My Relationship and Breaking Up
I've been in a very difficult relationship for a long time and I've tried multiple ways to break it off. When I wanted to take a break from each other for a bit, the clinginess wouldn't go away. I couldn't go on for 4 hours in a day before I was reminded of the relationship and its yucky presence in my life just reared its ugly head constantly. I was sick of the false promises it gave me, only to disappoint me quickly afterward. I was sick of my constant despairing and complaining. Something had to be done. Someone had to end it before we went too far. I could no longer be in such an unhealthy relationship.
So I did it. I ended my relationship with shampoo.
My hair began to give me problems around the middle of college. I guess hormones or something made it produce more grease than it had before. I never thought that I gave too much care about my hair; it's been fine, soft, and stick straight all my life. But once the greasiness began to rear its ugly head, infecting my bangs, I began to shampoo vigorously and my hair affected how I felt. Shampooing was something I did every other day, then I upped to everyday when I started getting greasier hair, and at its worst--twice a day for my annoying greasy bangs. I would shower in the evening, having apparently smooth shiny clean hair, only to wake up in the morning to semi-greasy bangs. Thus I had to shampoo my bangs, making it look smooth shiny and clean...but this solution was just a quick fix. It lasted only about 4 hours. I would look at myself in the mirror by noontime, and that all-too-familiar semi-greasy look would be creeping back on my scalp and I would feel like I hadn't showered for days. I was desperate. The more I shampooed, the greasier I got, but if I didn't shampoo I would be walking around in public with greasy, stringy, clumpy hair. You see why this relationship wasn't working out?
Things took a turn for the worse 3 months ago, when I discovered a green/eco-friendly fad to go shampoo-less called 'Poo Free. In place of sulfate-laced shampoos (a common ingredient in many shampoos, which was the main cause of my greasy hair's unhealthy dependence), I used a baking soda and water mixture. In place of conditioner was vinegar. I was desperate for a solution, so Moon did the science research on the chemistry of it, and it checked out OK, so I made the switch and said "adios" to my shampoos. The first day I washed my hair with baking soda and water, my hair was beautiful. It was shiny, clean, and stayed that way for 2 days! I didn't have to wash my bangs vigorously over the bathroom sink in the mornings. I think this is what you call a honeymoon stage of the relationship?
Well, the honeymoon stage lasted for a week, until some bumps in the road came along.
Because baking soda is such a strong base, there needs to be careful measurement of the water-to-baking soda dilution. Grace the non-science major did not think about this, and instead of using the recommended 1 tbsp baking soda to 1 cup water dilution, I used 1 tbsp baking soda to 1 tbsp of water...and fried my hair to a brittle crisp. I had never felt my hair in such disgusting shape. It was dry like straw, frizzy, and had no sheen. I had to quickly save my hair so I searched online about rehydrating hair the natural way, and saw that running olive oil through my hair would restore its moisture. I looked like a crazy woman that night, with plastic wrap in my hair as a hairnet for several hours, hoping for my hair to get better. I refused to go back to shampoo because baking soda had worked so well before. When it came time to wash out all the olive oil, I used baking soda. It didn't work, it left my hair a half-greasy mess, and I had to sleep with a towel over my pillow that night so I wouldn't be rubbing my pillow in olive oil all night. Sigh. I had to use my sulfate shampoo. When I used it the next day, all the oil washed out and my hair was restored back to normal. But I was convinced it was just a way to coerce me back in an unhealthy relationship with my shampoo bottle, so I refused and went back to baking soda, making sure I had the proper dilutions.
I had read there was a "transition period" of greasiness as my hair adjusted from sulfate shampoos to baking soda. It could last anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months. I was determined to jump over this hurdle to restore my hair back to its natural, ungreasy state. But my determination was so weak; by the end of week 1 I was ready to give up and go crawling back to shampoo. Moon, who had been watching this whole thing transpire before her pep talked me in her usual Dictator Moon fashion to tell me to not give up, that enduring a few weeks of greasy hair was worth it to have a lifetime of beautiful, not-dependent-on-shampoo hair. I supposed it was worth it. I just hated having to tie my hair in a ponytail or bobby pin it everyday to hide my my greasy strands of hair. My hair at this point was at the worst it had ever been. It was full of static, it wasn't soft, it tangled within literally 5 seconds of brushing, it left a filmy residue in my hair, a lot of my hair seemed to be falling out when I brushed it, and I got dandruff! I never get dandruff! Whenever I traveled home to LA or something, I had to lug my measuring spoon, my glass "shampoo" bottle, and my baking soda tin around because even just eyeing the ingredients would mean more disaster and more greasiness for my hair if I was slightly off in my measurements. My parents told me my hair looked horrible and dirty when they saw me and told me to stop doing this No 'Poo thing. But I just kept telling myself it's just a few weeks of pain for a lifetime of good hair. Plus, I liked only washing my hair 3 times a week and feeling the grease lift off my scalp as I ran baking soda through my hair.
Moon herself began this No-'Poo experiment and quit within a week. She could not stand the residue and the greasiness and said her hair felt disgusting. Seeing her back out so quickly signaled to me that I maybe this was a good time to move on. I was doing No 'Poo for two months, and it just seemed to be getting progressively worse and worse.
I broke up with baking soda and vinegar the beginning of December and began the search for a suitable companion for my hair. Burt's Bees was top choice for me, since I use its lip balm, and it has never given me an allergic reaction like other brands (ChapStik, Blistex) have in the past. It was a costly 12 oz. bottle ($8!) compared to the huge ~30 oz. bottles of Dove I would get at the supermarket for $4. But the day I took Burt home and massaged the sweet-smelling pomegranate shampoo in my greasy dandruff-afflicted scalp, my hair was revitalized. I stepped out of the shower refreshed, and my hair for the first time in 3 months felt clean and normal again. I now only shampoo 2 or 3 times a WEEK, rather than the former 2 times a day, and when my hair begins to look a bit greasy by day 2 or 3 of shampooing, I just run water through it and most of the greasiness is gone.
Right now my relationship with Burt's Bees is going smoothly, and while I do enjoy our time together, I also like our times apart from each other. We'll see where this new relationship takes me, especially since the past two have given me nothing but heartache, frustration, greasy hair, and dandruff. So far, Burt's a keeper ; )
So I did it. I ended my relationship with shampoo.
My hair began to give me problems around the middle of college. I guess hormones or something made it produce more grease than it had before. I never thought that I gave too much care about my hair; it's been fine, soft, and stick straight all my life. But once the greasiness began to rear its ugly head, infecting my bangs, I began to shampoo vigorously and my hair affected how I felt. Shampooing was something I did every other day, then I upped to everyday when I started getting greasier hair, and at its worst--twice a day for my annoying greasy bangs. I would shower in the evening, having apparently smooth shiny clean hair, only to wake up in the morning to semi-greasy bangs. Thus I had to shampoo my bangs, making it look smooth shiny and clean...but this solution was just a quick fix. It lasted only about 4 hours. I would look at myself in the mirror by noontime, and that all-too-familiar semi-greasy look would be creeping back on my scalp and I would feel like I hadn't showered for days. I was desperate. The more I shampooed, the greasier I got, but if I didn't shampoo I would be walking around in public with greasy, stringy, clumpy hair. You see why this relationship wasn't working out?
Things took a turn for the worse 3 months ago, when I discovered a green/eco-friendly fad to go shampoo-less called 'Poo Free. In place of sulfate-laced shampoos (a common ingredient in many shampoos, which was the main cause of my greasy hair's unhealthy dependence), I used a baking soda and water mixture. In place of conditioner was vinegar. I was desperate for a solution, so Moon did the science research on the chemistry of it, and it checked out OK, so I made the switch and said "adios" to my shampoos. The first day I washed my hair with baking soda and water, my hair was beautiful. It was shiny, clean, and stayed that way for 2 days! I didn't have to wash my bangs vigorously over the bathroom sink in the mornings. I think this is what you call a honeymoon stage of the relationship?
Well, the honeymoon stage lasted for a week, until some bumps in the road came along.
Because baking soda is such a strong base, there needs to be careful measurement of the water-to-baking soda dilution. Grace the non-science major did not think about this, and instead of using the recommended 1 tbsp baking soda to 1 cup water dilution, I used 1 tbsp baking soda to 1 tbsp of water...and fried my hair to a brittle crisp. I had never felt my hair in such disgusting shape. It was dry like straw, frizzy, and had no sheen. I had to quickly save my hair so I searched online about rehydrating hair the natural way, and saw that running olive oil through my hair would restore its moisture. I looked like a crazy woman that night, with plastic wrap in my hair as a hairnet for several hours, hoping for my hair to get better. I refused to go back to shampoo because baking soda had worked so well before. When it came time to wash out all the olive oil, I used baking soda. It didn't work, it left my hair a half-greasy mess, and I had to sleep with a towel over my pillow that night so I wouldn't be rubbing my pillow in olive oil all night. Sigh. I had to use my sulfate shampoo. When I used it the next day, all the oil washed out and my hair was restored back to normal. But I was convinced it was just a way to coerce me back in an unhealthy relationship with my shampoo bottle, so I refused and went back to baking soda, making sure I had the proper dilutions.
I had read there was a "transition period" of greasiness as my hair adjusted from sulfate shampoos to baking soda. It could last anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months. I was determined to jump over this hurdle to restore my hair back to its natural, ungreasy state. But my determination was so weak; by the end of week 1 I was ready to give up and go crawling back to shampoo. Moon, who had been watching this whole thing transpire before her pep talked me in her usual Dictator Moon fashion to tell me to not give up, that enduring a few weeks of greasy hair was worth it to have a lifetime of beautiful, not-dependent-on-shampoo hair. I supposed it was worth it. I just hated having to tie my hair in a ponytail or bobby pin it everyday to hide my my greasy strands of hair. My hair at this point was at the worst it had ever been. It was full of static, it wasn't soft, it tangled within literally 5 seconds of brushing, it left a filmy residue in my hair, a lot of my hair seemed to be falling out when I brushed it, and I got dandruff! I never get dandruff! Whenever I traveled home to LA or something, I had to lug my measuring spoon, my glass "shampoo" bottle, and my baking soda tin around because even just eyeing the ingredients would mean more disaster and more greasiness for my hair if I was slightly off in my measurements. My parents told me my hair looked horrible and dirty when they saw me and told me to stop doing this No 'Poo thing. But I just kept telling myself it's just a few weeks of pain for a lifetime of good hair. Plus, I liked only washing my hair 3 times a week and feeling the grease lift off my scalp as I ran baking soda through my hair.
Moon herself began this No-'Poo experiment and quit within a week. She could not stand the residue and the greasiness and said her hair felt disgusting. Seeing her back out so quickly signaled to me that I maybe this was a good time to move on. I was doing No 'Poo for two months, and it just seemed to be getting progressively worse and worse.
I broke up with baking soda and vinegar the beginning of December and began the search for a suitable companion for my hair. Burt's Bees was top choice for me, since I use its lip balm, and it has never given me an allergic reaction like other brands (ChapStik, Blistex) have in the past. It was a costly 12 oz. bottle ($8!) compared to the huge ~30 oz. bottles of Dove I would get at the supermarket for $4. But the day I took Burt home and massaged the sweet-smelling pomegranate shampoo in my greasy dandruff-afflicted scalp, my hair was revitalized. I stepped out of the shower refreshed, and my hair for the first time in 3 months felt clean and normal again. I now only shampoo 2 or 3 times a WEEK, rather than the former 2 times a day, and when my hair begins to look a bit greasy by day 2 or 3 of shampooing, I just run water through it and most of the greasiness is gone.
Right now my relationship with Burt's Bees is going smoothly, and while I do enjoy our time together, I also like our times apart from each other. We'll see where this new relationship takes me, especially since the past two have given me nothing but heartache, frustration, greasy hair, and dandruff. So far, Burt's a keeper ; )