My eco solution to rat problems

[Guest]

Gosh, a week since anyone posted. We must be very settled!

 

I've been going 6 months now!!

 

I just wanted to report that I coloured my hair again last Wednesday. Last time (May) the colour came out really strong and I hated it. So this time, instead of sticking with my natural 'Dark Brown' I chose a shade lighter, plain 'Brown'. I followed the instructions and had to explain afterwards to my daughters that I was going to be a Goth! It is just so dark - well almost black!

 

For the first time too, I didn't use a high street brand but went for 'Herbatint', a herbal colourant which doesn't have so many nasty chemicals in it. I am very pleased with the product as my hair didn't feel like straw afterwards and was really glossy and completely covered.

 

So my conclusion (from two colourings) is that if you don't use chemical shampoos, your hair is much more absorbant of the colouring. I think I will have to cut the 'cooking' time to avoid the Goth look again. Or perhaps I should try blonde and see if that comes out a pleasant brown!

[myles]

I was also thinking about it being six months and going to post,but you beat me to it, great minds must think alike

 

This morning i've washed my hair with the old teaspoon red wine vinegar dilluted and gave it a good rub, whilst thinking how settled my hair now is. I'd say it's back to normal, just like it used to be except in better condition I probably wash every five days or so and then only because i think it might need a freshen. It never looks any different but my scalp feels cleaner for a wash.

 

Another change is....when wet my hair smells like a fine knit jumper, not a chunky knit stinky wooly smell,but a really pleasant mildly wooly smell. For those who have hair they can hold to their noses, just give your hair a sniff and see what you think. I must say when dry my hair is odorless/smells like washing dried outdoors, if you can understand what i mean. I must tell you all i'm not crazy but my sense of smell is ultra sensitive at the moment every thing is really smelly, so may be it's just me

 

Anne

 

p.s no i'm not pregnant

[Louise]

Mine smells like that too

[myles]

Glad to hear that Louise, so i'm not quite ready for the looney bin yet then.

 

I think it smells lovely.

 

Anne

[Louise]

It was a bit weird at first but now you have described it like this it is perfect I couldn't think how to describe it

 

Human equivalent of Lanolin I guess

[Linda]

I think you've just given Mother Nature a chance to do her work!!

[Sheilaz]

Gosh, a week since anyone posted. We must be very settled! I've been going 6 months now!!

Um, I thought mine was settled but it isn't. For the first time in 6 months, I found myself thinking constantly about shampoo today.

But, maybe I overdid the vinegar last night. I know that just water every time doesn't work for me, and the bicarb still helps. But, I've rarely had a good vinegar rinse.

My hair looks very yuk today.

But, I shall bicarb tomorrow (13 days since last) and hope it works!

To think that 10 days ago, I denied to ClareT that I was still having any problems, I was happy about it.

It feels really soft though!

Good to hear from you 4. I think I should stay off the vinegar.

[Guest]

I remember that in June I found that vinegar didn't work for me at all (I'm not sure it has ever been good!) and was then horrified to find that bicarb didn't work anymore either (and I haven't overdone the bicarb - only about 4 times in the 6 months). I suspect, in my attempts at scientific understanding with no scientific knowledge to base it on, that my hair is very well balanced now and although it gets greasy or dirty sometimes, the vinegar and bicarb 'unbalance' it so it looks worse. So I have sort of given up on them! But I was struck by Anne's comment yesterday 'the usual teaspoon of vinegar'. I use 200ml each time, not a teaspoon! Maybe this is what's going wrong? I will be trying Anne's approach to see if this helps.

 

And then there's the water! My hair was lovely when I used spring water, really clean, light and bouncy. None of that 'heaviness' that I carry around most of the time.

 

I have used my natural Welsh shampoo today. I've only used water for the past week. I hope it'll look all right!

 

And I'm still going to look into changing the water in my house somehow!

[Sheilaz]

Well, the bicarb was just what I needed, it looks & feels clean. But, I can't have OK hair for only 2 days in a fortnight. I think I'll do my best with just water & save the vinegar to clean windows....oops, I mean use the vinegar to clean windows. Except, as you suggest Ginette, maybe just a spoonful occasionally.

I used baking powder, which I started with when I had no bicarb. It does a much better job!

I've decided that the biggest challenge now is firstly accepting that I need a good haircut, but far harder, finding a good hairdresser. My usual one isn't very good, I need someone with some good ideas. haven't found one ever before. Also, I'm going to have to explain that I won't have shampoo thankyou!

[Guest]

I have come to wonder too what our hair is meant to look like. In its natural state is it meant to be shiny and glossy? Or should it have more of a matt appearance?

 

But Anne has said that her hair looks how it always used to look now and doesn't need too much attention, so that probably answers my question!

 

My hair feels grotty, but it isn't dry yet * hours and still not dry! Maybe I don't need any products on it? Just decent water! I really hate this 'I don't know' feeling and worse, I can't even find out the answers.

[Sheilaz]

As well as the water difference, perhaps we have far more air pollutants than Louise & Anne? So, whereas hot water will give theirs a good cleanse and take out any excess oils, mine is so clogged with grime that the scalp makes more oils to shift it, which absorbs more grime, etc. etc. and therefore takes more than just water to move the clag

Well, that is my theory, ahem.

It's OK still today, but prob. not by tomorrow.

[Guest]

Sheila, you are probably right. Goodness knows how much pollutant we have here with the airport being only 3 miles away! I know that our air quality frequently fails the safe-level standard.

 

Having shampooed (with my Welsh natural shampoo bar) this morning and found that my hair looked greasier afterwards, I tried Anne's 1 tsp of vinegar in a pint of water this evening. I'm nearly dry and my hair certainly feels clean. Can't say what it'll look like tomorrow, but right at the moment, I don't really care!

 

Do you remember how we said that just rinsing with water made our hair look worse than it did before? I don't think mine does that anymore.

[myles]

Hi..Sheila and Ginette,

 

You could be right about air quality, how ever i live inbetween Manchester (25 miles) and Sheffield (17 miles) so eveen though i live in the countryside i'm possitive our air isn't good. But maybe it's slightly less polluted. Everwhere seems so chocked with traffic these days, we should all move up to scotland with Louise's good air and water.

 

I think it must be the water , have you tried a filter jug yet Ginette or just try pre boiled water that might help.

 

Have you really been using 200mls of vinegar , just as a guide i've used 450mls in six months. I'm a believer less is more except chocolate,

 

Anne

[The Dogmother]

When i use vinegar, I only use about a table spoon per litre of water

[Lesley-Jean]

I've just met up with Sheila and Ginette today and their hair looked fabulous.

 

Sheila's hair looked soft and silky and Ginette's looked so shiny you could read by it at night .

 

Mine looks

[Louise]

Sounds like I will have a house full then

 

Sheila you sound like an addict trying to come off vinegar

[Guest]

I've just met up with Sheila and Ginette today and their hair looked fabulous.

 

Sheila's hair looked soft and silky and Ginette's looked so shiny you could read by it at night .

 

Mine looks

 

How kind, Lesley-Jean!

 

I guess after 6 months we are getting there. 3 months just wasn't enough!

 

And Anne, I haven't tried using water from a filter jug, but in fact told Sheila today that I might try that! In Wales it was after the second rinse that my hair was suddenly great. So I will have to persevere with it tom test it properly.

 

Yes I have really used 200ml vinegar in a pint of water But I don't think I need that quantity anymopre. Your teaspoonful worked really last night!

[Guest]

I'm feeling a bit lost again!

Washed with a bit of vinegar yesterday and wish I hadn't bothered. My hair needed cleaning but it looks far worse now!

 

I might try rinsing in water later and see if that does any good.

[Louise]

I have had a bit of a miserable week too Ginette

 

I don't know if it is because I have been ill or what but my hair has been greasy all week My skin hasn't been great either

 

I am feeling much better today so I will wash it tomorrow in water and see how I get on but I have a wedding to go to in 2 weeks so if it is still greasy I may have to bicarb it on Sunday to try to settle it down again

[myles]

Hi Ginette

 

Sorry your feeling abit miserable, i wish i could give you an answer, I'm sure your hair's just going though a phase , truth be known i bet it looks great

 

If only i had a magic wand, anyway it's just started to poor down here, stopped me cutting the lawns. So I look like a drowned rat, with green grass stained feet

 

Keep your chin up....Anne

[myles]

Hi Louse

 

Sorry you've not been feeling well. It sounds like your a little run down. give your self lots of TLC and pampering. There's loads of nasty bugs going round, lots of teachers, kids and parents going down at the moment. Fingers crossed it's not coming my way.

 

Anne

[Louise]

Thanks Anne,

 

It has just been a really rotten cold which actually had me off sick which is almost unheard of

 

I am hoping that my nasty hair is just a reflection of that I will let you all know next week how I get on

[Guest]

Louise, I am sure it's a result of being ill. It'll hopefully pick up again all on its own.

 

Anne, thank you! I'm sure it's the water here. My hair is now totally balanced and doesn't need vinegar or bicarb, but it doesn't look clean either because the water also unbalances it. Maybe I should try a tiny bit of bicarb and see if that throws it the other way. I don't want to dry it out though, and last time I used it, my hair was left sticky and horrible-looking! Truth is - nothing works for me, except shampoo!

[Guest]

Still can't get this to work.

On Friday I did some vinegar and it was awful, so I had to rinse it again in the evening. It has been OK over the weekend, not gorgeous but passable. Going on the fact that even a little bit of vinegar doesn't work, today I thought I'd just use water. I was very thorough, lots of massage, hot water, but my hair is really greasy now, worse than it was before. And the ends feel drier than I would like.

 

I had thought that water cleansed a little but not fully, so had resigned myself to a water rinse every other day to keep on top of it. But this didn't work. What do I do?

 

Maybe leave it and rinse again on Wednesday, then on Friday - a sort of 'grin and bear it' approach? Will it eventually work though?

 

Or I could try a small bicarb rinse using a teaspoonful rather than my usual tablespoon?

 

I hate not knowing what the right route is.

 

But I wanted to report that I too have a 'wool smell' in my wet hair.

[The Dogmother]

Not wanting to be devil's advocate here ladies, but if you're not happy with the way your hair is feeling, then try what I've done and still rinse the majority of the time, but shampoo every now and then, sya 1-2 times a month. I seems to suit my hair type - coloured and tending to be dry.

 

I have to admire your tenacity for keeping going thus far, however I don't feel that I have given up, just found the balance that suits me and gone for that.

 

*ducks and runs for cover*