Water Only Washing - Thoughts?

[CocoGlow]

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

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

@snoop

I see. When I started this regimen I was rinsing about every other day because this was all new to me and I was excited to feel my sebum etc. But then once I got some sebum coverage (after about 2 weeks) I realized that rinsing so often was not necessary. Also, the addition of a hair butter on my ends really helps keep my hair supple enough to manipulate without too much breakage, regardless of the level of sebum coverage.

Now I can wait up to a week to rinse but I prefer 2x a week. This way I keep the manipulation low, scalp clean, hair hydrated & style fresh. And in between rinses I may lightly spray water or rosewater on my scalp/hair to moisturize but nothing beats a good rinse for moisture/hydration!

If you keep your hair twisted I can see how trapped shed hair can be a problem and I can understand the webbing - almost like your hair is semi-locing. On this regimen I decided it would be best for me to wear "out" styles to prevent locing and to make the removal of shed hair easy. My hair locs very easily (I've had locs several times) and I know that if I were to rinse while wearing twists detangling would be very hard. In the future if I do wear a long-term protective style it might be mini braids on my natural hair since braids don't loc/mesh/web/tangle as quickly as twists. Otherwise I will keep my hair "out" and rock updos/buns if I want short-term protective styling options.

Is it possible for you to rinse less often and/or rinse your hair "loose" but in sections?

 

[snoop]

Over the past month I've been wearing twist outs. This is s first for me because my hair would tangle like crazy at the ends after a day. I've been better at finding ways to bind it at night so that the knots are kept to a minimum and so I've been enjoying wearing loose hair.

I've been aiming for 2 or 3 times a week only because I've been so busy lately that I'd end up doing it just once. But I think it needs the moisture for the sebum distribution so since I've only just re-started I figured that more would be a bit better? (Mainly because that's the only time I remember to scritch and preen) I'm going on vacation this week so I'll experiment with baggying until I get back at which point I'll go back to twice weekly washes.

I'll also try washing in 6 section and see if I can work quickly top detangle. I've found that I get some really stretched braid/twist outs if I do them tightly in the shower.

 

[CocoGlow]

(Re-Post from the Random Hair Thoughts Thread - Thanks @Sharpened for prompting me to update!)

1 Year Update:

Yes I am still doing the Water Only Hair Washing Regimen. It has been about a year now I believe, and I couldn't be more happy! I'm actually shocked that after trying just about every hair regimen out there for a decade +, something so simple and out-the-box is just what my hair needed.

I have leveled out to "washing" about 1x a week. In the beginning you may want to do it more often to help with sebum production as your hair will be very dry & unprotected at that stage. As you coax your sebum further down your hair you will notice the unique softness that only your natural sebum can provide and you will not need to rinse as often -although you most certainly could rinse everyday until the end of time if you want to

To rinse, I section my hair into 4 large sections. I "scritch" my scalp with the pads of my fingers and use my vibrating scalp massager to loosen up any dead skin, debris etc. Then I take one section at a time and rinse with warm water using the water pressure from my showerhead & my fingers to remove shed hair while also using my hands in a downward direction to "preen" my sebum from my scalp to ends. Detangling is super easy because of the sebum lubricating my strands. I do not try to disturb the clumps that formed naturally once I started this regimen - all I am focused on is removing the shed hair from them - no need for combs/brushes, etc.

After all sections are rinsed I use a microfiber turban to soak up excess water. Then I usually put my damp hair into about 10 braids to stretch my hair until it dries, adding a butter blend only to the very ends of my hair to keep them extra lubricated. My braid outs look super defined due to the definition from the braids + the natural clumps that are "sealed" in place with my sebum.

I will occasionally "clarify" using diluted apple cider vinegar focusing on my scalp & hair. I will usually apply the diluted vinegar to each section and then sit with a plastic cap to let it marinate for a bit before I proceed with my regular rinsing routine. Throughout the week if my hair needs some moisture, all I have to do is mist on some good ole H2O or aloe vera juice - I may add a teeny bit of the butter blend to my hair for fragrance purposes or to unravel my braids with more ease. Honestly my hair does not require anything else and it is neither greasy nor dry - which were the extremes that I had to deal with constantly on other hair regimens. And my scalp is happy now too!

So that's my regimen in a nutshell - so simple!

************************************************************************
Here are just a few pics of my hair ... sorry they are not the best quality but I hope this gives an idea of how my 4B/4C texture looks on the Water Only Hair Washing Regimen. Ever since I started this regimen, my natural sebum has caused a natural clumping of the majority of my hair that pretty much stays in tact regardless of how I style my hair. Some sections are more "defined" than others due to the multiple textures on my head but overall it looks uniform.

Last Year June/July 2016 - Bantu Knot Out
My hair started to clump in sections about 1 month after starting this regimen but only in certain sections and not root-to-tip - The Bantu Knot-Out gave the appearance that my hair was uniformly "curly" even though some areas were clumped and others frizzy:




This Year June 2017 - My hair maintains natural root-to-tip clumps wet or dry in addition to whatever pattern I put it in (braid-out, twists-out, etc) - it never did that before

WET hair right before braiding:



DRY hair - Braid Out/Bantu Knot-out On The Ends for Curls:




I know these pics aren't the best but I hope this helps!

 

[snoop]

@CocoGlow Thanks for the update! I was wondering if anyone was still doing this. After a year your hair looks great!

I stopped doing this consistently after a couple of months due to my results from Komaza, but I do do it occasionally. I feel like their products don't strip the sebum and I had been clay washing for years at that point, that maybe I'll try to get my length coated again.

Having done this process (last year) I feel like I experienced some of the benefits that you talk about. I'm no longer afraid to do a quick detangle in the shower without a comb because my hair separates more easily. Also, I'm still able to smell my sebum so I know my hair isn't stripped.

Please keep us updated on your progress!

 

[CocoGlow]

@CocoGlow Thanks for the update! I was wondering if anyone was still doing this. After a year your hair looks great!

I stopped doing this consistently after a couple of months due to my results from Komaza, but I do do it occasionally. I feel like their products don't strip the sebum and I had been clay washing for years at that point, that maybe I'll try to get my length coated again.

Having done this process (last year) I feel like I experienced some of the benefits that you talk about. I'm no longer afraid to do a quick detangle in the shower without a comb because my hair separates more easily. Also, I'm still able to smell my sebum so I know my hair isn't stripped.

Please keep us updated on your progress!

@snoop

Wow that's good to know that the Komaza products don't strip your sebum and you can still get some of the unique benefits of sebum conditioning while using them!! It's so tricky because even with "natural" brands, the common emulsifiers, surfactants and emollients can easily strip the sebum, taking you all the way back to square one.


I was curious about incorporating clay washes for occasional clarifying treatments but finding the perfect recipe that will cleanse well without stripping my sebum is going to be trial and error and I am still scarred from the debacle I had with that shampoo bar last year when I was 1 month in and accidentally stripped my sebum, reversing all of my wonderful progress! Besides clay washes can be messy, hard to rinse out and just more work than I want to invest after having it soooo easy lately. I might experiment with banana baby food one day to clarify & condition (I've been "promising" to do this since last year lol) but so far the diluted vinegar rinses are effective, cheap and simple - I'm spoiled

 

[snoop]

@CocoGlow

Have you tried just using straight clay instead of mixing it with something other than water or (coconut/goats milk)? I really like kaolin clay and find it easier to wash out than the other clays and more gentle. If you ever go that route.

I haven't tried using vinegar since my early days on my journey. How much do you dilute the vinegar? I might have to give it a go.

 

[CocoGlow]

@CocoGlow

Have you tried just using straight clay instead of mixing it with something other than water or (coconut/goats milk)? I really like kaolin clay and find it easier to wash out than the other clays and more gentle. If you ever go that route.

I haven't tried using vinegar since my early days on my journey. How much do you dilute the vinegar? I might have to give it a go.

It has been a while now since I've used Clay to cleanse/condition my hair. I think the last time I used it, I was doing the Maximum Hydration Method a few years back. Before that I tried either Bentonite (both the Sodium & Calcium versions) or Rhassoul Clay mixed with Water/Herbal Tea - and I noticed that adding a little Apple Cider Vinegar to the mix made it less clumpy and easier to blend/dissolve the clay. I don't think I've ever added Coconut Milk to my clay mixes but ever since my Coconut Milk debacle last year (that you teased me about ) I'm scurred to use it on my hair again.

I have not tried Kaolin Clay but I do recall you singing it's praises earlier. One day I'll give it a shot - maybe lol. If I do use clay again it would have to be the Kaolin because I think Bentonite & Rhassoul would be way to drying for me, which may have been ok in the past when I was following up with conditioners/leave-ins etc, but not now.

As for the Apple Cider Vinegar rinse, I've been eyeballing it. In fact yesterday I did one using about 1:2 ratio (Vinegar:Rosewater/Water blend) - it may have been too strong as my hair was a little bit more dry than normal afterwards (I just added a little more hair butter than normal to my ends to counteract it). I didn't have a set recipe since I rarely need to clarify but I think next time I will use less vinegar - maybe 1:4 or something. Even though it may have been too strong it definitely didn't strip too much of my sebum (I didn't even notice the dryness until it came time to style my hair - my hair felt soft and had normal slip during the water rinse) which is awesome!

I sprayed the diluted vinegar onto my scalp & hair until damp & was able to remove a lot of shed hair by just pulling my hands down my strands. I was gentle of course, but due to the sebum on my strands my hair became so soft after spritzing that I didn't have breakage from pulling my strands. I specifically chose to spray/mist the mixture onto my scalp/hair instead of pouring or using a nozzle because I didn't want to deal with extra drips and risk having vinegar run down my face & into my eyes LOL. I did it in sections and put my hair into 4 large braids then sat with a plastic cap for about 30mins & proceeded to do my normal water rinse routine.

I think I will try to incorporate this pre-rinse detangling thing on the weekly basis using water or aloe vera juice to dampen my hair, remove shed hair & then put into 4 braids to get ready for the water rinse. I did this last year - don't know why I stopped - maybe because this way you are removing shed hair twice (once before the rinse and once under the running water and I'm too lazy for alladat LOL) but doing this beforehand cuts down on the amount of time spent IN the shower removing shed hair so there's that

I'm curious to see how a vinegar rinse works for you - try it .. try it lol

 

[snoop]

@CocoGlow Haha! I'll have to remember for next weekend's wash. I'll even try to add the rosewater.

 

[von rose]

I'm curious about this as my hair is lo-po so the less I put on it the better. Problem is whenever I've tried just rinsing my hair after a while it has a weird smell/a ton of scalp build-up and if I use ACV I end up smelling like a salad. Am I missing something? I scratch my scalp and occasionally use a scalp brush I just can't get a clean feeling without a mild cleanser.

 

[CocoGlow]

I'm curious about this as my hair is lo-po so the less I put on it the better. Problem is whenever I've tried just rinsing my hair after a while it has a weird smell/a ton of scalp build-up and if I use ACV I end up smelling like a salad. Am I missing something? I scratch my scalp and occasionally use a scalp brush I just can't get a clean feeling without a mild cleanser.

@von rose
My hair has low porosity too and it can easily start to feel soft at first but then greasy and dry when using products, so simple things like water are my hair's best friend as long as I have sebum coating my strands to protect & soften it to prevent dryness & breakage.

In the beginning I noticed a sweet nutty smell coming from my scalp only when I wet it. Now I honestly don't smell anything but maybe I just don't notice it anymore. The only thing I smell during my rinse nowadays is the faint smell of the scented hair butter I use on my ends. Your hair shouldn't stink or anything though either wet or dry. If you sweat a lot you might want to rinse more often but I don't sweat heavily so I don't have experience dealing with that.

I know a lot of people on this regimen with straight/wavy hair use scalp brushes to distribute their sebum down their strands easily but I found that when I tried scalp brushes (100% boar bristle both soft & hard) it caused breakage on my kinky hair and really irritated my sensitive scalp. Have you tried the scalp massager that I posted about last year? I really love how well it does the job of scritching & massaging for me

I have found preening the sebum down my strands with my fingers while my hair is wet during the rinse and damp during styling very important! This along with the warm water ensures that my sebum is distributed evenly and not just on my scalp. I experienced extra itching in the beginning before I realized how vital this step really is. Due to this, I personally have not had to clarify often which is awesome!

A few questions:
How long have you been trying this regimen?
Have you completely clarified & stripped your hair & scalp of all products before trying this regimen?
How often are you rinsing?
How often do you massage and scritch your scalp?
Are you preening your sebum down your strands all the way to the ends so that it is not stuck near your scalp?
How often have you tried to clarify with ACV?
Have you tried other things (banana/apple baby food, clay washes, mild soap bars, etc) to clarify in place of ACV?
Other than your scalp, how does your hair feel?

 

[Sharpened]

@CocoGlow what would be a reasonable adjustment time frame? Have you had any problem with the stiffening, waxy type of sebum? Have you ever used oils to remove excess sebum?

I see a reoccurring theme for the kinky WO practitioners: stretched styling. I still love my oil rinse and go too much right now to try it yet.

 

[CocoGlow]

@CocoGlow what would be a reasonable adjustment time frame? Have you had any problem with the stiffening, waxy type of sebum? Have you ever used oils to remove excess sebum?

I see a reoccurring theme for the kinky WO practitioners: stretched styling. I still love my oil rinse and go too much right now to try it yet.

Sorry, I'm not sure I understand the 1st question? Do you mean how long it takes to reach full sebum coverage?

I have not had trouble with stiff hard waxy sebum. I believe I read that some people have tried ingesting flaxseed oil to thin out their sebum but I personally don't have experience with that. I've never used oils to remove sebum but I have heard that certain oils will do that. My scalp is easily irritated by oils so I avoid them like the plague and only apply hair butter to the very ends.

Your Oil Rinse & Go sounds awesome! I prefer the look of stretched styles on me since my shrinkage rate is outrageous But you could certainly do a wash n go on this regimen. I would advise waiting until you have enough sebum coverage though because you could risk excess breakage,webbing & tangles trying to do a wash n go on stripped hair.

 

[Sharpened]

Sorry, I'm not sure I understand the 1st question? Do you mean how long it tak

Yes, to get root-to-tip coverage. It usually takes over a week for me to even get any.

Thanks for answering!

 

[CocoGlow]

I'm honestly not sure how long it took for me to reach full coverage - I think that by the 2 week mark my sebum reached half of my length ( I was about shoulder length at the time) - so I would say it took at least a month. The longer your hair the longer it will take to reach all the way down but preening definitely helps.

It's rough those first few weeks dealing with product-free dry hair, but if you add a little oil/butter after your rinses on the areas that are not covered in sebum, you can definitely survive. I remember feeling the dramatic contrast between my roots coated in sebum and the rest of my hair and it was amazing. My roots were soooo soft but not greasy, whereas the length was dry and a bit greasier due to the hair butter - night & day

 

[von rose]

@von rose
My hair has low porosity too and it can easily start to feel soft at first but then greasy and dry when using products, so simple things like water are my hair's best friend as long as I have sebum coating my strands to protect & soften it to prevent dryness & breakage.

In the beginning I noticed a sweet nutty smell coming from my scalp only when I wet it. Now I honestly don't smell anything but maybe I just don't notice it anymore. The only thing I smell during my rinse nowadays is the faint smell of the scented hair butter I use on my ends. Your hair shouldn't stink or anything though either wet or dry. If you sweat a lot you might want to rinse more often but I don't sweat heavily so I don't have experience dealing with that.

I know a lot of people on this regimen with straight/wavy hair use scalp brushes to distribute their sebum down their strands easily but I found that when I tried scalp brushes (100% boar bristle both soft & hard) it caused breakage on my kinky hair and really irritated my sensitive scalp. Have you tried the scalp massager that I posted about last year? I really love how well it does the job of scritching & massaging for me

I have found preening the sebum down my strands with my fingers while my hair is wet during the rinse and damp during styling very important! This along with the warm water ensures that my sebum is distributed evenly and not just on my scalp. I experienced extra itching in the beginning before I realized how vital this step really is. Due to this, I personally have not had to clarify often which is awesome!

A few questions:
How long have you been trying this regimen?
Have you completely clarified & stripped your hair & scalp of all products before trying this regimen?
How often are you rinsing?
How often do you massage and scritch your scalp?
Are you preening your sebum down your strands all the way to the ends so that it is not stuck near your scalp?
How often have you tried to clarify with ACV?
Have you tried other things (banana/apple baby food, clay washes, mild soap bars, etc) to clarify in place of ACV?
Other than your scalp, how does your hair feel?

I tried a very long time ago so I don't remember the details but I don't think I clarified properly when I tried it. I remember that my scalp had a greyish hue and anytime I scratched there would be a lot of gunk under my nails. I have a vanity planet (but my cat chewed on sone of the bristles so I don't trust it near y hair) and 2 manual ones so lately I've been massaging every other day and sometimes under warm water. I may try to use up more products so I don't waste money before going into this full steam. Though I am fermenting some rice water...

 

[snoop]

I don't think I've ever added Coconut Milk to my clay mixes but ever since my Coconut Milk debacle last year (that you teased me about ) I'm scurred to use it on my hair again.

In the words of Shaggy: It wasn't me!

As for the Apple Cider Vinegar rinse, I've been eyeballing it. In fact yesterday I did one using about 1:2 ratio (Vinegar:Rosewater/Water blend) - it may have been too strong as my hair was a little bit more dry than normal afterwards (I just added a little more hair butter than normal to my ends to counteract it). I didn't have a set recipe since I rarely need to clarify but I think next time I will use less vinegar - maybe 1:4 or something. Even though it may have been too strong it definitely didn't strip too much of my sebum (I didn't even notice the dryness until it came time to style my hair - my hair felt soft and had normal slip during the water rinse) which is awesome!

I sprayed the diluted vinegar onto my scalp & hair until damp & was able to remove a lot of shed hair by just pulling my hands down my strands. I was gentle of course, but due to the sebum on my strands my hair became so soft after spritzing that I didn't have breakage from pulling my strands. I specifically chose to spray/mist the mixture onto my scalp/hair instead of pouring or using a nozzle because I didn't want to deal with extra drips and risk having vinegar run down my face & into my eyes LOL. I did it in sections and put my hair into 4 large braids then sat with a plastic cap for about 30mins & proceeded to do my normal water rinse routine.

I think I will try to incorporate this pre-rinse detangling thing on the weekly basis using water or aloe vera juice to dampen my hair, remove shed hair & then put into 4 braids to get ready for the water rinse. I did this last year - don't know why I stopped - maybe because this way you are removing shed hair twice (once before the rinse and once under the running water and I'm too lazy for alladat LOL) but doing this beforehand cuts down on the amount of time spent IN the shower removing shed hair so there's that

I'm curious to see how a vinegar rinse works for you - try it .. try it lol

Serves me right for not re-reading your process, first. I did the rinse using 1 ACV: 4 water/lavender water (I didn't have rose water). But I did this process after water rinsing. I'm sitting here with my tshirt on my head so my hair is still damp. I'll rinse again in a few minutes.

Went to go say goodnight to the oldest baby (6). I'd just showered with some nice smelling lemony soap.

Him: Why do your armpits smell?
Me (appalled that he could suggest such a thing): I just took a shower. Smell them again.
Him: [Smells them]
Me: Seeeee
Him: So what smells so bad?
Me (defeated): My hair

 

[CocoGlow]

In the words of Shaggy: It wasn't me!
Serves me right for not re-reading your process, first. I did the rinse using 1 ACV: 4 water/lavender water (I didn't have rose water). But I did this process after water rinsing. I'm sitting here with my tshirt on my head so my hair is still damp. I'll rinse again in a few minutes.

Went to go say goodnight to the oldest baby (6). I'd just showered with some nice smelling lemony soap.

Him: Why do your armpits smell?
Me (appalled that he could suggest such a thing): I just took a shower. Smell them again.
Him: [Smells them]
Me: Seeeee
Him: So what smells so bad?
Me (defeated): My hair

Oh noooooo!!!
Now you've gotta go rinse again?! I'm sorry sis ....
LOL @ your hubby "so what smells so bad?" dang homie!!!

 

[snoop]

Oh noooooo!!!
Now you've gotta go rinse again?! I'm sorry sis ....
LOL @ your hubby "so what smells so bad?" dang homie!!!

Yeah. My scalp was tingling. Was probably for the best.

Nah, hubby didn't do me so bad (this time). It was my son. He's lucky he's little.

ETA I'll report back tomorrow on how my hair feels.

 

[CocoGlow]

Yeah. My scalp was tingling. Was probably for the best.

Nah, hubby didn't do me so bad (this time). It was my son. He's lucky he's little.

ETA I'll report back tomorrow on how my hair feels.

LOL girl I don't know why I read "hubby" for "him" ... well that makes even more sense now ... kids are brutally honest!!!

 

[snoop]

@CocoGlow So I last night after I rinsed it out I put my hair into two buns (one on either side of my head). In the morning my hair felt good. It felt like I still had some product from before on it, but I like that because I hate when my hair feels stripped and parched. I think that my scalp was clarified somewhat as well. After, I did my regular moisturize and sealing routine s I'll have to wait another day to see how my hair responds.

I used to follow my water washes with AVJ/water rinses (but not rinsed out) and I liked those as well. I didn't concentrate them on my scalp so I'm not sure if there was any benefits that I was missing out on. I think I like the AVJ better because I didn't have anyone telling me I smell.

 

[CocoGlow]

@CocoGlow So I last night after I rinsed it out I put my hair into two buns (one on either side of my head). In the morning my hair felt good. It felt like I still had some product from before on it, but I like that because I hate when my hair feels stripped and parched. I think that my scalp was clarified somewhat as well. After, I did my regular moisturize and sealing routine s I'll have to wait another day to see how my hair responds.

I used to follow my water washes with AVJ/water rinses (but not rinsed out) and I liked those as well. I didn't concentrate them on my scalp so I'm not sure if there was any benefits that I was missing out on. I think I like the AVJ better because I didn't have anyone telling me I smell.

Cool thanks for updating! I used to do ACV rinses as the final rinse years ago and yeah it makes sense that using Aloe Vera Juice for that purpose would produce similar results due to the low pH without the stank au de funky underarms smell

I don't think the ACV rinse is as clarifying as clay washes though so I'm not surprised that you still feel some product on your hair - but like you said that's a good thing!

I do want to experiment with banana baby food next time I clarify to see what happens. Kaolin clay is also on my list to try- thanks for the suggestion

I wonder if baking soda rinses would be good on this regimen? I used to do those years ago to clarify and it worked well for me. The low pH of vinegar may make it harder to actually "clarify" the hair while the high pH of baking soda may do a better job of clarifying but end up stripping too much Have you tried baking soda rinses lately?

 

[snoop]

Cool thanks for updating! I used to do ACV rinses as the final rinse years ago and yeah it makes sense that using Aloe Vera Juice for that purpose would produce similar results due to the low pH without the stank au de funky underarms smell

I don't think the ACV rinse is as clarifying as clay washes though so I'm not surprised that you still feel some product on your hair - but like you said that's a good thing!

I do want to experiment with banana baby food next time I clarify to see what happens. Kaolin clay is also on my list to try- thanks for the suggestion

I wonder if baking soda rinses would be good on this regimen? I used to do those years ago to clarify and it worked well for me. The low pH of vinegar may make it harder to actually "clarify" the hair while the high pH of baking soda may do a better job of clarifying but end up stripping too much Have you tried baking soda rinses lately?

I don't do baking soda rinses and would personally stay away from them. I did attempt to do MHM when it first became popular, but that was one part I resisted. It didn't seem right to me. After some online research, I found a blog by a yt type 2 lady who had been using baking soda rinses (I think it was her version of water only washing). Anyway, she said that it wasn't until years later when she compared photos of her hair before the method and 3 years in that she noticed that her hair looked trashed.

Also, when I did my Komaza analysis they recommended against it and said that they saw a lot of damage from people who were on this method -- I'm assuming from the baking soda.

I think as a once in a blue moon sort of thing to clarify it would be ok if I had a lot of build up that I couldn't get rid of, otherwise I personally would avoid it.

 

[CocoGlow]

I don't do baking soda rinses and would personally stay away from them. I did attempt to do MHM when it first became popular, but that was one part I resisted. It didn't seem right to me. After some online research, I found a blog by a yt type 2 lady who had been using baking soda rinses (I think it was her version of water only washing). Anyway, she said that it wasn't until years later when she compared photos of her hair before the method and 3 years in that she noticed that her hair looked trashed.

Also, when I did my Komaza analysis they recommended against it and said that they saw a lot of damage from people who were on this method -- I'm assuming from the baking soda.

I think as a once in a blue moon sort of thing to clarify it would be ok if I had a lot of build up that I couldn't get rid of, otherwise I personally would avoid it.

Wow that's crazy! Yeah I figured baking soda might not be good for frequent use but I think a well diluted recipe might be great for clarifying ... but then again the risk of stripping sebum is very real so I don't know ...

 

[Sharpened]

Wow that's crazy! Yeah I figured baking soda might not be good for frequent use but I think a well diluted recipe might be great for clarifying ... but then again the risk of stripping sebum is very real so I don't know ...

Baking soda should be for emergency use only, like getting rid of a smell. It also can raise the cuticle layer, which is what wears out the hair strands over time. That is why I prefer clay or oat water if I need to clarify.

 

[CocoGlow]

Baking soda should be for emergency use only, like getting rid of a smell. It also can raise the cuticle layer, which is what wears out the hair strands over time. That is why I prefer clay or oat water if I need to clarify.

Wise woman! Thanks.
Now sis, you know you just can't bring up Oat Water with no recipe right?!!!
Just kidding ... kinda

 

[Sharpened]

Wise woman! Thanks.
Now sis, you know you just can't bring up Oat Water with no recipe right?!!!
Just kidding ... kinda

I have that in the DIY thread, first post, link in siggie. Oats have to be cooked first to release the saponins.

 

[CocoGlow]

I have that in the DIY thread, first post, link in siggie. Oats have to be cooked first to release the saponins.

Thanks sis! I'm subbed to that thread but haven't ventured into it in a long while ... I'll check it out.
I will take the warnings about baking soda both you and @snoop have given to heart and use safer alternatives to clarify

 

[nomadpixi]

I'm really beginning to love this method. It's the first time I've only needed shea butter, water and a little spray of aloe juice on damp hair to create waves for days! Here's my steps:
1. Massage with my hand held electric massager
2. Separate my hair into 4 sections and clip up
3. Hop in the shower (I have a water softenter) and begin rinsing 1 section to saturate with water
4. Scritch and preen ends the length and top of hair section
5. Cover section with Shea Butter (my hair gets REALLY dry and I live where there is very low humidity)
6. Use water to move hair into position to create a low bun then twist section
7. Repeat steps 3-6 until all 4 sections are twisted
8. Wrap hair with towel/t-shirt etc to dry
9. Undo twists and spray top of hair with Aloe Juice
10. Using soft bristle brush, smooth hair into bun (I like mine to have a part on the side)
11. Gather hair into low bun and tie with hair band loosely
12. Rub additional Shea butter onto hair as a "gel" and tie down with scarf for 15 or more minutes

I have noticed so much definition to my hair lately it's ridiculous. I'm not yet covered in sebum but at least my hair looks good while waiting for that.

Has anyone else been trying this lately?

 

[snoop]

I no longer do it exclusively but it taught me not to be afraid of getting my hair wet. So now there are some weeks when I WoW instead of clay washing or some weeks when I'll feel like getting my hair wet between wash days.

I also now recognize the smell of my sebum so I can tell if my hair is too "dry", I.e. if I can't smell it then I need to work on distributing it on my strands. When using a mild shampoo I can still smell it so I know that the shampoo agrees with my hair.

 

[Loveygram]

I went back to water only washing this past summer. I first clarified using Hairgasm #2 clear but didn't follow up with conditioner but used a little grapeseed oil. It took a little over a week of water washing every other day before my hair felt right.
I wore a shrunken fro all summer and was amazed how much thicker my hair seemed. Now that it is -6 and 7 degrees F, I'm braided or twisted up most of the time under a slap or wrap.

I occasionally wash with aloe vera, ACV or dyi clay mix. I deep condition using products like dyi sea weed mixes, etc.
I haven't used anything creamy because it tends to stick to my scalp (I learned that from previous attempts at "water only but not quite").
I scritch before washing

Pros for me water washing only:
No longer need to detangle as in the past. Comb glides as if the best conditioners have been added.
Even wearing a shrunken fro, once the water hits it, coils release fairly easily
Found curl patterns

Cons for me:
Miss the suds
miss fragrances ( using rose water, essential oils and a sandalwood comb instead)

I realize my water is different coming from a deep well (no town water added chemicals) and don't know how much of a difference it would make. Washing 2x a week keeps it baby soft and moisturized.
I've always wanted easy to comb and manage hair and finally got it, priceless...

Best wishes to all who are trying these ancient methods of cleansing and maintaining our hair -HHJ