use anyway, and I figure that since my hair can look greasy, that the TTO can help with that issue too.

[egoldber]

Do people who use the TJ TTO shampoo color treat their hair? My hairdresser told me that non-color safe shampoos can strip the color so I am always afraid to try something!

[larig]

Do people who use the TJ TTO shampoo color treat their hair? My hairdresser told me that non-color safe shampoos can strip the color so I am always afraid to try something!

It's not TJs, but the Devacurl one condition and no-poo with white labels are made for color treated hair. I use them on my colored hair which includes vegetable-based vibrant magenta highlights, and with my minimal hair washing & those products that color remains vibrant for months. My base color doesn't fade either.

[stinkyfeet]

Do people who use the TJ TTO shampoo color treat their hair? My hairdresser told me that non-color safe shampoos can strip the color so I am always afraid to try something!

I don't color treat my hair yet, but I would think that the TJ TTO CONDITIONER would be safe to use for co-washing. I don't know if the shampoo would be safe for color-treated hair. I would probably opt for a color-safe shampoo just to be safe. ;)

[mommylamb]

So folks that do co-washing-- just to make sure I understand-- you wash your hair with conditioner only for several days, then have 1 day where you use a sulfate free shampoo? Is that right?

[stinkyfeet]

So folks that do co-washing-- just to make sure I understand-- you wash your hair with conditioner only for several days, then have 1 day where you use a sulfate free shampoo? Is that right?

You can do that. You can also co-wash every other day or skip a few days between co-washing. Generally speaking, the less you wash your hair, the healthier it will be. Co-washing does a great job of removing sebum without stripping your hair the way shampoo would.

You have to figure out what routine works best for you. Just try it once a week and slowly integrate it more into your routine.

[Globetrotter]

So folks that do co-washing-- just to make sure I understand-- you wash your hair with conditioner only for several days, then have 1 day where you use a sulfate free shampoo? Is that right?

You don't HAVE to use shampoo at all, but you can if you prefer. If you do, use a sulfate free option and mix a little with conditioner. I used to use shampoo once in a while but found my hair got poofy on those days. Since going curly, I stopped using it altogether, even after camping or hiking, and it's better than ever. I find it's less oily on subsequent days since I stopped using shampoo! The key is to use your fingertips and scrub.

Really, whatever works for you is fine, as in hellokitty's example. You may have to experiment to see, and give some time for your scalp to adjust.