Warm boot recommendations please

[Louise]

Add me Ginette

[Sheilaz]

....confession. I suggested the oatmeal because it makes sense. It absorbs oil. I never actually tried it myself!

... please remember to WASH IT OUT after you've used it, just the garden tap would do, but don't wander round cursing me with what looks like a severe case of dandruff, will you?

 

......your scalp will clog up with a layer of dead skin cells.

 

.....When your hair is wet, have you noticed how much heavier it is? And how easy it is to dry? Because it's full of waterproof moisturiser!

 

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I found that you've never used the oatmeal, HM! That means that Ginette & I are the official experts on this

IMHO, the oatmeal is just a temporary enhancer. It looks brilliant if you just rub it through & brush out, so it's a fab standby if hair looks bad in between rinses. BUT when I rinsed mine the next day it was far worse, so I don't think it's part of the long term benefit, but a useful short term fix.

I won't blame you if I have a white sheen to my hair in using it! But, I certainly wouldn't advise rinsing it out, it seems to just give the hair a grease clogged look! BRUSHING, must be the best way to take out the oatmeal.

Very grateful that you inspired us Happymama, I guess our different experiences will guide us how to proceed.

The scalp clog description has nearly put me off! I reckon I shall always rinse & rub with finger tips twice a week & hope that the dead skin just rubs away unnoticed as with the rest of skin, before a build up! I feel I need to rinse out city grime somehow twice a week, & also want to feel that I am cleansed, even though not shampooed.

Anyone starting, I would def. do a couple of vinegar rinses by the second week. I held out before using it.(miserably )

The 2nd one, a few days ago, has really helped, wish I'd done it earlier. I would think that would be the case for you, Spott & AnnieP.

In fact, day 23, my hair looks better than usual!

[Guest]

So sorry Louise! Children on school holidays now and I'm feeling out of touch already! Of course I know you're doing it too!

[Sheilaz]

Aaagh, I took 40 mins to type my reply

[Guest]

IMHO, the oatmeal is just a temporary enhancer. It looks brilliant if you just rub it through & brush out, so it's a fab standby if hair looks bad in between rinses. BUT when I rinsed mine the next day it was far worse, so I don't think it's part of the long term benefit, but a useful short term fix.

 

I'd agree entirely with that Sheila. I am so pleased that our experiences are so similar. It's very reassuring!

 

Oatmeal is a bit like dry shampoo, if you've used that. Definitely a temporary fix but an excellent standby to make your hair look passable then and there!

[Louise]

I must be very lucky or very weird as I am not using vinegar or oatmeal yet

 

It is sitting on the shelf in the bathroom both unopened

 

Mind you I start some clean room work on Friday so I will be having several showers (a day) at work for the next 15 weeks so I may feel the need

 

I wonder if it is because my water at home is chemical free that I am not having the itchy scalp that needs the vinegar rinse

 

Any thoughts Happymamma

[Linda]

I rinsed after the oats as well and found it had a very bad effect - it looked worse than before!! Thorough brushing is the best way to deal with it.

 

I'm pleased Sheila and Ginette are finding some improvement now because I was beginning to waver. I do hope it will be possible to achieve that just washed look/feel at some point in the near future.

 

Thank you ladies for your encouragement.

[spott]

ok, so let me try to get this straight... i haven't washed my hair for a week, and it is looking none too good. i tried rubbing some oatmeal through it yeaterday, but that didn't really do much, so i gave it a vinegar rinse, but now it is looking and feeling again like it did before then. so can i do another vinegar rinse?

[AnnieP]

I found that Spott: I washed it yesterday with white vinegar, and although it felt so much better, it still looked pretty awful when it dried, so I rubbed through some (only a handful) of porridge oats, and it improved slightly, but not significantly. I think they are too big, or maybe I just didn't do it enough?

Driving up to Cambs tomorrow to pick up Mother In Law, and visiting a friend who's just had a baby. I don't want to look like a fright, so I am planning on washing again (if I can ever get off this forum) If it still looks no good, I will try the porridge oats again, only more and longer!

[Sheilaz]

....so can i do another vinegar rinse?

I would say yes, Spott, it might well do the trick. I found around 10 days really hard, now I hardly think about it (unless I'm on the forum, must sound obsessed )

Don't give up AnnieP. Headscarf? If the porridge wasn't miraculous, might be worth feeding it to the birds & getting oatmeal as it's much finer. Also, a 2nd vinegar rinse, to maybe turn the corner, before off visiting?

Hang on in there, you feel as if you're an expert by 3 weeks!

[AnnieP]

Sheila, you are so encouraging! Thank you! I'm not giving up yet!

[myles]

Hello ALL, our numbers are swelling . Having read todays posts, i decided to to do some research on the web. I don't know how to do a link, so i'll just copy and paste it, http://babyslime.livejournal.com/174054.html#long.

 

hope that works there's alot of information on there and some interesting ideas.

[AnnieP]

That's a great article, thanks! Baking soda!

is it the same as Bicarb?

I have that in my cupboard!

[myles]

Annie....Just googled baking soda, its sodium bicarb, apparently baking powder is more complex . I haven't tried it, it says don't use too much . If you do, keep us posted

[AnnieP]

could be a giggle!

[AnnieP]

OK, I did it. 1 tsp of bicarb in a pyrex measuring jug of water, followed by vinegar rinse.

Things I have noticed.

My hair doesn't drip when I get out of the shower. Spooky!

It dries really quickly. Great.

It sticks to my head really strongly. Probably the tonnes of grease that is still in it!

I will report back when it is dry.....

[Guest]

Please do! It sounds intriguing!

[Sheilaz]

Perhaps it's not dry yet?!

[AnnieP]

Hee hee. Still looks pretty grotty I'm afraid. Its ok until you brush it! The ends are light and fluffy (very), but the moment it gets brushed, it sticks back to your head adn the oils are clearly visible. I think I'll just stick (ha ha) with the vinegar and try the oatmeal again.

I think the best bet for me is to brush it when first washed, then rough it up and just leave it alone! Then tie it bak for a coupe of days without brushing it!

Luckily my hair is often scruffy anyway! (longish and wavy)

[Guest]

Thank you for doing the experiment, AnnieP! The rest of us won't have to bother trying bicarb now!

 

I'm on Day 23 today and my hair is decidedly greasy on top of my head again. It feels dirty too. I thought I'd mastered this now, but I also remember Anne saying her hair was dirty at about this time, so it must be another phase in the cycle! I'll do some more oatmeal later today so that it looks OK when I go out tonight!

[Louise]

I'm still okay but I think I need to do a water wash tonight I was hoping to hold off till Friday as I will have to have so many washes but doesn't look like I'll manage it

 

Interesting site that and it says that SDS causes cell damage due to its protein denaturing properties which is what I said I use it for at work way way back at the begining of this trial It makes sense because our body cells are protein and it does denature it Mind you don't panic I use it very very strong at work

[spott]

ok, before i read about the other experiment i tried the bicarb... i added 2 generous tblspfuls into 750ml water, i know, probably a bit much , but i am deparate here, i itch all over. it stared on my scalp, and is now on my neck and where my face touches my hair. i know that a strong solution of bicarb in water stops itching. (i grew up in croatia and know lost of interesting home remedies like that.) then i made my hair very wet and poured the 750 ml over it, and kinda shampood it in. rinsed it all out well, and and to the last 750 ml of warm water i added 3 drops of avender oil and 3 drops of rosemary oil. AND IT WORKED!! my hair looks like it has been freshly washed and the itching is subsiding. this is the first time in a week, that i feel like a human being agian. i hope it lasts longer than 24 hrs....

[Louise]

Thanks Spott yes that is interesting too.

 

One word of caution for using some essential oils I am really sensitive to some of them, Ylang ylang and rosemary have a very nasty effect on my skin so if you have never used them before take it slowly

 

Probably just me though

[Guest]

Thanks Spott. That is really interesting and it's good to know there's another method we can try. I wonder what AnnieP did wrong, not enough bicarb perhaps? Not enough massage? Maybe her hair just responds differently.

 

I might give it a go if the effect lasts. I don't want to lighten my hair though! Please report back tomorrow!

[myles]

Right...well this mornings adventures. I went into yhe shower armed with brown sugar, bicarb and lemon juice . First scrubbed my scalp with the sugar, followed by scrubbing my face and neck, it worked really well i'am all pink and clean. After rinsing, next mixed a small one teaspoon of bicarb with water in a beaker, poured that over and gave it a really good rub, my hair went squeaky clean feeling , i couldn't believe it. But then it went sort of sticky and i thought what have i done . I didn't loose heart and pressed on with the lemon juice, it worked wonders my hair felt great.

 

So now its dry, it feels really clean, as clean as when i shampooed. My scalp feels really really clean, but a little sore, perhaps i scrubbed a bit hard with the sugar. My hair feels ok, maybe not quite as soft .

 

On balance i reckon its a once i a while thing, rather than a all the time thing. If you feel you need a good clean, then i think its great