But I wanted to get more voluminous hair in the long term. So I went on a googling rampage!!
I found the following to be involved in more hair growth and less hair fall/ damage.
- Aloe Vera
- Nettle Leaf
- Horsetail Leaf
- Rosemary Oil
- Lavender Oil
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Jojoba Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Castor Oil
- Witch Hazel
- Indian Hemp Leaves
- Vaseline
- Vitamin E
- Cinnamon Oil
- Clary Sage
And I looked up ways to wash your hair without damage. Plus - I'm a vegan and so I'm always hunting for no animal product/testing. I found a lot on pH matching. And all of this lead me to:
Rye flour shampoo!
I went and got it at a natural grocery (I was near one so I just stopped in then carried in my purse during an art thing that evening and most of the next day "Damn, my purse is becoming a bicep work out! Wait....what's thi--oh."). And I've used it about 5 times now - with 3-5 day intervals between washing. No other washing types during this time.
If I'm at home in my private bathroom (not in a hotel - I travel for work) I'll add extra ingredients. If I'm on the road I put just over a tablespoon of rye flour in half a hotel cup of water (without sifting) and mix with my comb.
At home I add ACV (tbsp), Aloe gel (a dime size squirt), Rosemary (3 drops), Castor oil (5 drops, tiny hole poked in seal), and tea tree oil (4 drops) for my scalp eczema.
I've experimented with different thicknesses (vary the amount of water added). I've determined It kinda doesn't matter: it all works. And in the shower you'll end up using more water. I'd like to get a condiment squeeze bottle in order to target the roots - especially the middle crown ones which seem to never be as clean the the very front. I do flip my head over to get the nape of my neck covered.
Before, look at all that oil!:
To be honest making it feels and looks a little weird. It's like cooking for your hair? And on your scalp you can feel the flakes at work. I bring my fine-tooth comb into the shower and comb through at the end to rid myself of as many rye flakes as possible. At first I'd end up with a lot of flakes but after combing in the shower (as seen below). On wet hair outside the water it doesn't work as well, but on dry hair they all comb out easily.
I might not advise you to use this method right before you leave the house - lazy afternoons or right before bed have worked for me. I do get flakes in my bed but I can just bat them out of the sheets (Out, damn spots!).
Also while drying my hair is SO soft. When fully dry (after on the road mixture) it's a little dry on the top but to be fair I've always had really silky hair so I'm a little more critical if it dries less silky.
But this stuff CLEANS - I worry it might be too harsh (read all about baking soda in this regard). My hair gets just as big and fluffy (if not more) when using the on the road formula as when I use mutinous hotel shampoo. I'm excited about using this on long hair and getting major body. The at home formula is a little more nourishing/ less harsh. So I can go 3-4 days without feeling really oily on the road but only 2-3 days on the at home mixture. But the at home mixture leaves it feeling softer and less dry.
To see more pictures look to Monthly Review #12 - as I started this adventure right at the beginning of that month. So basically I've gone 11 months using almost no soap on my hair. I'm adding that to my list of personal accomplishments.
Next steps? Dry shampoo! I think rye would work stellar except it has made my scalp kinda chunky and itchy in my pre-shower half-ass tests. Maybe I'll add cinnamon for hair health? or scratch and preen before/after using the flour? And I definitely need to order a sifter or the super finely ground stuff. Maybe that'll be my new business - ultra finely ground rye. Or maybe I'll splice some aloe genes into a rye plant and we'll just dance against the leaves!
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