Why does my hair turn oily after using your No-Poo Wash and how to deal with it?
Although our No-Poo Wash can be used in many different ways, one of the most popular applications is as a shampoo. To tell you the truth, our No-Poo Wash is not the easiest shampoo to work with, especially in a world in which we are so accustomed to having suds in our cleansing products. From body soap to laundry detergent, suds are associated with cleanliness.
Why?
Because suds are a kind of surfactant which removes oil from surfaces.
However, when using our No-Poo Wash, which is made entirely from fruits and leaves with no chemicals at all, you will not get suds because it does not clean you the way other products do.
Instead, you will feel clean but not too clean. We like to think of it as the kind of cleanliness that Mother Nature intends for us. Not only that, our No-Poo Wash is oil-based because it contains a high amount of natural essential oil from the peels of the lime and orange! So, it definitely won’t make you feel the same way as other products out there.
The good part is, it allows the body to restore its natural sebum secretion mechanism. Meanwhile, the acidic liquid, apart from helping you clean, also helps restore the good microbes on your hair and scalp too.
But what to do if my hair gets too oily after use?
Of course, not all heads are alike. But from what we notice, people with normal to oily hair tend to have this problem. Especially if they have been washing their hair daily with commercial shampoo which triggers the body to secrete more oil than usual (Read the vicious cycle of daily hair washing !).
Instead of giving up on the product, let’s take a closer look at how you can use it. Here are some tips we have come up with or heard our clients mention it.
1) Do not use too much. Adjust the amount for your hair type.
Be mindful of how much you use it. Because it does not form suds, people tend to overuse it. Try only 1-2 pumps first and massage it into the roots of your wet hair. Leave for 10 minutes and wash off. Next time, you can adjust the amount to your liking.
2) Dilute it with water
If you find it is difficult to thoroughly massage through your wet hair, you can dilute it with water before use. Some people dilute it half/half. Some mix a few drops. See what works for you. 🙂
3) Mix with other things
Of course, not everyone can handle the feeling of “clean but not to clean”. If that’s you, you can try mixing it with different things. If you find it too oily, you can mix it with Rice powder, Mung Bean powder or even baking soda. Some people who simply must have suds can mix it with their usual shampoo or castile soap. You can mix it with whatever you like. This will help make your experience match your needs.
4) Reverse Shampooing
This method involved using our No-Poo Wash followed by normal or mild shampoo which helps wash off the excess oil from your hair.
5) Use as a hair conditioner or Hair Mask
These are a few other ways to use it on your hair. For a hair conditioner, apply it on your hair and massage it in thoroughly after your normal shampoo. Wash off later. for hair mask, apply on your wet hair and scalp for 5-10 mins and wash off with water or normal shampoo. Don’t apply too much or else your hair can get flat and oily.
6) Come up with your own way
There’s no one right answer for how to use our No-Poo Wash, so we recommend experimentation. Here are a few things our clients have shared with us.
- Mix 1 pump of the No-Poo Wash with mung bean powder and wash it on the scalp. Meanwhile, apply 1 more pump of the No-Poo Wash on the end of the wet hair.
- Divide the hair into smaller parts and apply the No-Poo Wash in a circular motion on each part. For this to work you have to make sure that your hair is properly wet and you need to wash off the No-Poo Wash properly.
We highly suggest you try for yourself. Look at it as a mindfulness practice and if you can come up with a new way that works best for you, please do not hesitate to let us know.
7) Some use it as a body wash.
Instead of giving up using our No-Poo Wash once you feel it can never work in your hair, try it as a body wash instead. It’s much easier to work with on your body. You will feel clean but not dry. Meanwhile, the natural aromatic Kaffir lime and Orange scent can definitely freshen you up. (In fact, one client says that her migraines have improved so much after switching to our No-Poo Wash!)
Hopefully, some of these tips work for you, and feel free to let me know if you have any questions at all. You can also refer to No-Poo Method here if you want to learn more about No-Poo life or read Mon’s No-Poo Rants for her personal story on how she use the No-Poo Method to deal with her Oily hair!
Remember, this is part of embracing the imperfections of life, and surrendering to the forces of nature. Adjust and readjust as things go. Your hair changes according to things like the weather and your hormone cycles so, please don’t expect it to work the same way all the time.
Look at it as a mindfulness practice, or even a fun experiment to learn more about yourself. Discover what your body likes and doesn’t, and how it reacts to each piece of nature that has been mixed into the bottle.
If you get stuck or are not sure what to do, we’re just a click away. 🙂