After my post about giving up soap and wanting to give up shampoo, one of my readers suggested I read this link and give the technique a try. Basically, it involves using only conditioners –much MUCH milder than shampoos– to wash one’s hair. I was, to say the least, skeptical, but I was also willing to give it a try. After all, if I didn’t like the results, I could always jump back in the shower and give it a good scrubbing with shampoo. All I’d waste was a little time.

My hair was already five days without shampoo. Not a conscious effort to give up shampoo, but I was trying to give my skin a break from all chemicals as I attempted to get the last few broken out and angry bits a chance to finish healing. My hair didn’t look or feel dirty to others, but it was at that point where it starts to make me crazy. I just can’t stand the way is starts feeling (like it’s way too heavy and thick). So I had to do something last night. I went through my collection of conditioners and picked out two that seemed like they would do (a light one and a heavy one), hopped in the shower, and washed my hair with conditioners.

I continued to be skeptical right up until I rinsed my hair after the second round, at which point I noticed my hair felt just as clean as it does when I am done washing it with shampoo and applying conditioner in the usual way. I blow dried it a bit (because my bangs do need some taming — can you say cow lick?), and then let it finish drying naturally. On my way to bed last night, I stopped in the bathroom to give it a good brushing and all I can say is WOW!

Hair is clean, soft, and not especially out of control. It’s even shiny! A wee bit frizzy, and the few odd waves and cow licks I have were being a little wild, but that’s just my hair being healthy. I’ve had those problems since I have had hair. A little blow dryer use and a touch of mousse will tone that down should I feel the need. My hair has a mind of it’s own, and I allow it to do what it wants mostly, and who knows, maybe when my hair is totally healthy, those things will go away or not bother me (not that they bother me so much). Why, they might even end up being things I like. Not the frizziness, but the odd waves and cow licks (a proper hair cut would probably help too).

So at the moment … two thumbs up on washing my hair with conditioners only! The link above is geared toward curly hair, and what this technique does for curly hair is insanely phenomenal, but it seems to be working on my just about brick straight hair too. The next test is going to be how long I can go between washings without it driving me nuts. I don’t like to wash or wet my hair every day, mostly because with so much hair it takes forever to do so (and then for it to dry). Two days between washings would be good. Three would be perfect. I also want to see how it works when I’ve actually been outside getting dirty in the yard, though I have to say, since it had been five days since I’d washed it, I can’t imagine my hair ever getting much dirtier than that unless I was rolling around in the garden beds trying to get it filthy. LOL!

And because I’m feeling vain this morning, here’s a photo to show the results. Even in the poor den lighting and taken with the web cam, the shininess is still visible! My hair looks great this morning, and I haven’t even brushed it yet!