Hi! I’ve received an overwhelming number of comments from readers asking questions and sharing water-only hair washing experiences. It is wonderful to hear such positive results about the water-only method from so many of you! I’ve been trying to answer every question that I can in the comments, however I noticed there are a few questions that keep popping up regularly that I haven’t covered in my posts yet. So I will start making posts answering the most frequently asked questions to help as many readers possible. At the time of this post, it has been over 11 months since I switched from low-poo (sulfate-free shampoo) to water-only hair care, and I swear it is the best thing that has ever happened to my hair! I still practice water-only hair washing, and I am even more thrilled with the results I get now than when I started. I hope I can help you be as thrilled with your results as I am with mine.
FAQ: “I have been water-only for a while, but my hair still feels oily or waxy!”
This can be frustrating, but there may be a simple fix. The issue could be caused by a few different reasons, so let’s figure out when and where the issue arises in the process.
First off, water-only hair washing should give clean results immediately after washing hair. If hair doesn’t seem to get clean immediately after water-washing it, the issue could stem from either the actual washing process (see this post for tips), hard water, or caused by Reason #2 listed below.
However, if hair is getting clean immediately after water-washing it, but it later becomes excessively oily (like a day or two after washing), hair could still be in the initial oily transition phase, and in that case, I refer to the tips in my How to Transition to No-Poo Without Looking Oily post to get through the transition as quickly as possible. But if you feel you should be out of the oily transitional phase by now, then keep reading.
Reason #1: Oily hair may be caused by silicone buildup
Symptoms: Hair is clean after a water-only hair wash, but during the time between washes, scalp natural oils don’t seem to be soaking up into hair strands (even after boar-bristle brushing). Natural oils seem to just sit on top of the hair, making it look very oily.
Cause: This may be caused by silicone buildup on the hair from styling products that were never properly washed out of hair before starting no-poo/water-only. Or you might still be using silicone-filled hair products without realizing it, which is a big no-no. Silicones and no-shampoo do NOT mix.
Why silicones should be avoided on no-poo
Silicones can be found in most hair styling products, including heat protectants, conditioners, serums, pomades, gels, dry shampoos, hair sprays, etc. Silicones are added to hair products to hide the drying effects of sulfates. They creating a waterproof barrier around hair shafts, which gives hair a sleek, shiny, and frizz-free effect. Silicones don’t heal or nourish hair– hair is still dry, damaged, and tangly underneath the silicones from shampooing; the silicones just temporarily hide these symptoms until the next time silicones are washed out and reapplied. (Ever use shampoo and skip conditioner? Not a pretty sight.)
Here’s the bad part. Silicones stay stuck on hair shafts until they are washed out with a sulfate-shampoo. If silicones are not properly washed out, they will stay locked on hair and prevent water from penetrating the waterproof barrier they create. Over time, this will leave hair dry and brittle, and hair won’t be able to absorb natural oils (which actually DO hydrate, nourish, and make hair shiny, frizz-free, elastic, bouncy, sleek, and luscious). So silicones need to be washed out in order to have happy, nourished, and grease-free hair in the long-term. (More on silicones here.)
How to know if no poo hair has silicone buildup
Look at the ingredients list of products used, and compare it with this guide to see if it contains silicones. If any silicone-filled products were used since the last sulfate-shampoo hair wash, the issue is probably silicone buildup. And silicones can only be washed out with a sulfate shampoo. It’s also worth noting that some shampoos (low-poos or sulfate-free shampoos) don’t contain sulfate cleansers, so using these gentler shampoos in combination with silicones will most likely lead to silicone buildup, since the silicones aren’t getting washed out. The guide also lists common sulfate ingredient names, so you can check shampoo products for that info, too.
How to fix silicone buildup on no poo
It is widely recommended by natural hair care advocates to clarify hair with a sulfate-filled shampoo one last time (any cheap, sulfate-shampoo will do). And make sure to scrub it in really well through the length of hair, not just at the roots. Then completely stop using any hair products containing sulfates or silicones. I also recommend cleaning brushes and combs with sulfates and rinse them very well. Afterwards, hair should start absorbing natural oils a lot better.
If you are sad to part with a favorite silicone-filled hair product, I’d like to add that there are many natural & inexpensive alternatives that work just as great. But I found I no longer need styling products as my hair’s natural oils give even better results (shiny, sleek, manageable, hydrated, bouncy, natural hold, etc) than the silicones ever did. (Also see: How to properly start No Poo to avoid silicone buildup.)
Will washing with sulfates mess up no-poo progress?
One sulfate-shampoo application shouldn’t reset all of the progress made so far with training the scalp’s oil production. It will strip all of the oils off the hair and scalp though, which is very drying, but hair will be clean and oil-free and ready to continue with no-poo or water-only. Use a clean boar-bristle-brush to distribute scalp natural oils through the hair every day for one week to coat it in hydrating oils and restore the hair back to its no-shampoo glory.
Reason #2: Waxy buildup from the no poo initial transition phase
Symptoms: Hair doesn’t get as clean as it should with water-only washes anymore. It feels like there is a lot of oil or waxiness left on the hair even right after water-washing it.
Cause: Water only does a great job of washing away excess oils once the scalp’s oil production has normalized. If you went through a particularly oily initial transition phase when switching from shampoo to a no poo method, it’s possible there is leftover oily/waxy buildup that needs to be washed out. Once the buildup is washed out from the initial transition phase, water-only hair washing should be able to get hair clean and keep up with washing away the natural oil production.
How to remove waxy buildup on no poo
Use a gentle low-poo (sulfate-free shampoo) or co-wash (silicone-free conditioner) to clarify hair of the leftover buildup. Refer to this guide to determine which products are sulfate-free and silicone-free. Make sure to scrub it into roots and through the length of the hair and rinse it out really well.
*I’d like to add that I had to do this, and I had a great experience with Calia’s Organic Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner (a Canadian brand but it can also be purchased online). Looking at the ingredients, it contains only essential oils, flower extracts, and glycerin. It was very gentle on my hair, and left it feeling very soft and clean, and then I continued with No Poo. I recommend using a gentle, natural product if possible.
Will this mess up my no-poo progress?
One clarifying wash with a gentle (sulfate-free) cleanser won’t strip hair of its natural oils and likely won’t mess with scalp’s oil production (but more than one application might). One wash should just get rid of the oily/waxy buildup and allow you to continue water-washing with a head of clean, buildup-free hair and finally allow you to get the most out of your water-washes! You may even be able to notice your scalp’s oil production has slowed way down, you just couldn’t notice it before with all of the buildup in the way. I hope this tip works for you! It worked for me (and a few commenters on this site). I haven’t had an issue with buildup since. (Also see: using dry shampoo to remove oily / waxy buildup.)
Leave a comment below to let me know which questions you would like me to address in the next FAQ post!
Check out these posts next:
Wwo doesn’t work for me and I don’t know why. …..I followed all the directions to a t…….still get greasy unwashed looking hair in less than 3 days. …..can’t afford that because I work and have 3 sons and 9 cats.
Hi Shannon, If you are having a hard time getting through the oily transition on WO, I recommend using a different no poo method that is still gentle on your scalp but washes away excessive amounts of scalp oils. I recommend trying a co-wash (conditioner only, has to be silicone-free), honey wash, or even a low-poo (sulfate-free shampoo). You can stick with these methods long-term, or you can alternate these washes with WO washes, or wait til you get out of the oily phase and then try WO again in the future. I hope you find a method that works for you!
Hi!
Your blog is amazing, it has been a great help to me! I would just like to ask about one think I keep struggling with: after 6 weeks of water only, I am able to wash my hair in a way that my skin and my roots are clean. The problem is that the rest of the hair is still quite oily. Do you think that it could improve after some time or had i better use something to get rid of the buildup?
Thank you very much!
I’m glad to hear it! I recommend preening your hair while you water wash it. While the warm water is running through your hair, gently pull the oils and warm water down the hair shafts from root to tip. Another method you can try is adding dry shampoo an hour or so before water washing. (I recommend a homemade dry shampoo like arrowroot or tapioca powder.) This can absorb the oils from your hair strands and wash out when you water wash your hair.
Hello, I was wondering, is it alright if I rinse my hair out one last time with my old conditioner(Suave)? It’s been 6 weeks since I started my WOHW journey, and my hair is still a little waxy. I want to use Suave ’cause it’s the only conditioner I’ve used. Will this choice harm my progress, or will I be alright?
Hi!
First,
thank you so much for all your nice and useful posts.
I have stacted my no poo journey since for the past year I have been washing my hair once per week only already.
I have washed my hair with shampoo for the last time one week ago and so far I have only rinsed with warm water twice (yestersay and the day before). My hair is usually oily on the scalp and dry on the ends. My scalp is actually quite okay so far. But my ends are the issue. They are so dry and dull and have so much volume. It does not look good.
Is this due to the adaptation period? I was expecting an oily scalp more than dry ends. What could I do?
Thank you so much.
Emilie
Hi Emilie, It sounds like your scalp is not over producing oils since you were using a no poo method for a year, and the recent shampoo was drying to your hair. You can try using a boar bristle brush to pickup oils from your roots and distribute them to the ends of your hair. Or you can try adding a drop of a natural oil to your ends like coconut oil, argan oil, or shea butter. This will help them feel hydrated, but be careful to not add oil higher up on your hair or it can make hair look oily.
Hello, thanks for your blog, it has been really useful. From the start I have been doing water only washes and it has taken 7 weeks of epic grease to finally get to it balancing out. Hallelujah! I was tempted on many occasions to reach for the shampoo but I’m glad I didn’t and in any case I’d thrown it all out :) The most amazing benefit has been to my skin. I went from using a small tub of E45 on my extremely dry skin every two weeks, to using no moisturiser whatsoever on my face. If it hadn’t been for that I would have crumbled sooner but it seems to be self-moisturising now. I have very fine loosely curly hair but there is lots of it. What helped me to transition (finally) was using dry shampoo (cornflour and cocoa powder) liberally over my scalp and hair and then brushing it all out. I sat in an empty bath to do this as everything gets covered in greasy blobs of powder. I used a boar bristle brush. Then I water washed my hair as normal. It seemed to be a way of ‘dry cleaning’ the hair without disturbing it much. Thank you again for your advice, my skin and hair has never felt better. I don’t need heat or products to style my hair, I can make it curl any way I want with just my finger. The only products in my bathroom now are Dr Bronners soap, natural toothpaste and almond oil. I’m saving a fortune. If anyone’s thinking of giving up, hang in there!
Ellie, Hallelujah!! So happy to hear you’ve had good results with water only, and glad your skin is responding well! My skin also has improved with using gentler shower products / water only hair. The dry shampoo (arrowroot/cocoa powder) was a big help for me as well during the transition. I hardly have to use it now, but I agree, it did seem like a way of dry cleaning the hair. I kept the powder away from my scalp and just on the strands that looked stringy during the transition, and it didn’t mess with my scalp’s oil production but made the length of my hair look clean and awesome between washes. Thanks for your positive feedback, let us know how your hair progresses in the future!