Every child has a little chemist inside. That brainy, inquisitive spark that tells them to mix certain unrelated liquids together and see what happens. Most of the time, it’s things like glue and orange juice. Or toilet water and lipstick.
If not kept in check, this little chemistry curiosity, we grow up to mix things like vokda and beer. Just a little tip, parents.
Anyway, when I was a kid, my inner chemist was mostly just curious about my hair. Changing it, especially. See, when I was a kid, my hair looked like this:
It was pretty hair. Shiny. Thick. Straight.
But it was brown, and I did not want my hair to be brown. Because my cousin – the one who lived right next door to me, and who was allowed to go to beauty tip classes and stay up until 9 – had hair that looked like this:
How I wanted that blonde hair. It probably didn’t help that right about that time I was spending four nights a week locked in my room, listening to my Mickey Mouse record player belting out songs from Grease and pretending I was Olivia Newton-John. Olivia Newton-John of the flaxen mane.
My life would have been complete, I thought, with that blonde hair. Danny Zuko would stop being just an apparition in my wading pool and drive me into the sky for reals.
So I spent every night in the bathtub, combining various shampoos and conditioners in precisely inexact measurements (every time), certain I would hit upon a combination that would turn my brown hair blonde. I’m pretty sure it did at one point, for a total of 10 minutes after I stared at the bathroom light for a while and then looked back at my hair. And then it was brown again.
Eventually, I turned to doing things like this with my high school friends:
And then I turned it purple (on purpose) and then chopped it off and then Sun-Inned it until it looked like a tarnished pumpkin and then chopped it off again. Somewhere in there, I too paid hundreds of dollars for highlights.
All to “fix” perfectly fine hair.
We’re Terrible to Our Poor, Defenseless Hair!
No matter what your hair type, you’ve wished it was different. Curly. Straight. Shinier. Longer. Darker. Lighter. Able to tie itself into a bun and turn you into a sexy librarian.
I know you’ve done that, because you live in this world and watch these TVs and read this internet full of people with hair that’s – ahem – WAY better than yours (even though they wish they had your hair, silly goose).
But riddle us this: What if your hair, naturally and the way it is, does things you never dreamed it could do? What if it’s supposed to be unstraightened, unpermed, unchemicaled … and uncut.
Several months ago, I ran across this highly suspect, in the realm of potential urban legends, story about Native Americans and how their long hair gave them supernatural tracking abilities.
It stuck with me, even though it’s probably 87% hoo-haw. In a nutshell: “Supposedly,” in Vietnam, the military found out that the Native Americans they recruited lost their intuitive abilities when their hair was cut short. They could no longer sense someone sneaking up behind them, and they eventually all turned into Lou Diamond Phillips who everyone confused with Benjamin Bratt. I made that last part up.
On a serious note, though, whether or not that particular urban legend is true, you may recall that hair has played a very important part in history – especially how the “cutting” of which saps the power of the cuttee.
Does the name Sampson ring a bell? Or the Vril Society, who believed that their hair was antennae with which to communicate with aliens? (Notably, Hitler is believed to have been a part of the Vril society, but we’ve all seen his hair. If only the aliens could have spoken to him …)
Guess what else, though? The Sikhs believe that long, natural hair gives you metaphysical abilities: It helps you meditate, it connects you with the universe, and it delivers much-needed vitamins and minerals to your brain. In short, it’s an antennae to God (and the God in all the nature around us).
I don’t know what to tell you if you’re bald.
Sorry. Try gluing spaghetti on there.
My point is: We should be kinder to our hair. We should treat it as the natural wonder it is, instead of wishing (and bleaching) that it was morebetterdifferent. Who knows what magical abilities it holds that modern-day science just hasn’t figured out yet. (ALIENS.)
This Week is Hair Week
In honor of beautiful natural hair, this week is dedicated to a few hair recipes/tips that you might or might not know about. Probably not. Hopefully not. It makes the blog more interesting if you learn new things.
But this is your chance to ask a particular question about a hair issue you have (if you have one). For Friday’s post, I’ll answer any I can – or I’ll highlight and post any great tips you guys give each other.
If you don’t have a hair question to ask, I implore you: Do you think there’s a possibility that our natural hair serves as an antennae of some sort? If not for ALIENS, then maybe to sense the world around us? Or is hair just dead, lifeless protein waiting for a sharp pair of scissors?
Crunchy Betty Steps On the Gas in 2012
I have studied the Torah and Talmud my entire life.
The survival of the soul through the change called death is on the verge
of being openly acknowledged by scientists and scholars of academic circles.
There is a wonderful science fiction story ‘ a John Collier story ‘ that brings this idea home.
Do you recommend any essential oils for a leave in conditioner/detangler of sorts? That is one of my last products to switch out. Just something to put on the ends for extra nourishment? Searching through your blog but haven’t been able to find something like that. Thanks!
My hair is wavy,though it has gone through every stage- pin straight, crazy curly and everything in between, but due to excessive hair braiding, the waves always come back,
Nevertheless, one of my best remedies for thin, “moody” hair (sometimes dry, sometimes oily) is a once-in-2-weeks almond oil treatment.
I’m 13 and guilty of dying my hair darker because I hated the ash-blond it was. Finding out about this website was probably most exciting thing that’s happened to me since Halloween (when I dyed it). I’m glad it wasn’t the permanent kind, and when it washes out, I’m never dying it again!!! THANK YOU FOR THIS WEBSITE I ALSO HAVE (scratch that HAD) PROBLEMS WITH BLACKHEADS I READ THAT AND THEY’RE GONE!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!
Just want to tell you I am 23 and up until I got to college I absolutely hated my ‘ash blonde hair’ which I referred to as ‘mousy blonde’ because it reminds me of the color of a mouse. I bleached my hair all through high school and my first year of college. It took me a year to grow out all that blonde hair (my hair grows slow) and I have never loved my hair more than when I do now! Love your natural color 🙂
Glad to see you have a desire to go natural at such a young age.
My hair whenever I get out of the shower gets all strawy and hard???? I have to brush it so it comes apart? Help!
I have been dying (die-ing) and frying my hair since forever. Never the color I wanted… whether a nice auburn, maroon, or lizard green (currently neon red). When I was younger it was thick and shiny and long (I look kind of awful with long hair), and now it is choppy (I cut my own hair), short and very fine (naturally, and from bleaching the bajeezus out of it) Every time my hair begins to heal it’s self, I decide it must be time to punish it for its audacity. But now that I am attempting to detox, and change so many lifestyle habits (just took my first wobbly baby steps, by making my own laundry and dish soaps *cue 2001 a Space Odyssy music*) and reading this article… I think I may have to give up my desire for purple/green/red/orange/turquoise hairs… and just allow my body to heal. Not a pleasant thought… but just changing my perspective will start the evolution I suppose. The thought that always comes to my mind, is my dear aunt… who for years has had to wear wigs, and hair pieces… finally stopped dying her hair… and it grew back. It just grew back. All she had to change was that one thing.
It makes me wonder how my lifestyle changes combined with loving my parts, even my extended parts, will change my outlook and my own beauty… even if it’s just through my own perception.
Any remedies for thinning hair?
Hello ladies,
I don’t know if many 20-something girls have this problem but…I’m losing a lot of hair. I’ve lost so much that the hair around my temples is becoming scarce. I used to straighten my hair a lot and I didn’t have the greatest diet either. I know that’s my problem right there, but I have cut down heat significantly (for me anyway…about twice a week I blow dry/straighten) and I’ve started to exercise and eat well (about 3 months now). I know its not enough time to see significant change, but is there anything I could be doing? I would like to go through the natural route and want to stay away from harsh chemicals. My main concern is growing hair where its thinning and prevent further loss. Thank you so much for your help.
Sincerely,
Distressed
Bosley
Hi Rakia,
When I first went natural I did a lot of research how to stimulate growth as my hair grows soooooo slow. The same tips were recommended for hair loss as well:
1) Stimulate your scalp as much as possible. Whenever I shampoo my hair I use my nails and good my scalp a good massage. I try to do it everyday in the shower, but if you are having major problems I would suggest spending time each day massaging the parts of your scalp that are thinning out.
2) When you wash out your conditioner, use cold water. It REALLY helps the overall health of your hair. This was hard for me to do because for some reason I love scalding hot showers. But it is much better for your hair (and skin) to at least end with a really cold shower.
3) Listen to Betty Crunchy and try to rid yourself of unnatural shampoos filled with parabens and other harmful chemicals. I use Avalon Organics (http://www.avalonorganics.com/biotin-b-complex-therapy-thickening-shampoo) which I really like if you don’t want to make your own.
4) DON’T USE A BRUSH WHEN YOUR HAIR IS WET!!! Your hair is incredibly elastic and fragile when it’s wet. Use a detangling comb. I found this comb recommended on a lot of natural hair websites when I first was researching this and have used it ever since http://amzn.to/2aWvkPq
5) Same with towel drying. Try to be gentle. Instead of just rubbing your head with a towel, gently squeeze out the water with a towel.
Hope this helps you out! If you want check out my blog. I am a new blogger but natural hair care is something I would love to talk about more 🙂 🙂 lifeinthe5280.com
How do you make your hair grow longer? I really want to grow it down to my waist so that I can donate it to locks for love, and then still have enough to put it up in a bun for ballet class. 🙂
yeah but my hair is naturally wavyish and it gets poofy during the day so i straighten it. WHAT SHOULD I DO??????
I have wavy hair. The trick is finding a good hairdresser. Ever since I did, my hair has looked great and I don’t have to spend much time styling it. Although I don’t straighten it because its thick and I’m lazy. Are you using a heat protector?
no i don’t use a heat protector
I don’t know how many people have my problem (probably a lot) but I could never, NEVER get my hair to curl. At least, not without excessive amounts of burn-your-face heat and lung-clogging hairspray. Until I found the sock bun. That’s right, a sock. One. In your hair, for about 6-8 hours (or however long you sleep). Take it out in the morning, and you have beautiful, bouncy, curly hair ALL DAY! No heat, no hairspray, no chemicals, just a sock. Seriously, it takes about 5 minutes, and the results are unbelievable.
Look it up on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FV-YO46E8Y. It’s not me on the video, btw, but it is the most helpful one I found.
I just have to try the sock bun, that’s so cute! My hair is barely touching my shoulders but I’ll give it a go. (gimme a break, I have a long neck hehe)
How awesome is this? I’m SO sad I cut my hair off again about a month ago. I think I’ll grow it back out, just so I can try this.
Thank you for sharing!
I’m too sick/tired to concentrate on reading all 111 comments, so I apologize if this has already been asked… But I’d like to hear your ideas on taming a flaky/itchy/dandruffy scalp. It’s not exactly a ‘hair’ question, but a happy, healthy scalp makes for happy, healthy hair, right? I’ve been no poo for over a year, but in the past 5 or so months, my scalp has gotten flaky. I’ve never ever had a problem with dandruff before this, and I’m really not sure what to do.
Love this post, and all the comments that I’ve already read here. Everyone is awesome.
Try a bit of coconut oil. Sounds scary putting oil on your scalp like that but for a day of slightly moist hair, it should help the flakies. I was finding I had a bit of flaky scalp just at the front of my part (or maybe that’s the only part I could see). I put a bit of coconut oil on it the night before I planned to wash it and it was fixed in the morning. Even after the wash and now a week or two later I haven’t seen any more dreaded white snow 😉
I do believe that hair is more than dead protein. Aside from being aesthetic for yourself and others, it does give you a sense of things whether or not you’re conscious of it.
I’m a 35 year old three year breast cancer survivor, and of course, I wasn’t happy with losing my hair to chemo. With the wig I chose, aesthetically I didn’t feel too bad, but something was troublesome and I couldn’t place it. When my hair came in long enough for the breeze to move it, I realized what I was missing. It gives you a sense of the wind and the weather. It was a lively-ness about my head that I had taken for granted, but couldn’t place when I lost because I didn’t know it mattered. It does matter, and I think it blends with all of your other senses.
I’ve had to think about this a while before I posted it. I have learnt a few lessons since I started down this path, and I’d love for everyone to be able to learn them by me sharing them, but I know that we all learn better when we figure it out for ourselves. I think I’ll share anyway.
The first thing you’ve gotta do is adjust your expectations. You need to understand that what you see in the magazine and on the tv is not real. Stop aiming for it, because it is simply not real. Let your hair go another day between washes and tie it back and forget about it. Soon enough you’ll realise that it’s not dirty, you just thought it was. How often do you think about other people’s hair in your day? Not that often, I bet. That’s how often anyone is thinking about yours. So lighten up and stop putting so much effort into something that nobody is paying attention to anyway 😛
It is almost 12 months (25th Jan) since I stopped using shampoo. I started the BS/ACV routine immediately, and was planning for the prescribed 4-6 week transition period. After nearly a year, I think I’m close to a settled routine. Close, but not quite. Expect that. Expect that for the rest of your life, your body is going to change, and you are going to change how you treat it. What works for me today may not work for me in winter (it’s summer here). It may not work during ‘that time of the month’. It may not work if I’ve swum in the ocean or a pool. Whatever. In that year, I’ve tried a hundred different treatments and cleansing techniques on my hair. Some worked, some failed, I lived to tell the tale. The second epiphany, after adjusting your understanding of reality, is to realise that every single human being on this planet is slightly different. There is no bottled solution to your hair. There are just things that work for some people, and maybe you. Have a go. The only person who can discover the perfect recipe and regimen for your body is you!
I truly believe that hair and skin are perfect indications of your health; physical, emotional, spiritual, the lot. The best thing for my skin (aside from stopping chemicals) is to drink plenty of water, eat well and be well. Now that I’m chemical free, I am so so so aware of how what I eat and how I feel affect how I look. My sensitivity and awareness have become heightened since I stopped dulling them with commercial crap. I’ve always kept my hair short but now I’m growing it long and it’s so exciting. I feel like I’m just letting my body fall into it’s natural equilibrium. There are nearly 30 years of messing about with chemicals to shake off, but I’m getting there. If you’re dying for a shampoo-free solution to healthy hair, but filling your belly with crappy food, forget the hair for the moment and take a step back.
Maybe you’re thinking I’m just one of those girls who had it easy, and isn’t really a good comparison? Nope. All my life it’s been oily, oily, oily hair. My hair is also superfine and until I jumped head first into no ‘poo, I was washing it daily. I also ride a bike. Every day. Helmet hair, every single day. Between the fine hair, the oily scalp, and the sweaty helmet hair, I reckon if I can do this, anyone can. I’m not lucky, I’m committed. Well, maybe I’m just stubborn and frugal! But it’s working for me. And the best lesson out of all of this experimentation has been not that I can wash my hair without shampoo, but rather that I am who I say I am, and not who the beauty industry says I’m not. I am a reflection of how well I treat my body and soul.
And yes, my hair lets me talk to aliens. In fact they have a message for us. “Dear Earthlings. Love yourselves!” 🙂
love love love love love xxxxxooooo
Glad to have found your blog! Why? Not just the fact that the ideas are pure awesomeness, but because I need help. About 25 years ago my nasty parents moved me from the mountains to the desert. I cut my long hair shoulder-length because it was freakin’ hot in the desert! From that moment on, my hair has been shoulder-length. It refuses to grow past that. I do color it. I’ve tried every shampoo, conditioner, hair grower magic potion I can get off the shelf. Help me, Crunchy Betty! Help my hair grow long again!! Thanks!!
Thanks! I’ve had a couple of goofy things happen lately. For one, I developed Alopecia Areata, which is patchy hair loss. It’s growing back in, but I wish there were things I could do (other than cortisone shots) to speed that process along. This would be relevant to anyone with hair thinning or who just wants her hair to grow faster. Vitamin supplements, perhaps? Also, I learned I’m “severely intolerant” to gluten. I don’t know that that caused the loss, but I did switch to a gluten-free shampoo and conditioner (Desert Essence) just in case. I’d be interested in learning about the various ingredients in shampoos and how to make an informed decision (not just for my specific scenario). For those of us not brave enough to go no ‘poo, it’s good to understand what shampoo should contain!
Ha – well, I just read your next post and may just try some peppermint EO in a hot oil treatment to speed things along. Thanks for reading my mind. In advance. But, any other tips would be handy if you’ve got ’em! Nutritional advice, scalp massage, you name it. There are all kinds of crazy theories out there from people trying to make money off of those with hair loss, so it’s hard to know what to trust…and I am kind of terrified of doing something that will make my scalp freak out again (although it was supposedly an autoimmune response).
I suffer from allipecia arerata as well and found crunchy Betty as a last ditch effort to green my beauty products before going through shots, creams etc. I took out all man made chemicals in all beauty products and have had good results with hair growth over the last few months. I can go wig free with confidence which is something I couldn’t do six months ago. Rosemary, lavender, cederwood essential oils mixed with a carrier oil and massaged is supposed to do wonders. I have used BioOil with good luck. I use shampoo bars with apple cider vinegar rinses and that really kicked off the hair growth. I hope you find something that works.
may I ask what kind of shampoo bars? What are the ingredients? I make my own cold process soap and wanted to try doing a shampoo bar, but can’t decide which oils to use. Thanks!! 😉
Crunchy Betty, this is my first post!! I’ve been following you for months and have tried many of your recipes, and I love them!!! I have been no-poo for about 4 months now using only BS and ACV. I must admit I brew lavendar tea to mix with my AVC just for scent and it is lovely! I have naturally curly, fairly long hair. I used to have a problem with frizz, a BIG problem with frizz! Well…not anymore!!! No-poo and Flaxseed gel have solved my problems, I swear by it and tell everyone I know to try it…some do, others look at me like I’m crazy but to each their own. I’m also doing the honey face wash which is amazing too! Can’t wait to see what you have in store for us in 2012!!! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Okay, can I just start out by saying – if out haven’t noticed…WE LOVE YOU. If you are ever having a nobody likes me everybody hates me I’m gonna eat some worms type of day, you come to your comments and read it: you are a rock star!!
I love your creative chemist and am glad you are experimenting for us!
I want to echo the swimmer – I am a swimmer too who spends about four hours a week in the chlorine, I have to use Ultra Swim (don’t kill me) and then after that, a shampoo and conditioner…did I mention I am so mean to my hair that I iron it AND have highlights that are gotten by (gulp) bleach (hiding under table). But I love the blond and can’t give it up. Any crunchy ways to help my murdered hair would be great. This is my last non-crunch frontier in my life, help!! Are there any ways to get blond hair a crunchy way?
I’ve used lemon juice on wet hair and sat out in the sunshine. It took about a week of doing that daily until my hair was dry to see results, but it did go quite blond. I also added some cranberry juice for strawberry blond. I, however have no idea how that would respond to the chlorine. 🙂
It’s been two months since I last used shampoo on my hair, and I’ve even quit using baking soda. A quick rinse with vinegar/water is enough now for me. For me, of all people, who used to have to wash my hair every single day or my head would turn into an itching, oozing, greasy mess. I have very long, very curly hair, and it loves its new routine of: spray each morning with aloe juice. Comb out tangles with a wide tooth comb. A light smear of coconut oil on ends–very, very light. Go about day.
I’ve quit using the drugstore toxic coloring goop, and I’m getting ready to try henna/indigo for the first time. I tried it on the frizzed out hair that came off on my comb, and it left the hair smooth and shiny. So I’m looking forward to trying it on the hair that’s still attached.
dear heatherwhoforgotherpassword,
very clever trying it out on the hair in the comb! 😀
I would love to know if anyone has any crunchy tips for curly hair. My hair is naturally curly, and while I LOVE it, sometimes it is a tedious daily battle against things like frizz, dryness, etc. Help!
I too have curly (and very long) hair. I can’t give you many tips as I’m new here, but I can tell you that I just started the no ‘poo method with baking soda/apple cider vinegar and my hair is practically frizz free, super soft and shiny, and seems perfectly moisturized. : ) If you’re not up to such an extreme change though I would say try out the DevaCurl line of products. I used it before I switched to no ‘poo and it’s been great for me. Totally cut out frizz and dryness, plus a lot of chemicals.
I would be interested in learning more about no ‘poo and the sorta ‘poo method. I read the post when Betty did the no ‘poo- and she seemed to love it…and then I caught a comment she left in a later post about not doing it anymore because she couldn’t blow dry her hair without freaking out. Is that the case? And how does one handle getting their hair cut, or having bangs with the no ‘poo or sorta ‘poo method?
I’ve been no poo since March (with the exception of a few weeks over the summer because I was using well water with tons and tons of sulfur and no poo made my hair one big knot). I love it! BUT BUT BUT, I have a conditioning problem. I use a diluted herbal ACV rinse but my hair still gets tangled and sometimes dry. I have really thick hair, and when I try any home conditioning treatments my hair holds onto the oil and I can’t get it out with anything except shampoo. Do you have any conditioning treatments that don’t involve oil (or egg…I can’t stand egg)? Thanks bunches!
Oh, and hair is definitely an alien communication device!
THANK YOU THANK YOU, LISALISE!! I’ve been over ALL of your blog, and Lola’s. Lovelovelove it. I’m going to make the bentonite bar this weekend 🙂
Here’s to a GREAT hair day! <3
so pleased to be of help!!
My yoga teacher said not to cut my hair because it helps with psychic intuition!
OMG, I love your blog. I stumbled onto your site via a tutorial. Thank you for sharing your creative sense and humor with us. I have a hair story for you. My MIL made sure I dried my hair before going to bed at night because she believes that going to bed with wet hair will make me wake up blind in the morning. Unfortunately, my husband would not let me ask her any question and just let it go.
I have that first picture of you . . . the television behind you, but the only difference is that the girl is me with blue eyes. So funny! What great timing you have! I’m losing my hair (it’s really thin and dropping everywhere) and it is freaking me out! I’ve always associated my hair with my feminity. Many medical problems are the excuse for this. Do you know of anything I can do, short of buying a wig? My hair has always been shoulder length or longer. Just before Christmas my hair dresser cut my hair into a pixie style HOPING that cutting it shorter, would help it to grow thicker and longer???? I can’t look in the mirror because I look like an elf, fairy, or someone who belongs in a green suit! Then I begin to cry, and cry, and cry . . . .
Sending you a big hug from Australia *squeeeeeeze*
I have thin, spare hair at my temples. The hair that is there does not grow as fast as the rest of my hair. Any suggestions to help thicken up my thinning temple hair?
Stop wearing your hair up in tight hair styles. Everyone with long hair has gone thru this. The hair thins at your temples because its constantly being pulled out from tight pony tails, buns etc. Leave your hair down. Not everyone can pull off pigtails with bangs but if you can go for it. — my current style –> bright purple chin length hair up in two pigtails that start further back on my head with bangs that I kind of screwed up because I wasn’t paying attention and cut them wet forgetting to leave a bit extra to account for when it dried. I’m 32.5 years old. The reason y I pull it off?? I just don’t care what people think. I get a lot of compliments from women 10-25 years older than me
So timely as usual! I just ordered a book on curly hair care last week hoping it will unlock the secret to happy curly hair. I had a decade of good hair once, but alas, it’s nothing but a fuzzy memory now. My questions/issues with my hair (since you asked) are:
…frizzy-ness if I don’t use a gob of product
…fine & thinning
…natural gray coverage and/or graceful transitioning to the gray that’s under there
…cowlicks (the main bane of my mane)
Good luck, thank you!, God bless, and after reading all these comments… I think you’d better change this to “Hair Month” because one week ain’t going to be enough! 🙂
ahhh, you have such a way with words! lol I loved your post. I, personally, am needing help in the frizziness department. I use goat’s milk soap for a shampoo bar and I am loving it. My hair is naturally curly, oily, and not very thick. I can’t seem to tame the frizzies. I’ve read about the coconut oil, but since my hair is oily by nature, I’m afraid to try it. Any suggestions?
I’ve been no ‘poo for about a month & a half now & the weird thing is my hair kinda looks greasy but feels bone dry. Part of the problem is after 15 or so years dying it red, I got used to dark = wet and/or dirty so now that I’m making myself live with my natural color (dark auburn) I think part of the looking dirty is just that my mind is still making that dark/dirty connection, but even my Mom has said my hair looks oily though she admits that when she touches it, it doesn’t feel greasy at all and feels almost crunchy (not the good kind) dry. Not sure what to do that will make it less dry but look more dry at the same time.
This explains why when I cut my long locks off a few years back my friend (who is Native American) kept asking me over and over if I was OK. My repeated answer was, ‘Everything is fine, it’s just hair and it was in my way so I cut it.’ For weeks she was sure something was wrong with me.
Any hope for long hair that has been colored with Clairol Natural Instincts for 6 years to going natural … which is all grey now 🙂 Allergic reactions to root touch ups … too much to tolerate …
Don’t want to cut my hair or wear a hat forever 🙂
Frizzy hair. I have straight, fine, but abundant hair that is perpetually frizzy. Any attempt to tame it with oils or products turns it to grease. Any greasy-hair frizz techniques? Heck, any greasy hair fixes?
I love my hair…just the way it is. 🙂
I’d love advice on how to deal with hair naturally after swimming in a chlorinated pool. No-poo doesn’t do the trick, since the chlorine leaves my hair stripped and dry. Thanks!
Saturate your hair with water and then conditioner or if you are going no poo, you might try something like olive oil, the trick with Chlorine is to saturate your hair before going into the water so that the Chlorine is not absorbed. Hope this helps.
MY hair is very thin. I have learned to love my curls, just wish it wasn’t so thin on top.
I’m doing the no-poo! after I got a perm at 13, my hair was frizzy and curly. Now without using generic shampoo, it’s smooth and soft and fine with a little wave. I’m using baking soda and it’s working great! 🙂
http://munchtalk.blogspot.com
I have short, very think, wavy/curly hair. For the longest time it’s been dry and frizzy (never heatstyled, just washed, put in a bit of biosilk, and air-dried), so I tried going mostly no poo and am now on week 6.
It hasn’t worked well 🙁 I’ve been deep conditioning with coconut oil overnight once a week and shampooing/conditioning with yes to carrots shampoo and leave in conditioner the next morning. The rest of the week I wash with conditioner only every other day and put in a tiny, tiny bit of leave-in conditioner and let air dry.
I was hoping my hair would adjust, but it just never did. It feels and looks dirty all the time, and it’s STILL frizzy! The only time I can get it to look decent is when i blowdry and straighten it, but I want to let my curls be free! What should I try since no poo has failed?
Well, no offense but you haven’t actually gone no poo at all. Try going COMPLETELY no poo with just baking soda and ACV for a couple weeks and then see how it is.
Alien communication receptor. Definitely. ~::)
I wash my hair every five days, I very rarely comb it, but I still have split ends and I got it trimmed at the beginning of december… What do it do to it to keep the ends healthy? I don’t live in a very dry climate but its is length wise, down to mid-boob.
I use coconut oil for my ends whenever I have 1 minute and I’m in front of the mirror. I use no more then a single drop and warm this tiny amount with my hands. Than just work through the ends and DONE! The greatest secret here is doing this regularly.
Hi Betty! Glad to see the site up and running again (or was it just me who noticed that??)!
I’m 100% all for this post. Long, natural hair can be gorgeous!
I’d like to clarify one thing, though. The site that you linked regarding Sikhs (my husband is a bearded, hair keeping, turbaned Sikh) is actually run by the Kundalini/3HO Sikhs of the US. Unfortunately, this group of people is recognized by our government as a cult. Take a few minutes and google 3HO and Yogi Bhajan, the founder of 3HO, who those “Sikhs” pray to as if he is God. Anyway. The 3HO Sikhs in particular have give these reasons for keeping hair and usually cite metaphysical powers and whatnot.
In reality, Indian Sikhs (most of which are from Punjab in India, like my husband) see keeping hair (“kesh”) as an article of faith. The long hair and beards, along with a comb for grooming (representing the necessity for good hygiene), underpants, a bracelet, and a sword, are all articles of faith (oddly enough, the turban, or “pagri”, isn’t). This all stems out of hundreds of years of violence between the Mughals (muslims, who cut their hair) and the Sikhs and Hindus. The Sikhs’ striking appearance is what made it so obvious to others that they were Sikhs and tells others that they’ve chosen the Sikhi way of life, that they live by certain values and weren’t going to force conversion to Islam or rape/pillage.
Sorry for the religion/history lesson!
BTW, I sooo wish I had thick, shiny, long hair like my husband. I suppose the best thing about all that is that, as his wife, I’m the only person to which he shows his hair. In that way, it is something special just for us. Still totally jealous of the hair, though 🙂
I just started no ‘poo a couple of days ago, and my hair is still adjusting. Alas, I didn’t get that instant nice-ness some people have. But I am determined to make it work. After all, I just started! So ladies, with my hair being thick and having tight curls, what should i use to control frizz? I am still using commercial gel, because I don’t know what else to do at the moment.
As far as hair giving you powers, I don’t know about that, but every culture has some sort of attachment to hair, and I feel that is worth taking into consideration. Who knows, maybe one of them figured out something we have yet to find.
i’ve heard aloe gel works as a hair gel 🙂
I will have to give it a try. Does it offer any other benefits to your hair?
Aloe Vera gel ( I mean here one that made from 100 % cold pressed organic aloe vera plants, I got mine from MRH) helps your hair with moisture. You can actually add it to any hair product that you use or just use it along whenever you want to give your hair a treat. It has so many benefits for your hair that it is hard to name everything. Just give it a try and you will definitely LOVE it!
So have you seen the movie Avatar? Because that’s exactly what your post reminded me of – their crazy hair tentacles! I wonder if this is where the writers got the idea from?
My questions if multi-faceted: What kind of shampoo/washing regimen can be used for INCREDIBLY oily hair? That is also fine. And prone to being static-y. But mostly the oil. I’ve tried no ‘poo and using castile soap, and I’ve just ended up with my hair just getting more and more oily (I tried no ‘poo for 2 months). And with traditional shampoos, my hair is oily before the day is over.
I have at least 3 ideas for you to try. The first one would be using white kaolin cosmetic clay to wash your hair, just make a paste with green tea and massage it in the shower and rinse with the rest of green tea. Both ( green tea and clay) will help to deal with oily hair.
The second one is to use powdered mustard with green tea. Make sure to use no more than one spoon of mustard and about one cup of tea. Use it carefully because it can burn if not diluted enough. Rinse with green tea. It is an old recipe from my grandma and it really works!The third one is my favorite. Take one egg and use egg-white. Just beat it to the beautiful foam and add one drop of rosemary EO to make it smell wonderful and help to balance oil glands on your scalp naturally. Massage and rinse with lukewarm water. BTW, never use hot water on your hair if you want to have a truly beautiful mane.Find what works for you or just use what you currently have on hands.
I have curly hair and I like it. My main problem is frizz. I want to get crunchier and have been using a more “natural” shampoo and conditioner for more than a year now and I like it. But I can´t stop using mousse. If I don´t mousse, the frizz is uncontrollable. Whenever I have tried heavy duty conditioning products for curls though, it goes completely limp. My hair hates buildup. How can I condition and have nice, bouncy curls without the icky hairstyling product?
Oh, I have been considering no ´poo but the adjustment period scares me. I can´t look greasy for weeks.
I have curly, frizzy hair too. I went no ‘poo about 6 months ago and will never go back! When I wash my hair with the baking soda, I add about 1 tsp of honey, and a little (like 2 drops) neem oil (which stinks, but is very good for my scalp and hair). I then add about 1 tsp of coconut oil to my hair (but not near my scalp). If I let my hair dry naturally, the frizz rules! If I blow dry it with an ionic blow dryer, then roll it into a bun or french roll, then it calms down after a few hours and looks more normal. If I use a tourmeline/ionic flat iron or curling iron, then the frizz totally disappears. However, it isn’t that great to be using those heat sources all the time, so I try to go back and forth. My hair dresser has noticed that my hair has become thicker and healthier since I went no ‘poo. BTW, I only need to wash my hair every 4-5 days with this regimen.
I can’t wait to try the aloe vera gel recommendation in a post above to see if that puts a little more control in my hair. However, I used to use gel all the time and I really like being able to run my fingers through my hair without any product. It is so much softer than it used to be.
As an update, I used coconut oil on my hair this week instead of mousse. Not VCO but the fat that came to the top of my homemade coconut milk. And- it worked well. Very little frizz. Didn´t use mousse at all and, boy was it nice to be have soft hair I could touch.
I’m a henna user of more years than I have fingers and toes. (The result of my first gray showing up in high school and being a delicate flower allergic to hair dyes.) I lust for highlights that are deeper – not zebra stripes just a tad more interesting.
I have one very humble tip regarding hair. I tried going no poo and kinda succeded. I used baking soda for a long time and rinsed it with ACV every couple of days but no matter how I changed amounts and timings, it was always dry and frizzy on normal days and drippy oily on ACV days. Reading about herbs online, I made a mix to rinse my hair with instead of ACV. I used rosemary, sage and horse tail. I had amazing results! But I had to use it every other day and it was a real hassle, besides it didn’t really feel clean, just pretty. Eventually, I caved. I bought the plainest glycerin soap I could find and starting showering with it. I use it for my face, body and hair and it works like a charm. My hair feels clean now and when it gets a bit dull, I use the herbal rinse.
I realize it’s not as crunchy as it could have been had I kept up with baking soda and acv but the soap really is super plain. Also, just for fun and, well, vanity, I started adding chamomille and sometimes hibiscus to my rinse to give my super dark brown hair, which I swear I will never dye, have reddish, blondish highlights.
PS: I daydream about having red curly hair. Mine is dark brown and super super straight 🙁
Your website is delightful reading. I don’t know about hair. Mine has been falling out, not just breaking off. However, since hair and nails seem to have something in common, what do I do with fingernails that tear down to the nailbed. Needless to say, they bend very easy and the top layer peals off the tiny tip close to the nailbed. I keep them filed/clipped almost to the nailbed to keep them from tearing, which they do sometimes anyway.
My nails do the same thing! I would love to find a crunchy solution, because I whenever I try growing them out, they last about a month and then the peeling and the bending starts, and my nails end up ruined again.
I’ve been no poo a little over 3 months now thanks to Crunchy Betty. My one and only problem is static. I can’t figure out how to get rid of it. I haven’t given up my hair dryer 100% and it is better when air dried but still lots of static. Any suggestions?
So a little back story before I ask my question…
I have really fine, straw like, hair. And a lot of it. I’ve been told several times when getting my hair done that “your hair isn’t very thick, but BOY do you have a lot of it per square inch!” Which makes me sad because even though I have a lot of strands of hair, the strands I have suck! It’s frizzy, brittle, and kinky so when I air dry I look like a fluff ball and I can’t stand touching my own hair! I also have scalp issues that I don’t know what it is.
For the longest time I was noticing that I had this white layer on my scalp around my crown area (I was wearing my hair up a lot at that time so that’s what I figured was causing it). I never saw any flakiness in my hair, and no one has ever pointed any out to me, so I had no idea what it was. But my scalp in that area was also always itchy and when I scratched at it I would notice the white stuff under my nails. SO after reading this blog and some others in regards to crunchiness, I decided to change my shampoo with the hopes that it would solve my scalp issues.
I couldn’t get my self to try the No Poo method at all because I absolutely would not be able to handle the adjustment period. I guess I could be called texture sensitive because if my hair feels just the slightest bit like straw, sticky, greasy, tangled, etc. I’m instantly put out of sorts and grumpy because I can’t stand feeling “gross.” But I did switch to Avalon Organics shampoo/conditioner which has essential oils in it and doesn’t have the bad stuff in it. I got the scalp treatment one that had tea tree oil thinking that would help with my scalp issue and make it less itchy and in turn my hair would grow out healthier and less kinky which would give me a smoother feeling texture (probably wishful thinking). And I also got the clarifying lemon one too (love the scent!) and I use it about every 3rd wash.
I only wash my hair about every other day or every 2-3 days. Sometimes longer since my hair can take a while to get greasy. And I haven’t been using any hair products because I can’t seem to use a small enough amount that won’t pile on to the essential oils and make my hair greasy fresh out of the shower (I hate that!).
So I’ve just been using the shampoo and conditioner and I still have this itchy scalp and white layer on my scalp. And I’ve been wearing my hair down a lot more then I used to, even though unless I straighten my hair I can’t STAND the texture of my hair. It can be like nails on a chalkboard to me leaving it down and frizzy and course and then all that getting in my face…GRRR! But I still have that itchiness and white layer AND I think it has started all over my scalp and not just in the crown area. I guess it wasn’t there because of wearing my hair up all the time.
So I guess my question is how can I get rid of whatever this issue is while improving the health and texture without driving myself insane with an adjustment period?
I have a serious hair issue. I have the hardest time keeping oil out of my hair! It seems like I always have use stripping shampoos, just to have a days worth of nice hair. I’ve tried baking soda, but again, maybe a day later my hair is oily again. I would love to use organic shampoo, cause everything else I take extra care of my hair. I never use heat on my hair, no blow drying or straight ironing, or even curling it, unless I twist it up when it’s damp. Any advice on this?
And don’t forget those blue folks from Avatar connect their hair to the trees to communicate with their God! Hair is very powerful! 😉
On a serious note… this explains why I’ve gotten progressively more stupid since I was officially allowed to start dying my hair.
Ok, I actually do have a hair question. I still use shampoo (something natural/organic-ish), but only about 2x a week. I did, however, stop washing my face with soap about 10 years ago. I just use hot water, or if I want to scrub I put on olive oil first for protection and then scrub with a bit of baking soda (sort of backwards, but baking soda breaks up the oil). So my question is, if you were not using shampoo and conditioner in the usual way, would it work to do it backwards by coating your hair in coconut oil and then doing the baking soda? My hair is thick, coarse, and kind of frizzy, so conditioner is actually more important to me than shampoo. I’m just wondering if that would make it feel soft but not greasy, like the backwards olive oil-then-baking soda does for my skin.
I’ve been “no poo” for about 6 months now. I thought I’d be slick and do an “olive oil deep conditioning hair treatment” one night when I was going to wash my hair the next morning. I put olive oil all over my hair and then wrapped it up on a woven skull cap to keep the oil off my pillow. The next morning I did my normal wash with baking soda, and a rinse with ACV. It absolutely did NOT get enough of the oil out. I had to go back in the shower and wash my hair with a bar of castile soap 2 times to get enough of the oil out of my hair. So…there’s the answer to your question. 🙂
Well if hair is related to intuition, perhaps this explains why more men than women lose theirs…
Oh you made me LOL here at my kitchen table! Very astute observation you have made there. . .
Perhaps hair is the antennae to our inner beauty. Hair is often used as expression of individuality or even personality. It can be a slow & difficult road to accepting the benefits of your hair given you didn’t get to choose.
Oh, the timing! I just-JUST-dyed my hair with henna yesterday afternoon because my self esteem needed a boost and I don’t want to cut my hair just yet. (I love the new color and the fact that it didn’t involve chemicals or lots of money, BTW.) I’ve been trying ohsohard to be patient and let it grow out. I’ll remember this next time I’m about to declare, “I’m chopping it all off!”
So crazy–just as I was reading this post “Summer Lovin” came on Pandora radio. Freaky!
I’m looking for something that encourages growth or makes hair thicker.
You can try to use hot oil hair treatments with Rosemary EO. It works for me beautifully
Thanks to you, Betty, it’s been months since I’ve used real shampoo. I do the sorta no ‘poo method and rinse with a diluted ACV solution. The one hang-up I’m having going completely crunchy with my naturally curly (read: super-FRIZZY) hair is finding a natural substitute for the John Frieda Frizz-Ease that I’ve used for about the last 15-20 years… any suggestions on something natural that would be as effective?
Check out Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey. I also am a curly girl and Love this book! It’s very “Cruchy”. I’m certain Betty would approve 🙂
I am a no poo convert thanks to your blog! My hair is very happy!!
Soooo, I am getting LOTS of gray hair, and so I get it colored about twice a year, and cringe at all the chemicals each time. Any natural suggestions? Silly, lame question, I know.
LisaLise — thank you SO much! I’m one of those coily-curly hair girls and I’m having a pretty hard time this winter.
What I really struggle with is what to do with it when things are a million percent DRY outside and my hair doesn’t want to curl. Like, at all. So it’s staticy and wavy and weird. Ich!
To add insult to injury, I’m super gluten and wheat and egg intolerant. I’ve found that every single crunchy product offered for curly haired gals has some trace of wheat and gluten and egg in it, for the protein.
So… if anyone wants to offer some ideas, I’d be really grateful.
As a quick note, my hair and scalp do NOT like the BS/ACV wash. I’ve been co-washing for about six months and that seems to go a whole lot better, but the only crunchy, gluten-free, egg-free moisturizing conditioner that I could find isn’t formulated for curls, so I don’t know if it’s contributing to the straight problem.
I do a protein pack at LEAST once a week and it’s been saving my life: avocado, honey (unpasteurized, of course!), veggie glycerine and some flax seed hair gel or olive oil. Massage it in. Massage some more. Cover, leave on for ages. Rinse.
And twice a week (at least) I sleep with a honey/veggie glycerine/coconut oil concoction in my hair. It’s awesome, also, and has been giving my hair more shine and curl. I’ve been reading, though, about how this could possibly be a BAD idea: with both honey and vegetable glycerine being humectants, they’re pretty good at taking all of the moisture OUT of my hair and giving it to the air around me if things are crazy dry. Which they have been.
Honestly, the best thing I’ve done is get a really really good humidifier, but I can’t take that with me everywhere… so. Still trying.
Hi Katie, this is great input! It’s funny you mention the protein thing,, you’re not the first person I’ve heard talk about this. As for day to day hair care, I’m thinking your hair might just love one of Lolas bentonite cleansing bars- they are sooo easy to make. She has several recipes for them on her blog. http://www.lolazabeth.com/
I made one and tried it on my hair (to get a feel for what her curly hair likes) and it really helped me understand how much fat content curls really need to ‘function’ properly.
Little quick tip: try spraying a light layer of pure aloe vera liquid over your tresses for a moisture boost, then follow with a light spritz of coconut oil or jojoba. The aloe spritzer could be a ‘keep-in-the-purse’ thing so you can reapply at your leisure.
Hope this is useful in some way… 🙂
I tried the no poo method but wasn’t happy with it. The baking soda/water method is a bit difficult to use and I felt like it wasn’t thoroughly cleaning my hair. I’ve since started using a homemade shampoo-8 oz water, 3 oz liquid castile soap, 1 oz almond oil and some essential oil. Any thoughts on something like this? Also, any ideas for a light conditioner that won’t leave your hair greasy at the end of the shower?
I make shampoo similar to yours, though mine has also aloe vera and water steeped with rosemary. I use apple cider vinegar for a rinse. I use more if my hair has been dry and a little less if it has been greasy.
I’m hoping to move to healthy products in my hair but am having a terrible time finding good whole products that don’t weigh down fine hair…Any thoughts on a good shampoo and conditioner?? Please help…
I tried no-poo but my hair didn’t do so well…after my roommate declared that it “smelled like vomit” I decided to give it up. BUT I now use Dr. Bronner’s unscented castille soap as a shampoo and his Magic Shikakai hair rinse. I only shampoo every other day and rinse every other time I shampoo. I have super fine hair and I like this routine 🙂
My hair is long, shoulder length. I do use shampoo every-other-day. My scalp is dry with flakes the day of washing or the day of no washing. My 12 yr old Son has the same problem. Do we have dandruff??
if it is just relentless and especially if under the flakes… you see shiny pinkish areas… it is psoriasis. Psoriasis is hereditary and is found on the scalp alot of times even if you do not see it any where else on the body. I, my brother, father and daughter have it. It is in some cases very severe and difficult to control. The dermatologist told me not to “scrape” the flakes I call it brushing andor washing them out every night – but I see no other alternative when it looks like you have SEVERE dandruff and you don’t have clean hair when it is the opposite. Commercial shampoos I have found to exaserbate the problem by making the scalp drier. The solution I have settled on for my daughter and I after MANY YEARS of trying EVERYTHING has been washing with baking soda. I use vinegar on mine too, but I don’t mind the smell (she does!) We both have very thick, long and curly hair. We no longer have problems with dry ends, but if we did, I would use a tiny bit of pure coconut oil. This is the oil I would use on any part of my body- as it is the kind of fatty acid your skin can absorb and use, and it is anti bacterial.
Is psoriasis itchy? I’m curious because I’m not sure if I have dandruff or some other issue with my scalp. It tends to be itchy and when I scratch at it there will be white stuff under my nails (gross!), but I’ve never noticed any actual flakes in my hair. And no one has ever pointed any out to me. I tried switching shampoos to a scalp treatment with teatree oil by Avalon Organics, but it doesn’t seem to help. At all. It might actually be making it worse.
The only commercial product that I have found to work is Nizoral Shampoo (http://amzn.to/2axzhnP). I know, tis so not crunchy & it’s $$$ but nothing, nothing has ever works like this shampoo. In the last year it has been hard to find & tripled in price – go figure! If I have a flare up of any scalp problem I use it twice for 1st week, then once following week & then only once a month from there. I find you only need the tiniest bit, & though costly, a bottle lasts a very long time. If I’m careful, I can make 2 – 7oz bottles last a year!
I am inclined to think there is at least something to this… I have had long hair MOST of my life simply because it is VERY thick, and pretty curly and when I have HAD to cut it ( Navy boot camp) it looked REEE-diculous! LOL!
However! When I did have it cut… It felt like the way people say a missing limb feels (not that there is any comparison – I am a retired veteran) anyway – I absolutely felt as though the hairs -especially the very short ones near my collar were connected to important sensory nerves in my scalp and I could abslolutely feel the loss and it was quite unpleasant. I don’t think there is any reason to underestimate the sensitivity of nerve endings on our bodies and our abilities to use them for information gathering if we pay attention to the signals and hone the skills available. When we lose one sense, the others take over in powerful ways…
I have since grown my hair back, I am happy to say and it is back where it belongs past halfway down my back at the shortest. I never did like going to get my hair cut – it never seemed to look right, so I always do it myself. The person who gets stuck cutting it always looks overwhelmed anyway! I also quit using commercial (chemical filled) products on my hair on and off for several years and have been using baking soda and vinegar exclusively for about 6 months now. Glad I found this website, and I am looking for some kefir crystals locally to grow so I can stop buying that expesive ready made bottled stuff that is yummy but too $$$!
I don’t know about aliens, but a certain male person in my life has been insisting for several years that he needs to shave his head and I have noticed over the years that he has become increasingly less brainy? or less able to get what I am talking about. At first I thought it was just the natural progression of maleness but now I am not so sure.
Love the way my face feels with the smiles you put on it! Ummmm… I’ve been very bad, in the crunchy sorta way, & have colored my hair since a senior in high school (cough cough, 30 years)! Gray hair runs early & rampant in my gene pool & beginning to show gray hair when I was 17 did me in! On to my question(s): Is there a “simple” henna approach to dyeing my hair that will not leave red-tones. I have not tried henna, but oh so much want a crunchy head! -&- my hair is thinning – could be genes, age, aliens, etc., any recipes to get more of my mane back would be fabulous!
Unfortunately, not that i’ve found. Henna is red. Products that color it colors other than red use different plants. I tried one to dye mine black. (I have the same problem with premature greying and hair thinning) It was a two step process, first the henna, then the stuff to darken it. It was extremely crumbly and hard to work with. It made a HUGE mess and took several hours. The results were not good. I’ve decided to just use a more natural hair color brand and go longer between touch ups. Sorry.
I like the Hennas from Lush. They have different colors including a brown and a black. I’ve tried the brown using hot coffee as the base (rather than water) and it became a nice brown. It’s smelly, messy, and time consuming–but a decent alternative worth trying.
I’ve used henna from Mountain Rose Herbs for my brown hair and it turned out a nice shade of brown, no red tones and mostly covered my few grays. I’ve only used it a few times so I’m not expert! I think they have several different shades.
I have beautiful curly hair. I use a natural shampoo that is free of sulfates 2-3 times a week, ACV once a week. But I’ve been keeping it shoulder length or shorter because it’s the only way I’ve found will control the frizz and give me great curls. I’d love to grow my hair longer, how do I control the frizz?
What shampoo do you use?
I have a hair question. I have been No ‘Poo since August. As far as I can remember there wasn’t much of a transition period. Maybe I’m in it now. I have very long hair (now reaches about the middle of my back) and never in my No ‘Poo transition did my roots feel particularly greasy. I expected my hair to just feel slick with it some point, but that’s never happened. However, I have noticed in the last few weeks thats while my hair feels clean it definitely feels slightly oily on my scalp, especially when I comb it out post-shower. I’ve noticed a light residue on my comb as well. I figured this was normal because I wasn’t stripping my hair of oils anymore. This leads me to my question: is this oily scalp feeling the transition period I never thought I was going to go through? Perhaps since my hair is longer it’s just taken me longer to notice because it’s had to work it’s way through a lot of length? Unlike other No ‘Poo devotees I still have to wash my hair every other day (I’ve heard some women say they can go quite a long time without washing it). So could this be my transition? Or is this what No ‘Poo hair is supposed to feel like all the time? I imagine at some point I will cut my hair short and I would prefer not to have this greasy feeling with shorter hair; it doesn’t bother me so much with the current length.
Hi! I have really long hair as well…..to my hips, and I noticed that too much ACV made my scalp oily, but needed it for the length. I now take about 1 tablespoon ACV (infused with herbs) and dilute it in a 16 oz tumbler. I stuff the length of my hair into the glass starting with the ends, let it sit for a few seconds and then remove from the glass. There is now 1/3-1/2 the dilute ACV in the glass. I fill it back up with more water to dilute it still further and then pour over my scalp. I let it sit, if I have time, and then rinse. My scalp doesn’t get greasy any more, unless I slosh too much ACV in the glass. Hope that will help you too!
I’ll have to give that a try. That actually makes perfect sense. If I don’t use the ACV on my scalp then it’s impossible to brush out my roots; they feel dry, brittle and stuck together. But my concentration may be too much for my roots. I’ve been using 2 tbsp ACV to 3 cups of water, and it’s perfect for the rest of my hair, but I’ll start diluting it for my roots from now on. Thanks!
I have been doing no ‘poo for a few years. It was great, my hair was super healthy and I was happy as a clam. A year ago I moved overseas to a very dry climate. My hair, consequently, dries out and splits and the ends quickly. I tried keeping my same routine, and I tried tweaking it, using honey, egg yolks. Nothing helps. I refuse to buy conditioner. Any ideas? How can I keep my hair from being dry and tangly and get it back to the awesome it was before?
Pure coconut oil… try that and see if it works for you! A little goes a long way! Especially if you do no ‘poo! If you do get too much- use vinegar too cut it and keep it natural, soft and shiny!
Try to use macadamia nut oil or camellia tea seed oil. Camellia tea seed oil is one of the truly amazing hair oils. You can use it in the shower too.
I love how you make me laugh out loud in the coffee shop 😉 I spent years of my adolescent life trying to straighten my naturally curly hair. It mostly just ended up in a big poof around my face. Then the wonder that is a ceramic straightener entered my life. I don’t own one, but it’s nice to have the option of straight hair when I borrow a friend’s. But I do so wonder what my hair would be like had I never started damaging it in the first place with chemical shampoos, temporary dyes, and too much heat.
I would love to go no poo (bs followed by acv) but it makes my scalp itch so bad I scratched it until it started bleeding and that was before I made it past the 3rd wash (every 2 to 3 days, not everyday). I tried the sorta poo that was on this blog but it made my hair unmanageable and sticky feeling (and yes the coconut I used was UNsweetened organic stuff). I even tried a variation on the Dr. Bronner’s based body wash. I just want something that cleans my hair without drying my scalp or my hair that leaves it manageable and not sticky.
Also, I live in the south so dry weather does not factor. Humidity = 500% everyday.
Thanks
My hair used to act the way yours did with the sorta ‘poo method. A lot harder to comb through, right? And it didn’t seem to matter whether I added the coconut milk or went straight castille. So I tried following my sorta ‘poo with the acv rinse and my hair has been pretty pleased with me ever since. Turns out I just needed a conditioner. I haven’t even been using the coconut milk. No doubt I will try it again soon, though, as it might lead to magic, but it is nice to know I don’t need it.
It can sounds not as beautiful as it really works, but I use a simple single egg for my hair care routine. I separate egg-white and beat it to the foam then add rosemary EO and a bit of aloe vera. As a mask and conditioner all-in-one I use egg yolk with honey. I use it on the last 40 cm of my hair ( I have long hair) and green tea rinse. That’s it. Enjoy!
This is so right on point, but maybe a week late for me. I had just given up on crunchy hair methods – although I found something that made my hair “feel” clean, if a little oily, it acted and looked dirty (cue unsolicited comments from family). So I’m in the hunt for a commercial shampoo that is low or no cone but still does whatever it is that commercial shampoo does to make my hair seem happy. Any suggestions?
Aubrey Organics makes shampoos and conditioners that are supposed to be organic and all natural, and they do a great job! A little pricey, but a little goes a long way. I like the GPB blend.
I like Kiss My Face Whenever shampoo. I go back and forth between it and the baking soda/ACV
I have had the same problem as you with crunchy hair methods. Aubrey Organics didn’t work too well for me as I have hard water but I finally found something that has worked longer than one wash! Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle. I didn’t buy the conditioner b/c I have 3 half full bottles of conditioner I need to get through (all things that didn’t work for my mom’s hair but are fine for me). So for now, it’s the TJ shampoo and Burt’s Bee’s Super Shiny Beet conditioner (or something like that). Good luck!
Do you have any feelings about Lotus? When I lived in Germany, I used to buy a lotus essential oil (or at least that’s what it was labeled as) but I can’t seem to find any in the US and I tried Mountain Rose Herbs but all they have is leaves and stamens. What if I soaked the leaves or stamens in something, would I be able to make a lotus-scented hair (or skin) treatment?
I (like many others) have gone no-poo and am loving it! My hair is softer, fuller, and more wonderful than I rememberit ever being. My one complaint comes mostly from the climate I live in: extremely dry, windy, and often bitter cold in the winter. My hair collects static & gets a bit frizzy on top. I wear a hat or hood outside when I know it’s especially windy (we can get sustained winds of 50+mph!), but then I get static from what I’ve just covered my head with. Looking forward to another great year of learing from “Crunchy Betty!”
You can try to use a bit of coconut, macadamia nut or camellia tea seed oil ( or any kind of light vegetable oil that you have). Use no more than 1 drop every time you need some help with static and frizz. It will make your hair look shiny and absolutely gorgeous. Just try!
My question for the Hair Week is what to do with static hair? I have straight, fairly thick, chin-lenght hair. I use sulfate-free shampoo, rinse with ACV and dye it with henna. The hair is a crazy static electric mess!
I have a similar situation to yours but my hair is not very thick and is shoulder length. I purchased Vitka Coconut hair oil off of Amazon and about twice a week I’ll put it in my damp hair before bed and then wash it out in the morning. I make my own shampoo from liquid castile soap (that I also make) and it’s mild and doesn’t strip all the oils out. Static gone! I have also found that I can’t use the ACV rinse everyday because it is too drying on my hair- so I just use it 3-4 times a week (I have to wash my hair everyday due to swimming and the gym- and I have naturally oily hair)
I’ve seen recommendations for washing/rinsing hair with cold water to help reduce static. I can’t tell you personally if it works as I don’t have a problem with static, but it couldn’t hurt to try!
SO excited about this! I’ve been all natural with my hair (including cutting it myself) for a year and a half. I’m ecstatic with the results and am growing it out…it’s now about mid-back. BUT. It’s extremely fine (not super thin…but fine), so it tangles REALLY easily. Meaning I have to brush it many times a day, and if something rubs against it (like a scarf), it’s all over.
Any ideas for natural detanglers that won’t weigh my hair down? Conditioner alone doesn’t seem to do it, and the homemade detanglers I’ve tried tend to make it sticky or greasy. I’d love something I can keep in a spray bottle that will just make it soft and slick.
I have super fine hair that’s kind of wavy. When I was a kid, I had back-length hair, and it was extremely tangle-prone. There was even a small permanent tangle at the back of my neck that I could never brush out (eventually we cut it out).
My epiphany was finding a stylist who gave me a layered cut, and advised me that I’d have to do a lot of work to get fine hair to look good long, so based on my lifestyle (wash, brush, go), shorter is the way to go. She freed up the wave with a shoulder-length cut, and now that I see the bounce, I’m thinking I want to go even shorter and let it get even wavier. The length was weighing it down.
So maybe the answer for you is to free yourself from expectations of a hairstyle that will never naturally look the way you want, and go with a cut that looks good without adding products. Maybe start with a professional cut, and cut it yourself after that, based on the lines the stylist creates for you.
Yes, I get that tangle too! Thanks for the advice…I’ve had short hair most of my life, and I’m trying to live the dream. =) I’m not quite ready to give up yet, but I’m sure the maintenance will get to me someday.
I’m really grateful for my mom, as much as my rocker soul wanted to dye my long brown hair a hardcore black or an individualist purple and orange, she would never let me. Not because she didn’t want me to be different (I could dress and piece anyway my heart desired), but she always said it would ruin my hair. Overall, I’m really happy with my hair (after a morning spent perfectly blow drying and applying 410 degrees of heat from a straightner), I want to be able to apply something that would let me air dry my hair without it turning into the dreaded frizzy triangle birdsnest that it becomes when left alone. It like I get these permanent waves that look like I tried on 5 different hats that left 5 creases all around my head. *sigh*
ummm, “lie”.
About a decade ago I decided to embrace my hair color and its straightness and stopped paying for chemicals. I’ve been using baking soda and vinegar to wash & condition my dark brown, straight hair for several years. My biggest problem is the gray hairs that stand up straight on my head, and as I get older there are more and more of them. My hairdresser says color will make them lie down, but my hair always changed from the color he dyed it to red, which is not acceptable to me. How can I make them like down?
Well, I don’t know about communicating with aliens…But, I do know that I kept a perm from the time I was 7 until I was in my 30’s. I have stopped perming my hair, use natural shampoo and conditioner and rarely use even hairspray. My hair is getting to be much healthier than it’s been in years. The only issue I have is my vanity. I continue to dye it – which goes against all of my crunchy reasoning. I’d like to know about a natural way to dye my auburn hair that won’t bombard my chemicals. :0)
I’ll be interested to hear what Betty has to say on this one, but I can personally recommend henna! It’s totally natural, and while you should probably test dye a strand, you can get a good variety of colors, and it’s an amazing conditioning treatment too.
I haven’t personally used Henna before, but I will tell you that my aunt SWEARS by it. She is about in her 60s and last I saw her she was still a brunette! My mom, who is younger, is all white already. But my aunt is more crunchy then my mom is though. And she takes better care of herself then my mom does. So I think that has something to do with her aging better too. But Henna seems like it would be worth a shot.
Henna is a wonderful natural hair dye. I have some immune problems and am trying to cut out as many chemicals I can from my life. I Henna my brown hair with aulburn brown results. There is great henna research at “the henna page”. Good luck.
YES HENNA!!! It depends on your natural hair color though. I am a natural dirty blonde and to get my hair auburn I use henna with indigo and hibiscus powder. I get compliments on my hair constantly! It is time consuming but I kind of make a spa day out of it, wrap my hair in cling wrap and a big towel and watch a movie and take a nap.
check out hennaforhair.com. This is where I buy my henna and there are kits you can buy (do you don’t have to do the guesswork yourself) depending on the color you want. I HIGHLY recommend it (I’ve been using henna in my hair for several years now. I’m a natural red-head but I use it for conditioning, brightening, and anti-dandruff)
Henna! Henna dye is a powder that you mix that comes from a plant. The dye itself looks brown/green, but it dyes red!:) I literally just used it today, and my hair is a nice auburn. It’s all natural, inexpensive (under $6 buck at the market I buy it at), sort of fun to apply (I made many cow-excrement jokes), covers grays (sorry for being presumptuous), lasts 4 to 6 weeks, and is actually GOOD for your hair (it works as a SWEET conditioner!);D This is the one I found at my local “Crunchy-Market”, but they have colors for all types or red (including specifically auburn). Home this helped:))
You’ve been reading minds again (must be the sensitive hair). Anyway…
Thanks to you, I’ve been no-poo for eight months now, and love it. Poo or no-poo, however, my hair (from about the ears down) is one big frizzy frizz-nest. I can see from the photos that you don’t have this problem, you lucky dog, but I’d love to find a way to smooth it out. As if that weren’t impossible enough (I’ve been trying for over 40 years), I’d love the remedy to be natural. Crazy, I know. But I can dream, can’t I?
🙂
I’ve been working on developing a couple of products for coily-kinky-curly hair along with my ‘hair-partner’ Lola for a while now (weird to not be able to try my own products on myself. My hair is straight as an arrow).
During my research into the wants and needs of the super-curly-haired ladies, I have been BOWLED OVER to discover that the industry offers absolutely ZIP in the way of products for curly-haired ladies that want to wear their hair naturally. They do, however, offer a plentiful selection of curl-relaxing concoctions that are all way too harsh on the hair for my liking.
I’m super interested in reading feedback and input from curly-haired gals on what you are struggling with/love/hate during Crunchy Betty’s hair week!
Lola’s and my project is an ongoing dual-blogging case study that can be followed here if’n ya’ll are interested
Lola Zabeth http://www.lolazabeth.com/in-the-lab-with-lisa-lise-guar-gum-knot-on-my-watch-part-2/ and
LisaLise
http://lisepunch.blogspot.com/2012/01/coily-kinky-curly-case-continues.html
lol, your post-ender question made me laugh!
but know what, it reminded me of cats and their whiskers. When I was young, I used to “groom” my cats by cutting their whiskers and I somehow remembered them being a bit disoriented when their whiskers are cut really short. So maybe, just maybe, if I shave my head, I’ll feel less sensitive to certain things (air?) around me. Well, I know for sure I’ll feel less sexy shaving my hair off. I’ve got an oddly-shaped head. :X
i remember reading somewhere that cats’ whiskers actually grow long enough so that the represent the width of the cat at its widest point… so they can test an opening with their heads before getting stuck at their bellies!