No shampoo??

[freecycle]

Strange title you might say but....

I've had a bad allergic reaction to one of Boots own brand shampoos, I've never had problems before, and it's fairly bad. I'm really considering not using shampoo again, as my scalp feels like it's on fire and itchy, and I've got localised irritations on my arms, neck and shoulders :(( Not nice....

I've been reading on the net about no 'poo (no shampoo) and just using conditioner, and/or a mix of shea butter, spritzers etc. I'm just wondering if anyone has experience of this (it's really not unhygenic!) I'd love to hear more about folks from the UK doing this, as most of what I've found seems to be US orientated..and I'm also fair haired (redhead), whereas websites I've found are based on dark hair...

I'm going out of my mind here...I've been prescribed steroid cream & shampoo to use, but I really don't want to have to resort to using them, as I'm expecting and it's not really me.....I'm seriously considering getting rid of my long hair for a cropped style just to keep cool.....

[elona]

If you do not want to use creams on your scalp - how about plain yoghurt?

Sounds odd - but they recommend it for thrush, so might be worth a try.

[Sweet Pea]

I suffer from urticaria, (hives) which is a common or garden allergy, I get great big red blotches all over my body which itch like crazy and bits of me swell up, (nose, eyebrows, forehead) It aint pretty. I usually just get prescribed anti histamines when I break out, but my last gp was a dermatology specialist and he said that you can become allergic to things you are not usually allergic to in extremes of hot or cold weather. I had found this to be true for me, as hot weather tends to trigger things off. Also I have read you are not advised to dye your hair or perm it when you are pregnant, so maybe its a hot weather/pregnancy kind of thing and wont last too long.

It would be an awful shame to chop your hair if its something that might clear up in a few days. My allergies dont usually last longer than about a week, although they are really unpleasant so you've got my sympathy.

[SnowyOwl]

Hi Freecycle

I had a similar reaction to Fructis shampoo - it was very distressing having horrible sores on my head! I made the connection right away, it definitely wasn't caused by anything else, therefore I stopped using it immediately. It did however take about a month for my skin to get over the trauma - but it did recover in the end. Maybe try switching to something very mild and gentle - Johnston's Baby Shampoo is probably one of the gentlest, that shouldn't irritate your skin when it is so sensitive.

[trace-j]

If you're stressed out it can make allergic to things you aren't normally. I've had adrenal exhaustion in the past and that does weird things to you.

Have you got a Lush (http://www.lushdns.co.uk/system/index.php) near you, they might have something suitable for you.

[Jay-Jay]

I used to use aqueous cream from the chemists to wash my baby's hair as she had a bit of exczma on her leg and I didn't want to put anything in her bathwater.

A massive tub of aqueous cream is only a couple of quid (go to a local chemist as Boots is quite expensive) and can be lathered as soap or shampoo.


It's fragrance free and safe enough to use on even the most painfull, red-raw skin. It's also perfectly safe for pregnant ladies

[saraht]

The suggestion about Johnsons baby shampoo is a good one.

Incidentally another forum I used to visit had a thread about not using shampoo, there was a theory that if you can get past the first couple of weeks the hair starts to clean itself. Mostlyly out of curiosity I joined in the challenge. I lasted just over 4 weeks and I couldn't bear it any longer. I rinsed my hair with water and vinegar in the shower but no shampoo, but it just didn't feel clean and I was having to tie it back every day it was so bad. My hair is light brown, long and straight. The first time I used shampoo again was such a wonderful experience!

[SnowyOwl]

Hello again

Going "shampooless" was discussed once before - I've managed to find the thread.

Have a look here:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=13262&highlight=scalp+shampoo

I don't think I would ever be brave enough myself, especially after vigorous exercise...ugh imagine not washing your hair after that!

[debbym]

I get this kind of thing if I use styling products - gel, mousse, even hairspray whilst it will get better eventually here's what I do.
A lot of the irritation is caused by the scalp being dryand itchy in my case (although it also manages to have blisters all over as well- go figure!). Most of the anti-histamine creams are a moisturising base anyway so could'nt hurt.
First comb hair thoughly to get rid of any flakes before you start. Then use an unperfumed shampoo and conditioner - Someone suggested baby shampoo - this is great. BUT instead of using the shampoo first use the conditioner first. If scalp is really dry then leave the conditioner in and wrap your scalp in cling film (or a plastic bag at a pinch) with a towel on top and leave it for about 20 minutes - yes it does sound weird but I just sit and watch telly with a cup of tea or a glass of something depending on how miserable the itching is making me! DO not be tempted to use OS conditioners like olive oil or mayonnaise - baby shampoo doesn't really shift them
Good luck and hope it gets better soon.


having read this again I sound like the nutter on the bus - the reason you
do it this way round is that you don't want any product residue left on your hair if you can help it.

[debbym]

I used to use aqueous cream from the chemists to wash my baby's hair as she had a bit of exczma on her leg and I didn't want to put anything in her bathwater.

A massive tub of aqueous cream is only a couple of quid (go to a local chemist as Boots is quite expensive) and can be lathered as soap or shampoo.


It's fragrance free and safe enough to use on even the most painfull, red-raw skin. It's also perfectly safe for pregnant ladies


Great as a body wash for neck, face, ears and shoulders but not much good if your hair is long and thick.

[ancasta]

Personally i would go for "trichomania" shampoo from Lush. I suffer very bad eczema in my hair and this is very kind and gentle on it, does not cause irritation and smells bl00dy lush too.

Does cost about £3.60 a bar, but ive had my bar for months!!!!

[auturmnsolaris]

What about trying shampoo alternatives such as rhassoul mud (used in Morocco I believe) or mushed up lentils. I've not tried either of them myself, but I believe the mud is great for balancing out oils as well, while the lentils are full of protein which is always good for hair.

[culpepper]

My daughter tried raw egg to wash hers.You massage the white into your hair and leave for a little while then rinse it out with cool water so you dont cook it on your hair.You can add lemon juice too.
She prefers shampoo but it did look as clean as usual.

[tiredwithtwins]

hiya,
for many years i have had problems with using shampoos and conditioners - im very sensitive to ANY product with perfume in it.....make up, soap etc.....and now just use simple shampoo and conditioner (i usually wash my hair every other day), with a once a week hair wash with Tgel therapeutic shampoo. Its a coal tar based shampoo, but works extremely well at curbing the itching and resultant flakes,grease/miserableness!!!
I can occasionally use a conditioner such as pantene but i have to use the tgel a couple of days in a row to get back to normal.

If your doc has given you a steroidal lotion for your hair, its safe to use when pregnant, and you may find you only need to use it once or twice to get rid of the itching.

good luck, i know how miserable this can make you feel - i put up with it for years before i got settled into this current regime :D

sue

[freecycle]

Thanks everyone for your posts on this - I've tried witch hazel and calamine lotion on the irritations (not at the same time, lol, and not on my scalp) and they made it flare up worse - just tried Shea Butter and it's bliss, so might have a go at trying that on my scalp as it's very moisturising. The walk in centre I went to before visiting the drs suggested using aqueous cream but then changed their minds after they realised that my hair is far too long. I like the Lush suggestion, as I went a bit mad in their New Year giveaways last year and found the joys of their soap and bath bombs - but I'm currently using a red soap from them and it's not helping the itchyness in my hands, so I stopped :((

[leonie]

Its likely that the Lush 'soap' you are using isnt actually soap at all. Most of their bars are a detergent base that they simply add different ingredients to. You could always try making your own soap! I use my homemade soap on my hair and the hairdresser said she couldnt believe how much body I manage to get into my stupidly fine hair!

Shea butter is brilliant on the scalp. I usually melt a bit of shea and cocoa butter with a bit of coconut oil or any liquid oil and use it on my hair at least once a week as a treatment.

[freecycle]

Leonie - I'd love to know more about soap making etc, as I've dabbled in bath bomb making. I've just found someone on ebay selling a pound of Shea Butter for £3 plus £10 in shipping from Africa. I'm just rummaging round to find the best places to buy decent stuff from....

[ancasta]

l'occitane is a widely availably brand carrying shea butter lines.

[leonie]

Hi Freecycle

Well I just started looking at more natural products to put on mine and the childrens skin. I discovered fresh aloe vera, then went on to exotic butters such as shea and cocoa butter and before it knew it i'd become a soap maker lol!!

Ancasta, yes L'occitane do shea butter, but its not how I want it. If you notice, it is white and odorless. This is because it is refined by bleaching and deoderising it. By subjecting it to these processes, you are going to lose some of its healing and nutritious properties. Unfortunately, people want a white product, but by bleaching it we are losing out on a lot of its wonderful properties!

The shea I buy is a creamy yellowish/greyish colour and has an earthy aroma. It is simply extracted by hand, with no chemical processes whatsoever. I use it in everything, even on my daughters delicate skin (she is undergoing chemotherapy at the moment)

Have a look around the internet for the basics on cold process soapmaking. Its not as simple as giving out a recipe because there are basics you need to know about, but im happy to write out a recipe (I think I have every book on the subject lol) and help where I can.

I cant go back to using normal soaps or showergels now. Its really worth giving it a go!

[Loadsabob]

I would suggest shea butter to sooth your skin back to normal. Perhaps applying it to your scalp and affected nexk area at night. I use Akamuti (http://www.akamuti.co.uk/sheabutterinfo.htm), they have organic fair trade stuff, in a jar or bag (the good quality stuff described by leonie above - lovely earthy smell), and I find the price is good, as it lasts me a long time. They also do totally natural soaps, including African black liquid soap that can be used as a shampoo on dry hair. I think that may be my next hair purchase. Nothing chemical or petroleum derived (and as mild as Johnsons baby shampoo is, it's still a petroleum by-product).

I tried using shea butter as a conditioner for my hair, and though it did condition deep, it needed a lot of shampooing out on my fine hair, or my head looked like an oil slick. Now I only use it occasionally, as I used to use a hot oil treatment.

I can't even go in Lush, I can't breathe in there. I find their things SO highly perfumed, all with the vague "parfum", a non-descript, most likely chemical cocktail of fragrances. Ick.

[npsmama]

I've been trying No Poo for 2 weeks with great results!
Yesterday I was too lazy to go get the bicarb downstairs so I used shampoo again and now my scalp is all itchy and horrible!

So it's definitely bicarb and citric acid rinse for me from now on!

ETA: also thought I'd mention that I have VERY greasy hair and sensitive scalp

[calleyw]

My husband does the conditioner only thing in between using up all the poo we have left over at the moment.

He suffers from a dry scalp not sure if it is dandruff or not. But using conditioner only means his hair is so soft and hardly any flakes. Granted he only has sort hair. But I did read on a long hair forum that you should pick a conditioner with no cones in it. Meaning silicone. Not really sure why but that is what they suggest.

Think it is best for you to try and see what works best for you.

Yours


Calley

[pickledtink]

Poor you! Lots of good advice so far on this thread.
From personal experience being allergy prone and sometimes living in remote places with no access to shampoo anyway:
a tiny weeny bit of a soap which you find OK for your skin can be used on your hair but of course there are drying properties. The secret is to rinse copiously and then slather on some oil. Coconut, Almond or any other vegetable oil which doesn't make you smell like a chip shop. Olive is good too. The longer you can leave it the better. Overnight then just rinse in plenty of warm water with a little lemon juice in the rinse. Daytime in summer and waltzing about with your 'oiled' hair braided or coiled up is easy. If your hair is short it's even easier. Pull it into spikes or curls with your fingers.

If you can find a big block of French Olive oil soap grab it. I shave lumps off and always take it with me. It can be used for washing your hair, body and even your clothes. Totally natural and unlikely to cause any reaction. The olive oil in it stops your hair or skin drying out too. It's sold in big square sludge green lumps. Costs a few quid but lasts for yonks. It's the only soap I will ever use on my face as even some baby products will make me red and itchy.

[Judi]

Have a look through this (http://forums.handbag.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=315719) thread, i have tried it and it really suits my hair.

[gwinnie]

If you can find a big block of French Olive oil soap grab it. I shave lumps off and always take it with me. It can be used for washing your hair, body and even your clothes. Totally natural and unlikely to cause any reaction. The olive oil in it stops your hair or skin drying out too. It's sold in big square sludge green lumps. Costs a few quid but lasts for yonks. It's the only soap I will ever use on my face as even some baby products will make me red and itchy.

Sounds lovely, pickledtink, where could I find it?

[zippy75]

You can get this soap in Neals Yard Remedies - here -

http://www.nealsyardremedies.com/shop/bin/pxisapi1.exe/large?item=4424

£3.25 for a BIG block which can be used for all sorts of purposes, and lasts ages!

[angeluk69]

Thanks everyone for your posts on this - I've tried witch hazel and calamine lotion on the irritations (not at the same time, lol, and not on my scalp) and they made it flare up worse - just tried Shea Butter and it's bliss, so might have a go at trying that on my scalp as it's very moisturising. The walk in centre I went to before visiting the drs suggested using aqueous cream but then changed their minds after they realised that my hair is far too long. I like the Lush suggestion, as I went a bit mad in their New Year giveaways last year and found the joys of their soap and bath bombs - but I'm currently using a red soap from them and it's not helping the itchyness in my hands, so I stopped :((


I have frequent scalp problems due to stress and other problems, so am quite confident in recommending a product to you.

DO NOT USE WITCH HAZEL - it is an astringent which dries out the skin, and is used on spots to dry them out.

Shea butter is a lovely idea, but can be expensive to buy.

Please, if your doctor has prescribed something s/he obviously thinks this is what you need to use and will be expecting you to use it, s/he will want to know that you are using it and having results.

I have been prescribed a shampoo called 'Nizoral' which has changed everything, I started using it twice a week and then after2 weeks only use it once a week and now whenever i feel that itch. It is also safe to use in pregnancy this is the link to the info:

http://emc.medicines.org.uk/emc/assets/c/html/DisplayDoc.asp?DocumentID=4124

You can also buy this in boots for £5.99 for the bottle that is prescribed by the doc, or £8.99 for a big bottle but trust me even with long hair you only need to apply to the roots and it is really concentrated which makes it actually cheap to use. The £5.99 bottle used to last me at least 6weeks when i first started and I have really thick hair.

Boots also do their own generic version of this and it is also very good i am unsure of the price but if you get prescriptions paid for it would be best to consult your doctor as s/he will prescribe this for you.

[MIRRY]

Hi,

Ive always reacted to most shampoos,conditioners and hair dyes.

After alot of searching, I discovered exactly what I was allergic too,
its the artificial preservatives called PARABENS, there are so many different sorts in alot of products called polyparaben/butylparababen and methlyparaben.
I AM SORRY I DISAGREE , johnsons shampoo has lots of parabens in it and will not help you, the only way to help yourself is to buy ORGANIC SHAMPOO that has no chemicals in it.
I buy my shampoo from "SO ORGANIC" and now never have any problems with my scalp at all, it was the best thing I ever did and my hair condition is so much better.
Good luck.

MAKES YOU THINK, they put chemicals in babys shampoo, how disgusting !

[MoneyMeditation]

Your allergy problem may be linked to a number of ingredients in all sorts of shampoos. There are two very useful books that you might like to read - unfortunately one is in German and not available in English, the other is available (and your local library is bound to have a copy). The English one is called Drop-dead Gorgeous, and although it's American, many of the companies and ingredients it lists are standard products here. In fact, after reading it, you may find yourself saving a LOT of money, as you may not want to buy any of the standard products any more!

The German book (Alles Klar Mit Haut Und Haar by Susanne Kehrbusch, and roughly translated as All Clear with Skin and Hair) is written by a hairdresser who became very ill (as a result of her own exposure to the shampoos, conditioners, perming solutions and dyes), closed her shop, went and got well again, and re-trained and re-opened as a "naturopathic" hairdresser, and apparently has a waiting list of months and months and an awful lot of happy customers with healthy heads of hair.

I've tried out a number of her suggestions and find my hair and scalp behaving admirably. I've stopped using all normal hair preparations (including baby shampoo - even many of those contain sodium laureth sulphate, which is a known irritant). She suggests either shampoos that don't contain PEGs, parabens, and sodium laureth sulphate - I've found that the shampoos made by Faith in Nature are very good and don't list any nasty ingredients. Ms Kehrbush also suggests investing in a very good wood/bristle hairbrush, and a regimen of brushing thoroughly every single day (this removes dust and dirt, revitalises the scalp and redistributes sebum down the hair shaft), washing the hair no more than once a week using mainly water, and if shampoo is necessary then a very weak solution of a small drop in a mug of water, followed by thorough rinsing. She also suggests the use of rhassoul mud, a therapeutic moroccan "mud" which has a soapy feel to it, goes on easily and is easily washed off and I think it's great. (No...you can't just use any old mud from your garden - cheaper yes, but not quite the same!!!) I've tried this and it does indeed clean the hair and skin. You have to get used to the fact that it's different to use - it doesn't go foamy, but then the foam isn't actually necessary in the cleansing process and needs to be mixed before it's ready for use but it is a nice product.
For conditioning, I use a small amount of Faith in Nature conditioner only on the ends - not on the scalp; or else a tiny bit of olive oil mixed with a drop of rosemary and a drop of lavender, again, only on the dry ends of the hair.

All in all, following this regimen, my hair is clean, conditioned and seems to behave itself pretty well. Greasy hair, apparently, with patience, starts to become less greasy. (De-grease the scalp a lot, and it goes into overdrive. ) Dry hair becomes, apparently, less so as the sebum - whose job it is to smooth the hair - is brushed down into the hairshaft. I have neither greasy nor particularly dry hair so can't tell you whether that's the case, but certainly my hair feels clean, shines and doesn't smell 'orrible from not washing it every day any more.

Departing from the standard hair care way may not suit everyone, but if you don't get on with any of the normal shampoos, it might be worth a bit of a try.

Best of luck!:eek:

[MilliesMum]

I conditioner only wash my hair at times when my hair is particularly dry and frizzy and it helps my hair no end. The downside to this is I find that I have to 'wash' my hair every day because my hair is fine and looks limp after 24 hours which is a bind.

I was inspired to check it out after reading this (http://www.handbag.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=315719&highlight=conditioner) thread. Hope it helps.