Soap gel update
Back here I wrote about an experiment making a gel out of soap flakes for washing hair, as an alternative to detergent shampoos (ie any shampoo).
I have been using the soap gel ever since, except one recent wash, and the results have been very satisfactory. I am only using a handful of moisturiser on the dry ends before each wash, and no conditioner.
1) My hair has become softer with each wash.
1a) It combs through very easily compared with any kind of mild or cone- /sulfate- free shampoo
2) The itchy scalp has vanished.
3) Flaking skin from scalp has reduced enormously. The old pattern was clean hair for about a day, followed by wave of itching, irritation and sometimes bleeding scalp, and instant oily hair. The new pattern is sometimes I can see a little bit of dry skin after washing when the hair dries, but there is no followup irritation at all.
4) My hair gets oily a little sooner than before, but without the crazy itching and flaking scalp as above. I don't mind this as I figure its more natural to have your scalp natural oils assisting condition your hair.
5) You do have to be a bit more thorough in washing the hair to ensure the underside gets washed clean. I part my hair down the middle and wash each side separately.
6) It seems a little bit more lank after a day or so, around the roots, than before, but compared with the dreaded itchy-flakys, this is a WIN!
The product I used has an MSDS, a material safety data sheet, which describes the ingredients by percentage. The Lux flakes I used are a "sodium soap of tallow and coconut oil" and have the least number of ingredients of any of the company's products. This product base is obviously kinder to my skin than any "soap free" alternatives. Fascinating! I have something to contrast this with, as I used my Neutrogena T/Gel itchy scalp shampoo in haste the other day, and my hair again feels like a scouring pad and my scalp is killing me. Hmph. Proof, pudding!
Note- I am also using this gel for my clothes washing with vastly improved results for much less volume used, compared with liquid detergent or powdered clothes detergent. IT says you can't use the flakes in a front-loader, but once you dissolve them and let the mix form a slime gel, it works perfectly. It seems to have elimintated the need for laundry sprays for underarm odours etc. Hurray!
All this really says is that substances more closely related to human body chemistry will dissolve the fats and oils more satisfactorily (my opinion only). As far as I understand it, detergents are surfactants (surface - acting - agents) of synthetic origin. They have a non-polar, hydrophobic tail with a polar, hydrophilic head....one end likes water, ie allows wetting of the surface being cleaned, and one end likes fats, ie attaches to them and helps isolate them in solution. Soaps are surfactants of natural origin, a fatty acid bound to a metal ion, and are completely biodegradeable.
Braid waves ahoy:This is after using the soap gel for a month. I can't convey texture, but hopefully you can see the condition in its improved state.
This is a style I use that is less damaging from my experience than braiding, ans the hair is not twisted as much. It is also actually more flexible and good for sleeping in as a result. Included for those who have fuzzy hair and breakage issues.
I have been using the soap gel ever since, except one recent wash, and the results have been very satisfactory. I am only using a handful of moisturiser on the dry ends before each wash, and no conditioner.
1) My hair has become softer with each wash.
1a) It combs through very easily compared with any kind of mild or cone- /sulfate- free shampoo
2) The itchy scalp has vanished.
3) Flaking skin from scalp has reduced enormously. The old pattern was clean hair for about a day, followed by wave of itching, irritation and sometimes bleeding scalp, and instant oily hair. The new pattern is sometimes I can see a little bit of dry skin after washing when the hair dries, but there is no followup irritation at all.
4) My hair gets oily a little sooner than before, but without the crazy itching and flaking scalp as above. I don't mind this as I figure its more natural to have your scalp natural oils assisting condition your hair.
5) You do have to be a bit more thorough in washing the hair to ensure the underside gets washed clean. I part my hair down the middle and wash each side separately.
6) It seems a little bit more lank after a day or so, around the roots, than before, but compared with the dreaded itchy-flakys, this is a WIN!
The product I used has an MSDS, a material safety data sheet, which describes the ingredients by percentage. The Lux flakes I used are a "sodium soap of tallow and coconut oil" and have the least number of ingredients of any of the company's products. This product base is obviously kinder to my skin than any "soap free" alternatives. Fascinating! I have something to contrast this with, as I used my Neutrogena T/Gel itchy scalp shampoo in haste the other day, and my hair again feels like a scouring pad and my scalp is killing me. Hmph. Proof, pudding!
Note- I am also using this gel for my clothes washing with vastly improved results for much less volume used, compared with liquid detergent or powdered clothes detergent. IT says you can't use the flakes in a front-loader, but once you dissolve them and let the mix form a slime gel, it works perfectly. It seems to have elimintated the need for laundry sprays for underarm odours etc. Hurray!
All this really says is that substances more closely related to human body chemistry will dissolve the fats and oils more satisfactorily (my opinion only). As far as I understand it, detergents are surfactants (surface - acting - agents) of synthetic origin. They have a non-polar, hydrophobic tail with a polar, hydrophilic head....one end likes water, ie allows wetting of the surface being cleaned, and one end likes fats, ie attaches to them and helps isolate them in solution. Soaps are surfactants of natural origin, a fatty acid bound to a metal ion, and are completely biodegradeable.
Braid waves ahoy:This is after using the soap gel for a month. I can't convey texture, but hopefully you can see the condition in its improved state.
This is a style I use that is less damaging from my experience than braiding, ans the hair is not twisted as much. It is also actually more flexible and good for sleeping in as a result. Included for those who have fuzzy hair and breakage issues.