I spent almost all of yesterday researching the “Water Only” method because a YouTube video caught my eye where a lady uses just water to take care of her natural hair.
I have heard about this before, mostly with straight haired white women though so I never really actually considered it for a curly hair regimen.
If you aren’t familiar with what the “Water Only” method is, well it is pretty easy. You basically cleanse and condition your hair with just water. Crazy right?
Well there seems to be some method to this madness and the more I read about it, the more I thought about how amazing our body is when it comes to sustaining our health on its own.
The idea is you would use water to cleanse your hair, massage your scalp with your fingers and allow your own sebum to moisturize your hair.
When you eliminate the products and use water only, for some odd but almost magical reason your body starts to produce and regulate sebum production to the point of you being able to actually see it on your fingers and use it to moisturize your hair.
Many of the people that recommend this method use a boar bristle brush to distribute the sebum along the hair strand, but there is no way on Gods green earth I am doing that with my kinky* hair.
What I have noticed so far
1. Some women use oils* on thier hair along with water to help the sebum because our curl pattern does not allow for the ends to always get enough of it for protection (This is controversial).
2. Some women do ACV rinses on their scalp from time to time.
3. It takes about 14 days for you to see the changes in your hair.
4. Some women do an all natural protein treatment with Avocado or eggs from time to time as well.
5. This works best when your water is filtered.
My conclusion
‘Water only’ is not really water only because everyone that I have seen so far uses ACV, herb washes and other natural ingredients which really isn’t a big deal unless you are very technical.
What is for sure is that, it is still a very liberating method if you decide to try it. I am thinking about it, I am on a very minimalist journey this year and this is right up my alley. Check out wateronlywashing as she describes her process after 80 days:
my friend mentioned this last night. I mean technically you don’t even have to wash with shampoo three times too.
aren’t we taking this a little too far? Sceptical, especially if your using oils and butters in your hair among other things. Not sure if water only is the way to go….
I think about when our ancestors were alive, what did they do to their hair in the wilderness, deserts, rain forests or when they didn’t have the proper fruits or oils for their hair…… Water would doable.
Yea I tried it as a challenge for 30 days to see how my hair would react. Was not for me. I researched first as you should for anything before you try but my hair didn’t respond well to it, not as a constant thing. I do it sometimes though in between my regular washes but I always follow up with a deep conditioning treatment.
Uh oh scalp build up
just like swimming, then go swim, you will get water only.
I am starting this method starting April 3.I have been researching this water only / rinse only method for a few weeks and it’s pretty interesting.The idea of it is pretty simple&easy enough.Think about it what did our ancestors is use BEFORE shampoos & conditioners.Its likely our ancestors used to water wash their hair.
I am starting this method starting April 3.I have been researching this water only / rinse only method for a few weeks and it’s pretty interesting.The idea of it is pretty simple&easy enough.Think about it what did our ancestors is use BEFORE shampoos & conditioners.Its likely our ancestors used to water wash their hair.
I’m sorry but hair has to be washed with shampoo just like your body does with soap…. That’s a ton of build up and dirt and nasty