Confession: We didn’t even scratch the surface of what I wanted to cover about different hair care methods, so be looking for more hair stuff on the blog very soon. Specifically: A natural hairspray method and unconventional ways to wash your hair using … well … I won’t tell you that yet. 😉
But for now, let’s conclude this week with the 5 most prevalent questions about natural ways to care for your hair issues. For the record, by far, the problem of frizziness was the number one complaint. I didn’t mention it below, but if you have issues with frizziness, check out the Long Hair Community suggestions or pick up the book Curly Girl (which I haven’t read, but five people a day recommend in comments here on the site … so it must be good!)
If you have a question that wasn’t covered here, DO ask it again in the comments! There are so many helpful people around here (LOVE YOU) ready to share their experiences with you.
The Five Most Common Crunchy Hair Questions
Out of the myriad questions you all left on the post from Monday, I’ve tried my best to condense it down to the five most common questions asked. Beneath the questions, you’ll find both my answers and other crunchy reader’s answers (especially the ones I found most helpful). Hope this helps!
1. How Do I Get Rid of Dandruff and Flakiness Naturally?
Coconut oil. Of all the things I’ve suggested to friends and family, coconut oil has worked nearly 99% of the time. If you have really stubborn dandruff, try combining 2 Tbsp coconut oil and 4-5 drops tea tree or neem oil.
The key is to leave the coconut oil or mixture on your scalp for as many hours as you can. Leave it on overnight, if possible.
However, if you’re no ‘poo and have the problem of flakiness, I’d do a coconut oil treatment and wash with a non-detergent (sulfate-free) shampoo as a special treatment, then rinse with a solution of 3 cups water and 2 tsp lemon juice. From then on out, make sure you are COMPLETELY rinsing all of the baking soda from your scalp. Remember, baking soda changes the pH of your scalp/hair, which can lead to irritation if you don’t get it all rinsed out.
Cinnamonn, in the comments, also pointed out that if you have persistent dandruff and areas of pink, scaly scalp, you might actually have psoriasis (not an uncommon issue). If that’s the case, here’s a list of all kinds of natural treatments and reviews of them for psoriasis.
2. How Can I Make My Hair Grow Faster/Longer/More?
If you have thinning hair, or hair that’s stalled in its growth, the first place to start is by looking at your diet. Are you getting enough fatty acids? Cod liver oil is a great place to start there. Could you be anemic? Make sure you have plenty of protein and minerals – especially iron – in your diet, if you are. (Although, remember postmenopausal women, you shouldn’t over-supplement with iron.)
Check out WebMD’s Top 10 Foods for Healthy Hair.
Next, do yourself a favor and give yourself a scalp massage every day. This stimulates circulation and ramps up the follicle’s production of hair. If you want to make it extra effective, do the massage using an oil infusion of jojoba/castor oil and cayenne pepper/chamomile.
Or, try this recipe adapted (generously) from one of my favorite natural beauty books: Ageless Natural Beauty by Sally Freeman
Even More Stimulating Hair Restorer
- 1 pint vodka
- 3 oz cayenne pepper
- 3 oz dried nettle
- 1 oz dried chamomile
In a glass jar, combine the cayenne, nettle and chamomile with the vodka. Shake well. Store in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks, shaking daily. Strain the solids from the vodka, and apply vigorously to the scalp daily. Note: The alcohol may dry your scalp, so use judiciously and make sure your scalp stays moisturized, as well.
Also, some words of advice from Julial: “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.”
3. My Hair is So Frizzy! What Are Natural Ways to Combat This?
Hands down, the most common fix to this problem (as based on dozens upon dozens of comments here on Crunchy Betty over the years) is a teeny, tiny amount of jojoba or coconut oil, rubbed in the palm of your hands, and then patted down on halfway dry hair. Use it before you finish drying your hair, halfway through the drying process. Pay special attention to the ends.
In my experience, either one of these oils works just as well as any high-dollar hair smoother you’ll find in the stores.
Another option is to use a neutral henna (also known as cassia obovata) on your hair every couple of months. Seriously, if you haven’t ever seen your hair shine before, try using this. (Mountain Rose Herbs sells a great neutral henna, by the way.)
But we had several other suggestions, too!
From TracyP_19: “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…”
From IMPA (who was a HUGE help in the comments!): “Aloe Vera gel ( I mean here one that made from 100 % cold pressed organic aloe vera plants, I got mine from Mountain Rose Herbs) 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! ”
4. Is There Any Natural Way to Get Rid of Gray?
I love this question, because it’s one I struggle with constantly. I cannot decide whether to try to do things to cover the small grays that insist on popping up all over my head, or if I should just accept them and age gracefully.
So the truth is, I don’t have a firm answer on this, in terms of something I’ve personally experienced. However, let me pass along some advice I’ve found in various books and from a few discussions with herbalists over the years.
Various suggestions to help combat gray include:
- Rinse your hair daily with an infusion of 2 c. apple cider vinegar and 1/2 c. rosemary (store this in a jar for a week and then strain the rosemary out). Dilute it with water each time you use it – about 3 tbsp ACV and 3 c. water. Supposedly, long-term use of rosemary on darker hair helps darken the gray so it blends in better.
- Drink sage tea daily.
- The Chinese herb called He Shou Wu is known to turn gray hair black. In fact, one day I was chatting with a local herbalist, when a much older woman with gorgeous, thick black tresses walked in and purchased something. After she left, my herbalist friend said, “You know, three years ago that woman came in here with the grayest hair you’ve ever seen. All she’s done is He Shou Wu, and it’s raven now.” Crazy. She also went on, though, to mention that if you take too much He Shou Wu, you could potentially damage your liver – so don’t over do it.
- I’ve heard differing stories about the effectiveness of (regular red) henna or its colorful variants in covering gray hair. When I dyed my hair with the indigo “henna,” it did nothing for my grays. But other people have much different reports. : )
5. OIL! My hair is So Oily! What Can I Do About This?
Ah, I know this problem all too well.
My favorite way – when I’m going three or four days without a true washing – to get rid of oiliness is to use a dry shampoo – and this is how I do it. However, dry shampoos may not work if you have extra thick, curly hair. It’s best for those of us who have straight or fine hair.
In addition, I’ve found that, by not washing my hair more than twice a week (yes, I went back to natural shampoo – Aubrey Organics, mostly), the oiliness is fewer and farther between in days. And on the days when I’m not truly shampooing, I just use a very dilute solution of apple cider vinegar, rosemary essential oil, and water. Works like a shiny, healthy charm!
In fact, just the rosemary/vinegar rinse alone, I’m sure, helps with the oiliness – by cleansing some of the oil from my hair as well as balancing the pH to its proper levels.
I like the suggestions IMPA made, though, as well: “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.”
Do You Have Any Additional Hair Questions or Tips?
Oooh. There was one thing shared in the comments of Monday’s post that I want to tell you about here, because it’s A-DORA-BLE and if you have long hair that doesn’t hold curls (or just long hair that you want to curl without heat), you’ll love this.
It’s a YouTube video showing how to curl your hair (overnight) using a sock. The girl who explains it is outstanding, and her hair is to die for.
Any other questions, my dears?
The Secrets to a Phenomenal Hot Oil Hair Treatment: Part 2 – Indulging
Hey! I have a problem with my hair. All through high school I had gorgeous thick, curly (albeit, dry) hair and it seems when I got halfway through college my hair turned on me (traitor!). I now have thin, oily, weirdly unevenly wavy hair with dandruff. What combination of materials and methods should I use to at least keep my hair healthy, if I must make peace with my Gone Curls? After fighting it and going for perms and salon treatments to no avail (and for too much money), I’m ready to try home remedies again! Please help me!
You might have build up from multiple products that is weighing your hair down and making it “oily”. You might have to use a sulfate shampoo (which I do t really recommend) or a bentonite clay and/or apple cider vinegar rinse to get rid of the buildup. Make sure you are not using any products with silicones or mineral oil (they can be hidden) which can coat your hair. Salons may also be ruining your hair with heat. Do not use heat if you have curls as that can destroy your curl pattern. Your curls are determined by your hair follicle that never really change so your hair should still grow out curly but it might be damaged by heat or suffocated wi silicones.
Good luck.
Hi Betty!
I am working my way towards a more chemical free life so naturally the shampoo has to go. Last year I tried the BS/AV shampoo but gave up after two months and returned to shampoo. For the last two months I have been trying to go no poo. Instead of the BS/AV method (which I heard is quite damaging because of the extreme ph changes. So I tried Dr. Bronner’s for a while. I found is cleaned my scalp and roots but left my ends greasy and stringing. Then I heard Bronner’s is just as bad in terms of PH.
Recently (last two weeks) I have been using aloe and vegetable glycerin to wash my hair. Now it seems it is a total mess. Waxy and greasy roots, dry ends, knotting easily and it is hard to run my fingers through it. I have been using a AV rinse on the ends to ‘condition’ but I am finding it is not helping.
What can I do to deal with these waxy roots? When I use dry shampoo it looks better, but doesn’t feel better. My hair is naturally wavy-ish, if my hair was short it would be curly but it it is really long. It is fine hair but I have a lot of it and it normally doesn’t get too greasy. I can go (even with shampoo) 3-4 days without a shower.
I really want to stay crunchy, but I will be attending a lot of business meetings over the next few months and I can’t look like a greasy/waxy/frizzy mess.
Please help!
Tina, when you say your trying to formulate a hair dye, is this make your hair darker? I’ve recently had a great breakthrough using molasses as a wash, and rinsing with ACV. You’ve got to somewhat dilute the molasses and let it sit a bit (maybe 15-20 min.) Can’t wait to see what you come up with.
I started no poo about a month ago. However, I failed to clarify my hair before starting. I still don’t feel like my hair has fully transitioned. It’s still prone to greasiness and being dry. I don’t use the baking soda paste, I use the water mixture and rinse all my hair with ACV once or twice a week. Do I need to clarify and start from scratch or am I doing something else wrong?
Hi. I’m trying to formulate my own hair dye, kind of like manic panic. I have this idea that I can make a whipped coconut oil type conditioning base but I have no idea for pigments I haven’t found anything about it because its all about dyeing hair “naturally” but only for the natural colors. I understand I probably wouldn’t be able to get a truly pink based violet color with natural ingredients but I was thinking of using micas or other pigments like that. I just don’t know how much of a percentage to use that would produce some kind of permanent to semipermanent stain on my hair. If anyone knows the answer to this can they please send an email to tina.join our our own gmail.com. I would really appreciate it. I don’t have a computer so the chances are low that I would be able to check back here very often
I never read about hair that is full of static! I have fine, long, straight, oily hair. It is gray now but still suffered from static when i was younger. I live in the high desert. The water is great. The air is dry. I have tried various shampoos. But i have never seen or heard of this annoying problem and if there is a remedy for it!
Someone had mentioned using Xanthan gum to firm up the baking soda/water mix and the ACV/water mix (or did I just dream that up?) Anyway, I mixed some up and tried it and I’m calling it the “No ‘Poo Goo” because it really doesn’t look very attractive, but my hair liked it and it stayed on there pretty well so I could really work it in. My hair hasn’t dried yet, but I expect it will be as lovely as ever! If not I will let you know.
I have hair that can’t decide if it’s wavy, curly, or just strangely crimped and straight. Often there is a fine line between my hair being too dry and frizzy, and the next day or two being oily and flat. I’ve been using baking soda instead of shampoo hoping it would help, and it has helped a little bit with the dryness/oiliness (but not enough to satisfy me). How can I help my hair from being so indecisive, and maybe help it be as curly as it can be at the same time?
I had started washing my hair with honey and rinsing with apple cider vinegar, but after a while, my hair started feeling heavy, so i just switched to using water only and rinsing my head for a long time, followed by apple cider vinegar. I only get to wash my hair once a week at most. I’ve always had a problem with dandruff and used to use head and shoulders shampoo on and off when it would get bad, back when I used shampoo, but I’ve been shampoo-less since November now and I can’t figure out how to get rid of it because it’s the worst it’s ever been now. My hair itself is wonderfully glorious. Couldn’t ask for better hair (which is wonderful because it used to be a frizz-poof-snarly mess…). My scalp, on the other hand is awful. The few times I used coconut oil as a conditioner last summer (before I stopped shampoo), and the time I made a restorative protein mush with eggs, grape seed oil and other things (a few months ago), it took a long time to get it back out again. My hair grabs oil like a sponge and doesn’t let it go, so needless to say I’m leery about using coconut oil in my hair again. My head’s natural oils seem to be the best for my hair (which is why I don’t wash it often). I just can’t figure my scalp. It’s so bad that if I scratch it (even just a little) my fingernails come up with head grud caked under them. Thankfully if I leave my hair in a pony tail and try not to touch my head, the flakes stay down near my scalp where they can’t be seen as easily, but as soon as I stir it up, it’s like my own personal blizzard.. any suggestions? As mentioned, I only rinse my hair with water for a while, followed by apple cider vinegar and more rinsing. I don’t follow the baking soda no’ poo recipe. Seems too harsh to me.
Thanks for your time 🙂
Maybe just a really teeny tiny bit of baking soda and water? It has really helped my scalp, then follow with the ACV rinse. Your head does need time to adjust to this, maybe you didn’t give it time? Or have you tried castile and coconut milk?
I found this lovely article at http://www.naturalnews.com/031352_hair_dyes_natural.html# with all kind of things for me to try on my blonde hair. I just recently began the OCM for my face and began no poo this week. I made the most difficult decision on my path to becoming chemical free yesterday, I will no longer be using chemicals to dye my hair. This is a big decision for me because I have been dying my hair with color and developer for almost 20 years. Wish me luck and I hope this helps you other blondies.
I’ve noticed that in the past 5-6 years my hair has been breaking quite often. Every single time i brush my hair there are strands falling out and strands that i need to pull off of my brush. Even a few here and there on my clothing! It is sooo frustrating! I thought maybe it started from a time in my life that was VERY stressful but it hasn’t slowed down with my hair. I have dyed my hair since i was 13 but i have stopped doing that for the last two years and i am also on week 3 of the no poo method. Hoping it works! Any advice?
Hi everyone I have a couple questions about no poo and shampoo bars. For no poo I started using the baking soda paste then acv rinse and was in the middle of my greasy stage when a friend told me someone from her makeup/hair group said not to use this method because the ph differences in the baking soda vs acv will eventually cause breakage. Is this true? I was skeptical cause of course a hair stylist may not entirely be on board with a natural way of cleaning your hair lol anyways I would like some in put on this from you ladies 🙂
For shampoo bars I recently bought one from Chagrin Valley. It’s a marsh mallow & babassu. They said there would be an adjustment period but if you use a lot of product in your hair then do an acv rinse after as their gentle shampoo bars may not be able to handle that sort of buildup. I gotta say it’s really hard to go thro this adjustment stage (we all know how bad greasy hair feels and looks & needless to say I’m wearing a lot of top knots lol) but my question is if I’m still using hair product will this defeat the point of using a natural shampoo bar? I use drug store hair spray now and I’m looking for a safer more natural one. I mean most women use some type of product in their hair so for those of us that do is a shampoo bar the wrong way to go? Sorry for the long post ! I hope you ladies can help 🙂
Hi Betty,
I was wondering about the oils, how the sweet almond oil and other carrier oils in the beauty section are expensive especially if the natural or organic oils.
So my question is can we use the oils in the cooking section(which are much cheaper) instead.
What are some natural heat protectants?
I use vinegar, 100% organic vegetable glycerine, and lavender essential oil for a rinse. I posted my recipe on my blog. Worked fine for my girls who all have different hair types..and one of them has curly hair. Her curls looked the best they’ve ever looked. Soft, clean, and bouncy.
I have looked all over this site for natural hairspray…HELP!! Thanks 🙂
http://wholenewmom.com/recipes/homemade-alcohol-free-hairspray-that-works/
This is where I get my homemade hairspray recipe. This one doesn’t contain alcohol so it’s best to keep it in the refrigerator. I am a ballet dancer and it works really well for putting my hair in a bun!
Hi, just to say after reading lots of advice online I just tried the ‘no-poo’ method and I weirdly like the results! Following tips I made very sure all my Bicarb Soda had totally dissolved first so it felt ‘soapy’and washed my hair in the sink. Tried a rinse with White vinegar (as had no cider vinegar) then diluted Aloe Vera gel with water for a conditioner and rinsed it out. I was so shocked that when I looked at the rinse water from the BSoda wash, it was light brown! Is this residue from my shampoos & conditioners I wonder?
My hair feels soft and took so little time to dry. I got my kids to smell my hair (as I was sure I didn’t smell but wanted to check), they said ‘It smells nice’ and ‘Mmmnn!’. When I asked what it smelt of my 6 year old daughter said ‘Like a fish and chip shop, yummy!’. I guess its meant to be Cider Vinegar for a reason! I think I’ll keep going though, for the first time in ages my scalp is not hideously itchy…
Thanks for the wealth of advice and ideas on your blog…much appreciated…
We’re a commingle of of nature hair and online experts but above all we’re consumers like you and penetrate how overwhelming and confusing it is to course the without end or limit or bound measure of naturally curly hair products on the emporium. Despite the stupendous calculate of products it is still hard to discover nature products for the woman with naturally curly hair.
natural hair
Any ideas on how to straighten bangs naturally? I little ringlet type curls and some waves right around my brow that make me look 12. Wouldn’t be a problem if I weren’t in my 30’s. Thanks for the great recipes and ideas.
*have
I tried the baking soda and ACV routine and it didn’t work for me at all, my hair was greasy and felt like straw. Not a fan.
After much experimentation, my no-poo(ish) routine for fine wavy-curly hair:
I use a light, natural (-cone and – xane free for sure, but finding one that cleans and rinses cleanly takes a lot of trial and error) conditioner to scrub my scalp and squish it through the rest of my hair. I currently alternate Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle sometimes with some honey mixed in or Everyday Shea vanilla mint. I run a wide tooth comb through to detangle and part my hair, then let it sit while I do everything else. Last thing I do before I turn off the water is rinse well, being careful to get it all out while preserving the part.
Before drying at all, I use aloe to shake my curls to separate them a bit, then more aloe to scrunch the curls up. I use a camping multi-towel (microfiber chamois type of material that absorbs 8x it’s weight) to make sort of a hammock with the curls coiled up inside, then pull it up and tie it on top of my head. I leave that on for 15 minutes or so to pull out as much water as possible. When I take it off, I let it air dry into really nice soft, orderly, clean, shiny curls.
I do use a gentle, sulfate free shampoo (John Masters Organic zinc & sage) or co-wash (As I Am Coconut Co-wash) every 2 weeks to a month as needed, usually with an oil treatment left on overnight the night before and a heavier conditioner after. I’m trying to ease back slowly.
I have always hated my hair, and am just now reaching a point where I am somewhat happy with it.
I have recently become OBSESSED with this blog!! Ive done nothing else for the past 3 days but switch a lot of my products to natural homemade ones! Loving it! Question though: Im an elite competitive swimmer… meaning my hair is literally in chlorinated water 4hrs every day. Will the natural no-poo shampoo work? Ive started using it already (but Im on a little needed break from practices!) and my hair feels great. Does the baking soda, and ACV conditioner do enough on swimmers hair?
Thanks!
I’m looking for a cheap luxury car a sporty sedan car, or a car with nice horsepower (like a mustang, camaro, etc.). However I have a price limit. Looking for cars under $20,000. Help me please! Need a nice list!.
I want to start using Dr. Bronner’s soap instead of shampoo and was wondering how much water to mix with it? Is there a ratio that works best? Thank you!
For a while I was doing 1 TBS castile mixed with 2TBS coconut milk and a drop of my favorite EO. The lather was great. Be sure to get the coconut milk from the dairy section. I got the canned one once and it was mostly coconut oil, which is fine, but not for this recipe! I think it will dry out your hair if you only cut it with water, and I don’t know how much you would have to dilute it, sorry.
PS I have short hair and that much would do my hair for a few shampoos.
Hey, Betty!
I’ve been on the no ‘poo and food beauty for years now. A year ago my mother would be horrified to find that I had gone weeks with only washing my hair with baking soda and ACV, a routine that still lasts now.
However, something has run amuck. I’m out of Baking Soda! What can clean these tresses now?
What’s a college girl to do, Betty?
Kate
Gray hair is often associated with age, but this is a natural process that can occur at a young age. But do not worry there are natural way to get rid of gray hair, The emergence of gray hair is a symptom of a disturbance in protein synthesis.
Has anyone read if getting a perm while doing the no Poo is workable or not? I don’t want to spend the money and find out that the baking soda & ACV will just straighten it out. Any words?
I know someone who took a copper supplement and significantly decreased her gray hair.
Here is my issue…I am allergic to tree nuts including coconut. Tried “poo free” and ended up with scalp sores and static like crazy. So I am back to Suave naturals (which has very little naturals in it) until I can find something that doesn’t drive my skin more nuts. May aslo be allergic to vinegar as is usually is derived from fermentation of something which means allowing it to “mold” if you will, and I am allergic to mold. While I would love to find a bubble to live in, everyday I live in misery of itching like a mad person. My skin is so dry on certain parts with flaky itchy skin (have tried just plain EVOO on this but it’s not enough) and my face is somewhat mixed oily and dry.
So far I have tried shea butter and the jury is still out on that. I have coco butter but haven’t really used it yet. I just bought grape seed oil, calendula, chamomile, lavender, tea trea, castor oil, fenugeek, and vitamin e oil to try patch tests with and then add them together one by one to see how much I can tolerate.
So, I am looking into making my own shampoo bars and currently use Kiss My Face olive oil soap bar. I also have a flaky scalp in certain areas but it’s not like dandruff so I am assuming (since I do have eczema) that it’s related to that. Suggestions? Ideas? Recipes? Just plunked down over $50 to do patch tests and would love it if I can use them to have something to make them into.
Hi, I am hoping you can help me Betty. I keep searching and searching for something that will help me, My scalp (so I’m told by my doctor) is oily, and it presents like excema where it will get red and irritated, but my hair is dry! (UGH!!) So I keep running into the problem of if I make my hair happy, my scalp throws a fit, and if i make my scalp/skin happy my hair… don’t even ask… I have recently used the Dr Bronner’s peppermint soap and it helps my skin, but my hair feels terrible, its very heavy feeling and unmanageable.
I hope you can help. <3 your recipes!
i had made a shampoo using castille soap. i found it was good for my scalp and hair, but i was very static-y. (im sure the uber dry CO winter didnt help with that.) Anyway, heres a recipe maybe will help you:
5oz Chamomile tea (i was going for blonding, can use distilled water or other herb/ floral infused water)
7oz Castille (i used Dr. Bonners Lavender)
½ tsp jojoba oil (argan oil would likely be good too. i have an oily scalp and didnt want to do a heavier oil like avocado,but i hear thats a good one for hair as well)
5 drops Lavender EO (i may or may not be a little lavender obsessed)
5 drops GSE (grapefruit seed extract. i figured with the water content, some sort of preservative wouldnt hurt)
hope that helps!
Hi, I am hoping you can help me Betty. I keep searching and searching for something that will help me, My scalp (so I’m told by my doctor) is oily, and it presents like excema where it will get red and irritated, but my hair is dry! (UGH!!) So I keep running into the problem of if I make my hair happy, my scalp throws a fit, and if i make my scalp/skin happy my hair… don’t even ask… I have recently used the Dr Bronner’s peppermint soap and it helps my skin, but my hair feels terrible, its very heavy feeling and unmanageable.
I hope you can help. <3 your recipes!
How do I stop my hair from knotting?? I will brush my hair and a few hours later, after doing nothing strenuous, my hair is redicuously knotted. What helps with this?
I’ve frizzy hair. With the change of season my hair becomes frizzy. I’m using HairX Frizz Free Shampoo for quite a sometime and it’s working on me quite well. Your jojoba oil and coconut oil option is quite cool! I’ll try it out. Nice tips!
My hair is greying pretty well…. all in the front and looking kinda “old sexy” but i would like to enhance it without being a “blue hair”! I am apprehensive about using chamomile in my home made hair care items because I’m worried it will make my grey yellow! What do you think? Any ideas or thoughts on this subject??
Man. Since I was two or so to September 2011 I have had bob to butt length hair, and since puberty it has been REALLY frizzy. One of the reasons why I chopped all my hair off was because it was a frizzy tangly mess. I liked my short hair for a few months but now I want my long brown locks back. I wish I had known about the no ‘poo and oil treatments for frizz back then
Hi, I bumped into your blog while searching for ‘no poo’! I am planning to go no poo, but read that baking soda & AVC can lighten your hair! Wondering if you have experience this! And also I do hot oil treatment for my dry-frizzy hair about 3 times a week. Can I remove most of the oil if I go no poo? Any suggestions?
I hate. hate. hate. the smell of ACV in my hair. It persists even after its dry! (I have a sensitive sniffer) could I swap lemon juice for the ACV?? I do not mind if it lightens up my hair, but does it do the same thing as ACV?
I’ve only done ACV twice on my hair but the first time I did it I really didn’t think I could do it again. It smelled like vomit and I couldn’t stand it. I decided the next time I would add some Essential Oils to the ACV (I only had grapefruit) and it made such a difference. The smell wasn’t too bad and my hair smelled like the grapefruit instead of the ACV as it was drying. If lemon juice doesn’t work try EO.
Thank you for your reply! I saw that a mix of honey and lemon might be good, so I will try that. If it doesn’t go well I will definitely try adding EO! 🙂
try ayurvedic hair powders like amla, shikakai, reetha[soapnuts], brahmi and bhringraj.These will work wonders on all hair types and for all hair worries
Hi Crunchy Betty. First off, love your site so so so so much. My hair question is about natural lightening. I’d like to faux-bleach bits of my hair without chemicals. Any ideas?
I have been no poo for only 10 days and I’m loving it! I have “to my bra strap” length curly fine hair that would only grow so far. My hair is feeling stronger already and I do the coconut oil to tame the frizzies. I do the BS & ACV and like others, I can’t do the BS everyday, so I have used that about every third day. Also, I read that for a natural hair dye ( I totally forget which website…sorry) to use steeped tea or coffee and use that as a final rinse for up to two weeks or till u have results u want. I was going to try it, but my husband likes that I’m growing my grays out and I’m hoping the baking soda really does strip the color out soon. Does anybody know how long that takes?
Are there any natural and organic (Hair Treatments, Hair Masks/Masques, Deep Conditioners, etc.) remedies; that will instantly give my fine, straight, flat, limp, medium strawberry-blond, caucasian hair incredible body, bounce, movement, softness and shine?
Is the ACV rinse necessary? I just started the no poo adventure today and I am very happy with the results. I only used the baking soda & water. Will my results likely stay the same without getting acv or will my hair likely need that as time goes on?
You may need to add the ACV rinse, at least I did! I actually love the results, ACV really calms down the frizz in my hair and makes it ten times softer than any store-bought conditioner I ever used. What I do is mix 2 parts water and 1 part ACV in a spray bottle and spray my hair with it after “shampooing” with baking soda, and just leave it in. There is almost no smell even a couple minutes later, and after half an hour even my husband can’t smell it! I like to steep the water in rosemary before adding ACV.
Hello! I have a question….is there any recipe for a natural homemade hair gel or a hairstyling spray???? I have a very sensitive hair and wouldn`t like to worsen its condition by unhealthy chemical products..may someone help me? Thank you (love;)
(PS:Dear Crunchy Betty,Thank you for the great job you do:) its more than helpful…love;)
I don’t know about a recipe, but I have very curly spiral hair and I love kinkycurly as a hair gel. Doesn’t make it crunchy and is a very low or no chemical product. Amazingly they even sell it at Target.
WebMD lost me when they recommended low fat. Pooh! (or ‘poo!) Our body needs fats in order to function properly!
i found a way to dye your hair naturally! go to
http://www.wholeliving.com/134636/diy-hair-color-booster?backto=true
Hi! I have a question. What can I use to bring more of my grey/white out so it doesn’t look dull? I am in my first week of no ‘poo & I have noticed that my hair is soft, full of body & lovely. A bit itchy & flaky but I guess I didn’t rinse all the BS out?
A tip for fragrance: After rinsing with the ACV I leave it on while I finish washing. Then I rinse my hair/head with as cold of water as I can stand. Once my hair is dry I spray a tiny bit of my perfume (use what you like) on my hands & rub it through. So far so good.
Woops ~ I see someone else responded below to my grey/white hair question.
I have a question: any remedies for swimmers? I swim in a chlorinated pool 3x a week, which is really awful for my hair. After a swim workout it is dry and sticks together like overcooked spaghetti… even for a couple days later. I’ve tried a couple different shampoos (none of which have worked) and now that I’m finally running out of the latest shampoo, I’m hoping for some (natural) advice…
I’ve been no-pooing for almost 2-weeks now and my normally flat fine hair has body like it never has before. A big change I’ve noticed is that my hair stopped falling out – normally a handfull of hair would come out in the shower, now it’s only a few strands.
I would like to suggest this method to my husband, whose hair is thinning significantly, however I’m not sure the baking soda & vinegar will clean well enough for him, as he works in a weld shop and gets very dirty everyday. Is there some method of no-pooing or sorta-pooing that will clean well while still being gentle?
As always, love the tips and looking forward to trying a hot oil treatment! I always thought I had fine, thin, oily hair. I was afraid to moisturize/deep condition/etc because I thought that would just weight it down or make it more oily. But it actually seems thicker now, stronger and less greasy. Food for though (and hair?) I still use shampoo (Jason) mostly because I work out – is anybody else in the same boat? I fear going sortapoo or nopoo and being a stinky kid!
I work out 6 days a week, running 10+ miles on Saturdays and I am poo free!! And I’m not stinky 🙂 I just shower after my runs and use the BS/ACV combo and I’m good to go!
Is hair loss inevitable even if you used natural hair treatment? i’ve been thinking of visiting hair doctor because of massive hair loss i am experiencing.
Do you Rinse/”wash” your hair every day?
as in:
aubrey on monday
Vinegar on tuesday
vinegar on wednesday
vinegar on thursday
aubrey on friday
:|| (<- repeat sign 🙂 )
hello! I seriously need some advice here. I have been doing no poo for maybe a month and a half now. My hair is EXTREMELY thick and wavy, but currently my hair is on the shorter side. My scalp gets more oily than my ends and I suffer from dry hair in the first place. So now my ends constantly look dry and frizzy. What can I do to fix this without messing up the nopoo? I was thinking of doing the coconut milk castile soap mix. Would this work better?
Anyone have a recipe for conditioner (that is the same consistency of store bought – i have found the recipe for ACV & water). I have tried no poo and it didn’t work out for me, but I do not really like store bought products. If you have a shampoo recipe to go with it, that would be great – if not, i have found plenty of those online.
Thanks!
I also am wondering why you stopped the “nopoo” method. I have been doing it for over a year now, but am starting to wonder if the baking soda is drying out my hair. My ends have been looking a bit fried. I have an aloe plant – maybe I will try some gel on my ends.
Hi Heather. I am no poo, and I found that I was getting a bit dry and brittle at one point, too. It sounds contradictory but I was oily scalp and dry hair. Initially I was using 1 tablespoon of BS per 250mL of water, but I have diluted that right down now. I have a 750mL drink bottle that I just put 1 tablespoon of BS in, and it works just fine. I was also washing 2-3 times a week, but now I push it out to once a week, maximum. Washing it less has made my scalp produce less oil, and stopped my hair from feeling brittle. I also try to put a tiny bit of coconut oil in at least weekly. Hope this helps 🙂
I have probably been using too much Baking Soda. I don’t measure – just pour some in a cup and add water. I’m sure it was much more than 1 T. Thanks so much for the tip.
The hair is a crazy static
electric mess!And I’m not talking about frizz, it is not the same thing! I do oil treatment, I rinse with diluted ACV, my hair is henna dyed…. Nothing seems to help 🙁
What about those of us who have taken the challenge of to keep our gray hairs. Any suggestion to tone down the yellows and bring up the whites?
I would like to start by saying I personally have not tried this treatment on my gray hair and after reading briefly about it on Wikipedia it sounds like, if your not careful, it could be a disaster so please research first before trying. My aunt has beautiful silver/white hair and she uses fabric bluing (the laundry whitener) to get rid of the yellow in her gray hair. She does not have that dyed “blue hair” look that we associate with little old ladies. I have no idea what the process is for dying hair with bluing or what kind of chemicals are in the bluing but my aunts hair is beautiful so it might be worth a little research.
Thanks for the info, but it sounds pretty bizarre. I wonder what is in “bluing”. I’m going to check it our, but I wonder if there a natural “bluing” that would be nice to hair.
I found the MSDS for Mrs. Stewart’s Bluing along with an explanation & disclaimer regarding using bluing for grey/white. Try:
http://www.mrsstewart.com/pages/msds.htm
Thanks for the info, but it sounds pretty bizarre. I wonder what is in “bluing”. I’m going to check it our, but I wonder if there a natural “bluing” that would be nice to hair.
I work for a mobile pet groomer and we use a tiny amount of bluing in the shampoo when we bathe white dogs. it enhances the optical stuff and contrast? Sounds weird but I have a mostly white shih tzu and use it for him when I bathe him in the van or at home and he looks so pretty…and no side effects.
I work for a mobile pet groomer and we use a tiny amount of bluing in the shampoo when we bathe white dogs. it enhances the optical stuff and contrast? Sounds weird but I have a mostly white shih tzu and use it for him when I bathe him in the van or at home and he looks so pretty…and no side effects.
OH! I kinda just asked the same question. Thanks. I checked the laundry bluing pdf and it sounded a little shady. My mom was a hairdresser back in the day and I knew about the bluing and how too much bluing caused the little old lady blue hair situation. In the salon my mom used a blue hair rinse, Roux Fanci-Full. Perhaps it was the shade called White Minx? Anyhow…I wonder how a few drops of that might fare in my ACV rinse. Maybe I should try switching to lemon for my acid and hold off on the White Minx for a while. Any comments would be appreciated! (PS: I have thicker and more abundant hair than ever before in my life since going “no poo”!)
Does anyone else have a huge feeling of everything settling back to normal, now that Crunchy Betty is back in business? 🙂 I feel good!
What is the best thing to add body to fine straight limp hair? I’ve heard beer works well, but haven’t tried. Thiught of neutral henna until i heard that it turns gray hair yellow. I’ve got too much silver to want to change it. Also to tame static electricity?
I’ve been thinking about trying “Nopoo” or maybe “Sortapoo” for awhile now. I use chemical free organic shampoo and conditioner, but when I hear about some of the fabulous results some of you have had going without, it makes me want to try it. My concern is that my hair is kind of weird. It’s SUPER fine and tends to be really flat, but it’s also very, very dry. Almost everything I read that is supposed to help fine flat hair assumes that it is also oily hair, and everything that’s for dry hair seems to assume the hair is thick and/or course. So what would you recommend for someone like me? Do I just have to try it for myself and experiment? Right now the only way I can get any texture and body in my hair is with hair products, but I’m assuming hair products and nopoo don’t really mix!
“Do I just have to try it for myself…”
Yep 🙂
It seems huge before you try these things, but once you’ve done it you wonder what the fuss was about. My hair is really fine and was flat too, but I had a noticeable rise at the scalp after I stopped using conventional shampoos and conditioners.
Question for curly girls – do you comb your hair? I follow a lot of advice I read in the book, but I can’t imagine not running a comb through my hair when it’s wet.
I have actually thought of bringing a comb into the shower with me while I condition it to comb out the knots. I have long spiral natural curls and don’t wash my hair every day so they get pretty knotted up, even with leave in conditioner I have to yank to get them out. I couldn’t imagine not using a comb, fingers don’t work as well. I actually use a firm brush.
I’ve been combing in the shower for 3 years now and it has helped me SO MUCH
I use a wide tooth comb or a brush. I coat my hair thickly with a Suave conditioner (usually the coconut) and rinse it out and I’ll brush/comb my hair with it in there. After I do the ACV rinse, I comb it once more, then use an old t shirt for a towel.
I have always kept a wide-toothed comb in the shower and the last thing I did before rinsing out the conditioner was to run the comb through (I called it weeding or de-thatching). Now that I’m starting the CG-book method, which as you know, says fingers only… I’m a bit apprehensive about it but I’m going to give it a try.
I’ve been messing with encouraging my hair to be wavy (oddly enough, I already was following the Curly Girl method- well, about 70%- before I read it this weekend). I did it for three days straight, didn’t comb or brush my hair for those three days, and I had no issues with tangles at all. I’m looking forward to eliminating brushes from my hair care…but I’ll probably utilize a wide toothed comb at times. Honestly, I’m looking forward to mixing the sorta ‘poo shampoo method with the Curly Girl method- I’m hoping that will eliminate a lot of the hassle I’ve been dealing with for years when it comes to managing my hair!
My 13 year old daughter and I both have very fine, thin, straight hair and would love any natural tips or hints. Husband and son are blessed with better hair and have been no-poo for some time now with fabulous results. Alas, it was not a pretty experiment for me, so I am back to Giovanni organic shampoo, conditioner and gel. I have used an egg/yogurt mask with decent results, but would love to hear any other suggestions.
I’m on your boat. I’ve had a lot of success with the Morrocco Method product line. My hair isn’t incredible, but it’s thicker and shinier than it’s been in a long time. My biggest problem is the tangles though…I’d love to find (or make) a light, natural detangler.
You have awesome curls girl! I just got the CG book on tuesday and I’m loving my hair so much more already.
Thanks! They get better everyday, believe it or not. I blame it on Aubrey Organics. I love that all the ingredients I can read and understand. I can’t say that about too many products. 🙂
My daughter and I have hair long enough to sit on and we get nice results using Loepsie’s sock bun version. It’s also great as just a out-of-the-way hairstyle when most other ‘bun tools’ don’t work for us.
We also have success using coconut oil as a deep condition treatment. We use it from shoulder blade area down to tips, braid or wrap it up, and preferably leave overnight, then wash out the next day.
I’d been taking Alive Vitamins (no iron) for years. One day I ran out and decided to try something different just for kicks. I cannot remember the brand I tried but it was highly recommended in “natural products” reviews. In other words, it wasn’t One a Day, Centrum, or anything like that. After a few weeks of taking the new multi I started noticing much bigger globs of hair in the shower drain than I’d ever seen before and also more hair was coming out in my comb. I wasn’t concerned until it went on for several weeks. It crossed my mind that maybe it was the change in vitamin brand, but decided that was silly. Long story short, I went back to Alive and the increased hair loss totally went away after a few short weeks. I’m not plugging a certain brand. There’s probably an ingredient in Alive’s many that helps keep hair healthy. Just a thought….
What can be done naturally to combat static electricity in my hair. Darn fleece pull overs!
I have this problem too, it’s horrible!
you can also straighten your damp hair (no heat) by wrapping (combing) your hair clockwise around your head and put an old pantyhose on top and let it dry fir about 2hs and then do the same thing but wrap you hair on your head counter-clockwise and let it dry for another 2hs or so. take everything out, (you can brush your hair with a wooden comb preferable) and your hair will be smooth and frizz-free.
Really excited to try the jojoba oil, coconut oil, and aloe ideas for my frizzy-ness. I did put aloe in my hot oil mix the other day and I’m seriously loving my hair after doing that treatment. I will add my voice to the choir of curlies singing praises for the Curly Girl guide book… it has literally changed my life overnight (no exaggeration).
The aloe vera gel for frizzy hair is a great tip. My girls and I use it as a leave in conditioner after we ‘no-poo’ wash our hair. It isn’t “slick” live most leave in conditioners but it really helps keep hair in good condition. 🙂 Love all the comments. I have been chemical free for 5 years and love it.
do you use just straight aloe vera gel or dilute it with water?
Any tips for static? I have fine, straight hair, and I can’t even brush it this time of year. And if my kids rub their arm against it…yikes!
I have been going CG for almost 5 months now. LOVE it! Check out my post about it!
http://joliluja.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/going-shampoo-free-the-curly-girl-way-of-life/
The sock trick for hair curling is awesome. I’m a huge fan of heat free styling, as my hair is thin and fragile (and its just damaging in general). The only problem with the sock curling is that it doesn’t work on short hair like mine. I’ve taken to using Bobby pins to curl my hair, and it works SO well! Ill post a tutorial on my new blog soon and link to it in the crunchy community if anyone is interested =]
I’m interested 🙂 My hair is very fine and as yet too short for a sock bun.
It took a while but it’s finally up =) I hope this works for you!
http://theinertscatterbrain.com/?p=75
It took a while but it’s finally up =) I hope this works for you! Let me know
http://theinertscatterbrain.com/?p=75
Amazing post! I’ve been using coconut oil instead of hair gel on my curly hair for a couple years now and it works far better than any of those expensive (chemical-filled) products I would buy.
Why did you go back to using shampoo?
I was wondering this too?? You’re a huge reason WHY I went poo free, so I was kinda disappointed that you started using shampoo again….
My apologies for disappointing you. 🙂
I went back to shampoo on a very limited basis in the middle of a personal situation that took us out of town for nearly three weeks and was fraught with a LOT of instability. I’m still using shampoo about twice a week, mainly because I try so many recipes for hair – and I’ve messed up my head so many times with experiments that don’t lend themselves to no ‘poo. It’s the price I pay for trying to find options for everyone, no matter their situation.
All I can say is that it worked for me – I tried it and lived it for many, many months – but it just doesn’t work for me right now in the situation I’m in. When I stop blogging about beauty recipes and the like and can be a little more stable with the way I treat my hair, I’ll go back to it.
Hope that helps!
Crunchy Betty – I’m new to your site (as in, like, today) having heard about you thru other bloggers and the recent Simplify Your Life ebook sale. I consumed your ebook today. 🙂 Re: hair — I’m thinking of giving the no-poo method a try (heaven help me), after being a faithful Aubrey’s Organics user for 2+ years. I have thin, loose-curled hair and only shower 2x a week. I’m a perfect candidate for this technique, but I just need to get over my fear and try.
I’m switching because Aubrey has just recently changed their formulas. Quite frankly, they’re including a lot of crap (including “fragrance” without listing what it is, weird non-normal ingredients, etc) without warning. My hair went from great to awful in one shower today. So check the next time BEFORE you purchase your product… unlike in the shower right after you’ve opened the bottle and shampoo’d. (*cough*)
I’m sorry your life experiences are taking you through a valley at the moment. I only tell you the above so you can be informed at the silent product change. At least, I would want someone to tell me.
Cheers,
-B
Hi Betty.,
Great hair care tips!
Under point 2 you quote Julial saying *I have used BioOil with luck*. Not sure if this is the same BioOil as I have seen here in Europe, but if it is, BioOil is not plant-based — it has mineral oil in it. Just a little heads up to check the label..
OMG that “curl your hair with a sock” looks awesome. I’m gonna try that tonight!
I just got my first pot of Coconut oil and I found that by taking a little coconut oil everyday, my hair has been feeling thicker and more manageable. Hope this helps someone!