Wow, that's really interesting Can imagine that it really does wonders to tame frizz. I have long, straight hair, and I find that it does get greasy quite quickly, especially as I touch it a lot.

I believe the big benefits of the conditioner only methods is for us who have dry hair - which most curlies have, since the curls make it difficult for the cuticle to stay shut. (Bend a fish, and see what happens to the scales.) Then in theory you could make the scalp produce less sebum (fat, grease, oils) if you for a longer period of time don't wash it away too harshly - this is a part of the "ugly period" you're supposed to go through, of which I noticed nothing. I have mixed reports of the success with this from people with oilier hair.

It was Swift - Swift with the blog - who suggested to me that the CO method probably is better for dry hair and I was surprised, since the CO community where I did spend quite some time preached the CO gospel trying to save everyone :p I think Swift was probably right.

Then there's the more extreme "no poo" hair care regimens.
 - Washing your hair with baking soda. You need to follow up with an acidic rinse since baking soda is basic. I know some people say it's great but knowing how my hair hates soap, I feel highly sceptical to basic pH in my hair.
 - Washing your hair with raw egg. Don't have too hot water in the shower, or you'll be in trouble when the egg coagulates in your hair! (I do understand how this one works though. Egg yolk contains plenty of lecithin, an natural emulsifyer. Emulsifyers have the ability of mixing fat and water, and so you can remove greasy dirt from your hair. But still... I haven't felt like trying it)
 - WO. Water only. This is the one I have the most problems with understanding. Even if I, in theory, could accept that perhaps it would work as long as I don't get any fatty dirt in my hair, I wouldn't want to try it.

Have you tried the (and I am making this name up now, because I don't know what it is called, but it gives you the idea), no wash, no nothing method?  Hair is actually self-cleaning - albeit it takes a while to get to the 'its ok now' stage - I believe there's a period of a few weeks when the hair is less than ok but apparently, after this time, it is supposedly rather good.  I haven't tried this but I can see how it would be quite good (in theory) for both dry and oily hair alike 

This is pretty fascinating!  I've myself noticed that my hair doesn't get greasy as quickly once I stopped with the OTC shampoos... Not sure if I'm ready to try the CO or no poo method.  My hair is long, fine and wavy.  Now that I've fallen in love with my imperfect, watery shampoo I'd have a hard time giving up all those new surfactants I've purchased!

What's OTC? "Over the counter"?

Some people define using milder surfactants than SLS/SLES and relatives as "low poo". If so you're a "low-pooer". I guess I'm a "low-pooer" myself, since I do use shampoo every now and then - a bit lower than you 

Making your own stuff and at the same time wanting to use as little products as possible is almost a self-contradiction! You want to try all that you make, you want to finish your bottles so you can make new, of a slightly different composition. Using products, trying products, almost becomes a goal in itself. But those who truly want to go "natural" probably should head for the larder (or pantry? Which word is normally used? Is one British and the other American?) At least for those who don't have dark hair there's plenty of foodstuffs that works fine as a dry shampoo, and that needs no preservative. Your kitchen olive oil is a little bit messier than a cream but works fine, and you don't need much. Humectants is a bit more tricky though. Sugars? Honey? I know people who use honey in their hair, but on the skin I think it's probably too sticky.

Myself I don't care that much about "natural". Hair conditioners is an example of a product that hardly ever is very natural. Still I think we are way too fascinated by products. By the label. By what the manufacturer promises us. When I buy products I don't just buy fat and humectant, processed and packed so that it will last. I buy an image... a feeling of luxury, of beauty.

I've never even heard about it! and my first thought is... eeew. My hair never looks greasy but if I don't wash it in a week, my scalp goes itchy and releases little white flakes - not really dandruff, but small white flakes (similar to the way they did when I used SLS shampoo. Not drying my scalp out with SLS has improved my scalp health, a lot.) So I don't think not washing my hair would work.

But if I think about it. Few other animal wash their fur. If you don't wash your dog, it's fur will be in perfect shape needing no help of any kind. Fat from the skin will slowly move its course from the skin through and on the hairs to the tips... so it's probably very healthy. It probably takes more than weeks for hair and scalp to adjust, though. The way to get there must be pretty painful.

And how would it smell!!! Most unwashed pets don't really smell that great. Not sure what makes the "wet dog" smell, but fats - in lotions and in our skin's natural sebum - do go rancid after a while.

I supposed nature meant us to smell of sweat as well. Hardly any animals take daily baths, our ancestors certainly didn't. But in today's society that's not really possible.

I have sincere problems in believing that the "water only" method is enough either, to live up to today's hygiene standards. At least not unless your hair is shorter than an inch or two. But many people don't wash their babies' hair with anything else than water and there's no smell problem. At what hair lenght/age does the hair start to need actual washing in order not to smell? Puberty certainly messes up the fat production in the skin. Other than that I don't know.

I'm sure a huge part (but not all) of the problems people have with their skins originate in using too many and too much of various products. Going "all natural" - meaning the djungle version - OTOH won't work in today's society. So there's a balance.

Ah, "low poo" it is then, that fits where I'm at. 

It is a bit of a conflicting time for me, experimenting with this low poo and no poo idea (hair and face respectively) as I came into this forum as a soap maker, originally.  Now I've stopped using soap on my face and have asked my son to do the same- I've started OCM (oil cleansing method) with him as a treatment for his acne.  Ah well, there's still hand washing...

I'm intrigued with the idea of no poo and seeing what happens but I'm not prepared to go through the ugly stage and can't quite believe that the hair eventually cleans itself.  I'd have to see the results on someone else first!  Plus, there was a mention of washing having ritual value, and to this I can relate.  I think many people feel the same way and this may partly explain the importance we place on bubbles/lather/fizz. 

In response to desiring a product that promises image reinforcement or luxury, it would take some effort to break free from a lifetime of advertising... But there is hope

Hej Vaxet! 

I think I know who you are from the Swedish forum (same name right?). I'm Eisot there.
Good to have you join us.  :buttrf:

Hello Eva, well you were the one who told me about this place! so you shouldn't be too surprised  :buttrf:

"Vaxet", by the way, means "the Wax". I first registered on that Swedish forum to post a question on beeswax, after having been given a couple of kilos by a hobbyist beekeeper who I know. I asked for the beeswax for totally non-cosmetic purposes... then ended up doing simples salves from just beeswax and cooking oil, and from there... it's a curse! You sink deeper and deeper into the Making your own cosmetics-hell *mo-ha-ha-ha*

I hate throwing things away. But I have seriously considered buying organic beeswax for cosmetics. I could use the approx. 2 kg I have left for candles instead. The beekeeper who gave the wax to me is a biologist, and he did inform me that although he does not use the chemical himself the wax was probably not totally free from apistan - that's what bee keepers use against bee mites. I have still not decided. But considering beeswax is used for lip balm... perhaps I should. It sounded like he was aware that people used beeswax for cosmetics and that he did not see his beeswax as totally fit for that. Perhaps I should get some other beeswax to respect his wishes.