How To Clean Black Hair Without A Shampoo
Written On Feb 13th, 2010 | By AlmaAvoid the drying sulphate shampoos and use natural with home cleansers for your hair
There are a number of reasons to go without shampoo for the benefit of black hair. It is very rare to find someone with both curly and oily hair as curly and kinky hair is inherently dry. Oily secretions are made by sebaceous glands on the scalp where their purpose is to lubricate the hair and prevent moisture loss. The oils travel down straight hair quite easily but in curly hair it more difficult.
Ingredients in majority of the shampoos make things worse for curly and kinky haired people. Notably Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (Sodium Laureth Sulfate) which is known to excessively dry out the hair and is found as the first ingredient in most shampoos. These Sulfates are the ‘lathering agent’ for the shampoo and are also commonly used in car washes and engine degreasers. In actual fact, conditioner was invented as a treatment to counter against the drying effects of the shampoo!
Lots of black people are actively using alternatives to these drying shampoos for the health of their hair. There are a few sulfate free shampoos available on the market but they tend to be a bit pricey. Natural cleansers are cheap and just as effective!
There are some excellent natural alternatives for shampoo outlined below:
• Baking Soda – You can use baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) which is sold in most supermarkets as a natural way to wash your hair. Mix 1 tablespoon of the baking soda with some warm water in a spray bottle. And spray though the hair. Spray majority of the mixture on your scalp as this is where most build up is likely to be. Work in well with your fingers massaging your scalp in circular motions. Rinse thoroughly and move on to deep conditioning.
• Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) – Mix ¼ cup of ACV with about 4 cups of water and stream the mixture through the hair. Work in well with your fingers while massaging your scalp to remove any build up. Rinse the hair thoroughly. Don’t worry, your hair will not smell of vinegar afterwards. You may go on to deep condition the hair as usual.
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I have used baking soda and it works excellent. also, if you put it on your hair before you wet it, just sprinkle it through the hair and scalp and rub it in, it will absorb all the residues of dirt and hair products. Then you rinse it out and you can repeat it. If you still desire to use a shampoo, it will cut down the amount of times you have to lather up your hair. For me, I only need to shampoo once. And as a side note, I USE ALL NATURAL ORGANIC SHAMPOOS FROM THE HEALTH FOOD STORE. NO sodium lauryl sulphates and there is a noted difference, especially since I have gone natural.