This is a summary of the "No Shampoo Routine" that was published @ http://motowngirl.com/no_shampoo.php about Lorraine Massey's book called, "Curly Girl" ***I have added a few remarks

Date:   9/22/2006 10:42:47 AM ( 18 y ago)

Lorraine Massey says in her book. "Curly Girl
http://motowngirl.com

"Curlies should not use shampoo. There are a few mild shampoos out there, but most contain sodium laurel sulfate and/or sodium laureth sulfate. These ingredients will dry out your hair. Hair needs moisture - especially curly/coily hair. You can use a conditioner to "wash" your hair and it will get your hair clean. Her theory is that using friction from your fingertips along with water and conditioner gets the hair and scalp clean."

*** The alternative chosen by the author is to use a "Conditioner Wash" but is this the only route to go? I like the list at the end of the article with natural alternatives

*** MotownGirl.com agrees with Lorraine Massey when she says to avoid "blowdrying." I can see how this could damage hair. The suggestion offered is to try;

" towel-scrunching air-drying or wear styles that don't require heat like twists/twist-outs etc."

* The other method offered is "to accept your curls/coils & work with them instead of frying them. 'Nuff said. ;)" This makes sense to me.

*** MotownGirl.com quotes Lorraine Massey again and says,

"You'd never dream of washing a good sweater with detergent. Yet most shampoos contain harsh detergents (sodium lauryl sulfate or laureth sulfate) that one finds in dishwashing liquid. They're great for pots and pans because they cut grease so effectively.

You're hair on the other hand, needs to retain some natural oils, which protect your hair and scalp. Stripping them away deprives the hair of necessary moisture and amino acids and makes it look dry and dull."

The truth is that lathers don't cleanse at all - manufacturers put lathering agents into products so you'll buy into the joy-of-suds myth."[***Amen]

*** I think it may be that perhaps shampoo makers damage our hair so they can get repeat business. I once owned a Chevrolet Astro Van that was the first edition. It ran for over 300,000 miles. They changed that engine after they figure out it was so good and then the later editions ran for 150K like other Chevys. Maybe they shampoos make our hair a slave to our hair products by damaging them with sodium lauryl sulfate or laureth sulfate and then fix them with their other ingredients?

***The following is straight from the MowtownGirl.com website and has some excellent advice.

Clarifying Treatments

You may need to clarify you hair once in a while to remove build-up. If your hair is starting to look dull or not responding to products, try using anyone of the these hair-clarifying treatments. It will help bring you hair back to life, get it clean and most importantly they are all gentle on the hair.

I always clarify before doing a deep conditioning treatment. Otherwise you will be deep conditioning over product buildup which really won't benefit the hair. These are all great alternatives to those harsh clarifying shampoos:

* Mix about 3 parts conditioner to 1 part lemon juice. I use bottled lemon juice instead of juice from a real lemon. It's much easier and I don't have to deal with pulp and seeds.[***I think fresh lemon juice would be much better]

* Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda to 1 cup of warm water (use 1 tbs to 2 cups of warm water). For longer hair, use 2-3 tbs of baking soda with 32 oz of warm water. You can place the mixture in a spray bottle or just pour it over your hair. Massage it in, rinse out well and use a conditioner afterwards. (I mix it in a cup and pour it over my head over the sink and I always deep condition after using this treatment.) It makes my hair feel so clean without that dry, squeaky feeling. The mixture is liquidity - not pasty. (Note - I find this cleanse my hair the best.)

* Mix a little baking soda with your conditioner.[ Super idea ***]

* Use a 'clarifying conditioner', such as VO5 Kiwi & Lime.[***Could it be? I might try this one just to see but I like making my own.]

* Use an Apple Cider Vinegar mix.[*** my personal favorite]

* If you need to exfoliate your scalp or combat itchiness, try a Scalp Scrub: Mix 2 tbs conditioner with 1 tbs brown sugar. It is not harsh or abrasive as it may sound. Don't use regular sugar, it will just dissolve.[***I will have to try this one]

Benefits

There's quite a few women on many hair message boards with kinky hair that tried this method and had success. Some reported the following:

* Softer hair.
* Less dry hair
* Cleaner scalp
* Super moisturized hair
* Having more curls/coils
* No more flakes or itchy scalp
* Less breakage and minimal shedding
* Not having to comb-out as often (since it's softer)
* More elasticity (which leads to less breakage)
* Not having to use as many hair products since it's not as dry or hard as before

This method may not work if:

* You use a lot of oils and/or hair grease
* You don't like to wet your hair often (at least every few days when wearing your hair out)
* You don't like mixing basic ingredients together
* You use chemicals often (hair color, texturizer, relaxer etc.)
* You use lots of products and pile them all on your hair
* If your scalp or hair is oily
* If you have severe dandruff
* If you're concerned with shrinkage because your hair may *appear* to be shorter. My hair has gotten so much more coily/curly since I stopped using harsh shampoos. (Lorraine speaks about this in her book.)

Alternatives

If you're not ready to give up the shampoo completely, here's a list of some alternative things you do or use instead of using traditional shampoo:

* Try the "modified no shampoo routine" (also known as Lo-Poo) by using shampoo less often (like every 3 weeks opposed to every other day).
* Dilute your shampoo with water.
* Mix one part conditioner to one part shampoo.
* Try using shampoo on your scalp only.
* Use less harsh cleansing products such as:
o African Black Soap
o Burt's Bees Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar
o Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castile Soap
o Jessicurl's Hair Cleansing Cream
o Gary Null's Heavenly Hair Cleanser
o Shikakai Powder, Amla Powder or Aritha powder
o Kemi-Moyst No-Soap Shampoo
o Aubrey Organic's Rosemary and Sage Hair and Scalp Rinse.
o The author of the book also sells her own No-Poo and Low-Poo cleansing items.

If you use shampoo, lookout for these ingredients in your products:

Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS) - very harsh
Ammonium Laureth Sulfate (ALES)- harsh
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) - harsh
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) - milder, but still harsh
Sodium Myreth Sulfate, TEA Lauryl Sulfate & TEA Laureth Sulfate - decent choices
Coconut Soap, Olive Oil Soap or Cocamidopropyl Betaine - BEST CHOICE



*** I edited the original article that went on and on about commercial products. After-all...This is a blog about making your own shampoo...


 

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